Awakening the Church with Transparency, Authenticity and Protective Measures

June 21, 2022

There is no question that the Church has experienced hardship and scandal in recent months. From the Hillsong documentary to last month’s report released by the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), Christians are having to openly and intentionally discuss issues that have been hidden for far too long. One concern that has greatly impacted the Church is pornography.

In today’s digital age, pornography has become increasingly accessible. It has also become more widely accepted and morally ambiguous over recent years. According to Barna Research, only one in ten teens and one in every 20 adults conclude that watching pornography is morally wrong.

Pornography is pervasive, and has a devastating impact on the mind, destroying marriages, careers and lives. In fact, the pornography epidemic is not only hurting the general public, but the Christian community as well. The same Barna study found that more than 50% of pastors and 68% of Chrisitan men view pornography on a regular basis. Likewise, 76% of Christian men between the ages of 18-24 are actively searching for pornography online.

The truth is no ministry leader sets out to be involved in a scandal. Sometimes, they blindly walk into it over time, not realizing that little habits and conversations led them there in the first place. These individuals who find themselves in leadership positions are tempted just like everyone else. However, due to their pastoral role in the church, Satan recognizes their position and uses their vulnerability to attack. Like other temptations, it has the power to pierce through the heart of even the most devout Christian leaders.

The report published by the SBC has shown us that there is an immense need for churches to be prepared and well equipped to handle problems such as sexual abuse, addiction, pornography or any other issues that happen within the walls of the church. As someone who experienced sexual abuse by a worship leader as a pre-teen, I am passionate about educating and training leaders through REAL TALK, a program that exists to protect every individual in each congregation from kindergarten to leadership.

Although REAL TALK is a catalytic tool, it’s not an end-all, be-all solution. This program opens up opportunities and reveals the need for next steps to bring about transformative healing for individuals in the Church. We provide those next steps so that the enemy no longer has an open door to control and oppress God’s people.

As we look out for the safety of our congregations, we should also be concerned with the wellbeing of our leaders. When ministry leaders fall prey to temptation and find themselves in the middle of a scandal, many fall away from their ministry and disappear because of shame and regret. My hope is that we can get ahead of the scandal before it begins, and that we can restore leaders, bringing them back into the light and on a path of recovery. We must be proactive and make it our personal mission to address the problems that hold too many leaders captive to sin.

My prayer for the Church is that we can create a place where people can be open and vulnerable, feel loved with unconditional acceptance and be empowered to step into freedom beyond what’s been holding them back. Whether it’s a program like REAL TALK or something else, we need to prepare our churches and give them confidence as they address the hard and sometimes dark issues in life.

It is time for an awakening in the Church. We need to normalize transparency, authenticity and protection throughout our congregations. We also need to provide a safe place for people to process, heal and recover from past experiences and leadership failures. There has never been a better time to inspire real change within our communities.

What to Do When Spouses’ Parenting Styles Clash

Andrew Linder

June 21, 2022

How can parents resolve parenting issues when they are not on the same page?

The longer you’re a parent, the more you realize that parenting brings out things in you as nothing else can, both the good and the bad. Sometimes parenting brings out feelings, emotions, and ideas that we didn’t even know we had. And when there are two parents trying to lead together as a team in the home, there are often natural conflicts about what is the right way and the wrong way to handle things when it comes to the kids.

Have you and your spouse ever come to different conclusions about how to deal with a situation with your children? Okay, that’s a rhetorical question 🙂. It’s nearly impossible for two people to always see eye to eye on everything, especially when it comes to parenting. Parents bring different assumptions, ideas, and their own unique upbringing into their home that affects the way they see things.

So whether it’s an issue of how to discipline, what time the kids should go to bed, or if certain children should have different expectations, what should you do as spouses when your parenting styles clash? How can parents resolve parenting issues when they are not on the same page? Here are a few ideas:

Agree on the essentials

Remember that most of the time, there is more that you agree upon than disagree upon. So rather than focusing all of your attention on what you both cannot seem to see eye to eye about, intentionally take some time to focus on the parts of the situation that you actually do agree about. Because usually, spouses both have the same end goal in mind, just different perspectives of how to get there.

Acknowledging the fact that you both want the same final result (whether that’s well-behaved kids, a decent nights’ sleep, or kids who display responsibility, etc.) is a great first step. And reaffirming your commitment towards a solution is powerful.

Then, after finding some common ground as a starting point, start to branch out from there with the additional and sometimes conflicting ideas that need to be discussed. Make sure to hear your spouse’s opinions out, just as you expect them to hear out yours. Listen. Share your own heart. Show grace. Then come up with an agreement, or maybe a compromise.

Agree to disagree on the non-essentials

Sometimes the things that spouses disagree about are far too petty to even give much if any, attention to. Spouses fight and argue over details that really don’t matter in the big picture, and it becomes all about winning an argument, rather than finding a solution. If you and your spouse are clashing over things that really don’t matter in the big picture, regardless of who’s ‘right’, just stop it and drop it. Because when one of you wins, both of you lose. All this requires is swallowing down a big glassful of pride, and choosing to be the bigger person for the sake of your home.

If the things you disagree about really do matter, then talk them out, and then… talk them out some more. Be willing to agree to disagree when necessary. And be willing to compromise when possible. But in the end, if a decision must be made in a standoff, as long as the husband’s opinion or preference does not contradict biblical principles, the wife should submit to her husband’s leadership in the home in areas of disagreement and be willing to support him regardless, as he will ultimately give an account to God for the family. (I know, it’s old-fashioned, but still true ;). However, it’s unlikely to come to this if steps 1 & 2 have been followed.)

Maintain a unified front for your children

One of the rules we have personally tried to practice in our marriage over the years is that we do not fight in front of our kids. And to the best of our ability, we try hard not to disagree in front of our kids whenever possible, especially if the disagreement involves something concerning them. Children are masters at playing parents against each other if they know that you aren’t on the same page. This is why it is so important that Mom & Dad Have To Get On the Same Page.

There have been many times in our marriage when things have started heating up in front of the kids, and one of us have simply said, “Let’s finish this conversation later” because we knew that to finish it then and there would violate our commitment to maintaining a unified front for our kids. However, there are always some disagreements that are inevitable, so we use them as teachable opportunities to help our kids see what biblical conflict resolution looks like.

The practical parenting principle to strive to live by is this – Disagree in private; be unified in public. It’s not always an easy principle to live by, but it’s one that you won’t regret living by either because it will save both you and your kids a lot of grief. Remember, you and your spouse are a team, and successful teams strive for unity.

EXTRA: One of the best ways to get on the same page or at least come to a peaceful compromise as parents is to simply pray together about the disagreements at hand, then give it some time before you revisit the topic again and seek a solution. Prayer has a way of melting (or at least softening) disagreements with time, making them easier to resolve than in the heat of the moment.

