Grand Canyon University Rides Technology Waves to New Vitality

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November 17, 2021

In 1998, Brian Mueller, a rising regional manager at the University of Phoenix, was called back to the corporate headquarters. Senior leaders had heard about “the information superhighway” and wanted Mueller to help figure out how the university could use it to apply their learning model. Brian hired some smart technologists who built the infrastructure, while he focused on how to make the instructor-led, small class size, critical thinking focused model work when the classroom became virtual. Even 20 years ago, the technology waves were rising.

Students rapidly embraced the new approach, so much so that Phoenix had to go to Wall Street to raise capital to build out the technology infrastructure. By 2003, the University of Phoenix had 200,000 online students. Mueller was asked to step up from being CEO of Phoenix Online to being President of the University of Phoenix’s parent company.

While the University of Phoenix Online was thriving, another university in the city of Phoenix was struggling. Founded in 1949, the 2000s had not been kind to Grand Canyon University, with enrollment dropping below 1,000. In 2008, GCU reached out to Brian Mueller, asking him to step in as president.

Mueller prayerfully considered the opportunity. A graduate of Concordia College (now University), he had spent the early years of his career teaching theology and history and coaching basketball in Christian schools. He loved and had missed Christian education. As he told me, “maybe this was God’s plan all along.”

Mueller saw the opportunity to leverage technology to make a quality Christian education accessible to many more families. He thought: “What if we could make Christian higher-ed more affordable than a state university? How would God use that?”

He brought the core of the Phoenix technology team with him, but building the modern infrastructure capable of riding the changing technology waves would take money that Grand Canyon didn’t have. So, Mueller went back to Wall Street. Remember, in 2008, the stock market was suffering through a global recession. There had not been an initial public offering (IPO) by any company in 90 days, much less any fund raising by struggling Christian schools. But the analysts and buyers remembered how well investments in Phoenix had paid off.

The Small Group Bump of 2021: Growth, With the Promise of More

By

Allen White

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November 17, 2021

At the beginning of 2021, I started talking about the Small Group Boom. As COVID numbers were descending, a pattern began to emerge in several disciplines reminiscent of the aftermath of the Spanish Influenza in 1918-1919. After that period, people began to travel extensively both domestically and internationally. Then, of course, came the Roaring 20’s. The Spanish Influenza was never mentioned again even though it didn’t entirely disappear until the 1950s when it was overcome by Bird Flu (see this 1997 New Yorker article by Malcolm Gladwell). Sorry for that bit of bad news. The churches I coached anticipated a great reduction in COVID cases and prepared for the Small Group Boom, then the Delta variant appeared. No one was prepared for that. The Small Group Boom of 2021 ended up being more of a Small Group Bump, but it was a significant bump. These churches ended up with more small groups than they ever had and more people in groups than ever. And, more of their groups continued. In places where we might have launched hundreds of new groups in more normal times, we launched dozens of new groups instead. They were “COVID successful.”

The church I am serving as Life Group Pastor in Lansing, Michigan saw a group increase of 176% in 2021. The senior pastor led the church in two alignment series which we self-produced. We started the year with 20% of their 1,500 adults in small groups and ended the year with 60% in groups. We are launching a third alignment series in February to reach our goal of 80% of adults in groups. This is both the in-person worship attendance (1,000) and the online worship attendance (500).

The Small Group Bump

While everyone has been forced to adapt to the changing culture produced by the pandemic, many of the best practices taught in Exponential Groups are working very well. Inviting people to start their own groups is working. Gathering a group of friends is working. Coaching every new leader is working. Offering a next step series for groups to continue is working. And the Holy Spirit is working to transform lives and make disciples in groups. With a dose of flexibility regarding when, where, and how a group meets, these strategies have proven successful. Here’s what’s different:

1. People have re-evaluated their priorities.

During the pandemic, most people divested themselves of everything – social activities, church activities, commuting to work, hobbies, and pretty much everything else. Once people had a “blank slate” on their calendar, they’ve been choosier about what to bring back. For many people, their calendars are not nearly as full now as they were at the beginning of 2020. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.

2. Uncertainty produces a lack of commitment.

Preach what is certain. With so much uncertainty in politics, economics, supply chain (when have you ever worried about the supply chain), race relations, local schools, and many other things, you can give them what is certain. As Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35, NIV).

3. Online worshippers are willing to meet in groups (online groups AND in-person groups).

Online services are great in delivering programming. Small groups are great in creating community. If you lead your online congregation to start groups, they will. Some are only uncomfortable meeting in-person in large groups, but they will meet in-person for a small group. Don’t overlook your online congregation. They will follow where you lead them. Online ministry is both an opportunity and a responsibility.

4. Embracing and empowering the church you have.

2019 isn’t coming back. Move forward. Stop waiting for it. Starting leading the church you have.

**5. Now is the time to realign the priorities in your ministry.**

If you ever wanted to change things, this is your moment. During the pandemic, you had a church of small groups (not just a church with small groups). Now is the time to emphasize that small group bump in the uncertain days ahead.

I want to help you prepare for what’s ahead for your church in forming groups in 2022. According to Gauge Research, a secular research firm in Washington DC, right now in the fourth quarter of 2021, people are planning for spring 2022 already. That means two significant things for groups (barring another Coronavirus surge):

The New Year of 2022 is a crucial window to launch groups. Hit the New Year hard in recruiting leaders and launching groups. According to Gauge, people will be gone after Easter.
Your next big opportunity for a major group launch is fall 2022. While this is typically the biggest group launch of the year, post-Covid this could be huge.

People are ready to move forward. We’ve had the small group bump, but there’s still a small group boom coming.You hear it. You can feel it. Let’s talk about what it means to move forward in 2022. Join me for the Small Group Restart. This is a 5-day challenge to think through your small group strategies for 2022. Watch a daily video. Interact in our private Facebook group. Join a community of like-minded small group folks who are figuring things out just like you are. Click here to join.

This article on the small group bump of 2021 originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

‘2021 Persecutor of the Year Awards’ Report Released by International Christian Concern

By

Jessica Lea

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November 17, 2021

international christian concern — Left: Kremlin.ru, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Middle: Drew2k2, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kim Jong-un, the Taliban, and Nigeria have all received awards from a persecution watchdog group—”Persecutor of the Year” awards, that is. On Nov. 16, International Christian Concern (ICC) chose “dis-honorees” in the categories of individual, entity, and country in its report on the state of Christian persecution throughout the world.

“Whenever a report like this is prepared,” said the ICC, “it is helpful to keep in mind the numerous candidates which could have received our ‘awards.’ There is always a subjective element in ranking countries in terms of their human rights records.” The report continues:

For instance, we could have chosen North Korea for worst persecuting country. But since persecution in North Korea is so fused with Kim Jong-un, we selected him as our top individual. Nigeria earned the country designation for its brutal crackdown on Christians. And while the Taliban takeover didn’t catch ICC by surprise, they once again are crushing the hopes and dreams of believers, earning the Taliban our top spot for “entity.”

