8 Time Drainers of Pastors and Church Staff

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December 8, 2021

How many things are required in ministry that are simply a waste of a pastor’s time?

“The greatest gift you could give me is more time.”

The statement was made half jokingly by a pastor. Of course, he didn’t think I could create days with more than 24 hours. But he was busy, overcommitted and worn out.

He is not alone.

What if I told you I could help you get 10 or more hours of your week back? That’s like having an extra three weeks a year. In order to make this quest a reality, let’s look at some of the greatest time drainers of pastors and staff, with suggestions about improving each of them.

8 Things That Are a Waste of a Pastor’s Time

1. Regularly scheduled meetings.

How many hours do you spend each month in meetings you feel obligated to attend? Probably a lot. Solution: Ruthlessly evaluate all of your mandatory meetings. You can probably eliminate two or more. And never add a regularly scheduled meeting without eliminating another.

2. Add-on meetings.

“Pastor, can we get together this week to talk about something?” How many times have you received similar requests? Think of the time expended scheduling the meeting, going to the meeting and, possibly, following up on the meeting. Solution: Say no. Tell the person you will talk about it right then. The conversation will likely be shorter than five minutes.

3. Non-productive meetings.

Have you ever ended a meeting thinking it was a total waste of time? Or perhaps most of the meeting was a waste of time. Solution: Never go into a meeting without a clear and specific agenda. Also, have a definitive ending time. Don’t go one minute beyond that time.

4. Telephone calls.

Many of you are constantly answering the phone. You get started on one project, only to be interrupted. Solution: Get a second phone number to share with church members. There are some services and apps that offer a free number. I use Google Voice. Any call to Google Voice goes to voicemail, where I decide later how I will handle the call.

5. Social media complexity.

Some of you pastors and staff are constantly interacting with church members on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social media. I wouldn’t be surprised if the amount of time spent on this task is 10 to 15 hours week. Solution: Stop it! You have no obligation to respond on social media. Get rid of the guilt trip and get your time back.

6. Old school secretaries.

The world of support staff has changed dramatically. If you have a secretary who is still in the 1990s or 2000s, you are wasting a lot of time. That secretary provides you no efficiencies. Solution: Get a productive assistant. If your church cannot afford one, check into a virtual assistant. I personally like EAHelp. I will expand on this issue in my next post.

7. Time in the car.

Depending on your hospital visits or commute, you could spend a lot of time in your car. Solution: If possible, select a specific day to do hospital visits, so that you are not interrupting your other days continuously. Also, make the most use of your time in your auto. I love Audible books by Amazon. For less than $10, I choose a new book every month. My learning curve has gone up yet again!

8. Counseling.

I know one pastor who counsels over 20 hours a week. Needless to say, he is burning out as he counsels and carries out other responsibilities. Solution: Most of you pastors and staff are neither trained nor equipped to do counseling. Stop it and refer requests to those who can do the ministry better. Limit your counseling to one-time sessions and to times for spiritual counseling.

Time, including a pastor’s time, is a gift from God. It is not to be wasted or abused. Go through these eight items again. Do you see some areas that are a waste of time? Are there some other insights you can provide us about the use of a pastor’s time?

This article originally appeared here.

Matt Chandler’s Deconstruction Comment Unravels Twitter

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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December 7, 2021

Matt Chandler is making waves on social media after a 35-second clip from a 47-minute sermon he gave in August of this year at The Village Church, where he is the lead pastor, began circulating. In the clip, Chandler described Christian deconstruction as something today’s culture views as “sexy.”

The word “sexy” has been used to describe something that is appealing or exciting. In this case, Chandler was explaining that deconstruction of the Christian faith is popular at the moment.

In 2016, the term “exvangelical” was created in reference to someone who had left evangelicalism. Since then the term has grown in popularity.

Critics within the exvangelical community have called Chandler’s words “offensive,” arguing that deconstruction isn’t “sexy.” They have also pointed out that it is churches like Chandler’s that have led to their deconstruction, because of the way they mishandle sexual abuse claims.

In 2019, The Village Church and Chandler made news when their former associate children’s minister, Matthew Tone, was accused of molesting a girl at a 2012 church summer camp. The Village Church leadership has been accused of hiding information from church members in order to protect itself. The church fired Tonne for “an alcohol abuse problem,” instead of sexual abuse.

The girl, who is now an adult, filed a lawsuit against The Village Church in July 2019, claiming that the church was “willfully negligent,” and was seeking $1 million dollars in damages.

The Village Church released a statement in August 2020 that criminal charges had been dropped against Tonne, stating that “the complainant could not and did not positively identify defendant as the person who committed this offense.”

Matt Chandler’s Sermon

Preaching out of 1 Corinthians 15:1-6, Chandler titled his sermon “The Depth of the Gospel,” and focused on answering the question, “Are you a Christian?”

Explaining why he was preaching such a topic in a room filled mostly with assumed Christians, Chandler shared that during a recent baptism service at the church, many of the testimonies of those being baptized shared a commonality. Chandler said that 15 of them said that they had grown up in the church, with some even having gone to church camp, but they all said they had never heard the message of the gospel until recently.

Chandler found those testimonies haunting, because he has kids who have grown up in the church and around ministry their entire lives. “How in the world can you grow up in church your whole life and then in your mid-20’s, early 30’s say ‘I never heard the gospel,’” he asked.

Chandler had coffee with some of the newly baptized believers and asked them about their testimony. Some of them grew up in church their entire lives and shared that they had been told not to have sex before marriage, not to get high or drunk, not to be part of the party scene, and not to listen to secular music.

In other words, many of them grew up believing “moralistic deism” instead of the gospel. Chandler explained “moralistic deism” as, “if you’re good enough, God will love you and God will bless you.”

“Now some heard. Some could actually articulate to me what the gospel is and was and how they grew up knowing it, but just didn’t hear until recently,” Chandler said. “But too many of them had all the kind of checklist of moral behavior down and no relationship with Jesus Christ. No understanding of what was actually happening—what the point of all this is.”

Christmas: An Intersection of Faith and Family

By

Ed Stetzer

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December 7, 2021

A few years ago, LifeWay Research released a study about how Americans celebrate Christmas. While the secularization of the holiday season was evident in our findings, there was another key takeaway, which was—to some extent—overlooked: Christmas is the true intersection of faith and family.

