Best Analogy of the Existence of the Invisible God I’ve Ever Heard

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November 9, 2021

My daughter-in-law sent me this story by Hungarian writer Útmutató a Léleknek. It is the best analogy of the existence of the invisible God that I have ever heard.

In a mother’s womb were two babies. One asked the other: “Do you believe in life after delivery?”

The other replied, “Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later.”

“Nonsense,” said the first. “There is no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be?”

The second said, “I don’t know, but there will be more light than here. Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths. Maybe we will have other senses that we can’t understand now.”

The first replied, “That is absurd. Walking is impossible. And eating with our mouths? Ridiculous! The umbilical cord supplies nutrition and everything we need. But the umbilical cord is so short. Life after delivery is to be logically excluded.”

The second insisted, “Well I think there is something, and maybe it’s different than it is here. Maybe we won’t need this physical cord anymore.”

The first replied, “Nonsense. And moreover, if there is life, then why has no one ever come back from there? Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery there is nothing but darkness and silence and oblivion. It takes us nowhere.”

“Well, I don’t know,” said the second, “but certainly we will meet Mother and she will take care of us.”

The first replied, “Mother? You actually believe in Mother? That’s laughable. If Mother exists then where is She now?”

The second said, “She is all around us. We are surrounded by her. We are of Her. It is in Her that we live. Without Her this world would not and could not exist.”

Said the first: “Well I don’t see Her, so it is only logical that She doesn’t exist.”

To which the second replied, “Sometimes, when you’re in silence and you focus and you really listen, you can perceive Her presence, and you can hear Her loving voice, calling down from above.”

Until every church disciples every person for the Invisible God …

Effective Cell Group Lessons You Can Use

By

Joel Comiskey

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November 9, 2021

The goal of my men’s life group is to make everyone a disciple who makes other disciples. This should be the goal of every cell group. Although I lead the group, I’m more of the coach than the leader. That is, my role is to make sure everyone in the group is participating and becoming a disciple in the process. Cell group lessons must support this goal.

Part of the discipleship process is that each one leads the lesson time. To ensure this happens, we rotate each month. That is, one person rotates each month leading the Welcome time (icebreaker); another person rotates leading the Worship time; another person rotates leading the Word (lesson time), and another person will rotate leading the Witness time. Are some naturally better in leading the lesson time? Yes, definitely. But the point is not to place the best person in front of the group but to make disciples by giving everyone the opportunity. Remember that people become disciples in the process of participating, rather than merely listening.

Cell Group Lessons Made Plain

To make sure everyone succeeds in leading the cell group lessons, I’ve been on a quest to simplify it and make sure the questions are simple and application oriented. What could be more simple than Randall Neighbor’s three questions about cell group lessons:

What’s the main point of the passage?
Can someone share something from your past or what you’re going through at the moment that makes this passage powerful or timely?
What is this passage challenging you to do personally (and how can we support you)?

Anyone in the group can lead the others through these three questions. But I also like the Disciple Making Movement (DMM) questions:

Read the passage several times together, perhaps in different translations. Then answer these questions.
What does it say?
How would I say that? (Each person tries to retell the passage or Bible story in their own words.)
What must I do to obey what I have learned? “I will…” (Each person crafts an “I will” statement or two to tell how they will obey the passage this week.)

I especially like coming together the following week and starting with:

With whom did you share what you learned last week?
How did it go with your “I will” statements?

As you are making disciples in your own group, make sure the disciples in training succeed by giving them simple questions that apply God’s Word. And remember to aim for obedience. People hear sermons on Sunday. But do they obey what they hear? Are they living out the Christian life?

Jesus, the head of the church, has chosen small groups to make disciples who make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). And he told his group of disciples, “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). One of Christ’s own disciples, James, summed up this thinking perfectly, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22)

This article on cell group lessons originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

How To Lead Worship Online – 4 Keys

By

Mike O’Brien

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November 9, 2021

A huge component of any worship gathering is, well, the gathering. It’s the people. In light of the quarantine taking place with most churches it’s important that we take a deep breath and consider the challenge ahead for us as the church. Now we lead worship online. It is a shock to the system and learning curve for musicians, techs, and congregations. There’s a new skill-set necessary: how to lead worship online.

It’s OK to grieve the loss of the physical connection. Don’t rush, and don’t try to make a virtual meeting more victorious than it is. Nothing will compare to the physical connection of people. That being said, God is not limited. For example, check out this less-than-ideal worship service with Paul and Silas in prison:

After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. Acts 16:23-26

Even in shackles, their worship of Jesus and recognition of his kingdom was established in that less than ideal situation. The same can be true for us. Jesus is established forever, and he will be glorified in the Church. Here are a few things worship leaders can think about when leading worship in this new era.

How To Lead Worship Online

1. Name the Strangeness

This is not business as usual. You can publicly acknowledge the uniqueness of the time and format even as you learn how to lead worship online. Look forward to a day when we will be together again. Reflect on times past that were wonderful. Let people know this is new for them—and you! Smile. Laugh when things go wrong. Don’t feel a greater pressure to perform or be perfect.

“Welcome to worship on Facebook Live and YouTube! We are so glad you logged in to participate in worship together. This is a unique time and we recognize this will be hard for some of you. This is new for us, too!”

2. Give Permission

As a virtual worship leader it’s important that you recognize that everyone is watching and participating at their own comfort level. When you lead worship online, people see you, but you do not see them. Encourage everyone to take postures of worship that might include singing, shouting, lifting hands, bowing down, or kneeling down. For many, this will be the first time they might feel comfortable worshipping this way. Encourage families (especially families with children) to worship together through dance and physical action.

“We encourage you, in the comfort of your own home to worship freely before the Lord. Turn up the music and express your worship to God through song and prayer. Feel free to bow before the Lord or dance with your family. Be free to worship!”

3. Do Less

When you are in a room with people looking at you it’s a lot easier to “feel” the room. Since you will not have the sympathetic sounds and vibrations of the room you should assume that you will lose people more quickly. As you led worship online, consider a shorter worship set or amend the songs, so they don’t carry on too long. If you are fortunate enough to have more production elements (additional cameras or top-notch broadcast audio) you might be able to extend things. But if you are just getting started consider using a smaller worship team rather than immediately trying to get your whole band to broadcast-quality sound.

