Vance Pitman: Why Stress Should Not Be a ‘Normal’ Part of a Pastor’s Life

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May 11, 2022

The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast · Vance Pitman: Why Stress Should Not Be a ‘Normal’ Part of a Pastor’s Life

Vance Pitman was the senior pastor of Hope Church in Las Vegas, Nevada, which he planted in 2001, before stepping down in December 2021 to taken on a new role as president of the Send Network. He speaks across the U.S. and around the world to inspire people to join in God’s eternal, redemptive mission of making disciples and multiplying the church among every tribe, tongue, people and nation. Vance’s latest book is, “The Stressless Life: Experiencing the Unshakable Presence of God’s Indescribable Peace.”

Other Ways to Listen to This Podcast With Vance Pitman

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Key Questions for Vance Pitman

-Most people accept that stress is a part of life. What is a normal level of acceptable stress, especially if you’re a pastor?

-Why is God’s peace essential to a life without stress, and to what extent do our own decisions impact our stress levels?

-How do we access God’s peace in the more difficult areas of our lives?

-What are practical ways for church leaders to step outside of stress, even though they can’t completely remove themselves from certain situations immediately?

Key Quotes From Vance Pitman

“I had no idea really when I started down this journey of writing the book that it would be coming out in a time like what we’re living in right now—if you know the world of publishing, it’s kind of a slow wheel.”

“My body literally shut down after about 22 years of ministry, 13 years in Vegas. My body said, ‘Enough’s enough.’ And for eight days I just slept.”

“We don’t have to allow the stressors of life to dominate our lives. Yes, we all are going to experience apprehension and anxiety. We can’t escape from stressors, but we can respond to those situations in a way that allows us to enjoy life and not just endure it.”

“There is a clinical medical anxiety disorder, and that’s not what I’m addressing. If somebody’s got a clinical medical issue, you can’t pray your way out of that. You need medicine, you need doctoral help. You need professional help to be able to deal with that. What I’m talking about is the normal, everyday amount of stress in life that all of us have to deal with.”

“I define stress like this: Stress is the fearful concern that’s experienced when life’s demands seem greater than my ability to meet them.”

Man Pleads Guilty to Stealing Checks Intended for Churches

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AP News

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May 11, 2022

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — A Florida man has pleaded guilty in connection with the theft of more than 2,600 checks intended for religious institutions in several states that were deposited into fake bank accounts, a federal prosecutor in Maryland said.

Florin Vaduva, 31, of Dania Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud. The plea agreement orders Vaduva to pay at least $1 million restitution, U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron announced Tuesday in a news release.

The guilty plea says that from June 2018 to January 2021, Vaduva and at least five others conspired to steal checks intended for religious institutions and deposit them into multiple fraudulent bank accounts. The checks were stolen from roadside mailboxes.

Vaduva and the co-conspirators deposited the stolen checks into bank accounts through ATMs, then withdrew money and spent the proceeds using debit cards.

During five months in 2020, Vaduva deposited or was part of the deposit of at least 49 stolen checks totaling more than $27,000 from churches in Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia into five fraudulently opened bank accounts. Vaduva was apprehended last September.

Vaduva faces up to 30 years in prison and five years of supervised release when he is sentenced on Aug. 8.

This article originally appeared on APNews.com.

California Child Who Died Was Allegedly Subject to Exorcism

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AP News

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May 11, 2022

california church — Pastor Rene Huezo is seen giving a sermon at Iglesia Evangelica Apostoles y Profetas church in San Jose on the church’s YouTube channel. Pastor Huezo was the grandfather of the three-year-old girl who died when he performed an exorcism on her last September. Screenshot from YouTube / @Iglesia Apostoles Y Profetas San jose CA

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — A 3-year-old girl whose death last fall has been ruled a homicide was the subject of an alleged exorcism last year at a Northern California church, a newspaper reported Tuesday.

The child, Arely Naomi Proctor, died last September after family members performed a ceremony to “liberate her of her evil spirits,” church officials told the San Jose Mercury News. The Santa Clara County medical examiner’s office ruled the death a homicide caused by asphyxiation.

The girl’s mother, Claudia Hernandez, was charged with assault on a child resulting in death. The Associated Press could not immediately determine whether Hernandez has an attorney.

Details of the case were not made public at the time but the newspaper reported on it amid new scrutiny on the Iglesia Apostoles y Profetas, a tiny Pentecostal church in San Jose, following the recent kidnapping of a 3-month-old baby that led police to search the church.

No evidence was found in the church that was relevant to the child’s abduction and the church was not part of the case submitted to the district attorney’s office, said Officer Steven Aponte, a spokesman for the San Jose Police Department. The baby was found safe in a San Jose apartment several hours after the abduction was captured on surveillance video, and police arrested three suspects, including at least one of whom attended the same church.

The church pastor, Rene Huezo, was the grandfather of the 3-year-old and took part in the exorcism but has not been charged, the newspaper reported.

According to court records, Hernandez told police she believed her daughter was possessed because she would “wake up and scream or cry periodically.” She and her brother brought the child to the church on Sept. 24 where they were joined by Huezo to perform an exorcism, the Mercury News reported.

Hernandez is accused of holding the girl’s neck, squeezing it and depriving her of food while her father and brother held the child down.

The church operates out of a basement in a San Jose home. Attempts to reach church officials through their social media accounts and the church website were not immediately successful.

Huezo said he feels a lot of pain at the death of his grandchild but does not believe the exorcism caused her death.

This article originally appeared on APNews.com.

NY To Send $35M to Abortion Providers Amid Worry Over Roe

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Marina Villeneuve

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May 11, 2022

abortion-protest — EDS NOTE: OBSCENITY - Abortion-rights protesters hold signs during a demonstration outside of the U.S. Supreme Court, Saturday, May 7, 2022, in Washington. A draft opinion suggests the U.S. Supreme Court could be poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide, according to a Politico report released Monday. Whatever the outcome, the Politico report represents an extremely rare breach of the court's secretive deliberation process, and on a case of surpassing importance. (AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades)

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York will give abortion providers $35 million to expand services and boost security in anticipation of the U.S. Supreme Court possibly overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday.

