Post Traumatic Church Disorder: 12 Symptoms and 5 Treatments

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

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.

8 Reasons We Have Delayed (Even Further) Getting Our Daughters a Phone

Eric Geiger

November 5, 2021

Four years ago, I wrote a post about the wrestle of giving a kid a phone, of social media among teenagers, and what Kaye and I were planning our approach would be with our daughters. Kaye and I were in the midst of reading and researching and talking with other parents. Our daughters were 10 and 8 at the time. I imagined, and stated in the blog, that we would likely wait until our daughters were fourteen before they would have a phone with social media access.

Four years later, our oldest daughter has just turned fourteen and we still have not gotten her a phone. In many ways our position has only grown stronger. We talk regularly with our daughters about when we anticipate them having a phone and how much later social media accounts will be added to the phone. We talk together about the upsides and downsides of constant connectivity, increased technology, and the tool of social media — hoping to include them in the decision. By God’s grace, they both recognize that there are some inherent downsides to growing up on a phone. Here are 8 reasons we have decided to delay getting our daughters phones, especially social media. We talk about these reasons with them, and at this point we are all on the same page.

1. When they get a phone, everything changes.

Some great parents who deeply love their kids have shared with me their regrets in getting their kids phones “too early” or “too soon” because of how the relationship changes and their parental influence seems to immediately wane. I am hearing parents say about the phone what I used to hear parents say about their kid getting a driver’s license and a car. “When they get a car (now a phone), everything changes.”

2. We hear stories of bullying and regret.

I have heard horror stories of kids being bullied on group texts, Instagram, and Snapchat messages. The pain has been so severe to some that their confidence is completely shot.

3. Teenagers tell the truth.

I have been leading a group of guys who are high school juniors since they were freshmen I high school. These are great young men from amazing families and they have been transparent that social media has been a source of struggle for them. They are the ages we think our kids will be when we will give our daughters phones, and some of the teenagers in my group have said, “Don’t give your daughters phones for as long as possible.”

4. Adolescents are vulnerable to addiction.

Addictions can develop at any stage in life, but there is evidence that teenagers are more vulnerable to addiction. It has become increasingly clear that algorithms are developed to keep us on social media platforms, no matter what viewpoints we have, for as long as possible. The tools have been developed to be addictive. Thus, Simon Sinek was right when, several years ago, he compared giving a teenager a phone to giving him access to the alcohol cabinet.

5. This is your brain on social media.

When I was growing up the “war on drugs” was launched which meant commercials such as the egg being fried in a pan with the voiceover simply saying, “This is your brain on drugs.” Because we only have a few years of research on the implications of social media, we are still learning the affects. But the early research has been troubling. In her book iGen, Jean Twenge shares how teenagers on their phones are being trained to read in short chunks and don’t engage in long, transformational reading. They struggle to develop social skills. And they are less happy and more anxious than previous generations. In the midst of the pandemic, doctors are reporting a rise in Tourette-like symptoms that they believe may be caused by too much social media use – specifically too much time on Tik-Tok.

Cross Christmas Tree: A Unique Way to Remember Jesus

Youth Ministrycom

November 4, 2021

I recently saw an idea via a friend of a friend, and I love it! The concept is a cross Christmas tree, cleverly called a CROSS-mas Tree. Now we have this display in our church building too.

When I first saw the cross Christmas tree, I thought, “That’s awesome! It’s one more way to remind us what Christmas is all about. I must get my hands on that so other people can see Jesus through it.” The idea also made me realize that finding Christ in Christmas doesn’t have to be an uphill battle.

A Closer Look at the Cross Christmas Tree

As it turns out, I was able to go one step further. The idea intrigued me so much that I connected with its creator, Darren Howard, and his wife, Karley. Here’s a peek at our conversation:

What was your inspiration for this CROSS-mas Tree?

Darren: I wanted something for my family and household to remember Jesus more specifically. The normal Christmas tree is a very symbolic thing for many people, but when I look at it by itself, I don’t get what it represents. When Jesus was born for us, He wasn’t just some special kid; He was our Savior. I wanted something Christmas-like that symbolized this. So I thought I’d make a cross-shaped tree because it would be more visually engaging. I had a lot of prodding of the Spirit to work on this. It was a real God thing.

How did that play out, from idea to making your first one?

Darren: I first had the idea about four year ago, right around Christmas. A whole year went by, and then the next year I got kidney stones and wasn’t able to work for a week. God slowed me down and stopped me, reminding me of the idea. So I used that time to create the first prototype and displayed it at my house. After I got married, life got busy again. But then I finally buckled down this year and realized it was time to make a hard push to get more out there. That came from people who saw the trees and kept asking me how much I saved doing it myself. Then i realized nothing of this size or nature was available. So we have a patent on its design and hope to serve churches and households with it.

What comments have you heard from people?

Karley: We have a lot of friends over to our house, and this cross Christmas tree gives us another way of opening up to share Christ’s love with them. Not all of them are believers. It’s a great way to share the Gospel with them.

Darren: I also have a niece and nephew who visit, and I’ve never had anything that visually draws them in to Jesus and who He is. Everything is so visual in their generation. So it’s cool when they see a CROSS-Mas tree and have their own takeaways from it. They’ve asked questions about its shape. That helps us help them think about Christ’s birth, what gift-giving represents, etc. It’s not just about the presents. This display pushes them to think about why we give presents. It’s more of a visual aid as to why we do that.

I like how this can help our church focus in on Jesus. I imagine tit will help countless people hone in on Him during worship.

Darren: A lot more Christians do seem to magically pop up around church [during this season]. The cross Christmas tree helps the nominal Christian transition into Christmas more. They see crosses and they get more serious. It engages them to challenge people more to consider the symbolism. I don’t think a lot of people realize the history of evergreens, either. Their needles are resistant to fire in ways other trees aren’t. They have the hardest of bark. They hold up against almost anything. In the Old Testament, people put pine branches in the Tabernacle. It’s such a great symbol of eternal, non-dying life. That symbolism wrapped up in a cross represents Christ. Until I did research, I didn’t realize some of that stuff.

This idea is so simple yet so profound. What do you think of the cross Christmas tree? Would you want one for your church or youth room?