4. Sweat the Small Stuff

As you move to a regular culture of live streaming there are elements at play that might be new to you. When you lead worship online the clothing you wear is much more important (solids are better than stripes). Stage lighting is a bigger deal. Effects like reverb and delay are much more pronounced. All of these little things are simply more important because the two-dimensional expression on the screen is more limiting, and we need to help remove unique obstacles. Also, make sure you watch and review what things actually look and sound like during rehearsal or sound check. You might change your strumming style or your posture based on what you see. Also, ask congregants for their feedback on what could be done better as the weeks progress.

“Difficult times” doesn’t mean “impossible times.” You can serve your church in this hour, and grow as a worship leader and learn how to lead worship online.

This article on how to lead worship online originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

Advent Prayer Stations: 4 Meaningful Ideas Children Will Love

By

Theresa Cho

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November 8, 2021

For Christians, Advent is a season of preparation and waiting. Children, too, are eager to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Advent prayer stations are a great way to help kids focus on the real meaning of the Christmas season.

My church uses Advent prayer stations on the first Sunday of Advent. But you can use them any time. The stations offer opportunities to engage, reflect and meditate on this period of expectation. Plus, they work well in Sunday school as well as children’s church.

Four ideas for interactive Advent prayer stations are provided below. Use them to prepare children’s hearts and minds to welcome Jesus at Christmas and all year long. The interactive stations are meant to be intergenerational. Some are specifically designed for ages 2 to 4. You can view more photos of the stations here.

1. Notice Advent Trimmings

Materials: Branches, Christmas Lights, Glass Ornaments, Basket, Strips of Paper, Markers, Advent Painting

In this season filled with trimmings and decorations, how might all these things remind you of God’s decorative presence in your life? How may God want to “trim” your life this season?

If you’d like, in a few words, write this on the paper. Place it in the ornament to trim the church tree or yours at home.

Briefly allow this to be part of you now … invite God to enrich your faith journey.

2. Listen for Advent Sounds

Materials: Musical Scores, Table

Which of these names for Jesus are most significant to you in this season, and why?

Emmanuel, Dayspring, Newborn King, Light, Gift, King of Kings, Lamb, Messiah, Prince of Peace, Rose, Savior, the Child, Baby, Brother

Pray to invite Jesus to be present with you as you hear the many carols of the season, wherever you experience them.

Reflect on the significance of this now … invite God to broaden your faith journey.

3. Watch Advent Lights

Materials: Picture of Balloons, Tealight Candles, Matches, Table

Where will I find hope, offer hope.

There are few things more fragile than an embryo of hope

given its chance of life only by those who say ‘yes’ to its promise

like the prophets who said yes to God’s urging,

Mary who said yes to an angel

and Joseph who said yes to his Mary,

like the people of faith through all of time who have said yes to the promise of love,

and as we sit by the side of our wall

—whatever that wall might be—

surrounded by the rubble and rubbish of broken dreams and lives,

what faith does it take to imagine an embryo of hope being brought to life here?

What ‘yes’ are you able to say

for it be born in our world?

Feel free to light a candle. Set it on a balloon as a sign of the hope you desire to offer another this season. Picture how someone will notice that light of hope.

Take time to let this settle into you now … invite God to enhance your faith journey.

4. Advent Prayer Stations for Toddlers

Activity one: Many people were at the birth of Jesus Christ. Look through the books and hear the story through different eyes.

Materials: A variety of children’s books on the birth of Christ, such as Bright Christmas : An Angel Remembers by Andrew Clements and Kate Kiesler, The Stone: A Persian Legend of the Magi by Dianne Hofmeyr, The Greatest Shepherd of All: A Really Woolly Christmas Story by Holly Gerth and Rosemary Harris, The Shepherd’s Christmas Story by Dandi Daley Mackall and Dominic Catalano, Mary’s First Christmas by Walter Wangerin, Spirit Child: A Story of the Nativity (Aztec) by J. Bierhorst and B Cooney

Activity two: Nativity is about the birth of Jesus. Who was at the birth of Jesus? What happened? Use the costumes to interact with the story. Imagine yourself as an animal in the barn, a wise person, an animal or an angel. How did they feel? What did they see?

Materials: Nativity Backdrop, a Manger, Dolls (for Jesus), Costumes (animals, angels, shepherds, magi)

Activity three: Today is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is a time when we wait for Christmas, when Jesus was born. Children all over the world count down the 24 days until Christmas using an Advent calendar. Make an Advent Calendar:

Take a tree bubble wrap.
Write 1 through 24 on each circle sticker.
Stick a circle sticker in order on each bubble.
Hang it in your house. Each day, pop a bubble.

Materials: Bubble wrap cut in the shape of a tree, Circle stickers, Markers

SBC Church Ignites Twitter Storm After Ordaining Its First Female Pastor

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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November 8, 2021

Austin Fischer, Vista Community Church’s (VCA) lead pastor, tweeted that the church ordained their first female pastor on Sunday October 31, 2021. VCA is listed as a Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) church on the directory of SBC Churches.

“We ordained our first female pastor on Sunday. I understand [people] have diverse views on these things,” Fischer wrote. “I can only testify to what I have seen & discerned, which is the call of God upon so many daughters of God.”

Lauren Russell is listed on VCA’s website as their executive pastor.

It didn’t take long for SBC pastors Tom Buck, Dwight McKissic, Denny Burk, and others to continue their debate on whether women should carry the title of pastor within the church, and whether such a practice is in accordance with SBC’s Baptist Faith and Message 2000 [BFM2000].

The BFM2000 states in Section VI that the Church’s “scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.”

McKissic wrote, “If @TomBuck wants to stop an autonomous local SBC church from exercising their freedom to affirm & empower women in ministry, within the context/parameters of a biblical framework, as they interpret Scripture-then he needs to call for a change in the BFM2K, that prohibits this.”

Burk, who is a Professor of Biblical Studies at SBC’s Boyce College, didn’t believe VCA was an SBC church until he found them in the directory. “Surely they are not SBC, right? Our doctrinal statement affirms that ‘the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture,’” Burk said. After finding their listing in the SBC directory, he wrote, “perhaps this listing is dated or otherwise incorrect?”

Buck replied to Burk, “At first I thought they weren’t, but then was told they were. I’m trying to verify. But I believe this is more prevalent in the SBC than we know. And there are certainly men in the SBC who are perfectly fine with it. There has definitely been a shift.”