International Christian Concern’s Top Persecutors

The purpose of International Christian Concern is “to relieve the suffering of the worldwide persecuted church and help it grow in strength and breadth.” This is the first year that ICC has named “Persecutors of the Year.” Previously, the group released a “Hall of Shame” report that named top persecutors of Christians around the world. ICC’s 2016 Hall of Shame, which named 12 countries, was notable for including the United States for the first time.

“For many years, we published a report called the Hall of Shame, calling out the world’s worst persecutors,” said ICC in a post on its Facebook page. “This year, we have revamped this mission, issuing ‘Persecutor of the Year’ awards to the most notorious countries, individuals, and entities around the world…We also pray that it will help you and your church stay informed about your suffering brothers and sisters.”

In addition to naming one primary offender in the categories of “individuals,” “entities,” and “countries,” the report lists other top offenders in those groups. Countries named include China, India, Iran and Myanmar. Some of the individuals listed are Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, and Chinese president Xi Jinping. Two Indian politicians made the list: Narendra Modi, the country’s president, and Yogi Adityanath, minister of the state of Uttar Pradesh. Among several entities highlighted in the report were the Allied Democratic Forces (in the Democratic Republic of Congo), Boko Haram, and Al-Shabaab.

“This was a monumental and historic research project by our staff,” said ICC president Jeff King in an announcement about the report. “We are making the world aware of the atrocities committed by some of the worst persecutors of Christians. We name the offenders and release this report to give the media, government officials, and public a valuable resource on persecution. We want to share this information and pressure the foreign leaders who are committing these documented crimes.”

LGBTQ Artist Hits #1 on the iTunes Christian Charts for the Second Time This Year

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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November 17, 2021

Grace Baldridge, a 31-year-old openly queer artist who goes by the stage name Semler, sat atop the iTunes Christian Albums chart for the second time in 2021.

“We Did It Again! An Openly Queer Artist Holding the #1 Spot on the Christian Charts. Baby Bloom,” Baldridge tweeted. Like her previous album, “Preacher’s Kid,” Semler’s October 22 EP titled “Late Bloomer” rose quickly to become the number one Christian album.

Unlike “Preacher’s Kid,” Semler’s new album doesn’t have an explicit warning tag. In her previous album, songs “Bethlehem” and “Youth Group” both carried the warning.

Baldridge is the daughter of an Episcopalian priest. She married her partner, Elizabeth Capel, in 2018. In this new album, Baldridge focuses on issues of the Christian faith. In her song “Wanna Grab Coffee?” she writes, “Jesus loves you, but I don’t know if He likes you. If you hung out for a day, I think He’d have some notes to go through, like ‘Why are you the way you are?’ and ‘Hypothetically would you say that hell is near or really far?’ I’m just sayin, stranger to sinner, I sure hope you’re prayin, ‘cause judgement is coming and you will be payin.”

During the chorus of the song, Semler sings, “But that is my favorite part about a savior, the feedback on behavior. Salvation was a favor. Oh that is my favorite part, ‘cause God knows religion is hard.”

iTunes isn’t the only place where Semler’s music is getting heard. Her song “Hallelujah (In Your Arms)” was also featured on Spotify’s Top Christian editorial playlist.

A week after its release, Semler’s new album dropped to the number two slot, behind Sean Feucht’s “Let Us Worship — Awake America.” Baldrige tweeted, “HELLO FROM LATE BLOOMER HQ! We remain in a holding pattern at #2 on the iTunes Charts. However on God’s charts we are currently #1.”

Semler’s Music Promotes the LGBTQ Lifestyle

The controversial artist released three songs on April 23, 2021, which included “TobyMac,” a song she also performed live from her living room in a YouTube video. In the song, Semler writes about wanting to make her girlfriend a mixtape but expresses that she only knows Christian songs. This made her think creatively, as the lyrics say, “Like, when TobyMac said ‘You consume me,’” referring to DC Talk’s “Consume Me” from their record “Supernatural.”

“I thought of her and how her eyes see through me, and Switchfoot has an ‘Only Hope,‘ and that’s her for me,” the song continues. “Even though I know they wrote them for God, for Jesus, for a savior, ain’t that nice? But I’m seventeen, and I want someone real to hold at night, and I’m terrified, I’m terrified. They’d hate me if they knew I’m using worship songs to say I love you.”

Later in the song, Semler says that “Reliant K f–king got my a– through college.”

In her video, Semler explained that creating a mixtape for someone you’re interested in when you only have access to Christian music can be a “minefield,” because “you don’t want to drop a praise and worship song that comes across too heavy, but also you want to get the message across.”

‘One Religion’? Flynn Also Recited a Doomsday Cult Leader’s Prayer at a September Church Event

By

Stephanie Martin

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November 17, 2021

Michael-Flynn — L: BlackSun at English Wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons R: Claudette Roulo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Following last weekend’s controversial ReAwaken America event at a Texas church, concerns resurfaced about the phrasing in some of Michael Flynn’s recent prayer-like language. The convicted-but-pardoned former national security adviser under President Trump has faced accusations including devil worship and cult-like messaging.

While leading a prayer at a Nebraska church in September, Flynn referred to “legions” and “sevenfold rays,” causing some QAnon adherents to claim he follows Satan. Flynn strongly denies that, telling radio host Paul Oebel, “People need to stop overthinking what everybody is saying.”

Michael Flynn Speaks of Being ‘Freeborn’

On September 17, Flynn led a prayer at Pastor Hank Kunneman’s Lord of Hosts Church in Omaha. “We are your instrument of those sevenfold rays and all your archangels, all of them,” he said. “We will be the instrument of your will, whatever it is. In your name, and in the name of your legions, we are freeborn, and we shall remain freeborn, and we shall not be enslaved by any foe.”

As seen in videos posted online, Flynn used almost-verbatim language from Elizabeth Clare Prophet, who led the 1980s doomsday cult The Church Universal and Triumphant (CUT). The cult, which has ties to theosophy and the “I AM” cult movement, has a much smaller following these days. But it maintains a publishing arm, Summit Lighthouse, amid renewed interest in doomsday teachings.

Jim Stewartson, who calls himself an “Anti-disinfo activist,” posted a side-by-side comparison of Flynn’s September prayer and Prophet’s prayer from 1984. In addition to “sevenfold rays,” other similar phrasing includes “I will not retreat,” “I will be the instrument of God’s will, whatever it is,” “I AM freeborn and I shall remain freeborn,” and “I shall not be enslaved by any foe within or without.”

Stewartson tweeted, “He just changed ‘I AM’ to ‘WE WILL.’ Please share this with [Flynn’s] cult. It’s important that they know he is not a Christian.” He also described how Flynn used similar “I AM” terminology in previous speeches.

Author Karen Piper tweeted, “Why the heck is Flynn making people recite [Prophet]? He said he carries the prayer in his pocket!” Piper shared a link to a book containing the prayer, noting, “It’s not something you would just happen upon. [Flynn’s] QAnon friends probably got him into it.”

