New World Council of Churches Head Draws Criticism Over Israel Remarks

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July 1, 2022

(RNS) — Since being elected to lead the World Council of Churches earlier this month, the Rev. Jerry Pillay, former general secretary of the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa, has been rebuffing critics who accuse him of making antisemitic remarks by referring to Israel’s treatment of Palestinians as tantamount to apartheid.

Pillay, the dean of the University of Pretoria, is slated to assume leadership of the global ecumenical Christian group at the beginning of next year. As many in the WCC celebrated his June 17 election at a meeting of the group’s central committee, some Jewish leaders expressed outrage that the WCC would elevate someone who has in the past called out Israel in language that many Jews believe crosses a line.

David Michaels, director of United Nations and intercommunal affairs at B’nai B’rith International, a Jewish service organization, described Pillay’s election as “astounding and alarming” and accused him of espousing “simplistic ideological extremism” and having “a problem with Jews — at least those supportive of Zionism.”

Michaels and other critics pointed to a theological paper Pillay published in 2016 titled “Apartheid in the Holy Land: Theological reflections on the Israel and/or Palestine situation from a South African perspective.” The paper concludes that a “comparison between the Israel-Palestine conflict and the South African apartheid experience is, indeed, justifiable.”

Pillay also reportedly gave a speech at a 2014 event organized by the Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), which took place during the denomination’s general assembly. Like the paper, the title of the talk delivered by Pillay was reportedly “Apartheid in the Holy Land.”

Besides Pillay’s invocation of apartheid — the term used to describe the historic, racist subjugation of people of color in South Africa — Michaels also challenged Pillay’s positive references to the controversial “boycott, divestment and sanctions” movement directed at Israel.

Michaels accused the WCC itself of being “complicit in a predominant contemporary strain of anti-Semitism,” saying a faction in the WCC has worked to “weaponize” the organization against Israel.

In an interview with The Jerusalem Post, South Africa’s Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein called on Pillay “to retract his 2016 statements accusing Israel of apartheid and calling for a boycott of the Jewish state.”

Pillay responded in a statement issued by the WCC on June 23, saying: “I support the Jewish people preserving their identity and practicing their religious beliefs and values. I believe that all religions must be respected and people of all faiths — and no faith — must work together to create a world of justice and peace in which we express love, unity and reconciliation.”

“This stance has been and continues to be that of the World Council of Churches, and it would never elect a leader who practiced or preached antisemitism in any way, shape or form,” the statement said.

“Consequently,” it continued, “the WCC will continue to stand firmly behind United Nations (UN) resolutions on the occupied territories and speak out against all forms of injustice, regardless of where or who they come from.”

New Zealand Designates Proud Boys a Terrorist Organization

By

Nick Perry

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July 1, 2022

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand’s government has declared that American far-right groups the Proud Boys and The Base are terrorist organizations.

The two groups join 18 others including the Islamic State group that have been given an official terrorist designation, making it illegal in New Zealand to fund, recruit or participate in the groups, and obligating authorities to take action against them.

The U.S. groups are not known to be active in New Zealand, although the South Pacific nation has become more attuned to threats from the far right after a white supremacist shot and killed 51 Muslim worshippers at two Christchurch mosques in 2019.

The New Zealand massacre inspired other white supremacists around the world, including a white gunman who killed 10 Black people at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York, in May.

In the U.S., the State Department only lists foreign groups as terrorist entities. But the Proud Boys were last year named a terrorist group in Canada, while The Base has previously been declared a terrorist group in Britain, Canada and Australia.

In a 29-page explanation of the Proud Boys designation published Thursday, New Zealand authorities said the group’s involvement in the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021 amounted to an act of terrorism.

The statement said that while several militia groups were involved, it was the Proud Boys who incited crowds, coordinated attacks on law enforcement officers and led other rioters to where they could break into the building.

The statement said there are unlinked but ideologically affiliated chapters of the Proud Boys operating in Canada and Australia.

New Zealand authorities argued that before the Capitol attack, the Proud Boys had a history of using street rallies and social media to intimidate opponents and recruit young men through demonstrations of violence. It said the group had put up various smoke screens to hide its extremism.

Earlier this month, the former leader of the Proud Boys, Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, and four others linked to the group were charged in the U.S. with seditious conspiracy for what federal prosecutors say was a coordinated attack on the Capitol.

The indictment alleges that the Proud Boys conspired to forcibly oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power. The five are scheduled to stand trial in August in Washington, D.C.’s federal court.

Asked by media Thursday in New Zealand if the Proud Boys weren’t better known for protest actions rather than extreme violence, New Zealand Police Minister Chris Hipkins said: “Well, violent protests attempting to overthrow the government, clearly there is evidence of that.”

In making its case against The Base, New Zealand authorities said a key goal of the group was to “train a cadre of extremists capable of accelerationist violence.”

The statement said founder Rinaldo Nazzaro “has repetitively counselled members online about violence, the acquisition of weapons, and actions to accelerate the collapse of the U.S. government and survive the consequent period of chaos and violence.”

This article originally appeared here.

R.C. Sproul: The Battle for Grace Alone

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R.C. Sproul

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July 1, 2022

The early part of the fifth century witnessed a serious controversy in the church that is known as the Pelagian controversy. This debate took place principally between the British monk Pelagius and the great theologian of the first millennium, Augustine of Hippo. In the controversy, Pelagius objected strenuously to Augustine’s understanding of the fall, of grace, and of predestination. Pelagius maintained that the fall affected Adam alone and that there was no imputation of guilt or “original sin” to Adam’s progeny. Pelagius insisted that people born after the fall of Adam and Eve retained the capacity to live lives of perfect righteousness unaided by the grace of God. He argued that grace “facilitates” righteousness but is not necessary for it. He categorically rejected Augustine’s understanding that the fall was so severe that it left the descendents of Adam in such a state of moral corruption that they were morally unable to incline themselves to God. The doctrines of Pelagius were condemned by the church in 418 at a synod in Carthage.

Though Pelagianism was rejected by the church, efforts soon emerged to soften the doctrines of Augustine. In the fifth century the leading exponent of such a softening was John Cassian. Cassian, who was the abbot of a monastery in Gaul, together with his fellow monks, completely agreed with the condemnation of Pelagius by the synod in 418, but they objected equally to the strong view of predestination set forth by Augustine. Cassian believed that Augustine had gone too far in his reaction against the heresy of Pelagius and had departed from the teachings of some of the church fathers, especially Tertullian, Ambrose, and Jerome. Cassian said that Augustine’s teaching on predestination “cripples the force of preaching, reproof, and moral energy…plunges men into despair and introduces a certain fatal necessity.” This reaction against the implied fatalism of predestination led Cassian to articulate a position that has since become known popularly as “semi-Pelagianism.” Semi-Pelagianism, as the name implies, suggests a middle ground between Pelagius and Augustine. Though grace facilitates a life of righteousness, Pelagius thought it was not necessary. Cassian argues that grace not only facilitates righteousness, but it is an essential necessity for one to achieve righteousness. The grace that God makes available to people, however, can and is often rejected by them. The fall of man is real and serious, but not so serious as Augustine supposed, because a certain level of moral ability remains in the fallen creature to the extent that the fallen person has the moral power to cooperate with God’s grace or to reject it. Augustine argued that the very cooperation with grace was the effect of God’s empowering the sinner to that cooperation. Augustine again insisted that all of those who were numbered among the elect were given the gift of the grace of regeneration that brought them faith. Again, for Cassian, though God’s grace is necessary for salvation and helps the human will to do good, in the final analysis it is man, not God, who must will the good. God does not give the power to will to the believer because that power to will is already present despite the fallen condition of the believer. Further Cassian taught that God desires to save all people, and the work of Christ’s atonement is effectual for everyone.