“For those (e.g., @pastordmack) who believe that a woman can be ordained as a pastor but cannot serve as ‘lead pastor,’ explain from Scripture how you arrive at this position,” Buck said in a later tweet. “In other words, if a woman can be ordained as a pastor, why can she not be the ‘lead pastor?’”

Pope Decries Ethiopia’s Humanitarian Crisis, Urges Dialogue

By

AP News

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November 8, 2021

Pope Francis Ethiopia — Pope Francis waves during the Angelus noon prayer from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis on Sunday decried the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Ethiopia and pressed for dialogue to prevail over the protracted war.

The pontiff in his traditional appearance to the public in St. Peter’s Square said he was following the news with “worry” from the Horn of Africa, particularly from Ethiopia, “shaken by a conflict that has dragged on for more than a year and has caused numerous victims and a grave humanitarian crisis.”

The war in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region has killed thousands of people and displaced millions and left many struggling with severe hunger.

“I invite everyone to pray for those populations so harshly tried, and I renew my appeal so that fraternal harmony and the peaceful path of dialogue may prevail,” Francis said.

On Friday, the U.N. Security Council called for an end to the intensifying and expanding conflict and for unhindered access for humanitarian aid to tackle the hunger crisis.

The Rome-based U.N. World Food Program said last week that it had appealed to all parties in the conflict to allow trucks carrying food, medicine and other humanitarian assistance to those in need, but that so far its urgent requests have gone unheeded.

This article originally appeared here.

Chris Pratt Encourages Others to Listen to Christian Music and Read the Bible Amid Backlash

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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November 8, 2021

Popular actor and outspoken Christian Chris Pratt shared on social media about how God used his Christian music playlist to lift him out of a state of depression, after receiving criticism for an earlier Instagram post about his wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt, and daughter, Lyla Maria.

“We met in church. She’s given me an amazing life, a gorgeous healthy daughter,” Pratt posted on Instagram last week, speaking of his wife and his one year-old daughter.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Chris Pratt (@prattprattpratt)

Pratt also has a nine year-old son, Jack, whom he had with his then-wife Anna Farris. Jack was born two months premature, which has caused some ongoing health issues. In Farris’ memoir, she wrote, “The pediatric neurosurgeon sat Chris and me down to tell us that Jack had some severe brain bleeding and there was a chance that he could be developmentally disabled.”

Some were quick to try and cancel Pratt for his post, calling Pratt’s reference to his “healthy daughter” an insult to his son.

“I love Chris Pratt. but the ‘healthy daughter’ part made me wince,” one Twitter follower wrote. “Although he may not have meant it as an insult, it sort of came off that way. Imagine how that will make his son feel, if he ever reads it?”

Another said, “I feel bad for his son. He could have just said she gave me a beautiful daughter. He didn’t have to say beautiful HEALTHY daughter. Ugh. Sad.”

Barna Shares ‘Good’ and ‘Challenging’ News for Pastors of Millennials

By

Jessica Lea

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November 8, 2021

There is encouraging and sobering news for pastors of millennials in a new, 62-page report from Barna examining millennial views on different areas of life. When exploring how much millennials trust various cultural influencers, Barna found that millennials do trust pastors—but that trust is “guarded.”

“The good news for pastors,” wrote Barna, “is that millennials, on balance, are somewhat more likely to trust them than to not trust them: 54 percent said they would trust pastors of Christian churches to do what is right or to tell the truth at least sometimes. In comparison 37 percent said they would not afford pastors even that minimal level of trust.”

However, Barna continued, “The more challenging news for pastors…is that the most important response (the ‘top box’ response on the scale, indicating that the respondent would ‘always or almost always trust pastors of Christian churches to tell the truth or to do what is right’) reached only 26 percent. Phrased differently, three out of four millennials do not have consistent trust in the words and decisions of Christian pastors.”

Barna inferred from the data collected in the report that millennial views of pastors represent a “solid outcome, but not sufficient to suggest [that pastors have] consistent and widespread cultural influence.” What’s more, “a different ratio…suggests that pastors may need to rethink their practices and reputation.”

Millennial Views for Pastors to Note

The report, titled “New Insights into the Generation of Growing Influence: Millennials In America,” was released in October 2021. Researchers conducted the survey during August 2021, defining “millennials” as all adults born from 1984 through 2002, that is, people aged 18 to 37 at the time of the survey. The research offers many insights for church leaders on millennial views of the Christian faith, as well as millennial perspectives on politics, civic engagement, life purpose, and mental health.

One part of the survey asked participants to give their opinion on the following topics: conservatives, liberals/progressives, Christianity, atheism, socialism, democracy, the United States of America, the Bible, and Jesus Christ.

Respondents saw Jesus in the most favorable light, with 39 percent saying that their opinion of him was “very positive.” The Bible came in second in the very positive category at 29 percent, followed by Christianity at 26 percent. Only eight percent of participants saw atheism as very positive.

Sixty-five percent of those surveyed said they identify as “any type” of Christian, including evangelical, maineline, and Catholic. Forty-six percent said that they are confident they will go to heaven because they have trusted in Jesus as their savior, and 46 percent said they believe that the Bible is the actual Word of God and a trustworthy guide for their lives.

Nevertheless, Barna cautioned that these results are not as positive as they seem.

‘We Had Faith’: TN Pastor Tackles Gunman During Church Service, Saving Many Lives

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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November 8, 2021

Ezekiel Ndikumana tackles gunman — Screen grab from YouTube: @WKRN News 2

This pastor Sunday (Nov 7), Nashville Light Mission Pentecostal Church’s pastor Ezekiel Ndikumana tackled a man who took the stage, pulled out a gun, and started pointing it at congregants during the pastor’s altar call.

The gunman, who has been identified as 26-year-old Dezire Baganda, currently faces up to 15 charges of felony assault and will likely be given additional charges, according to Metro Nashville Police Department.

Baganda had been sitting in the front pew before walking up to the pulpit and pulling out a gun, pointing it at the men, women, children, and infants in the pews. Mere moments after Baganda threatened the church, he was apprehended by the pastor before he could harm anyone.

Ndikumana had just stepped away from the pulpit to the front row, because he was giving an altar call. Congregants were praying when Baganda made his move. In a surveillance video, Ndikumana can be seen slipping out a side door to get behind the stage. Ndikumana then tackled Baganda, wrapping his arms around Baganda’s and forcing him to the ground.

