Greg Locke’s Mass Burning of ‘Demonic Influences’ Ignited Last Night; Homeland Security Attends

February 3, 2022

This week, Tennessee’s Global Vision Bible Church‘s pastor, Greg Locke, concluded part three of his Wednesday night sermon series titled “Desperate for Deliverance” with a massive burning event.

Locke announced days earlier that the church would be holding a “burning service” for congregants to bring demonic-related material they had in their possession to burn. The pastor specifically called out anything tied to the Masonic Lodge; “Harry Potter” and “Twilight” materials, including books and movies; Ouija boards; and tarot cards, among other things.

During another one of his sermons in his “Desperate for Deliverance” series, Locke claimed that children with autism were demonized because autism can’t be found in the Bible.

“Stop allowing demonic influences into your home,” Locke said in Sunday’s message, posting a stock image of a burning fire to Facebook to advertise the church’s Wednesday night service. The post was later taken down after the social media giant claimed the image was reported for copyright infringement.

“THIS IS CRAZY!! Don’t tell me people aren’t rattled,” Locke said. “They deleted my post over NONSENSE.”

Prior to Wednesday’s service, Locke posted, “DO NOT MISS CHURCH TONIGHT!! No matter the weather, which will subside, we are having service and WE WILL BE BURNING all of the things we’ve mentioned. Mark it down, many of you are going to be attacked and feel sickly today. The enemy is not happy. PRESS ON!! We cannot and will not be deterred. People from other churches are dropping things off here for us to burn because their church refuses to deal with it. Get here early. Let’s roll.”

Opening his sermon, Locke shared that the power transformers that provide the church electricity blew early Wednesday morning. That wasn’t a coincidence, the pastor said, “That’s stirring up the devil is what that is. And you better know something: he’s ticked off. I got every witch and every Mason in this town hating this church.”

Locke then accused Southern Baptist Churches in the area of accepting people in their congregation who affiliate or identify with the Freemasons. He also indicated that there won’t be an apology from him to anyone he’s called out for demonic activity, saying, “You can go to one of these Southern Baptist Churches in town that’s full of them and their pastor’s one too.”

Global Vision Church’s pastor doubled down and called out witches who were under their tent meeting that night. Every Wednesday night service, the church partakes in communion, but Locke said the Lord told him not to do it this evening.

“We had all the elements set up [but] not tonight,” the pastor said. “I’ll tell you why. There’s a mixed multitude in this tent—I ain’t breaking bread with witches…In Jesus name, I’ll call the spirit forth that’s inside you and we’ll expose you for who you are, right up here in these cedar chips [the ground floor of the outdoor tent]…I ain’t breaking bread with demons. I ain’t breaking bread with Freemasons. I ain’t breaking bread with occultism.”

“We’re not going to prostitute communion by letting some witch curse us up in this house tonight,” Locke yelled.

After Pastor’s Alleged Affair, Venue Megachurch Struggles to Survive

Stephanie Martin

February 3, 2022

Previously named one of America’s fastest-growing churches, Venue Church in Chattanooga, Tenn., is now embroiled in scandal and scrutiny. The nondenominational ministry’s North Georgia campus was shuttered on January 31, and now the church’s website appears to have been taken down.

Lead Pastor Tavner Smith, who founded Venue in 2013, has been on sabbatical following rumors of an alleged affair with a married church employee. Smith and other church leaders have repeatedly denied the rumors. But viral video and questionable incidents have led to the departure of numerous staff members, volunteers, and congregants—some of whom cite the pastor’s seeming “lack of remorse.”

Now Venue is trying to pick up the pieces and debunk charges including financial misconduct.

Tavner Smith, Venue Church Had Quick Rise, Scandalous Fall

Two years after Venue’s launch, it ranked number seven on Outreach Magazine’s 2015 list of fastest-growing U.S. churches. With almost 2,000 members, Venue offered six weekly worship services at two locations. Many people describe how the church helped them turn around their lives.

Then in 2020, about the same time the church went online during the pandemic, some staff members began expressing concerns about Tavner Smith’s leadership. Specifically, they questioned a possible inappropriate relationship. In January 2021, the pastor announced that he and his wife were splitting, and divorce proceedings began that May.

Last November, Smith made headlines internationally. When some Venue volunteers made a surprise visit to his house, they discovered him and the Venue employee (who’d become his personal assistant) wearing very little. According to one person who was present, Smith said they’d been cooking chili and spilled food on their clothes.

The next month, video went viral of Smith kissing that employee at a restaurant. Smith, 41, refused calls to step down, so eight staff members resigned mid-December. In early January, the pastor wrote on Instagram that he’s taking a sabbatical to “fill up, spend time with God, and get some counseling.”

Smith indicated he’d return in February, providing no specific date. Since announcing his sabbatical, Smith has appeared at worship via recordings, introducing various guest preachers. According to media reports, only a few dozen people now attend Venue weekly.

Former Staff, Church Members Question Tavner Smith’s Teachings and Lifestyle

People who’ve raised concerns about Tavner Smith and Venue Church point to the pastor’s prosperity-gospel messages, lavish lifestyle, and lack of accountability. Former staff member Colt Helton recounts Smith having “a new car every few weeks” and going on shopping sprees that “would blow your mind.” Former volunteer Noah Kimmel describes donating $200 one Christmas to help purchase Gucci slippers for Smith.

According to records from Smith’s divorce, finalized late last year, he earns almost $200,000 annually. Yet volunteers claim they are told to use their own equipment and materials. Former church members say they were called out if they weren’t donating enough money to the church. They also say they were pushed to volunteer, sometimes even being forced to quit their regular jobs to devote more hours to Venue.

How the Rise and Fall of Mars Hill Could Change Church Planting

Daniel Yang

February 3, 2022

thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Editor’s Note: Daniel Yang and Ed Stetzer recently interviewed The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill creator and host Mike Cosper on the Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast. Listen to that episode here.

By now, likely thousands of people in church leadership have listened to Christianity Today’s The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast created and hosted by Mike Cosper. The series especially perked the ears of those involved in church planting in North America because of Mars Hills’ unique influence on the wave of new churches that started in the late 1990s and until around 2014.

As the podcast got underway, people weighed in on whether or not it was adequately addressing the problems raised in its first episode—particularly around abusive leadership, spiritual trauma, and the systems that perpetuate them. For some, it’s been seen as an unnecessary airing of the bad parts of American evangelicalism. For others, the podcast has been a catalyst to explore and understand their own leadership style and how it’s experienced by those they lead.

