Glenn Packiam: Prophetic Worship Leaders

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May 6, 2022

Writing on the worship leader as a spiritual guide made me want to explore what prophetic worship leaders as prophet and as pastor might look like. Let’s look at the “prophet” first.

Prophetic Worship Leaders

Our impression of a prophet is one who predicts the future. But in more fully Biblical sense, a prophet is one who sees what God sees (one of the Hebrew words for prophet is literally, “seer”), and then “speaks” to God on the people’s behalf and to the people on God’s behalf (the other Hebrew word for prophet means “spokesperson.”) The venerable Old Testament scholar, Walter Brueggemann, in his classic book, “Prophetic Imagination”, describes the prophet as one who sees an alternate vision of reality. That vision, then, leads to both criticizing and energizing.

First, the criticizing. We don’t like this word, but in the “prophetic tradition” in Scripture, the prophet brings a word of criticism against the “Empire.” Moses looms large in Israel’s story as the greatest prophet because he confronted the mighty Pharaoh and led God’s people out of bondage and oppression. Following in this great “prophetic” tradition, many of the prophets to Israel and Judah confront the kings of Israel and Judah who have, in a shocking turn of events, have become just like the Pharaoh they were saved from– they were Empire-building kings who exploited the poor and oppressed the needy for the sake of building an “economy of affluence” and a “religion of satiation.” (All of this sounds familiar, I know.)

How does the prophet bring this word of criticism? Primarily, Brueggemann says, through the “language of grief.” Jeremiah is a prime example of this. By refusing to buy the party line of “Peace, peace”, Jeremiah weeps over the people of God– for their sin, for their stubbornness, for their rejection of him as God’s messenger (See: Jer. 20). Jesus does a similar thing when, arriving in Jerusalem near His death, he weeps over the city. Tears have a long heritage in the prophetic tradition of the Scripture.

Now, the energizing. Here, the prophet is not addressing the powers that be– the rulers and Empires– but the pushed down. He is speaking to the marginalized and the oppressed. In fact, he is often speaking on behalf of them to God.

What does he say to energize them? The prophet, based on the alternate vision of reality that he sees, energizes the people of God through the language of hope. The example in the Old Testament that Brueggemann uses is Isaiah (or, more technically: “Second Isaiah”– the scribe/author who wrote Isaiah 40-55 or more). “Comfort, ye, comfort ye, my people,” the prophet declares. Jesus does this, famously, in His beatitudes, where He pronounces the poor and powerless to be the ones who are blessed (LUCKY?).

So, what does all this mean for the worship leader?

1. Prophetic Worship Leaders are a poet-prophets.

Art is a prophetic language. The language of grief and the language of hope are languages of poetry not prose. The prophets are not giving details or writing history books; they use imagery and metaphor and hyperbole to paint a vivid picture of what they see. Or they simply just weep. Or they walk with the weak and lift up the broken. Through poetic language and symbolic actions, the prophet speaks the language of grief and the language of hope. The poet can be a prophet.

2. Prophetic Worship Leaders can give voice to grief.

Do any of the songs we write or services we lead give room for people to grieve? The Sunday after the wildfires that destroyed over 300 homes in city, our worship leader gave people space to cry out to God, to place their burdens and sorrows at His feet. The temptation in the aftermath of loss and tragedy is to try to explain. Christians in Colorado were fumbling over each other in the blogosphere to “explain” why things like the Aurora massacre happen. But, I wonder, did we give voice to grief?

Mother’s Day Ideas: 4 Quick, Easy Activities for Children’s Ministry

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ChildrensMinistry.com

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May 5, 2022

Mother’s Day is approaching quickly. But it’s not too late to help kids create a special memento for mom. Check out these four fun Mother’s Day ideas for children’s ministry. They’re perfect for helping kids of all ages express their love for mom and other special women!

4 Mother’s Day Ideas for Children’s Ministry

We’ve found some of the best Mother’s Day craft ideas out there. And we’re going to share them with you now! We hope you find these crafts useful and that kids (and moms) love them.

Feel free to adapt each craft to fit your needs and children’s ages. And use them to brainstorm other creative ideas for celebrating special women in your church. (Pro Tip: Keep these ideas in mind for Grandparents Day. Or for cheering up homebound or sick church members!)

Here are four Mother’s Day crafts your kids will love to make and give. Share them with all the teachers and volunteers in your children’s ministry program. Then in the comments, let us know about your favorite kid crafts for honoring parents!

1. Flower Pot Cards

Your preschoolers will love making these adorable flowerpot cards. Best of all: They take just five minutes to make. Yet moms are sure to keep them for years.

2. Handprint Bouquets

This flower-powered craft from Mrs. Stanford’s Class is hands-on…literally. Just gather some paint, ribbon, and paper. Then have your older kids get busy making these cute cards for mothers. Moms will display and cherish them!

3. Mums for Moms

If you have a little more time for crafts, this is an amazing one to try. These flowers come to life with color, thanks to coffee filters and spray bottles. Bonus: They’re a blast for kids to make!

4. Personalized Puzzles

If flowers aren’t your thing, try this fun puzzle. Its message lets kids tell parents they would “go to pieces” without them. What a sweet keepsake!

Looking for even more great Mother’s Day ideas? Check out all these Mother’s Day posts.

This article originally appeared here.

Youth Pastor ‘Betrothed’ to 14-Year-Old Girl With Parents’ and Church Leaders’ Blessing Charged With Sexual Abuse

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Jesse T. Jackson

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May 5, 2022

Robert Fenton was a 26-year-old youth pastor at Abide In The Vine church in Owego, New York, when he was given approval to betroth a 14-year-old congregational member by her family and church leadership.

Fenton convinced the teenage girl’s parents and leadership at the non-denominational church to allow him to betroth the underage girl, telling them he had a vision “declaring that God wanted the victim to be his spouse.”

The youth pastor was granted permission to betroth the 14-year-old under the condition that no sexual activity would take place. But according to his now 40-year-old victim, Fenton “frequently” assaulted the underage girl during his two years at the church in the late 90’s.

Last week, Pennsylvania’s Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced charges against Fenton for assaulting a 14-year-old.

“I want survivors to know—we believe you. We will not let predators get away with the sexual assault of children,” Shapiro said.

In the affidavit, the victim recalled that Fenton would visit her parents’ house in Bradford County, Pennsylvania, two to three times a week (about a 30 minute drive from the church) in order to see her. They where not allowed to date due to their age difference. It was during those visits that Fenton began to sexually assault her.