The Democrat said the state must get ready for a potential influx of out-of-state patients seeking abortions from the roughly half of U.S. states that are expected to ban or greatly restrict abortion if Roe is overturned.

“To truly ensure that anyone seeking an abortion in New York has access to them, we have to ensure that the providers have the resources and the capacity to accommodate all patients who walk through their doors,” Hochul said.

Abortion providers in New York and elsewhere have long faced safety fears: In Hochul’s hometown of Amherst, New York, an anti-abortion activist fatally shot Dr. Barnett Slepian through a window in his home on Oct. 23, 1998.

Hochul’s office said she’ll use an emergency Department of Health fund to provide $25 million in grants and reimbursements to abortion providers, including increasing access to services, while the remaining $10 million for security upgrades at abortion providers and reproductive health centers will come from from the state’s Division of Criminal Justice Services, which is part of the state’s executive branch.

“I consider this an emergency and I’m going to make sure that that money is available the second the decision comes down,” she said.

New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Monday that she backed a similar proposal to provide $50 million in funding for abortion providers.

A leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that would throw out the landmark 1973 abortion rights ruling has spurred Democratic leaders in several states to consider steps to increase access to abortion services. A final ruling is not expected until the end of the court’s term in late June or early July.

In February, Oregon launched a $15 million fund to provide grants to Oregon nonprofits to expand access to abortions. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, proposed a budget that includes $68 million for reproductive health care services including abortion providers.

Hochul is also backing a proposed state constitutional amendment to guarantee abortion rights and prohibit discrimination based on factors from race to “pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes.” That amendment would need to be approved by the state legislature in two legislative session years and then be approved by voters.

In Vermont, voters this fall will consider an abortion rights amendment to the state constitution. Connecticut, Michigan and Colorado are facing calls for similar amendments, while states like Iowa, Kansas and Kentucky are considering amendments restricting abortion rights.

Other states, including Connecticut and Washington, have also taken steps to shield providers from possible lawsuits as people seek abortions across state lines.

New York and its Democratic-led Legislature have expanded abortion rights in recent years by allowing more abortions after 24 weeks, removing abortion from the state’s penal code and allowing access to medication abortion services through telemedicine visits.

This year, lawmakers used the state budget to pass a law enshrining existing regulations that require every insurance plan to cover all types of abortion, regardless of reason. That law has been the subject of an ongoing legal challenge by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany.

Hochul on Tuesday also called for an end to a U.S. law prohibiting the use of federal funds for abortions except in scenarios including rape, incest or to save the life of the mother. New York is one of 16 states where Medicaid pays for all or most abortions in cases where they’re deemed medically necessary, according to abortion-rights supporting Guttmacher Institute.

Donna Lieberman, the executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said that even New York’s protections could be vulnerable in a court battle.

“We should not harbor any illusions that the agenda of the radical right is to ban abortion completely, to do it on the federal level, to do it state-by-state,” she said.

State GOP chair Nick Langworthy said the expected Supreme Court’s opinion won’t jettison abortion rights in New York and claimed Democrats are overblowing any potential impact.

Associated Press writers Rachel La Corte in Olympia, Wash. and Michelle Price in New York City contributed reporting.

This story has been corrected to show that state funding is not contingent on the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, and that funding for security upgrades will come from New York’s Division of Criminal Justice Services, not the Department of Health.

This article originally appeared here.

US Interior to Release Report on Indigenous Boarding Schools

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Felicia Fonseca

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May 11, 2022

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — The U.S. Interior Department says it will release a report Wednesday that will begin to uncover the truth about the federal government’s past oversight of Native American boarding schools.

Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced an initiative last June to investigate the troubled legacy of boarding schools, which the government established and supported for decades. Indigenous children routinely were taken from their communities and forced into schools that sought to strip them of their language and culture.

Catholic, Protestant and other churches also led some of the schools, backed by U.S. laws and policies.

The Interior report was prompted by the discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves at former residential school sites in Canada that brought back painful memories for Indigenous communities. Haaland has said her agency’s report will identify past schools, locate known and possible burial sites at or near those schools, and uncover the names and tribal affiliations of students.

The first volume of the report will be released Wednesday. The Interior Department hasn’t said how many volumes were produced.

At least 367 boarding schools for Native Americans operated in the U.S., many of them in Oklahoma where tribes were relocated, Arizona, Alaska, New Mexico and South Dakota, according to research by the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition.

Children at the schools often were subjected to military-style discipline and had their long hair cut. Early curricula focused heavily on vocational skills, including homemaking for girls. Some children never returned home.

Accounting for the number of children who died at the schools has been difficult because records weren’t always kept. Ground penetrating radar has been used in some places to search for remains.

The boarding school coalition has said Interior’s work will be an important step for the U.S. in reckoning with its role in the schools, but noted the agency’s authority is limited.

Later this week, a U.S. House subcommittee will hear testimony on a bill to create a truth and healing commission modeled after one in Canada. Several church groups are backing the legislation.

This article originally appeared here.

State of the Bible: 40 Percent of Gen Z Believe Jesus Sinned

By

Diana Chandler

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May 11, 2022

state of the bible — Photo by Priscilla Du Preez (via Unsplash)

PHILADELPHIA (BP) — Nearly 40 percent of Generation Z believe Jesus was a human and sinned like other people when He lived on earth, the American Bible Society reveals in State of the Bible 2022.

The perception among Gen Z, polling at 38 percent, was comparable to other age groups, including Generation X, 37 percent; and millennials and boomers, 35 percent. Only the elderly polled significantly lower in believing Jesus sinned, at 26 percent. The numbers based on age groups do not address whether those polled identify as Christian or non-Christian.

Among the Scripture-engaged of all ages, only 18 percent believe Jesus was a sinner, the ABS said.

The findings are included in Chapter 2 of the 2022 report, in part focusing on how the Bible shapes ideas about spiritual things, specifically their perceptions of God, Jesus and Satan.

ABS expressed hope in finding that Gen Z registers high in curiosity about Jesus and/or the Bible, with 75 percent falling between a little curious (11 percent) and extremely curious (31 percent). One-fifth, 21 percent, said they were very curious and 13 percent said they were somewhat curious.