Tony Myles is a multi-faceted ministry veteran, conference speaker, and author with a passion for the future of the church. He’s served that calling as a Senior Pastor and Youth Worker, and leads the Student Ministry Team at Riverside Church in Big Lake, MN…and he really likes smoothies.

This article originally appeared here.

A Christian Town? This Controversial Church’s Goal Is to Make It Happen

Jesse T. Jackson

November 4, 2021

Douglas Wilson Christ Church Moscow Idaho — Unsplash.com: @Anthony Chiado

Christ Church is a megachurch in the small town of Moscow, Idaho that’s quickly gaining national attention.

The Guardian recently released its findings on an investigation it conducted regarding the church’s goal to make the city of Moscow, Idaho a “theocracy,” or, in their words, a “Christian town.” Christ Church has an estimated 1000 congregants, which is roughly 4 percent of Moscow’s population of 25,000.

Christ Church’s Mission

Christ Church’s mission statement appears as follows on their website:

Our mission at Christ Church is summed up by the phrase “all of Christ for all of life.” Under the grace of God, this means that our desire is to make Moscow a Christian town through faithful and robust covenant renewal worship on the Lord’s Day, through proclamation of the gospel to unbelievers, while training additional evangelists who will continue proclaiming that gospel, through teaching men and women how to live together in harmonious Christian marriage, through establishing a family-friendly culture of Christian education in which well-loved and well-disciplined children will learn to stay the course, through outreach that brings people to church, accommodating them where they are while seeking to bring them into maturity in a structured way, through genuine cultural engagement that provides Christian leadership in the arts, in business, in education, in politics, and in literature, and through a regular series of church plants on the Palouse as we have gifted, trained and ordained men, willing congregants, adequate resources, and available facilities. And we seek to do all of this in gladness and simplicity of heart, as we pursue love for God and love for our neighbor.

The Guardian’s Investigation

In their investigation, the Guardian reveals how Christ Church has acquired “significant influence” in the city of Moscow and continues to extend its leadership’s “power” and “activities” in order to accomplish their mission.

Douglas Wilson is Christ Church’s pastor. Wilson is the author of over 100 books, and serves on the board of trustees at New Saint Andrews College (a small local Christian college affiliated with the church). Wilson also founded the college’s theology program and serves as its senior fellow.

The investigation said that “church figures have browbeaten elected officials over COVID restrictions, built powerful institutions in parallel to secular government, harassed perceived opponents, and accumulated land and businesses in pursuit of a long-term goal of transforming America into a nation ruled according to its own, ultra-conservative moral precepts.”

The Guardian attempted to show how the church leadership has been influencing the city by listing the ways many of Wilson’s family members are employed. The college employs Wilson’s son-in-law, Ben Merkle [president], other son-in-law, Luke Jankovic [trustee], son Nathan [fellow of literature], brother Gordon [senior fellow of natural history], and Christ Church’s associate pastor, Toby Sumpter [trustee]. All of those men also serve as elders at Christ Church.

The Guardian also revealed that Christ Church elder Andrew Crapuchettes was the chief executive of one of the city’s largest employers, a labor marketing data company called Emsi. Fifty-five of Emsi’s employees are graduates of New Saint Andrews College. That number is significant, given that the college has only graduated 635 in its lifetime. The Guardian additionally linked other church elders to senior positions within the company, including one of Wilson’s son-in-laws.

This isn’t the first time a news outlet has reported about the church’s quest. In 2019, an article from The Spokesman-Review titled “Controversial Church Aims to ‘Make Moscow a Christian Town’” quoted Wilson as saying that the idea of a “spiritual takeover” of the city originated with is dad, James Wilson, after he retired from the Navy.

Nebraska AG Finds 258 Victims of Catholic Church Sexual Abuse

Grant Schulte

November 4, 2021

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska attorney general’s office investigation identified 258 victims who made credible allegations of sexual abuse against 57 Catholic church officials in the state going back decades, including many that high-ranking church leaders knew about and didn’t report to the authorities, according to a report released Thursday.

Prosecutors can’t charge against any current or former church officials with a crime because the statutes of limitations have expired in the vast majority of cases, Attorney General Doug Peterson said at a news conference announcing the findings. In one case where charges are still possible, Peterson said the accuser declined to participate in a prosecution.

The report outlines each known case in graphic detail, stretching from the 1930s to the 2010s. More than 90% of the victims were boys, usually young teenagers who served as altar servers.

“The extent of the physical and psychological harm caused by the perpetrators and the failure of the church to safeguard so many victims is gut-wrenching,” said Peterson, fighting back tears at several points during a news conference.

The investigation identified 57 church officials from Nebraska’s three dioceses who were credibly accused, including 51 priests, four deacons and two teachers. There were 97 documented victims from the Lincoln Diocese, 158 from the Omaha Archdiocese and and three from the Grand Island Diocese.

Most of the reported abuse took place in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, although 10 people reported abuse that took place in the 2010s.

Peterson said he was frustrated that prosecutors couldn’t file charges against anyone in the church, and would support efforts to loosen or eliminate old statutes of limitation for such crimes. Nebraska has since eliminated statutes of limitation for child sex assaults, but the change didn’t apply retroactively to old cases and the old law prevents those victims from filing lawsuits.

“This has in effect denied these victims justice and I am committed to setting this right,” said state Sen. Rich Pahls, of Omaha.

Pahls promised to introduce a bill during next year’s legislative session “to address this egregious and unacceptable state of affairs.”

In a joint statement, the bishops of all three Nebraska dioceses apologized to the victims and said they had taken steps to try to protect children and vulnerable adults.

“This report also points out mistakes made in the way dioceses received, reported and responded to allegations of sexual abuse in the past,” the bishops said. “We have been committed in recent years to comprehensive measures to protect young people and vulnerable adults, preventing abuse, offering healing for past victims of abuse and fully cooperating with civil authorities in these matters.”

Beth Moore: What Galatians Tells Us About How to Confront Church Leaders

Jessica Lea

November 4, 2021

Challenging other church leaders, says author and Bible teacher Beth Moore, can be grief-inducing and painful, but Scripture shows us that there are times to do so.

“I don’t like being at odds with people that I love so much, those that have been my peers, my co-laborers,” said Moore. “I hate that. I hate it. But there are times when leaders do have to say to other leaders, ‘Wait, this doesn’t seem in step with the gospel.’”