While there’s caution—even suspicion—about the idea of a podcast showcasing mostly Mark Driscoll, many are genuinely wanting to learn from it in order to do better, especially in gratitude to those who shared their Mars Hill story so that the ones most affected would have a voice.

Now that the series is finished (with some bonus material still to be released), it’s a good time for us in church planting to begin processing some of its themes, especially ones applicable to the work we do and the church plants under our care. For the sake of brevity, I’ll refrain from referencing episodes and timestamps because you’ll easily find these themes recurrent throughout the entire series. And while there are many other themes pertinent to theology, gender, race, and authority, all of which are important and even foundational to church planting, I’m focusing this article on how our awareness of the demise of Mars Hill could change our ideas in church planting systems in North America.

1. Narrative: The Mission Isn’t a War Against Culture and Other Churches

One crucial thing about a church planter is how they understand their calling to start a church, accompanied by the internal narratives they tell themselves in order to fulfill that mission. Mike Cosper spends time unpacking how Driscoll understood his call to plant Mars Hill and even how those stories evolved over time. Some of the narratives that drove the planting of Mars Hill in Seattle reflect the kinds of things fought over in the culture wars between evangelicals and secular culture. They also reflect the internal tensions that certain groups have towards others within American Christianity.

In the 1990s and 2000s, it was popular for church planters to talk about cities like Seattle as secular, liberal, postmodern, anti-Christian, and perhaps even dark. The posture of Mars Hill, especially in its early years, was hopeful, not to be consumers of culture but to be culture makers. The church is seen as a kingdom colony inside a dark city.

However, in this sort of motif, the tendency is to see a church planter primarily as a good soldier rallying an army to advance the kingdom of light against the kingdom of darkness. And depending on one’s theology and cultural background, the kingdom of light can be understood by a church planter to have a very strict vision for family, model of church, and posture towards non-Christians and other kinds of Christians. The narrative begins with an “us vs. them” framework so that the job of church planting is then to penetrate the darkness by winning some of “them” over to “us.”

“America used to be a Christian nation.”

“Church attendance is in decline.”

“The city is a dark place.”

“Churches here don’t preach the gospel.”

“[name any group you disagree with] are taking over.”

These statements, sometimes touted by church planters and whoever they heard them from, may or may not be accurate assessments of their context. Certainly, there’s some biblical language that could be appropriated to articulate these statements in ways that sound theological and missional. But they are such powerful ideas that when left alone, without further nuance and delineation, they can form strong opinions in the minds of a church planter. That opinion can become so real to the point where they aren’t engaging the actual spiritual dynamics of their city and context. The “war” is more in their heads than in their community. And when that is the case, they often end up creating enemies more than they do friends.

Georgia Church Building Destroyed After Fire Breaks out During Worship Service

Dale Chamberlain

February 3, 2022

Tragedy struck Douglas Christian Fellowship Church of God in Douglas, Georgia on Wednesday night when a fire broke out during a worship service, leading to the destruction of the building.

In the livestream of the service, a worship leader can be seen pointing to something off camera in the middle of a song. The other worship leader then stopped singing and the congregation can be seen quickly evacuating the building. The fire apparently broke out about 15 minutes into the service.

In a later video captured by CBS46, the building can be seen engulfed by flames.

Robert Preston Jr. of DouglasNow reported from outside Douglas Christian Fellowship, saying that a propane tank in the back of the church exploded, causing the fire. The cause of that explosion is as yet unknown.

Thankfully, all the congregants were safely evacuated from the building, and no injuries have been reported.

The damage of the fire was extensive, causing the roof over one part of the building to collapse and another part of the building to be leveled entirely.

“This is pretty impressive, and I don’t mean impressive in a good way,” said Preston from live on the scene. “This fire happened in a hurry, it spread in a hurry, and it did a lot of damage in a hurry.”

As Preston filmed the embers of a collapsed part of the building, he said, “And it’s just incredible—and I say ‘incredible,’ now, in a good way—that nobody was hurt. We’re so thankful.”

Members of the community expressed their condolences and support for the church on Facebook following the fire. “We are praying for you all! God will restore [it] 100 fold,” one said. Another commented, “Praise God everyone got out safely. Praying for your church family!”

Sen. Chris Coons: This Year’s National Prayer Breakfast Is a ‘Reset’

Jack Jenkins

February 3, 2022

WASHINGTON (RNS) — Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, an organizer of the National Prayer Breakfast scheduled to take place on Thursday (Feb. 3), believes this year’s iteration will be a “positive reset” for the controversial event and feature speeches from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Speaking to Religion News Service by phone on Wednesday, Coons said the gathering — which typically draws a sprawling crowd of guests from all over the world — will be limited this time to members of Congress, speakers and spouses. In addition to readings from Senate majority and minority leaders, it will feature a keynote address from Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative and author of the book “Just Mercy.”

“I think this year is a positive reset that allows us to focus on the original mission of the prayer breakfast, which was a much narrower engagement between Congress, the President, and some inspirational singers and speakers,” said Coons, a Democrat.

Coons said the reduction in size is partly due to restrictions related to COVID-19. But it’s also an effort by organizers to “refocus the event on being principally about the president, Congress, a few prayers and readings and an inspiring keynote,” he said.

The shift comes after years of controversy surrounding the National Prayer Breakfast, an annual event that dates back to President Dwight D. Eisenhower. In 2018, the Department of Justice revealed it was charging Maria Butina, a Russian national, with “conspiracy to act as an agent of the Russian Federation” — a charge rooted partly in allegations that she attempted to exploit the National Prayer Breakfast. Two years later, then-President Donald Trump sparked criticism when he used his National Prayer Breakfast speech to vent about his recent impeachment, flashing a newspaper with the headline of his acquittal and suggesting House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was lying when she said she prays for him.

Coons, a Presbyterian, took over as Democratic co-chair for the event from Tim Kaine when the Virginia senator campaigned as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s running mate in 2016. Kaine reportedly hasn’t been back to the event since that year, telling the liberal-leaning outlet The Young Turks in December that he has “no intention” of returning in 2022.

Coons, a regular at a weekly bipartisan prayer breakfast in Congress, said he is “well aware of some of the controversy surrounding past breakfasts.” But he has remained involved with the event in hopes it can “contribute to our national dialogue in a more purposeful and focused way.” He has served for years as part of the event’s bipartisan leadership team; Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Mike Rounds of South Dakota are this year’s co-chairs, with Coons operating as an “honorary host committee member.”