Conservative Baptist Network Promotes Film Claiming Some SBC Entities Are Marxist

By

Dale Chamberlain

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November 17, 2021

CBN Enemies Within the Church — Image from "Enemies Within the Church" trailer, found on YouTube.

The Conservative Baptist Network (CBN), an association within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), has been promoting a film entitled “Enemies Within the Church.” In the trailer of the film, which the CBN shared in a tweet, various interviewees claim that Christian educational institutions and churches have been brainwashed by Marxism, including some within its own denomination.

On the film’s website, the makers of “Enemies Within the Church” offer a fourfold plan to “save America.” These steps include watching the film, repenting of your sins, building a biblical worldview, and confronting evil. Terms like “sin” and “evil” are framed within the context of the film’s thesis that the Church’s involvement with issues of social justice is inherently godless.

Many Christian leaders have responded negatively to the film’s trailer, drawing attention to the misleading nature of the film’s claims. Some are calling for a formal rebuke of the CBN by the SBC for promoting the film.

“Enemies Within the Church” Trailer

The opening shot of the film’s trailer features the inside of a church, with the camera panning across pews. Over this image, the narrator poses a question: “What happened to the Church — to the living, powerful, transformative, nation-shaking Christianity?” As the camera pans to a crucifix at the front of the church, it changes into an image of Jesus hanging on a hammer and sickle.

One interviewee asked, “How do you break down American Christianity?” The trailer then showed newspaper clippings with terms like “systemic racism,” “profiling,” “discrimination,” and “injustice.”

“I think the problem today in our culture is that many of our words have been co-opted and stolen, and dumbed down, and reversed,” another interviewee said. “When you preach victimization, it always leads to vengeance and vice — us against them, me against you. I want my pound of flesh.”

Ironically, the next shot of the trailer framed educational institutions and many congregations as an enemy to the Church. “American churches today are where the universities were 10 years ago — pretty heavily Marxist…Many of the seminaries and Bible colleges are definitely already there,” one voice said, as the trailer showed footage from what appeared to be Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS). Notably, SWBTS belongs to the same denomination as the CBN.

A graphic then flashed across the screen with the statement, “Pastors are being brainwashed.” The trailer featured images of pastors the film believes are brainwashed by Marxist ideas, including Eric Mason and Matt Chandler. Chandler’s church is affiliated with the SBC.

“That message that they’re going out and taking to the world is not, ‘You need to repent of your sin, receive Christ,” said another interviewee. “Instead, the message you actually have is, ‘They are under the weight of racism, or sexism, or homophobia.’”

ERLC: Child-Care Proposal Threatens Religious Liberty

By

Tom Strode

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November 17, 2021

WASHINGTON (BP) – Religious freedom concerns for faith-based child-care programs plague President Biden’s Build Back Better Act as it nears apparent action by Congress, according to Southern Baptists’ ethics entity.

The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) and other organizations have urged congressional members to revise provisions in the $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package.

They say the legislation will prevent faith-based centers and schools from participating in good conscience in the proposal’s expansive pre-kindergarten and child-care programs. Its mandates, the ERLC and others say, would affect the practice of faith-based recipients, if they choose to participate, in such areas as hiring, admissions and teaching. It could open providers to requirements regarding gay and transgender rights that conflict with their religious beliefs, critics say.

“Faith-based groups play a vital role in providing quality child care and pre-K [education] to America’s children,” said Chelsea Sobolik, the ERLC’s director of public policy. “These organizations must have the freedom to serve parents and children according to their religious beliefs.

“Many nonpublic schools intentionally avoid federal financial recipient status because of how it could subject them to troubling provisions related to sexual orientation and gender identity language that raises serious religious liberty concerns,” she said in a written statement. “The Build Back Better proposal must respect the religious freedom of these institutions.”

The ERLC and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) also have expressed their opposition to the bill’s failure to retain bans on federal funding of abortion. In multiple letters to the Democratic-controlled Congress this year, the ERLC has urged retention of such funding prohibitions in spending legislation.

Whether religious organizations participate in the expanded child-care program would appear to be a significant issue. A national survey by the Bipartisan Policy Center in December 2020 showed 53 percent of families that use center-based care place their children in one connected to a religious organization.

The proposal in the budget reconciliation bill would make a significant change in how federal funds for child-care providers are viewed and what restrictions are placed on such centers.

For more than 30 years, the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program has protected the right of faith-based organizations to participate to the same extent as non-religious ones. The program provides certificates to eligible parents, who give them to the child-care center they choose.

The CCDBG’s rules guard “the religious identity, religious teaching, religious hiring, and religious admission standards” of religious providers that receive the certificates, according to the Institutional Religious Freedom Alliance.

The House of Representatives version of the budget reconciliation bill, however, would mandate faith-based providers that receive certificates in the expanded program must abide by the bans on religious requirements for hiring and admissions. The legislation must guarantee that recipients “will not be required to adhere to sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) language” in order to participate, the ERLC said.

In Catholic Italy, ‘De-Baptism’ Is Gaining Popularity

By

Sara Badilini

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November 17, 2021

de-baptism — Photo by Josh Applegate/Unsplash/Creative Commons

(RNS) — Like most of his fellow Italians, Mattia Nanetti, 25, from the northern city of Bologna, grew up with the teachings and sacraments of the Catholic Church in parochial school. Even his scouting group was Catholic.

But in September 2019 he decided the time had come to leave the church behind. He filled out a form that he had found online, accompanying it with a long letter explaining his reasons, and sent everything to the parish in his hometown.

Two weeks later, a note was put next to his name in the parish baptism register, formalizing his abandonment of the Catholic Church, and Nanetti became one of an increasing, though hard to quantify, number of Italians who have been “de-baptized.”

Every year in Italy, more and more people choose to go through the simple process, which became available two decades ago at the behest of the Union of Rationalist Atheists and Agnostics, abbreviated in Italian as UAAR.

A lack of data makes it difficult to establish how common the phenomenon is, but some dioceses are keeping track. The Diocese of Brescia, east of Milan, said in its diocesan newspaper in August that 75 people asked to be de-baptized in 2021, as opposed 27 in 2020.

Combining this partial data with activity on a website UAAR recently launched where people can register their de-baptisms, Roberto Grendene, national secretary of the UAAR, said the organization estimates that more than 100,000 people have been de-baptized in Italy.

The church does quibble with the word “de-baptism” — sbattezzo in Italian. Legally and theologically, experts say, this isn’t an accurate term.

The Rev. Daniele Mombelli, vice chancellor of the Diocese of Brescia and professor of religious sciences at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, said it’s not possible to “erase the baptism, because it’s a fact that historically happened, and was therefore registered.”

“What the procedure does is formalize the person’s abandonment of the church,” said Mombelli.

While agreeing that it is impossible to cancel a baptism, Italy’s Personal Data Protection Authority now states that everyone has the right to abandon the church.

The de-baptism is finalized once an applicant declares the intention to abandon the church and the decision is registered by the church authorities, normally the local bishop.