In January, Beth Moore released “Now That Faith Has Come: A Study of Galatians,” which she co-authored with her daughter, Melissa. In an interview on the Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast, Moore shared how the book of Galatians provides a framework for some decisions she has made recently, including her choice to leave the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). You can listen to each part of the interview by clicking on the links below:

Beth Moore, Part 1: How Galatians Is ‘Astonishingly Relevant’ to American Christianity

Beth Moore, Part 2: What It Was Like to Leave the SBC

Beth Moore Speaks Out

In March 2021, Beth Moore announced that she was leaving the SBC, saying at the time, “I love so many Southern Baptist people, so many Southern Baptist churches, but I don’t identify with some of the things in our heritage that haven’t remained in the past.”

Moore explained in the interview that her decision to leave came from “facing up to the fact that somehow, I no longer belong. And, you know, it began instantly with speaking out back in the fall of 2016. It was overnight.” Moore drew criticism in 2016 for calling out Christian leaders who supported former president Donald Trump, even after tapes were leaked in which Trump used lewd language to brag about assaulting women.

In December 2020, Moore was even more direct. She wrote on Twitter, “I do not believe these are days for mincing words. I’m 63 1/2 years old & I have never seen anything in these United States of America I found more astonishingly seductive & dangerous to the saints of God than Trumpism. This Christian nationalism is not of God. Move back from it.”

Moore has drawn heat in other areas as well, including for calling out racism in the church and for preaching at Sunday church services. It was regarding preaching to men that Pastor John MacArthur infamously said of Moore, “Go home,” in October 2019.

However, “the straw that broke the camel’s back for me,” said Moore, came from something that happened earlier that year. “It’s when I stupidly said something online to somebody else about speaking on Mother’s Day at my church. And you know, I would have known that it would have annoyed somebody. But that’s not what happened. It dropped like a bomb.”

The public criticism that followed “was very widespread and it broke my heart,” said Moore. “I felt that many bore false witness because it was, it sounded like, ‘She’s led the women astray.’” The reality, she said, is that the accusations did not reflect her teaching or actions throughout her ministry. “I have never tried to be a senior pastor. I have never been a minister at a church. My payroll experience at First Baptist was teaching aerobics.”

Oregon Church Continues to Offer Daily Meals for Homeless, Despite City Restrictions

Dale Chamberlain

November 4, 2021

Bernie Lindley, pastor of St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Brookings, OR, has vowed to continue providing meals for the unhoused members of the community, despite a new city ordinance that restricts the practice.

St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church has been offering meals to those in need six days a week in response to meal services being halted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Neighbors of the church raised safety concerns as many unhoused individuals have flocked to the church, resulting in a city ordinance that bars any organization from offering free meals more than twice a week, for no more than a duration of three hours per day.

Rev. Lindley told CBN News that he and his church will refuse to comply with the ordinance. “They’re going to have to handcuff me and take me to jail, which they won’t do. So it’s not going to happen. We’re not going to stop feeding. We’re going to do what Christ compels us to do,” Lindley said.

At the beginning of the pandemic, St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church obtained permits from the city to house individuals without homes in its parking lot, and Lindley suspects that this is what caused neighbors to grow concerned.

“Some of the people who are emotionally fragile ended up having some psychotic breaks, manic episodes, stuff like that,” Lindley said. “So definitely, things got pretty dramatic for a while.”

Despite the challenges St. Timothy’s benevolence has created and the pushback from the community, Lindley sees providing these meals as integral to the church’s expression of faith, saying, “This is the way we express our religion, by feeding people.”

Further, Lindley said that obeying this ordinance would “disrupt their ability to get warm, nutritious meals for sure,” explaining that the meals that his church provides are the only meals some people eat.

St. Timothy has begun exploring legal options to challenge the city ordinance, as they see it as a violation of their first amendment right to freely express their religion.

Defense attorney Andell Brown told Fox News, “This church is simply following the commission of who they claim to follow: Christ…They’re Christians. [Jesus] fed the five thousand, and they’re feeding as many as they can in their neighborhood.”

“And it’s very important to them as part of their faith to take care of the less fortunate. This is an expression of their first amendment right to worship as they choose according to their conscience. And they see a community in need. They’re stepping up to help,” Brown added. “I think this ordinance, as well intentioned as it may be, is flat out wrong, and it just may end up being unconstitutional.”

Foes of Death Penalty Offer Spiritual Support at Executions

David Crary

November 4, 2021

NEW YORK (AP) — After Sister Barbara Battista, a Roman Catholic nun staunchly opposed to the death penalty, agreed to accompany a condemned man at his execution in federal prison, she wondered doubtfully, “Am I just part of this whole killing machine?”

“The answer is ‘No,’” she decided, proceeding with her mission to the death chamber in Terre Haute, Indiana, where in August 2020 Battista said a silent prayer while witnessing the lethal injection of Keith Dwayne Nelson, convicted of kidnapping, sexually assaulting and killing a 10-year-old girl.

“No matter how heinous the act, no matter how much I’m opposed to it, that person deserves to have someone who is there simply because they care,” she said.

Battista’s name is now on a friend-of-the-court brief submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court by the American Civil Liberties Union. Along with other spiritual advisers and former corrections officials, Battista argues against a Texas policy that prohibits a Southern Baptist pastor from praying aloud and laying hands on a condemned man, John Ramirez, as he is executed.

Ramirez, sentenced to death for the 2004 murder of a convenience store clerk, was scheduled to be executed Sept. 8, but the Supreme Court ordered a delay to consider claims that restrictions on the pastor’s role would violate his religious liberties. Oral arguments are scheduled for next Tuesday.

The ACLU has a long history of opposing the death penalty and also says that condemned prisoners, even at the moment of execution, have religious rights.

“If the state is going to engage in this practice, it should make every effort to honor the dignity and religious liberties of those it plans to kill,” said Daniel Mach, director of the ACLU Program on Freedom of Religion and Belief

Intriguingly, the ACLU’s position in the Ramirez case is echoed by some conservative religious groups which support the death penalty and are often at odds with the ACLU on other issues, for example in cases where religious conservatives believe they have a right to discriminate against LGBTQ people.

The Southern Baptist Convention has an official position supporting “the fair and equitable use of capital punishment.” Last month the SBC joined six other faith-based groups in a friend-of-the-court brief making the same argument as the ACLU — that Ramirez’s pastor, Dana Moore, should be able to lay hands on him and pray aloud during the execution.