Multiple church members then assisted Ndikumana by taking the gun away from Baganda and holding him down until the authorities arrived.

Choir member Nzojibugami Noe, who was also in the front row, told WKRN News 2 that “no one was behind [Baganda] yet, so he could have done anything,” implying that the outcome could have resulted in fatalities.

Suspecting that the gunman had intent to kill, Ndikumana recalled the incident by saying, “I would say that God used me, because I felt like I was going to use the back door…and then I felt the feeling that I would go and grab him — and that’s what happened.”

WKRN News 2 reported that church members credit their pastor with saving the lives of the 40-plus people who were attending the service on Sunday. However, Ndikumana explained that their lives were in God’s hands and not his own, saying, “God wanted to show that he’s a powerful God. One main thing I said, we had faith.”

In another interview, Ndikumana said that God helped him, because he knows nothing about tackling an armed gunman. The pastor’s daughter said, “To hear that [God] was the one protecting him, I’m very happy because it could have went really bad.”

Baganda is not a church member but has attended the church off and on. Last February, he was asked to stop attending, because he frequently disrupted the church service while pastors were preaching. This was the first time he had ever shown any violence.

During his arrest, Baganda said that he was Jesus, and that all churches and schools need to be “shot up.”

Watch the raw video footage of the attempted attack provided by WKRN News 2 below:

Fatal Tragedy at Travis Scott Concert Sparks Satanic Conspiracy Theory

By

Dale Chamberlain

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November 8, 2021

travis scott conspiracy theory — Pictured: Travis Scott at Openair in Frauenfeld 2019 | Frank Schwichtenberg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

On Friday (Nov 5), tragedy struck during a Travis Scott performance at the Astroworld Music Festival in Houston, as eight people died and hundreds of others were injured during what officials are calling a “mass casualty event.”

Over the weekend, a conspiracy theory began circulating on social media that the deaths were a result of Scott’s participation in a satanic ritual.

Tragedy Strikes Astroworld

The deaths and injuries occurred as the crowd surged toward the stage, resulting in many concertgoers being trampled. It is still unclear what exactly caused the surge, but apparently panic struck the crowd after several people passed out for unknown reasons.

Houston Chief of Police Troy Finner said in a news conference on Saturday, “This is now a criminal investigation that’s going to involve our homicide division as well as narcotics, and we’re going to get down to the bottom of it.”

The festival had a sold out crowd of 50 thousand attendees.

After the show, several attendees took to social media to wrongfully accuse Scott of callously ignoring the crowd surge. However, as Newsweek has reported, the livestream reveals that Scott stopped several times to call out for help for those in the crowd who were falling unconscious. Scott did not seem to know the full extent of what was happening in the crowd at the time.

Scott’s representatives told Variety that Scott will be refunding all Astroworld tickets, and he has canceled his performance that was set for November 13 in Las Vegas, citing that he is “too distraught to play.”

Satanic Conspiracy Theory Begins Circulating

Over the weekend, a conspiracy theory began to develop that Scott was somehow involved in the tragic deaths of the 8 concertgoers, by way of satanic ritual sacrifice. Some are even arguing that the express purpose of Scott’s performance was human sacrifice.

Those who are circulating this conspiracy theory are quick to point out the occult imagery used in Scott’s latest album and stage design. One person tweeted an image of Scott’s latest album artwork, claiming that he “literally shows himself as a demon in his new album cover…that whole astroworld (sic) was set up as a sacrifice ritual and no one will change my mind about that.”

Elements of Scott’s stage design were also inspired by Hieronymus Bosch’s painting, “Christ in Limbo,” which contains demonic imagery. A tagline of the festival was, “See you on the other side.” Though intended ironically, the phrase has become a tragic reality for some.

French Bishops Agree to Compensate Sex Abuse Victims

By

AP News

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November 8, 2021

french sex abuse victims — FILE - In this Oct.5, 2021 file poto, Catholic Bishop Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, president of the Bishops' Conference of France (CEF), speaks during the publishing of a report by an independant commission into sexual abuse by church officials (Ciase) in Paris. Monsignor Eric de Moulins-Beaufort was received by the Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin Tuesday Oct.12, 2021 after Moulins-Beaufort said last week that secrets shared in the confessional are above the law, as the country reels from new revelations of large-scale child sex abuse within the Catholic Church. (Thomas Coex, Pool via AP, File)

PARIS (AP) — France’s Catholic Church announced on Monday that it would financially compensate sex abuse victims by selling property assets or taking out a loan if needed.

French bishops said in a written statement they will set up an “independent, national body” tasked with addressing compensation issues. They committed to allocating money to a specific fund “in order to compensate victims,” notably by selling property or through a potential loan.

They also called on Pope Francis to send “a team of visitors” to assess the church’s response regarding child protection.

Eric de Moulins-Beaufort, President of the Bishops’ Conference, hailed a “decisive step” in a speech.

He stressed that the Church has recognized its “institutional responsibility” and decided to go “on a path of recognition and reparation that paves the way for victims to get the possibility of a mediation and a compensation.”

The Bishops Conference held its annual meeting a month after a report revealed large-scale child sex abuse within the French Catholic Church.

The study released by an independent commission estimated that some 330,000 children were sexually abused over 70 years by priests or other church-related figures.

“We felt disgust and horror inside us when we realized how much suffering so many people had lived and were still living,” Moulins-Beaufort said.

The bishops acknowledged the church’s responsibility that implies financial compensation because the commission “strongly suggested that path” but also because “worshippers full of shame were expecting it from us,” he said.

The report published last month described “systemic” coverup of abuses by the Catholic Church, and urged the church to respect the rule of law in France.

It said the tally of 330,000 victims includes an estimated 216,000 people abused by priests and other clerics, and the rest by church figures such as Scout leaders and camp counselors. The estimates were based on a broader research by France’s National Institute of Health and Medical Research into sexual abuse of children in the country.

France is a traditionally Roman Catholic country, but adheres to a strict form of secularism in public life based on a 1905 law separating church and state.

This article originally appeared here.

Guarding Your Heart in the Pulpit

By

H.B. Charles, Jr.

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November 6, 2021

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned his followers about guarding your heart. he said not to practice spiritual devotion with ulterior motives (Matthew 6:1-18). Do not give to the needy to be celebrated for your generosity. Do not pray to be heard by men. Do not fast so people will consider you spiritual. How do you avoid practicing Godward acts with man-centered motives? Jesus teaches that acts of devotion should be done in private, before God not man.