Curiosity has been called “the most underrated tool of persuasion. If that’s true, then Christians are well-positioned to share God’s message with their neighbors because curiosity is trending higher,” ABS said, gauging curiosity about who Jesus is and what the Bible says. “It cuts across all generations. The Elder generation leads all age groups at 87 percent curiosity.”

The rise in curiosity was found despite a drop in Bible readership.

“It’s crucial for churches, ministries and practicing Christians to understand the questions that non-practicing Christians have and help them find answers in the Bible,” ABS said in its study. “We need to invite them into life-giving relationships centered on biblical faith and vibrant Christian community.”

Overall, those whom ABS described as Scripture-engaged held a more scriptural perception of Jesus, with only 18 percent believing that Jesus was a sinner. Among those in the Movable Middle category, which includes both those who are Bible friendly and Bible neutral, 33 percent perceive Jesus as a sinner. The highest portion of respondents who believed Jesus was a sinner, 43 percent, falls among those categorized as Bible Disengaged.

Nearly all respondents in the Scripture-engaged category, 92 percent, perceive God as an “all-powerful, all-knowing, perfect creator of the universe who rules the world today,” compared to 76 percent of the Movable Middle and 33 percent of the Bible Disengaged who expressed that belief. When studied by age group, irrespective of Bible engagement, 57 percent of Gen Z held the Scripture-based view of God, compared to 48 percent of millennials, 63 percent of Gen X, 67 percent of boomers and 82 percent of the elderly.

Chapter 2 of State of the Bible 2022 is available here, with subsequent chapters slated for release throughout 2022.

ABS researchers collaborated with the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center to survey a nationally representative group of American adults on topics related to the Bible, faith and the church. The study conducted online via telephone produced 2,598 responses from a representative sample of adults 18 and older in all 50 states and Washington D.C.

This article originally appeared here.

3 Reasons Kids Ministries and Youth Ministries Can Drift From Jesus

By

Eric Geiger

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May 11, 2022

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Several years ago, I wrote a book with my good friends Matt Chandler and Josh Patterson about Jesus being the center of a local church. We called the book Creature of the Word, the title coming from an old Martin Luther quote where he taught that that when the gospel is rightly declared and applied to God’s people, the church becomes “a creature of the Word.”

As the book was released we were asked to do interviews and podcasts about the book. Well, actually most of the interviewers wanted to talk to Matt because, well, he is Matt Chandler. A question Matt was asked several times was, “Where does a church often shift away from the gospel without realizing it?” I thought Matt’s answer was profound and it applies to both churches and families. Matt would respond, “It can often happen subtly in the kids ministries and youth ministries of a church.”

Why can a drift from Jesus at the center of a church happen easily in kids and youth ministries? I think for at least three reasons:

1. Teaching Behavior Can Be Attractive to Parents.

Who doesn’t want their kids to behave? I want my kids to behave! Because of this, there is a subtle attraction to teaching that focuses kids on important actions such as obeying their parents, being responsible, and treating people with kindness. These are all really good things! But remember the religious leaders in Jesus’ day focused on behavior too, and Jesus told them that they were focused on the outside of the cup while the inside of the cup was unclean.

Jesus never affirmed right behavior apart from a transformed heart. And the reality is that commitments and actions not rooted in our new identity as Christ followers won’t last anyway. If we teach character apart from Christ, we burden kids with expectations they will not be able to live up to because none of us can obey God apart from Him transforming our hearts.

2. Teaching Jesus Will Offend Some.

The message of Jesus has always been and is still fundamentally offensive. The message of Jesus confronts us with our inability to rescue and fulfill ourselves and shows us that He is our only hope. A kid’s ministry and youth ministry that points people to Jesus over and over again is choosing to build a ministry on the only One that can transform. But the One who will transform is also the One who will offend – the Cornerstone and the stumbling block. To keep Jesus at the center of a ministry will offend some.

3. As Leaders We Prefer Applause.

Leaders of kid’s ministries and youth ministries are people just like us – which means they prefer applause to criticism. There will be plenty of applause and approval if we teach virtues rather than the Vine. But we can’t live virtues consistently or sincerely apart from the Vine.

As a parent and as a pastor I have experienced the subtle temptation to drift from Jesus. And I know the way to overcome is to fight, to bring the grace of Jesus to the center of my parenting and pastoring. A story I have used with my daughters to teach them about God’s grace has become a kid’s book – actually a book that Evie (my youngest) and I have written. It is a parable about the grace we receive when we trust Jesus and the freedom of not living for approval. The book is called The Quokkas, the Snails, and the Land of Happiness, and you can get it on Amazon here.

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

All Is Not Lost: How We Can Respond When Bible Engagement Is Low

By

Christy Gates

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May 11, 2022

The latest American Bible Society State of the Bible (SOTB) report reveals that “Americans are less likely than ever before to say that the Bible is influencing the way they live out their faith in relationship to others.” This is no surprise, especially for those of us in college ministry who have seen a progressive decline in biblical literacy among freshmen.

But what we have seen is that people are still open to exploring the Bible if they can learn how and study in community. Take this story about a student Bible study leader as an illustration. When asked to lead on her college campus, Tori felt ill-equipped and nervous because she had never led others through Scripture. She soon realized, however, that she did not need to know more than the other people – she just needed to be curious and open like they were. Soon, Tori’s group had grown, and the Bible study method she was using was also adopted by her home church, leading to growth in Tori and in many others in her church community.

Those of us in campus ministry accept that we face real challenges: often, the spiritual climate is neutral or hostile toward the Christian faith, and many students are either unfamiliar with the Bible or have not been taught how to engage Scripture well. Yet many in college ministry have learned how to thrive in the midst of these obstacles.

This is good news for churches! We believe that low Bible engagement among Americans presents great opportunities for growth and increased ministry impact in local communities. Allow me to share three realities and three prompts we need to consider before becoming discouraged by what the latest SOTB report reveals.

First, Your Neighbors Are Ready for Spiritual Conversations. Are You?

Although Americans are engaging the Bible less, the latest SOTB also shows heartening news: one-third of “non-Bible Users” indicated they are “very” or “extremely” curious about the Bible and/or Jesus. We can respond by learning how to talk with our neighbors about spiritual things. This begins by connecting through something we share in common. Once we have a connection, we can bring up faith by asking an open-ended question about their spiritual background, what they believe about God, or how they view the spiritual side of life.