“Religious freedom doesn’t end as you approach the moment of death,” said Brent Leatherwood, acting president of the SBC’s public policy arm. “The state has yet to make a compelling reason for why Pastor Moore cannot minister to Mr. Ramirez in these final moments.”

Rachael Denhollander, Liberty Students to Hold Rally Calling for Abuse Investigation

Bob Smietana

November 4, 2021

(RNS) — A group of Liberty University students and alumni plans to hold a prayer rally on the school’s campus in Lynchburg, Virginia, on Thursday (Nov. 4), calling for an independent, third-party investigation of Liberty’s handling of sexual assault and harassment cases.

Abuse advocate Rachael Denhollander will speak at the rally, which will coincide with a dinner for Liberty’s board of trustees, which meets this week.

Denhollander, a former gymnast whose testimony helped lead to the conviction of former USA Gymnastics coach and serial abuser Larry Nassar, has become a leading voice in addressing sexual abuse among evangelicals.

This past summer, a group of 12 women, including former Liberty students and employees, sued the evangelical Christian school, alleging that its policies made it “difficult or impossible for students to report sexual violence.” In late October, the school’s former spokesman also filed a suit, claiming he was fired after criticizing school leaders, including President Jerry Prevo, for how they responded to sexual assaults on campus.

In addition, a recent ProPublica story said that several students who reported assaults were warned that they could be punished for violating the Liberty Way, the school’s honor code, which limits meetings between male and female students.

Under former Liberty President Jerry Falwell Jr., speakers who called for prayer rallies that criticized the school were banned from campus. In 2018, campus police escorted Christian author Jonathan Martin off school property the night before a planned protest, a decision Falwell later defended. Author and speaker Shane Claiborne was also barred from campus.Denhollander plans to hold a news conference at the Craddock Terry Hotel in Lynchburg before the rally, with Dustin Wahl, founder of the Liberty alumni group Save17; former Liberty professor Karen Swallow Prior; and members of Justice for Janes, a student group calling for campus reforms at Liberty.

Wahl said he hopes school officials will allow the prayer rally to go forward.

“We feel that someone of Rachael’s caliber will be listened to,” said Dahl.

A university spokesman said outsiders are not allowed to protest at the school.

“Liberty University’s campus activities are reserved for residential students, faculty and administration. Demonstrations that are planned well in advance, for which space is requested and reserved are permitted on Liberty University’s campus, as long as they involve residential students, not the general public,” the spokesperson told Religion News Service in a statement.

Organizers said they still plan to move ahead with the rally despite the statement from the university and that Denhollander still plans to be there.

Mike Pence Cites Impact of Faith on His Politics – Including Decision to Certify 2020 Election Results

Dale Chamberlain

November 4, 2021

Former Vice President Mike Pence recently spoke to a group of students at the University of Iowa as part of the “Preserving American Liberty and Freedom” lecture series organized by Young America’s Foundation.

In his speech, Pence described the impacts his personal faith in Christ as well as the presidency of Ronald Reagan have had on his political journey, recounting his early days as a Democratic community organizer and eventual transformation into the Republican Vice President of the United States.

In the question-and-answer session that followed the speech, Pence again referenced his faith while defending his decision to certify the 2020 presidential election results, quoting Psalm 15.

Pence Tells His Story, Encourages Students to Study the Constitution

After being introduced and welcomed to the stage, Pence began his remarks by mentioning that he preferred a shorter introduction, saying, “I’m a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order.” Pence has often repeated this statement throughout his political career.

Pence went on to tell the students in attendance that as a young man, he was a Democrat and a community organizer for candidates, describing his love for the American Constitution and his undergraduate studies in history.

Referencing his faith as part of his eventual shift from the Democratic Party to the GOP, Pence said, “It was in that time — also a time that I came to a personal faith in Christ — that my politics and my thinking about America began to shift.”

“And much of that was also impacted by the voice and the values and the optimism of the 40th president of the United States, Ronald Reagan,” Pence added. “I have to tell you that when I heard Ronald Reagan’s vision for this country, a vision for a strong national defense, for a limited federal government, for traditional values, the words of my immigrant grandfather, the words of my father who built a small business in a small town in Indiana resonated in my heart.”

It was at that time that Pence said he “joined the Reagan revolution.”

“When I think of the impact Ronald Reagan had on my life and the life of this nation, it’s accurate to say that President Reagan was truly one of a kind. While he’s nearly universally admired today, those of us that are old enough to remember it know that it wasn’t always that way,” Pence said, calling Reagan “a conservative outsider who vigorously opposed the moderate Republican establishment in his day.”

“I think today we actually find ourselves in a very similar position, because President Donald Trump was also one of a kind,” Pence added as the crowd applauded. “Think about it. He too disturbed the status quo, challenged the establishment, invigorated a movement. And, once again, there is no turning back.”

Top 10 Marriage Ministry Mistakes

John McGee

November 4, 2021

When I first started working in marriage ministry nearly 20 years ago, I admittedly did not know what I was doing. I was a young guy at a young church that didn’t even have a marriage ministry before I got there. Experience is a great teacher, and I’ve since learned a lot from mistakes—both mistakes I’ve made myself, and lessons learned from other marriage ministers who have shared their stories with me.

The Top 10 Marriage Ministry Mistakes

To help you learn from and hopefully avoid making those same errors, here are the top 10 mistakes I’ve observed in marriage ministry:

#1 – Separating Marriage and Discipleship

The vast majority of couples enter marriage ministry believing they have a “marriage problem,” that something must be wrong with their marriage. They are going to look to you to “fix their marriage.” However, this is usually only the case until they realize they actually have a “Jesus problem.” This is why marriage ministry ultimately needs to be about more than getting along. It needs to be about discipleship. It will be in discipleship to Jesus that marriages are truly healed. We cannot make the mistake of separating marriage from discipleship.

#2 – Starting by Writing Your Own Content

Many churches begin marriage ministry with the lofty goal of doing everything from scratch, including writing their own content and curriculum. While this ambition is not a bad thing by any means, it can take precious time that could be spent in implementation and leader training. Your ministry may be best served initially by content off the shelf. This gives you time and resources to work out issues and understand how you want to eventually communicate concepts in your own words.