When asked about their typical household activities during the Christmas season, respondents indicated overwhelmingly that they participated in traditional family and religious activities.

Nearly 90% of respondents give Christmas gifts to family members, and 86% gather for a Christmas meal with family and friends. Eighty percent put up a Christmas tree in their homes, a task typically involving the entire family, and 81 percent agreed that “Family traditions are the most important part of Christmas to me.”

When asked about the religious background of the season, 79% agreed with the statement “I believe Jesus is the reason for the season.” Also, when asked if they encouraged belief in Santa Claus or Jesus Christ as savior during the Christmas season, 20% more respondents focused on belief in Jesus Christ as savior.

This intersection of faith and family should be encouraging for us as Christians. This data shows there is still a desire for family togetherness in our culture. So how do we as local churches respond to this? I see three main ways we can cultivate a healthy engagement with the Christmas season.

Churches Need to Preach Christ

While it is heartening that Christmas still has a place of priority in the wider culture, it almost goes without saying that the buying of gifts has a greatest emphasis—having long ago passed the point of pure materialism. If Jesus is to remain “the reason for the season,” then churches must be the place continually pointing to Him, especially in our preaching. We must take caution that our Christmas programs, which many times are designed to draw unbelievers, are not so secularized that we obscure the message we are trying to convey.

Churches Need to Prioritize the Family

On those occasional years Christmas falls on a Sunday, churches struggle with what to do in terms of worship those days. That is because many of them wear families out the other 364 days of the year, particularly in December. Some people may be hesitant to attend a Christmas Sunday service when they already know time with family is limited. If you have a service, tell them why you are doing so on Christmas Day.

Churches Need to Emphasize Community Within the Fellowship

There is a deep-rooted desire for family and community in our culture, which is evident in the research. The local church should continually long to be a place of community for its members throughout the year. For believers and unbelievers alike who seek a sense of belonging and a community of support, they should be able to find it within a local church all year long, not just from their family around the holidays. And, for many who are hurting, Christmas is a time of loneliness when people are in great need of community.

100,000 Bibles Will Go to Countries Where Christians Suffer the Most

By

Jessica Lea

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December 7, 2021

open doors usa — Instagram / @opendoorsusa

One hundred thousand Bibles and wood rosaries are going to persecuted Christians around the globe thanks to a successful Giving Tuesday campaign from Open Doors USA, a charity that exists to support persecuted believers worldwide.

“This is the greatest outpouring of support from the American church on Giving Tuesday than we’ve ever seen before,” said Open Doors CEO David Curry in a statement provided to ChurchLeaders. “The need is greater than ever, and it’s encouraging to see Americans rise to meet that challenge. It will make a tremendous difference in the lives of persecuted Christians around the world.”

Open Doors USA’s Giving Tuesday Campaign

“Giving Tuesday” takes place the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and follows Black Friday and Cyber Monday, two major shopping days in the U.S. Created in 2012, Giving Tuesday is an initiative encouraging consumers to give back. This year, Giving Tuesday was on Nov. 30; on Nov. 29, Open Doors USA posted on its social media accounts, asking people to donate.

The post included an endorsement from Pastor David Platt, who said, “For more than 60 years, Open Doors has supported the persecuted church through their presence, prayers and practical care. Helping these believers to grow—even thrive—in cultures and countries that seek to stop followers of Jesus from proclaiming His gospel and His glory.”

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A post shared by Help For Persecuted Christians (@opendoorsusa)

A contact for Open Doors told ChurchLeaders that the organization is still tallying how much money people donated last week. As far as where the Bibles will go, Open Doors will prioritize countries that have made its World Watch List and then “determine areas with the greatest need for Bibles based on latest information from partners on the ground.”

The World Watch List is a list that Open Doors publishes annually that ranks the top 50 countries in the world where Christians suffer the worst persecution. The 2021 World Watch List, released in January of this year, found that the COVID-19 pandemic had caused persecution to worsen and also reported a disturbing 60 percent increase in the number of Christians martyred for their faith. Said Curry, “This public health crisis created an opportunity to expand faith-based discrimination and violence in regions where religious persecution has already reached alarming rates.”

‘You Are a New Nazi,’ Says Anti-Vax FL Pastor to Vaccine Supporters

By

Stephanie Martin

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December 7, 2021

A newly identified COVID-19 variant is providing a new target for vaccine opponents, including some conservative faith leaders. Rick Wiles, a Florida pastor who claims coronavirus vaccinations are part of a “global genocide,” recently tweeted, “They created the omicron propaganda campaign and it is meant to justify the enactment of police state laws.”

Wiles, pastor of Flowing Streams Church in Florida and founder of TruNews, also is comparing Dr. Anthony Fauci, America’s top infectious-disease specialist, to Nazi experimenter Josef Mengele.

Pastor Rick Wiles Equates COVID Shots With Suicide

For months, Pastor Rick Wiles has pushed back against COVID-19 vaccinations, claiming the shots were developed to significantly reduce the world’s population. He tweets references to “the beast” and to conspiracy theories about implanted microchips, saying people who receive COVID-19 shots are “committing suicide.”

In a video posted by Right Wing Watch, Wiles told listeners last week, “Those of you who are really big supporters of the vaccination program, whether you realize it or not, you are a new Nazi. You are part of a Nazi propaganda operation because this is a global Nazi operation.”

Wiles called Dr. Fauci “America’s Josef Mengele,” saying he and other pro-vaccine health officials are “mad men” being “allowed to run around free and killing people.” The pastor continued, “We have to go to war now to stop these Nazis.” Last month, Wiles urged a “world war against tyrants,” saying a “global revolution” was necessary to “crush” proponents of vaccine mandates.