Coons also personally confronted Trump at the 2017 National Prayer Breakfast, explaining to the then-president why his faith compelled him to oppose a highly controversial travel ban that disproportionately impacted Muslims.

The 2021 prayer breakfast, which was convened virtually due to the pandemic, appeared to strike a different tone than in past years: It included an address from Biden and a video featuring former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter calling for unity and forgiveness. Trump did not appear in the video.

U.S., NBC Must Combat CCP’s Lies, ERLC Panelists Say

Tom Strode

February 3, 2022

NASHVILLE (BP) – The United States and NBC must counter the falsehoods of the Chinese Communist Party during the 2022 Winter Olympics that open this week in Beijing, participants in a Southern Baptist-sponsored webinar were told Tuesday (Feb. 1).

Panelists convened by the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) addressed on the eve of the Olympics the human rights violations by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) against the Uyghur people and how Christians and others should respond. Some Olympic events began today (Feb. 2), but the opening ceremonies are scheduled Feb. 4.

In recent years, the CCP’s campaign against the Uyghurs, a primarily Muslim group in western China, has included not only forced labor but widespread detention in “re-education” camps and a coercive, population control program of abortion and sterilization. Both the Trump and Biden administrations have designated China’s assault on the Uyghurs as genocide, and the Southern Baptist Convention became the first Christian faith group to denounce it as genocide by vote of the messengers to its annual meeting in June 2021.

Asian expert Michael Sobolik told the online audience China will use ethnic minorities performing in the opening ceremonies “to push a lie – that China is unified, that everyone loves political life under the Chinese Communist Party, and there’s nothing to see here.”

It is important for NBC, which is televising the Olympics, and the U.S. government to tell the truth, said Sobolik, a fellow in Indo-Pacific studies at the American Foreign Policy Council.

The American government needs to be “pushing the truth,” he said. “You need to be the one telling the truth and bearing witness to what is happening. And the jury is out on whether or not that’s going to happen.”

The ERLC called recently for NBC to report on the CCP’s human rights abuses of the Uyghurs during its Olympics coverage. In a Jan. 20 letter, Brent Leatherwood, the ERLC’s acting president, urged the network “to highlight the ongoing human rights abuses and genocide of the Uyghur people happening in China and firmly refuse to broadcast Chinese propaganda.”

Leatherwood, who moderated the webinar, has not received a reply from NBCUniversal Chief Executive Officer Jeff Shell, according to the ERLC.

Rushan Abbas, executive director of the Campaign for Uyghurs, told webinar viewers to think during the Olympics about the Uyghurs “being held in dark dungeons and concentration camps and also how the government is using this Olympic games to legitimize the genocide and modern day slavery.”

Both Abbas and Nury Turkel, vice chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, encouraged viewers not to watch the telecast of the Olympics.

The reason that choices by media consumers matter “deeply is because viewership translates into money and advertising revenue for these companies,” Sobolik said. “If people do not tune in to watch, that affects the bottom line of the Olympics.”

Judge Again Blocks Ohio Law Regulating Aborted Fetal Remains

Julie Carr Smyth

February 3, 2022

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A judge again blocked an Ohio law Wednesday that would require fetal remains from surgical abortions to be cremated or buried.

It was the second time in a year that Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Alison Hatheway prevented the law from taking effect, in a case brought by a group of clinics and the ACLU of Ohio.

Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed the law in December 2020. It was intended to replace an earlier Ohio law requiring aborted fetuses to be disposed of “in a humane manner,” but without defining “humane.”

Under current law the new rules seek to replace, fetal remains from what are known as surgical, or procedural, abortions fall under existing rules for handling infectious waste, meaning they could be disposed of with material from other medical procedures.

Abortion opponents lobbied for the new language, which they say assures human dignity. Abortion rights groups have called it another effort by the state’s Republican-led Legislature to obstruct a legally available procedure.

In seeking to keep the law blocked, abortion providers and their lawyers argued the law imposes a funeral ritual on every patient, regardless of religious or spiritual belief, removing their autonomy.

Hatheway delivered them a victory, determining the law violates the clinics’ and patients’ rights to due process and equal protection.

The injunction she granted will stand until a lawsuit against the Ohio Department of Health and others determines the permanent fate of the law. The litigation challenges the law as an unconstitutional hurdle to women’s legal right to an abortion, as well as “frivolous and medically unnecessary.”

Clinics that sued include Planned Parenthood, Preterm-Cleveland, Women’s Med Group and Northeast Ohio Women’s Center.

“Compliance with this law would have a devastating impact on the ability of Ohioans to access time-sensitive health care, and intentionally denies them autonomy over their own lives, especially harming people with low-incomes, our Black, Latino and Indigenous communities, and people in rural communities,” they said in a joint statement.

The fetal remains law is one of several Ohio abortion restrictions that are on hold. Others include a ban on most abortions after a “detectable fetal heartbeat,” as early as six weeks into pregnancy; part of a ban on D&E, or dilation & evacuation, abortions, the most common method used in the second trimester; a ban on the use of telemedicine in medication abortions; and certain restrictions on clinic operations that were tucked into Ohio’s two-year operating budgets back in 2013 and 2015.

This article originally appeared here.

Former Orthodox Presbyterian Missionary Guilty of Sexually Assaulting Ugandan Girl

AP News

February 3, 2022

MACON, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia man on Wednesday pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a girl under the care of his church while doing missionary work in Uganda.

Court records show 44-year-old Eric Tuininga of Milledgeville pleaded guilty in federal court in Macon to illicit sexual conduct.

Prosecutors said in a news release that an American citizen had contacted the U.S. embassy in Kampala, Uganda in June 2019 to tell officials that Tuininga was having sex with Ugandan girls as young as 14 who were under the care of the U.S.-based Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Mbale, Uganda.

Tuininga was one of the church’s ministers. Authorities said they found Tuininga had already returned to the United States, but federal agents identified the minor and kept investigating. Tuininga admitted to the conduct, with prosecutors saying he told them that the victim would often visit the church property in Mbale.

Tuininga was taken to jail after his plea hearing and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 3. He could face up to 30 years in prison and could be required to be supervised by probation officials for life, although federal defendants often get substantially less than the maximum possible sentence.

Mark Bube, general secretary of the denomination’s committee of foreign missions, said Tuininga’s misconduct was reported by other Orthodox Presbyterian missionaries in Uganda and that he was removed from missionary work in 2019. Bube said Tuininga was later removed from the ministry and excommunicated from the church.