Cassian understood that predestination was a biblical concept, but he made divine prescience primary over God’s choice. That is to say, he taught that though predestination is an act of God, God’s decision to predestine is based upon His foreknowledge of how human beings will respond to the offer of grace. For Cassian, there is no definite number of persons that are elected or rejected from eternity, since God wishes all men to be saved, and yet not all men are saved. Man retains moral responsibility and with that responsibility the power to choose to cooperate with grace or not. In the final analysis, what Cassian was denying in the teaching of Augustine was the idea of irresistible grace. For Augustine, the grace of regeneration is always effectual and will not be denied by the elect. It is a monergistic work of God that accomplishes what God intends it to accomplish. Divine grace changes the human heart, resurrecting the sinner from spiritual death to spiritual life. In this act of God, the sinner is made willing to believe and to choose Christ. The previous state of moral inability is overcome by the power of regenerating grace. The operative word in Augustine’s view is that regenerating grace is monergistic. It is the work of God alone.

Pelagius rejects the doctrine of monergistic grace and replaces it with a view of synergism, which involves a work of cooperation between God and man.

The views of Cassian were condemned at the Council of Orange in 529, which further established the views of Augustine as expressions of Christian and biblical orthodoxy. However, with the conclusion of the Council of Orange in the sixth century (529), the doctrines of semi-Pelagianism did not disappear. They were fully operative through the Middle Ages and were set in concrete at the Council of Trent in the sixteenth century. They continue to be a majority view in the Roman Catholic Church, even to the twenty-first century.

The majority view of predestination, even in the evangelical world, is that predestination is not based on God’s eternal decree to bring people to faith but on His foreknowledge of which people will exercise their will to come to faith. At the heart of the controversy in the fifth and sixth centuries, the sixteenth century, and today, remains the question of the degree of corruption visited upon fallen human beings in original sin. The controversy continues. The difference between the Pelagian controversy and the issues with semi-Pelagianism is that Pelagianism was seen by the church then and now as a sub-Christian and indeed anti-Christian approach to fallen humanity. The semi-Pelagian controversy, though a serious one, is not deemed to be a dispute between believers and unbelievers, but an intramural debate between believers.

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

You Can Recover From Burnout: 12 Keys to Finding Your New Normal

By

Carey Nieuwhof

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July 1, 2022

I had never been through anything quite as deep, or frankly, personally frightening, as my burnout in 2006. I regularly hear from leaders who have let me know that they’re in the midst of burnout right now. It’s like burnout, fatigue and “overwhelm” have become epidemics in life and leadership. If you’re struggling with it, all I can say is I understand, and I’m pulling for you and praying for you. You can recover from burnout.

I told part of my story in this post along with sharing 11 signs you might be burning out. To diagnose burnout is one thing. But how do you recover from burnout? Let me share my journey. While everyone’s recovery will be different, there were 12 keys that, in retrospect, were essential to my recovery and enabled me to recover from burnout.

Not an Instant Cure

And as far as time goes, for me there was no instant cure. It took about xix months for me to move from ‘crisis’ (20 percent of normal) to operational (maybe 60 percent). Another year to get from 60 percent to 80 percent of ‘normal’. Another three or four years to finally feel 100 percent again—like myself. Even a new self.

In the process, I completely restructured my patterns and rhythms so I could develop a new normal. Why? Because to recover from burnout and overwhelm, you need better patterns, not just a better attitude.

12 Keys to Recover From Burnout

Along the way, these 12 things helped me to recover from burnout. And while your story might be different, I offer them in the hope they might help you even in some small way:

1. Tell Someone

This was hard. I think it is for most leaders, especially guys.

My guess is you will resist because of pride. But pride is probably what made you burn out. Don’t miss this: Humility will get you out of what pride got you into. Humilty will lead you to recover from burnout.

Swallow your pride and tell someone safe that you have a problem. It’s tough, but it’s the first step toward wellness. When you admit it to others, you also finally end up admitting it to yourself.

2. Get Help

You can’t do this alone. Really, you can’t. I went to a trained counselor and had a circle of friends who walked the walk with me.

You need to talk to your doctor and to a trained Christian counselor. And you need others. I had people pray over me.

My wife, Toni, was an incredible and exceptional rock.

I’m not sure I would have made it without them. I’m a guy, and I prefer to work through my own problems.

This one was so much bigger than me. But not bigger than God or the community of love and support he provides. So get help.

Solitude is a gift from God, but isolation is a tool of the enemy. Don’t stay isolated.

3. Lean Into Your Friends

Yes, this could have been included in Point 2 but the guys would have missed it. Friends. You need them.

Guys—word here. We tend not to have a lot of friends and we tend not to open up. Mistake. Lean into your friendships.

Friends came to my house and prayed for me. They called me.

One day a friend called and simply said, “I know you can’t feel it today, but the sun will rise again. It will.” I can’t tell you how much those words meant to me that day. Your friends care about you. Lean into them.

4. Keep Leaning Into God

Just because he seems silent doesn’t mean he’s absent. I did not feel God for months. Not when I prayed or read the Bible or worshipped.

But I didn’t give myself permission to quit. In these pivotal moments you will either lean away from God or into him. Lean in, hard. Even if you feel nothing.

I did, and eventually the feelings of intimacy return. Just because you can’t feel God’s love doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you. Your emotions will eventually catch up to your obedience.

5. Rest

I was so physically and emotionally tired when I burned out. I slept for about 10 hours a day for a month straight, adding naps to my daily diet on top of that.

Sleep is like money; deficits become debt. And debt needs to be paid off.

I paid off my sleep debt that month and I always try now to make sure I am not running a deficit.

If I do for a week or two, I pay it off with more sleep. You were designed to rest, and to rest in God. While I personally didn’t take a sabbatical or medical leave (our board offered me one), some may need to. I was too scared I’d never come back. So I took three weeks vacation and came back slowly.