But according to canon law, anyone who goes through the procedure is committing the crime of apostasy, which, Mombelli said, comes with “severe consequences.”

An apostate immediately faces excommunication from the church, without need of a trial. This means that the person is excluded from the sacraments, may not become a godparent and will be deprived of a Catholic funeral.

“There’s a substantial difference between the sin of apostasy and the crime of apostasy,” Mombelli said. “An atheist commits the sin because it’s an internal decision, and they can be forgiven if they repent. An apostate, instead, manifests their will to formally abandon the church externally, so they face legal consequences for their decision.”

De-baptism is not exclusive to Italy, Grendene said, and the UAAR website includes a section monitoring how the procedure is being carried out abroad, but only very few countries regulate it. In the rest of the world, humanist and atheist organizations, such as Humanists International, pay more attention to apostasy than governments do.

The reasons behind de-baptism vary from person to person. But many of the de-baptized described their choice as a matter of “coherence.”

Rick and Kay Warren: How to Lead Your Church in Times of ‘Chronic Chaos’

By

Jessica Lea

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November 17, 2021

The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast · Rick and Kay Warren: How to Lead Your Church in Times of ‘Chronic Chaos’

Rick and Kay Warren co-founded Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. in 1980, and it is now one of the largest and best-known churches in the world.

Rick has been referred to as America’s Pastor and is the author of “The Purpose-Driven Life,” which is one of the bestselling nonfiction books in publishing history. He also founded Pastors.com, an online interactive community providing sermons, forums, and other pastor resources.

Following the 2013 death of Rick and Kay’s son, Matthew, who lived with serious mental illness for most of his life, Kay founded Saddleback’s Hope for Mental Health Initiative. She is also the author of several books, including “Choose Joy: Because Happiness Isn’t Enough.”

Other Ways to Listen to This Podcast With Rick and Kay Warren

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Key Quotes From Rick and Kay Warren

Rick Warren

“I have spent personally more time encouraging pastors who wanted to resign in the past 18 months than ever before in my 52 years of ministry.”

“If your tank was already half empty before these storms hit, you’re running on empty now. And some of you probably entered this crisis with little or nothing in your emotional, spiritual tank.”

“The first step to emotional, mental, spiritual help is to be forgiving of yourself.”

“Get a Bible translation that is readable to you that you like. I don’t care what translation—you get a Bible translation and you put it by the side of your bed on your bed stand and you leave it open. You never close it. Why? Because a closed Bible is easy to ignore.”

“When you’re under severe stress, when you’re in chronic chaos, which is what we’re in right now, set and stick with a simple routine…Routine develops resilience. You need to remember that routine develops resilience, predictability creates stability in ministry and in life, structure creates steadiness.”

“This is going to shock you, but I’ve been telling it to our church for a year-and-a-half. Stop watching cable news…The reason we’re seeing more conflict rising in congregations today is because people are spending more time with the nightly news than they are hearing a sermon on Sunday.”

Why the Minichurch Is the Latest Trend in American Religion

By

Bob Smietana

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November 17, 2021

SPRING GREEN, Wis. (RNS) — The Rev. Derek Miller has seen the future of the church in America.

And it is small.

On a Sunday morning in early November, Miller, guitar in hand, stepped up to the microphone at Cornerstone Church of Spring Green and began singing the familiar Charles Wesley hymn “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.”

A handful of people scattered in the sanctuary sang along, including a church elder in the front row next to a pair of young kids tapping on tambourines. By the time all the latecomers had arrived, there were 12 people in the congregation.

Things used to be different. Five years ago, when the church was at its height, as many as 100 people would show up for Sunday service. But the 2020 election, the racial reckoning after the death of George Floyd and COVID-19 have taken their toll. On a good day, if everyone shows up, there might be 30 people.

Services are often a one-man show. On this Sunday, Miller led the singing, preached the sermon and even handled the video for the livestream of the service, moving the camera closer to the pulpit and greeting people online before preaching. And he wrote the song the congregation sang during Communion.

“Running over, I’m grateful for your sacrifice,” he sang in a cheerful baritone. “Running over, pour your blessings through my life.”

Cornerstone is part of the fastest-growing group of congregations in America: the minichurch. According to the recently released Faith Communities Today study, half of the congregations in the United States have 65 people or fewer, while two-thirds of congregations have fewer than 100.

"Declining Median Worship Attendance among US Congregations" Graphic courtesy of Faith Communities Today

“Declining Median Worship Attendance among US Congregations” Graphic courtesy of Faith Communities Today

That’s a marked change from two decades earlier, when the 2000 Faith Communities Today survey found the median congregation had 137 people and fewer than half of congregations had fewer than 100 people.

“Shrinking attendance figures coupled with an increase in the number and percent of small congregations obviously indicates that a good many congregations are not growing,” the study’s authors found. “Indeed, the median rate of change between 2015 and 2020 was a negative 7%,” meaning half of all congregations declined in attendance by at least 7%.

While most congregations are small, however, most worshippers attend a larger congregation. Another prominent report, the National Congregations Study, found that while the average congregation is small — about 70 people — the majority of churchgoers are worshipping in a congregation of about 400 people.

The report reflects the reality that religious Americans are being sorted into two kinds of churches — megachurches, and minichurches like Cornerstone.

The Most Overlooked Place to Plant a Church: Online

By

James Emery White

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November 17, 2021

I am a wholehearted believer in church planting. In fact, I am a church planter. I planted Mecklenburg Community Church (Meck) in October 1992 and have served as pastor here ever since.

Of keen interest to anyone wanting to plant a church or to support church planting in general must be pinpointing areas of need: fast-growing areas, under-churched areas, and sectors of our world where the numbers of unchurched people are high.

Which is why it is stunning to me that the key place to plant a church – where the need is greatest and the “fields white unto harvest” — is almost entirely overlooked.

I’m talking about planting a church online. Or at the very least, planting a campus of your church online.

And notice I said “campus.”

There is a difference between being online and having an online campus, meaning a digital campus of your church online. So what does an online campus entail?

First, what an online campus is not.

It is not a Facebook stream of your in-person weekend service.

It is not a video of your weekend service parked on YouTube.

It is not a livestream of your in-person service that people can watch through your website.

Church online is a digital campus that is akin to a physical campus in every possible way. It has set service times that you attend and where you are greeted by hosts. The main difference between a physical campus and an online campus is that it exists, and is engaged, digitally.

There are staff and pastors ready to meet you and engage with you. In fact, it is staffed in almost every way you would staff a physical campus. You are introduced to online opportunities for children’s ministry and adult classes and invited to select in-person events.

The service itself has been prepared specifically for online consumption and engagement—not just in terms of what is said, but also how it is filmed and/or presented.

This makes the service itself different than the in-person service.

First, it is shorter—online attention spans are shorter than in-person attention spans. So at Meck, for example, instead of 60-65 minutes for a service, our online campus service averages around 40-45 minutes.

Whatever we do with announcements, they are completely tailored for online consumption, online engagement and online attenders. When we talk about serving opportunities, we don’t highlight anything related to serving during an in-person service. Instead, we highlight online serving opportunities, or serving days and events that are outside of weekend service times.