Their relationship ended in 1998, two months after the then 16-year-old called off the wedding while Fenton was in the hospital for an illness. They were scheduled to be married in June of 1998.

Fenton told his teenage victim that “she ruined his ministry” before moving to Australia.

The victim’s mother, Susan Dewing, told investigators that on more than one occasion, fellow church members told her that their son was meant to marry her daughter. So she saw it as “just a little strange” and not “that strange” when the youth pastor suggested something similar about himself.

When Fenton approached his victim’s parents to tell them how he felt about their daughter, they took it to the church. The church’s leadership—which included Fenton’s father, who was a church elder—told them it was “more of a courtship rather than dating.”

Leadership explained that courtship would not involve any physical contact between the youth pastor and their daughter, which included holding hands, kissing, touching, and instructed the two never to be alone together without an adult present.

Russell Dewing and his wife were unaware of any sexual activity between Fenton and their daughter until a few years ago.

The pastor’s son, Paul Hoover, shared in the affidavit that his father Fredrick P. Hoover, who is still pastoring Abide In The Vine church today, was not on board with the Fenton during the time of the courtship request.

John Cooper: Christian Left Is ‘Remarkably Silent’ on Good News About Possible Roe Reversal

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Stephanie Martin

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May 5, 2022

christian left — Screenshots from YouTube / @Cooper Stuff

Monday’s SCOTUS leak about the possible overturning of Roe v. Wade is “such huge news,” says Skillet frontman John Cooper, that he had to post a brief “Daily Coop” message even though he’s on vacation. In the video, also available on YouTube, the Christian musician wonders why believers he categorizes as part of the “Christian left,” who “are never quiet online about anything,” have gone “remarkably silent” since Monday.

That evening, Politico published a leaked draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson, the closely watched Mississippi case that challenges both 1973’s landmark Roe decision and 1992’s Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

Cooper, an outspoken critic of “woke theology,” questions the motives of people on the so-called Christian left—and even names some names. He wonders why social-justice advocates can’t at least speak up to praise God for this “groundbreaking” good news. After all, he notes, it’s “something that Christians have been praying about literally for 50 years…begging and pleading God to intervene.”

John Cooper to the ‘Christian Left’: What Happened to ‘Silence Is Violence’?

In the 13-minute video, Cooper says people on the Christian left tend to be “the first ones to tweet you and say that you are not loving justice because you are not speaking out. Silence is violence. Say what we tell you to say, or you’re not being a good Christian.”

Cooper then reads a tweet from Christian author and podcaster Allie Beth Stuckey, calling it “exactly what I was thinking.” Stuckey wrote: “You should ask yourself why most of your favorite social justice Christian influencers, who all have Micah 6:8 in their bios, posted a black square & are constantly chastising the church to ‘do better,’ rarely have anything to say about abortion.”

Cooper says, “The Christian left is always saying they’re not political; they’re just apolitical. It’s people like me—I’m a Christian nationalist, apparently, because I talk about politics.” The left say they’re pro-life but then add “we think there’s lots of other ways we can help, too.” So it’s really “the perfect time” for the Christian left to speak out, Cooper says, because they can “have their cake and eat it too.” In other words, they can vote for politicians on the left and Roe may get overturned.

Naming Names: John Cooper Questions Specific Faith Leaders

Cooper asks, “My friends in the Christian market that are always yelling at me because apparently I don’t love justice…because I’m anti-CRT…how come you aren’t saying anything about the possibility of Roe v. Wade getting overturned?”

Then he calls out people by name, saying he hasn’t seen any comments yet from them on the topic. (If he’s wrong, or if they do post something, he says, “Let me know.”) First, Cooper points to Beth Moore, who “hasn’t said a peep on Twitter” about the SCOTUS leak and its implications—yet tweets a lot about masks and vaccines.

He wonders why Phil Vischer hasn’t addressed the topic on Twitter, although Vischer did retweet this from Kaitlyn Schiess: “Today would be a great day, regardless of what the Supreme Court does or how you feel about it, to think about what it could look like for you and your community, church, and family to support vulnerable children and parents.”

As for Vischer’s Holy Post podcast co-host Skye Jethani, Cooper gives him a “five out of 10” for this tweet: “Overturning Roe is good news. But it’s only 1 piece of what should be a holistic & compassionate response to abortion. I hope this decision from SCOTUS doesn’t make anyone ignore the less hyped, practical needs of women, families, & kids that have proven to reduce abortions.”

New Study Finds Majority of Americans Report Same Religious Faith As Their Mother

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American Bible Society

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May 5, 2022

PHILADELPHIA, PA – American Bible Society today released the second chapter of the 12th annual State of the Bible report, which highlights cultural trends in the U.S. regarding spirituality and Scripture Engagement. Today’s release shows that the majority of Americans maintain the same faith as their mother and that while the landscape of faith is changing, people are reporting high levels of curiosity about the Bible.

The data also indicate that American mothers (women with children at home) are collectively at the lowest levels of Scripture Engagement in three years. The first two chapters are available to download at StateoftheBible.org.

“It’s a sad irony that in the month we highlight the influence of mothers on their children’s faith, we also report that the level of Scripture Engagement for women with children in the home has dropped from 27 percent in 2021 to 15 percent in 2022. The past few years have taken a real toll on parents. They have been forced to balance schooling from home on top of chaotic schedules and devastating loss. Our research shows that many Americans—particularly parents—are struggling to rebuild spiritual routines,” said John Farquhar Plake, PhD and Director of Ministry Intelligence for American Bible Society. “This is a call to church leaders and communities to check in on parents and to help them rebuild practical spiritual habits like reading the Bible with their children. Millions of Americans—moms included—are curious about what the Bible has to say to them in this season. We need to help them discover its life-changing message.”

The State of the Bible findings come from a survey in January 2022 conducted by American Bible Society in collaboration with NORC at the University of Chicago, which produced 2,598 online or telephone responses from American adults in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Key findings analyzed in Chapter 2: Changing Faith

The faith of our mothers

The challenges of parenting through the pandemic have had an impact on the faith of mothers with children at home. Scripture Engagement for women with children at home plummeted from 27 percent in 2021 to 15 percent in 2022—lower now than it was during the disruptive onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 (16%).
Five in eight Americans (63%) say their religious faith is the same as their mother’s was when they were ten years old. A look at the current religious identity of the respondents reveals further details about whose faith has changed from their childhood influences. Non-religious groups, those who are now Agnostic-Atheist-None (40%), exceeded all other groups in changing from the faith of their mothers (pages 36-37).
The two middle groups—Movable Middle and Non-Practicing Christian—show a very low amount of change from the mother’s faith. This is potentially due to maintaining a religious identity but not adopting the practices of actively living out their faith (pages 39-40).