Preparing the Church: How to Assist Those in Crisis, Trauma, and Recovery

By

Edward E. Moody

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June 30, 2022

I was leaving a restaurant when I received a crisis call about a serious accident in our community. The caller ended with, “Come quick!” I was a counselor educator at North Carolina Central University and had recently begun serving as a pastor at Tippett’s Chapel, a rural church. When I arrived, what I saw was surreal. The fire chief walked me to a grieving couple whose daughter had been killed. I spoke with them, prayed with them, and encouraged them to go home, where I met with them later. At the end of the evening, I remembered seeing several people from our church who knew the couple at the accident scene. In many ways, they could have helped the couple more effectively.

In Crisis: What do they need to know?

What does the average congregant need to know to help people through crisis and trauma? Most importantly is to embrace his or her call to be an ambassador of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20) to those who do not know Him… and a burden bearer (Galatians 6:2) for those who do. When a tragic event takes place, they ask, “What can I do to help?” A shift from bystander to participant will take place when they become other-centered.

Next, we want to empower congregants by helping them identify and utilize the tools they have as Christians. God is at work within every Christian (Philippians 2:13), preparing them to help others. We want to shift away from the idea that only an expert can help. Often, the average person can assist in ways an expert cannot since they are a part of the community and have a rapport with the individual in need.

What do they need to do?

Observe: Just like Joseph observed the baker and the butler in prison (Genesis 40:6-7), we want our congregants to observe those in their neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, and even the Church. In an emergency, we want them to look for those in need and consider ways to help. Observe, but never gawk. If congregants are trying to assist someone at an accident scene, it might help to position their backs toward the action and face the person they are assisting. Later, we want them to observe the coping strategies that should be used following a crisis. For example—have they isolated themselves from others or engaged in negative, or even dangerous, coping activities?

Attend: Train congregants to “attend,” much like the friends of Job did immediately after the deaths of his children (Job 2:11-13). Concentrate on the power of presence, which is easier said than done. For example, after a house fire in our community on a cold night, some of our congregants attended to the family while the firefighters worked. The family had a difficult time leaving their home behind, so people stayed with them despite the elements. Another way of attending is to stay involved with someone after a loss. For example, a widow might withdraw from friends, saying she does not wish to be a “third wheel.” When we insist that those recovering from trauma join us for meals or trips (attend to them), they often improve.

Childhood Trauma: Developmentally Appropriate and Trauma-Informed Interventions

By

Daniel Sweeney

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June 30, 2022

childhood trauma — Image source: Adobe Stock

While much of psychotherapy is prescriptive in nature—whether led by theoretical or technical reasons or perhaps directed by practice standards or managed care—the need to consider developmental factors remains imperative. Unfortunately, this often seems to get lost in working with children, particularly traumatized children.

Consider this. A child engages in their world, terrified because they have been traumatized. Perhaps the adults in their life know about it, perhaps not. Regardless, the child is exhibiting a symptomatic response. The surrounding adults know that professional support is needed. A referral for therapy is made. It is time for a trauma intervention. Many therapists have been trained and are experienced, but most likely with adult clients. However, are children that much different? Yes, incredibly different.

While I would agree with most therapists that the trauma narrative must be expressed and processed—how this is accomplished is where I find myself at odds with some child therapists. Expressing the pain does not need to involve verbalization. In fact, I would argue that compelling this with child trauma clients is often damaging. As an expressive/play therapist, I will use nonverbally-based interventions with most traumatized clients, and always with children. There are basic developmental, psychological, neurological, and scriptural reasons for this perspective.

Children lack the developmental, cognitive, and abstract thinking skills to engage in “adult therapy.” Whereas we process verbally with words, children do not have this ability. Even verbally precocious children lack adult cognitive abilities, which can lead child therapists to mistakenly engage exclusively with spoken interactions.

My contentions should, by all means, not discourage us from working therapeutically with children. I believe play therapy is the developmentally appropriate restorative interaction with child trauma clients—actually all child clients. Children actually do “talk” in play therapy. However, in their case, play is the language and toys are the words (Landreth, 2012). Although my perspective is not to interpret the story but rather to witness their story—a fellow sojourner on the therapeutic journey. This is a goal of mine with trauma clients of any age.

Why Expressive Therapy?

It is important to consider my basic rationale for play and expressive therapies. In Sweeney (1997), Homeyer and Sweeney (2017), and Sweeney and Lowen (2018), several are offered:

As previously mentioned, play is simply the child’s natural medium of communication, as opposed to verbal communication, which is the primary medium of “adult therapy.” I would argue it is unfair and dishonoring to expect children to leave their world of expressive play and enter the adult world of verbal communication. After all, empathy involves entering the client’s world.
Expressive therapies inherently have a unique kinesthetic quality. Play and expressive media provide an unparalleled sensory experience, which meets a basic need that I believe all people have for kinesthetic experiences.
Play and expressive therapies create the necessary therapeutic distance often needed for traumatized clients. While these clients may be unable to express their pain in words, they can find expression through projective media.
This therapeutic distance then creates a safe environment for abreaction to occur. Traumatized clients need a therapeutic setting to abreact—a place of safety where painful issues can emerge and be relived—thus, a safe place to experience the intense negative emotions that are often attached to traumatic experiences.
Play and expressive therapies create a place for traumatized clients to experience control. I believe that a fundamental result of traumatizing experiences is a loss of control for those in its grip. A crucial goal for these clients must be empowerment, recognizing that the loss of control inherent in trauma and chaos is intrinsically disempowering.
Expressive and play therapies provide a unique and natural setting for the emergence of therapeutic metaphors. The most powerful metaphors in treatment are generated by clients themselves (as opposed to those orchestrated by therapists), and expressive therapy creates an ideal environment for this to occur.
Play and expressive therapies are effective interventions for traumatized clients in light of neurobiological issues. Potential neurobiological inhibitions on cognitive processing and verbalization contend for the benefits of expressive intervention.

Seattle Street Preacher Assaulted at Pride Event, Abortion Rally; Arrested After Bible Thrown in Portable Toilet

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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June 30, 2022

street-preacher-assault (1) — (L) Street preacher's Bible in toilet (R) Street preacher Matthew Meinecke arrested for preaching at PRIDEFEST 2022 in Seattle. Sceengrabs via Twitter @mattteamjesus

Matthew Meinecke, known on social media as The Seattle Preacher, was arrested twice last weekend for preaching and reading his Bible, once during an abortion rally and later that weekend at a PRIDEFEST 2022 event.

A video Meinecke posted to Twitter shows protesters taking Meinecke’s Bible and ripping pages out of it, throwing them on the ground while screaming obscenities at him.

“Hate Crime, this needs to be investigated,” Meinecke’s tweet reads. “I demand someone take actions and press charges. My bibles were destroyed in hate for my Christian beliefs.”

One person can be heard telling the street preacher, “Get the [expletive] out of here. You understand me?” Another person screamed, “Get your holy water off my ovaries, [expletive]! Get the [expletive] out!”

Those not involved in harassing Meinecke stood nearby, watching their fellow protesters assault him.

Meinecke shared that after Friday’s event where he was reading the Bible aloud, his Bible was ripped up, he was dragged by protesters, he had his shoe ripped off, and a barrier was thrown on top of him. “This was extremely violent. The people were enraged” because of the Roe v. Wade reversal, Meinecke told his followers.