While the creative elements, including music, borrow from what is also being prepared for the in-person service, it is presented and filmed differently. Again, for online consumption, and with the understanding that we are attempting to connect with a single person, or a very small group of people (e.g., a family).

Joe McKeever: How to Give Thanks — And How Not To!

By

Joe McKeever

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November 16, 2021

It is said that when Maureen Stapleton won the Academy Award, she gushed into the microphone, “I want to thank everyone I’ve ever known!” That got a laugh, I’m sure, and everyone understood the sense of gratitude that threatened to overload her nervous system. It’s a grand feeling, no doubt, although few among us have ever been in the position she was at that moment. Her experience is a teachable moment, though, in how to give thanks.

Does anyone think that Ms. Stapleton’s friends and family members, her co-stars and colleagues, her producers and directors, immediately felt appreciated and properly thanked by that statement? I think not.

No one took it as a personal word of appreciation. Impersonal, general, generic one-size-fits-all thanks does not do the job. A message on the sign-board in front of a place of business saying “Thanks for your patronage” is not how to give thanks. There are ways to say “thanks” effectively and also ways to say “thanks” when you’re wasting your breath.

How to Give Thanks – The Wrong Way

1. Using thanksgiving as a means of boasting.

The Pharisee in Jesus’ parable gave thanks, but only as a means of exposing his pride. He stood in the Temple and prayed, “God, I thank thee that I am not like other men–robbers, evil-doers, adulterers…I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” (Lk. 18:12)

It’s a subtle thing that affects those who pray. As we give thanks for our well-being and that of our loved-ones, we may unknowingly slip across that line into the minefield of pride and egotism. From praying “Lord, thank you for my health” we begin to pray, “Thank you that I eat right, I exercise, and I work hard to take care of my health.”

From praying, “Thank you for my salvation,” we begin to pray, “Thank you for saving me, for using me when I speak, for hearing my prayers and for giving me the opportunity to speak tonight in Oxford, tomorrow night in Memphis, and next week in Little Rock.” Subtle, but deadly.

2. Using words only when actions are called for.

The psalmist said, “Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving and pay your vows to the Most High….” (Ps. 50:14) There are times when words are in order and exactly what is needed. The prophet Hosea counseled the Lord’s people, “Take with you words and return to the Lord.” (Hos. 14:2)

At other times, words just don’t do it. “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue (only), but in deed and in truth.” (I John 3:18)

Many a child of an alcoholic parent knows how hollow words of love may sound. The perhaps well-meaning adult makes all kinds of vows to the family about the future, but the children have long since learned to ignore such promises. They look for actions, not pledges.

When we say “thank you” and “I love you” to someone who needs visible and tangible proof of our gratitude and affection, and nothing more, we fail them. The prophet Malachi warned the Lord’s people of the 4th century B.C. that it did no good to “cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and with groaning” at the same time they were disobeying Him by intermarrying with the pagan women of surrounding tribes. (Mal. 2:13)

3. Saying the right words but your heart just isn’t in it.

“Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving.” (Ps 147:7) It’s good to sing to the Lord; it’s far better to do so with a heart overflowing with gratitude to Him for His wonderful acts.

What parent has not forced a reluctant child to apologize and make up with a sibling he/she has mistreated? We can hear the voice of the unwilling penitent even now, decades later, as he says grudgingly, “I’m sorry,” and offers the other one a hug so stiff as to be comical.

We Christians do that, don’t we. Knowing thanksgiving is right and is commanded, we say the words but they fall to the earth before reaching their destination.

4. Generalizing our thanks to everyone.

“I want to thank all who made this night happen.” The pastor says that from the pulpit after an evening in which the church family gathered for a grand celebration of one type or other. Staff members and a team of volunteers slaved days or even weeks to put this event together, to plan and execute, to assemble guests, to make arrangements, to make it happen. A quick, generic “thank you” might have been in order from the pulpit, but I guarantee there’s not a worker in the room who feels that this was directed toward him or her.

So, how to say thanks? Here are some suggestions.

How to Give Thanks – The Right Way

1. Write a note.

Handwritten is great. Two sentences are sufficient so long as they are personal and make it clear that the writer is not saying the same thing to everyone. “Charlie, the sound system was so effective Thursday night, that no one gave a thought to it! You did your job beautifully, and we all thank you.” That’s how to give thanks briefly and sincerely.

2. Give a gift.

It doesn’t have to be much, but it needs to be appropriate.

Over 10 years ago, when Mae volunteered to help Miriam keep the flowers up around the church, she confessed to not having the foggiest idea on how to do it. Yet, she listened to Miriam and applied herself and took courses and eventually when Miriam’s family moved away, Mae inherited the job. When Danny, the church administrator, told me Mae had received a certificate naming her Master Gardener, he asked for my help. “We want you to sketch her in front of the church working with the flowers. Write up at the top ‘The Master’s Gardener.’ We’ll frame it and present it to her in church.” I drew it, Danny framed it, and Pastor Mike presented it to Mae in church. He said, “Mae Jones is a volunteer, but she spends as much time down here as any of the paid workers. The lovely curbside-appeal of this church is the work of this lady and her team.”

The congregation stood and applauded this humble and very surprised lady. In all, that framed drawing might have cost $100–all of it for the frame–but it was an appropriate expression of our thanksgiving and love to a faithful servant.

3. Make a call.

A phone call will often suffice. Even an e-mail in certain situations will be enough.

I must be the biggest hypocrite on the planet. When I think about the vast numbers of people to whom I owe notes of appreciation, gifts of love, and calls to say thanks, I am overwhelmed at my negligence. Churches invite me to speak, members open their homes with hospitality, pastors take me to dinner and the church even gives me a check to thank me for coming.

The fact is if I sat down and hand-wrote a note to everyone deserving it, I’d have little time for anything else. So, I do what you do: I do what I can get to. And no doubt, I leave out many. Some I forget, others I appreciated so greatly that I meant to do something better and bigger, then the weeks went by and soon other things crowded my mind and I did nothing.

I find myself wondering sometimes does anyone in my vast circle of friends and loved ones remember that “Joe never did thank us”?

Dear Lord, let it not be so. Let all those whom I have failed to get to with my heartfelt love and thankfulness not notice my failures. Bless them for their faithfulness, please, and reward them for their generosity.

The lasting truth of all this is no one who is even slightly aware of his debt to so many around him/her will ever catch up on the task of giving thanks to those to whom he is indebted.

But it’s no excuse not to try. We can learn how to give thanks.

Start with the One to whom you owe the most. “Give thanks to the Lord for He is good.”

This article on how to give thanks originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

Scary Church (Or: How to Read the Book of Acts)

By

Ray Hollenbach

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November 16, 2021

I’m not a church historian and I’m not an academic, but I have been a Bible teacher for a few years, and a pastor for fewer still. During these years I have noticed among believers two responses to the book of Acts. Some regard Acts as a book of history, while others consider it a description of the possibilities of church life. In my walk with God I started in the first camp and eventually arrived at the second. I arrived at what I call scary church.