Wiles himself reportedly survived a bout with COVID last spring. According to church emails, the pastor was hospitalized in May following a congregational outbreak. In an April broadcast, Wiles had said, “I am not going to be vaccinated. I’m going to be one of the survivors. I’m going to survive the genocide.” He urged listeners not to be vaccinated, calling the pandemic “the first global mass murder and it’s being led by Satan’s team on the planet.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci Pushes Back Against ‘Slander’

Nazi comparisons aren’t sitting well with Dr. Fauci or with anti-defamation groups. Last week, after Fox News host Lara Logan said Fauci “represents Josef Mengele,” not science, Fauci criticized the network. He called the remark “unconscionable” and “insulting” to everyone who died in the Holocaust. Fauci added that in addition to “being totally slanderous to me,” Logan cited incorrect death tolls and “had no idea what she was talking about.”

Does Religion Make People More Likely to Welcome Refugees? It’s Complicated.

By

Carol Kuruvilla

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December 7, 2021

refugees — People await Pope Francis for an ecumenical prayer with migrants at the Parish Church of the Holy Cross in Nicosia, Cyprus, Friday, Dec. 3, 2021. Francis is on a five-day trip to Cyprus and Greece and drawing attention once again to his call for Europe to welcome migrants. (AP Photo/Petros Karadjias)

(RNS) — On Sunday (Dec. 5), Pope Francis, visiting the Greek island of Lesbos, made an emotional pitch for European states to be more welcoming to foreign migrants. The pontiff called on Europeans to stop ignoring their suffering, insisting that Jesus “is present in the stranger, in the refugee, in those who are naked and hungry.”

“I ask every man and woman, all of us, to overcome the paralysis of fear, the indifference that kills, the cynical disregard that nonchalantly condemns to death those on the fringes,” he said.

Francis is clearly leaning on the faith of his listeners to motivate his audience to see refugees as neighbors and to work toward what he has called “the miracle of an ever wider ‘we.’” But how common is it for faith to drive compassion toward refugees? Does religiosity make people more welcoming — or more suspicious — of the stranger?

Sociologists of religion have been wrestling with this question for years. Some researchers have suggested that religion promotes altruistic norms that encourage people to help strangers, pointing to faith-based organizations that play crucial roles in partnering with or even pushing governments to welcome refugees.

Other researchers have argued that increased religiosity is actually linked to stronger prejudices against migrants, particularly when a majority religious group feels their position is being threatened by newcomers.

The efficacy of Francis’ message depends largely on his listeners’ religious contexts and personal religious practices, according to Kenneth Vaughan, a sociologist at the University of Connecticut who has studied the links between religion and anti-immigrant sentiment.

In a study published in the fall journal issue of the Sociology of Religion, Vaughan examined how religiosity influenced Europeans’ attitudes toward refugees.

After sifting through 2016 data from the European Social Survey (ESS), a large-scale, cross-national study, Vaughan found that most people, including the religiously unaffiliated, were more supportive than restrictive when asked about admitting refugees into their countries. But some characteristics were more likely to foster welcoming attitudes than others.

Attendance at religious services is one factor, Vaughan said. Christians and Muslims who attended services frequently tended to favor more generous policies toward refugees than their co-religionists who attended less frequently. This trend was particularly noticeable among Catholics.

But even this is complicated. Overall, Vaughan found, Catholics prefer significantly more restrictive policies than the unaffiliated. It was only Catholics who attended church frequently who had more generous policy preferences than the unaffiliated.

Vaughan suggested that European Catholics — the largest religious grouping in several of the countries surveyed — may “have the most to lose” from demographic change.

Unless these Catholics are “imbued with religious messages from communities they identify with,” Vaughan wrote in the report — i.e. occupy the pews regularly — “European Catholics may be more likely to think of themselves in terms of demographics as opposed to religiously-oriented goals.”

Pope Francis Likens European Efforts to ‘Cancel Christmas’ to Dictatorship

By

Claire Giangrave

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December 7, 2021

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Pope Francis pushed back against the European Commission’s internal guidelines, which have drawn fire for trying to “cancel Christmas,” likening these efforts to dictatorships as he warned against “ideological colonization.”

Internal communications of the European Commission were leaked last week by the Italian daily Il Giornale. The 30-page document, titled “Union of Equality,” advised members to “avoid assuming that everyone is Christian,” especially during the winter holidays.

It suggested members of the commission avoid using the word “Christmas” in favor of “holidays.” It also advised against using names “that are typically from one religion,” substituting “Maria and John” with “Malika and Julio” when referring to a hypothetical couple.

The document also provided guidelines on how to address gender and sexual orientation, drawing criticism from Vatican representatives, far-right politicians and also the pope. The European Commission retracted the document last Thursday, calling it “a work in progress” and promising in a tweet to publish an “updated version.”

The document is “anachronistic,” Pope Francis said on Monday (Dec. 6) during a press conference aboard the papal flight returning from his four-day apostolic visit to Cyprus and Greece. “Throughout history many, many dictatorships tried to do it,” he added.

Francis said such efforts are the result of a “watered-down” approach to Christianity that has failed throughout history. “The European Union must take on the ideals of the founding fathers, which were ideals of unity, greatness, and be careful of not paving the road for ideological colonization,” he said, which risks dividing countries and could “make the European Union fail.”

Pope Francis speaks onboard the papal plane, Monday, Dec. 6, 2021. (Alessandro Di Meo/Pool photo via AP)

During his historic visit to Greece, his second trip to the birthplace of democracy, Pope Francis focused on the need for Europe to return to its roots while avoiding the temptations of populism and nationalism. His words focused especially on the plight of migrants and refugees, urging European leaders to welcome and integrate religious, ethnic and cultural differences.

One Dies, 31 Fall Ill From Food Poisoning at Church Event; Chef Charged

By

Dale Chamberlain

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December 7, 2021

Tragedy struck a 2018 harvest supper for Holy Trinity Church in Northamptonshire, England when an improperly cooked shepherd’s pie caused a mass food poisoning event, resulting in the death of 92 year-old Elizabeth Neuman. 31 others fell ill. John Croucher, the chef who prepared the food, has now been charged with three counts of contravening food regulations.

In 2018, Croucher was working as a chef at Crew Arms pub in the Northamptonshire village of Hinton-in-the-Hedges when the pub hosted the Holy Trinity church group of 35 people for a meal. Croucher admitted that he “was rushed,” which ultimately led to his improper cooking of the ground meat in the shepherd’s pie, a traditional British dish. According to the Guardian, the pub only had a one out of five star health rating at the time.

