Gift Ideas for Youth Pastor: 8 Ways to Show Your Appreciation

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October 22, 2021

Don’t let the month of October slip by without expressing gratitude for your church’s youth pastor—or even the entire youth ministry staff. Whether youth ministers are full-time or part-time, paid or volunteer, they all like to feel loved and appreciated. So in honor of Pastor Appreciation Month, we’ve searched for a variety of gift ideas for youth pastor.

Many of the top results are T-shirts and mugs with funny or inspirational messages. Although those items are likely to evoke laughter and smiles, such gifts tend to pile up in the youth pastor’s office and home. So if you’re leaning that way, toward something humorous, also be sure to include a gift card the recipient can put to practical use. And remember: Youth pastors always love handwritten thank-you notes too!

Use this list as a gift-giving launching point. Then let us know what other suggestions have been a hit for you!

8 Great Gift Ideas for Youth Pastor and Staff

1. Gift cards

These days, gift cards are available for almost every store, online service, and item. Personalize the prepaid present by choosing something your youth pastor loves—or has always wanted to try.

2. Free meals

Restaurant vouchers or gift cards are always a treat. But so is a home-cooked meal, if you’re talented in the kitchen or have the gift of hospitality.

Another creative option is to purchase all the supplies for a yummy meal. Then deliver them in a basket or gift box, complete with a gift card that reads “Dinner’s on us!”

3. Gift of the month

You’d be amazed at the variety of monthly gift clubs now in existence, from cheese of the month to flower of the month. Brainstorm the youth pastor’s interests, hobbies, and preferences. Then search online for something in that category that can be delivered. For example, if your youth pastor knits up a storm, try a yarn of the month club. If the youth minister loves spicy food, sign him or her up for a salsa of the month club. Every time a package arrives, they’ll remember how much you appreciate them.

Jesus Calms the Storm Lesson: Teach Kids That God Takes Care of Us

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ChildrensMinistry.com

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October 22, 2021

Use this free Jesus calms the storm lesson to teach children that God takes care of us.

For Sunday school children, a Jesus calms the storm lesson provides a starting place for assurance of God’s ultimate control. The disciples in the sinking boat faced overwhelming fears. But when Jesus so quickly calmed the storm, their fears were quickly replaced with awe and worship.

Many of us—especially children—carry the burden of fear, perhaps not realizing that we can run to Jesus for safety. But Psalm 91 tells us that a person “who dwells in the shelter of the Most High…will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day.” As we present our fears to our heavenly Father in prayer, we, too, can be assured of the comfort that comes from trusting the one who loves us and who has the power to protect us in all circumstances. Let us thank and praise Jesus, who has the power to calm our fears!

Jesus Calms the Storm Lesson

Scripture: Mark 4:35-41
Theme: Jesus takes care of us.
Weaving Faith Into Life: Kids will praise Jesus for his loving care in their lives.

Bible Background for Leaders: Mark 4:35-41

Jesus’ suggestion to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee sounds to us like a simple procedure. However, several factors made such a journey difficult. First, few inhabitants of the west side of Galilee ever ventured to the east side. That side was inhabited mostly by non-Jews who worshipped a variety of gods, which naturally made God-fearing Jews uncomfortable. Second, the boats Jesus’ disciples used were small fishing boats. They were not intended for traversing the middle of the lake, which was 14 miles long by 8 miles wide. And finally, the geography surrounding the lake made it susceptible to sudden storms that could turn a calm lake into a violent sea.

Note that Jesus and his followers weren’t all in one boat, though that is a common perception. Many lives were at stake when a furious storm arose. However, many of the disciples were experienced fishermen and expert sailors. So one might expect that they would handle things on their own. The fact that they turned to Jesus for help likely meant that they were at the end of their means—they had tried everything they knew to combat the storm and had failed. At the point of pure desperation, they woke Jesus with screams of terror.

When Jesus awoke, he immediately demonstrated that he was in control. There was no hint of worry or concern in his words. He simply said, “Quiet!” He then said, “Be still,” a term that literally means “muzzle yourself and continue to be silent.”

Life Application

We have the benefit of knowing how this Jesus calms the storm lesson ends. But imagine the disciples’ amazement when the raging waves instantly became calm. Even today, with our advanced technology, we don’t have any control over the weather and can’t always forecast it very accurately. In Jesus’ day, controlling the weather was known strictly as the domain of God. In the instant the storm ceased, the disciples began to realize more fully who Jesus was. He had demonstrated his power in healing people, but never before had he done anything of this magnitude.

Jesus then asked some pointed questions. He seemed surprised that the disciples’ faith was so weak. After all they had seen, they hadn’t fully grasped who Jesus was or what he was capable of. But now they had seen something so powerful, so awesome, that they were terrified to think about who Jesus really was.