‘You Can Be Angry and Sin Not’: Terry Crews Talks to Trevor Noah About Overcoming His Anger, Racial Reconciliation

By

Dale Chamberlain

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May 5, 2022

Actor Terry Crews was a recent guest on “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah,” wherein he discussed his personal journey with unhealthy anger and how that journey has affected the way he now approaches situations where he has been wronged, whether personally or as part of a broader trend of injustice in society.

As a devout Christian, Crews peppered the discussion with biblical references.

Crews’ interview with Trevor Noah centered on the release of Crews’ new book “Tough: My Journey to True Power.” In the memoir, Crews recounts growing up in a troubled household, wherein his father regularly physically abused his mother.

“I had to redefine what tough was,” Crews told Noah. Crews went on to explain that his goal as a young man was to become as strong as possible, because he felt one day that he would have to kill his father.

One Christmas, when Crews, along with his wife and children, were visiting his parents, his father hit his mother to the point where she needed dental attention. In response, Crews met with his father alone and physically assaulted him.

“I beat him from downstairs all the way up to his room. He’s bleeding. He’s screaming,” Crews remembered. “And all I could think about was, ‘This is revenge. This is what I always wanted. This is what you made us go through.’”

Explaining that the revenge he always wanted didn’t satisfy him the way he anticipated, Crews said, “I felt nothing.” In fact, the encounter left him feeling emptier than before.

Crews went on to express that it was difficult for him to come to terms with his anger issues, because anger was bound up in his notion of what it means to be a man. Recounting an incident where he got into a physical altercation with a man who disrespected his wife, Crews recalled feeling, “This is what I’m supposed to do. This is what I’m put on earth to do.”

Crews and his wife temporarily separated in 2010 due to his pornography addiction and anger issues.

“And this is the thing. I was very successful,” Crews said, recalling that he was a popular actor by this point in his career. “And my trick to life was ‘fake it till you make it.’ But the problem is you make it, and you’re fake.”

It was then that Crews started going to therapy, where he learned how to deal with his anger in a healthy way.

“You can be angry and sin not,” Crews said. “It’s a biblical phrase. And the whole thing was, righteous anger is a good thing.”

Barna Announces First-of-Its-Kind Global Study on Teens’ Views of Jesus, the Bible, and Justice

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Barna Group

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May 5, 2022

The company’s biggest research study to date will be released this year and includes compelling perspectives from more than 25,000 teenagers ages 13 to 17.

VENTURA, Calif. – Barna Group, a social research company based in California, announced that it will be releasing a first-of-its-kind international research study focused on teenagers. “The Open Generation” is the largest study conducted by Barna in its 38-year history and the first global study to cover members of Generation Z on this level. More than 25,000 teens, ages 13 to 17, were included, with responses gathered from 26 countries.

The goal of the study is to provide an understanding of how teens around the world think, feel, and behave as it relates to three key areas: Jesus, the Bible, and justice. The study will reveal notable differences in Gen Z’s faith perspectives and practices when compared to those of the generations before them.

“As the global Church seeks to support, lead, and reach teens, it’s important that we gauge where they’re at — how they are doing emotionally, what they believe, and what they hope for the future,” said David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna Group. “As we explore the results of this study, we’re seeing some remarkable differences between teens today and other generations. There is a clear sense of optimism, confidence, and community found in the responses of teens globally. We’ve also seen some concerning perceptions and gaps in knowledge of foundational principles of Christianity that will challenge Church leaders as they engage with this generation.”

The study was developed and conducted by Barna in partnership with Alpha, Biblica, and World Vision, with additional support from Christian Vision, Bible Study Fellowship, Christ in Youth, and the Association of Christian Schools International. The support and global reach of this collective of organizations help to position findings from the study for international and long-term application.

“When we compare this study with our research on the Millennial generation, we’ve observed a significant shift in the way Gen Z teens approach faith. Some of these distinctions are encouraging — like teens’ openness to faith and making a difference in the world. Others, however, will cause us to pause and reconsider the way we connect with and meet the needs of teens in our lives,” said Kinnaman. “Barna, along with our partners in this study, are excited for this ground-breaking research to serve as a unique resource for Church leaders and others involved in teens’ lives to understand them and identify how to best come alongside this next generation.”

Satanic Temple Asks Boston to Fly Flag After Court Ruling

By

Philip Marcelo

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May 5, 2022

BOSTON (AP) — The Satanic Temple is requesting to fly a flag over Boston City Hall after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled this week that the city violated the free speech rights of a conservative activist seeking to fly a Christian flag outside the downtown building.

The Salem-based group tweeted a request filed Tuesday with the city property management department to raise a flag marking “Satanic Appreciation Week” from July 23-29.

Mayor Michelle Wu’s office declined to comment on the group’s request other than to say it’s reviewing the high court’s decision while also evaluating its flag-raising program.

Lucien Greaves, the organization’s co-founder, said in an email Wednesday that the group wants to show that religious liberty must mean respect for “all forms” of religious practice and religious opinion.

“When government officials are able to impose arbitrary restrictions on claims of conscience, or to abridge the civic capacities of some based on their religious identity, we fail to be a free, democratic republic,” he wrote in part.

The organization hasn’t decided which of its official flags it will ask the city to fly, Greaves said, but one likely option echoes the American flag, only with black and white stripes and an emblem of a pentagram and goat skull where the 50 stars would be.

The Satanic Temple is separate from the Church of Satan, which was founded in the 1960s. Founded in 2013, the Satanic Temple doesn’t believe in Satan and describes itself as a “non-theistic religious organization” that advocates for secularism.

Las Vegas Ex-Pastor, Teacher Pleads Guilty in Child Sex Case

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AP News

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May 5, 2022

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A church pastor and former elementary school teacher from Las Vegas has pleaded guilty to a child sex crime in a plea agreement that avoids trial and is expected to get him two to 20 years in state prison when he is sentenced Aug. 15.

Reynaldo Cruz Crespin, 59, pleaded guilty Monday in Clark County District Court to attempted lewdness with a child under 14, court records show. Several other charges were dismissed.

Crespin also may be sentenced to lifetime supervision as a sex offender, under terms of his plea deal.

Crespin was arrested in February in Albuquerque, New Mexico, more than a week after he was named in a warrant in Las Vegas on multiple charges including sexual assault involving children under ages 16 and 14.