Preachers also struggle with the temptation to make their charge from God a performance before men. But we cannot overcome this temptation by moving the pulpit to our secret closets. Preaching is a public act of spiritual devotion. We may pray that God would hide us behind the cross as we preach. But there is no place to hide in the pulpit.

Let’s face it. The pulpit is a dangerous place. It can fill the preacher with pride that leads to his downfall. It call fill the preacher with discouragement that causes him to give up. It can fill the preacher with fear that prostitutes his divine message for human approval.

The old story is told about the young preacher who strutted to the pulpit, expecting to wow the congregation. He humbly walked out of the pulpit after the sermon bombed. “What happened?” he asked a senior minister. The wise, seasoned preacher counseled, “Son, if you would have gone up to the pulpit the way you came down, you would have been able to come down the way you went up.”

What steps can you take for guarding your heart in the pulpit? Consider these recommendations …

1. Guarding Your Heart: Come to the pulpit prayed up.

Sermon preparation is an exercise in believing prayer. We should thank God for the privilege of speaking for him. We should pray for illumination of the revealed scriptures. We should ask God to yield the wisdom of the writers we consult to us. We should confess our sins to God when the text convicts us. We should pray for help to personally obey teachings of God’s word. We should pray the Lord would enable us to speak faithfully and clearly. We should pray for a spiritual burden for those who will hear the message. We should pray that Christ would be exalted as the word is explained. We should even pray as we preach! Coming to the pulpit prayed up will help guard your heart as you preach.

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Sues OSHA Over Biden Vaccine Mandate

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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November 5, 2021

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Vaccine Mandate — FILE - In this Monday, Oct. 5, 2015 file photo, The Rev. R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, speaks to reporters about a conference in Louisville, Ky., focusing on homosexuality and how to offer pastoral care to gays. Mohler, a prominent leader in the Southern Baptist Convention says he was wrong to support a Kentucky pastor accused of covering up sex abuse. The Rev. Albert Mohler first addressed the issue Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019 in an interview with the Houston Chronicle .(AP Photo/Bruce Schreiner, File). OSHA logo: U.S. Government, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons U.S. Secretary of Defense, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) is joining a federal lawsuit against an OSHA ordinance that would require employers to enforce a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

SBTS president Albert Mohler tweeted the announcement on Friday morning, saying, “Religious institutions must not be turned into instruments of government coercion. That’s why we are taking this action. The @SBTS position is clear. Thankful for @AllianceDefends.”

SBTS, which is located in Louisville, Kentucky, has over 3,300 students and more than 300 employees. SBTS does not have an official position regarding the COVID-19 vaccine itself, though their website does “strongly encourage” employees to be vaccinated.

In his tweet, Mohler provided a link to the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a non-profit legal organization committed to protecting religious freedom, free speech, parental rights, and the sanctity of life. ADF said that SBTS filed a lawsuit against the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regarding the Biden administration’s vaccine mandates that require compliance by January 1, 2022. OSHA’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard became effective November 5, 2021.

According to the ADF, the mandate requires all private employers who have 100 or more employees to require the COVID-19 vaccination for their workers or weekly COVID-19 testing. The mandate also requires employers to enforce a mask mandate for unvaccinated employees. Those who refuse to comply are subject to termination.

“It is unacceptable for the government to force religious institutions to become coercive extensions of state power,” Mohler said. “We have no choice but to push back against this intrusion of the government into matters of conscience and religious conviction. This institution exists for the purpose of educating ministers for churches. This seminary must not be forced to stand in for the government in investigating the private health decisions of our faculty and employees in a matter involving legitimate religious concerns.”

Asbury Theological Seminary (ATS) is also listed as a petitioner on the federal lawsuit. ATS is a multi-denominational seminary located in Wilmore, Kentucky and has over 1,700 students.

“We are glad to join with Asbury Theological Seminary in taking a stand against government coercion. The fact that the largest U.S. seminaries of the Baptist and Methodist traditions are here standing together against this mandate should send a clear and urgent message to Christians and to the nation,” Mohler said. “I am thankful for the excellent work of Alliance Defending Freedom as they present our petition to the court.”

SBTS’s president has stated that he isn’t against the COVID-19 vaccine. In fact, Mohler announced in December 2020 that he would be taking the vaccine, making that statement before the vaccine was even available. Mohler said that “medical treatment is an extension of God’s common grace, and Christians have always understood this. That is why, throughout history, where you found Christians, you found hospitals and the church treating the sick.”

Derek Carr Says God Is Faithful Through Raiders Turmoil; Gruden Attends Chaplain’s Church

By

Stephanie Martin

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November 5, 2021

On a new episode of the Harvester Sports podcast, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback and outspoken Christian Derek Carr discusses his calling and his victory in Jesus. The QB says he thanks God “no matter what” and has “praised God through the hardest times in my life,” including when his firstborn son needed emergency surgeries in 2013.

This season, in addition to facing off against NFL defenses, Carr is dealing with unexpected upheaval and leadership challenges. Last month, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden resigned in disgrace after offensive emails surfaced. And this week, the team released wide receiver Henry Ruggs III after he was arrested for allegedly killing a woman while driving drunk.

David Carr, a former NFL quarterback himself, says although “life has thrown a lot” at his brother lately, Derek is “up to the challenge” because of “his strong Christian faith and life experiences.”

Derek Carr Strives to Fulfill God’s Call

During this week’s podcast, Derek Carr speaks with his nephew Austin Carr, who credits his uncle with teaching him “from a young age what a true Christian Man should look like.” The 30-year-old quarterback says he believes God is faithful, awesome, and good through all life’s ups and downs, even when circumstances are beyond human understanding.

Carr also emphasizes that he’s playing football because that’s what God has called him to do right now. But he says people don’t need that type of high-profile platform to share the good news of Jesus with others. Carr encourages people who don’t happen to be pro athletes to proclaim the gospel to their own family, friends, school, and teachers.

In fact, Carr says he often has opportunities to preach the gospel off the field, including once at a Chipotle restaurant in San Francisco. The people he interacts with sometimes “aren’t even Raiders fans” or don’t know who he is. “You never know what God is doing,” the quarterback notes.