This article originally appeared here.

Rick Warren: How to Grow A Small Group On Mission

Rick Warren

June 21, 2022

If you want your church to balance God’s purposes and grow in a healthy way, your small groups must lead the way. A small-group-on-mission approach can transform your church. It’s like this: You’re only as healthy as the cells in your body. It’s a basic truth of human health. If your cells are sick, your body will be sick, too. The same is true in churches. Your church will only be as healthy as the cells within it. And your small groups are those cells. A small group on mission will help build God’s purposes into every heart, every group and every ministry.

In Acts 2, we can read about the first small groups in the early church. The Bible says:

They grew spiritually (v. 42)
They ministered to one another (v. 45)
They fellowshipped (v. 46)
They worshiped (v. 47)
They evangelized the spiritually lost (v. 47)

Unfortunately, many small groups today just focus on one or two purposes. Often, it’s fellowship or discipleship (or both). Maybe they’ll add some worship songs at the beginning of the meeting time. They might even be involved in ministry as a group.

But evangelism and missions tend to get left behind. This means many small groups aren’t balanced, and that stunts their influence. Yet small groups—the “cells” of a congregation—have such great potential when it comes to helping your church fulfill the Great Commission.

In his book Planning Small Groups with Purpose, Steve Gladen, the pastor who’s overseen Saddleback’s small groups for many years, writes: “The world can be the mission field for your small group ministry—from your front door to the farthest reaches. You can help your church define its global, local and personal opportunities to evangelize, and then equip your groups to meet those needs.”

It’s no coincidence that Jesus started his ministry by forming a small group. If anyone could have handled his mission by himself, it was Jesus. But instead, Jesus gathered a group of 12 to serve with him.

Here’s why it’s so important that we mobilize our small groups to fulfill the Great Commission.

- - We’re a family. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 3:9, “We work together as partners who belong to God” (NLT). God wants his family to work together in the mission he has given us. God wants our relationships to grow as we serve.
  - We need each other. Nobody has all the gifts and talents we need to reach our communities and our world. God created us that way so we would need each other. The Bible says we’re a part of the body of Christ. We are a foot. Or we are a hand. Or we are a head. Or we are a mouth. We can’t fulfill our God-given mission on our own.
  - We get more done. The Bible tells us, “Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed” (Ecclesiastes 4:9 NLT). Teamwork multiples effectiveness. God wants to use the people in your church in ways they never dreamed possible. But they’re not enough on their own. No one is. God wants to use us as part of a team to fulfill the Great Commission.
Your small groups can do this. They can work together to share Christ with friends locally and around the world. Here are a few easy steps to get people started.

How to Grow A Small Group On Mission
1. Ask small groups to enlist a missions champion.

You really can’t create balanced small groups without champions. You need one for each of the five purposes (worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, evangelism/missions). You need someone passionate about fulfilling the Great Commission in every group to “own” evangelism and missions. If promoting a small group on mission is everyone’s responsibility, it’s actually no one’s responsibility. Find and appoint champions for mission.

Your missions champions will keep your small groups alerted to new opportunities to serve. This person will coordinate the group’s missions opportunities and make sure it’s a good experience for all who participate. They may also remind the group to pray for mission needs around the world. These champions will ensure that missions remains a part of each group’s experience together.

2. Encourage groups to pray for people who don’t know Jesus.

People can reject your arguments. They may refuse to listen to your logic. But they are powerless against your prayers. It goes straight to their hearts. The people in your small groups know people who don’t have a relationship with Jesus. Make sure it’s a habit for them to lift these people to the Father.

But also, ask your small groups to pray Colossians 4:3: “that God will open doors for telling the mystery of Christ” (The Message). When they pray, opportunities will come. Prayer makes us aware. They’ll start seeing those opportunities everywhere.

3. Build relationships with non-Christians.

Steve Gladen notes in his book that most classes and sermons focus on “closing the deal” and the final commitment of people coming to faith in Christ. Steve writes, “So in spurring small groups toward outreach, we will focus predominately on how to mobilize groups to plant and water—to love non-believers through all the weeks and years it often takes to build trust and overcome their misconceptions about Christianity.”

It’s important for the people in your small group, as they look for ways to engage non-believing friends with the Gospel, to appeal to common interests. We encourage small groups at Saddleback to make a list of interests they share in common. Then they can invite their friends to participate in these activities with them. It could be watching football, going to movies or gardening. Invite friends and relatives to participate in common recreational activities that the group enjoys doing together. These relationships will provide opportunities for the group to plant and water the Gospel into these relationships.

4. Serve together.

We also encourage our small groups regularly to participate in local mission projects together. Our church purposely provides mission opportunities that can be done as a group.

But you don’t have to stop with local involvement. Every small group can plan a mission trip somewhere together. Every small group can be a small group on mission. Just like every person should have a global mindset, so should every small group.

Your small groups present the best way for you to get your entire congregation involved in God’s mission around the world.

Your church’s worship services are the mouth of the church. It’s where you preach the Gospel. It’s where you worship together as a body of believers.

But the heartbeat of your church is found in your small groups. It’s in the cells of your church where you determine its health. If your small groups aren’t balancing all five purposes (including small group on mission), your church won’t balance the purposes. Your church won’t be healthy.

On the other hand, healthy churches can have a small group on mission that engages non-believing friends and take the message of Jesus around the world.

This article about a small group on mission originally appeared here.

Respectful Parenting: 3 Keys to Maximizing Each Moment

Jonathan Pearson

June 20, 2022

Respectful parenting is all the buzz these days. Contrary to some opinions, it’s not a passive approach to raising kids. Let me explain…

As a dad, one of my biggest fears has involved missing “it.” When I became a first-time dad, my fears were centered around my son’s health. Because Riley was premature, those first few weeks were really tough. After he was home, it didn’t get much easier (though somehow we thought it would).

It was still tough. We were those parents who took their kid to the doctor for his first nose drip. We were those parents who watched the monitor all night at times, trying to protect our newborn.

Eventually, we worked through that. We trusted God and still do.

Lately, though, the thing I caution myself against is missing “it.”

By “it” I mean the experience of being a dad. The joy of watching my boy grow up. The fun moments as well as the tough ones. When he experiences firsts and when he chooses the right thing. When he has fun and when teaching moments pop up. And when it’s just him, his mom, and me. When he’s just being Riley.

I don’t want to miss those moments. So I’ve been thinking about some ways to help me not miss them. Here are a few ideas I’ve had along the way. To me, they encapsulate truly respectful parenting.

3 Essential Elements of Respectful Parenting

1. Drop

Put down your phone. That’s a real struggle for us millennial parents (and even for baby boomer grandparents, from what I witness). I don’t just mean taking pictures. That can be a good and fun thing. I’m talking more about those times when Riley wants me to play and laugh. He wants my attention, but my phone has it instead.