The husband and father of two shared with ChurchLeaders that he was also kicked in the head so hard that he blacked out during the rally. A video of the incident has been given to the authorities so that charges can be filed against the assailant.

Later that weekend, Meinecke posted another video showing a separate incident during an event celebrating LGBTQ+ rights at a Seattle park, where another one of his Bibles was taken from him and kicked around like a soccer ball by pro-LGBTQ+ attendees.

“Desecration of another person’s religious material is a HATE CRIME. If this was a Quran people would be outraged. People must really hate the WORD of GOD right now,” Meinecke tweeted.

Those kicking the street preacher’s Bible can be heard laughing. Holding his tattered Bible up, he told those who were kicking it, “If this was a Quran, you would not have done that.” Someone replied back, “No, because they wouldn’t be here doing this.” Someone else chimed in, “We actually would have.”

Another person told Meinecke to “forget about your imaginary fairy in the [expletive] sky.”

Karen Swallow Prior: Why the Pro-Life Movement Must Prioritize Nuance, Education and the Imagination Post-Roe

By

Jessica Mouser

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June 30, 2022

karen swallow prior — Photo courtesy of Karen Swallow Prior

While the American church has much to be thankful for with the reversal of Roe v. Wade, it is important that pro-life advocates move forward in their work with caution, nuance and compassion, says Karen Swallow Prior. Prior joined the Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast for a special episode to share her thoughts on how the church can move forward well now that Roe has been overturned.

“There are some who…want to celebrate their abortions and are unapologetic,” said Prior, who is Research Professor of English and Christianity and Culture at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. “But that’s not the majority…most people still in their hearts and in their minds, they believe that abortion is an unfortunate kind of circumstance.” This reality, said Prior, is an opportunity for believers to find “common ground” and help people “understand that we actually do care, that we aren’t here to impose our views on women and oppress women.”

Karen Swallow Prior: We Need To Educate Ourselves

Karen Swallow Prior has been involved in the pro-life movement since the late 1980s and says she never expected to live to see Roe v. Wade overturned. Even when she heard about Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s leaked draft, Prior did not at first think the Supreme Court was set to reverse Roe, but that the possibility was merely “a liberal talking point.”

Even so, she said, “I was convinced, even if I wouldn’t live to see it, that abortion would eventually be seen for the barbarism and the injustice that it is. And just simply overturning Roe versus Wade won’t do that alone. But we know that the law is a teacher. The law does cultivate attitudes and opinions and values and even forms our imagination.”

Yet even though she is grateful that Roe has been overturned, Prior cautioned Christians against being hasty with how they move forward, saying that Roe’s absence gives us a unique opportunity to create beneficial legislation.

“For example,” said Prior, “we need to learn the difference between between intervening in the case of an ectopic pregnancy, which is going to be fatal to both mother and child and an abortion.” Because Roe was the law of the land for so long, Christians haven’t had to think through how the answer to such questions will impact the laws we create—but now in some states we have new opportunities.

Said Prior, “We’re going to have to educate ourselves quickly and thoughtfully and not just rush to put legislation in place that would be disastrous or uninformed or medically irresponsible. Of course, we want all of these laws to protect all of the human lives involved, but that’s not something that happens quickly and overnight. We have to really understand what it means to be pro-life and how to apply that in principle.”

In Prior’s view, being pro-life means having a holistic view of human life. For example, the lives of many immigrants might not be in the immediate danger that an unborn child is, but it is still important to understand that we see the lives of immigrants as valuable for the same reason that we see the lives of the unborn as valuable.

“If we are going to oppose the taking of innocent unborn life because that life is made in the image of God,” said Prior, “then we do need to be prepared to think about policies, other policies, in ways that protect those other image bearers.”

OPINION: Navigating the Moral Complexity of a Post Roe World

By

Dale Chamberlain

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June 30, 2022

It’s official: Roe is no more.

Following the leak of a draft opinion authored by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, pro-life advocates had been awaiting the official ruling in a SCOTUS case that they believed would lead to the overturn of Roe.

Those hopes have now come to pass.

Abortion is no longer considered a constitutional right, and the question of legality with regard to the practice has been turned over to individual states to decide. In advance of the ruling, a number of states enacted trigger laws that went into effect as soon as the judgment came down, immediately banning abortion in those states.

As I have said in the past, the overturn of Roe represents the single largest victory for the pro-life movement in five decades. Over 63 million abortions have taken place in America since the 1973 ruling. That is a loss of life that is difficult to comprehend.

While this is certainly a moment of celebration for those who stand on the side of life for the unborn, it does not signify the finish line for pro-life work, even if it is a significant milestone.

In fact, in the aftermath of the ruling, pro-life Christians are grappling with a morally complex landscape that I did not anticipate we would face in my lifetime.

While I can’t offer a definitive solution to those complexities, I believe it’s important for Christians to consider their ramifications and how to best pursue a holistic sense of justice in light of them.

The Moral Complexity of How We Got Here

The United States Supreme Court is not a faceless entity. It is composed of nine justices with particular legal and moral philosophies that guide their rulings. And the justices whose concurring opinions tipped the scales toward Roe’s overturn were appointed by none other than former president Donald Trump.

In response to that reality, some pro-Trump evangelicals have taken the opportunity to publicly dunk on their never-Trumper counterparts, lambasting them for refusing to provide their endorsement for “the most pro-life president in history.”

However, simultaneous with celebration of Roe’s overturn, Americans have also been witness to damning testimony regarding Trump given to the United States House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack.

Just this week, it was revealed by a former White House aid that President Trump knew that his claims of widespread voter fraud during his failed 2020 presidential bid were false, he was aware that a large number of those who sought to come to his January 6 rally were armed, and that he wanted to join the mob at the Capitol Building, even physically assaulting a member of his security team who insisted on taking him back to the White House in light of security concerns.

Submit to Husband and Make Pancakes If Asked, Pastor Tells Wives

By

Stephanie Martin

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June 30, 2022

Based on his reading of the Bible, Pastor Jared Pozarnsky says wives need to be prepared to change up their meal plans at short notice. In a June 24 video clip, the California preacher explains passages from Ephesians and Acts, saying wives are “to be subjected to their husbands in everything.”

Marital submission isn’t “popular today,” says Pozarnsky, pastor of Hold Fast Baptist Church in Fresno. But the Bible leaves “a lot of things” up to the husband. “If I came home and my wife had a whole meal on the table and I said, ‘I want pancakes.’ And she’s like ‘Oh man, but I’ve already made hamburgers.’ And I’m just like, ‘I just have to have pancakes right now.’ Look, she should make pancakes,” he says.

Hold Fast Pastor Jared Pozarnsky: That Would Be ‘A Jerk Thing’ To Do

Pozarnsky followed up that statement by admitting, “That would be kind of a jerk thing for me to do, and I wouldn’t do that.” During his 23 years of marriage, he says he’s never done anything like that. “But the point is, the husband is in charge of everything. And if I want pancakes over hamburgers, that’s not against what the Bible says.”