KLAS-TV in Las Vegas reported that Crespin taught second grade from 2016 until this year and was a pastor at New Horizon Christian Church in northeast Las Vegas. The television station said none of the charges related to his students.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that Crespin and his wife, Marivic Crespin, founded the church in 2002. She filed a lawsuit in February seeking custody of their children.

A telephone call to the church on Wednesday reached a disconnected number.

This article originally appeared here.

SBC Leaders Pray for Gospel Ministry if Roe Falls

By

Tom Strode

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May 5, 2022

SBC Leaders Pray for Gospel Ministry if Roe Falls — Willie McLaurin, interim president and CEO of the SBC Executive Committee, was one of several Southern Baptist leaders who gathered virtually for prayer Tuesday (May 3) following the leaked Supreme Court opinion that may signal the imminent overturning of the Roe v. Wade decision. Photo courtesy of Baptist Press.

NASHVILLE (BP) – Southern Baptist leaders asked God Tuesday (May 3) to help Christians recognize that the overturning of Roe v. Wade, if it occurs this term, will be not only a reason to rejoice but to renew Gospel-based ministry to those in need.

The Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) hosted an online prayer gathering one day after the publication of a leaked U. S. Supreme Court draft opinion that, if it becomes final, would strike down the 1973 Roe decision. Four other members of the high court have joined Associate Justice Samuel Alito, who wrote the draft opinion, in support of reversing the nearly 50-year-old ruling that legalized abortion nationwide, according to Politico, the news organization that published the leaked document.

Before it adjourns in late June or early July, the Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision that will determine the fate of Roe, at least for now, in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, which regards a Mississippi ban on abortion after 15 weeks’ gestation.

Brent Leatherwood, the ERLC’s acting president, told the audience for the quickly arranged, virtual event “it is totally appropriate that we would enter into a time of prayer together as cooperating Southern Baptists who realize that this is a big moment.”

During the prayer session, Adam Greenway, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, said even if Roe is overturned in the Dobbs ruling, “it does not mean that the pro-life cause can celebrate and retire. It means the challenge continues, state by state, location by location, conversation by conversation, Lord, literally person to person.”

He prayed that God “would give us the spirit of endurance to go the distance, to realize that the cause of truth and justice and life never ends [in this world], that even as great of a victory as we may experience through the Dobbs case and the overturning of Roe v. Wade, there is still much, much work for the church of the Lord Jesus Christ to do.”

SBC President Ed Litton asked God to “help us to see this potential as not being an opportunity to celebrate but an opportunity to press forward, because girls will still need someone to help them in a very difficult time of decision, young men will need help becoming responsible adults and fathers, and, Lord, the communities will need adoption, will need foster care. Lord, we will still need the hope of Jesus Christ and the hope that the Gospel brings.”

“We do pray, Lord, that You would bring this scourge to a close, but Lord help us to see the opening of a great new opportunity for the Gospel and … for our people to engage,” Litton prayed.

Columnist Dana McCain, vice chair of the 2022 SBC Resolutions Committee, asked the Lord “to equip us to love the vulnerable in our midst in this moment. Lord, help us to see those women and preborn children with the eyes of Christ. Help us to love them with the love of Christ. And help us, God, to see them … with the same kind of grace and mercy that you have lavished on us, Lord.”

“Lord, equip us to offer them real alternatives to abortion, to offer them pathways where You can work in Your sovereignty and in Your power to create families through adoption and provide a way forward where there looks like there is no way forward,” McCain prayed.

She also asked God to “empower us to speak with holy conviction on behalf of preborn children, speaking for them because they depend on us, they have no voice outside of us.”

In introducing the prayer session, Leatherwood encouraged Southern Baptists to pray for the Supreme Court’s justices and clerks, including “for this seeming majority of the court to hold fast for life, for them all to be safe and secure as they continue these deliberations. The fact is [those who so far agree with overruling Roe] are going to come under a torrent of criticism, and we need to be praying for them to have the fortitude to withstand that. “

National Day of Prayer Observances to Feature In-Person Worship, Online Petitions

By

Adelle M Banks

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May 5, 2022

(RNS) — National Day of Prayer observances, which shifted in size and location since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, will continue this year with virtual events and more in-person celebrations.

“With communities being open this year, there are a growing number of people planning in person events in 2022,” Dion Elmore, vice president of the National Day of Prayer Task Force, told Religion News Service in a statement. “We are hoping to see numbers approaching what we experienced pre-covid, when there were close to 60,000 local events held from coast to coast.”

The task force will join with Pray.com in presenting a National Day of Prayer Broadcast, a 90-minute prerecorded event that will air at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time Thursday (May 5) online and on Christian radio and TV outlets, including the DayStar Television Network and the Christian Broadcasting Network.

With a theme of “Exalt the Lord Who Has Established Us,” the broadcast will feature evangelical speakers such as Anne Graham Lotz, Bishop Kenneth Ulmer and Joni Eareckson Tada, along with musicians Chris Tomlin, Lecrae and Matthew West, among others. Margaret Grun Kibben, chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives, will offer a prayer on behalf of government leaders, Elmore said.

The National Day of Prayer, proclaimed by Congress in 1952, has been observed since 1988 on the first Thursday in May, with a more diverse array of participants in recent years.

President Joe Biden encouraged people of different religious traditions to “join me in asking for God’s continued guidance, mercy, and protection” in a White House proclamation released on Wednesday.

“Across our diverse and cherished beliefs, on this National Day of Prayer, no matter how or whether we pray, we are all called to look outside ourselves,” he said. “Let us find in our hearts and prayers the determination to put aside our differences, come together, and truly see one another as fellow Americans.”

SBC Presidential Candidates Share Competing Visions in Church-Hosted Forum

By

Brandon Porter

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May 5, 2022

sbc — Robin Hadaway speaks, as Bart Barber (L) and Tom Ascol (R) listen to his answer at a forum hosted by FBC Keller, Texas for the three announced SBC presidential candidates. (Baptist Press/Brandon Porter)

KELLER, Texas (BP) – In what is being called an “unprecedented gathering,” the three announced candidates for Southern Baptist Convention president spent just under two hours answering questions and interacting with one another in a candidate forum Wednesday (May 4). Tom Ascol, Bart Barber and Robin Hadaway covered topics such as Critical Race Theory, a need for reform within the trustee system among SBC entities and institutions, a call for transparency with SBC leadership and more.

“The heart behind it is to help people who don’t know about the SBC to see a little bit better how it works,” said Joe Wooddell, a member of FBC Keller and co-moderator of the event.

