‘Very Chaotic’ for Perhaps 180,000 ‘Traumatized’ Orphans in Ukraine

March 22, 2022

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (BP) – The nearly 200,000 orphans in Ukraine are especially traumatized by Russia’s invasion that has displaced millions of civilians, according to a Southern Baptist adoption and orphan care minister who has adopted three children from Ukraine.

“The thing that we know most fully is that everyone in Ukraine has now become vulnerable, and that means that orphans who are already vulnerable and marginalized in their society, in most cases their vulnerability has only increased,” Rick Morton, vice president of engagement for Lifeline Children’s Services, told Baptist Press.

“The challenges are great because you have children who have experienced abuse and neglect and all matter of trauma, that are now being uprooted from what they know and from the familiarity and the relative safety of the circumstances that they’re in,” he said. “Even if they’ve not been in good circumstances, they’ve been in consistent circumstances. Now they’re being uprooted, they’re being taken to another part of the country, they’re being taken out of the country. And so their trauma is just being compounded.”

Lifeline, which has worked to help Ukrainian orphans and facilitate adoptions there nearly 20 years, partners with many Southern Baptist churches and Send Relief, as well as ministries and churches in Ukraine and Romania. Lifeline is helping Ukrainian refugees in Romania, providing food, clothing and shelter, and is preparing to provide trauma-care training with the help of various partners, including Heritage Ukraine and missionaries Madison and Yuriy Perekoity. The Perekoitys, currently stateside, will return to Europe in April. Other partners include the Romania Without Orphans Alliance.

“Part of the next phase of our work is helping to support Madison Perekoity and others,” Morton said, “in taking those trauma-informed care resources and using them to train people in the surrounding countries how to respond to the unique needs of people … that have been traumatized as a result of the war.

“We’re actively adapting that work now and will in the next couple of weeks begin to be on the ground in teaching that and helping to build capacity for ministry leaders there” in trauma-informed care.

International humanitarian group Save the Children counts 100,000 orphans still in Ukraine, housed in close to 700 children’s homes there, Forbes reported. But Morton’s sources put the number at about 180,000. As Russia bombs Ukraine in various places including civilian targets such as hospitals, schools and residential buildings, Morton said orphans are assured of no safe place to hide.

“The number we hear floated around is about 180,000 kids that are in Ukrainian orphanages. Around 90 percent of those kids are not adoptable; they’re not true orphans. So a lot of them are social orphans that still have family ties and there’s at least the possibility for reunification (with their families.),” Morton said. “And then, frankly, one of the things that’s kind of misunderstood is in the child welfare system in Ukraine, a lot of the children in orphanages have special needs that this is how they receive their schooling.”

Lifeline Services is frequently communicating with partners in Ukraine during Russia’s attacks, particularly in Odessa in southwest Ukraine, and sending resources to refugees served by the Regen Foundation at an orphanage in Fagaras, Romania, that was temporarily closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Baptist churches in Romania are helping those efforts, Morton said.

“We’re staying in close contact with quite a few (partners). It’s very chaotic. The number of displaced people within Ukraine is epic. I heard a statistic from one of them that there are as many as 8 million people that are either internally displaced in Ukraine or have fled the country and become refugees.

Ketanji Brown Jackson Publicly Expresses Thanks to God but Keeps Faith History Private

Adelle M Banks

March 22, 2022

Ketanju Brown Jackson — Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson arrives for her confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee Monday, March 21, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

WASHINGTON (RNS) — When she spoke at the first day of her Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing as a nominee for Supreme Court justice, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson stated her belief in God and her gratitude for divine blessings.

“I must also pause to reaffirm my thanks to God, for it is faith that sustains me at this moment,” she said on Monday (March 21). “Even prior to today, I can honestly say that my life has been blessed beyond measure.”

This echoed similar remarks after President Joe Biden announced her historic nomination.

“I must begin these very brief remarks by thanking God for delivering me to this point in my professional journey,” said Jackson after thanking Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris during the Feb. 25 speech. “My life has been blessed beyond measure, and I do know that one can only come this far by faith.”

Njeri Mathis Rutledge wasn’t surprised her former Harvard Law School classmate’s first impulse was to thank God.

“She’s a very sincere person so I believe that was in her heart to say,” said Rutledge, who lived in the same dorm and attended the same core classes with Jackson, an appellate court judge named by Biden to succeed Justice Stephen Breyer.

“I think being a Black woman in the legal field, which can sometimes be hostile,” added Rutledge, “it does take faith.”

Njeri Mathis Rutledge. Photo by Rashid Tillis with Right Time Photography

But Rutledge, now a professor of law at South Texas College of Law Houston, like many other admirers and supporters of Jackson, 51, does not know the details of her college friend’s religious practice, though she considers her to be “a woman of strong faith, strong Christian faith.” Rutledge, who is Facebook friends with Jackson, said she doesn’t recall whether or not Jackson, who “spent a lot of time with her studies,” attended a local Black church with her and some other Black students during their first year of law school.

She said Jackson — who would become the nation’s first Black female Supreme Court justice if confirmed — was not overtly expressive of her faith when they were in school together in the 1990s.

“The way that we express our faith is not just through words but by actions,” said Rutledge, describing Jackson’s kind and supportive ways, including making sure Rutledge had enough pencils before a civil procedure exam. “And she certainly had the heart of a Christian.”

Scant details of Jackson’s past or present faith are available, most of them drawn from a few speeches in a 2,086-page document from the Senate Judiciary Committee. Others questioned by Religion News Service could not describe her current religious practice, if any.

A staffer at the Senate Judiciary Committee could not comment further on details about Jackson’s faith.

Scouts Reach Deal With Catholic Committee in BSA Bankruptcy

Randall Chase

March 22, 2022

boy scouts bsa — Photo by JV (via Unsplash)

DOVER, Del. (AP) — A committee representing several Catholic entities in the Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy has reached a settlement with the BSA and is withdrawing its objections to its proposed reorganization plan, attorneys told a judge Friday.

The announcement came on the fifth day of a trial to determine whether the Delaware judge will approve the BSA’s reorganization plan.

Under the settlement, virtually every Roman Catholic entity nationwide, including parishes, schools, dioceses and archdioceses, that was involved with Scouting would be considered a “participating chartered organization” in the bankruptcy.

That would release them from liability for all Scouting-related child sex abuse claims against them from 1976 to the present, and for all pre-1976 claims subject to coverage by insurance companies that have reached their own settlements in the BSA bankruptcy. They also would be granted 12 months to negotiate financial contributions to a settlement fund for abuse victims in exchange for a full release from liability for all Scouting-related abuse claims.

In exchange, the Catholic entities would release their rights to any policies issued by the settling insurers.