#3 – Lacking Buy-in from Senior Leaders

One of the most frequent mistakes we see marriage ministries make is pursuing a ministry plan without buy-in from the senior leaders or elders. Ideally, marriage ministry will be a partnership of those involved in the ministry and those in authority over the church. So, when you pitch marriage ministry ideas to your senior leaders, remember to be respectful and share ownership. Know what motivates and scares your senior leaders and adjust your ministry goals accordingly.

#4 – Lacking Authenticity in Leadership

It is only when couples are able to be truly vulnerable that change truly occurs. In order for that to happen, someone needs to go first. That someone has to be those in leadership. Passages like 1 Thessalonians 2:8 tells us we should desire not just to share the gospel in marriage ministry but our lives as well. When couples see their leaders being authentic, they will be more compelled to be authentic themselves.

#5 – Selling the Church Short

Matthew 16:18 tells us that nothing, hell included, will prevail against Jesus’ church. Therefore, we should be confident that our marriage ministries can be a conduit for real change. Doubting your impact can quickly become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Although there might be times to partner with outside professionals such as marriage counselors, outsourcing ministry shouldn’t be your default move when things get tough. 2 Peter 1:3 encourages us that we have everything we need to live a godly life and encourage others to do the same.

#6 – Avoiding Tough Issues

Divorce, remarriage, premarital sex, cohabitation, separation, same-sex marriage, and pornography are all difficult topics that the church too often remains silent about. If you are aiming to have a faithful marriage ministry, your couples need to know what to believe on these issues—before they become an issue in your church. Spend time with your senior leadership in prayer and study to determine what God would have you believe. It may be helpful to publish position papers or even cover these topics during weekly teaching to force clarity.

#7 – Forgetting What Year It Is

Marriage demographics look very different today than they did twenty years ago. Rather than assuming nothing has changed, our marriage ministries need to adapt to the new challenges. For example, the number of couples who cohabitate before they marry is higher than ever. 90-95% of people will not be virgins when they tie the knot. A secular sexual ethic is communicated almost constantly in the media. Marriage ministry needs to know how to respond to all of this with grace and truth.

#8 – Not Normalizing Pain and Struggle

One of the only promises about marriage in Scripture is that those who marry will have trouble (1 Corinthians 7:28). This should encourage us more than it discourages us. Communicate often how normal it is for marriage to be hard. Even when a couple is completely surrendered to Jesus, there will still be pain and struggle. Don’t let couples in your marriage ministry feel alone by communicating the goal is an absence of difficulty. The goal of marriage ministry needs to be full devotion to Jesus Christ.

#9 – Not Leveraging Stories

The stories of what God is doing in your marriage ministry need to be told. Sharing stories of life transformation gives others hope that it can happen in their lives as well. Encourage couples who find healing in your ministry to share their stories often, both in the marriage ministry and outside of it. We often see that transformation in marriage ministry tends to spread to every area of the church. You just need to help it happen.

#10 – Building Ministry Around a Person

The final mistake we see marriage ministries make is building the ministry around one couple. Doing this does everyone involved a disservice. It places a burden on the couple in leadership while setting the ministry up for failure if that couple needs to step away for any reason. Plus, having only one couple lead means that people only get one perspective. If you instead have multiple couples share leadership, participants get to see a variety of positive examples, and they are more likely to have someone that they can closely identify with. Work to create a plurality of leadership and disciple new leaders so that you can confidently replace yourself someday.

If you are working to build or revitalize your own marriage ministry, re|engage can help you avoid many of these mistakes. re|engage is a turn-key Christ-centered marriage ministry that’s essentially free to churches; the only cost is the workbooks that participants pay for themselves. Join us and over 450 other churches running re|engage as we seek to restore Christ to the center of marriages across the nation.

Voices with Ed Stetzer: “Silent No More? Political Activism in the Asian American Church”

Rev. Andrew Lee

November 4, 2021

Asian American — Unsplash.com: @Jason Leung

In light of the Atlanta shooting of six Asian women on March 16, 2021 and the subsequent outrage and rallies over racist attacks against Asian Americans, are Asian Americans now ready to fully engage in public demonstrations against social injustices? One significant event already occurred on June 28, 2020, as well over 1,000 Asian American Christians in Chicagoland gathered for a demonstration in support of black dignity and pride which was initiated by the Asian American Christian Collaborative. The killing of George Floyd, coupled with the recent deaths of other African Americans, had galvanized the Asian American community to participate in a two-mile march against the violence perpetrated on the black community. The march began on the outskirts of Chinatown, stopped for prayer vigils at several points including the historic century old Chinese Christian Union Church, and eventually ended at a historic century old African American church (Progressive Baptist Church).

A study was recently conducted to determine whether the Chicago march was an indication that the younger generation of the “model minority” was now engaging in political activism, or whether it was an aberration. These results were presented on March 5 at the World Christianity Virtual Conference at Princeton Theological Seminary.

This study surveyed Asian American believers in Chicagoland, both those who participated in this march and those who did not, with the intention of answering several pivotal questions:

What were the primary reasons why these demonstrators joined the Chicago march?
What were the primary reasons why others did not join?
Did the church leadership of immigrant congregations endorse this expression of social justice?
Is age a significant factor influencing attitudes and actions?
Are Asian American evangelicals now ready to engage in political activism or was this an isolated event?

What were the primary reasons why these demonstrators joined the Chicago march?

Out of a list of seven reasons, the two overwhelming choices were Wanted to demonstrate against the racism experienced by the Black community (88%) and Wanted to march as an expression of my spiritual faith (85%). In fact, 76% chose both these primary reasons.

Only 40% felt supported by their Family, church or community, indicating that fewer than half felt supported by their churches in this march. In actuality, this figure is far fewer than 40% as there were three sources of support which were suggested.

Was age an important factor in determining how one answered?

These results were further broken down by age groupings. As a number of recent Asian American church plants are essentially mono-generational at their inception, consisting primarily of those in their early post-college years, the first age bracket mimics this trend by incorporating those from 16-34 years of age (Only four respondents were under the age of 21.). The second bracket consists of more seasoned adults from ages 35-49. The final cluster of mature adults follows the AARP designation of those 50 years of age and above as seniors.

There were no wildly dramatic differences in the results from which one can draw definitive conclusions based on age. For example, to the question of why these marchers chose to take part, the responses were highly similar across the age segments as seen in the next two graphs.