The book of Acts is indeed a history of the earliest church. It chronicles the growth of the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome. It details the actions of the Apostles and the first believers. It is inspiring the way great history should be. In the final analysis, however, history remains an account of the past, and the past is safely isolated from the present.

Scary Church: When the Book of Acts is Normative

As I came to regard the book of Acts as normative, my comfortable Christian life was shaken to the core. I entered into the territory of scary church. Did the Holy Spirit inspire the book of Acts as an example for us today? Is it possible He wants us to consider the life of the earliest believers as normative? If so, then I—we—have fallen short. Consider just this one passage:

The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed. ~ Acts 5: 12 – 16

Since I have determined to read the book of Acts as normative it has ruined me forever. Consider just a few points capable of changing our view of the church.

The Book of Acts Reveals a Scary Church

• The passage above occurs immediately after two people dropped dead in the church (Acts 5: 1 – 11). Can you imagine the response if a husband and wife were carried away—dead—from an elders meeting in an American church today? Even more astounding: the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira did not cause a crisis in church leadership. Instead, the incident likely established the leadership even more!

• The earliest church had no facilities. They met on the Temple grounds out in the open. What a spectacle these followers of Jesus must have been. Everyone in town knew where they met and when. Christian community was demonstrated in public. The attraction of the church had nothing to do with facilities, bells or whistles but rather the authentic lives of the people.

• How many churches in our day are both “highly regarded” and also cause people to think twice before joining? (v13) The people in Jerusalem observed a group of believers so radical outsiders considered it a calculated risk to venture into their midst. In our day people join churches—and unjoin them—for a variety of reasons. The fear of God is not usually very high on anyone’s list.

• Notice the word, “Nevertheless” in verse 14: even though no one dared join them, “more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.” Have you ever encountered an outreach program like that? The church in Jerusalem was so dynamic it was scary. It was also so dynamic outsiders couldn’t stay away! Imagine a church capable of inspiring fear and fascination.

• Peter, a leader in this church, had a reputation for healing. His reputation was so widespread the public observed his daily routine and dragged the sick into the streets just to be in his proximity. Peter’s “healing ministry” did not involve outreach, meetings, or even prayer! Yet the entire community knew the Peter was a follower of Jesus.

• The healing ministry associated with the early church in Jerusalem gathered crowds from the countryside. It would be no easy task to carry a sick family member up the hillside to Jerusalem, but the reputation of the first Christians was so strong that people came from literally miles around to encounter the same healing anointing that Jesus himself carried. These people did not go home disappointed, “all of them were healed.” If Acts is indeed intended to be normative, it presents a breathtaking standard: all of them were healed.

• Amazingly, this church still had a lot to learn! The next 23 chapters of Acts depict a group of believers still willing to learn and grow as followers of Christ. This Jerusalem church was not ethnically diverse. Its vision did not extend to the Gentiles. The leadership had plenty more to learn, and they made mistakes along the way.

There is a difference between history and revelation. It’s the difference between examining the scriptures or letting the scriptures examine us.

This article on the scary church in Acts originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

Teenage Gunman Apprehended by Church Attenders After Attempting to Steal Offering Plate

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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November 16, 2021

Portland Church of Christ gunman — Photo by David von Diemar on Unsplash.

This past Sunday, November 14, 2021, the Portland Church of Christ located in Louisville, Kentucky experienced a similar incident to one that occurred at a Nashville, Tennessee church the Sunday prior when a gunman attempted to steal the collection plate. The congregants of the church acted quickly to apprehend the young assailant.

Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) reports that congregants at the Louisville church tackled a teenage boy who pulled out a gun and attempted to steal the offering plate after the money had been collected.

The juvenile entered the church around 11 a.m., during the sermon. The boy then approached the altar where the filled offering plate was sitting, grabbed it, and attempted to flee.

As the teen ran down the side aisle, he pulled out a gun and made an effort to fire it into the air. But before he could discharge the weapon, congregants tackled the young man. Struggling to get away, the teen bit some of those who were attempting to take his gun. They held him down until police officers arrived. The unidentified teen was arrested, and authorities are investigating the incident.

“It’s just one thing after another right now — in Louisville and all across the United States — the youth are in trouble,” John Brown, a local convenient store owner, told WLKY News.

“I would say that I’m just kind of shocked that that would happen at a church. I really don’t have the real words to say how shocking that is,” Metro Council President David James shared.

On Tuesday, Portland Church’s pastor posted a message to the church’s Facebook page, writing, “Wanted to take the opportunity to thank all of those who have shown concern and offered support for the incident our church experienced in the last week. Also wish to thank God for His grace and keeping everyone safe. We are looking forward to regularly scheduled worship services this Sunday at 11:00 am and EXCITED about welcoming you to worship with our church family.”

Gunman Tackled at Nashville Church

On November 7, 2021, a gunman walked behind Nashville Light Mission Pentecostal Church’s pulpit during an altar call. Dezire Beganda, a sporadic attender of the church, brandished a gun and threatened congregants. It was then that pastor Ezekiel Ndikumana quietly slipped behind Beganda and tackled him before he could fire the weapon.

Other church members then jumped on Beganda, wrestling his gun away from him. They held him down until police arrived.

A police report later revealed that Beganda had lethal intent. He could be heard claiming to be Jesus and saying that all churches and schools need to be “shot up.”

Pastor Gives Online Sermon While His House Burns in the Background

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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November 16, 2021

Pastor Sammy Smith, founder of Grace Cathedral Ministries in Piedmont, South Carolina, live-streamed a video of his house engulfed in flames just before church on Sunday morning, November 7, 2021.

Nearby neighbors helped by grabbing garden hoses and spraying water on the flames raging through the upstairs windows until firefighters arrived.

Nevertheless, Smith didn’t let the inferno stop him from preaching in a video that has received over 14,000 views, nor did he allow it to disrupt his plans to worship and preach at his church later that morning.

“Hey everybody, it’s Apostle Sammy Smith,” the pastor said in his livestream. “[I’m] standing in front of the ruins of my, used to be, house. God kept everybody — everybody’s out, safely out — the house is probably pretty much destroyed. But God got us out.”

When most would have been devastated, Smith took the moment to speak God’s truth into people’s lives. With a smile on his face he told those watching, “God’s will always has to be done. Sometimes we don’t understand His will, but His will is [going to] be done. I got church out here. I got my neighbors out here. Everybody out here is just, you know, loving on us. Trucks down the street — we done blocked the street off. The firefighters were wonderful. We got everything done.”

“I am doing church this morning,” Smith said. He then joked that he wouldn’t be able to shave, though.

Smith reiterated that God is always good no matter what, saying that he didn’t know his sermon would start before he even got to church. “I just want everybody to know that God is good and that He’s blessing us and it’s gonna be alright. I always say He’ll make a way, [and] sometimes we don’t understand. Like I’ve been saying recently, God may not put the blessing in your hand, but He’ll put it in your reach.”