Attorneys for the Catholic committee had previously argued that the BSA’s plan treated chartered troop-sponsoring organizations such as churches and civic groups unfairly, leaving them exposed to future lawsuits while stripping them of their rights under BSA insurance policies.

“With this agreement in place, we have even greater consensus as we progress toward confirmation,” the Boy Scouts said in a statement.

Under the settlement, members of a committee representing 10 Catholic dioceses and archdioceses and the Catholic Mutual Relief Society of America — a church-affiliated nonprofit that insures hundreds of dioceses, religious orders and institutions — also agreed to work with the Boy Scouts through at least 2036 to improve and support Scouting. The agreement includes recommending that dioceses support Scouting as part of their youth ministries and cooperate with local Boy Scouts councils in establishing new units.

Those provisions could prove critical for the Boy Scouts after decades of steady memrship drops. Its current membership is equal to 1938 levels.

The Boy Scouts, based in Irving, Texas, sought bankruptcy protection in February 2020 in an effort to halt hundreds of individual lawsuits and create a fund for men who say they were sexually abused as children involved in Scouting. Although the organization faced 275 lawsuits at the time, it found itself the subject of more than 82,000 sexual abuse claims in the bankruptcy case.

The reorganization plan calls for the Boys Scouts and its 250 local councils to contribute up to $786 million in cash and property and assign certain insurance rights to a fund for abuse claimants. In return, they would be released from further liability.

The BSA’s two largest insurers, Century Indemnity Co. and The Hartford, would contribute $800 million and $787 million, respectively, while other insurers have agreed to contribute about $69 million. The organization’s former largest troop sponsor, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon church, would contribute $250 million for abuse claims involving the church. Congregations affiliated with the United Methodist Church have agreed to contribute $30 million.

What About Those Who Have Never Heard About Jesus?

James Emery White

March 22, 2022

I don’t think I’ve ever taught a theology course and made it through the discussion on soteriology (the saving work of Jesus) without a question about those who have never heard about Jesus or who don’t have the mental ability to understand.

This is a heartbreaking question because they might have in mind infants or very young children who may have died before having any ability to know or to “hear” about Jesus, much less to respond. Or perhaps they have in mind people who live in remote corners of the world who may have never been told about Jesus.

As tragic and heartbreaking as the question is, the answer is very simple: Ultimately, this is answered in and through the very character of God. What I mean by that is either God is a good God, a just God, a fair God…or He’s not. If He is, then He’ll do the right thing by everyone based on their ability to hear and understand and respond. So when someone asks if their baby who died is in heaven, I can say: “That is the one thing that you don’t need to be worrying about in this moment. Your child is being cradled, right now, in the arms of God. Absolutely they are in heaven.”

Why can I say that?

Because we have a good God.

And what about those people in parts of the world who have never even heard about Jesus? Someone who was never told about Jesus? That’s a little different. They are still held accountable based on the knowledge available to them through what can be seen through what has been made. Here’s how it’s talked about in the Bible:

But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature.

So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles. (Romans 1:18-23, NLT)

Each of us is held accountable by the raw wonder of creation all around us that is so intricate in its design that it begs for the notion of a Creator-God. So how could this work positively in someone’s life?

Imagine in the darkest recesses of a rainforest, a man is walking along one day and comes upon a tree stump that has died and is rotting. He walks over to it and sees that it’s filled with water. He gazes at his reflection for a few moments, and he thinks to himself: “You know…I didn’t make me. And that totem carving we’ve been worshiping and praying to has never done anything for me. It just seems to be nothing more than any other dead tree.” And then he gazes at the sky and the stars, and says: “Whoever you are, whatever you are, help! I want to know…you.”

R.C. Sproul: The Methods Versus the Message

R.C. Sproul

March 22, 2022

Many Christians go their entire lives without being used by God to be the human instrument and means by which a person comes to Christ. My own calling is not as an evangelist, but seeing another human being come to Christ is the most meaningful ministry experience I’ve ever had.

I once was hired by a church to be the minister of theology, which meant that my job was to teach. They also added to my job description “minister of evangelism.” I said I didn’t know anything about evangelism. So, they sent me to a seminar to train in evangelism.

The minister leading the seminar talked about how to memorize an outline, how he uses key questions to stimulate discussion, and how there’s a pattern to the way in which evangelism is to flow. The idea behind the method he used was to focus attention on the ultimate issue of a person’s individual redemption—how can he justify himself before God? Most people will say that they have lived a good life; very few will say that they have been justified by faith alone in Christ alone.

Methods such as these have much to recommend them. They are easy to learn, and they make it possible for people to engage in discussions about Christianity, though care must be taken that one is not simply reading a script but rather is really connecting with the other person.

Ultimately, evangelism is less about the method one uses and more about the message one proclaims. Evangelism, remember, is the proclamation of the gospel—telling the story, announcing the news. Some fear that they don’t know enough to evangelize. I say, “Tell them what you do know.” Leave the defense of the truth claims to the apologist and hold forth the simple message of the gospel. Anyone who has the ability to speak about three or four simple principles can become an effective evangelist. This is where evangelism programs and training can help.

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

The Essential Small Church (7 Reasons We’re Needed)

Karl Vaters

March 22, 2022

The Essential Small Church (7 Reasons We’re Needed)

The body of Christ is made up of many parts.

Various denominations, liturgies, styles, and sizes.

And nowhere is that variety more evident, more delightful or (let’s be honest) more frustrating than in the amazing variety of small churches.

Churches of all sizes have an important role to play. But small churches often get fewer resources and less attention than our large church counterparts, so it’s important to be reminded why small churches are just as vital to the body of Christ as big churches are.

Here are 7 reasons:

1. Small churches are the most NORMATIVE way Christians gather

Up to 90 percent of all churches are under 200, 80 percent under 100. And fully half the Christians in the world attend small churches.

That’s a lot of small.

Plus, when Christians are increasing as a percentage of the population, it’s more likely from the multiplication of small churches than from an increase in the size of large churches.

2. Small churches are the most FREQUENT way Christians gather

There are a lot of places in the world where big churches just don’t work. Like in places of extreme poverty and persecution, or regions where the gospel message is new. Plus, there are cultures where small and subtle sends a better message than big and noticeable.

Small churches fit everywhere and work everywhere, so they exist everywhere.

3. Small churches are the most SUSTAINABLE way Christians gather

Starting or growing a big church is extremely hard.

Starting and sustaining a healthy small church is much, much easier. Not easy. But not as hard as it is for big churches.

4. Small churches are the most LEADABLE way Christians gather

Imagine the differences between one church of 1,000 and 20 churches of 50.

There are 1,000 believers in each situation, but the church of 1,000 only has the capacity for one lead pastor and a few staff pastors. And those leaders need advanced levels of training and/or experience.