What were the primary reasons why others did not join?

Those in the Asian American community who did not march were also surveyed to determine why they chose not to participate. Concern for one’s personal safety, whether due to contracting Covid-19, potential confrontations with others during the march, or the possibility of degenerating into a riot, was the number one concern with more than half checking that box at 58%. The second most chosen reason at 49% was that the march was not convenient to attend. The remaining six options returned single digit responses.

Voices with Ed Stetzer: Standing Between White Privilege and Black Disprivilege: An Asian American Perspective

Rev. Andrew Lee

November 4, 2021

As protests have swept across the United States in the aftermath of the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Brionna Taylor and others, the sign Black Lives Matter has been on prominent display. The tipping point has been reached. Demonstrators have marched in all 50 states calling for the end of racial violence against black people.

There is the occasional rejoinder, White Lives Matter or All Lives Matter. These statements are certainly true in and of themselves as the life of every individual is precious in God’s eyes. All lives do matter to Him regardless of color. However, what these latter statements miss is the context of the racial situation in our country.

To say that white lives also matter minimizes the reality of white privilege in the United States. Those who are born white experience institutional benefits not available to those of other ethnicities. They gain access to power and resources purely on the basis of skin color as they resemble those in the upper echelons of society. Those who are privileged may struggle with this concept. They might not recognize that they enjoy untold benefits not granted to others whereas those in the minority see it very clearly.

The Black Lives Matter movement began as a response to the murder of Trayvon Martin in 2012, and the subsequent acquittal of his shooter, George Zimmerman. Being black carries with it a stigma. They are disprivileged. One automatically becomes suspicious of anyone who is from the black race whereas whites are seen as individuals and judged on their personal merit.

Thus Trayvon Martin was deemed suspicious and followed by Zimmerman who was on neighborhood watch. Similarly Armaud Arbery was targeted for jogging in a community which had experienced previous robberies. Hence Gregory and Travis McMichael hotly pursued him. Quite often in the past, discourse on race has been largely binary seen through the lenses of white and black. However, the human race comprises a spectrum of colors. How do I as a Chinese-American view the protests that have swept across our country?

As a minority immigrant, I’ve personally encountered racism in both overt and subtle ways. I’ve witnessed the glass ceiling, aka bamboo ceiling, limit Asian Americans even in religious organizations.

The recent PBS series Asian Americans documented the struggles of Asian Americans in this country. These ranged from acts of violence and murder perpetrated by individuals, to discriminatory laws passed by Congress. The 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act is but one example. It has the distinction of being the first significant law restricting immigration as it banned Chinese labor immigration and denied naturalization to the Chinese.

Ed Stetzer: Pastors and Power, Part 4 – Gospel Power

Ed Stetzer

November 4, 2021

In this short series, I’ve briefly addressed recovering a biblical understanding of power as well as how the better way of Jesus helps us guard against the abuse and misuse of power. Here you can view Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

In this final post, I want to address practical ways pastors and church leaders can properly and biblically use power to help foster healthy churches and communities.

I suggest five key elements you can implement.

First, Structure a Church with Pastoral Accountability

If the church structure does not have pastoral accountability, we need to question that structure, regardless of denomination or ecclesiological association. Good pastors recognize the need for accountability and their own tendency towards brokenness and sin.

Godly pastors with developed heart character long to shepherd well and want to mitigate their own sin so it does not run amuck and damage the church. They are thoughtful, careful, and they structure churches with pastoral accountability. If you want to be a good pastor, structure your church so your decisions are held accountable.

Second, Seek Accountability

It’s one thing to structure a system with accountability, but it is a whole other thing to actually seek and be open to receiving accountability.

I can offer some personal experience on this point specifically. I have a boss; she is the Wheaton College Provost, the college’s Chief Academic Officer. She can and has called me out and shut me down, because she’s my boss. We all need someone like that.

However, the reality is that most pastors don’t have an identified group of people who actually hold them accountable. And the accountability must be fostered and received. For instance, pastors should want to surround themselves with leaders who are willing to tell them “No” to protect them from blind spots and for the overall health and direction of the organization. Pastors also need people to help them in their walk with Christ and spiritual growth.

If you have a group of leaders surrounding you who never tell you “No,” then you don’t have leaders or accountability; you have people who think you’re awesome and who ultimately are just a part of the power structure.

Put another way, if your elders never tell you, “No,” you don’t have elders; you have cheerleaders.

Mature leaders purposefully set up structures for accountability and then seek and receive genuine accountability within those structures. They understand that it is easy to be drawn into inappropriate use of that power and will engage in honest and transparent accountability. Every person with power and influence needs to submit to an accountability structure and seek accountability somewhere in some way.

Dear Church, It’s Time to Stop Playing Defense and Advance the Gospel

Greg Stier

November 4, 2021

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it,” said Jesus to Peter in Matthew 16:18.

We are in a cultural moment where the church is reeling. Morally fallen pastors, Post-Covid-Lockdown church attendance plunges, congregations divided over politics, masks and vaccines, BLM, CRT, OMG…we are living in crazy times.

And many pastors are reeling, running from one dumpster fire to the next trying to throw a cup of water on each of them. And all to no avail.

So what’s a pastor to do? What action can a church leader take that will put the fires out once and for all?

The answer is this…none. Dumpster fires have been around since Adam took a bite of forbidden fruit and will be around to Jesus finally makes everything right.

But the good news is this…it’s not our job to put the fires out. It’s our job to preach the Gospel and to get our congregations doing the same. As Charles Spurgeon once said, “It’s the whole business of the whole church to preach the whole Gospel to the whole world.“

Jesus put it this way, “go and make disciples of all nations….“

Pastors, church leaders, youth leaders, it’s time to play some offense.

The church has been too busy running around, trying to put out fires when our business is building wells that produce Living Water. Build enough of them and all those fires will eventually get doused by a flood of hope.

Now is the time to mobilize your congregation to advance the Gospel. Now is the time to energize your people to share the cure for racism, division, confusion and delusion.

The cure is the Gospel. You know it and I know it. So let’s do something about it!

Henry David Thoreau once said, “For every thousand hacking at the leaves of evil, one strikes at the root.” Only the Gospel can strike at the root of evil.