As we listen well and get to know one another, we can say something that keeps the door open for further conversation. This could happen by expressing how much you have enjoyed talking, how the conversation will keep you thinking, or how you look forward to hearing more later. The key is to have spiritual conversations regularly, even with people who believe differently from you.

Second, Your Neighbors Are Ready to Explore the Bible With You. Do You Know What to Do?

On campus, we find that approximately half of non-Christians will say yes to studying the Bible if a trusted friend invites them. In the flow of a spiritual conversation, you can simply ask, “Would you ever want to read the Bible with me so that you can explore Jesus for yourself?” If they say no, receive their response warmly and continue initiating spiritual conversations with them from time to time.

If they say yes, then read a chapter from one of the Gospels with them. Talk together about what you see—characters, relationships, locations, time, actions, repeated words, comparisons, contrasts, and cause and effect. Ask questions and use the text to answer them as best you can. Discuss what points you think the passage is trying to make. After you have done this, discuss how you think the passage may or may not be relevant to your everyday lives or what thoughts and feelings arise from studying this passage. Share openly about your own life.

Third, Your Neighbors Are Ready to See the Bible in a New Light. Can You Lead the Way?

On campus, we find that students are eager to engage the Bible when they realize it speaks to the heart of their life experience. Those who have stopped reading the Bible may not have a problem with the Bible in general. Instead, they may just have a problem with how they have seen the Bible taught and what they have heard some Christians say it means.

Engaging the Bible through an interactive discovery process can be effective because curiosity and active learning help people become lifelong students of the Bible. When reading the Bible is communal and we use the text to answer our questions, we are creating a level playing field and a transparent, investigative approach that is welcoming and easy to pass on.

Studying Theology – 4 Reactions From “Regular People”

By

Eric Geiger

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May 11, 2022

In the summer of 2020, I led an online theology class for people in the church I pastor. I was blown away that over 1000 people engaged in the class, asked thoughtful questions, and walked through the material each week. We used a theological text book as our reading, and explored a different “ology” each week: Bibliology (study of the Bible), Christology (study of Christ), Soteriology (study of salvation), Pneumatology (study of the Spirit), and so on. There were four overarching comments I heard from people in our church after studying theology with them for eight weeks.

Studying Theology – 4 Reactions From “Regular People”

1. Studying theology impacts me every day.

Some have wrongly thought that studying theology does not impact our daily lives. But theology simply means “thinking about God,” and our thinking about God impact everything about us. A.W. Tozer famously wrote, “the thing that we think when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

Salvation accomplished for us in Christ impacts our striving and accomplishing.
The triune God existing in community shapes our view of relationships.
Jesus being fully God and fully human impacts our prayers.
Christ emptying Himself to serve us motivates us to serve others.
God as Father impacts our parenting.
Work existing before the fall of humanity helps us see how our work can be holy.
The Church being the family of God impacts how we engage in our church.
The Spirit within us impacts our view of overcoming temptation and sin.
And so on…

2. I have a better and deeper understanding of what I believe.

C.S. Lewis said, “If you do not listen to theology that will not mean you have no ideas about God, rather it will mean you have a lot of wrong ones.” We want the right thoughts about God. By studying theology, people see how all the different things they believe interact with one another. They see how the person of Jesus cannot be separated from the work of Jesus. How the work of Jesus impacts their salvation being secure. How their salvation being secure impacts their motivation for living. How their motivation for living is connected to Christ returning. And so on…

3. Thinking about God is richer in community.

Many have pointed out that theology must be done in community – that even our historical Christian creeds and confessions were formed in community. We are too frail and too limited in our understanding to come to theological conclusions on our own. And why would we want to? We can be encouraged and challenged by the work Christ is doing in others.

4. The reading was too much for “a normal person.”

I loved studying theology with people in our church. Based on the feedback I received, they loved it too. But the reading was too much for many. “Not enough hours in the day.” “Kept falling behind.” “Wish there was a shorter option.” Those were common comments. Based on that feedback, I am convinced need to make “the great ologies” more accessible to people in our churches.

THis artice about good theology originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

Do You OVER Welcome First-time Visitors?

By

Phil Cooke

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May 11, 2022

There’s no question that too many churches are pretty poor when it comes to welcoming new visitors. I can’t count how many churches I visited over the years without a single person saying hello, or introducing themselves. After hearing from hundreds of church focus groups, one of the top responses our team at Cooke Media Group hears is that a major reason people decided to join a church was because they were so moved by the welcome on their first visit. But beware of the over welcome as well.

Do You OVER Welcome First-time Visitors?

Let’s think about doing it better.

1. The “over the top” welcome.

I’ve actually visited churches that have lines of people applauding when people walk in the door – like a football team taking the field. Others hold signs or hand out balloons. In places like that the lobby can have a carnival atmosphere.

2. Don’t get me wrong.

I’m all for a welcoming environment, creating a “welcome team” and training ushers to make people feel at home.

But in the effort, be careful about how an over welcome can go over the top . It’s one thing to feel welcomed, and something else entirely to be made to feel embarrassed or awkward.

Don’t over welcome. Just make it genuine. It’s hard to go wrong there.

This article about the dangers of an over wecome originally appeared here, and is used by permission. Phil Cooke works at the intersection of faith, media, and culture, and he’s pretty rare – a working producer in Hollywood with a Ph.D. in Theology. His client list includes studios and networks like Walt Disney, Dreamworks, and USA Network, as well as major Christian organizations from Voice of the Martyrs, Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, The Museum of the Bible, The Salvation Army, The YouVersion Bible app, and many more.

Youth Group Promotion: Preparing Students for What Comes Next

By

Youth Ministrycom

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May 10, 2022

It’s that time of year. Youth group promotion is on the horizon! In a few short months, churches everywhere will move elementary-aged kids up to junior high ministry. And 8th graders will enter the sometimes-intimidating world of high school youth group.

For years at Saddleback, we’ve been fairly intentional in our youth group promotion strategy. Specifically, we employ what I call a “push up/reach down” approach. It’s a great way to help students move smoothly from one department to the next. Let me explain…

But first one key thought. “Youth Group Promotion Sunday” (or whatever you call it) is not a one-time event. Instead, it’s a mindset you should enter into a couple of months before the actual date.