The 20 churches of 50 will have as many as 20 lead pastors, many of whom don’t have much (or any) formal training, but who are called, gifted and capable to serve as the lead pastor of 50 or so people.

5. Small churches are the most COST-EFFECTIVE way Christians gather

Big churches cost big money. Sometimes the per capita cost of a healthy big church is less than the per capita cost of a small church – but only when the small church is unhealthy.

Healthy small churches can and do function on surprisingly little money.

6. Small churches are the most MOVABLE way Christians gather

Big churches take up a lot of space. And moving them is a massive undertaking.

But healthy small churches can fit anywhere. And they can move quite easily.

7. Small churches are the most DURABLE way Christians gather

When there’s a failure of leadership in a big church, the fallout is huge and the recovery time is long – if it happens at all. But small churches have an amazing capacity to bounce back over and over again.

And even when they do fail, a new one often pops up in its place in a short period of time.

What Small Churches Are Not

Did you notice anything missing in that list?

Certainly there are good ideas that I forgot. No list like this will ever be exhaustive. But there are a handful of characteristics that I specifically chose not to include, even though small churches are often stereotyped in these ways.

Small churches are not necessarily:

Friendlier
More faithful
Better at pastoral care
More prayerful
More doctrinally sound
or more missional than big churches

There are churches of all sizes, styles and theological backgrounds that are equally good at all those qualities.

We can and must appreciate what each church does well, without creating any sense that one size of congregation is better than another size of congregation.

Any group of people who love Jesus, love each other and share their faith is a healthy church.

Different types and sizes of congregations do that in different ways.

And every one of them matters.

This article originally appeared here.

The Babylon Bee Locked Out of Twitter for Calling Transgender US Assistant Secretary for Health ‘Man of the Year’

Jesse T. Jackson

March 21, 2022

babylon-bee-twitter — Screengrab via Twitter (L) @TheBabylonBee (R) @SethDillon

The widely popular Christian satire news site The Babylon Bee was told on Sunday, March 20, 2022, that their Twitter account has been locked because it violated the social media giant’s rules against “hateful conduct.”

The Babylon Bee’s CEO Seth Dillon posted the news on his personal Twitter page with a screengrab of Twitter’s allegations, saying, “I just received this notice that we’ve been locked out of our account for ‘hateful conduct.’”

The humor site posted an image last Wednesday, March 16, 2022 of U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Rachel Levine with the title “The Babylon Bee’s Man of the Year Is Rachel Levine,” with a link back to their article, which has since been removed. The tweet has received over 13,500 likes and almost 2,500 retweets.

The Babylon Bee’s post was made a few days after USA Today’s announcement that Levine was named one of their “Women of the Year.”

Levine is an American pediatrician who was born in 1957 and later transitioned from a man to a woman in 2011. Levine was nominated by President Joe Biden as the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health in 2021 and was officially appointed the role after being confirmed by a Senate vote on March 24, 2021—making Levine the first openly transgender person to receive the Senate’s confirmation to an office.

The article, which is intended as satire, calls Levine a “boss” while repeatedly referring to Levine as a man and uses the pronoun “he” multiple times. The article even calls Levine a “dude.”

The article also called out Levine’s pre-transition name, an act referred to as “deadnaming” in the trans community, going to to say, “Who cares? Who says a dude as accomplished as this can’t be named ‘Rachel?’ This king doesn’t care what people think about him! He often wears a dress, which some people think is weird—but he doesn’t care one bit. Come on! Men in India wear dress-type garments, don’t they?”

The Babylon Bee said Levine is “breaking barriers” and showing us all what the meaning of true “courage” is.

“We applaud this precious and perfectly made child of God for all his accomplishments and hope he stays true to who God made him to be,” the article said.

At the conclusion of their article, The Babylon Bee wrote, “UPDATE: Since announcing this award, we’ve been told that Levine actually identifies as a woman. We have still chosen to give the award as his self-identification has no bearing on the truth. Congratulations, Rachel Levine!”

In a Twitter thread, Dillon shared with his audience that The Babylon Bee was told by Twitter that their account would be restored in twelve hours, but they first had to delete their “The Babylon Bee’s Man of the Year Is Rachel Levine” tweet.

‘I Thank God for This’—Churches Give Away Thousands of Dollars Worth of Gas to Those in Need

Jessica Lea

March 21, 2022

Mount Zion Baptist Church in Greensboro, N.C. gave away free gas, cleaned windshields and checked tire pressure for 200 cars on March 19, 2022.

Soaring gas prices across the United States are prompting churches throughout the country to meet the needs of their communities by giving away free gas. Many churches are also using these opportunities to encourage and pray for those who show up.

“We see what’s going on in the world,” said Odell Watson, senior pastor of Payne Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in West Palm Beach, Fla. “The war in Ukraine, we’re coming out of a pandemic, and there are so many hurting.”

Payne Chapel will give away $20 worth of gas per vehicle at the Wawa gas station here Tuesday, March 22, starting at 10 a.m.

Watson said that meeting the needs of the community is one the purposes of the church. “Jesus, he not only met spiritual needs, but he met physical needs as well…Just helping someone with gas reminds them we’re in this together. at the end of the day we’re all Americans, and when someone is in need, we should be willing to help and do what we can.”

Free Gas and More: US Churches Meet Needs

Another Chance Church in Chicago gave away $50 worth of gas per vehicle Sunday, March 20, handing out $27,000 in gas when all was said and done. Another Chicago church, New Life Covenant Church Southeast, raised $5,000 at one time when Senior Pastor John Hannah asked for 200 people to donate $25 each so that the church could provide free gas to people in need. The church did its gas giveaway on Saturday, March 19. Prior to the event, Pastor Terrance Wallace said, “There will be traffic control pumping the gas, encouraging people, praying with people, just really trying to bring hope to the community.”

On that same Saturday, Mount Zion Baptist Church in Greensboro, N.C. gave away free gas, cleaned windshields and checked tire pressure for 200 cars. One hundred fifty cars had lined up by 4 a.m.

“Lots of people are hurting,” Joe Frierson, the church’s young adult pastor, told the Greensboro News & Record. “Lots of pain that’s not their fault. It’s the responsibility of those who have been blessed to bless others.”

Ousted Pastors Sue Fla. Megachurch, Deny Financial Misconduct

Stephanie Martin

March 21, 2022

A bitter financial dispute at a Florida megachurch has gone public, prompting the current pastor to assure congregants they’ll “weather the storm” together. During worship services yesterday, Tim Timberlake, who has been senior pastor of Celebration Church in Jacksonville since last September, told members, “Your church is okay,” adding that bylaws and trustees are in place to protect the body.

Celebration Church, founded in 1998 by Stovall and Kerri Weems, was previously one of America’s fastest-growing churches. Last month, the couple sued the church for injunctive relief, alleging that a trustee billed the church improperly and, in the process, orchestrated the ouster of Stovall Weems.