The 92 year-old Neuman died from gastrointestinal hemorrhage after repeatedly vomiting from food poisoning. 31 others reported that they became “unpleasantly ill.” The only people in attendance who did not fall ill were the three vegetarians who did not consume any of the shepherd’s pie.

“Remorse is an understatement. This is something I will never forget. Because of it, I am a better chef and it is just a shame the cost of it had to be what it was,” Croucher said during a court proceeding.

Rendering the sentence of four months of jail time, Judge Sarah Campbell said, “No sentence I pass can reflect the loss caused to the family.” Croucher’s sentence is suspended for twelve months, meaning that if he does not commit any offenses during that time, he will not spend any time behind bars. He no longer works at Crew Arms pub.

The congregants of the Holy Trinity church conveyed to the court that they did not wish to seek retribution against Croucher, the pub, or its landlord, Neil Billingham.

However, because of the pub’s history with poor health ratings, Billingham was also charged with three counts of contravening food regulations. He has been fined nearly $12,000 and ordered to pay more than $1,300 in court fees, according to New York Post. According to Judge Campbell, this was “not a one-off mistake.”

Since the tragedy in 2018, Crew Arms pub has improved its food safety adherence and now has a five star rating for hygiene.

As COVID Continues, Church-Run Food Pantries, Ministries Adapt and Expand

By

Bob Smietana

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December 7, 2021

Volunteers unload a Northern Illinois Food Bank truck for distribution in a parking lot of St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Woodstock, Illinois, Nov. 22, 2021. RNS photo by Bob Smietana

WOODSTOCK, Ill. (RNS) — On a cold, cloudy afternoon in late November, two dozen volunteers were busy unloading a truckload of food in the parking lot just south of St. Anne’s Episcopal Church, setting out a table filled with produce, staples and other groceries for that day’s drive-thru mobile food pantry.

Despite the temperature hovering near freezing, Mike Phillips, a member of nearby Grace Lutheran Church, seemed thrilled to be there. The pantry was just opening, and already, close to a dozen cars were lining up.

“If it stays like this all winter,” he told another volunteer with a smile, “it will be great.”

Across the parking lot, Scott Jewitt, area manager for the Northern Illinois Food Bank, was directing traffic. As cars drove up, volunteers brought groceries to them, part of COVID-19 safety precautions. On this Monday, 169 families — 363 adults and 257 kids — will pick up groceries.

The mobile food pantry, which has been running twice a month at St. Anne’s since the beginning of the year, got its start after a nearby nonprofit lost its building and shut down its food program. Staff at the food bank reached out to the Rev. Cathy Daharsh, pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church in nearby Crystal Lake and chair of a network of local pastors.

Those pastors and their churches agreed to team up, with St. Anne’s hosting the mobile market, while Bethany and other congregations, like Church of the Holy Apostles in nearby McHenry, supplying volunteers and funding.

“During the pandemic, we wanted to roll up our sleeves and say, ‘how can we help?’” Daharsh said. “It really pushed us to collaborate.”

About half of U.S. congregations have some kind of food assistance program, according to data from the 2018 National Congregations Study. And a recent report from the Hartford Institute for Religion Research found that about a third of U.S. congregations saw increased requests for food assistance since the start of the pandemic.

Julie Yurko, president and CEO of the Northern Illinois Food Bank, said requests for food assistance were up 30% last year due to the pandemic. This fall, requests for assistance remain 20% higher than before the pandemic.

“The last 18 months have been unprecedented in terms of need,” she said. “COVID and all the related disruptions have really devastated the finances for so many of our families.”

Northern Illinois Food Bank, founded in the early 1980s by a Roman Catholic nun named Sister Rosemarie Burian, works closely with faith-based groups such as St. Anne’s, the Islamic Circle of North America, as well as a suburban Jewish community center. Several megachurches pitch in to help, as do smaller congregations.

Christmas Object Lesson: Explore 5 Colors of the Season

By

Tamera Kraft

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December 7, 2021

Certain colors are associated with Christmas. Use this Christmas object lesson to teach children about the real meaning of the season. All you need are ornaments or decorations in the various colors.

Christmas Object Lesson: 5 Colors and Their Symbols

1. Red

Red symbolizes that Jesus was born on Christmas so He could shed His blood for our sins.

Romans 5:9 Now that we have been justified by his blood, how much more will we be saved from wrath through him!

2. Green

Green is the color of the evergreens. They last all year long, even through the winter snow. Green symbolizes eternal life that Jesus came to give.

John 3:16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

3. White

White symbolizes the purity of Christ. Because Jesus lived a sinless life, he cleanses us from our sins when we turn to Him.

Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

5 Overlooked Cultural Sins Threatening the Church

By

Rich Little

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December 7, 2021

What if the biggest threats to the church weren’t the things we thought they were? What if the very foundation of our country’s culture actually resembles the culture of our churches? We may find that we’ve been blind to more subtle and subversive cultural sins that are having a greater impact on the church than the issues that consume us.

Here are just five overlooked cultural sins that are contrary to the Kingdom and are sinful within the Kingdom, unknowingly supported by many of us.

1. Competition is one of the cultural sins.

Competition pits people against people; it’s the nature of competition. Someone must lose in order for someone to win. The very act of competition requires the subjugation of some for the success of one. We celebrate with UConn for beating UK in the National Championship last night, proving themselves better than every other college basketball team in the country. Companies compete ferociously for consumer dollars, hoping to gain greater market share than their competition. Sporting franchises rely on their team’s success over the competition to grow the franchise, unless you’re the Cubs, which must be the world’s only exception. Colleges look at ratings and rankings as indicators of their success over the competition, using them as public bragging rights for self-promotion. Politicians spend millions to learn what to say in their campaigns to beat their opponents, and job applicants put their best food forward, hoping to beat out other applicants for the right job.

Competition is not a Kingdom value. In a Kingdom where all are equally valued, loved and included, where all are priests (not a select few) and where self-sacrifice is the measure of one’s life, competition is a toxic and destructive force. The Kingdom ethic is diametrically opposed to competition. How else can we understand ethical implorations such as, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, consider others better than yourselves,” (Philippians 2:3) and, “Do to others as you would have them do to you,” (Luke 6:31) if not as contradictory to the basic intent of competition? This is the offense of the gospel upon the world.