Youth Group Promotion: Pushing Up & Reaching Down

Pushing Up

The department below “Pushes Up” to the department above.

Our children’s ministry does an amazing job at “pushing up” toward our junior high ministry. Leaders spend significant time and effort preparing 6th graders for their new home in junior high. Here are some things they do:

They always speak highly of our junior high ministry to students and parents.
They purposely neglect doing some things in 6th grade in order for junior high to be the first time kids experience them. In other words, they don’t try to be a miniature junior high ministry.
They host a special event for 6th graders and their parents to prepare them for junior high ministry. The junior high team plays a significant role in the event.
As a graduation gift, every 6th grader receives a hat, T-shirt, or backpack featuring the junior high ministry logo.

Children’s Ministries Help These 25 Largest U.S. Churches Thrive

By

Dale Hudson

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May 10, 2022

Each year, Outreach magazine releases a list of the largest and fastest-growing churches in America. Without exception, the churches always have great children’s ministries. And children’s ministry makes a big impact not only on kids but on the entire church. Children’s ministries can spur major growth within congregations.

I personally know many church leaders on this list. Trust me: Their passion is to reach the next generation. The size of their church is simply a by-product of that passion. These leaders know that behind every number is a person Jesus loves and died for. And they want people to experience that love.

The current size of your church shouldn’t be your main focus. Instead, pay attention to the people outside your church walls who need Jesus. That’s what should keep us up at night, as we obey Jesus’ Great Commission. Many people in our communities are far from God.

Transfer growth shouldn’t be our goal. Growth by reaching lost people should define us.

Some of you serve in small towns, without millions of people nearby to reach. But percentage wise, you may be larger than some churches on this list.

Should We Take a ‘Winsome Approach’ to Culture? Christians Debate If Tim Keller’s ‘Moment Has Passed’

By

Jessica Lea

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May 10, 2022

tim keller — Frank Licorice, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A recent article by James Wood, associate editor of First Things magazine, has provoked a vigorous discussion regarding how Christians ought to engage with culture. In his May 6 post, “How I Evolved on Tim Keller,” Wood explains that Tim Keller has had a profound impact on his life, but Wood now rejects Keller’s “winsome model” of cultural engagement.

“As I observed the attitude of our surrounding culture change, I was no longer so confident that the evangelistic framework I had gleaned from Keller would provide sufficient guidance for the cultural and political moment,” said Wood, who described his change in thinking as occurring after the 2016 election when he decided to get a doctorate in political theology. “A lot of former fanboys like me are coming to similar conclusions. The evangelistic desire to minimize offense to gain a hearing for the gospel can obscure what our political moment requires.”

Various church leaders and influencers—including David French, Rod Dreher and Tim Keller himself—have contributed to the ensuing conversation, which centers on one primary question: How should American Christians relate to our culture at this moment in time?

Tim Keller and the ‘Neutral World’

Tim Keller is the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. In 2017, he stepped away from the pulpit, but continued to do ministry in the area. Wood spends the beginning of his essay describing what he respects about Keller and the influence the pastor has had on his life. Wood mentions Keller’s success as a church planter and author and states, “Keller has helped many young people embrace orthodox Christianity in a culture that made the faith seem strange. Keller has served as a C. S. Lewis for a postmodern world.”

However, Wood says that while “Keller was the right man for a moment…it appears that moment has passed.” Wood no longer agrees with what he calls Keller’s “winsome approach,” saying:

I liked Keller’s approach to engaging the culture—his message that, though the gospel is unavoidably offensive, we must work hard to make sure people are offended by the gospel itself rather than our personal, cultural, and political derivations. We must, Keller convinced me, constantly explain how Christianity is not tied to any particular culture or political party, instead showing how the gospel critiques all sides.

But Wood changed his mind as he considered how American culture is increasingly hostile toward Christianity. He says an article by Aaron Renn titled “The Three Worlds of Evangelicalism” now “represents well my thinking and the thinking of many.” Much of the debate about Wood’s article pertains to the “three worlds” Renn describes.

“Within the story of American secularization, there have been three distinct stages,” says Renn, who lays out these stages as follows:

-Positive World (Pre-1994): Society at large retains a mostly positive view of Christianity. To be known as a good, churchgoing man remains part of being an upstanding citizen. Publicly being a Christian is a status-enhancer. Christian moral norms are the basic moral norms of society and violating them can bring negative consequences.

-Neutral World (1994–2014): Society takes a neutral stance toward Christianity. Christianity no longer has privileged status but is not disfavored. Being publicly known as a Christian has neither a positive nor a negative impact on one’s social status. Christianity is a valid option within a pluralistic public square. Christian moral norms retain some residual effect.

-Negative World (2014–Present): Society has come to have a negative view of Christianity. Being known as a Christian is a social negative, particularly in the elite domains of society. Christian morality is expressly repudiated and seen as a threat to the public good and the new public moral order. Subscribing to Christian moral views or violating the secular moral order brings negative consequences.

Lifeway Research: Apathy in Churches Looms Large for Pastors

By

Aaron Earls

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May 10, 2022

apathy — Picture by Danique Tersmette (via Unsplash)

Pastors often deal with churchgoers with strong opinions, but they’re much more concerned about the people in their congregations who don’t seem to care much at all.

In the final release from Lifeway Research’s 2022 Greatest Needs of Pastors study, most pastors say the primary people dynamic challenge they face in their churches is people’s apathy or lack of commitment.

“Many people can be a member of a church, but not participate in the work of the church,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “Pastors see the potential of mobilizing everyone in the church to minister to others in the church and in their community.”

People Dynamic Challenges

For the 2022 Greatest Needs of Pastors study, Lifeway Research interviewed 200 U.S. Protestant pastors who identified 44 issues related to their role and then surveyed 1,000 additional pastors to determine which of these needs was most prominent among pastors. The nearly four dozen needs were divided into seven categories: ministry difficulties, spiritual needs, skill development, self-care, personal life, mental health and people dynamics.

Among these categories, 22% of pastors say people dynamics in their congregations are the most challenging or require the most attention today. Skill development (23%) is the only category more pastors identify as their area of greatest need.