The church, in response, has filed a motion to dismiss the injunction, alleging various financial improprieties and “abuse of power” by the couple. On May 20, a civil court hearing is scheduled in the case. No criminal charges have been filed.

Stovall and Kerri Weems: ‘We Have Nothing to Hide’

According to the injunction, in 2018 church member Kevin Cormier told Stovall Weems he was donating $1 million of “in kind” maintenance and construction services to Honey Lake Farms, a non-profit mission of Celebration Church. Eventually, Cormier became a church trustee, a CFO switched roles, and Tim Timberlake took over the responsibilities of the senior pastor.

Then Cormier’s companies began billing Celebration—to the tune of about $700,000. Cormier, the injunction alleges, reneged on his pledge without informing Weems, and in the process told lies and “was setting the scene to oust Pastor Stovall from the very church [he] built.”

In January, immediately after Weems removed some trustees, the church notified him that he was suspended due to “possible improper financial practices and/or failure to fulfill duties and responsibilities.” Now Weems and his wife are seeking back pay, as well as restoration of their base salary and benefits. Stovall Weems also wants to be reinstated as the church’s CEO.

In a statement last week, Stovall and Kerri Weems write, “We could never have imagined that the church we started and nurtured for nearly 25 years would be seized by individuals whom we believe are prioritizing their individual interests in power and money ahead of their duties to Celebration Church and its mission.”

They add, “We have nothing to hide. We are being retaliated against and have been denied a proper investigation according to long-held church by-laws.” The couple, who says they’ve been threatened with arrest if they enter church property, adamantly denies “the utterly baseless and false allegations made against us.”

Christian Artist GAWVI Breaks Silence on Being Cut From Reach Records; Ex-Wife Accuses Him of Lying, Infidelity

Dale Chamberlain

March 21, 2022

Last week, Christian hip-hop artist GAWVI broke his silence regarding the events surrounding his being cut from Reach Records. Shortly after, his ex-wife publicly accused him of lying about the details of their marriage in the statement.

During his time at Reach Records, GAWVI released four albums and won a Dove Award for best rap/hip-hop song. His latest record, which was released in March of 2021, was titled “Noche Juvenil,” and featured songs exclusively recorded in Spanish, including the track “Dicen.”

GAWVI was released from Reach Records on January 31 of this year after being accused of sending unsolicited, explicit photos to multiple women. The accusations against GAWVI came to light days earlier after he announced that he and his wife had divorced in 2020. After GAWVI remarked in his announcement that there was “no scandal to gossip about” with regard to his divorce, visual artist Cataphant publicly alleged that GAWVI had sexually harassed multiple women, including one underaged girl.

“Due to behavior that is inconsistent with our core values, we have ended our professional relationship with GAWVI,” Reach Records said in a statement released on January 31. “This was a tough decision for us because of the level of complexity and because we invest in our artists not just for their talent, but also as brothers and sisters in Christ. This is something we have been processing for over a year and have wrestled with what would be the right way forward.”

Fellow Christian artist Lecrae, who co-founded Reach Records, expressed grief following his label’s decision to cut ties with GAWVI, saying that the situation had “rocked our community.” In an interview with Relevant, Lecrae said that while the label knew GAWVI had been experiencing marital issues, they had been unsuccessful in getting him “to just be transparent with us.”

“We had already stopped putting out his music and stopped doing stuff…but this was the hammer that drove the nail in,” Lecrae said.

On Wednesday (March 16), GAWVI released a statement to Instagram, which read, “Dear everyone, I have been spending time reflecting on these past couple of months and the years before, having meaningful conversations with God, my counselors, family, friends, and myself, about the mistakes I’ve made and the man I want to be on this earth.”

“A few years ago, my marriage began to fall apart. Instead of leaning on God and facing the situation, I acted outside of the boundaries of my marriage,” the statement went on to explain. “I began communicating and exchanging inappropriate photos with several women on social media.”

Denying the accusation that he had sexually harassed an underaged girl, GAWI wrote, “These were conversations between adults, and even though I never met any of these women in person, it was inexcusable, and wrong. I regret these mistakes, I take full accountability, and I apologize to everyone I have hurt by my actions.”

“Now as I continue to reflect and wrestle with the choices I’ve made, I ask that God may continue to use this period of my life to show me things that I have needed to learn, so I can become the man he has called me to be,” GAWVI wrote. “I am using this time to work on myself, grow in faith and continue to be present in my children’s lives.”

Following GAWVI’s statement, his ex-wife, Brianna Segura, released a statement of her own.

“I have kept my silence for years in order to protect my family and marriage. I have been focusing on my healing but I no longer want to sit back as the dishonesty continues. The lack of full ownership and true apology has been extremely hard to stomach,” Segura wrote. “I was in a marriage where I fought for it with every ounce of me. Was I perfect? Absolutely not. What was done in my marriage I did not deserve.”

How Putin’s Invasion Became a Holy War for Russia

Jack Jenkins

March 21, 2022

Putin Ukraine — Russian President Vladimir Putin, center, and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill applaud during the unveiling ceremony of a monument to Vladimir the Great on the National Unity Day outside the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Nov. 4, 2016. President Vladimir Putin has led ceremonies launching a large statue outside the Kremlin to a 10th-century prince of Kiev who is credited with making Orthodox Christianity the official faith of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

This story is published in collaboration with Rolling Stone magazine.

(RNS) — Two days before he launched a bloody invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin sat alone in front of a camera and delivered a rambling, hour-long address. It outlined the ideological justification for what would ultimately become his “special military action” in Ukraine — an invasion that, as far as Putin was concerned, had more than a little to do with religion.

“Ukraine is an inalienable part of our own history, culture and spiritual space,” he said.

Two days later, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, spoke to military leaders and published a statement in honor of Defender of the Fatherland Day. The cleric congratulated Putin for his “high and responsible service to the people of Russia,” declared the Russian Orthodox Church has “always striven to make a significant contribution to the patriotic education of compatriots,” and lauded military service as “an active manifestation of evangelical love for neighbors.”

Within hours, bombs began to rain down on Ukraine.

This religious ramp-up to war was the culmination of a decade-long effort to wrap Russia’s geopolitical ambitions in faith — specifically, the flowing vestments of the Russian Orthodox Church. Fusing religion, nationalism, a defense of conservative values that likens same-sex marriage to Nazism and a version of history that seeks to define Ukraine and other nearby nations as mere subsets of a greater “Russkiy mir” (Russian world), the partnership of Putin and Kirill laid the ideological and theological groundwork for the current invasion.

But as explosions continue to rock Ukraine, some in the church are beginning to resist the religious appeals of Putin and Kirill, pushing back on efforts to recast naked Russian aggression as something that sounds a whole lot like a holy war.