“We are all deeply grieved over this,” Bube said in a telephone interview. “He has brought shame on the name of our savior Jesus Christ.”

Bube said he has spoken with church missionaries about the importance of avoiding misconduct.

Tuininga joined the church from a separate but affiliated denomination in Oregon. A website chronicling Tuininga’s work in Uganda said he had begun working there in 2012 after previously working as a minister at Immanuel’s Reformed Church in Salem, Oregon.

Bube said the church is caring for Tuininga’s wife and children. He said he didn’t know if the church had offered aid to the victim in Uganda.

This article originally appeared here.

7 Things My Workaholism Says About Me

Chuck Lawless

February 3, 2022

In the past, I’ve addressed the important topic of workaholism among pastors—primarily because I’m a workaholic myself. I’ve addressed different issues, as the posts below indicate.

10 Signs You May Need to Take a Day Off

10 Reasons Many Pastors Are Workaholics

8 Things My Workaholism is Costing Me

What I haven’t considered enough is what my workaholism says about me. Frankly, the truths listed below have pushed me to re-think the structure of my life, and perhaps they will challenge you as well:

I base my value on performance. I know I did that as a student, but I must admit I still do it as a professor. I haven’t yet grown so much to let go of my tendencies.
I talk more about grace than live in it. Workaholism assumes that grace is not sufficient to receive God’s favor; instead, it’s works-based.
I don’t deal well with failure. Some of us work continually because we believe that failure is not an option. Rather than at least give room to grow through failure, I work harder to avoid it.
I allow comparison and competition to rule my thinking. Even if others never see that tendency in me, I know it’s there. I sometimes long for affirmation that others get.
I don’t always pay attention to loved ones around me. That is, I don’t always hear well when Pam lets me know that I’m too busy. The people who know me best see my workaholism before I do.
I pay too little attention to the body God has given me. Health issues over the past year have forced me to get more rest. I just wish I had done that well before the physical toll has increased.
I assume that God needs me. Theologically, I know better. Practically, however, my workaholism says, “If I don’t do it and do it well, God’s work will suffer.”

What does your workaholism say about you?

This article originally appeared here.

What to Do When Your Church Doesn’t Value Children’s Ministry

Dale Hudson

February 3, 2022

Are you in a church that doesn’t value children’s ministry? Do you feel like you are the only one who really cares about reaching the next generation? Is there little to no money budgeted for kids? It can be frustrating when God has placed a passion in your spirit for children’s ministry, but you find yourself in this situation.

So, what should you do? Here are some steps you can take.

5 Things To Do To Get The Church To Value Children’s Ministry

Champion children’s ministry.

I believe in every church God raises up someone to be the voice for the next generation. If you’re reading this and it resonates with you, then you’re probably that person. God wants to use you to raise awareness for the children’s ministry. Lead the way. Share the vision. Pray bold prayers of faith for the ministry. Many times a church is just waiting for someone to be a champion for children’s ministry. Be that person!

2. Have an honest conversation with church leadership.

Ask to meet with your Pastor, elders and other key leaders in the church. Share with them your heart to reach the next generation. Cast vision for how children’s ministry can be a blessing to the entire church. This should not be done in a spirit of complaining or disunity, but with the humble heart of a servant. If you need help gathering some thoughts to share, here are some articles to read.

How to Build a Thriving Children’s Ministry in Small Town, U.S.A.

The Importance of Children’s Ministry

8 Things Most People Don’t Get About Children’s Ministry

How a Dynamic Children’s Ministry Helps a Church Grow

In most cases, leadership wants to reach the next generation. They are just waiting for someone to step up and lead the charge. And this starts by getting it on their radar.

3. Get others involved.

Don’t think you can do this alone? You’re right. You need other people to come alongside you. Pray for divine appointments and approach the people God leads you to about helping in children’s ministry. Remember to make the ask with vision instead of desperation. The more people you can get involved, the more momentum you’ll build.

4. Do your best with what God has placed in your hand.

Rather than whining about what you don’t have, use what God has placed in your hand. Don’t fall into the trap of comparing your ministry to other ministries…your budget with other budgets…your facilities with the facilities of the church down the street.

Years ago, I was leading a children’s ministry in a rural church. The only room available for children’s ministry was an old room in the basement. Block, grey walls. Concrete floors. Inadequate lighting. Zero budget. A handful of kids attending. I went out and gathered branches, vines and old wood and used these free items to turn it into a clubhouse. When kids came into the room, they felt like they were in a clubhouse in the woods. And they loved it. In just a few weeks, we doubled in size.

See, I believe God wants to take what He has placed in your hands and do great things with it. It’s not about the size of your budget, it’s about the size of your belief. It’s not about your facilities, it’s about your faith. It’s not about how cool your videos are, it’s about how big your vision is.

5. Stay faithful.

When you’re in a church that doesn’t value children’s ministry, it’s easy to get discouraged and quit. Don’t give up. Stay faithful. Without faithfulness, the above steps will fall flat.= God rewards faithfulness. And remember faithfulness is not proven overnight. It takes time. In some cases, it takes years.

Faithfulness leads to an increase. It is a huge key to seeing your children’s ministry take off and become a priority in your church. If you want to see children’s ministry be a big part of your church, you must first be faithful while it is a small part.

I trust this has been a help and encouragement to you. I hear from many of you who are in this situation. You are not alone. God is with you. We believe in you. Be the children’s ministry champion in your church!

This article originally appeared here.

How to Find Peace in an Anxious, Out-of-Control World

Doreen (Sam) Button

February 3, 2022

2020 was a year that anyone might label as out of control. These ensuing years haven’t shown much improvement. We like to have things under control. Our problems begin when we both desire and expect circumstances to be under our control.

When we try to clutch the reins of this out-of-control ride we call life, we will get thrown from our mount and it will hurt.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, “Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults.” That’s more than 18 percent of the population 18 years and older. That percentage would likely skyrocket if it included those of us who struggle with worry, anxiety, and depression without ever telling anyone.

The stress of a pandemic and its aftermath—both economic (job loss, business loss) and psychological (isolation, fear, grief)—has left many of us reeling.

Over the last year, I often wondered, what’s next?

Fires. The entire Left Coast seemed to be in flames.

Massive storms. Hurricanes, ice, and political upheaval pummeled this nation. And woven throughout these events were notifications no one wants to get—news that another friend or relative had died. Even small losses like not being able to have dinner at a favorite restaurant or finding out a trip was postponed felt like a big deal—not unlike standing in a boxing ring waiting for the next punch to land and wondering if any of us would remain standing.