The Hold Fast pastor continued: “There’s no sheriff that’s going to come over and tell my wife to make pancakes if she doesn’t listen to me. If she won’t make pancakes and is like ‘No, eat your hamburger.’ And I’m like, well that’s not correct according to the Bible. Look, there’s no law that’s going to enforce that for me.”

Hold Fast describes itself as “an independent, fundamental, soul winning, separated, King James Bible-believing Baptist church – and not ashamed to say so.” Earlier this year, Pozarnsky ruffled some feathers by saying that women’s sports were “being taken over by a bunch of homosexual men.”

‘Pancakes? I’ll Give You Pancakes’

Online reaction to Pozarnsky’s pancakes comment was swift and critical. Hemant Mehta, founder of the Friendly Atheist website, tweeted the video clip with this caption: “Christian hate-preacher Jared Pozarnsky says wives must obey their husbands… even for the pettiest of reasons.”

In the replies, people write, “This sort of thing makes me so glad I’m not a Christian,” “He definitely hits his wife,” and “Stop giving them the oxygen of publicity.” One woman writes, “Pancakes? I’ll give you pancakes. Pay no mind to the explosive diarrhea in the morning. That’s just God’s will.”

LA Billboard Welcomes People to California, ‘Where Abortion Is Safe and Still Legal’

By

Dale Chamberlain

-

June 30, 2022

abortion billboard — Screengrab via Twitter

A controversial billboard is making waves in the Los Angeles area, as it welcomes drivers to California, “where abortion is safe and still legal.”

An image of the billboard was tweeted by Candidate for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors District #1 Kevin Dalton.

“Your tax dollars at work,” Dalton tweeted alongside the image on Wednesday. Later in the thread, Dalton confirmed that the billboard was purchased by Planned Parenthood, which receives government funding.

Legislation regarding abortion has been a point of conversation in each of the 50 states following the Supreme Court’s ruling last week that abortion is not a constitutionally protected right. Following the ruling, a number of trigger laws went into effect in Republican controlled states, limiting access to abortion immediately after the SCOTUS decision was announced.

In Democratic controlled states such as California, political leaders have vowed to pass robust legislation that will protect access to abortion.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has gone beyond promises to protect abortion access within the state to pledge that California will become a sanctuary state for women around the nation who are seeking an abortion.

On June 24, Newsom signed legislation that provides protections for medical professionals and out-of-state women who seek abortions in California from civil liability potentially brought against them from states with restrictive abortion laws.

“With today’s Supreme Court decision to endanger the health and safety of millions of women across the country, California must do everything it can to protect the fundamental rights of all women—in California and beyond,” said Governor Newsom on June 24, the day Roe was overturned. “We know that states like Missouri are already targeting women seeking abortions in states like California where abortion remains legal. This legislation seeks to protect women and care providers from civil liability imposed by other states, and sends a clear message that California will continue to be a safe haven for all women seeking reproductive health care services in our state.”

In response to Dalton’s tweeted image of the LA area billboard harolding safe and legal abortions, a number of people noted that abortion is “not safe for the baby.” Others expressed their intention or desire to move out of the state.

What Happened to United Methodists’ Proposal To Split the Denomination?

By

Emily McFarlan Miller

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June 30, 2022

united methodists — LGBTQ advocates react to the Traditional Plan being adopted at the special session of the UMC General Conference on Feb. 26, 2019, in St. Louis. RNS photo by Kit Doyle

(RNS) — It was the thing that was supposed to save the United Methodist Church.

The Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation, brokered by 16 United Methodist bishops and advocacy group leaders from across theological divides, outlined a plan to split the mainline Protestant denomination over its disagreement about the ordination and marriage of LGBTQ United Methodists.

But before delegates to the General Conference, the denomination’s global decision-making body, could vote on the widely endorsed protocol, so-called traditionalists went ahead and launched a new denomination, the Global Methodist Church.

And, most recently, several representatives of groups identifying as centrist and progressive announced they no longer supported the protocol.

While legislation to enact the plan still likely will be considered at the next General Conference meeting, wavering support for the protocol leaves the United Methodist Church either imagining a new way forward or plunging into chaos, depending on whom you ask.

So what happened?

Mainly, bishops and advocacy group leaders say, too much time went by. Because of COVID-related delays to the General Conference meeting, four years will have passed by the time delegates finally can vote on the plan they negotiated.

“There’s a lot that’s happened since that protocol was signed, and the context really has changed,” said Bishop Thomas Bickerton of the New York Annual Conference, who recently became president of the denomination’s Council of Bishops.

“We’re sad about these departures that are happening, but to think that the protocol is going to be the great solution, I don’t know that it will, because it’s in the hands of these delegates who are going to amend it and change it and make it what they want.”

New Council of Bishops President Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton, left, receives the gavel from outgoing President Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey during the spring meeting, Friday, April 29, 2022. Video screen grab via COB

Alaska Church Revitalization Result of Letting God Work, Pastor Says

By

Scott Barkley

-

June 30, 2022

revitalization — Liberty Church has outgrown the worship area configured in the basement of its unfinished building. Photo courtesy of Jamie Baldwin / Baptist Press

CRAIG, Alaska (BP) – Liberty Church has made great strides in the past year. At one point down to 10 members, it currently averages 50-60 in attendance each Sunday. Community goodwill toward the church has grown through outreach. A partnership with Alabama Baptists has the congregation poised to move into new worship and education space.

On July 3 Liberty will host a Fourth of July extravaganza open to the public, celebrating what God has done in addition to dedicating its new building and recognizing the ordination of Pastor Cody Schwegel. With such momentum, Schwegel’s response after being asked about further plans may surprise you.

“I don’t have any,” he said.

That doesn’t mean the church’s work will fizzle out like a July 5 sparkler. Schwegel grew up in Craig, a town that despite a population of just over 1,000 is nevertheless the largest on Prince of Wales Island, which is conversely the fourth-largest island in the United States. He’s familiar with the effects of the long, wet winters that contribute to depression and drug and alcohol addiction. He’s seen firsthand the lack of jobs and loneliness from isolation.

It’s an environment where Liberty Church can become a beacon for freedom through Christ.

“It’s a perfect place for the Church to get its act together and minister to people through love and grace,” he said. “There are so many opportunities to change the direction of the generation coming up, to be the generation that seeks God’s face.

“We want to show them that God’s love is better than what the world can give them.”

Schwegel had been a ministry leader and apprentice at Anchor Church before being named pastor. Anchor struggled and in October 2020 decided to shut the doors for a season, with plans to replant.

“I’m not a quitter,” Schwegel said. “The church was strong; we just didn’t have the numbers.”

About 2,800 miles away, Jamie Baldwin was preparing to enjoy retirement in Tallassee, Ala. Baldwin had spent 23 years in Sunday school and discipleship ministries with Alabama Baptists, but had barely leaned back in his rocking chair before he got a phone call.