Our Most Destructive Assumption About Heaven

Randy Alcorn

November 4, 2021

Of all the misconceptions we have about Heaven, which is the most destructive? That’s a difficult and important question to tackle.

Once, while preaching about the New Earth, I cited passages about feasting together in our resurrection bodies. Afterward, a veteran Bible student asked if I really believed we would eat and drink in the afterlife. I told him yes, since Jesus said so. Visibly shaken, he replied, “Engaging in physical activities in heaven sounds terribly unspiritual.” Standing there with a body God promised to raise, he was repulsed by the thought of living forever as a physical being in a material world.

And he’s not alone. Many Bible-believing Christians would die before denying the doctrine of the resurrection — and yet they don’t fully believe it.

I’ve dialogued with lifelong evangelicals who don’t understand what resurrection means. They really believe they will spend eternity as disembodied spirits. God’s revelation concerning the resurrection and the New Earth — our forever home — eludes them. A Christian university professor wrote, “I was floored and dismayed to discover the vast majority of my students don’t believe in the bodily resurrection.” Some evangelicals even believe we become angels when we die.

If I could eliminate one belief about Heaven, it would be the heresy that the physical world is an enemy of God’s redemptive plan rather than a central part of it.

Dangers of Christoplatonism

I coined the term “Christoplatonism” to capture how Plato’s notion of a good spirit realm and an evil material world hijacked the church’s understanding of heaven. From a Christoplatonic perspective, our souls occupy our bodies like a hermit crab inhabits a seashell.

Plato’s statement Soma sema, “a body, a tomb,” reflected his belief that the spirit’s ideal state is freedom from the body. The first-century Jewish philosopher Philo tried to integrate Plato’s view with Judaism. In the second and third centuries, some church fathers — including Clement and Origen — followed Philo and reinterpreted Scripture.

But the Bible contradicts Christoplatonism from beginning (Genesis 1, God created the heavens and earth) to end (Revelation 21, God will remake the heavens and earth). The gospel itself centers on the resurrected Jesus who, as part of His redemptive work, will resurrect His people and the world He made for them.

Genesis 2:7 says, “The Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” Adam became alive when God joined his body and spirit together. Your body doesn’t merely house you; in concert with your spirit, it is you.

Jesus redeems our whole person. When believers die, our spirits go to the present Heaven while our bodies go to the grave, awaiting resurrection. We will never be all God intended until body and spirit are reunited in Heaven. And just as our new bodies won’t be non-bodies, but real bodies, so the New Earth will be a real earth, not a non-earth.

Miracles of Jesus for Kids: 7 Key Lessons From the Bible

ChildrensMinistry.com

November 3, 2021

When you’re teaching the miracles of Jesus for kids, it’s helpful to consider various categories. The Bible records more than 30 of Jesus’ miracles! Through these works, Jesus raised people from the dead, fed thousands, controlled nature, cast out evil spirits, and healed the sick. Even Jesus’ birth was a miracle!

These seven categories below describing miracles of Jesus for kids reveal who our Savior is. Make these Bible accounts a cornerstone of your Sunday school and children’s church lessons.

7 Categories: Miracles of Jesus for Kids

1. Jesus fed thousands of people.

Jesus fed more than 5,000 people with five loaves of bread and two fish. (Matthew 14:15-21)
Jesus fed more than 4,000 people with seven loaves and a few small fish. (Matthew 15:32-39)

2. Jesus cast out evil spirits.

Jesus cast an evil spirit out of a man who shouted at him as he taught. (Mark 1:23-28)
Jesus cast out demons from two men who were so violent that no one could pass through the area where they were. (Mark 8:28-33)
Jesus cast out a demon from a mute man, and the man was able to speak again. (Matthew 9:32-33)
Jesus healed a demon-possessed girl whose mother had great faith. (Matthew 15:21-28)
Jesus cast out a demon from a boy with seizures after his dad asked him to heal him. (Matthew 17:14-21)

3. Jesus healed blind, deaf, sick, injured, and infirm people.

Jesus healed a government official’s son who was about to die. (John 4:46-47)
Jesus cured Simon Peter’s mother-in-law of a high fever. (Mark 1:30-31)
Jesus healed a leper who came to him and asked to be made clean. (Mark 1:40-45)
Jesus healed a Roman officer’s servant who was paralyzed. (Matthew 8:5-13)
Jesus healed a paralyzed man whose friends lowered him through the roof of a house where Jesus was teaching. (Matthew 9:1-8)
Jesus cured a woman who’d bled constantly for 12 years. (Matthew 9:19-22)
Jesus healed two blind men who followed him by touching their eyes. (Matthew 9:27-30)
Jesus cured a man who’d been sick for 38 years at the pool of Bethesda. (John 5:1-15)
Jesus healed a man’s deformed hand. (Matthew 12: 9-14)
Jesus healed a demon-possessed man who was blind and couldn’t speak. (Matthew 12:22)
Jesus healed a deaf man with a speech impediment by putting his fingers in the man’s ears and touching the man’s tongue. (Mark 7:31-37)
Jesus healed a blind man by spitting on the man’s eyes. (Mark 8:22-26)
Jesus healed a man who’d been born blind by spitting in the dirt and creating a mud to put on the man’s eyes. (John 9:1-34)
Jesus healed a woman who’d been crippled by an evil spirit for 18 years. (Luke 13:10-13)
Jesus cured a man of dropsy. (Luke 14:1-4)
Jesus healed ten lepers. (Luke 17:11-19)
Jesus healed two blind men on the side or the road by touching their eyes. (Matthew 20: 29-33)
Jesus healed the high priest’s slave after Peter cut off his right ear. (John 18:10 and Luke 22:47-51)

4. Jesus turned water to wine.

At a wedding where the wedding party ran out of wine, Jesus changed water into a good-tasting wine. (John 2:1-11)

5. Jesus controlled the water and other elements of nature.

Jesus and the disciples were in a fierce storm and Jesus made it stop. (Matthew 8:23-27)
Jesus made a fig tree wither and never bear fruit again. (Matthew 21:18-22)

6. Jesus caught a surprisingly large amount of fish.

After Simon and his crew has fished all night and caught nothing, Jesus told them to cast their net again. They caught so many fish it almost sunk their boats. (Luke 5:1-11)
After Jesus rose from the dead, Jesus caused the disciples to catch 153 fish after they’d fished all night and caught nothing. (John 21:1-11)

7. Jesus raised people from the dead, including himself.

Jesus brought a young man back to life. He was the son of a widow who had no other children. (Luke 7:11-17)
Jesus brought a synagogue leader’s daughter back to life. (Matthew 9: 18-26)
Jesus brought Lazarus back to life after he’d been in the grave for four days. (John 11: 1-46)
Jesus rose from the dead. (Luke 24:5-6)

Looking for more great kidmin ideas? Check out these posts!