‘I’m Victorious,’ Declares Raiders QB

Despite the world’s love for sports, Carr is clear that football isn’t “the pinnacle of life.” In fact, he’s seen fellow athletes achieve success and fame yet feel empty and have their lives crumble. And although Carr admits he’d love to win championships for the Raiders organization and fans, he says, “At the end of the day…I’m already winning. Jesus won, so I already won. … I’m an overcomer. I’m victorious. I’ve already won because he won.”

Carr says many people choose to live their own way, or they misinterpret the gospel and who Jesus is. Others say, “I don’t like religion.” His response? “Well, I’m not religious either,” but “I have a faith that Jesus came, died, and rose again.”

Former Washington State Coach Appeals Firing Over Vaccine

By

Nicholas K. Geranios

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November 5, 2021

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Attorneys for former Washington State coach Nick Rolovich sent a letter to the university appealing his firing for refusing to get the coronavirus vaccine, contending school officials did not conduct a fair process to determine whether he should receive a religious exemption to a state mandate that all state employees must be vaccinated.

Attorneys Brian Fahling and Eric Kniffen’s letter to athletic director Pat Chun lays out their appeal of Rolovich’s firing for just cause.

The letter says Chun overturned a decision by the university’s Human Resource Services to grant Rolovich a religious exemption to the vaccination mandate. Rolovich has said he is Catholic. The Catholic Church has not prohibited vaccinations against COVID-19.

“This is your opportunity to step back, re-examine your illegal and unconstitutional conduct, and adopt a different posture toward Coach Rolovich before you and the university are forced to defend your conduct in the context of a federal court civil rights action,” the letter said.

Fahling has said Rolovich intends to file a lawsuit over his firing.

Chun did not immediately return messages left by telephone and email Thursday. A university spokesman said the school would have no comment on the letter.

Rolovich completed his application for a religious exemption on Sept. 28. School officials notified Chun on Oct. 6 that Rolovich was entitled to a religious exemption and that the athletic department needed to decide whether accommodations could be made for Rolovich to safely continue working as head coach, the letter contends.

On Oct. 13, the athletic department responded to the Human Resource Services that it could not safely accommodate Rolovich, the letter said.

Rolovich and four of his assistants were fired on Oct. 18. Rolovich was the first major college coach to lose his job over his vaccination status.

Defensive coordinator Jake Dickert was elevated to acting coach and the Cougars (5-4) have gone 1-1 since Rolovich was fired. They remain in contention for the Pac-12 North title and a bowl game.

Rolovich, 42, was the highest-paid state employee with an annual salary of more than $3 million. He was fired for cause, which means the university does not have to honor the rest of his contract.

This article originally appeared here.

Texans Vote to Prohibit Government From Limiting Religious Services

By

Timothy Cockes

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November 5, 2021

ALLEN, Texas (BP) – An amendment to the Texas constitution prohibiting the state government from imposing limits on religious worship services passed with 62 percent of the vote Tuesday (Nov. 2).

The legislation came in response to government restrictions on houses of worship during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Proposition 3 (officially termed TX HB1239) adds a clause to the Texas constitution that forbids the government from similar actions in the future.

The amendment passed with more than 900,000 votes, according to unofficial election results from the Texas secretary of state.

One of the bill’s original co-authors and supporters was Scott Sanford, a Republican representative who also serves as an executive pastor with Cottonwood Creek Church, a Southern Baptist congregation in Allen, Texas.

Sanford told Baptist Press in October that he felt churches were “unfairly singled out,” by local governments who imposed restrictions on religious gatherings, and this was “not constitutional or the right thing to do.”

“We felt this needed to be addressed, and we think this bill is a biblical and constitution way to address it,” Sanford said. “It’s very practical that ministries need to have the stable and legal environment in which to operate. Now from a church perspective, if there is a flare-up in the virus or if another pandemic or something else comes along, we have the assurance of knowing we’ll be able to continue on.”

Referencing the essential nature of churches, he said one of the roles of churches is to come alongside the government as they seek to serve the community and share the Gospel.

“Churches also do a lot to lower the burden of local government such as help with people suffering from addition or various domestic issues, and if the government had to take on all that burden themselves, they’d be overwhelmed. We are necessary and essential as it relates to the community.

“It’s simply that the community is held together by a lot of different institutions and none are more critical than places of worship and the ministries they provide. When you need us the most is sometimes when outsiders may think it would be a good time to close them.”

This article originally appeared here.

United Methodist Group Urges Bishops to Allow UMC Churches to Exit Denomination

By

Heather Hahn

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November 5, 2021

A group of United Methodists is urging bishops to allow congregations that want to do so to leave with property now — rather than wait for General Conference.

“As the writer of Ecclesiastes notes, ‘For everything there is a season,’ and the season for waiting on General Conference legislative solutions as the only way forward has passed,” says the group’s open letter, titled “A Call to Grace.”

The ad hoc group released its letter Nov. 2 — as the Council of Bishops begins its fall online meeting that goes through Nov. 5.

“We call bishops and annual conferences to use existing disciplinary authority to find grace-filled ways for these leaders and churches to follow their call now, allowing them to take their church property with them where appropriate,” the letter said.

As of its release early Nov. 2, more than 250 United Methodists had signed the letter. The document began circulating late Oct. 29.

Initial signers include General Conference delegates, lay leaders, pastors, district superintendents, seminary professors and other church members. Signers come from across the U.S. as well the denomination’s central conferences — church regions in Africa, Europe and the Philippines. The group now invites other United Methodists to sign.

“We hope the bishops receive this in the spirit which it is meant,” said George Howard, one of the letter’s initial signers and a General Conference delegate from West Ohio.

“We believe all in the UMC want to pursue mission and ministry. We encourage the bishops to consider all the available options open to people seeking a path beyond the UMC. We likewise encourage all who seek a different path to engage with their bishop and annual conference.”

Council of Bishops President Cynthia Fierro Harvey told United Methodist News that the letter serves as a reminder of one of the foundational values United Methodists hold — grace.

“The letter calls us to take a breath, to calm our minds and spirit and respond with grace in ways that will advance the kingdom of God,” said Harvey, who also leads the Louisiana Conference.

“The Council of Bishops will meet this week to continue exploring how to best honor its commitment to walk alongside one another in this in-between time and to use its agency to lead our conferences and churches to honor and respect one another, serve one another, and let love be our witness.”

Liberty University Set to Approve Third-Party Sexual Abuse Investigation

By

Dale Chamberlain

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November 5, 2021

The Liberty University board of trustees is set to vote on whether the school should move forward with a third-party investigation into whether the university has mishandled sexual abuse allegations from students.