So I’ve started to drop my phone. Even drop it a long way from arm’s length so I’m not tempted. I don’t want him to see the Apple logo on my phone when we’re at home more than he sees my smile.

2. Interact

At times it’s okay to not be talking to my son. I get that. So I tell him the world revolves around something but it’s not him (that’s good ol’-fashioned parenting!). I don’t have to always be talking with him. Yes, at times he can watch Paw Patrol on the iPad in peace. It’s important that I interact with my child on his level, though. That I talk about what they’re doing on Paw Patrol. That I play with him even when I don’t understand what I’m playing.

The other day, I had a fire helmet on my head, was holding the back of a baseball bat, and making a “swoosh” noise for reasons I still don’t get. This interaction is important to my son’s development. And it’s important to me…that I get “it.”

9 More Things About Asian American Christianity

DJ Chuang

June 20, 2022

In 2013, I wrote an article, 9 Things about Asian American Christianity, for The Exchange blog. Now 9 years later, Ed Stetzer has invited me to share an update. Yes, a lot of time has passed and many things have happened amidst Asian American Christians and churches, including the disruption of a global COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. The Asian American population continues growing faster than any other racial grouping, currently over 24 million (2020 US Census) and projected to reach 46 million by 2060 (Pew Research).

This article highlights nine significant things about Asian American Christianity from my personal vantage point. This isn’t to say these are the most significant things nor are these listed in any particular order. This is a simple attempt to introduce some of the valuable contributions that Asian Americans are making in mainstream American Christianity.

1. Uniting Together for Public Safety and Social Justice.

As the social and political environment has increasingly polarized in the United States in recent years, Asian Americans are being greatly affected by anti-Asian hate crimes. Stop AAPI Hate had 10,905 hate incidents reported from March 2020 to December 2021 and it’s likely many more went unreported. Furthermore, 1 in 6 Asian American adults experienced a hate crime or hate incident in 2021, an increase from 1 in 8 in 2020. (AAPI Data)

In the midst of this tumultuous environment, the Asian American Christian Collaborative (AACC) launched to empower whole-life discipleship by amplifying the voices and histories of Asian Americans in the church and the world. In addition to on-going advocacy and education, two unprecedented accomplishments of AACC that brought people together: collected over 10,000 signatories for its first landmark statement, Statement on Anti-Asian Racism in the Time of COVID-19 and mobilized an estimated 5,000 people for a national prayer gathering simultaneously in 14 cities, Rally for AAPI Lives and Dignity. AACC has also led efforts like March for Black Lives and Dignity and Latin & Asian Christians United Against Racism.

2. More Next-Generation Multi-Asian Churches.

In 2016, I authored the book, MultiAsian.Church: A Future for Asian Americans in a Multiethnic World, because I had noticed an increasing number of Asian American pastors leading a new kind of multiethnic church that paved a different path than the black-and-white binary. Next generation multi-Asian churches are loosely defined as: “autonomous English-speaking churches that are intentionally or incidentally reaching next generation Asian Americans and other non-Asians too and led by an Asian American pastor.” From 2015 to 2022, the number of multi-Asian churches has grown from 291 to 385. A directory of these churches is available at multiasian.church/directory.

3. More Asian American Christian Women Pastors and Ministry Leaders.

While Christians have different convictions and practices about church leadership and gender roles, women have always been a vital part of every church throughout its history. Good efforts that are empower Asian American women leaders include:

Someday is Here podcast hosted by Vivian Mabuni: Asian American & Pacific Islander women on leadership and culture
Innovative Space for Asian American Christianity and its podcast, When Women Preach
The Honor Summit
Pacific, Asian, and North American Asian Women in Theology and Ministry (PAMAAWTM)
Asian American Women on Leadership – team blog

4. More Asian American Christians Leading Evangelical Organizations.

As the United States becomes increasingly multiracial, with its population projected to have no racial majority by 2044, Christian ministries and organizations must be increasingly diversified in their leadership to have an effective impact for its future. These are major evangelical organizations that have appointed Asian American leaders:

Julius Kim, President, The Gospel Coalition
Tom Lin, President, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA
Michael Oh, Global Executive Director/CEO, Lausanne Movement
Walter Kim, President, National Association of Evangelicals
Eugene Cho, President, Bread for the World
Joel Kim, President, Westminster Seminary California
Felix Theonugraha, President, Western Theological Seminary

Learn more about these leaders and organizations: Asian Americans Who Are Presidents Of Major Evangelical Organizations (SOLA Network) and Historically White Christian Ministries Now Have Korean American Male Leaders (Christianity Today’s Quick to Listen).

5. More Networks and Academic Resources for Asian American Pastors and Church Leaders.

Some denominations have had ethnic and racial ministries for decades. Yet independent organizations can be a healthy sign of ownership, autonomy, and growth. This is a short list of networks and resources specifically for Asian American Christian leaders:

Center for Asian American Theology and Ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary
Association of Asian/North American Theological Educators
Center for Asian American Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary
Asian American Theological Forum
SOLA Network – a digital platform for Gospel-centered resources
SBC Asian American Collective – a collaborative network among Asian American churches and ministries within the Southern Baptist Convention
Covenant Asian Pastors Association – for Asian North American clergy and ministry leaders within the Evangelical Covenant Church

Christian Leaders Reflect on Juneteenth 2022 and the Work There Still Is To Do

Jessica Mouser

June 20, 2022

juneteenth 2022 — June 19, 2021. Organizations and elements from across Unites States Army Garrison Humphreys joined together to support the Juneteenth in South Korea's Juneteenth celebration here, June 19. The celebration featured remembrance reflections, a softball tournament, a leadership dunk tank, youth activities, and other events which brought the community together to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans. USAG- Humphreys, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Sunday, June 19, was Juneteenth, a day commemorating the end of slavery for Black Americans. As observation of the federal holiday continues with some employees getting Monday, June 20, off, some believers and Christian leaders are reflecting on the racial work that still needs to be done.

“#Juneteenth is a holiday celebrating Black resilience, perseverance, & liberation, but it also crystallizes the fact that this nation celebrated freedom & independence for nearly 90 years while enslaving a segment of its populace,” tweeted Dominique DuBois Gilliard, an ordained minister and the Director of Racial Righteousness and Reconciliation for the Love Mercy Do Justice initiative of the Evangelical Covenant Church.

Gilliard was likely alluding to the fact that the Second Continental Congress signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776, but slavery was not officially abolished in the United States until the 13th Amendment was ratified in 1865.

Gilliard continued his thread, “The fact that most people living in this nation only recently found out about Juneteenth highlights that since 1865 most citizens have celebrated the 4th of July without ever truly reckoning with this contradiction.”

Juneteenth 2022 and the Work That Remains

Juneteenth, which is a blending of the words “June” and “nineteen” and is also known as “Emancipation Day,” takes place every year on June 19. The date is a tribute to when Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, and announced that all the slaves in that state were free.