Churches are not immune to this. They too can fall into the competitive trap of comparing themselves to other churches, viewing them as competitors to outperform and outdo. Pastors can find themselves wrought by professional envy, working hard to have greater successes than other pastors, to lead a successful, growing ministry that will be the envy of others. Members find themselves in professional careers that rely on aggressive competition and fail to ever challenge the damage and harm this causes people, let alone their own witness. Yes, we too can succumb to the brokenness of competition.

2. Celebrity is one of the cultural sins.

Celebrities are American cultural staples. The Grammy Awards draw millions of viewers to celebrate the best of the celebrities. Teenage girls flock to see One Direction, hoping for an autograph. Older adults are enamored by favorite politicians, authors, statesmen, who they’d bend over backward to see. We relish the chance to meet a famous person for many reasons. It may make us feel significant, it may give us a connection to someone great and a bragging right for years to come, or it may simply give us pleasure.

The concept of celebrity and fame is completely absent from the Kingdom. There is one Famous One in the Kingdom, Jesus Christ. The social pecking order of Jesus’ day was entirely dismantled when he disclosed his identity to the world. There were and are none like him. He is so incomparable to the celebrities we celebrate today that to offer a comparison is an affront to his majesty.

It’s surprising then that much ado is made of human celebrities by Kingdom citizens. More surprising is it to see the draw in the Kingdom of Christian celebrities: men, women, pastors, speakers, authors, who have reached the relative heights of stardom in the Christian faith and are worshipped as demigods in their own right. Yes, the creep of the culture makes its way into our openness to fame, often sending mixed messages by a people who claim to have one Lord.

4 Recommended Resources on Contentment & Gratitude

By

Karrie Hahn

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December 7, 2021

Once a year, we set aside a specific day to voice our gratitude: Thanksgiving. But what about the other 364 days of the year? Even as believers with new hearts, the pull of the flesh toward dissatisfaction in our lives is powerful. Like a car with alignment problems, we tend to veer toward discontentment and a lack of gratitude, and it is only by being renewed by God’s Word and Spirit that we can keep our hands on the wheel and navigate straight paths. The following resources are geared toward helping believers manifest the fruit of gratitude and contentment as we struggle in a fallen world.

The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment

Jeremiah Burroughs Jeremiah Burroughs is one of the most well-known of all the Puritan writers and is celebrated for his ability to explain the practical ramifications of the gospel for all of life. In this classic book, Burroughs considers the biblical teaching on contentment, focusing particularly on how Christians may find contentment during the most difficult times of life. It is an excellent guide to finding peace in one’s trials and for learning the many ways that the Lord comforts us as we find contentment in Him.

Contentment

Melissa Kruger Scripture frequently encourages us to be content—to not covet what we do not have, to be grateful for all that the Lord has given to us. Yet experiencing and practicing contentment is often much harder for us than understanding what it means. In this teaching series, Melissa Kruger considers what true contentment looks like, exhorting us to trust in the sovereign goodness of God as the means by which we will be able to grow in contentment in our lives.

The Mystery of Providence

John Flavel God’s invisible hand of providence directs the course of our lives for our good and for His final glory. This providence can be difficult to read, but there is much we can learn as we reflect on the providential ordering of our lives. This classic book by Puritan John Flavel helps us to do just that as he looks at the various works of providence that we may experience in our lives and helps us to be grateful for the Lord’s good direction.

The Heidelberg Catechism

This beloved instructional tool for the Christian faith covers the basics of biblical theology under the broad headings of guilt, grace, and gratitude; helping us understand our bondage in sin, the unmerited favor of God in our redemption, and the lives of gratitude we should live in response.

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

Smartphone Discipleship: Three Ways to Get the Most out of Your Phone

By

Josh Hunt

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December 7, 2021

I hear a lot of talk about how dumb and unspiritual our phones are making us. There is surely some truth in that. In this article, I want to focus on how our phones can make us as small group point people, closer to God, closer to each other, and better disciples.

Smartphone Quiet Time

The fundamental discipline of the Christian life is the Quiet Time. It is the single discipline that leads to everything else. Paul spoke of the “knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness.” (Titus 1.1). My definition of a disciple is someone regularly exposes themselves to Word with a view to application in the power of the Holy Spirit. It all starts with regular exposure to the Word.

Donald Whitney describes the importance of exposure to the Word this way:

No Spiritual Discipline is more important than the intake of God’s Word. Nothing can substitute for it. There simply is no healthy Christian life apart from a diet of the milk and meat of Scripture. The reasons for this are obvious. In the Bible God tells us about Himself, and especially about Jesus Christ, the incarnation of God. The Bible unfolds the Law of God to us and shows us how we’ve all broken it. There we learn how Christ died as a sinless, willing Substitute for breakers of God’s Law and how we must repent and believe in Him to be right with God. In the Bible we learn the ways and will of the Lord. We find in Scripture how to live in a way that is pleasing to God as well as best and most fulfilling for ourselves. None of this eternally essential information can be found anywhere else except the Bible. Therefore if we would know God and be Godly, we must know the Word of God—intimately. — Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1991), 28.

Andy Stanley describes their discipleship strategy this way:

From the beginning we have looked for ways to coax, bribe, bait, and equip everybody from kindergarten up to engage in some kind of private devotional exercise. — Andy Stanley, Deep and Wide: Creating Churches Unchurched People Love to Attend (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012).

I wrote a book a few years ago called The Habit of Discipleship. The habit. One habit. One. And, it is a habit. Not so much a discipline in the sense of something I don’t want to do but force myself to do anyway. It is the habit of starting my day with my Bible on my lap. It is the habit of praying about what I read about. This one habit—the Christian Quiet Time—changes everything.

I have my Quiet Time on my phone. It is not the only way to do it. But, it is best way for me.

My life was forever changed a few years ago by reading something else by Donald Whitney—his book, Praying the Bible. I came away with this nugget: Read the Word; pray about what you read about. God speaks to me through the Word. I speak to Him through prayer. Meditation on the Word could be described as praying about what you read about.