The partnership of Putin, 69, and Kirill, 75, began around 2012, when the politician was reelected for a third term. It was then that Putin began embracing the Russian Orthodox Church — not necessarily as a point of personal conversion so much as a mechanism for political gain, something foreign policy experts often call “soft power.”

The relationship between the president and the prelate escalated rapidly. Kirill, allegedly a former KGB staffer like Putin, hailed the Russian Federation president’s leadership as a “miracle of God.” Meanwhile, Putin worked to frame Russia as a defender of conservative Christian values, which usually meant opposing abortion, feminism and LGBTQ rights. The pitch proved popular among a broad swath of conservative Christian leaders, including prominent voices within the American religious right: In February 2014, evangelist Franklin Graham offered cautious praise for Putin in an editorial for Decision Magazine, celebrating the Russian president’s decision to back a law barring dissemination of “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations” — a statute which, activists argued, effectively banned children from accessing media that presents LGBTQ identities and relationships in a positive or normalizing light. Graham would travel to Russia the following year, where he met with both Kirill and Putin, and told local media that “millions of Americans would like (Putin) to come and run for president of the United States.”

By 2017, Politico was already describing Russia as “the leader of the global Christian Right.”

The impact of this religious diplomacy was even greater in eastern European nations that once belonged to the Soviet Union, where the Russian Orthodox Church and its allies still enjoy outsized influence. When Moldova sought stronger ties with Europe, Orthodox clerics operating underneath the Moscow patriarchate campaigned against it, with one bishop telling the New York Times in 2016, “For me, Russia is the guardian of Christian values.” Things were similar in Montenegro, where the Serbian Orthodox Church has a close relationship with the Russian Patriarchate; priests there advocated against the nation’s plans to join NATO, and last year Russian Orthodox leaders lambasted Montenegro’s leaders for supporting “eurointegration.”

Kirill has long perpetuated a version of history that insists many countries that made up the former Soviet Union are one people with a common religious origin: namely, the 10th century baptism of Prince Vladimir I of Kiev, known as St. Vladimir. It’s often paired with a geo-political (and geo-religious) vision hundreds of Orthodox theologians and scholars recently decried as a heresy: a “transnational Russian sphere or civilization, called Holy Russia or Holy Rus’, which includes Russia, Ukraine and Belarus (and sometimes Moldova and Kazakhstan), as well as ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking people throughout the world.”

It’s a Russian world with Moscow as its political center, Kyiv as the spiritual heart, and Kirill as its religious leader.

Across Europe, Ukrainian Exiles Pray for Peace Back Home

Kirsten Grieshaber

March 21, 2022

BERLIN (AP) — Alona Fartukhova has been coming to Berlin’s Ukrainian Orthodox Christian community every day since she arrived in Germany five days ago from war-torn Kyiv. The 20-year-old refugee has been attending daily prayers for peace and helped organize donations for her compatriots back home.

On Sunday, Fartukhova joined dozens of other Ukrainian worshippers at a red brick stone church in the German capital who sang together, lit candles, and received blessings from the head of the community, Father Oleh Polianko. Later they put medical crutches, sleeping bags, diapers, big boxes of gummi bears and countless jars of pickles — which were piling up everywhere inside the church — into big cardboard boxes to be send to Ukraine.

“It’s some help for our army, and it is … a lot of things for children” said the university student, who fled by herself and is now living at a hotel in Berlin, as she stacked boxes onto the church pews. “It is so good that a lot of people support us, we really appreciate it.”

Across Europe, Ukrainians gathered for church services on Sunday to pray for peace in their war-torn country. Newly arrived refugees mingled with long-time members of Europe’s 1.5 million-strong Ukrainian diaspora at houses of worship all over the continent from Germany to Romania to Moldova.

Since Russia attacked Ukraine more than three weeks ago, over 3.38 million people have fled the country, according to the United Nations refugee agency. Altogether, 10 million people have fled their homes — more than 6 million of them have been displaced internally, the UNHCR said on Sunday.

Most have escaped to neighboring Poland, Romania or Moldova, but as the war continues many are moving further west.

Germany has registered more than 200,000 Ukrainian refugees but the real numbers are expected to be much higher as Ukrainians don’t need a visa to come to Germany, and federal police only register refugees entering Germany by train or bus. Ukrainians coming to Germany from Poland by car are normally not registered.

Members of Germany’s Ukrainian immigrant community, which counts around 300,000 people, have not only been raising money and collecting donations, but also driven the goods to the border and beyond and on their way back to Germany have taken along refugees. Families already living in Germany have squeezed together to accommodate refugees and are helping them find jobs and get their kids into schools.

The diaspora Ukrainians’ religious communities — mostly Christian Orthodox, but also some Catholic and Jewish communities — have been leading refugee initiatives and have also become an anchor for those worrying about their families back in the war.

Polianko, who heads the 500-member-strong Orthodox Christian community in Berlin, held some one-on-one prayers on Sunday with worshippers who were especially distressed. He then gave blessings “for the souls of our soldiers who are fighting in Ukraine, and also for the souls of our soldiers who have died in Ukraine.”

Scholars, Activists Brief Lawmakers on Role of Christian Nationalism at Insurrection

Jack Jenkins

March 21, 2022

Christian nationalism Jan. 6 — Supporters of President Donald Trump overtake the inauguration stage in front of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

WASHINGTON (RNS) — Members of the Congressional Freethought Caucus met with a group of scholars and activists on Thursday evening (March 17) to review a new report detailing the role Christian nationalism played in the insurrection that took place at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

The meeting was a rare instance of lawmakers openly addressing the prominence of religious expression during the attack, which was evident on Jan. 6 but has not been a central focus of public discussions on Capitol Hill.

California Democratic Rep. Jared Huffman, who said he first discussed the role of Christian nationalism and the insurrection with some of the panelists last summer, hosted the meeting for a slate of lawmakers that included Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, a co-founder of the Freethought Caucus who also serves on the House Select Committee investigating the attack.

Raskin opened the virtual briefing by noting that while a variety of ideologies were represented among insurrectionists, Christian nationalism “clearly figured highly in the events of the day,” and was “a unifying theme for many of the factions that assembled on January 6.”

Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin on Thursday, March 17, 2022. Video screen grab

His words were echoed by an array of panelists who presented findings from a recent report they helped author with backing from the Freedom from Religion Foundation and the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. Among other things, the 66-page study documents in painstaking detail the prevalence of Christian nationalist symbols and rhetoric at the insurrection and a series of events that led up to the storming of the Capitol.

Amanda Tyler, head of the BJC, told lawmakers the report faced “defensive pushback” from some conservative Christians after it was unveiled last month but has been embraced by Christians who see opposing Christian nationalism as a religious call.