Six of the 44 total needs are classified as people dynamics, but pastors say apathy is by far the most pressing issue in this category. Three in 4 U.S. Protestant pastors (75%) say apathy or lack of commitment is a people dynamic they find challenging in their congregations. Among all 44 issues pastors identified, developing leaders and volunteers and fostering connections with unchurched people are the only issues more pastors say they recognize as a need.

Close to half of pastors say they find it challenging in their ministries to deal with people’s strong opinions about non-essentials (48%), resistance to change in the church (46%) and people’s political views (44%). Around a third point to people’s unrealistic expectations of the pastor (35%) and caring too much about people’s approval or criticism (32%). Fewer than 1 in 10 (8%) say none of these are challenging for them as a pastor.

“Congregations are filled with many opinions,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “It is not easy to bring a congregation’s focus to a few things to do together that matter. People’s obsession with non-essentials, politics and a dislike for change all hamper a pastor’s ability to provide leadership.”

Young pastors, those 18-44, are frequently among the most likely to say they face challenging people dynamics at their church, including people’s strong opinions about non-essentials (60%), people’s political views (55%), resistance to change (52%), people’s unrealistic expectations of the pastor (46%) and caring too much about people’s approval or criticism (45%).

White pastors are among those most likely to say they deal with strong opinions about non-essentials (50%), challenging political views (47%) and caring too much about people’s approval or criticism (33%).

Pastors in different denominational families are likely to struggle with different people dynamics in their congregations. Baptist (79%), non-denominational (78%) and Pentecostal pastors (77%) are among the most likely to say they find people’s apathy challenging, while Lutheran (40%) and Methodist pastors (38%) are among the most likely to point to caring too much about people’s approval or criticism as a ministry challenge.

Louisiana Pastor, Academy Headmaster Arrested for Juvenile Cruelty a Second Time

By

Dale Chamberlain

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May 10, 2022

John Raymond, Louisiana pastor and headmaster of Lakeside Christian Academy, has been arrested for the second time in two months and charged with juvenile cruelty. He has been accused of abusing a 4-year-old on two separate occasions through corporal punishment.

Raymond is the founding pastor of New Horizon Church in Slidell, LA. Lakeside Christian Academy is a ministry of the church, enrolling students from preschool to 12th grade.

In addition to holding the titles of pastor and headmaster, Raymond serves as a member of the Louisiana Republican Party State Central Committee. He was also a contestant on CBS’s “Survivor” in 2002.

According to Slidell police, Raymond has been accused of holding a preschooler up by his ankles and “whipping his buttocks.”

In a separate incident, Raymond also allegedly covered the nose and mouth of the student in response to a tantrum. The staff member who witnessed the incident reported that the young boy was held “to the point of him going limp.” After being released, the witness said that the child was “out of it and lethargic” and “unable to stand.”

In April, Raymond was charged with three counts of juvenile cruelty after taping over the mouths of three 7th grade students for disrupting class. The students agreed to have their mouths taped after Raymond threatened to call their parents and suspend them.

“We love all of our students at Lakeside and strive to maintain a safe and effective learning environment. Building character in teenage boys can be difficult. These students were given a choice between suspension and the temporary tape,” Raymond said in an April 10 statement defending his actions against the teens.

“They were never in any physical pain. Their breathing was never impaired. The tape was never wrapped around their heads. And it was off in under ten minutes. No student was ever treated with cruelty or harmed in any way,” the statement went on to say.

Following Raymond’s initial arrest, police began investigating other allegations of abuse, some of which dating back to 2017. The investigation remains ongoing, and according to 4WWL, police are interested in finding more witnesses against Raymond.

Lakeside Christian Academy Principal Buffie Singletary told USA Today that Raymond has taken a leave of absence from the school.

Inflation Hitting Church Ministry, Operations Across Income Levels

By

Diana Chandler

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May 10, 2022

inflation rates — Rising inflation has increased demand for diapers through Cornerstone Baptist Church’s baby boutique serving mothers in south Dallas. (Cornerstone Baptist Church photo)

DALLAS (BP) – In the blighted South Dallas community Cornerstone Baptist Church serves, inflation has led some members to choose between keeping gas in their tanks or driving to church.

“Giving is down, because people now have to decide whether they’re going to give or get gas to get to church,” Cornerstone Senior Pastor Chris Simmons said. “It is not only impacting giving. It’s also impacting attendance, because people don’t have the gas money, and they’re trying to ration gas. Some people have gone back to online, for no other reason than the gas.

“There’s a tendency for others who might be in a higher income bracket to have a little wriggle room when it comes to inflation, but I think this has impacted even those individuals because it has gone on so much longer than anticipated and the inflation rates are so much higher than they would have budgeted for.”

In the more affluent Riverside, Calif., the national inflation rate of 8.5 percent is challenging attendees at Orangecrest Community Church to sacrifice to support the construction project the church launched just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020.

“Prioritizing Christ’s mission comes at a cost,” senior pastor Josh De La Rosa told Baptist Press. “Because of inflation, our building costs went up by 11 percent. Giving is slightly behind last year’s giving to date. We’re about 0.5 percent behind last year’s giving, after quarter one. But typically we see about 7 percent year-over-year increase in giving.

“This is a slight church slowdown. It could be inflation, but also it could be we’re coming out of our first capital campaign. … Overall, I would say, I don’t really see a slowing down.”

Inflation doesn’t impact all prices evenly. Gasoline, housing costs and certain foods in particular have risen beyond the average inflation rate.

“It’s important to consider that some products are growing more expensive than inflation,” said David Spika, chief investment officer of GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. “Supply chain issues can make some items harder to come by, which drives up demand. That, in turn, increases prices more.

“It’s safe to say it is impacting churches in the same way it is small businesses, charities and consumers at large. It’s more expensive to fill up the gas tank to take the church van to camp,” Spika said. “It’s more expensive to get the air conditioner fixed or buy supplies. More people need financial assistance than ever before. It’s a cause for action for the Federal Reserve.”

On average, an 8.5 percent inflation rate means the dollar is worth nearly 9 cents less than a year ago.

But Simmons said an elderly member of Cornerstone Baptist Church saw her monthly rent increase from $1100 to $1500, and home values of some members have increased between 30 percent and 50 percent, thereby driving up property taxes.