The Peace We Long For

So what do we do with these uncomfortable feelings? Some of us get depressed. Some ignore them or bury them under recreational drugs or more socially acceptable addictions like exercise, social media, and entertainment. (My personal favorite is a super-sized scoop of cookie dough ice cream—but that started before the pandemic gave me an excuse.)

None of these idols can ever satisfy. They keep demanding more sacrifices from us and delivering less satisfaction to us. Obviously they provide no lasting rest.

Each person who claims Jesus as The Way will say they believe that:

God is good
God is all powerful
Jesus loves me
Jesus lived, died, and lives again
The Spirit lives in me
The Spirit always speaks truth

Childhood Development, School and Church

James Emery White

February 3, 2022

Public health expert Tyler VanderWeele and his team at Harvard examined more than a decade’s worth of data tracking the development of 12,000 children. It was a longitudinal study surveying “social, physical, and mental health trends across the group—like substance abuse, anxiety/depression, community engagement and sexual activity.” Specifically, they wanted to know how four school categories—public, private, christian education and homeschool—“might affect the long-term well-being of adolescents.”

Many will find the results surprising.

Regarding the key health indicators, there was little difference between the long-term well-being of adolescents who attended a catholic school, a christian elementary school, a public school or a private school.
There was only a marginal difference—10-15%—between those who were sent to public school and those who attended schools with faith affiliations. Specifically, those who went to religious schools were marginally “more likely to register to vote, less likely to be obese, and more likely to have fewer lifetime partners by the time they had become young adults.” Negatively, those in religious schools were “slightly more likely to engage in binge drinking.” Children who went to faith-based schools also were “only slightly more likely to attend religious services as young adults than those who went to either secular private or public schools.”

However:

There was a significant difference between those who attended public school and those who were homeschooled. “We found a lot of positive, beneficial outcomes of homeschooling,” VanderWeele said. Specifically, homeschooled kids “were more likely to volunteer, forgive others, possess a sense of mission and purpose, and have notably fewer lifetime sexual partners.” Homeschoolers were also “51 percent more likely to frequently attend religious services into their young adulthood.”
Church attendance during adolescence was highly shaping in terms of health and well-being, and far more influential than attending a faith-based school. “What we found was that religious service attendance makes a bigger difference than religious schooling,” VanderWeele said. “Religious service attendance has beneficial effects across the different school types and has stronger effects than religious schooling.”

Translation: “… kids who grew up attending church regularly rated far higher in overall well-being as young adults than those who went to a religious school but did not go to religious services during their formative years.” And for those who did both? Religious service attendance in youth “was clearly the more dominant force.”

In an earlier article for Christianity Today, VanderWeele noted that “regular service attendance helps shield children from the ‘big three’ dangers of adolescence: depression, substance abuse, and premature sexual activity…. People who attended church as children are also more likely to grow up happy, to be forgiving, to have a sense of mission and purpose and to volunteer.”

So, beyond homeschooling getting more than a few shoutouts, perhaps the biggest headline is that regardless of school type,

… you need to get your family in church.

Sources

Stefani McDade, “Taking Kids to Church Matters More Than the ‘Right’ School, Study Suggests,” Christianity Today, January 25, 2022, read online.

Ying Chen, Christina Hinton and Tyler J. VanderWeele, “School Types in Adolescence and Subsequent Health and Well-Being in Young Adulthood: An Outcome-Wide Analysis,” Plos One, November 10, 2021, read online.

Tyler J. Vanderweele and Brendan Case, “Empty Pews Are an American Public Health Crisis,” Christianity Today, October 19, 2021, read online.

This article about childhood development, school and church originally appeared here and is used by permission.

I Became an iPad Pastor and It’s Been Great (So Far)

Charles Stone

February 3, 2022

I’m a pastor, and I bought an iPad recently. If you are a pastor, could an iPad help you become more effective? Maybe. Maybe not. Although I’m only a little while into being an iPad Pastor, and it has exceeded all my expectations. What prompted me to purchase one and become an iPad pastor?

First, it might help to know the technology I currently use. I am a shameless Mac fanatic and have bought probably 15 macs since the first one came out. I am the proud owner of one of the first 50,000 Macs ever sold. I still own it. My current Mac is a MacBook Pro (10.5.8) and I also own an iPhone.

The most used software programs I’ve put in my Mac dock bar are:

Microsoft Office (I primarily use Word and Entourage)
Safari browser
Accordance Bible software
Libronix Logos Bible software (I purchased this after I had used Accordance for several years)
Appleworks (I still use the word processor sometimes)

Other software I often use includes: Tweetdeck, Contribute (to edit my website), iTunes (of course), Skype, and Filemagnet (iPhone document sofware). Since I bought my iPad I’ve added Evernote and Dropbox.

When Apple began to hint about a slate type computer, my imagination went wild hoping I could replace my notebook. When the iPad appeared, I tried to justify a purchase that could replace my notebook. But, I couldn’t. I realized I would still need my notebook to manage my bible software.

So, what pushed me over the ledge? My wife said I could buy one. Really. In trade, I bought her a new car. Got to keep the marriage intact, you know.

The Upsides to Being an iPad Pastor

Lightning fast speed. In every respect, including internet access, the iPad is faster than my MacBook Pro.
It’s much quicker to type emails than typing them on my iPhone.
I can create documents in the Pages word processing app with a small bluetooth keyboard almost as fast as I can when I use Word on my MacBook Pro. It works quite well, although it’s a stripped down word processor. Watch for developers to design some really good ones. I use Dropbox to keep my documents synced between my Mac and my iPad.
I’ve used Pages as a replacement for paper notes when I teach. I’ve only done this twice, so the full verdict is not yet out. However, it’s so easy to make quick changes and it’s really cool to flick your finger to move the page. This may prove to be the biggest benefit to pastors who use notes when they preach.
The big full screen is a HUGE improvement over the iPhone screen. I love BibleReader from Olive Tree. It makes bible reading and devotional study very pleasant. When the apps I use on my iPhone are available for the iPad, it will be hard to use the iPhone except in a pinch.
Battery life. I’ve found it lasts beyond 8-10 hours.
Light-weight. I took it along with my bluetooth keyboard on my mission trip to Nicaragua last week and it was so easy to carry around and use compared to my laptop.
When I use my iPad, I feel very, very hip. As a 50-something, I need everything I can to be cool. Right now, I am the coolest person on our church staff!