Journalist Michael Alachnowicz reported on Thursday, “The @LibertyU board of trustees will take up a vote on approving a third-party investigation into the university tomorrow [Friday, November 5]. This comes after calls into a third-party review of the university’s handling of Title IX reports.”

“From what we were told, the executive committee approved the measure. But, the full board must still approve it before it’s official. Details from there are not clear as of now,” Alachnowicz added.

A Win for Survivor Advocacy Groups

If the Liberty board of trustees moves to approve a third-party investigation, Justice for Janes, an advocacy group for sexual abuse survivors at Liberty University, will have all their demands met. Those demands included the installation of blue light emergency boxes on campus, disciplinary amnesty for students reporting harassment or assault, and a third-party investigation.

“Last year, Liberty hired an accounting firm to review its finances,” Justice for Janes’ website reads. “How much more important is a review of the systems that are meant to protect Liberty students?”

Earlier this week, Liberty president Jerry Prevo announced that the school will spend about $8.5 million to install cameras and emergency call boxes around campus, something an anonymous abuse survivor says she asked the school to do following her assault 16 years ago.

In his announcement, Prevo emphasized his concern about potential false reports, saying, “If you’re doing something wrong, don’t claim that something happened to you that was false, alright?” Prevo’s concerns stands in contrast to research that found that only 2 to 10 percent of sexual assault claims can be flagged as false.

In the past, women who have reported sexual assault to the school say they have been silenced or even punished under the school’s morality code. Now, women reporting sexual harassment and assault will be given amnesty from punishment for allegedly violating what is called the “Liberty Way.”

“It’s been insinuated that if you are, let’s say, violating the Liberty Way, and during your violation of that Liberty Way, you are sexually abused, sexually harassed, sexually assaulted…you are not going to be disciplined for that if you come and you have a legitimate complaint that you have been sexually harassed, sexually assaulted, dating and domestic violence, you’re going to have what we call amnesty,” Prevo said.

Post Traumatic Church Disorder: 12 Symptoms and 5 Treatments

By

Ben Reed

-

November 5, 2021

I’ve talked with a number of men and women in ministry, and I’ve noticed an alarming problem. It’s often felt but rarely talked about. Just below the surface, it affects daily interactions, vision casting and strategic planning. It affects how we relate to God and how we relate to others. I call it post traumatic church disorder. You’ve heard of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, right?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event—either experiencing it or witnessing it. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. –MayoClinic.org

Post Traumatic Church Disorder:

PTSD happens after a terrifying event. PTCD, however, happens after a traumatic, stressful, chaotic, terrifying, painful experience or season in a local church. It can happen after events that our society would deem abusive (physical, sexual, verbal) and/or traumatic.

PTCD cuts deeply. If there’s a place where your spiritual, emotional and physical life should be safe, it is in a local church. But in a PTCD situation, the safety net you should feel there erodes. Finding abuse and traumatic events where a wall of safety and health should exist carves deep wounds on your soul. You may begin to deal with this issue after having been in an local church that is filled with one or more of the following features characterizing its leadership (whether paid staff, volunteer leadership or elders):

Unhealthy staff culture
Abusive (spiritual, emotional, verbal, physical or otherwise) leadership
Unwise leadership decisions
Controlling
Constant complaining
Fighting (open name-calling, character assassination, slander)
Gossip (behind-closed-door name calling, character assassination, slander)
Insulated leadership, refusing to be held accountable
Self-serving shepherds
Manipulative leadership
Bullying

Church staff/leadership teams can have these attitudes and behaviors creep in over time. And you’d be foolish to think that one person that’s dominated by one of these traits doesn’t seep its way into other staff members and into the church at large. One bad apple spoils the bunch, and one bad staffer can spoil the team.

These prideful character traits can destroy staff and church morale quicker than just about anything else.

How to Know You Have It

It doesn’t take long for Post Traumatic Church Disorder to set in. Just a season or two of a self-serving, manipulative, controlling leadership in your life can move your heart to a dark place. Trust is built over time but is torn down in a moment. Fortunately or not, our view of the local church greatly impacts our view of God.

12 Markers of Post Traumatic Church Disorder

A deep distrust of church leadership, despite anything specific that you see
A callousness toward church staff
Growing cynicism toward the church
Growing desire to gossip about leadership
When your pastor calls you, your first thought is “What have I done?” or “What’s he going to be mad about this time?”
A knee-jerk anger when your pastor asks to meet with you
A knee-jerk fear when your pastor asks to meet with you
Constant questioning of the motives of your church staff
Refusal to engage in serving and attending worship
Continual doubting of your pastor’s heart
Refusal to give financially to your local church because of your distrust
A growing anxiousness in dealing with church leaders

Post Traumatic Church Disorder – 5 Treatments

Be careful that Post Traumatic Church Disorder doesn’t wreck your heart. It can. And it will. Satan would love nothing more than to keep you from church by convincing you church is worth keeping from. By couching “church” in the category of pain, frustration and uselessness, you’ll sideline yourself when the church needs you and your voice.

Here’s how you can guard your heart from growing distant and calloused:

1. Pray.

Start here. End here. And fill every moment with asking God to guard you from bitterness, inaction and callousness. It realigns your heart with what pleases, and what breaks, the heart of God.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. –1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

2. Remind Yourself Who the Church Is.

The church is the bride of Christ. It’s the one for whom Christ suffered and died. And remember this: Jesus had to suffer and die because the church isn’t perfect. We’re a bunch of messed up sinners who continue to do battle against our flesh. Church leaders are sinners being redeemed, too. The church isn’t perfect, but its Redeemer is. And He loves His bride (Ephesians 5:21-33).

3. Help Make Better Decisions.

Instead of complaining, speak into the life and leadership of your local church. If you see things differently, that just might be a gift you could give. When you see a different path, point it out. When you see disunity, expose it. When you see poor, abusive leadership, blow the whistle. Terrible leadership begets terrible leadership unless you speak up.

Be sure to answer the foolish arguments of fools,
or they will become wise in their own estimation. –Proverbs 26:5

4. Serve Selflessly.

Keep serving. Give of yourself until it hurts. Give of yourself until it costs you something. This will help curb your tendency of thinking that your local church only exists for you. Yes, we’re broken. Yes, we’re imperfect. But the church is better when you serve. And as you serve, you become a part of the solution instead of a part of the problem.