“Let’s be clear: Christianity does not and cannot unite Americans under a national identity,” Tyler said, adding that Christian nationalism “debases Christianity.”

Samuel Perry, a University of Oklahoma sociologist and co-author of “Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States,” told lawmakers he and others who study the ideology often use the more specific term “white Christian nationalism,” because data indicates Christian nationalist sentiments appear to “perform differently when white Americans affirm them as opposed to non-white Americans.”

He was followed by Jemar Tisby, a historian and head of Black Christian collective The Witness, who contrasted white Christian nationalism with fusions of faith and activism among Black Christians.

“In contrast to white Christian nationalism, Black Christians have historically tended to embrace a kind of patriotism that leads to an expansion of democratic processes, the inclusion of marginalized people and a call for the nation to live up to its foundational ideas,” he said.

Andrew L. Seidel of the Freedom from Religion Foundation, a chief author of the report, closed out the briefing presentations by outlining the way Christian nationalism operated as a “permission structure” for activists, arguing it gave them “the moral and mental license they needed” to participate in events such as the Million MAGA March and the Jericho Marches in the months prior to the insurrection, as well as to attack the Capitol.

“(There were) other motivations and drivers of this attack, but this Christian nationalist permission structure — doing God’s will, fighting for God’s law, returning the country to its Christian roots — pervaded a lot of those other obvious drivers of this attack.”

People shelter in the House gallery as protesters try to break into the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Lawmakers appeared largely convinced by the report, peppering the panelists with questions over the course of the hour-long briefing.

There’s No Such Thing as ‘Good Enough’

J.D. Greear

March 21, 2022

My family loves the movie The Greatest Showman. It’s the (highly embellished) account of P.T. Barnum’s rise to success. There’s a moving scene where his prospective father-in-law tells Barnum he’ll never be good enough for the man’s daughter. He says, “She’ll see that and one day come back; she’ll grow tired of the poor life you are able to give her.” That played to a deep insecurity Barnum had, one that we all have. No matter how successful he was, he was never satisfied. Barnum’s wife begged him to realize he was good enough, but he just couldn’t shake it.

Most of us live our whole lives plagued with the question, “Am I enough?” So we try to prove to others—and ourselves—that we are. Am I strong enough? Hard-working enough? Smart enough? Pretty enough? Skinny enough? Good enough?

The point of just about every advertisement we see on TV is that we’re not enough: You’re not a good enough mom unless you use this brand. You’re not a good enough husband unless you buy this jewelry for your wife. You’re not a good enough person unless you take this cruise. You’re not good enough unless … (whatever they convince you that you need so that you can buy their product and line their pockets with your money so they’ll have enough). We hear it: all day, every day.

And even if you are enough right now, you live with the fear that one day you won’t be. Michael Jordan was the greatest basketball player of his generation—and, for those with eyes to see, of every generation. But one day he’ll be forgotten. Michael Phelps is the greatest Olympian alive, but that distinction won’t last forever.

This is the trouble with trying to become “enough.” Either you can’t make yourself great (so you feel like a failure), or you do make yourself great (and you are terrified of losing it).

We need an identity that isn’t founded on questions of “enough.” We need an identity that isn’t a matter of what we’ve done—because that’s never going to feel like enough.

Identity, simply defined, is your self-definition of who you are, your value, and the role you are here to play. I’ve always found Pastor Clayton King’s definition of identity helpful: Identity is what the most important person in your life thinks about you.

Who is that for you?

The American College Health Association has noted the rising anxiety in this generation of students entering college, and they say it’s because the primary message children receive is that they had better be the best at everything or they won’t make it. It’s made exponentially worse by social media, because everyone is creating a fake “best” version of themselves to compete with everyone else’s fake version. They’re afraid to reveal their inadequacies and insecurities.

The Apostle Peter tells us we can stop this frantic race to the top: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his possession” (1 Peter 2:9). Because Jesus is our foundation, we have a new identity. God chose us to be in his family.

What’s more, we are “a royal priesthood.” In the chosen nation of Israel, there was a specially chosen line of royalty, the line of Judah, and a separate, specially chosen line of priesthood, the line of Levi. In Jesus, we are both of these. We are the chosen of the chosen of the chosen.

And, we are a people for God’s possession. The King of Kings has set his affection on us.

What more do you need to be “enough”? You are not enough because you are more remarkable than someone else or because you made it to the top. You are enough because the most important person in your life—Jesus Christ—loves you, stands behind you, and has put you into service.

You will never win enough to feel like you are enough. Thank God, you don’t need to.

Jesus won for you. He values you and promises he has a plan to use you for good. That is enough.

This article originally appeared here.

Does Your Team Have a Trust Deficit? These 10 Questions Will Tell You

Charles Stone

March 21, 2022

Trust: the belief that someone is reliable, good, honest or effective (Merriam-Webster). Healthy ministry teams make trust building a priority. Patrick Lencioni, one of today’s best writers on leadership, believes that absence of trust is the biggest problem among dysfunctional teams (see his book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team). Stephen M. R. Covey wrote an entire book that shows how teams can build trust called The Speed of Trust. So, how do you know if your team has a deficit? This post answers that question.

Honestly answer these questions to gauge if you have a trust deficit in your team.

Does a spirit of suspicion lurk in team members’ minds?
Do team members overly rely on email in lieu of talking?
Do team members often wear facades?
Is there too much “happy talk” which masks true problems?
Are team members reluctant to share their honest feelings and opinions?
Do team members resist meeting together?
Has the team lost enthusiasm?
Has grumbling and complaining become the norm?
Is the leader inconsistent?
Do some team members intentionally withhold information from others?

How did you do? If you answered yes to more than one or two questions, your team may be facing a trust deficit.

So how do you rebuild trust?

In the posts below I suggest a few ideas on building trust. Here’s what I suggest as a first step, though. Get the book The Speed of Trust for you and your team and read it. It’s a great read. Here’s a summary of the book to get you started.

What other behaviors have you seen that may indicate lack of trust in a team?

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

8 Bible Characters Who Should Be More Famous

Tamara Chamberlain

March 21, 2022

My children don’t have difficult names, but I guess they are slightly unusual. For me and my husband, we were excited to name our boys after influential people in the Bible. Yes, we are that family.

When people I know who have no biblical background do their best to hide their real opinion of my boys’ names and simply say, “Oh, that’s an interesting name,” I don’t even think twice about it.

But when Christians ask how we came up with the names Silas and Titus, I’m a bit shocked. Not that I expect every Christian to remember every name of every person in the Bible. But I thought Silas and Titus were a bit more familiar. I’m surprised at the reality that my son’s names are incredibly foreign to just about everyone we meet, Christians included.