The Downside to Being an iPad Pastor

I’m still lugging my laptop around in my backpack (as well as the bluetooth keyboard). I still haven’t determined my rhythm when I need my MacBook Pro and when I need my iPad.

This article about becoming an iPad pastor originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

Late Pickup: How to Handle Tardy Parents at Ministry Events

Aaron Helman

February 2, 2022

I’ve been on a mission to help youth workers deal with their biggest frustrations. Usually, this means the big stuff: fundraisers, volunteers, burnout, time management, and so on. But when I ask about frustrations, sometimes youth leaders say unexpected things. And lately, they’ve all been saying the same thing over and over: late pickup by parents.

“It drives me nuts when I get to the end of a very long Sunday and a parent is an hour late to pick up their kid!”

First things first: It’s totally okay to feel frustrated by this. I’ve heard we should celebrate late pickup because it’s extra time to connect with and minister to a student. When you put it that way, it seems almost sinful to be frustrated when a parent is 45 minutes late.

But those 45 minutes might mean you don’t get home in time to tuck in your own kids. It might mean you’re now late for whatever’s next on your schedule.

Our ministry has very clear child-protection guidelines. I’m not supposed to be alone in the building with a teenager. So if just one student is waiting on a ride, I’m either grabbing a volunteer to make them hang around with me…or I’m waiting in a compromised situation.

That was reason enough for our church to address the problem of late pickup. So imagine my surprise when I learned the primary problem was me.

Why late pickup was kind of my fault

Imagine yourself in this scenario: It’s 8:45 p.m. Youth group ended at 8. Dylan’s mom finally rolls into the parking lot. She is so apologetic. “I am so sorry,” she says.

What do you say next?

Here were my typical lines:

“Oh, it’s no problem. Have a great night.”
“That’s okay. We had a good time hanging out and playing Exploding Kittens.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m glad I had the time to get to know Dylan a little better.”

I mean, that’s what you’re supposed to say, right? The church is a grace-filled organization. Plus, it’s not like you can just start ranting:

You know what? You should feel sorry! Because of YOU I missed bedtime with my kids. Because of YOU I’m going to have to pick up fast food on the way home because I missed dinner. And when the inevitable effects of all that processed junk finally catch up with me, I’ll send YOU my medical bills.

Because we know grace, and because we’re kind people, we tend to brush off the need for an apology. But here’s the problem with late pickup:

If we tell parents that late pickup is okay, then they’ll pick their kids up late.

That’s why, before you implement any other strategies, you must do something else first. Find a polite, grace-filled way to tell parents to pick up their kids on time from now on.

Late Pickup: 4 (Easier) Ways to Get Kids Home on Time

1. End your youth programs on time.

Here’s why: If your program regularly runs late, parents will start showing up late. It’s hard to be upset with a parent who doesn’t show up at 8 if the last three times he showed up at 8, he sat in the parking lot and waited.

Accept Jesus Into Your Heart: Use Care With This Prayer

Jared Kennedy

February 2, 2022

Editor’s Note: Sharing the gospel with our children is an extremely critical task. The language we use to communicate the good news is also vitally important. This article offers an alternate view to a very traditional method of evangelism, a prayer to accept Jesus into your heart. Please share your thoughts in the comments below to create a valuable discussion on this kingdom issue.

Your child lies in her snuggly, warm bed and says, “Yes, Daddy. I want to ask Jesus into my heart.” You lead her in “the prayer” and hope it sticks. You spend the next 10 years questioning if she really meant it. Puberty hits, and you only have more questions. Your daughter turns away from faith. You spend the next 10 years praying she will come to her senses. What went wrong?

Of course, there’s no way to guarantee that an early acceptance of the gospel will stick. Parents shouldn’t feel defeated when adolescents question or even rebel against what they’ve heard from a young age. However, we can be careful to avoid language that would give our children a false understanding of the gospel or a false impression about their own condition.

If you’ve grown up in a church setting, you’ve probably heard about the prayer to accept Jesus into your heart a thousand times. It’s common at evangelistic meetings and at the end of impassioned sermons. Perhaps you’ve seen it modeled as part of a gospel presentation.

I’ve come to believe that the concept of a prayer to accept Jesus into your heart can be a dangerous way to call someone to faith. Read on to discover why.

Accept Jesus Into Your Heart: 9 Obstacles to Avoid

1. Figurative language isn’t appropriate for most children.

Little children think literally. So they can be confused (or even frightened) by a prayer to accept Jesus into your heart. Does Jesus reside in my blood-pumping organ? Does he live in the upper or lower ventricle?

2. Salvation results not from our asking but from what Jesus has done.

We must encourage children to look away from themselves to Jesus Christ. He took the punishment for our sin by bearing the punishment we deserve to the cross (Galatians 3:13). Jesus makes us right with God because he lives to speak to the Father on our behalf (Romans 4:25; 1 John 2:1). His doing is the only thing worth trusting, because it alone saves.

**3. The gospel is not primarily about Jesus’ work in our hearts but about Jesus’ work in history.**

When speaking about the gospel to children, our temptation is to focus on the child’s inner condition—their personal struggles with sin and obedience. Language like “accept Jesus into your heart” tempts children to see the gospel more as what God is doing in me now, rather than what God did for me then.

Although it’s a biblical truth that Christ is present with the Christian by his Spirit (Colossians 1:27; Ephesians 3:17), the work in our hearts is secondary. When talking to a child about the gospel, you must emphasize the gospel as a historical fact.

4. The gospel appeals to more than our emotions.

The idea of a prayer to accept Jesus into your heart comes from a movement in the church called revivalism. It was very adept at reaching people on an emotional level, but our personal faith is more than an emotion. Though it isn’t wrong for faith to move us on an emotional level, it isn’t as right as it could be.

Salvation isn’t just saying yes to a relationship with Jesus. Rather, it is finally resting in Christ. It is trusting that God is true and faithful, and he has fulfilled his promises to save humanity in Jesus Christ.

Lecrae’s Label Cuts Artist Accused of Sending Unsolicited Explicit Photos to Women

Jesse T. Jackson

February 2, 2022

GAWVI — (L) Screengrab via YouTube @Gawvi (R) Screengrab via Instagram @reachrecords

Reach Records was founded by Ben Washer and Lecrae in 2004 and has a roster of Christian artists that include Trip Lee, Andy Mineo, Lecrae, and Tedashii. It used to be the home of the Gospel Music Association’s 2019 Dove Award winner for Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song, GAWVI.