“So we will see what the Lord is saying from this point. We’ll keep on believing God,” Smith said. “Had a wonderful women’s conference yesterday, and [I’m] going to church today. You all just pray for us. You know that the effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous avails much. I never thought that this would happen. I’m 64-years-old [and] I’ve never seen a house burn — I’ve never seen my house burn. God has always blessed us.”

Smith shared that the house is only four years old, and he is unsure of his family’s next steps. However, he assured everyone watching that he’ll “be alright. I heard someone say [a] house could be replaced lives cannot [and] everybody’s out and we’re just out here and it’ll be alright.”

“God will create something to open a door for you and sometimes you may think it’s something adverse and something that’s terrible,” Smith said during a Tuesday evening sermon, less than three days after the fire. “Our adversity is His advertisement. He advertises through each and everyone of you.”

One of Grace Cathedral Ministries’ church members said that while the church could be mourning, they are rejoicing that no one was hurt, adding that “God saved [them].”

‘What’s Your Story?’ People on Twitter Share How Jesus Saved Them

By

Jessica Lea

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November 16, 2021

We’re all familiar with how social media divides us. But Twitter served a different purpose Monday when user Rachel Joy Welcher asked her followers to share their stories of how they came to trust in Jesus.

“I never grew up in the church and was 18 years old in my first few weeks of Freshman year of college drowning myself in parties, booze, and sex,” said user Jack Barry. “Yet a man took the time to sit down with me and share the Gospel and the love of Christ. Jesus met me and redeemed me.”

I never grew up in the church and was 18 years old in my first few weeks of Freshman year of college drowning myself in parties, booze, and sex. Yet a man took the time to sit down with me and share the Gospel and the love of Christ. Jesus met me and redeemed me https://t.co/ZOemtB1xVo

— Jack The Baptist ™️ (@jackvelbar) November 16, 2021

“Was at a gay bar,” said user Matt Moore. “Suddenly became aware of the emptiness of my life. Left the bar. Two days later a friend sent me a @P4CM [Passion for Christ Movement] video. Watched it. Knew I needed to repent. Received Christ in my bedroom the next day.”

Rachel Joy Welcher: How Did You Trust in Jesus?

Rachel Joy Welcher, an editor at Fathom Magazine and author of “Talking Back to Purity Culture: Rediscovering Faithful Christian Sexuality,” asked her Twitter followers Monday to share their stories of how Jesus saved them.

“What’s your story of how you came to Christ?” she asked. “I was a PK and saved around age 11, when I realized that Jesus really did love me – that I could talk to him and have a real relationship with him – not just in head knowledge but in spirit and truth. My dad baptized me in a lake.”

One woman, who said her name was Alena, replied, “I was saved as an adult at the age of 24. It was early 2017. I was a self-professed atheist & a self-denying alcoholic.” Alena shared that she had been raised with some prosperity and Catholic teachings, but her faith was shaken by her parents’ divorce, after which she turned to Reformed theology. She then suffered through an abusive marriage and dealt with being ostracized by her church, which blamed her when the marriage ended. Alena became depressed and suicidal. It was at this point, believing God had abandoned her, that she became an atheist and an alcoholic.

“One day, a Saturday,” she continued, “I woke up in bed with some guy. I remember having an overwhelming feeling of *needing* to get out. I got up, got dressed, & left. On my way out I heard a thought, as if someone was speaking to me, ‘God is real, and He loves you.’ I didn’t know what to think of it. It is still one of the weirdest experiences I’ve ever had. The next day I stepped foot in church for the first time in months, at least a year, probably longer.”

Even though she felt extremely uncomfortable during the service, Alena stayed. The pastor, it turned out, remembered her name from meeting her six years prior. Through this experience, Alena began the journey of healing and returning to God. “God is still working on me,” she concluded.

Another woman, who goes by Kate Boyd, said that because there never was a specific “moment” when she decided to trust in Jesus, she was afraid for a long time that she was going to hell. “I had a crisis of faith most of my young years,” she said. But then in Bible college, a professor mentioned that sometimes people don’t have a specific salvation “moment” and that is ok. “It’s like the sunrise,” said the professor. “You don’t know exactly when it came up, but you know it did.” Said Boyd, “And that set me free.”

Taxi Driver Locks Terror Suspect in Car Moments Before Explosion, Saving Lives

By

Dale Chamberlain

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November 16, 2021

English taxi driver David Perry is being praised as a hero for locking a terror suspect inside his car moments before an explosion outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital, saving an unknown number of lives and narrowly escaping with his own.

In footage captured via CCTV, the taxi can be seen speeding into a traffic circle in front of the hospital before the explosion went off. Perry then emerged from the taxi, running to safety as concerned bystanders approached to give him aid. Moments later, the taxi became completely engulfed in flames.

It is unclear at what point Perry became aware of the explosive, but he apparently locked the doors of the taxi in an effort to prevent the suspect from escaping.

The New York Post reported that British police are treating the blast as a “terrorist incident” and have arrested four men in connection with the attack. Sunday, the day on which the explosion occurred, was Remembrance Day in the UK, which honors the country’s war veterans. Police have not ruled out a connection between the attack’s motivation and the holiday.

According to Metro, the suspect asked Perry to take him to Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral, where military personnel, veterans and families of fallen soldiers had gathered for a service. After encountering road blockages, they ended up in front of Liverpool Women’s Hospital where the bomb detonated for unknown reasons.

The mayor of Liverpool and the British prime minister have both praised Perry’s heroism. Liverpool Mayor Joanne Anderson told the BBC, “The taxi driver in his heroic efforts have managed to divert what could have been an absolutely awful disaster. Our thanks go to him.”

“What yesterday showed above all is that the British people will never be cowed by terrorism, we will never give in to those who seek to divide us with senseless acts of violence,” said British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday. “And our freedoms and our way of life will always prevail.”

Perry sustained burns and injuries from shrapnel during the explosion, but has been treated and released from the hospital.

“He is without doubt lucky to be alive. The explosion happened whilst he was in the car and how he managed to escape is an utter miracle. He certainly had some guardian angels looking over him,” wrote Perry’s wife Rachel in a Facebook post. She added that Perry is “doing ok but is extremely sore and just trying to process what happened.”

With ‘Villains’ Tarot Deck, Disney Pushes the Mystical Practice Further Into Mainstream

By

Heather Greene

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November 16, 2021

tarot disney — The Disney Villains Tarot Deck. Photo via Insight Editions

(RNS) — If Disney gets into occult religions, are they even occult anymore?

On Nov. 9, Insight Editions released the 78-card Disney Villains Tarot Deck, featuring Maleficent from “Sleeping Beauty,” Mother Gothel from “Tangled,” Scar from “Lion King” and other beloved evil figures from Disney’s canon of animated films.

In September, the company long known as the definition of family entertainment put out “The Nightmare Before Christmas” Tarot Deck, drawing imagery from the classic 1993 Tim Burton film that captures the spirit of both Halloween and Christmas.