Scotty Goldman, Alabama’s director of the Office of Global Missions, was on the other line. Alaska Baptists had called asking for help with a church revitalization. Could Baldwin help?

That led to a five-year partnership agreement between Alaska and Alabama, with Baldwin living in Craig for six months last year and currently coming to the end of two months there.

“I will be 68 years old tomorrow (June 25) and have 50 years in the ministry,” Baldwin said. “I have never worked so hard in my life nor been part of a greater blessing than the last two years working with Cody and Liberty Church.”

Nine teams comprising more than 70 people visited last summer to help finish the construction of Liberty’s building, begun when it was still Anchor Church. Baldwin told Baptist Press that he estimates more than 100 Alabama Baptist churches gave by sending either volunteers or money.

A group from First Baptist Church in Reeltown, Ala., is currently working to complete the upstairs sanctuary and education space in time for the July 3 celebration.

“Folks in the town are seeing the difference in the church and how they’re reaching out to the community. They’re seeing what’s happening here,” said Tim Smith, First Reeltown’s pastor.

“It’s been pretty cool to watch. Our folks who are here are seeing it too and it keeps them energized.”

Schwegel knows about energy, as he works full-time for Alaska Power & Telephone. Liberty’s outreach team had made its presence felt last year through efforts such as providing a backpack for every child on the island who wanted one. Schwegel felt God calling for another big effort at Christmas but knew the church didn’t have the funds. He filed for grants and asked around, but nothing materialized. Schwegel told church leaders he didn’t think the outreach would happen.

Then he went to work and found a $5,000 check waiting on his desk. His company was so impressed with Liberty’s community impact that it fast-tracked a grant that would normally not appear until January.

Anti-Abortion Movement Faces Internal Divisions After Roe’s Fall

By

Bob Smietana

-

June 30, 2022

anti-abortion — Anti-abortion activist Doug Lane uses a ladder to peer over the covered fencing as he calls out to patients entering the Jackson Women’s Health Organization clinic in Jackson, Mississippi, moments after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade was issued, June 24, 2022. The clinic is the only facility that performs abortions in the state. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

(RNS) — For nearly five decades, abortion opponents held two truths to be self-evident.

Abortion ends the life of a human being.

Women who have an abortion are “second victims.”

Now, with Roe v. Wade overturned, a small but influential group of abortion foes believes women who have abortions should be prosecuted as criminals. Known as abortion abolitionists, they want to ban abortion with no exception. And they want women who have abortions to face jail time.

“You can’t abolish abortion without criminalizing the act of abortion,” said T. Russell Hunter, co-founder of Free the States Action Fund and Abolish Human Abortion, a pair of Oklahoma-based abolitionist groups.

The rise of groups like Free the States has complicated the post-Roe response of abortion foes, who have long positioned themselves as defenders of both unborn children and pregnant women.

Many established groups opposed to abortion find themselves fighting both supporters of abortion rights and abolitionists who want to ban abortion with no exceptions and oppose any incremental restrictions.

Carol Tobias, president of the National Right to Life Committee, said her group will support legislation to “save as many babies as possible.”

Carol Tobias. Photo via NRLC.org

This would include bans on abortion in more conservative states and in states where abortion is legal, more education for women who seek abortions, as well as laws to protect the conscience of health care professionals who object to abortion.

She said her organization hopes to see an end to all abortions someday. For now, she said, it will support whatever restrictions are possible and push for tighter restrictions in the future.

“Our position has always been to save as many babies as you can, as soon as you can,” she said.

Tobias also encourages abortion foes to communicate to pregnant women that they are not alone. For 50 years, she said, women have gotten the message that abortion is the “easy solution” to an unwanted pregnancy. Now, she said, groups like hers want to stand by pregnant women and encourage them and provide assistance.

FBI Opens Sweeping Probe of Clergy Sex Abuse in New Orleans

By

Jim Mustian

-

June 30, 2022

clergy sex abuse — FILE - Archbishop Gregory Aymond conducts the procession to lead a live streamed Easter Mass in St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans, Sunday, April 12, 2020. The FBI has opened a widening investigation into Roman Catholic sex abuse in New Orleans, looking specifically at whether priests took children across state lines to molest them. The FBI declined to comment, as did the Louisiana State Police, which is assisting in the inquiry. The Archdiocese of New Orleans declined to discuss the federal investigation. “I’d prefer not to pursue this conversation,” Aymond told AP. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The FBI has opened a widening investigation into sex abuse in the Roman Catholic Church in New Orleans going back decades, a rare federal foray into such cases looking specifically at whether priests took children across state lines to molest them, officials and others familiar with the inquiry told The Associated Press.

More than a dozen alleged abuse victims have been interviewed this year as part of the probe that’s exploring among other charges whether predator priests can be prosecuted under the Mann Act, a more than century-old, anti-sex trafficking law that prohibits taking anyone across state lines for illicit sex.

Some of the New Orleans cases under review allege abuse by clergy during trips to Mississippi camps or amusement parks in Texas and Florida. And while some claims are decades old, Mann Act violations notably have no statute of limitations.

“It’s been a long road and just the fact that someone this high up believes us means the world to us,” said a former altar boy who alleged his assailant took him on trips to Colorado and Florida and abused him beginning in the 1970s when he was in the fifth grade. The AP generally does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted.

The FBI declined to comment, as did the Louisiana State Police, which is assisting in the inquiry. The Archdiocese of New Orleans declined to discuss the federal investigation.

“I’d prefer not to pursue this conversation,” Archbishop Gregory Aymond told the AP.

The probe could deepen the legal peril for the archdiocese as it reels from a bankruptcy brought on by a flood of sex abuse lawsuits and allegations that church leaders turned a blind eye to generations of predator priests.

Federal investigators are now considering whether to seek access to thousands of secret church documents produced by lawsuits and shielded by a sweeping confidentiality order in the bankruptcy, according to those familiar with the probe who weren’t authorized to discuss it and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. Those records are said to document years of abuse claims, interviews with accused clergy and a pattern of church leaders transferring problem priests without reporting their crimes to law enforcement.

“This is actually a big deal, and it should be heartening to victims,” said Marci Hamilton, a University of Pennsylvania professor and chief executive of Child USA, a think tank focused on preventing child abuse. “The FBI has rarely become involved in the clergy sex abuse scandals. They’ve dragged their feet around the country with respect to the Catholic Church.”

The U.S. Justice Department has struggled to find a federal nexus to prosecuting clergy abuse, hitting dead ends in cases as explosive as the ones outlined in the 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report that disclosed a systematic cover-up by church leaders. Federal prosecutors subpoenaed church records in Buffalo, New York, the same year in an inquiry that similarly went quiet.

Marshall Blalock Reflects on Service With Sexual Abuse Task Force

By

Timothy Cockes

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June 30, 2022

Sexual Abuse Task Force — Marshall Blalock speaks at the press conference following the SATF report at the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting. Photo by Adam Covington. Courtesy of Baptist Press.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (BP) – Marshall Blalock, pastor of First Baptist Church, Charleston, S.C., said one of the spiritual lessons he learned through serving on the Sexual Abuse Task Force was how to “think and act with more compassion.”