He said he hoped the event would help people gain an understanding of what the SBC president does, “… and to show that we can have a civil exchange in Christian love and goodwill and still adhere to truth.”

Tony Richmond, associate pastor at FBC Keller, helped moderate the forum. Candidates were given five minutes at the beginning of the forum and five minutes at the end to share freely about their personal lives and ministries as well as the topics on their minds.

The candidates were asked what their primary focus would be if they are elected SBC president.

Tom Ascol said he would place an emphasis on spiritual reformation. “I mean, quite honestly, brothers and sisters, I think we have lost the fear of God in our churches and in our convention,” he said.

He continued the call to reformation by saying that there should be a renewed focus on the law of God. He pointed to how the same God who gave the Gospel, gave the law. “If we would do that, then we would not be so confused or easily manipulated on concepts like love and justice, which we are a lot today.”

Ascol also called for structural renovation in the SBC. “We need to train our trustees to understand that they are not unpaid political relations departments for the entities that they serve. They hold the entities in trust for the churches and they need to be given the tools and the understanding of how to do that.”

He also spoke of the need to redirect the work of the Credentials Committee when it comes to churches that affirm practices that are not in line with the Baptist Faith and Message.

Barber said he would use the influence of the role to call people to listen to one another and be kind to one another as they discuss the challenging issues of the day. “If we don’t have civility, transparency and accountability aren’t going to help us very much,” he said.

“I hope to serve as president of Southern Baptist Convention in a way that emphasizes and respects the voice of the messengers, moderates the meeting in a way that that protects their rights, [and] helps them to do the best they can to bring their point of view. But then when we make the decision as the messenger body, we move forward to go with one another and we treat one another with Christian kindness and love and respect.”

Hadaway said his focus would be to call Southern Baptists to remember the mission. “We were founded to support our North American missionaries, our international missionaries, and that’s still our primary task.”

“I want to return the joy and the missions vision to the SBC, all at the same time, doing the things necessary to address the issues that might come up,” Hadaway said.

Around 80 people were in person for the event, including former SBC president and former longtime Lifeway Christian Resources President Jimmy Draper. Around 340 people tuned in online.

The forum can be watched through FBC Keller and through the ACTS 2 app.

Baptist Press will publish a fuller story on the forum soon.

This article originally appeared at Baptist Press.

Deconstruction and Filling the Gap

By

Mike Leake

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May 5, 2022

And the younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.” And he divided his property between them. (Luke 15:12)

When I read that verse I think about the space between those two sentences. Dad give me my inheritance…dad gives inheritance. What happened in that gap? Think of all the ways in which the father could have responded.

For one, this request is deeply offensive. This is a rejection of the family. He’s walking away from all the family stood for, all that he had been taught. He is taking his Proverbs 6:20-21 necklace and throwing it in the weeds. Does the father bring out the guilt card in an attempt to get the son to fall into order?

It is also evident that this son is acting in foolishness. Does the father raise his voice and point out the ignorance of not only the son’s request but also his inevitable actions? Does the father sternly warn him of his coming demise—reminding him of all the Proverbs and Sirach 33 and what the elders would think of such a thing? Will he use his power and position as a father to keep the son?

Perhaps the father could be passive aggressive. “Fine, if this is what you want then this is what I’ll give you. But this is not going to go well for you and don’t come running back when you run out of money, because I won’t have any.” I suppose the father could also try to shame the younger son by comparing him to his well-behaved older brother. “Why can’t you be like your brother…”

The biblical text gives us nothing in which to fill that gap. Or does it? Can we not learn something from the father’s response to the son returning? He clearly loved his son. Would any of the above options fit the character that we see from this father? Clearly, not. The silence of that gap is intentional. The father took the risk of letting his son have his rumspringa—a time of ‘running around’. And it seems he did in silence.

I believe the silence of that gap is what encouraged the son to return. Do prodigals return to an “I told you so” father? If they are won back by anger and control are they actually won back?

The Gap and Deconstruction

If you aren’t yet familiar with the term “deconstruction” you soon will be. I could try to define it philosophically and quote people like Derrida—but that’d be nerdy and you’d get just as lost as I do when trying to understand philosophers. Besides, the philosophical concept isn’t what people mean these days when they use the term. It’s basically that a whole generation, because of various scandals, abuses, and political wrangling have begun to question whether the faith they were taught is actually believed by those who taught it. How much of this thing we call “faith” is just excess and how much of it actually has to do with Jesus?

Many are trying to untangle a ton of knots and are doing it in the context of a ton of pain. It may not be entirely accurate to call them prodigals—because many aren’t leaving their father’s home in order to party in the far country. To be a bit more accurate many are exploring the far country because the father who taught them all about the faith didn’t seem to believe it himself. They are often leaving the far country on the search for Jesus. In the parable the father’s house is rightly positioned as the place of truth and love. It wouldn’t be accurate to slide evangelicalism neatly into that spot.

Using this parable may not be exactly a one-to-one correspondence, but I do believe there is much to learn. I think we can learn from the older brother as well as the father. Many of the responses I outlined earlier are typical of how someone might respond to a person asking for the inheritance and leaving the home of evangelicalism. And those responses, I would argue, have more in common with the older brother than they do the father. The father is the one we need to learn from in this parable. And I see two actions the father makes which can help us as we navigate this season of deconstruction.

7 Ways to Make the Most of Your Online Church Experience

By

Eric Geiger

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May 5, 2022

By now we have certainly learned that our online church experience matters! One of my favorite verses about our weekly worship gatherings is found in the Psalms:

Come, let us shout joyfully to the Lord, shout triumphantly to the rock of our salvation! Let us enter his presence with thanksgiving; let us shout triumphantly to him in song. For the Lord is a great God, a great King above all gods. (Psalm 95:1-3)

In the passage we see community – “us” coming together. We see intensity “shout triumphantly” and we see intentionality – as people are invited to come together and to “enter His presence.” In other words, gathering together should not be passive. And it should not be something we take for granted or something we mindlessly approach as if we are “just going through the motions.”

There have been, for many years, debates on the merit of “church online.” Admittedly, I fall in the middle of the two sides – of those who view their online church experience as fully church and those who do not stream their services out of a theological conviction. I believe we should use all the tools at our disposal, including technology, to spread the gospel. Which practically means we stream our services at the church I serve as pastor. And at the same time, I believe people miss a lot when they do not gather physically. We don’t hear each other sing. We don’t get to interact with multiple generations and cultures. We don’t get to serve the body as a whole. Which practically means I don’t refer to our online church experience as one of our campuses or as the totality of a person’s church experience.