I use the Bible memory app. What I love about this app is that it drops out every other word of a Bible verse. This gives me enough information to work out what the verse is, without giving me the whole thing. I read a book on learning a few years ago that talked about the idea that learning actually happens in that moment when you struggle to recall and then do successfully recall. If you don’t struggle, you don’t learn. If you don’t recall you don’t learn. You have to struggle and recall.

Missions Testimony: Presentation Tips for Maximum Impact

By

Alvin Reid

-

December 6, 2021

Missions testimony is so powerful! I love hearing how people are sharing the gospel around the world. A few summers ago, our church took mission trips to Chicago and then to Kiev, Ukraine. Sharing testimonies afterward is always such a highlight.

But a problem tends to recur. We’ve all been there. The person giving the missions testimony might be enthusiastic but tends to ramble. Because the person usually isn’t a public speaker, the presentation is a bit scattered. I’ve been guilty of that myself.

How do we stay focused and give a brief, powerful, and effective missions testimony?

In the New Testament, Dr. Luke offers great counsel on this topic. Dive into the book of Acts. Again and again, Luke tells us two things well. Read on to discover those two tips, plus a third suggestion to help anyone present an effective missions testimony.

3 Insights for Powerful Missions Testimony

1. Offer the big picture.

Look at Acts 2:42-47. In a few verses, Luke describes the life of the new church. Or look at 8:1-4 (or the corresponding passage in 11:19f). Luke is a master at giving a big overview in a compelling way.

Tell listeners where you went, who you served with, and what your main focus was.

For example: A dozen of us from Richland Creek Community Church flew to Kiev to worship with Open Hearts Church. We have served that congregation for the past few years. From Monday to Saturday, we led an English and Sports camp with almost 100 people, few of whom were believers. We sought to help campers learn the language, have fun and hear about Jesus!

2. Provide an example of the bottom-line happenings.

Again, Luke does this so well. Just after 2:42-47, he gives a remarkable and specific instance of their daily witness (daily is mentioned twice in 42-47). The Lord heals a lame man through Peter and John. The man leaps up and begins praising God. A crowd gathers, Peter preaches, and many people are saved!

A similar thing happens in chapter 8. After a general description of widespread persecution, Luke describes the specific ministry of Stephen.

Tell listeners one or two specific incidents that were memorable for you on the mission trip. Plus, you can share one more story involving someone else.

You can’t recount the whole trip, so don’t try. People really don’t want a documentary; save that for a family reunion.

Children Led Christmas Service: Pull It Off With Just One Practice

By

Brandon Horst

-

December 6, 2021

Christmas is a great opportunity to include kids in the broader church. But a children led Christmas service or program can seem (especially on your bad days) to take more effort than it’s worth. By the performance date, most everyone is stripped of joy, just wanting to be done.

When that kept happening at our church, we decided to try something new. We attempted a children led Christmas service with just one practice. The kid-led pilot attempt went so well that we’re doing it again! Here’s why:

Children Led Christmas Service: 7 Benefits

1. More kids can be involved.

They have to commit to only one weekend.

2. Volunteers avoid burnout.

Again, they commit to just one weekend.

3. Children’s ministers avoid burnout.

Yep, that’s right: Only one weekend to coordinate and commit!

4. Kids and parents get excited.

They’re just as amped about this event as other things we’ve done that require much more effort.

5. Parents get a Saturday to themselves.

They can go Christmas shopping or enjoy some quiet time.

6. The performance is more authentic.

Why? Because kids haven’t spent months over-memorizing the material.

7. Flexibility!

We can work within whatever Christmas series our church is doing.

What a Children Led Christmas Service Looks Like

Kids Arrive

We do the one rehearsal the Saturday before kids take over our adult services. That way, everything is fresh.

Kids arrive at 9 a.m. Then we have a quick breakfast of cereal and milk. And we actually start at 9:30 because most kids are late. (Is that just a problem we have?)

Continue

Here’s Why People Leave Church (Really)

By

John Pavlovitz

-

December 6, 2021

why people leave church — Lightstock #798191

Being on the other side of the Exodus sucks, don’t it? I see the panic on your face, Church. I know the internal terror as you see the statistics and hear the stories and scan the exit polls. I see you desperately scrambling to do damage control for the fence-sitters and manufacture passion from the shrinking faithful, and I want to help you understand why people leave church.

You may think you know why people people leave church, but I’m not sure you do.

You think it’s because “the culture” is so lost, so perverse, so beyond help that they are all walking away.

You believe that they’ve turned a deaf ear to the voice of God; chasing money, and sex, and material things.

RELATED: Why Young People Leave

You think that the gays and the Muslims and the Atheists and the pop stars have so screwed up the morality of the world that everyone is abandoning faith in droves.

But those aren’t the reasons people are leaving you.

They aren’t the problem, Church.

Why People Leave Church – YOU Are the Problem

1. Your Sunday productions have worn thin.

The stage, and the lights, and the bands, and the video screens, have all just become white noise to those really seeking to encounter God. They’re ear and eye candy for an hour, but they have so little relevance in people’s daily lives that more and more of them are taking a pass.

Yeah the songs are cool and the show is great, but ultimately Sunday morning isn’t really making a difference on Tuesday afternoon or Thursday evening, when people are wrestling with the awkward, messy, painful stuff in the trenches of life; the places where rock shows don’t help.

We can be entertained anywhere. Until you can give us something more than a Christian-themed performance piece; something that allows us space and breath and conversation and relationship, many of us are going to sleep in and stay away.

2. You speak in a foreign tongue.

Church, you talk and talk and talk, but you do so using a dead language. Do you wonder why people leave church? You’re holding on to dusty words that have no resonance in people’s ears, not realizing that just saying those words louder isn’t the answer. All the religious buzzwords that used to work 20 years ago no longer do.

This spiritualized insider-language may give you some comfort in an outside world that is changing, but that stuff’s just lazy religious shorthand, and it keeps regular people at a distance. They need you to speak in a language that they can understand. There’s a message there worth sharing, but it’s hard to hear above your verbal pyrotechnics.