On January 31, 2022, Reach Records announced on social media that they had ended their relationship with the talented music producer and hip hop artist Gabriel Alberto Azucena, who goes by the stage name GAWVI.

“Due to behavior that is inconsistent with our core values, we have ended our professional relationship with GAWVI,” Reach Records statement on Instagram read. “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.”

The record company’s statement shared that new details regarding the situation GAWVI has been dealing with was brought to their attention, giving them no choice but to separate themselves from him as an artist.

“We also want our actions to be a reflection of love, care, and concern for those who fail and those who are affected by our failures,” the statement said.

“Each of us needs God’s grace and we invite you to pray for the families and individuals whose lives are being impacted,” the statement concluded. “This is not a chance to throw anybody away. We continue to hope for restoration to be the outcome.”

The Dove Award winning artist was slotted to perform on Reach Records upcoming “We Are UNASHAMED Tour,” scheduled to kick off in Austin, Texas on March 17, 2022. GAWVI was also featured on a Reach Records January 16, 2022 release with 116, Trip Lee, 1k Phew, and Wande titled “Represent II“. GAWVI was cut from the tour.

GAWVI released his first album with Reach Records in 2017. Since then, he has recorded three more albums with the label, with his latest released last March, a Spanish album titled “Noche Juvenil” (translated: Youth Night).

A Rapzilla article has an image of a now deleted Instagram post GAWVI made on January 29, 2022, where the artist shared he and his wife (Brianna) had ended their marriage.

“Past two years has been quite a roller coaster. Throughout my musical journey, I’ve always been transparent, sharing some of my personal ups and downs with you. Sadly, today I’m here to share that my marriage came to an end in 2020,” GAWVI’s post read.

Brianna and GAWVI have two children together. Expressing that the decision to divorce wasn’t made because of a scandal but “just two adults that made decisions that led to this point,” GAWVI said that he hates divorce.

“With God first, I know that life still has seasons we don’t plan on,” GAWVI said. “But I know with everything in me that God is still the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.” He also shared that he is working on a new album and will explore some of that journey in his music.

Voice of the Martyrs Calls for a ‘Prayer Boycott’ of the 2022 Winter Olympics

Jessica Lea

February 2, 2022

2022 winter olympics — FILE - In this photo released by China's Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping tours the National Speed Skating Oval, a competition venue for the 2022 Winter Olympics, in Beijing, Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022. China has undergone history-making change since the last time it was an Olympic host in 2008: It is richer, more heavily armed and openly confrontational. (Shen Hong/Xinhua via AP, File)

Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), an organization that serves persecuted Christians around the world, is joining other like-minded groups in calling Christians to boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. VOM’s call to action is unique, however, in that the group is asking believers to participate in a “prayer boycott.”

“The Olympics are always filled with wonderful pageantry and inspiring athletic accomplishments,” said VOM spokesperson Todd Nettleton in a press release. “But let’s not forget what the host government doesn’t want us to see: imprisoned pastors, destroyed church buildings and a complete lack of religious freedom. I hope every Christian will use each event and every Olympic update as a reminder to pray for our persecuted family members in China as the Scriptures instruct us to do.”

2022 Winter Olympics and Calls for Boycotts

The 2022 Winter Olympics are set to begin Feb. 4 and run through Feb. 20. The Biden administration has implemented a “diplomatic boycott” of the Games, meaning that while the government will support the American athletes who are participating, no U.S. officials will attend. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said this decision is due to China’s “egregious human rights abuses and atrocities in Xinjiang.” Other countries that have implemented diplomatic boycotts include Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

Open Doors, another organization that supports persecuted Christians, is also calling for a boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics. Every January, Open Doors releases its World Watch List, which ranks the top 50 countries in the world where Christians face the worst persecution for their faith. At the release of the 2020 World Watch List, Open Doors president and CEO David Curry drew attention to China on account of its leaders creating what he called “a ‘persecution roadmap’ against religious faith.”

At the release of the 2022 World Watch List, Curry reiterated his concerns about China, citing the social score leaders are giving citizens, the government’s use of facial recognition technology, and the numerous ways officials are suppressing religious freedom. Authorities are not only suppressing the rights of Christians but also of other religious minorities, most notably the Uyghur Muslims. The Trump administration declared China’s treatment of the Uyghurs, who are located in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, to be “genocide,” a label the Biden administration has retained.

Moreover, churches in China are being forced to go underground, online churches are heavily monitored, and the government approved Three-Self Church is not permitted to meet online at all. Chinese leaders are censoring sermons and even editing the Bible.

Open Doors is calling on “every Christian in our nation to join this boycott of the Olympics in the name of our persecuted brothers and sisters in China,” said Curry, who clarified that Open Doors is asking people not even to watch the Olympics on TV.

Lauded LA Rams Receiver Cooper Kupp Pursues ‘A Crown That Will Last Forever’

Stephanie Martin

February 2, 2022

Thanks to a record-breaking “triple crown” season, Cooper Kupp has helped position his team to win a Super Bowl ring. But the Los Angeles Rams wide receiver has his sights set much higher.

Kupp, 28, is an outspoken Christian who literally wears his faith on his sleeve—and head. After a Rams playoff victory last month, Kupp donned a hat from his “Crown Merch” fashion line that references 1 Corinthians 9:25—“Do it to get a crown that will last forever.”

Cooper Kupp Remains Humble, Faithful Despite Success

Kupp, a third-round draft pick in 2017, was recently named to his first Pro Bowl. That honor caps a stellar season in which Kupp became the first 2,000-yard receiver in NFL history. He’s also the fourth player since 1970 to win the receiving Triple Crown, finishing the 17-game regular season with 145 catches, 1,947 receiving yards, and 16 receiving touchdowns.

In post-game press conferences, Kupp deflects credit to teammates and is open about his faith. After a reporter inquired whether the standout athlete felt underappreciated, Kupp replied, “The verse that was on my mind was, ‘The heart of man chooses his path but the Lord establishes his steps,’” citing Proverbs 16:9. “It just gave me so much freedom to go out there and play free, give everything I had [and] know the results rested in [God].”

Kupp also has relied on his faith amid injuries and rehab. Due to a torn ACL, he was sidelined when the Rams played in the 2019 Super Bowl, losing 13-3 to the Patriots. On Twitter in 2018, Kupp posted a photo of him being carted off the field. “Rejoice in your suffering, for through suffering comes perseverance!” he wrote. “Thank you all for your prayers, we are blessed by your covering. I refuse to be defeated! God is GOOD! #EyesAbove.”