5. Don’t Go It Alone.

Don’t be so foolish that you think you can work through Post Traumatic Church Disorder on your own. Masking problems doesn’t make them go away. Find someone you can be open, honest and transparent with. You need an outside perspective in order to biblically, helpfully and healthily walk through this issue.

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! –Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Don’t give up on the local church. She is the bride of Christ, as broken and twisted as she sometimes can be. She’s worth fighting for. She’s redemption in process.

This article about Post Traumatic Church Disorder originally appeared here, and is used by permission..

Choosing Songs: 25 Ways to Pick Great Songs for Your Church

By

Tim Lucas

-

November 5, 2021

Choosing songs for worship is no easy task. You have to choose a song that people will sing, that you like playing, has a good message…the list goes on. I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to fear finding the right music for your church. Sure, there’s a lot to consider, and you won’t get it right every time.

That’s OK.

You’ll learn more from your failures than your successes in this area. Still, you want to have a healthy tally in the “win” section, and that’s why I put together a checklist of 25 things to look for in a good worship song.

You certainly don’t have to hit all 25, but finding a good song is more like finding a good car or place to live. If you hit 70-80 percent of your wish list, you’re doing great.

Choosing Songs: 25 Ways to Pick Great Songs for Your Church

1. CHOOSE WORSHIP SONGS WITH A GREAT MESSAGE

Most worship songs have biblical, theologically correct lyrics.

Most.

But when you’re writing a worship song it’s easy to accidentally say something that’s not exactly theologically sound. Sometimes those songs gain traction and the church starts singing them en masse.

No one in your congregation is going to veer off the straight and narrow because of slightly off-base worship lyrics. Still, worship is teaching, so you want to avoid teaching the wrong things.

As a worship leader, you are a teacher and as James 3:1 says, “Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.”

So teach well with the songs you choose.

2. CHOOSE WORSHIP SONGS THAT HAVE ENOUGH “MEAT.”

Speaking of teaching, you might as well make sure you are teaching something when you are leading worship.

Sure, there are times when you want to sing the chorus of “I Could Sing of Your Love Forever,” well, forever. But make sure you are choosing other worship songs that teach the Bible and character of God.

To put it in food terms, serve some meat along with dessert. A good worship song is not only catchy, but has people processing the lyrics all week.

One of the best examples I’ve ever heard is Stuart Townend’s “How Deep the Father’s Love For Us.” It’s a musical and lyrical masterpiece, and teaches deep spiritual truths.

3. MAKE SURE THE LYRICS AREN’T DUMB.

This is related to the previous tip, but different.

Now, I’m sure a Christian worship song writer would ever compose “dumb” lyrics, but if that were to ever happen, please don’t sing the song.

When I was in youth group, I sang a song called “I Like Bananas.” There’s absolutely no reason anyone should ever sing this song. Seriously. Just don’t.

4. CHOOSE WORSHIP SONGS IN YOUR CONGREGATION’S STYLE.

If an electric guitar has never darkened the door of your church, maybe you don’t want to choose a mid-2000s Hillsong United tune.

Sure, you can move your church in a certain direction, but don’t do it too fast. Choose songs that are not too far outside your church’s current comfort zone stylistically.

But let’s say you really like a song whose original version is too wild for your church’s taste. It’s OK to tone it down while capturing the essence of the song. Use keys or an acoustic guitar to bang out the basic rhythm and feel of the song.

You can play good song a thousand different ways and it will still carry meaning and power.

5. CHOOSE A SONG THAT YOUR BAND CAN PLAY.

There’s nothing worse than biting off more than you can chew as a worship team.

Many of us would like our teams to have all the talent and skill of Elevation Worship or Crowder. And most of us would love to be that artistic.

But sometimes we just can’t pull it off.

The rhythm is too complex, the guitar part too intricate, and the vocal range too wide.

Don’t worry. No one will fault you for being realistic about your skills. It’s better to really nail a very basic song than to flub through a tough one.

6. FIND A SONG THAT’S “YOU.”

You know the feeling if you’ve tried this before. A song really moves you, and the record sounds amazing. You try it, and it’s just not you. I’ll probably never try a Kirk Franklin song. And I’m just not cool enough to pull off electronica.

Cell Group Lessons Made Plain

What’s the main point of the passage?

Can someone share something from your past or what you’re going through at the moment that makes this passage powerful or timely?

What is this passage challenging you to do personally (and how can we support you)?

Read the passage several times together, perhaps in different translations. Then answer these questions.

What does it say?

How would I say that? (Each person tries to retell the passage or Bible story in their own words.)

What must I do to obey what I have learned? “I will…” (Each person crafts an “I will” statement or two to tell how they will obey the passage this week.)

With whom did you share what you learned last week?

How did it go with your “I will” statements?

How To Lead Worship Online

1. Name the Strangeness

2. Give Permission

3. Do Less

4. Sweat the Small Stuff

1. Notice Advent Trimmings

2. Listen for Advent Sounds

3. Watch Advent Lights

4. Advent Prayer Stations for Toddlers

Millennial Views for Pastors to Note

Tragedy Strikes Astroworld

Satanic Conspiracy Theory Begins Circulating

What steps can you take for guarding your heart in the pulpit? Consider these recommendations …

1. Guarding Your Heart: Come to the pulpit prayed up.

Derek Carr Strives to Fulfill God’s Call

‘I’m Victorious,’ Declares Raiders QB

A Win for Survivor Advocacy Groups

Post Traumatic Church Disorder:

How to Know You Have It

12 Markers of Post Traumatic Church Disorder

Post Traumatic Church Disorder – 5 Treatments

1. Pray.

2. Remind Yourself Who the Church Is.

3. Help Make Better Decisions.

4. Serve Selflessly.

5. Don’t Go It Alone.

Choosing Songs: 25 Ways to Pick Great Songs for Your Church

1. CHOOSE WORSHIP SONGS WITH A GREAT MESSAGE

2. CHOOSE WORSHIP SONGS THAT HAVE ENOUGH “MEAT.”

3. MAKE SURE THE LYRICS AREN’T DUMB.

4. CHOOSE WORSHIP SONGS IN YOUR CONGREGATION’S STYLE.

5. CHOOSE A SONG THAT YOUR BAND CAN PLAY.

6. FIND A SONG THAT’S “YOU.”

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