Slaves in Texas had actually been legally free for over two years without knowing it. In the middle of the Civil War (1861-1865), President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on January 1, 1863, declaring freedom for slaves in 11 Confederate states. The proclamation did not free all of the slaves in the U.S. (there were about four million)—just those in Confederate states that were not under Union control. Slavery had nevertheless continued in Texas until Granger arrived. Later that year, on Dec. 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment was ratified.

Texas first recognized Juneteenth as a state holiday in 1980, and President Biden made it a federal holiday on June 17, 2021.

As Gilliard observed, most Americans have little familiarity with Juneteenth. That awareness might be changing, but a tweet from author, speaker and songwriter Amanda Held Opelt, shines a small spotlight on the experience of some with regard to their churches. “Curious to hear if your church acknowledged Juneteenth this morning,” Opelt asked Sunday afternoon. “Anyone?”

God Is ‘Still Here’: After Texas Church Burns Down, Cross Remains

Stephanie Martin

June 20, 2022

texas church — Photo credit: Lake Bridgeport Volunteer Fire Department

On Friday, June 17, fire broke out at Balsora Baptist Church, a 100-year-old building in Bridgeport, Texas. By the time the flames were extinguished at the Texas church, only a cross remained standing among all the debris.

Pastor Sonny Smith says, “To me that was a sign from God saying, ‘Don’t worry, I’m still here, and I’m going to lead you forward.’”

Texas Church Had Been Under Construction

Balsora Baptist, which Smith describes as “a small country church,” was in the process of rebuilding its fellowship hall. On Friday, he says, construction workers returned from their lunch break to see the building on fire. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation.

At least a dozen local agencies assisted with the response. A few firefighters were treated at the scene after the church’s roof began to collapse while they were inside.

After the fire was out, Wise County Emergency Services Department No. 2 posted a photo on Facebook of the still-standing cross. “A devastating loss to our community, but a sight to behold,” the caption reads. “The fire took the structure, but not the cross. A symbol that the building was just that, a building. The Church is the congregation, and where 2 or more gather, there he shall be also.”

The department pointed to “extreme temperatures” in the north Texas region lately. “Churches also pose an inherent danger related to the great span of the sanctuaries and great halls, which makes them very prone to collapse,” it adds.

Balsora Baptist Church Gathered for Worship Sunday

Just two days after the fire, congregants gathered near the destroyed building to worship and seek “God’s direction” for the Texas church. On its Facebook page, the church shared images and videos from the service. “The Cross that held our prayer request in the sanctuary was still standing!” it writes. “We praise God that He still answers prayers. We look forward to all He’s going to do at Balsora Baptist!!!

Other local churches have offered Balsora meeting space for the summer, says Pastor Smith. But for now he plans to keep meeting outside near the burned-down building. The 75 or so congregants will “shed some tears together over what was, but also create some excitement for what God plans for us in the future,” he says.

The pastor emphasizes that the church is people, not a building. “I can tell you what’s inside of our church family. It’s faith,” says Smith. “God is good. In the good times and in the bad times, you can always depend on him.”

Atheist Group Calls on DeSantis to Withdraw Comments Implying Nonreligious People ‘Are Prone to Criminal Violence’

Dale Chamberlain

June 20, 2022

Ron DeSantis Freedom From Religion Foundation — Matt Johnson from Omaha, Nebraska, United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), a nonprofit organization that seeks “to protect the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism,” is calling on Florida governor Ron DeSantis to withdraw comments he made in a June 9 press conference that they say “paint the nonreligious in a deeply unfavorable light.”

DeSantis, who was holding a press conference in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, was celebrating his signing of six bills that will provide increased employment and educational benefits to veterans.

During his opening remarks, DeSantis made reference to the recent assassination attempt on U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The attempt came after an uproar of protest in response to a leaked draft opinion that indicated the Supreme Court may overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion a constitutional right.

“They have some lunatic that was trying to assassinate Justice Kavanaugh,” DeSantis said. “And this is something that’s very, very troubling, because you got a lot of people who whipped this up, people like [Senate Majority Leader] Chuck Schumer, talking about [the Supreme Court] facing the whirlwind. They have lifetime appointments. What type of whirlwind are you talking about?”

“And I think there’s a lot of really, really crazy people out there, unfortunately, that really get consumed with ideology,” DeSantis continued. “These are people that don’t really have, I think, a religious foundation or any type of relationship with God, and so they turn to radical politics as kind of what they’re going to do.”

The FFRF took exception with DeSantis’ implication that being nonreligious is predictive of violent or societally subversive behavior, releasing a statement against the remarks.

“The Freedom From Religion Foundation is denouncing remarks by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that imply people who lack a ‘religious foundation’ are prone to criminal violence,” the statement said, going on to formally request that DeSantis “retract his misleading comments and apologize to his nonreligious constituents.”

In a letter attached to the statement, FFRF cited a study that found, “Murder rates are actually lower in more secular nations and higher in more religious nations where belief in God is deep and widespread. And within America, the states with the highest murder rates tend to be highly religious, such as Louisiana and Alabama, but the states with the lowest murder rates tend to be among the least religious in the country, such as Vermont and Oregon.”

“These studies do not prove that religion causes all of society’s ills, but do reveal that Christianity, more faith or prayer are not a panacea,” the letter goes on to say. “If anything, they are actually counterproductive.”

Services Set To Resume at Church Where Shooting Killed 3

AP News

June 20, 2022

VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. (AP) — Worship services are set to resume Sunday [June 19] at the Alabama church where a gunman opened fire and killed three senior citizens at a potluck dinner earlier in the week.

Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church announced that members will gather for morning worship “in the wake of unfathomable loss and grief in the hope of Christ’s Resurrection.”

Walter “Bart” Rainey, 84, of Irondale, Sarah Yeager, 75, of Pelham and a third person were killed in the shooting attack Thursday night. Police did not release the name of the third victim, an 84-year-old woman, citing her family’s request for privacy.

Robert Findlay Smith, 70, is charged with capital murder in the deaths of the three church members. Police have not disclosed a motive for the shooting.

Susan Sallin, a survivor, told ABC 33/40 that the group was having a “joyous” dinner gathering when shots suddenly rang out. She said she dove to the floor and realized two of her friends had been struck by bullets.

“I scooched my way over to my friends and one was unconscious and one was conscious. But I was able to pat them on the shoulder and just keep saying, ‘You’re loved. You’re loved. You’re not alone,’” she told the station.

Records from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives show Smith is a licensed firearm dealer whose business is listed at his home address. He received a warning letter in 2018 from federal authorities for failing to keep a record of the disposition of all firearms, according to reporting compiled by The Trace and USA. That report said there were 86 firearms on hand in inventory during the inspection period.