In a film for Football Sunday 2019, Kupp said of his healing process, “Being able to every day find that joy in life that only comes from the Spirit—there’s growth happening.” To CBN last year, Kupp said, “At the very basic levels of my life—as a husband, as a father, as a football player—knowing how much of a failure I am at these things, if it wasn’t for my faith, if it wasn’t for knowing that Christ has told me who I am in his eyes…that he’s bridged every gap and that he’s called me to even greater things.”

Faith and Family Are Priorities for Cooper Kupp

In a recent ESPN profile, Kupp credits Anna, his wife of six years, for his pro career. During college at Eastern Washington, Anna worked full-time so Cooper could focus on football. “I really believe I may not be…in the NFL if it wasn’t for her and what she has inspired in me and pushed me to do,” Cooper says. The couple, who have two young sons, are active in charity causes.

Study: Younger Evangelicals Less Trusting of Charitable Organizations But More Open to Giving Diversely

Dale Chamberlain

February 2, 2022

A recent study conducted by Infinity Concepts and Grey Matter Research has found that while younger evangelical donors tend to be more distrustful of charitable organizations from the outset, they are nevertheless more likely to give to causes overseas or to organizations with which they were previously unfamiliar.

The study set out to analyze differences in charitable giving patterns across age groups in light of the fact that many donor bases tend to be older, leaving some nonprofit organizations financially vulnerable as those donors continue to age and eventually die off.

In light of this reality, many charitable organizations are seeking to attract younger donors, but “the problem is that too often, organizations are trying to attract a 35-year-old donor with the same strategies and approaches that helped them attract all their 65-year-old donors.

“Younger donors think about giving very differently from older donors,” the study reported.

One key finding the study identified is that while 58 percent of evangelicals give to charities outside their local churches, evangelicals under the age of 40 do so with a much different perspective than their older counterparts. When younger evangelicals are in the process of considering charitable donations, they are more likely to begin from a place of distrust until the organization proves that it is trustworthy. For older evangelicals, they are more likely to give trust freely until that trust is violated, with donors over the age of 70 being the most trusting.

This illustrates that in order to reach younger donors, charitable organizations must think strategically about how to model transparency and accountability in their practices. Nevertheless, if they are able to successfully do so, the results of the study seem to indicate that they have a greater potential to reach a larger pool of donors among younger age groups, even if they are not a well known charity.

The study also found that evangelicals under the age of 40 are most likely to seek variety in the charitable organizations they contribute to. Forty-one percent of evangelicals under 40 responded favorably when asked if they like to learn about new organizations to give to, as opposed to 29 percent among all evangelicals and 34 percent among evangelicals ages 40-54. Simply put, older evangelicals are more comfortable giving to organizations they were already previously familiar with, while younger evangelicals are open to new causes and charities.

Younger evangelicals are also more likely to give to a wider variety of causes, with 48 percent responding favorably to the idea, compared to 32 percent among evangelicals overall. Furthermore, younger evangelicals are more likely to give to overseas initiatives, with 34 percent responding favorably, as opposed to the overall favorable response rate of 27 percent.

Steve Carter: What All Church Leaders Must Do To Be Spiritually Healthy

Jessica Lea

February 2, 2022

The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast · Steve Carter: What All Church Leaders Must Do To Be Spiritually Healthy

Steve Carter is a pastor, speaker, podcaster, and the former lead teaching pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago. He’s an itinerant preacher and teacher for churches, conferences, and events. Steve is also the author of several books, including his latest, “The Thing Beneath the Thing: What’s Hidden Inside (and What God Helps Us Do About It).”

Other Ways to Listen to This Podcast With Steve Carter

► Listen on Apple
► Listen on Spotify
► Listen on Stitcher
► Listen on YouTube

Key Questions for Steve Carter

-How is it that stress can bring out false narratives in us?

-To what extent is your book connected to what you went through at Willow Creek?

-How can church leaders currently facing a situation that could lead to serious long-term consequences deal with it well now?

-If a subordinate recognizes that a leader is struggling with “the thing beneath the thing,” how can he or she help that leader to become self-aware and to address it?

Key Quotes From Steve Carter

“I flipped a U-turn, pulled the car over, left my wife and nine-month-old in the back of the car. And I went chasing after these kids who threw a chunk of ice at our car. And as I started to realize why I was doing what I was doing, it was because I was afraid.”

“We are people who live above the surface and we never spend enough time mining what’s really going on underneath.”

“Something happens. You know, you’re going through your day, somebody cuts you off. Someone doesn’t follow through. Someone minimizes you on Twitter. Someone tries to manage you. All of a sudden that’s connected to old pain points in your story.”

“Kids are very, very perceptive. They’re just not always the best interpreters of reality. So kids can perceive that mom and dad are fighting. But it’s the stories that they tell where they get themselves in trouble: Mom and dad are fighting because of me. Mom and dad are getting divorced because of me.”

“I realized that God’s kindness is to actually fill in those pain points, those potholes, those parts in our story where we’ve been wounded. So we don’t have to live in insecurity or creating false narratives, but we can live in the trust and the security of who he created us and made us to be.”

Tavner Smith, Venue Church Had Quick Rise, Scandalous Fall

Former Staff, Church Members Question Tavner Smith’s Teachings and Lifestyle

1. Narrative: The Mission Isn’t a War Against Culture and Other Churches

5 Things To Do To Get The Church To Value Children’s Ministry

Champion children’s ministry.

3. Get others involved.

4. Do your best with what God has placed in your hand.

5. Stay faithful.

The Peace We Long For

Sources

The Upsides to Being an iPad Pastor

The Downside to Being an iPad Pastor

Why late pickup was kind of my fault

Late Pickup: 4 (Easier) Ways to Get Kids Home on Time

1. End your youth programs on time.

Accept Jesus Into Your Heart: 9 Obstacles to Avoid

1. Figurative language isn’t appropriate for most children.

2. Salvation results not from our asking but from what Jesus has done.

3. The gospel is not primarily about Jesus’ work in our hearts but about Jesus’ work in history.

4. The gospel appeals to more than our emotions.

2022 Winter Olympics and Calls for Boycotts

Cooper Kupp Remains Humble, Faithful Despite Success

Faith and Family Are Priorities for Cooper Kupp

Other Ways to Listen to This Podcast With Steve Carter

Key Questions for Steve Carter

Key Quotes From Steve Carter

New Articles

New Podcasts

**3. The gospel is not primarily about Jesus’ work in our hearts but about Jesus’ work in history.**