People don’t need to be dazzled with big, churchy words and about eschatological frameworks and theological systems. Talk to them plainly about love, and joy, and forgiveness, and death, and peace, and God, and they’ll be all ears. Keep up the church-speak, and you’ll be talking to an empty room soon.

3. Your vision can’t see past your building.

The coffee bar, the cushy couches, the high tech lights, the funky Children’s wing and the uber-cool Teen Center are all top-notch … and costly. In fact, most of your time, money and energy seems to be about luring people to where you are, instead of reaching people where they already are.

Rather than simply stepping out into the neighborhoods around you and partnering with the amazing things already happening, and the beautiful stuff God is already doing, you seem content to franchise out your particular brand of Jesus-stuff and wait for the sinful world to beat down your door.

Your greatest mission field is just a few miles (or a few feet) off your campus and you don’t even realize it. You wanna reach the people you’re missing?

Leave the building.

4. You choose lousy battles.

We know you like to fight, Church. That’s obvious.

When you want to, you can go to war with the best of them. The problem is, your battles are too darn small. Fast food protests, hobby store outrage and duck-calling Reality TV show campaigns may manufacture some urgency and Twitter activity on the inside for the already-convinced, but they’re paper tigers to people out here with bloody boots on the ground.

Pence’s Abortion Stat Fits ‘Literal Definition of Systemic Racism,’ Says SBC Seminary Professor

By

Jessica Lea

-

December 6, 2021

systemic racism — Photo of Mike Pence a screen grab from Facebook: @Susan B. Anthony List

The fact that a disproportionate number of children of color are aborted in comparison to white children is an example of the “literal definition of systemic racism,” says Karen Swallow Prior. Prior, who is an author and Research Professor of English and Christianity and Culture at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, said this in response to an editorial citing recent comments from former vice president Mike Pence on the racial disparities among women who get abortions.

“At a time when the label ‘racist’ is freely and in many cases wrongly applied, real racism is taking place in many abortion clinics,” wrote conservative political columnist Cal Thomas in a Dec. 3 op ed. “Former Vice President Mike Pence noted this in a speech he delivered Tuesday to a gathering of pro-lifers convened by the Susan B. Anthony List organization. Pence noted: ‘Despite being less than one-third of the population, Blacks and Hispanics account for nearly two-thirds of all abortions performed.’”

“Wait,” tweeted Prior, “Is this systemic racism, which doesn’t exist?”

Wait. Is this systemic racism, which doesn’t exist? pic.twitter.com/F9opNtSIw8

— Karen Swallow Prior (Notorious KSP) (@KSPrior) December 5, 2021

In the comments on her tweet, Prior explained, “I’ve been involved in the pro-life movement for decades. In the movement, [the statistic Pence mentioned] is cast as an argument against legal abortions, as evidence of the targeting and vulnerability of minorities. That’s what systemic racism is, which conservatives in the movement tend to deny exists.” She added, “I only just noticed that inconsistency in the rhetoric and it really struck me.”

Systemic Racism in the U.S.

Pence made his observations in a speech he gave Nov. 30, the day before the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case many believe has the potential to overturn Roe v. Wade. Planned Parenthood, whose founder Margaret Sanger was a proponent of eugenics, “shamelessly builds on Margaret Sanger’s legacy,” said Pence, “with the vast majority of its abortion clinics located in Black and Hispanic neighborhoods.”

The actual numbers vary from year to year, but pro-choice advocates do not dispute that there are clear racial disparities among women who get abortions, although they disagree with pro-life advocates as to the reasons behind them.

In a July 12 article for Religion News Service, Prior offered the Aspen Institute’s definition of systemic racism as a “system in which public policies, institutional practices, cultural representations, and other norms work in various, often reinforcing ways to perpetuate racial group inequity.”

Said Prior, “Systemic racism doesn’t refer to individual racist or bigoted attitudes that anyone (of any color) may or may not have. Rather, systemic racism refers to how a culture shaped by racist laws, policies and attitudes affects everyone in that culture.” She rejected the idea that a belief in systemic racism goes hand in hand with critical race theory (CRT), saying that she does not subscribe to CRT herself.

US Religious Group Says Haitian Gang Releases 3 Hostages

By

Peter Smith and Evens Sanon

-

December 6, 2021

Haiti Hostages — Workers ride out of the gate of the Christian Aid Ministries headquarters in Titanyen, north of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, Dec. 6, 2021. The religious group based in Ohio said that three more hostages were released on Sunday, while another 12 remain abducted in Haiti. The group provided no further details. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A religious group based in Ohio announced Monday that a violent gang in Haiti has released three more hostages, while another 12 remain abducted.

The statement from Christian Aid Ministries said the people were released on Sunday in Haiti and are “safe and seem to be in good spirits.” The group provided no further details.

On Nov. 21, the religious organization announced that the 400 Mawozo gang had released the first two hostages of a group of 17 kidnapped in mid-October. There are 12 adults and five children in the group of 16 U.S. citizens and one Canadian, including an 8-month-old.

The leader of the 400 Mawozo gang has threatened to kill the hostages unless his demands are met. Authorities have said the gang was seeking $1 million per person, although it wasn’t immediately clear that included the children in the group.

“We are thankful to God that three more hostages were released last night,” said the statement from Christian Aid Ministries, an Anabaptist missions organization based in Berlin, Ohio. “As with the previous release, we are not able to provide the names of the people released, the circumstances of the release, or any other details.”

The group reiterated its request for supporters to devote Monday through Wednesday as days of prayer and fasting “to intercede for those who are still being held as well as those who have been released.”

The release comes amid an ongoing spike in kidnappings in the capital of Port-au-Prince and elsewhere in Haiti, which is struggling to recover from the July 7 presidential assassination, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck in mid-August and a severe fuel shortage.

On Sunday, a gang leader known as “Ti Lapli” posted a YouTube video warning people not to cross in upcoming days through the Martissant community, which has been the site of violent clashes between warring gangs.

“Insecurity has increased,” the gang leader said. “I invite the people of Martissant to stock up on food and gasoline. The next few days will be difficult… We will not remain with our arms crossed in face of those who try to destroy us.”

___

Smith reported from Pittsburgh.

This story originally appeared here.