Not that this bothers me enough to change the names of my children, but it made me understand that there are far more influential people in Scripture that will never make the top 20 biblical names list.

Of course, we know Paul and the many ways he influenced and paved the way for the early church. But we don’t equally know Silas, who was with Paul for just about all of his ministry. There are many other noteworthy people who were worth being mentioned in the Bible that we just forget about.

Here are eight Bible characters I think we should pay a little bit more attention to and learn from.

Josiah: 8 Going on 80

We really don’t expect much out of kids. But God does.

The first noteworthy person on the list of people you may not know about in the Bible is King Josiah.

Quick refresher on the timeline of the kings: so there was King Solomon (David’s son), the guy who started off really strong but then fell into idol worship after being influenced by his literally hundreds of wives. After Solomon died, the kingdom split into two opposing nations: the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah). Sixteen kings later, our boy Josiah makes it onto the scene.

Josiah became king of Judah after his father, Amon was killed.

Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years…He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left. (2 Kings 22:1-2)

For as young as Josiah was, he ruled better than 70 percent of the rest of the kings throughout the history of Israel and Judah. Somehow, some of the Books of the Law written during the time of Moses were misplaced. Josiah found them, read them, and began a reformation in his kingdom. The bible actually says that Josiah grieved and was angered by the way his ancestors had disobeyed the laws of God. At this time, he was about 27 years old and leading the people of Judah back towards who they were always meant to be—the people of God.

As young as Josiah was during the time of his kingship, he led with a sense of boldness and humility. I don’t see many Christian leaders twice the age of King Josiah leading themselves or those following them with the same sense of passion and conviction for righteousness. King Josiah was not flawless, but he goes down as one of the very few good kings to lead the nation of Judah.

The Daughters of Zelophehad: Five for Justice

It’s no secret that the infrastructure within many societies has not been good at supporting or empowering women. Whenever change is made, it is because of the hard work and courage of women to make things right.

That’s exactly what happened for the daughters of Zelophehad. Mahlah, Noa, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah were brave women, especially for their time. In biblical culture, women were seen as second class citizens without any rights or power. There were no laws or social structures to protect them from abuse or abandonment. There was certainly no opportunity for them to pave their own way to even survive, let alone succeed, apart from a husband or father.

Ed Stetzer: Churchleaders Must Face The Future of Music in the Church

Ed Stetzer

March 21, 2022

It may be a generalization to say the church today has three generational expressions, but I think church leaders can work with it, especially with respect to music in the church. You can walk into most churches and recognize quickly what generation it falls into. Most of today’s churches fall into one of these categories related to worship style.

Three Types of Churches

First, there is a traditional format.

Believers who worship in a traditional church will dress up and carry themselves in a more conservative fashion. In general, they will be more concerned about reverence in the church compared to others. The music for these churchleaders will be traditional hymns. Anything more recent than Jack Hayford’s “Majesty” might be suspect.

A traditional format will be very similar to a church service conducted in the 1960s or 1970s. This reflects my parents’ generation. (Remember, these are generalizations, but still predictable.) Interestingly, it is also what my daughter prefers!

Second is the contemporary church.

It tends to be comprised of the Boomer generation and younger churchleaders. Christians who are part of a contemporary church will usually be more relaxed in their approach. They dress more casually when they go to church. Men wear jeans more than khakis. More women will wear pants than dresses. Their order of service is casual, but probably more intentional than in many traditional churches. As for the music in the church they will often have a blended musical style, or lean toward contemporary. Ease of singing and passionately expressive lyrics are expected in the songs.

Third, some more emerging eclectic approaches.

This approach is a bit harder to describe. Some of these churches are intentional about not being predictable or appearing to come from a traditional mold. Their band may have an electric guitar, but it might have a cello and clavichord, too. While they don’t dress up per se, there is almost an unstated expectation that you will dress to reflect the culture they are trying to reach. (There will be suspenders!) The music in the church may include a mix of modern worship songs. Many older hymns will have been updated. Theological depth is expected in the songs.

Now, I get that there are a thousand variants of music in the church. My concern is more with the implications than the descriptions, but it is worth noting that we are the only generation in recorded history that can list its worship style by generation.

Hence, the point …

Called, Anointed and Appointed

John White

March 21, 2022

As I complete a season of my life and feel a sense of transition, I am asking myself some very important questions about my vocation as a worship leader, administrator and pastor/teacher: “What is my calling?” “What is the anointing for this calling?”, and “Where is God’s appointment to fulfill this calling?.” As I wrestle with these questions about being anointed and appointed, I could not help but think of their universality in every ministry situation and the necessity to review them from time to time.

Called, Anointed and Appointed

Calling is different than opportunity. Sometimes Christians have a circumstantial faith and make decisions on “open door” opportunities or leveraging different relationships. But we are called to live by faith and not be sight (or circumstances) (2 Cor. 5:7), to strive for our high calling in Christ (Heb 3:1), and to complete the work that God has prepared for us before the foundations of the world (Eph 2:10). We are to be people of destiny, who don’t live according to who we used to be, but according to who we are to become (Eph 4:1).

Anointed is not being skilled at a task, although skill is a byproduct of anointing. I’ve heard people rave about certain minister’s “anointing” because they are so “inspirational”. May I suggest that inspiration is not anointing. There are a lot of “inspirational’ speakers in the world that are not inspired or anointed by God and creator of the universe; to Him be all praise and honor and glory – Amen. Being anointed involves God’s ordaining power to fulfill your calling – your divine purpose. This might mean that an anointed person may not be “inspirational”.

I worked with a very creative drummer whose tempo was rock solid. He said he did not feel inspirational as a member of the worship band, but when I ask if he recognized the anointing on his playing, he say he definitely did. This drummer knew the difference between anointing and emotional response. Micaiah, the Old Testament prophet, was the same way. Even though Jehoshaphat did not like what Micaiah said (1 Kings 22:18) there was no denying that God anointed Micaiah in his calling even though Micaiah’s message certainly would not be considered inspirational. We need to learn that anointing is God’s sovereign confirmation within a Christian leader that is independent of what people say about your ministry; in fact, it the very confidence that carries the Christian leader in times public critique.

Appointment is where your calling and anointing is expressed. There are many in the body of Christ who realize their calling and anointing but are missing their appointment. These are the people that come into your church with a clear call on their lives but want to change everything about it; they try to ministry but are never satisfied with results. Early in my worship leading ministry (about 1982), I was asked by a conservative church to help them transition from Hymns only to a blended worship service. I come from a Charismatic tradition. No matter how many compliments I got, I never felt like I was very successful. There are several reasons for this. First I did not understand their expression culture was different, so I did not recognize their deeply spiritual expressions. Secondly, I had a preconceived idea of what “real worship” looked like. It focused on peoples’ activity and not their heart. But most important was this was not my appointment. Although I was capable of the job, there was no conviction that this is the place for me and although I was anointed and appointed I felt very loved by the people there.