An online church experience is a shadow of a shadow. Our regular gatherings are a shadow of the eternal gathering, where we will one day worship with people from every tribe tongue and nation in glorious bodies set free from the presence of sin. And our online gatherings are a shadow of our physical gatherings, where we will one day gather together again and hear our brothers and sisters sing. Just as our physical gatherings should help us long for the eternal gathering, I pray our online gatherings will cause us to long for physical gatherings.

We are in a moment where the shadow of the shadow is the best we have. And we should make the most of it. As we are gathering online for worship in the coming weeks, I want to encourage us to approach the worship services actively – not passively. It will take you willfully choosing to be active because the television screen has trained us to be passive.

7 Ways to Make the Most of Your Online Church Experience

1. Be ready, where you will watch, before the service begins.

Don’t have begin your online church experience with the service passively playing in the background. Set the room and make the time of worship the focus of the hour. If you can’t make it on time to online church, you will likely never make it to church when it begins. Which means you miss so much!

2. Put away other electronic devices.

If you are multi-tasking, you won’t be able to fully engage.

3. Pray that the Lord will teach you and encourage you.

Take time before the service begins to ask the Lord to speak to you.

4. Sing aloud. Yes, it feels awkward at first. But go for it!

Some people don’t sing in church because they feel embarrassed by their singing. It is just you or you and people who love you. Go for it!

5. Follow along in your Bible. Take notes.

Don’t be lazy in hearing the message (Hebrews 4:11). Press in.

6. If you normally give in the giving boxes or offering plate, give online.

Your church will not be able to function as she is functioning without God’s people being generous.

7. Reflect on the message or discuss the message with others.

I believe God will use this season to develop in us a healthy longing for our weekly worship gatherings, a longing to participate with one another, to encourage one another. Perhaps God will use this time to develop some of our worship gathering muscles. Perhaps we will grow more comfortable in singing. Perhaps we will get in the habit of being present for the whole service. Perhaps our weekly gatherings will be sweeter on the other side of this chaos.

This articloe about your online church experience originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

The Encouraging Sway of Small Group Identity

By

Small Group Network

-

May 5, 2022

Acclaimed by many as having one of the greatest theme songs in the history of television, the show Cheers follows the antics and daily lives of the employees of a Boston bar and its patrons who frequent the establishment. Through the many failed relationships, the changes in management, the transition of characters, and the numerous wacky conflicts that transpire within Sam Malone’s bar, the characters forge a community that supports one another, loves one another, and cherishes the time spent with one another. Now viewed from our perspective in the year 2022, the community and friendship displayed throughout the show Cheers has become more revered and appreciated. Perhaps one of the more appealing elements of the show may be what Jim Wilder and Michel Hendricks refer to as the concept of group identity within their book, The Other Half of Church. With group identity, the focus isn’t placed so much on an individual’s beliefs, but rather the positive influence that a group can hold over one another within a community. Stemming from a healthy level of joy and hesed love, they explain that Christian group identity, especially small group identitty, “answers the questions, ‘As followers of Jesus, what kind of people are we? How do the people of God act?” Let us explore three areas of small group identity.

Small Group Identity

1. Small Group Identity that Changes our Behavior

When it comes to changing our behaviors, Wilder and Hendricks help us to understand the science behind our brain’s ability to control our willpower: “Direct willpower has little effect on our character…When we understand how God designed our brains, we can see that willpower is too far downstream to directly influence reflex reactions.” Instead of trying to use raw effort in changing our character, the two authors recommend tapping into a high-joy hesed community that possesses a strong group identity. Within our churches, the small group ministry is an ideal source for this, for the support that is available can help each of us navigate distressing scenarios and can assist us in the creation of strategies that change our daily behaviors.

The commonly known “iron sharpens iron” phrase from Proverbs 27:17 is easily applied within this context as small groups allow us to learn from others who have experienced similar seasons of life. In our last article, it was stated that one of the more dangerous tools that the enemy uses against us is the state of loneliness because he has an easier time to convince us to make poor decisions (actions that we otherwise would not have made if among others). Would Eve have made the decision to eat the apple if Adam was by her side? Would David have pursued Bathsheeba if Nathan was walking alongside of him on the rooftop that night? Group identity becomes a support net for the scenarios in our lives that tempt us to sin or to stray away from holiness. When we are vulnerable and share our hearts, our brothers and sisters in Christ are able to give us meaningful and impactful advice that can lead us to change our behaviors and to become more Christ-like.

2. Small Group Identity that Forms our Character

Another danger of being in a state of loneliness is forgetting our identity in Christ. Yet within a small group that meets on a consistent basis, Wilder and Hendricks explain that more opportunities are available for us to remind each other who we are. They elaborate, explaining that “regular reminders ground our identity in the character of Jesus. We need to tell each other what kind of people we are, not only as a reminder but also to immerse new Christians into their new identities.” Even in Cheers, we see this process as new “outsider” characters like Kristie Alley’s Rebecca, Woody Harrelson’s Woody, and Kelsey Grammer’s Frasier each come aboard in later seasons and become integrated, accepted, and then eventually acclimated into the community. Wilder and Hendricks note that “character is revealed by how we act instinctively to our relational surroundings” and that over time, “the people with whom we share joy, hesed, and belonging change us outside the realm of our direct willpower.” Just as a battery is recharged when electrical current is run through it, our faith can be recharged by spending time with fellow Christians.

3. Small Group Identity that Solidifies our Purpose

According to Scripture, each of us are born with at least one spiritual gift (1 Cor 12:7). Such gifts are not meant to be left idle, but rather meant to be shared with others whom the Lord places into our care. While some use their God-given gifts to go on to minister to the world, others are called by God to use their gifts to minister to the individual standing right next to them. In the eyes of the kingdom of God, each scenario is just as important as the other (Matt 18:10-14), and, in either case, we can discover deeper purpose for each of us here on this earth. By being in a small group, we are greeted with the chance to utilize our spiritual gifts more often and experience the heavenly affirmation that comes with the feeling of being used by the Lord for the benefit of His kingdom. Wilder and Hendricks say, “Our group identity must reflect the multifaceted character of Jesus.” Indeed, when we utilize our spiritual gifts within a joy-filled hesed community that has a healthy group identity, we put on display the image of Jesus and show a glimpse of what He might do if He was still in human form today. Let us foster a community within our small groups that allow us to speak into each other and reaffirm what kind of people we are. Let us make a commitment to be in fellowship so that we sharpen one another and recharge each other’s batteries. Let us pursue a group identity that mirrors the bold image of God for all the world to see.