The Rev. Doug Carpenter, a former pastor at the church, said the gunman had come to the gathering, refused an offer of a plate of food and then opened fire. Carpenter was not present at the gathering, but had spoken to people who were there.

Another church member, a man in his 70s, grabbed a folding chair and charged the gunman, according to Carpenter. “He hit him with a folding chair, wrestling him to the ground, took the gun from him and hit him in the head with his own gun,” the retired pastor said.

This article originally appeared on APNews.com.

Trump Lashes out at Jan. 6 Committee as He Teases 2024 Run During Faith and Freedom Event

Jill Colvin

June 20, 2022

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Making his first public appearance since the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection began its hearings laying bare his desperate attempts to subvert democracy and remain in power, former President Donald Trump on Friday lashed out at the committee as he continued to tease his plans for a third presidential run.

Speaking to religious conservatives at a sprawling resort near the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Trump blasted the committee’s efforts as a “theatrical production of partisan political fiction” and insisted he had done nothing wrong.

“What you’re seeing is a complete and total lie. It’s a complete and total fraud,” he told the Faith and Freedom Coalition’s “Road to Majority” conference. He dismissed the harrowing video footage and searing testimony presented by the committee — including first-hand accounts from senior aides and family members — as having been selectively edited. And he downplayed the insurrection as “a simple protest that got out hand.”

Trump’s appearance at an event long known as a testing ground for presidential hopefuls comes as he has been actively weighing when he might formally launch another White House campaign. The debate, according to people familiar with the discussions, centers on whether to make a formal announcement later this summer or fall or, in accordance with tradition, wait until after the November midterm elections.

While allies insist he has yet to make a final decision about his plans, Trump for months has been broadcasting his intentions, and continued to tease them Friday.

“One of the most urgent tasks facing the next Republican president — I wonder who that will be,” Trump said at one point, prompting a standing ovation and chants of “USA!”

“Would anybody like me to run for president?” he asked the crowd, unleashing more cheers.

Ralph Reed, chair of the Faith and Freedom Coalition, said that, for now, “We don’t know whether or not he will run, although certainly given his speech, I think he wanted to let everybody know that that is his plan.”

Trump has spent the past year and a half holding rallies, delivering speeches and using his endorsements to exact revenge and further shape the party in his image. But some supporters say the former president, who has decamped from his Florida Mar-a-Lago club to Bedminster, New Jersey, for the summer, is also growing impatient.

While he has relished his role as a party kingmaker — with candidates all but begging for his endorsement and racking up large tabs at fundraisers in his ballrooms — Trump also misses the days when he was actually king, especially as he watches Democratic President Joe Biden struggle with low approval ratings and soaring inflation.

“I think a lot of Trump’s future plans are directly based on Biden, and I think the more Biden continues to stumble on the world stage and on the domestic stage, people forget about the downside, the dark side of Trump’s presidency,” said Bryan Lanza, a GOP strategist and former Trump campaign official.

An announcement in the near future could complicate efforts by other ambitious Republicans to mount their own campaigns. Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, who was ambassador to the United Nations under Trump, for instance, has said she wouldn’t run against him.

Church Shooting Survivor: Gunman ‘Disengaged,’ Sat Alone

Kim Chandler

June 20, 2022

church shooting — Church members console each other after a shooting at the Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church on Thursday, June 16, 2022 in Vestavia, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

The 70-year-old suspected gunman in a shooting that killed three people at an Alabama church sat by himself drinking liquor, rejecting offers to join the others gathered at the potluck dinner, before gunfire shattered the peace of the evening, a survivor recalled.

“It felt like he was disengaged,” Susan Sallin, 73, said. Sallin was seated at the same table at the “Boomers Potluck” with the three people who died in the Thursday night shooting at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Vestavia Hills, Alabama.

The suspected gunman had previously attended church services and a few church gatherings for people of the Baby Boomer generation and older, but didn’t seem to interact much with others, she said. That night, he sat at a table by himself. While wine was available at the potluck, he was drinking from what appeared to be a small bottle of Scotch, and shunned invitations to join the others.

“I personally invited him to come and sit at our table twice because I wanted him to feel a sense of inclusion, but he did not come,” Sallin said. She said a woman, whose husband would be killed moments later in the shooting, “realized he had not fixed himself a plate and went up and offered to make him a plate.” He declined that as well.

Robert Findlay Smith, 70, is charged with capital murder in the shooting that killed three people. Walter Bartlett Rainey, 84, Sarah Yeager, 75, of Pelham, and another woman were killed in the shooting. Police did not release the name of the third victim, but friends referred to her as Jane.

The gathering was joyful, as the friends — who had not been able to gather as much during the pandemic — chatted about the food before them that night, their favorite cars and other light-hearted topics. Sallin said she doesn’t remember hearing any arguing or heated conversation before the gunfire suddenly erupted.

“I heard this loud metallic sound, and I thought a metal chair had fallen over on the floor. And then there was another sound, and another sound, and I realized it was a gun,” she recalled. “People were diving for the floor. I was diving for the floor. When I got down to the floor, I realized that two of my girlfriends who were sitting at the table with me had been hit.”

Sallin said she crawled across the floor to reach her friends. “I was trying to calm them and pat them and tell them, ‘You are not alone. You are not alone.’ That’s the message that I wanted them to get.”

Nearby, Linda Foster Rainey cradled her husband. According to a family statement, “he died in her arms while she murmured words of comfort and love into his ears.”

Sallin said one of the men in the group, who is also in his 70s, was able to subdue the gunman. “I did see him get the gun out of the man’s hand and hit him on the head with the gun,” she said.

The Rev. Doug Carpenter, St. Stephen’s pastor for three decades before he retired in 2005, said he understood the man hit the gunman with a folding chair before wrestling him to the ground and taking the gun.

Suspect in California Church Shooting Accused of Hate Crime

AP News

June 20, 2022

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — Prosecutors have accused a Las Vegas man of committing a hate crime by killing one person and wounding five in a mass shooting at a Taiwanese American church luncheon in California.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office said Friday that authorities added hate crime allegations to the murder and attempted murder charges filed against 68-year-old David Wenwei Chou.

Authorities have said Chou opened fire on a May lunch gathering of members of the Irvine Taiwanese Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods. A 52-year-old doctor who took his mother to the event was killed.

Authorities have said Chou was motivated by hatred of Taiwan, where he was born and grew up after his family was forced from mainland China when Communists took control.

Chou is expected to be arraigned on Aug. 19. He did not enter a plea at an initial court appearance last month. Messages seeking comment were sent Friday to public defenders listed in the online court record for Chou, who is being held without bail.

This article originally appeared here.

Two Nigeria Churches Attacked; Worshippers Killed, Abducted

Chinedu Asadu

June 20, 2022

Nigeria Methodist church — Pete unseth, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Gunmen attacked two churches in rural northwestern Nigeria on Sunday, killing three people, witnesses and a state official said, weeks after a similar attack in the West African nation left 40 worshippers dead.