Until now, tarot readers who are Disney fans were limited to decks sold on online sites such as Etsy or eBay that repurposed Disney’s original art or homemade replicas to make decks.

None of those were officially licensed.

There’s a brisk business, too, in an October 2001 deck that Disney produced to promote Disneyland’s “Haunted Mansion” ride, which gets an annual “Nightmare Before Christmas” overhaul to ring in the holiday season. Guests at the inaugural event in 2001 received a limited-edition tarot deck as they exited the ride. Today, those special-edition decks, which feature the film’s characters as well as the ride’s fortune teller, Madame Leota, sell for close to $300.

The Insight Editions decks appear to be the first mass-produced tarot decks with official Disney licensing. We reached out to Disney but did not receive a response.

However, Insight Editions’ spokesperson Lara Starr did confirm they are officially licensed. In December, an “Alice in Wonderland” deck will join the others.

Both of the currently available decks have generally received a favorable response from tarot readers. J. Ryan, a professional reader in Minneapolis, said, “I gave it a test run and it reads well. The characters on the cards make sense and help the metaphors along as well.”

He added, “Having Disney enter the market with their own decks was nice because it has the company’s blessing.”

Incorporating pop culture into tarot decks is not a new development. Insight Edition publishes “The Supernatural Tarot,” designed after the long-running television series, as well as the “Labyrinth Tarot,” based on Jim Henson’s 1986 film.

Elsewhere there are tarot decks inspired by HBO’s “The Game of Thrones” series, the 1980s sitcom “The Golden Girls” and the artwork of H.R. Geiger of “Alien” fame. In 2019, “The Starman Tarot” by artist Davide De Angelis hit store shelves, giving David Bowie fans a deck of their own.

“Truly there is a tarot deck for almost any interest out there,” said Banshee ShadowWolf, a retired librarian and longtime tarot reader, noting that her husband enjoys his “James Bond” deck.

Not everyone in the metaphysical community is pleased with Disney’s entrance into the market.

Drew K. Prince, a pagan and podcaster at Magick Radio Chicago, said, “I don’t think Disney or any corporation should cash in on the magical arts. Whenever anything sacred becomes popularized, it generally becomes kitschy and loses its mystery. They might as well produce Mickey Mouse Jesus dashboard miniatures or Disney-themed Bibles.”

Lifeway Research: Most Churches Find Financial Stability in 2021

By

Aaron Earls

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November 16, 2021

Emerging from the pandemic, most churches don’t seem to be underwater financially, but many are treading water.

Around half of U.S. Protestant pastors say the current economy isn’t really having an impact on their congregation, according to a Lifeway Research study. The 49% who say the economy is having no impact on their church marks the highest percentage since Lifeway Research began surveying pastors on this issue in 2009.

Almost 2 in 5 pastors (37%) say the economy is negatively impacting their congregation, while 12% say the economy is having a positive impact. Both positive and negative numbers are down from September 2020, when 48% said the economy was hurting their congregation and 15% said it was helping. The last time fewer pastors than this year said the economy is playing a positive role for their church was May 2012.

The two years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2018 and 2019, mark the only two times in the survey’s more than 12-year history that more pastors said the economy was having a positive impact than a negative one.

“Most churches are taking a deep breath financially following the uncertainty of the height of the pandemic,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research. “While the official recession ended quickly in April 2020, economic growth has been uneven, and few churches are feeling actual positive impacts from the economy at this point.”

Giving Rebound

After many churches faced budget shortfalls and decreased giving in 2020, 2021 saw most churches meet their budget and stop the decline in giving.

Seven in 10 pastors say offering levels at least met the budget this year. Almost half of churches (48%) say the giving at their church has been about what they budgeted, while 22% say it is higher than budgeted. Around a quarter of pastors (27%) say they didn’t make budget with their giving levels.

Similarly, most churches say their 2021 offering so far matched or exceeded what they received during 2020. More than 2 in 5 pastors (42%) say it’s the same as last year. Three in 10 (31%) say the offering in 2021 is above 2020’s. Fewer than 1 in 4 (22%) say they’re behind last year’s giving levels.

Send Network’s Dhati Lewis Leaving NAMB for New Project

By

North American Mission Board

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November 16, 2021

ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) – At the end of this year, Dhati Lewis, president of the North American Mission Board’s (NAMB) church planting arm, Send Network, will transition from his position to devote himself to launching BLVD (“Boulevard”), an initiative to empower disciple-makers serving majority-minority, multiethnic communities.

Driven by his personal vision to “be the last generation to have to leave the urban context for sound discipleship,” Lewis says he looks to the future with hopeful anticipation as he continues to move the mission forward by training leaders serving in these communities.

“The question for me has always been: where can I make the greatest Kingdom impact? I’m going to miss leading this incredible family, but it’s never been about a position or title — it’s about the mission, and it’s one we’re still on together as a Send Network family,” Lewis said.

BLVD is rooted in the work Lewis accelerated at Send Network to foster greater ethnic diversity among church planters and start more new churches in ethnic minority communities lacking a strong Gospel presence.

Lewis will collaborate with NAMB and Send Network on this new effort, and his trajectory as a leader in church planting remains unchanged.

“For anyone who knows Dhati, this comes as no surprise,” said NAMB President Kevin Ezell. “It’s right in line with his relentless pursuit of what God has laid on his heart. I’m excited NAMB and Send Network will continue to benefit from the many ways he will help plant churches everywhere for everyone.”

The change comes at an opportune time, as Send Network and the National African American Fellowship (NAAF) are celebrating the first fruits of a project they launched under Lewis’s leadership in 2019. The two organizations are working together to plant churches in underserved African American communities across North America.

The first class of NAAF-sourced church planting residents completed a Send Network assessment Nov. 2-3 in New York. These new residents – following in Lewis’ footsteps – will walk down a church-planting pathway with Send Network using contextualized resources and support Lewis helped cultivate.

“Dhati’s leadership in Send Network has been invaluable,” said Greg Perkins, a NAAF board member and leader in the Send Network-NAAF partnership. “I look forward to the many ways NAAF, Send Network and BLVD will work together in the future to equip and reach underserved communities across North America with the Gospel.”

The Small Group Bump

1. People have re-evaluated their priorities.

2. Uncertainty produces a lack of commitment.

3. Online worshippers are willing to meet in groups (online groups AND in-person groups).

4. Embracing and empowering the church you have.

5. Now is the time to realign the priorities in your ministry.

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How to Give Thanks – The Wrong Way

1. Using thanksgiving as a means of boasting.

2. Using words only when actions are called for.

3. Saying the right words but your heart just isn’t in it.

4. Generalizing our thanks to everyone.

How to Give Thanks – The Right Way

1. Write a note.

2. Give a gift.

3. Make a call.

Scary Church: When the Book of Acts is Normative

The Book of Acts Reveals a Scary Church

Gunman Tackled at Nashville Church

Rachel Joy Welcher: How Did You Trust in Jesus?

Giving Rebound

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**5. Now is the time to realign the priorities in your ministry.**