“We serve in a very low-income community ,” Simmons said. “So there is not any ‘fat’ in our parishioners’ budget to begin with.”

Grove City Faculty Say College Is Facing a ‘Fight for the Soul’

By

Kathryn Post

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May 10, 2022

(RNS) — When Cedric Lewis came to Grove City College nine years ago, he was delighted to teach where his Christian worldview was expected, not just tolerated. But this year, as the Western Pennsylvania school became engulfed in a politicized dispute over critical race theory, Lewis worried its Christian identity could be at risk.

“We are in a fight for the soul of this college,” Lewis, an adjunct professor at Grove City, told Religion News Service. “Are we a Christian college? Or are we a conservative college?”

Grove City has always celebrated traditional values — its rejection of federal funding is a case in point — but more recently has struggled to balance its conservative political identity and broader Christian commitments. After a group of parents raised the alarm about critical race theory infiltrating the school last fall, a committee was set up to investigate and released a report April 20, acknowledging instances of “CRT advocacy” while absolving the school from allegations of “going woke.” It also recommended re-adding “conservative” to the school’s mission statement after it was removed in 2021 over concerns about the term’s shifting political meaning.

Since then, Grove City stakeholders have both celebrated and balked at the report and its listed “remedial actions,” which include enhancing scrutiny of guest speakers, rebranding the Office of Multicultural Education and Initiatives and replacing an education course accused of inculcating tenants of critical race theory, an academic and legal theory that examines how systemic racism has shaped law and society.

Lewis told Religion News Service he’s less concerned about the “remedial actions” than he is about the integrity of the committee’s investigation. The report, issued by a committee with a board-member majority, characterized a “Cultural Diversity and Advocacy” educational course Lewis co-taught as promoting “pop-CRT.” Lewis says he hasn’t thought about CRT since he was in law school decades ago.

Cedric Lewis. Photo via Grove City College

“I don’t teach CRT,” Lewis insisted. “I teach Scripture. I teach what I think is a biblical approach to how we deal with our fellow man. We present various sides to our students, and they make up their own minds.”

Other than a class reading list that Lewis says was incomplete, the report didn’t cite evidence of its claims. Lewis added that no committee members visited his class or spoke to his students. They did, however, speak with him in what he felt was less an interview and more an “interrogation.”

“My experience was, they didn’t ask ‘what do you teach?’ But ‘how do you defend being a Christian and supporting CRT?’” Lewis said. “Their minds were already made up, and they were just looking for confirmation.”

Lewis added that he’s the only Black professor at the college, and EDU-290 is often a venue for students’ first conversations with a Black person. “We can’t love our neighbor as ourselves if we don’t know our neighbors,” said Lewis, who added that Christians should be leading conversations about race and racism, not ending them.

Lewis shared his concerns publicly on Twitter and was joined a day later by Jennifer Trujillo Hollenberger, who teaches social work at the school.

“I stand by my convictions and teachings on race in my classroom: one that does NOT indoctrinate CRT—but one that advocates Biblical truth and discusses social science theory to understand disparity in relationship to Creation, Fall, Redemption & Restoration,” she tweeted.

Two new petitions also emerged in recent weeks. The first, an updated version of an earlier petition authored by an alumna, asks the board to reject the report.

The Summit Church Halfway to Goal of Planting 1,000 Churches

By

Timothy Cockes

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May 10, 2022

DURHAM, N.C. (BP) – With the official commissioning of its 501^st and 502^nd church plants, The Summit Church in North Carolina has passed the halfway mark of its goal of planting 1,000 churches in a generation.

Two new South Carolina church plants, Redeemer City Church in Greenville and Harbor City Church in Charleston were commissioned and prayed over by Summit during a service on Thursday, April 28. The planting process will begin this summer as members of the teams start relocating to South Carolina.

J.D. Greear, pastor of The Summit Church, emphasized in the service that the church’s mission involves everyone in the congregation, including some of the church’s original members and most dedicated volunteers.

“When we said in 2009 that we wanted to plant 1,000 churches, we firstly thought it was a little bit crazy, but we thought if it was going to happen it was going to be a 40-year goal,” Greear said. “Yet here we are halfway there after 12 years.”

“This is also a painful weekend for me because we believe in giving the first and the best not just of our money, but of our people to God. Looking around this stage I see key leaders, important volunteers and very good friends of my own.

“I remember the first time we brought people on a stage like this to send people out, and I felt a sense of panic because I was looking at key ministry leaders. I remember the Holy Spirit whispering in my heart in that moment, ‘This is my church not yours, and if I’m going to take some of the very best from this church … then you’re just going to benefit from it, rejoice from it, and stand back and be amazed.’”

One of those key ministry leaders on the stage for this most recent commissioning was Jonathan Lenker, who will be the pastor of Harbor City Church in Charleston.

Lenker has been the pastor of Summit’s Brier Creek campus, but his story with the church goes all the way back to serving as the part-time custodian more than 10 years ago.

After moving to North Carolina to attend seminary at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2009, Lenker said a friend insisted that he visit Summit.

Upon checking out the church, Lenker described what he experienced as a “movement” and said he knew it was place for him to be.

Two years later, Lenker joined Summit’s staff in two part-time roles – on the facilities team and with the student ministry.

Wisconsin Anti-Abortion Office Fire Investigation Ongoing

By

Scott Bauer

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May 10, 2022

Wisconsin-anti-abortion-office-fire-investigation-ongoing — Damage is seen in the interior of Madison's Wisconsin Family Action headquarters in Madison, Wis., on Sunday, May 8, 2022. The Madison headquarters of the anti-abortion group was vandalized late Saturday or early Sunday, according to an official with the group. (Alex Shur/Wisconsin State Journal via AP)

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Police asked for the public’s help in tracking down those who vandalized and threw two Molotov cocktails into the office of a prominent Wisconsin anti-abortion lobbying group’s office that was damaged by fire.

No one has been arrested and there are no suspects in custody in the fire that was discovered early Sunday morning when someone driving to Madison’s nearby airport noticed flames coming from the office building, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes at a news conference Monday.

The fire at the Wisconsin Family Action office came after two Catholic churches in Colorado, including one known for its annual anti-abortion display, were vandalized last week. And police said two Molotov cocktails were thrown at an anti-abortion organization Sunday night in a suburb of Salem, Oregon, after an unsuccessful attempt to break in.