This article about the miracles of Jesus for kids originally appeared here.

Virginia Pastor Arrested in Prostitution Sting Appears Onstage at Church Two Days Later

Dale Chamberlain

November 3, 2021

John Blanchard, lead pastor of Rock Church International in Virginia Beach, VA, is one of 17 men arrested on Friday (Oct 29) for solicitation of prostitution from a minor after law enforcement conducted an online sting.

Blanchard, 51, appeared onstage at Rock Church on Sunday, October 31. His arrest and charges were not disclosed or addressed from the stage. According to the church’s website, Blanchard has been the lead pastor of the church since 2013.

Blanchard Arrested

According to NBC affiliate WAVY, Blanchard and the other suspects thought they were corresponding online with minors, whom they were soliciting for sex, but were actually speaking with detectives from the Chesterfield County Police Special Victims Unit.

Each of the suspects arranged to meet with the fictitious minors, and they were met by police upon arriving at the agreed-upon locations.

Blanchard was later released on bond and is being charged with solicitation of prostitution from a minor age 16 or older and using a vehicle to promote prostitution or unlawful sex.

Blanchard Appears Onstage at Church Two Days Later

Blanchard appeared onstage at Rock Church two days later on Sunday, October 31. While Blanchard did not preach, he did play a shofar during the church’s worship set, then led the congregation in prayer.

“God, we humble ourselves today under Your mighty hand. We ask you, Lord, to heal the land. God, as Your church, we claim this day as Your day,” Blanchard prayed. “Let us be a witness. Let our testimony shine bright.”

Blanchard later appeared onstage to present pastor appreciation gifts to members of his ministerial team.

At the end of the service, Blanchard addressed the congregation in an altar call. Walking back onto stage, Blanchard said, “Can we praise the name of the Lord? Hallelujah! Who’s in that secret place of God? Abiding in those heavenly places — the heavenly place at the right hand of God with Christ, in Christ, with Christ in you.”

“Even the principalities and the powers are beneath you when you’re in Christ,” Blanchard continued. “Every demon, every system of man, it’s all beneath you, because your authority comes from Him, comes from the Lord, from the Master. He’s so awesome.”

Faith in God’s Plan ‘Will Never Fail You,’ Says Victorious Braves Shortstop

Stephanie Martin

November 3, 2021

After helping his hometown of Atlanta clinch a long-awaited World Series title Tuesday night, Braves player Dansby Swanson praised “the good Lord,” who has “blessed me so much.” The 27-year-old shortstop, who calls himself “an Atlanta lifer,” was just a toddler when the city last celebrated a championship, in 1995.

“I wouldn’t be here without [God],” Swanson said after the Braves defeated the Houston Astros in Tuesday’s deciding game six. “Just the peace that he gives me, it’s remarkable. Especially in moments like this, you can never go wrong trusting in that. I’m just so thankful.”

Dansby Swanson: Spiritual Growth Contributed to On-Field Success

Dansby Swanson has been vocal about efforts to improve his mental health and strengthen his relationship with God. On a Sports Spectrum podcast earlier this year, he opened up about struggles with anxiety and fear that “paralyzed” him at times. The shortstop credits several people with helping him better cope with tough emotions while growing closer to God.

Swanson and his girlfriend, U.S. soccer star Mallory Pugh, started a Bible study with the Braves chaplain. A mental wellness coach helped Swanson build a routine that included regular time digging into Scripture. And pastors at Cross Point Church in Nashville prayed over Swanson when he attended a worship service there.

In addition, Brooks Webb, general manager of the baseball team at Vanderbilt, where Swanson played college ball, mentored him spiritually. The advice from Webb that “really stuck with me,” Swanson says, is that his best year career-wise would follow his strongest year faith-wise. “I don’t think it’s any coincidence that it’s because of how much my spiritual life had grown,” the athlete said about his strong performance last season.

Dansby Swanson Embraces God’s Calling and Timing

By spending time in prayer and Bible study, Dansby Swanson says, he felt more connected to God and to God’s calling. “I really was embracing who he had made me to be,” he says. As he grew spiritually, the athlete says he began to trust God more and put his worries into God’s hands.

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.”

1. When they get a phone, everything changes.

2. We hear stories of bullying and regret.

3. Teenagers tell the truth.

4. Adolescents are vulnerable to addiction.

5. This is your brain on social media.

A Closer Look at the Cross Christmas Tree

What was your inspiration for this CROSS-mas Tree?

How did that play out, from idea to making your first one?

What comments have you heard from people?

I like how this can help our church focus in on Jesus. I imagine tit will help countless people hone in on Him during worship.

Christ Church’s Mission

The Guardian’s Investigation

Beth Moore Speaks Out

Pence Tells His Story, Encourages Students to Study the Constitution

The Top 10 Marriage Ministry Mistakes

#1 – Separating Marriage and Discipleship

#2 – Starting by Writing Your Own Content

#3 – Lacking Buy-in from Senior Leaders

#4 – Lacking Authenticity in Leadership

#5 – Selling the Church Short

#6 – Avoiding Tough Issues

#7 – Forgetting What Year It Is

#8 – Not Normalizing Pain and Struggle

#9 – Not Leveraging Stories

#10 – Building Ministry Around a Person

First, Structure a Church with Pastoral Accountability

Second, Seek Accountability

Dangers of Christoplatonism

7 Categories: Miracles of Jesus for Kids

1. Jesus fed thousands of people.

3. Jesus healed blind, deaf, sick, injured, and infirm people.

4. Jesus turned water to wine.

5. Jesus controlled the water and other elements of nature.

7. Jesus raised people from the dead, including himself.

Blanchard Arrested

Blanchard Appears Onstage at Church Two Days Later

Dansby Swanson: Spiritual Growth Contributed to On-Field Success

Dansby Swanson Embraces God’s Calling and Timing

New Articles

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