African Faith Leaders Combat Misleading Theologies That Promise Cures for COVID-19

By

Fredrick Nzwili

-

December 6, 2021

african faith leaders — Participants at the 3rd Symposium on Misleading Theologies in Nairobi, Kenya, hold group discussions on Nov. 22, 2021. RNS photo by Fredrick Nzwili

NAIROBI, Kenya (RNS) — When some African church pastors ordered their followers to eat grass or gulp petrol or even drink poison-laced water, their congregations have obeyed the instructions, thinking the practices would bring them closer to God.

Many other pastors take their wellness advice a notch higher, claiming to heal conditions such as disability and barrenness and diseases such as HIV and AIDS, and, more recently, coronavirus. It’s not unheard of for pastors to hold their congregations spellbound as they promise to bring the dead back to life.

In recent years the All Africa Conference of Churches, an umbrella group for several Protestant denominations on the continent, has moved to combat theological claims that harm Christians, holding a series of symposiums to educate clergy and unify their churches against faith healing and other practices.

“All these pronunciations, fake testimonies and things like these are really destructive. They are not life-giving, but life frustrating,” said the Rev. Fidon Mwombeki, a Tanzanian Lutheran pastor who is the general secretary of the AACC.

Based in Nairobi, the AACC is the continent’s largest association of Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox and Indigenous churches and has a presence in 42 countries. It brings together churches, national councils of churches, theological and lay training institutions and other Christian organizations.

The Rev. Fidom Mwombeki, a Tanzania Lutheran pastor who is the general secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches, speaks at the closing of the 3rd Symposium on misleading Theologies in Nairobi, Kenya, on Nov. 24, 2021. RNS photo by Fredrick Nzwili

The Rev. Fidom Mwombeki, a Tanzanian Lutheran pastor who is the general secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches, speaks at the closing of the 3rd Symposium on misleading Theologies in Nairobi, Kenya, on Nov. 24, 2021. RNS photo by Fredrick Nzwili

Since 2019, the group has organized three symposiums in which theologians, clerics and lay Christians have met to explore the subject of misinformation. Some of the themes tackled in the prior conferences include power and authority, wealth and poverty, government regulation of religious organizations, and health and healing.

“If we don’t pay attention, (misleading theologies) will undermine human dignity and put the lives of people at stake. You see in some churches the minister sending people out to eat grass. This is unacceptable,” said the Rev. Bosela Eale of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, AACC’s director of theology, interfaith relations and leadership, at the most recent Nov. 22-24 symposium, held in Nairobi.

The theologians are warning against dangerous teachings and practices, such as: the prosperity gospel; sexual abuses in demonic exorcism and blessing for fertility; the use of toxic substances and liquids in religious rites; and demanding huge sums of money for prayers and pastoral services, among others.

Church Exits, COVID Lead to Steep Budget Cuts for United Methodist Church

By

Heather Hahn

-

December 6, 2021

What does a predicted denominational split and an unpredictable pandemic mean for The United Methodist Church’s bottom line?

The General Council on Finance and Administration board grappled with that question as members revisited the denomination-wide budget that will go before the coming General Conference.

The finance agency board already was preparing to send the lawmaking assembly the lowest budget in more than 30 years. On Dec. 1, by an 18-1 vote, the board approved shrinking the proposed four-year budget even further to a total of about $407.3 million for the years 2023-2026.

That marks a cut of nearly 33% — a third — from the budget General Conference approved in 2016 to support denomination-wide ministries.

The current proposal also would be the lowest budget submitted to General Conference since 1988, according to the denomination’s Commission on Archives and History. At the time, the denomination had about 3 million fewer members than today and had yet to establish Africa University, now supported by denominational funds.

Still, board members stressed that the budget proposal remains very much a work in progress and could change further.

They are trying to get a clear picture of what the denomination’s financial base will look like in the near future — and a fog of unknowns clouds their view.

After decades of intensifying debate over LGBTQ inclusion, the coming General Conference faces multiple proposals for a denominational separation.

But no person knows how many congregations will depart if a plan of separation passes. Similarly, no one can say when the deadly pandemic will stop upending lives.

“They are projections for things we’ve never done before,” said Christine Dodson, GCFA board vice president who serves on the denomination’s Budget Advisory Team. She also is the treasurer and business manager of the North Carolina Conference.

“We don’t have data on how a pandemic and disaffiliation are going to impact our churches moving forward.”

The board does have the educated guesses by leaders of U.S. conferences, the regional bodies that provide the lion’s share of funding for denomination-wide ministries. Both in 2020 and this year, GCFA surveyed conference treasurers, bishops, district superintendents and others to get their best sense of the financial impact of congregational disaffiliations.

Based on this year’s survey, the finance agency now estimates the denomination stands to lose about 25.5% of U.S. local church net expenditures by 2025. That’s a bigger loss than projected in last year’s survey, which only asked for estimates through 2024.

8 Things That Are a Waste of a Pastor’s Time

1. Regularly scheduled meetings.

2. Add-on meetings.

3. Non-productive meetings.

4. Telephone calls.

5. Social media complexity.

6. Old school secretaries.

7. Time in the car.

8. Counseling.

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Christmas Object Lesson: 5 Colors and Their Symbols

1. Red

2. Green

3. White

Here are just five overlooked cultural sins that are contrary to the Kingdom and are sinful within the Kingdom, unknowingly supported by many of us.

1. Competition is one of the cultural sins.

2. Celebrity is one of the cultural sins.

Smartphone Quiet Time

3 Insights for Powerful Missions Testimony

1. Offer the big picture.

2. Provide an example of the bottom-line happenings.

Children Led Christmas Service: 7 Benefits

1. More kids can be involved.

2. Volunteers avoid burnout.

3. Children’s ministers avoid burnout.

4. Kids and parents get excited.

5. Parents get a Saturday to themselves.

6. The performance is more authentic.

7. Flexibility!

What a Children Led Christmas Service Looks Like

Kids Arrive

Why People Leave Church – YOU Are the Problem

1. Your Sunday productions have worn thin.

2. You speak in a foreign tongue.

3. Your vision can’t see past your building.

4. You choose lousy battles.

Read More About Why People Leave Church on Page Two . . .

Systemic Racism in the U.S.

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