The attack in Kajuru area of Kaduna State targeted four villages, resulting in the abduction of unspecified number of residents and the destruction of houses before the assailants managed to escape, locals said.

It wasn’t immediately clear who was behind the attack on the Kaduna churches. Much of Nigeria has struggled with security issues, with Kaduna as one of the worst-hit states. At least 32 people were killed in the Kajuru area last week in an attack that lasted for hours across four villages.

Worshippers were attending the church service at the Maranatha Baptist Church and at St. Moses Catholic Church in Rubu community of Kaduna on Sunday morning when “they (the assailants) just came and surrounded the churches” both located in the same area, said Usman Danladi, who lives nearby.

“Before they (worshippers) noticed, they were already terrorizing them; some began attacking inside the church then others proceeded to other areas,” Danladi said. He added that “most of the victims kidnapped are from the Baptist (church) while the three killed were Catholics.”

The Kaduna state government confirmed the three deaths by bandits who “stormed the villages on motorcycles, beginning from Ungwan Fada, and moving into Ungwan Turawa, before Ungwan Makama and then Rubu.” Security patrols are being conducted in the general area” as investigations proceed, according to Samuel Aruwan, Kaduna commissioner for security.

The Christian Association of Nigeria condemned Sunday’s attacks and said churches in Nigeria have become “targets” of armed groups.

“It is very unfortunate that when we are yet to come out of the mourning of those killed in Owo two Sundays ago, another one has happened in Kaduna,” Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, the association’s spokesman, told The Associated Press. “It has become a recurring decimal.”

Many of the attacks targeting rural areas in Nigeria’s troubled northern region are similar. The motorcycle-riding gunmen often arrive in hundreds in areas where Nigeria’s security forces are outnumbered and outgunned. It usually takes months for the police to make arrests and authorities have identified the attackers as mostly young herdsmen from the Fulani tribe caught up in Nigeria’s pastoral conflict between host communities and herdsmen over limited access to water and land.

3 Ways to Experience ‘The Good Life’ in Jesus

Dale Chamberlain

June 20, 2022

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel a little bit like a dog chasing a car. Maybe you feel the same way.

You’re putting in your time. Working hard. Paying your dues. Keeping your head down. But every once in a while, you look up and think, “When am I going to get to where I’m going? And where am I even going?”

Really, what we want to know is when we’re going to experience the good life. We all have this sense that there is a certain person we are supposed to become—the person God created us to be. And there’s a certain life that God intended for us to have—a life that is purposeful and fulfilling.

But there always seems like there’s just one more hurdle to get there. You work hard to graduate college only to be buried by student debt. You find a job, maybe even in the field you studied for, but it turns out that you don’t even like it.

Maybe you thought you’d be married by now, and that hasn’t worked out.

Then, a global pandemic hits. Tragedy strikes. Unexpected challenges come your way. And you just never really feel like you can get ahead.

I want you to know that Jesus is offering for you to step into the good life. And not after you graduate. Not after your debt is paid off. Not after you get the job you wanted. Not after you get married. Not after you buy a house. Not after you have 2.5 kids and a white picket fence and drive a Tesla. But in the here and now.

In John 10:10, Jesus said, “I came that you might have life and have it abundantly.” And he wasn’t just talking about eternal life, payable on death. He was talking about everlasting life, where the realities of eternity break forth into the here and now.

By looking at Paul’s words in Romans 8, here are three insights into how we can begin experiencing that kind of a life in Jesus.

1. We Can Experience The Good Life In Jesus By Training Ourselves To Think Like Jesus.

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:5-8)

Paul says that those who set their minds on the flesh, the fundamentally broken things of humanity, will live in a way that is incongruent with who God created them to be. But the mind that is set on the Spirit is life and peace.

So if you train yourself to think like Jesus, who is completely united with the Holy Spirit, then you will begin to experience peace. The word “peace” here relates to this Hebrew idea of shalom. And shalom isn’t just peace in the sense that nobody’s yelling at you.

7 Things Christians Should Give Up to Reach Unchurched People

Carey Nieuwhof

June 20, 2022

So you want your church to reach unchurched people. That’s wonderful because that’s basically the mission of the church: to share the love of Christ with the world in hopes that everyone will come into a relationship with Jesus.

The challenge is that unchurched people aren’t exactly flocking to most churches, and many Christians seem stumped as to why that is.

There are many reasons, but a surprising number center around one thing: Christians who treat the church as if it’s their private club.

The gravitational pull of human nature is toward self, not toward others, and churches behave the same way. You will focus almost exclusively on your needs and wants unless you decide not to.

And that’s exactly what far too many churches do: focus exclusively on the needs and wants of their members.

OK, it’s worse than that. Maybe it’s not even about needs and wants. Maybe it’s about preferences.

So many church leaders (staff and volunteer) struggle to lead beyond the preferences of the church members. And as soon as they try, they get inundated with complaints and angry emails. Too many Christians feel like it’s their right to have a church that caters exactly to their tastes and whims, and millions are paying the price for that (including unchurched people).

Catering to the preferences of members is a terrible idea for three reasons.

First, it’s killing the church. Attendance continues to stagnate or decline as people drift further and further from Christ (here’s a five-part blog series I did on declining church attendance).

5 Ways to Deal With DIFFICULT People

Luke Geraty

June 20, 2022

Every pastor has to deal with difficult people, those who don’t listen. This may be due to them being unteachable and prideful, or it may be an outworking of some insecurities that they have because of their past or a combination of both. There are probably many reasons why people might not always listen to you. And in reality, this isn’t exclusive to pastors, it’s a problem that most leaders deal with. If you are in a place of influence (leadership), you might find that some people aren’t interested in what you have to say.

It gets frustrating when you find yourself telling various ministry leaders that they need to do certain things for the health and effectiveness of the ministries they serve in only to find out that other people are essentially telling them to ignore you.

I want to lay out five practical ways to demonstrate the Fruit of the Spirit when dealing with these people and this problem.

5 Ways to Deal With Difficult People

1. Even though it is deeply personal, don’t take it personally

I won’t pretend that it doesn’t really bother me when someone tells our church’s gifted music leader to disregard what I’m saying. It does.

But I have learned not to get offended because I know that bitterness can distort my ability to interact with our music leader, but also distort the way that I interact with others. You have to remember that the apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesians that “we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12).

This does not mean that you don’t lovingly confront people when they are perceived to be rebellious (they might not be), but that you can’t go about confronting people if you are always offended at them.

With my example, I have to assume that the enemy does not want any of our worship, whether it is through music or other means, to be glorifying to God. Therefore it makes perfect sense that there would be spiritual attacks occurring in relation to our music leader or any other leader or ministry. If it doesn’t happen, I need to ask why!