This article on small group identity originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

Bible Lessons for Teens: 12 Resources About Forgiveness

By

Stephanie Martin

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May 4, 2022

The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus died for all our sins so we can live with him in heaven forever. But kids in your youth ministry still may feel the weight of their sins and temptations. That’s why Bible lessons for teens about forgiveness are so important.

Youth ministers and volunteers can frequently remind preteens and teens about repentance and the assurance of God’s complete forgiveness. Check out the 12 ideas below for teaching young people about the free gift of God’s grace. These forgiveness-themed Bible lessons for teens work well for youth group meetings, worship settings, camps, retreats, and more.

Use Scripture to let teenagers know that God not only forgives sins but totally erases them. Also discuss what God’s command to forgive others means for our day-to-day lives.

12 Bible Lessons for Teens on Forgiveness

1. Will God Forgive Me?

Sin leads to guilt, so teenagers may feel weighed down by their words, thoughts, and actions. Help them discover the good news that God forgives us completely and repeatedly. Young people shouldn’t doubt whether God wipes away any of their wrongdoing.

2. Are My Sins Too Big?

All humans are sinners, and in God’s eyes, all sins are equally bad. Although sin leads to death (Romans 3:23), Jesus’ death and resurrection offer justification and redemption (vs. 24).

3. Forgive and Forget?

Teens in your church’s youth group may know that God forgives their sins. But does God really forget them? And does he tell us to forget sins committed against us? Help kids discover what the Bible really says about these key topics.

4. Praying for Forgiveness

An important part of daily prayer involves asking God for forgiveness. Explore how to approach our heavenly Father regularly with a repentant, humble heart.

5. Messy Monarchs

Many Bible lessons on forgiveness for youth come directly from Old and New Testament stories. In this lesson, kids will find out that sin does have consequences, even though God forgives us.

6. Biblical Repentance

Take a deep dive into the concept of repentance. Help teens look at what that concept entails and how they can live it out in practical ways.

Former Deacon at Douglas Wilson’s Church Indicted for Possessing Child Pornography

By

Jessica Mouser

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May 4, 2022

Alex Lloyd, a former deacon at Douglas Wilson’s church in Moscow, Idaho, has been indicted in federal court for possessing child pornography. Lloyd, who according to Christ Church was a deacon until January 2022, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Alex Lloyd’s Trial Set for June 21

Christ Church and its pastor, Douglas Wilson, have generated controversy for reasons that include Wilson’s interpretation of complementarianism, his book “Southern Slavery As It Was,” and for how the church has handled allegations of sexual abuse. Christ Church also made headlines in the fall of 2020 for holding “psalm sing” events in protest of Moscow’s COVID-19 restrictions.

Alex Lloyd was indicted on April 19. Court documents state that “On or about the dates of March 22, 2021 through January 12, 2022, in the district of Idaho, the Defendant, ALEX LLOYD, did knowingly possess materials…which contained child pornography.” According to the documents, these materials were on an Apple iPhone 8.

The documents say in part that child pornography is defined as “one or more visual depictions, the production of which the Defendant knew involved the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and which involve a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age.”

Should Lloyd be convicted of possessing child porn, he will be required to forfeit those materials and “any matter which contains any such visual depiction,” that is, his iPhone. Lloyd has been released on conditions and his jury trial is set for June 21 at 1:30 p.m. in Coeur d’Alene.

An article by the Moscow-Pullman Daily News states that Alex Lloyd was listed as a deacon on Christ Church’s website until April 14, when the church removed Lloyd and updated its list of leaders. The archived webpage linked in the article, however, is dated November 2021, and an archived capture of the webpage dated April 14 does not show Lloyd on the church’s website.

As the news breaks on social media, some are circulating a quote from a blog Douglas Wilson wrote May 18, 2018, titled, “Dirty Omniscience.” The post focuses on the extent to which, in our digital world, people’s private information is not that private at all.

Wilson contrasts this “dirty omniscience” with the omniscience of God and states: “Digital information is highly susceptible to manipulation, and digital information is highly portable. I believe that we should begin the fight to outlaw all such information in court, and we should lead by courteously disbelieving any report made against anyone on the basis of what somebody ‘found on their computer.’”

The quote some are drawing attention to is as follows:

In the old days, if the cops found a warrant for a man’s arrest, and they showed up at his house, and they found the basement full of child porn magazines, this was a scenario in which the biblical standards of evidence could be met (multiple witnesses, etc.). But if the agents cart off his computer, and then late that night down at the station, they “find” child porn, there are too many problems. Was the porn actually there (as it often is), so guilty as charged? Was it placed on the computer via a thumb drive after the arrest? Was it planted on the computer by that man’s enemy before he placed the phone call that led to the request for the warrant?

As a corollary, we should also be extremely skeptical about claims and accusations made on the basis of this kind of thing.

Retired Pittsburgh Pastor Accused of Stealing $357K From Former Church

By

Stephanie Martin

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May 4, 2022

A retired pastor is accused of stealing more than $357,000 from his former church in Pittsburgh. The Rev. Wayne Peck, who led Community House Presbyterian Church for 40 years, faces charges of theft by the unlawful taking and receiving of stolen property.

Peck, who turned himself in Tuesday morning and then bonded out of jail, has a hearing scheduled for May 13.

Retired Pastor Faces Theft Accusations

According to court documents, Peck, 70, allegedly diverted funds from Community House on an ongoing basis after his 2017 retirement. The day before he departed, say investigators, Peck designated himself, his wife, and a member of a defunct nonprofit organization associated with the church as the only authorized signers on the church bank account. (This third individual was not a church board member, as reported by some media outlets.) As a result, no other church members had access to that account.

Afterward, large checks payable to Peck were issued every month from the church account. Then, according to the criminal complaint, he deposited them into a personal account and used the money to pay living expenses. Official say Peck and his wife, Molly, used the funds to pay their mortgage and utilities, vehicles, restaurant meals, and travel expenses.

The memo lines on many of the checks indicated the money was reimbursement for expenses. But Peck, who was hired by Community House back in 1977, reportedly had no further affiliation with the congregation after he retired.

Peck’s neighbors say the retired pastor keeps to himself.

How the Alleged Theft Was Discovered

The Pittsburgh Presbytery, which has financial oversight of local Presbyterian congregations, discovered “irregularities and delinquencies” in the church’s accounting back in 2019. Court documents indicate that the Presbytery’s investigation yielded several red flags, prompting it to then contact police. “Substantial funds designated for the church in recent years were not actually received by the church,” the Presbytery noted.