The leak last week of a draft opinion suggesting that the U.S. Supreme Court was on course to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide sparked protests across the country, including in Madison. Demonstrations included weekend protests by abortion rights supporters outside the homes of conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices, with more planned this week.

One Molotov cocktail thrown into the Wisconsin Family Action office failed to ignite and the investigation is ongoing as to whether the second one did, the police chief said. The message “If abortions aren’t safe then you aren’t either” was spray-painted on the exterior of the building.

No one was hurt, but Barnes said had someone been in the office “it could have gone differently.”

Barnes said he was not aware of any threats to others, but he cautioned that the investigation could be lengthy.

“I do anticipate we will be able to solve this but we want to take our time to be sure we do it correctly,” he said.

Investigators from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting with the investigation. Barnes encouraged anyone who may have seen anything to contact police. Area businesses were also being contacted to see if they have any evidence or captured anything on surveillance cameras, he said.

Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who is up for reelection in November, decried the attack Monday when asked about it at a groundbreaking event in a Madison suburb.

“It was a horrible, horrible incident,” Evers said, adding that whoever is responsible “should be arrested and put on trial. This is unacceptable.”

“Violence does not solve the issues we’re facing as a country,” Evers said.

The president of the lobbying group, Julaine Appling, said she believed the vandalism was a direct response to the leak of the court’s draft opinion. She said “this attack fails to frighten us, and instead steels the resolve of law-abiding, common-sense, every-day folks to stand up and push back.”

Wisconsin Family Action has been a prominent force in the state for years, advocating for laws to limit access to abortions, fighting to overturn Roe v. Wade and working on numerous other hot-button social issues.

Politicians from both parties swiftly condemned the vandalism.

Clinics that perform abortions have sometimes been targeted by vandals, too, including as recently as January when a Planned Parenthood clinic in Tennessee was hit by arson.

Associated Press writer Todd Richmond contributed to this report.

The story has been updated to correct that the fire at anti-abortion organization in Oregon was Sunday night.

This article originally appeared here.

Pro-Abortion Protesters Target Churches, Justices With ‘Mother’s Day Strike’

By

Stephanie Martin

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May 9, 2022

Uproar about the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion escalated this weekend, with pro-abortion protests throughout the country—including during Catholic Mass. Using the hashtag #Mother’sDayStrike, abortion supporters called for demonstrations in churches that hold to pro-life teachings.

Last week’s leak indicates that Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that legalized most abortions, may soon be overturned. But it’s not a final opinion.

Also over the weekend, the office of a pro-life group in Wisconsin was vandalized. And addresses of conservative Supreme Court justices were published, leading to protests outside their homes.

Abortion Protests Target Catholic Churches

From Los Angeles to New York City this weekend, several large Catholic cathedrals experienced abortion-rights demonstrations. In LA, abortion advocates disrupted Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels. One person tweeted video of the melee, writing: “Marxists try to disrupt Mass…. Security, ushers and parishioners said they were not having it.”

Saturday at St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral in Manhattan, abortion supporters held signs that read “Abortion is a gift” and “RIP Jesus, killed by ‘woke’ deadbeat dad.” Some pro-life demonstrators also stood outside the cathedral.

Security had been tightened at many churches across America, in anticipation of pro-abortion protests. The group Ruth Sent Us, named for progressive former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, tweeted on May 3: “Whether you’re a ‘Catholic for Choice’, ex-Catholic, of other or no faith, recognize that six extremist Catholics set out to overturn Roe. Stand at or in a local Catholic Church Sun May 8. #WarOnWomen #MothersDayStrike”

The tweet features a video of protesters shouting, in part, “Abortion on demand and without apology.” [Editor’s note: The video contains language some may find offensive.] Several images posted by Ruth Sent Us feature women dressed as characters from the dystopian novel and TV show “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

The group’s reference to “six extremist Catholics” on the Supreme Court isn’t necessarily accurate. Chief Justice John Roberts, though Catholic, didn’t sign the 5-4 draft opinion that was leaked. Authored by Samuel Alito, who is Catholic, the opinion also has signatures from Catholic Justices Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. The fifth backer, Justice Neil Gorsuch, is Episcopalian.

Mike Pence Had Urged Joe Biden to ‘Speak Out’ Against Protests

On Saturday, former Vice President Mike Pence, who is staunchly pro-life, said Joe Biden should take a stand against demonstrations and violence. “President Biden should speak out forcefully, make it clear that those who support his view on abortion, on the Supreme Court, let their voice be heard, but heard peacefully and respect the law,” he told The Daily Wire.

“The president of the United States is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States of America,” Pence added. “And he ought to make it very, very clear that anyone who would engage in violence or threaten violence or disrupt religious services would be held to the strictest account.”

Although Pence called the Supreme Court leak “despicable,” he said, “I hope and pray that the draft opinion becomes adopted as the majority opinion of the Supreme Court of the United States and we send Roe v. Wade to the ash heap of history where it belongs.”

Other Ways to Listen to This Podcast With Vance Pitman

Key Questions for Vance Pitman

Key Quotes From Vance Pitman

1. Teaching Behavior Can Be Attractive to Parents.

2. Teaching Jesus Will Offend Some.

3. As Leaders We Prefer Applause.

First, Your Neighbors Are Ready for Spiritual Conversations. Are You?

Second, Your Neighbors Are Ready to Explore the Bible With You. Do You Know What to Do?

Third, Your Neighbors Are Ready to See the Bible in a New Light. Can You Lead the Way?

Studying Theology – 4 Reactions From “Regular People”

1. Studying theology impacts me every day.

2. I have a better and deeper understanding of what I believe.

3. Thinking about God is richer in community.

4. The reading was too much for “a normal person.”

Do You OVER Welcome First-time Visitors?

1. The “over the top” welcome.

2. Don’t get me wrong.

Youth Group Promotion: Pushing Up & Reaching Down

Pushing Up

Tim Keller and the ‘Neutral World’

People Dynamic Challenges

Abortion Protests Target Catholic Churches

Mike Pence Had Urged Joe Biden to ‘Speak Out’ Against Protests

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