I know some will balk at my advice to not take it personally because they tell us that rebellion is something that deeply offends God. That’s reading too much into my point. What I mean is that you shouldn’t take it personally and then respond with unrestrained anger and bitterness.

2. Take time to communicate to those who don’t listen to communication.

If there is one thing that drives me ape nuts, it’s wasting my time. I hate wasting my time doing things that are pointless. If there isn’t a purpose or function in mind, I get frustrated.

So you can imagine how I feel when it appears very obvious that I’m wasting my time talking to someone and they aren’t listening. Ape nuts is a polite way of saying that I want to punch ~~someone~~ something.

But if I’m honest, over the past few years I have “wasted” my time on a lot of people and you know what? I found out that the time spent wasn’t wasted.

There are many people and situations where at one time I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere only to find out that I was wrong. Plus, if I’m honest, I am the product of people never giving up on me, even though I was probably a “waste of time.”

This just means that we need to embrace due diligence when dealing with people who don’t seem to listen. Maybe if we take the time to explain ourselves just one more time there will be a breakthrough and they will finally get it! People can be stubborn, and maybe they just need to experience or discover something for themselves before they can be supportive. Only the Lord knows.

Yes, there are times when we can “move on,” but I think that we need to be very cautious in jumping to that conclusion. God doesn’t “move on” from our failures, and we can actually live out a false gospel if we give people the impression that we’ll only work with people when they are perfect. That’s an upside down understanding of God’s grace.

So be cautious and patient and gracious and merciful as you deal with difficult people. It’s worth over-communicating.

Greg Stier’s Prayer for Hurting Young Man in Airport Sparks Important Father’s Day Reminder

Jesse T. Jackson

June 19, 2022

Dare 2 Share’s founder Greg Stier gave an important reminder on his Twitter page to all Christians this Father’s Day about those who are fatherless and may have wounds relating to their father: ”They need the love of the Heavenly Father.”

A “Chance” Encounter Before Father’s Day

The evangelist and discipleship trainer told his social media followers about a young man he and his wife encountered in the San Francisco airport the night before Father’s Day.

The Stiers could see that the young man, named Jesse, had never flown on Southwest Airlines before and was unaware how the airline’s seating assignments worked.

Greg’s wife approached Jesse like a mother would a son and explained how travelers choose their seat on the plane. She then jokingly told Jesse that they would adopt him as their son until they boarded.

The young man, in his mid 20s, gladly accepted their help and jokingly called them “Mom and Dad” as they found their seats. Later, as the Stiers departed the plane, they saw Jesse in the terminal. He was confused about where his connecting flight was.

Greg approached Jesse at the prompting of his wife and helped him find his next flight. “Why were you in San Francisco?” Greg asked the young man as a way to make conversation. Jesse said he was visiting his dying grandpa, who was in the ICU.

Jesse added that his own father had just died the previous week, and that although it was an abusive relationship, his father’s death was still difficult.

“My heart broke for Jesse,” Greg wrote. “This young man was without his father and his grandpa was dying the day before Father’s Day.” This is what prompted Greg to share his own story with Jesse.

Greg explained to Jesse that his biological father had abandoned him before he was ever born and shared how the heavenly Father had adopted him as His own son.

He shared the gospel with Jesse, explaining to him how much God loved him and how He sacrificed His own Son on the cross so that Jesse could be adopted into God’s family through simple faith in Him.

After talking for several minutes, Jesse and Greg made their way to Greg’s wife. Her eyes filled with tears when she learned Jesse’s story.

The Stiers told Jesse that their encounter was no accident and that they would be praying for him. Jesse began to weep and collapsed into Greg’s arms right in the middle of the airport with people walking all around them.

Greg shared that Jesse sobbed on his shoulder has he held him in his arms.

The husband and wife huddled around the young man and prayed over him. “As people rushed to get home on Father’s Day all around us, we interceded for him in the middle of the airport,” Greg said. “We prayed for this now-fatherless young man who now knew about another Father who was longing to adopt him as His own.”

After they were done praying for him, Greg got Jesse’s address so that he could send him a copy of his new book “Unlikely Fighter” which tells Greg’s story growing up without a father and how Jesus changed Greg’s life.

“Pray for Jesse,” Greg asked his social media followers. “[Jesse] promised to read it and get back to me. Ask God to use this tragic situation to draw Jesse to himself.”

The evangelist reminded Christians that there are many hurting people out there today, many of whom have deep wounds from their earthly fathers. “They need the love of the Heavenly Father. They may need to shed tears of grief on your shoulder,” Greg said at the conclusion of his Twitter thread.

Greg encouraged Christians the importance of shining the light and sharing the love the Jesus today and everyday.

Tony Evans Father’s Day Sermon: Men Need to Make a Choice

Megan Briggs

June 19, 2022

Dr. Tony Evans, pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas, delivered a challenging Father’s Day sermon this year. Speaking on Joshua 24:14-15, Evans unpacked the declaration that Joshua made to serve the Lord regardless of what was happening in the culture around him. Evans said the men listening had a similar choice to make: Whether they would choose to serve God or choose to serve themselves. In our current cultural climate, the choice to serve God can look counter-cultural.

As in Joshua’s time, Evans says “What we need is some men with a spiritual backbone who love themselves properly and love their families and love the world in which they live, but are inextricably clear: ‘Y’all may not want to go where I’m going.’”

Evans goes on to put this declaration in terms that may sound more familiar in our day and age: “My race may not want to go where I’m going; my class may not want to go where I’m going; my culture may not want to go where I’m going. But let me tell you where I’m going whether or not you agree with me.”

The Stakes Couldn’t Be Higher Right Now

Evans believes “There’s never been a time when fathers have been more critical to the well-being of…kind of like everything…than they are right now.” We live in a time with a fork in the road, Evans said, a time where we face “chaos, confusion, lack of clarity, voices coming at us from all different directions.”

Fathers and men are so critical, in fact, that in Isaiah 3, we are told what happens when men make the wrong choices. When men don’t make the right choices, the children go into rebellion, the women can take on “an illegitimate authoritative role,” as Evans puts it, and the men become “neutered and weak.” We are seeing this happen today, Evans says. “Today we have too many men falling on the sword. Too many men becoming domesticated, meaning operating in a way that is outside your divinely ordained responsibility.”

In contrast, a “Kingdom man” or a man who has decided to follow Jesus “has made the decision to operate consistently under the governance of God and under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.”

While the decision to follow God is a choice one has to make, Evans explains that God does not make all the decisions for us. He gives us options. Still, all of our choices are within certain, sovereign boundaries that God has set up for us. Evans likened these boundaries to a football field. The field has clearly marked boundaries that are non-negotiable, but within those boundaries the players have choice. It’s our choice, Evans says, “which plays you’ll run.”

However, Evans gives a warning about choices when he says that although the choice is ours, we don’t get to choose the consequences of our choices. Those are up to God.