In a statement, the Presbytery said: “The members of the Commission are deeply saddened by this situation and pray for God’s justice and healing for all who are involved. There are no allegations of wrongdoing against the current pastor or leadership of the church. The Commission will continue to work alongside the church’s leaders and is cooperating fully with the Allegheny County District Attorney’s office in its investigation.”

Kanye West Being Sued for Sampling Pastor’s Sermon in ‘Come to Live’ Without Permission

By

Dale Chamberlain

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May 4, 2022

Peter Hutchins from DC, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Bishop David P. Moten is suing Kanye West, who is now legally named Ye, for sampling portions of a sermon Moten delivered at Joy of the Lord Worship Center in Victoria, Texas, as reported by Billboard.

Moten is arguing that portions of his sermon comprise roughly 20% of the track “Come to Live,” which appeared on Ye’s 2021 album “Donda.”

Moten’s words, “My soul cries out ‘Hallelujah,’ and I thank God for saving me,” can be heard at the beginning of the track, with samples of other portions of the worship service, including the congregation’s response, throughout the song. Of the roughly five-minute song, Moten argues that the track utilizes the recording from his church for roughly one minute.

Throughout his musical career as a producer and rapper, Ye has often utilized samples of human voices in his tracks, creating unique combinations of sounds to rap over. His creativity has earned him 22 Grammys to date.

However, Moten criticized Ye and and G.O.O.D. Music (the studio behind “Donda”) for “willfully and egregiously sampling sound recordings of others without consent or permission.”

“Defendants willfully and without the permission or consent of Plaintiff extensively sampled portions of the Sermon,” the lawsuit says, referring to Ye’s tendency to do so as an “alarming pattern and practice.”

Moten is demanding a judgment against Ye “for disgorgement of profits, compensatory, consequential, incidental, and punitive damages in an amount to be determined by the trier of fact in this case, plus statutory fines, costs, interest and expenses.”

Ye has recently been the center of controversy on a number of occasions where his faith has intersected with his public persona. In October 2021, Ye featured singer Marilyn Manson at one of his Sunday Service events.

Manson, who named himself after Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson, has long been outspokenly anti-Christian, is an honorary minister of the Church of Satan, and has also been the center of multiple sexual abuse allegations.

More recently, in March of this year, Ye came under sharp criticism for using a public prayer on Instagram to air his grievances with his former wife Kim Kardashian, discussing custody disputes, a confrontation with comedian Pete Davidson, whom Kardashian is currently dating, and even taking shots at Hillary Clinton and “Leftists” for being the ones who put “Black people in prison.”

“You know where to find me, they cannot define me, so they crucify me,” Ye sings in “Come to Life.”

Baptist Press Interviews SBC Presidential Nominee Robin Hadaway

By

Jonathan Howe and Brandon Porter

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May 4, 2022

EDITOR’S NOTE: Baptist Press will be releasing in-depth interviews with each of the known candidates to be nominated as SBC president at the Annual Meeting in Anaheim. We released our interview with Tom Ascol on May 2, Bart Barber on May 3, and Robin Hadaway on May 4. The interviews have been edited only for clarity, grammar and length.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (BP) – Though he’s a busy senior professor of missions at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Robin Hadaway will be somewhat of a hometown presidential candidate when the SBC Annual Meeting takes place in Anaheim this summer. Hadaway and his wife, Kathy, live in nearby Oceanside, Calif., where he pastored before they became International Mission Board missionaries.

“I just felt we need to focus on the mission,” Hadaway told Baptist Press when asked why he would be nominated. He’s been committed to the mission for his entire ministry career, serving for 18 years as an IMB missionary, 18 years at MBTS, and six years as a pastor of a local church.

Hadaway, 73, is calling for the planting of 500 new churches in North America, 2,000 new church plants overseas and a new emphasis on chapters of the Woman’s Missionary Union in churches.

“The Southern Baptist Convention president, he has no pay, no power, but he does have some influence during those two years, and I think he can set the tone for the convention,” Hadaway said.

We sat down to talk with Hadaway on April 27 on the bustling campus of Midwestern Seminary just before the seminary’s final chapel session of the spring semester.

Why are you willing to be nominated to be president of the SBC?

Well, I had never thought about being nominated for SBC president. But when Ed Litton declined to run a second term and the convention was in Anaheim, I thought that I might have the opportunity to serve Southern Baptists in this way.

I have had the honor and privilege of working for the denomination for 36 years, 18 as an IMB missionary and 18 as a seminary professor and counting. Now I’m a senior professor. I did pastor for six years and was very involved in the Conservative Resurgence when I was pastoring.

So, I followed the denominational patterns throughout my ministry, and while I was with the IMB.

I just felt that we needed to focus on the mission. Not that we haven’t been focusing on the mission, but I just wanted to call out the called because I never thought about being a missionary when I was a student at Dallas Seminary and then at Southwestern.

It wasn’t until my wife and I went to Glorieta for Foreign Missions Week that we heard somebody talk about the need for people to leave their pastorates and go overseas. So even though we were already pastoring in a mission field in California, we stayed there four years before we went overseas, we just felt this call to go to an unreached part of the world, to northwest Tanzania.

Prophetic Worship Leaders

1. Prophetic Worship Leaders are a poet-prophets.

2. Prophetic Worship Leaders can give voice to grief.

4 Mother’s Day Ideas for Children’s Ministry

1. Flower Pot Cards

2. Handprint Bouquets

3. Mums for Moms

4. Personalized Puzzles

John Cooper to the ‘Christian Left’: What Happened to ‘Silence Is Violence’?

Naming Names: John Cooper Questions Specific Faith Leaders

The Gap and Deconstruction

7 Ways to Make the Most of Your Online Church Experience

1. Be ready, where you will watch, before the service begins.

2. Put away other electronic devices.

3. Pray that the Lord will teach you and encourage you.

4. Sing aloud. Yes, it feels awkward at first. But go for it!

5. Follow along in your Bible. Take notes.

6. If you normally give in the giving boxes or offering plate, give online.

7. Reflect on the message or discuss the message with others.

Small Group Identity

1. Small Group Identity that Changes our Behavior

2. Small Group Identity that Forms our Character

3. Small Group Identity that Solidifies our Purpose

12 Bible Lessons for Teens on Forgiveness

1. Will God Forgive Me?

2. Are My Sins Too Big?

3. Forgive and Forget?

4. Praying for Forgiveness

5. Messy Monarchs

6. Biblical Repentance

Alex Lloyd’s Trial Set for June 21

Retired Pastor Faces Theft Accusations

How the Alleged Theft Was Discovered

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