Blalock was one of the eight members selected by immediate-past president Ed Litton to serve on the Task Force, and was also named vice chairman.

The Task Force began their work this fall by signing a contract with independent firm Guidepost Solutions, who conducted an investigation into allegations of mishandling of sexual abuse claims by the SBC Executive Committee.

Guidepost released their full report in May, and the Task Force later released recommendations for reform based upon the findings of the report. Those recommendations were subsequently overwhelming approved by messengers at the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif.

Blalock said the whole experience greatly impacted his understanding regarding ministering in situations of abuse.

“There are certainly some things from the past I would have done differently from the pastoral perspective regarding abuse,” Blalock said.

Blalock described a couple of previous situations at his church where instances of abuse happened at a school that met on their campus. The church immediately reported these instances to law enforcement, and the abusers were convicted and went to jail.

The regret for Blalock lies in the way he would have ministered to the survivors of abuse in these situations. He said this is a good lesson for all pastors to learn.

“Had I known what I know now we would have gone back and operated more effectively in caring for the sexual abuse victims,” Blalock said. “I think when it comes those who have been affected by sexual abuse, the first thing is to be able to see them and try to understand the kind of trauma they have experienced.

“I think that most, if not all, pastors have a heart to want to help and serve people … but if you want to lead and pastor well, it’s important to understand how sexual abuse has affected the people in your church. I, along with the other pastors on the Task Force, didn’t realize the depth of the trauma that’s involved with someone who is abused. It’s much more traumatic and life-altering than I ever understood or new.”

When initially approached by Litton about joining the Task Force, Blalock was willing to serve, but had no idea what he was getting into.

“I love the cooperative work that we do as Great Commission Baptists together, so that’s my baseline when I’m asked to do something,” Blalock said. When President Litton called me, I had no idea at the time what was really involved or the burden it would be.

“Had I known what I know now, I would never have volunteered for this. Yet, the Lord sustained us, and the Lord gave us direction. It was really a sense of love and appreciate for the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention that made me feel called to serve in this regard.”

Blalock said he is grateful for the passing of the Task Force’s recommendations during the annual meeting, and the great first step of reform in the Convention that it represents.

“I’m so grateful the Convention overwhelmingly adopted the recommendations,” Blalock said. “The unique factor of what has happened in the last year is that the messengers initiated this investigation with clear directions to the Task Force to bring recommendations on handling and preventing sexual abuse. That was a huge initiative that wasn’t forced on us, it actually came from us.

Children’s Ministry Is Essential for Your Church’s Success

By

Dale Hudson

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June 30, 2022

If you serve in children’s ministry, you are serving in the most strategic ministry in the church.

If your church is going to grow, it will be because your children’s ministry starts growing.

If you emphasize the importance of children’s ministry, you will have people step up and serve in children’s ministry.

The most important physical space in your church, is your children’s ministry space.

Remember this…

Children’s ministries that have subpar space, will seem worse than the ministry really is. Children’s ministries that have excellent space, will seem better than the ministry really is.

Jesus believed in children’s ministry. We often see Him taking time to minister to children.

Children’s ministry is how you reach families. Think about how many times in Scripture when parents came to Jesus for one reason. They needed help for their child. Their first contact with Jesus was because of their children. This still rings true today. You can reach parents and grandparents through their children. I have seen this happen so many times.

When you make children’s ministry a top priority, Jesus will bless your ministry. Every single time when we invested in children’s ministry I saw the ministry begin to grow.

One of the churches where I served as children’s pastor grew from a weekend attendance of 6,000 to 16,000 in three years. Guess when the growth explosion happened? After we build a new children’s ministry area. This type of exponential growth can happen when you make children’s ministry a top priority.

A church that maximizes children’s ministry will maximize the blessings of Jesus. A church that minimizes children’s ministry will minimize the blessings of Jesus.

Churches that are dying…and there are lots of them…are dying because they are not successfully passing off the faith to the next generation. If you do not reach the next generation, your church is terminal. You will eventually have to close the doors.

I often say, “Where there is no crying (nursery), your church is dying.”

But you can change that. If you will turn and engage the next generation, you can see your church begin to grow and flourish. When churches die, it is often because the older generation isn’t willing to let go of their preferences. Notice I said “preferences” because that is what it is. One of the biggies is worship music. The older generation doesn’t want to introduce new worship songs that the next generation can connect with. In the “struggle” to keep the church tied down with their preferences, they are missing out on the opportunity to engage the next generation.

Personal preferences are often generational. Older generations like older hymns. The next generation likes worship music and style that is connected with their generation. Hence the battle of the worship preferences begins. I am not saying you can’t sing any hymns. And I am not saying we should abandon great hymns like “Amazing Grace.” But I am saying that new worship songs should be the predominate theme if you want to reach the next generation.

In closing…let me ask you this.

Are you willing to step up to the plate for the next generation? Are you willing to change to reach the next generation? Are you willing to make children’s ministry a top priority?

If you want your church to grow and thrive…then that is what needs to happen.

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

5 Top Video Production Books To Up Your Game

By

Duke Taber

-

June 30, 2022

Learning video production can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t have a mentor who can talk you through what you need to know and do to be successful. Rather than allowing yourself to become stressed out about what you need to learn and how you will get the information that you need to succeed, you can turn to a book. These are the top five video production books on the market today. They are all designed to make it easier than ever for you to learn about video production and creating gorgeous videos you’ll be proud of.

5 Top Video Production Books To Up Your Game

1. Video Production Handbook

Video Production Handbook

This new edition of the Video Production Handbook walks students through the full video production process, from inception of idea to final distribution. Concentrating on the techniques and concepts behind the latest equipment, this book demonstrates the fundamental principles needed to create good video content on any kind of budget. Ideal for students, the new edition features a new chapter on directing and updated information on the latest DSLR and cinema cameras, LED lighting and much more. A companion website with additional resources for professors rounds out this full-color, highly visual text to meet all of your video production learning needs.

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(If you buy from Amazon, Easy Church Tech earns a very small commission at no charge to you.)

If you’re ready to get started with video production and don’t want to spend a ton of time reading how-to books and manuals, then it’s time to let Steve Stockman teach you what you need to know. While there are an impressive 74 chapters in this book, they are all short, exciting, easy to read, and packed with information so that you don’t feel like you’re wasting your time.

You’ll learn all of the rules about how to keep your audience entertained and ensure that they actually want to watch the video that you have made. Additionally, you’ll learn how to think in shots and move around to capture the best video that you can and then edit it into a flawless final product during post-production.

With information on lighting, framing, sound, editing, and even why you should skip the special effects, this book is full of knowledge that is applicable to any shooting situation. Whether you are shooting a video for your child’s birthday party or making a video about your church, this book will ensure that the final product looks amazing.