Have you ever felt that way, like being anointed and appointed was still not accomplishing your intended ministry? Have you felt unsure about being anointed and appointed, especially if when the tide of popular opinion changes? Or perhaps you are in a position where you feel like a hireling… simply carrying out the tasks you are asked to do. Can I encourage you to ask these questions: What is my calling and is this currently my primary focus? Has God anointed me at this time to serve Him in my calling? What group of people has God prepared to benefit the most from my expressed calling and anointing? It takes a brave leader to ask these questions. “But be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, [our] God, is with you”

May your calling be sure, and may you anointed and appointed!

Developing Worship Night Ideas for Your Church

David Santistevan

March 21, 2022

A time to step aside from the everyday rush and connect with God. An unhurried, uninterrupted night of worship. Believe it or not, it can be rare for a church to have times of extended worship. It makes sense, particularly for a larger, growing church. Multiple services and full programming make it difficult to linger for too long. But that doesn’t mean we don’t need it. Our hurried hearts are starving for peace. Our scattered minds are longing for rest. Our weary souls are desperate for Jesus. That’s why it’s essential that you work worship night ideas for your church. But knowing how to plan them can be daunting, to say the least.

An hour of music? For some people in your congregation, that’s enough to make them shudder. For others, it’s a breath of fresh air. How do you plan an evening of worship that is engaging? We’ve all been to worship services and prayer meetings we wish we could beam out of.

8 Tips for Developing Worship Night Ideas

I recently planned a night of worship for our church’s live recording. Here are some worship night ideas I learned that you can apply to your next worship night:

1. Hold a Creative Brainstorming Meeting (three months ahead)

Your church’s worship night should look different than mine. You have a unique team of people with unique giftings and ideas. Gather those people together a few months before your worship night.

Brainstorm what could be possible. Write down any and all ideas. Pray together. Dream together. Plan a life-changing night for your people.

2. Develop & Execute a Promo Plan (two months ahead)

Begin to promote your worship night two months before the event. Make sure you have a detailed plan.

Create videos for social media. Set up a Facebook group. Email a “save the date” announcement. Have a specific plan for each week leading up to the event. Get intentional.

3. Pick a Balanced Setlist

When choosing songs, don’t just pick your favorites. Balance familiar and new, hymns and choruses, simple chants and theological declarations.

Meet your congregation where they are and ensure they will be engaged with your songs. The last thing you want is a room full of people watching you perform worship. Make it easy for people to enter in.

4. Plan Engaging Prayer

Prayer should be huge priority in your worship night. There’s nothing like the unified prayer of a local church. The problem most of the time? We don’t plan our prayer moments.

8 Warning Signs Your Church is Drifting from God’s Mission

Sam Rainer

March 19, 2022

God’s mission is clear: He seeks and saves the lost. A church excited about the gospel is a church with a laser focus on making disciples. Churches with purpose pour collective energy into one direction.

Churches without purpose tend to drift. Like the flotsam and jetsam in the sea, a church adrift does little more than float along as aimless debris. I have yet to see a church drift towards God’s mission. The current of apathy always pulls away. It’s obvious to point out drifting churches as lacking purpose. But what causes this drifting from God’s mission? What are some early warning signs of an unraveling in a congregation? Let’s look at eight practical indicators.

The chatter is all about people and not Jesus. Not all chatter is gossip. People talk—it’s part of being human. Conversations in the church can be about any number of things. Not all of them are bad. However, when people start talking about themselves without any mention of Christ, your church is not only drifting, the congregation is dangerously inward.
You no longer celebrate God’s mission in a worship service. When people go, the church should celebrate. When God sends, the church should erupt in praise. A lack of a celebratory spirit over God’s mission is one indication a church is drifting.
The percentage given to missions out of the budget is shrinking. One clear way to determine a church’s priorities is the budget. If your church is giving less and less to missions each year, then it is likely drifting.
Church leaders do not speak about the lostness of the nations. Do your church leaders call attention to the billions that don’t know Christ? Is your church broken over people who have never heard the gospel? Worse yet, sometimes church leaders rant and rail against other nations as if they don’t deserve the gospel. Mission drift often occurs when people believe cross-cultural sending doesn’t apply to their congregation.
New believers are perceived as disturbing the peace of the body. If a small group or Bible class would rather not deal with the messiness of assimilating a new believer, then it’s drifting from God’s mission. The messiness of new believers should be seen as God’s beautiful work, not as a disturbance to the status quo.
There is more of a focus on the older generation than the younger generation. All generations are important. In fact, a church full of just one generation—young or old—is disobedient. Every church is called outward to reach others unlike those already there. However, the reality is most people are saved at a younger age, not older. The church should resource the ministries with the greatest fruit. Additionally, children don’t often get to voice their preferences or concerns. Therefore, sometimes in churches, the older generation’s concerns trumps that of the younger generation. A church drifts when the older generation is willing to sacrifice the souls of the younger generation in order to cling to their preferences.
Few care about the persecuted church. Your church should be acutely aware of what is currently happening to Christians all over the globe. And your people should be praying. Often.
It takes more to win less. It is possible for a church to grow numerically and do less kingdom work. People can gather for worship while personal evangelism is drying up in their lives. Praying for lost friends does not happen haphazardly. Sharing your faith is not accidental. When a church grows numerically while having fewer conversions, it’s potentially drifting without purpose.

No church is perfect. No person bats 1.000 spiritually. Everyone will drift at some point. Every church will struggle for a season with finding a purpose. The problem comes when people seek the status quo rather than seeking the lost. The problem is exacerbated when whole churches become comfortable drifting from God’s mission.

This article originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

1. Small churches are the most NORMATIVE way Christians gather

2. Small churches are the most FREQUENT way Christians gather

3. Small churches are the most SUSTAINABLE way Christians gather

4. Small churches are the most LEADABLE way Christians gather

5. Small churches are the most COST-EFFECTIVE way Christians gather

6. Small churches are the most MOVABLE way Christians gather

7. Small churches are the most DURABLE way Christians gather

What Small Churches Are Not

Free Gas and More: US Churches Meet Needs

Stovall and Kerri Weems: ‘We Have Nothing to Hide’

Josiah: 8 Going on 80

The Daughters of Zelophehad: Five for Justice

Three Types of Churches

First, there is a traditional format.

Second is the contemporary church.

Third, some more emerging eclectic approaches.

Called, Anointed and Appointed

8 Tips for Developing Worship Night Ideas

1. Hold a Creative Brainstorming Meeting (three months ahead)

2. Develop & Execute a Promo Plan (two months ahead)

3. Pick a Balanced Setlist

4. Plan Engaging Prayer

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