Joshua Makes a Declaration

In Joshua 24, we see Joshua declaring that “as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Before this, he tells the Israelites he is leading that they need to throw away “the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt.” He also tells them to choose between the culture’s gods they are living among, the gods of the Amorites, and the Lord God.

Evans explains the context of the verse is that Joshua is concerned the Israelites, though they have left Egypt already, “still have a little Egypt in them.” Joshua is telling them they can’t hang on to both the remnant of Egypt and the blessings of serving God. “They want the benefits of the promises of God without the selection to the submission and service to God,” Evans says.

Additionally, the Israelites need to choose whether they will assimilate into the culture they are currently surrounded by: the Amorites. “Don’t let the place you’re living define the decisions that you make,” Evans says is the message Joshua is trying to convey to the Israelites.

Contentment: Why It’s the Biggest Threat to Your Youth Ministry

Greg Stier

June 18, 2022

What would you say is the biggest threat to your youth ministry: teen apathy? parental apathy? little to no budget? a non-supportive pastoral support staff? a church that views youth ministry as a kind of “necessary evil”? the distraction of social media, sports, and/or academics? a growing tidal wave of unbelief and antagonism toward Christianity? All of these are legitimate threats. Each can wreak serious havoc in a youth ministry program. But one threat is far bigger than any on the list above. What is it? Contentment.

No, not the good kind of contentment—the brand of contentment that the Apostle Paul refers to in Philippians 4:11 when he says, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”

The threat I’m referring to is the bad kind of contentment, the contentment that settles for normal, that views just enough teens, just enough momentum, just enough spiritual progress in the hearts of young people as…well, enough.

Every great movement of God has started with holy discontentment stirring in the hearts of the revolution’s soon-to-be leaders. Paul felt it in Romans 9:1-3 when he wrote: “I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit—I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race.”

It’s what John Knox, the Great Reformer, expressed in his prayer to God: “Give me Scotland, or I die.”

It’s what William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, believed and bellowed wholeheartedly when he shouted: “While women weep, as they do now, I’ll fight; while children go hungry, as they do now, I’ll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I’ll fight; while there is a poor lost girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I’ll fight, I’ll fight to the very end!”

Once youth leaders lose that passion, that holy discontent to reach and disciple as many teens as possible, they become slowly, but steadily, institutionalized. They begin to exchange mission for meetings, purpose for programs, a desperate quest to reach the lost for a slice of pizza, a dodge ball game, and a short Bible lesson.

What makes it even worse is when the youth leaders have what I’ve come to nickname “the veneer of success.” Their attendance numbers are solid enough, their volunteers are strong enough, their lessons are interesting enough, and their standing with the church leadership is good enough. But underneath all the “enough,” there isn’t enough passion for the lost to preach the hair off a peach.

Instead of Contentment, Here’s What We Need

We need youth leaders who refuse to be content with typical youth ministry done in typical ways and who are satisfied with typical results.
We need youth leaders who will lead youth onto the battlefield of lost souls and unleash them for action until every last teen has every last chance to hear the Gospel from a friend.
We need youth leaders who’ve pinned a map of their city above their desks and circled the high schools and middle schools on that map as a relentless reminder of the mission before them.
We need youth leaders who are willing to knock at heaven’s door until their knuckles bleed, begging God for the teenagers in their city to be saved from a wasted life and a hopeless eternity.

May the words of Jesus to the church of Ephesus ring relentlessly in our spiritual ears: “I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place” (Revelation 2:4-5).

Run back to your first love (Jesus!)

Change your way of thinking (Repent!)

Do the things you did at first (Pray, evangelize, disciple, repeat!)

Ask God to stir a holy discontent in the depths of your soul until you puke out every drop of the bad kind of contentment. Go to your prayer closet and refuse to leave until your heart is re-broken for the lost. Then get the training you need to set the pace for reaching the lost and mobilizing your teenagers to join you in this great God-given quest.

Sign up for my free webinar “From Takeoff to Touchdown.” During this fast-moving, interactive webinar, you’ll learn how to effectively share the Gospel and mobilize your teens to do the same.

My prayer is that God will use this training to reignite a holy discontent in your soul for the next generation. Refuse to be content with standard youth ministry. Say along with me, “Give me lost teens, or I die!”

This article originally appeared here.

Summer Outreach Ideas: 5 Key Tips for Your Children’s Ministry

ChildrensMinistry.com

June 17, 2022

Summer outreach ideas for children’s ministry are a great service to families. Plus, they share the good news of Jesus with kids in fun ways.

When the school year ends, it’s typically a matter of days until parents hear those dreaded words, “I’m bored.” And how does the church respond? Some place a Summer Vacation sign on their children’s ministry door.

But when Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me,” he didn’t mean just when school’s in session. During summer, we can minister to kids without the typical challenges and distractions of the school year. To reach kids and families in this season, use these summer outreach ideas that really work!

5 Summer Outreach Ideas for Kidmin

1. Dream the Dream.

A dream program meet needs in your community. Do lots of area families need childcare? Are students on a year-round schedule with only a few weeks off during summer? Does summertime bring many new residents to your vacation community?

Ask questions to help you focus on meeting real needs so your summer outreach ideas are irresistible. Consider things such as climate, available space, and adequate staffing.

Today’s kids and parents are savvy about quality programming. Kids want to learn something new, meet friends, and connect with adults who care about them. And parents want kids in a safe environment that stimulates all the senses rather than those activated only by video games. Combining these elements with a ministry’s desire to share Jesus’ love with kids will help you create a sure win.

Agree on the essentials

Agree to disagree on the non-essentials

Maintain a unified front for your children

How to Grow A Small Group On Mission

1. Ask small groups to enlist a missions champion.

2. Encourage groups to pray for people who don’t know Jesus.

3. Build relationships with non-Christians.

4. Serve together.

3 Essential Elements of Respectful Parenting

1. Drop

2. Interact

1. Uniting Together for Public Safety and Social Justice.

2. More Next-Generation Multi-Asian Churches.

3. More Asian American Christian Women Pastors and Ministry Leaders.

4. More Asian American Christians Leading Evangelical Organizations.

5. More Networks and Academic Resources for Asian American Pastors and Church Leaders.

Juneteenth 2022 and the Work That Remains

Texas Church Had Been Under Construction

Balsora Baptist Church Gathered for Worship Sunday

1. We Can Experience The Good Life In Jesus By Training Ourselves To Think Like Jesus.

5 Ways to Deal With Difficult People

1. Even though it is deeply personal, don’t take it personally

2. Take time to communicate to those who don’t listen to communication.

A “Chance” Encounter Before Father’s Day

The Stakes Couldn’t Be Higher Right Now

Joshua Makes a Declaration

Instead of Contentment, Here’s What We Need

5 Summer Outreach Ideas for Kidmin

1. Dream the Dream.

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