2. How to Shoot Video That Doesn’t Suck: Advice to Make Any Amateur Look Like a Pro

How to Shoot Video That Doesn’t Suck: Advice to Make Any Amateur Look Like a Pro

Newly updated and revised, How to Shoot Video That Doesn’t Suck is a quick and easy guide that will make your video better instantly—whether you read it cover to cover or just skim a few chapters. It’s about the language of video and how to think like a director, regardless of equipment (amateurs think about the camera, pros think about communication). It’s about the rules developed over a century of movie-making—which work just as well when shooting a two-year-old’s birthday party on your phone. Written by Steve Stockman, the director of the award-winning feature Two Weeks, plus TV shows, music videos, and hundreds of commercials, How to Shoot Video That Doesn’t Suck explains in 74 short, pithy, insightful chapters how to tell a story and entertain your audience. In other words, how to shoot video people will want to watch.

Here’s how to think in shots—how to move-point-shoot-stop-repeat, instead of planting yourself in one spot and pressing “Record” for five minutes. Why never to shoot until you see the whites of your subject’s eyes. Why to “zoom” with your feet and not the lens. How to create intrigue on camera. The book covers the basics of video production: framing, lighting, sound (use an external mic), editing, special effects (turn them off!), and gives advice on shooting a variety of specific situations: sporting events, parties and family gatherings, graduations and performances. Plus, how to make instructional and promotional videos, how to make a music video, how to capture stunts, and much more. At the end of every chapter is a suggestion of how to immediately put what you’ve learned into practice, so the next time you’re shooting you’ll have begun to master the skill. Steve’s website (stevestockman.com) provides video examples to illustrate different production ideas, techniques, and situations, and his latest thoughts on all things video.

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The author of this book, Jim Owens, has taught and worked in TV and video for more than 30 years, and he brings all of that experience to the table in his book. This is an updated version of the book, which means that it has been edited to include tips and tricks that are useful in modern applications, making it a great book for anyone looking to wow their audience.

See more of the top five video production books on page two.

During COVID-19 Saddleback Church Small Group Ministry Started 3,000 Groups

By

Josh Hunt

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June 30, 2022

Rick Warren recently preached a sermon where he mentioned that Saddleback has added 3,000 groups during Covid-19. Saddleback started the year with around 6,000 groups. They now have about 9,000 groups. Wow. I did a deep dive into the Saddleback church small group ministry to see if I could discover how they did it. I listened to all the latest Saddleback podcasts, as well as all the latest Small Group Network podcasts. I read Steve Gladen’s latest book, Planning Small Groups with Purpose: A Field-Tested Guide to Design and Grow Your Ministry and re-listened to the much of Purpose-Driven Church. To top it off, Steve Gladen was willing to conduct a Zoom interview. Here is what I learned.

To quote Bobby Unser, “Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.” Saddleback’s story is a picture of that. They have been preparing for this moment for 30 years. When opportunity came, they were ready.

Saddleback Church Small Group Ministry

An optimistic, positive, faith-filled attitude

This was my first observation. Where most of us saw obstacles and problems, Saddleback saw opportunity. Both Rick Warren and Steve Gladen were quick to emphasize that the church tends to be at its best when the world is at its worst. The church grew in the aftermath of 9/11 as it often grows during tragedy. Thinking individually, people tend to turn to look up to God when life turns down.

A willingness to adapt, adjust, experiment and learn

I remember hearing Rick Warren speak years ago about why they call their small group leaders Lay Pastors. He was very emphatic about the idea that they wanted to lift up the position of the Lay Pastor. This seemed like the right thing to call them… until it wasn’t.

Company Sued for Firing Atheist, Agnostic Who Refused To Participate in Christian Prayer Meetings

By

Jessica Mouser

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June 29, 2022

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is suing a home service and repair company in Greensboro, North Carolina, for firing two employees who refused to participate in Christian prayer meetings. A video that went viral in September 2020 appears to show the owner of Aurora Pro Services (APS), Oscar Lopez, in the act of firing one of his employees.

“Beware of Aurora Pro Services,” said Hueston Lackey in the caption of the video, posted Sept. 8, 2020. “They are forcing their employees to participate in prayer and Scripture reading (not that there’s anything wrong with prayer and Scripture) and if you choose not to, they fire you. This is exactly how you give Christianity/good Christians a bad name. Just [because] someone works for you doesn’t mean you can force your religion on them (not to mention it’s your protected right of choice).”

On June 28, 2022, Lackey posted a link to the EEOC’s press release about its lawsuit, saying, “I don’t know if some of you remember a video I posted a few years ago that involved Aurora Pro Services firing a friend of mine? Well this is how [it] is going for them.”

Aurora Pro Services Sued by EEOC

Aurora Pro Services lists heating, plumbing, roofing, and electrical work among the services it provides. A description on its website, which appears to be from the company’s owner, Oscar Lopez, says he took the name of the company from his grandmother, whose name was Aurora.

“I’ve never met anybody who worked harder, had more integrity, and had a deeper faith in God,” says the website. “From her, I learned what family means. I learned honesty is the only option. I learned that no matter what troubles I have, the solution can always be found in the Lord. You may have had a grandmother like mine. If so, we’re going to get along just fine. And you’ll know my team will take care of you.”

In its press release about the lawsuit, the EEOC alleges that Aurora Pro Services “violated federal law when it required employees to participate in religious prayer sessions as a condition of employment and retaliated against employees who opposed the unlawful practice.” According to the EEOC, APS has required employees to participate in Christian prayer meetings since at least June 2020.

“The meetings were conducted by the company owner and included Bible readings, Christian devotionals, and solicitation of prayer requests from employees,” says the EEOC, adding that APS’s owner tracked who attended the meetings and “reprimanded” any who did not.

The lawsuit claims that in the fall of 2020, when John McGaha, a construction manager and an atheist, asked not to attend the prayer meetings, APS cut his pay in half and then fired him. The suit also alleges that in January 2021, Mackenzie Saunders, a customer service representative and an agnostic, was fired when she stopped attending the prayer meetings.

Not an Instant Cure

12 Keys to Recover From Burnout

1. Tell Someone

2. Get Help

3. Lean Into Your Friends

4. Keep Leaning Into God

5. Rest

In Crisis: What do they need to know?

What do they need to do?

Why Expressive Therapy?

Karen Swallow Prior: We Need To Educate Ourselves

The Moral Complexity of How We Got Here

Hold Fast Pastor Jared Pozarnsky: That Would Be ‘A Jerk Thing’ To Do

‘Pancakes? I’ll Give You Pancakes’

5 Top Video Production Books To Up Your Game

1. Video Production Handbook

2. How to Shoot Video That Doesn’t Suck: Advice to Make Any Amateur Look Like a Pro

Saddleback Church Small Group Ministry

An optimistic, positive, faith-filled attitude

A willingness to adapt, adjust, experiment and learn

Aurora Pro Services Sued by EEOC

New Articles

New Podcasts