The disciples’ terrified response is understandable when we consider God’s power and purity in light of our own weakness and imperfection. But the disciples came to learn that no matter how bad a situation seemed, the first thing they needed to do was turn to Jesus.

Easy Prep

Oil and Water: Gather a 12-ounce clear plastic cup and two small paper or foam cups for every four children. Put 2 inches of white vinegar in each clear cup, 1 tablespoon of baking soda in one of the small cups for each group, and 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in the other small cup for each group.

Pop Goes the Fear: Inflate 8 to 10 large balloons, and set them aside in a trash bag. On a table, place a felt marker and a piece of cardboard through which you’ve pushed a few straight pins.

1. Let’s Praise God!

Play music as children arrive. Ask some children to stand at the door and welcome everyone who comes into the room. Ask the greeters to smile, shake hands, and say, “Welcome!”

When everyone has arrived, Say: Think for a moment about some of the great things God can do. If you have one great thing you want to share with us, put your hand in the air. When you see me point to you, stand up, shout it out, and sit back down. Allow time for several children to share.

Say: We have just heard about how great God is. Let’s give God a hand for his love and care.

Lead kids in an “offering” of applause.

Say: Jesus is Lord of the entire universe. That means he’s God and he’s in control of everything. Jesus cares about each one of us. We can go to Jesus anytime we’re afraid, no matter what causes the fear. And we can know that Jesus will take care of us and comfort us. Jesus truly is our Lord and our King.

Say: Whenever a king passes by, he is greeted with a salute. We’re children of the King, so we can greet each other in the same way. Greet at least five of your neighbors with a salute.

Give kids time to greet at least five neighbors with a salute.

Say: Jesus has proven himself to be faithful and true, someone we can always trust for every need. That’s because he loves us so much. As we sing this next song, praise God with all your heart because there is nothing too big for Jesus to handle.

Gwen Shamblin Lara Accused of Being a Cult Leader in New HBO Docuseries

By

Jessica Mouser

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October 22, 2021

A new docuseries on HBO Max about controversial “Weigh Down Diet” author and Remnant Fellowship church founder Gwen Shamblin Lara aims to expose Lara as a cult leader and her church as abusive.

“The overarching theme of everything she taught in there was being under ‘God’s authority,’ which was her,” said Gina Wilson, who was a member of Remnant Fellowship for 13 years. “Everything fell around that. And then everything else was about the weight and what you looked like. So we were constantly being told every time we were together, and the other leaders backing it up, that she was the voice from God, she was the one hearing from God, she was the prophet of God. And who were we to think we could question what God’s telling her?”

HBO’s docuseries “The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin,” describes a culture of control and spiritual abuse at the Brentwood, Tenn., church. Former members recount brainwashing, child abuse, manipulation, eating disorders, depression, and suicidal ideation. But while the allegations of abuse against Gwen Shamblin Lara and Remnant Fellowship are shocking, the documentary paints a picture of a woman who began with actual biblical principles and good intentions.

“When Gwen first started, I truly believe she really wanted to help people,” said former member Megan Cox. “She was so charismatic and the joy on Gwen’s face when she would talk about the Lord…there was so much joy there that you wanted what she had.”

Gwen Shamblin Lara’s Rise to Prominence

Gwen Shamblin Lara was one of seven people who died tragically in a plane crash on May 29, 2021. Among the deceased was her husband, former “Tarzan” actor Joe Lara, as well as Remnant Fellowship church leaders David Martin and his wife Jennifer, Jonathan Walters and his wife Jessica, and Lara’s son-in-law, Brandon Hannah. Lara’s two children, Elizabeth Hannah and Michael Shamblin, were not in the crash and remain leaders in the church.

HBO’s docuseries has three episodes offering video footage supporting its claims, as well as the testimony from experts, former Remnant Fellowship members, and others who have connections to the church. The first episode, “The Kingdom,” touches on Lara’s background and rise to influence. She grew up in the Church of Christ, later became a nutritionist, and started teaching people how to lose weight by submitting their desire to overeat to God. She exploded in popularity in the 90s due to her Weigh Down Workshop, which was offered in many churches, and her book, “The Weigh Down Diet.”

Lara founded Remnant Fellowship in 1999, with Weigh Down participants as core members. Red flags were emerging, however. Wilson and Cox said that Lara’s weight loss teachings were a core part of the church’s ideology, to the extent that if people were unable to keep their weight off, they were seen as not being in submission to God. Cox said that after losing 130 pounds in 18 months, she was told not to eat at all in order to lose more weight, the idea being that “the faster you do it, the holier you are.”

After Lara founded Remnant, five of her employees filed a lawsuit on the grounds that their rights were violated because they were expected to attend the church on condition of employment. That case was settled, but it was during a deposition Lara gave in connection to it that she compared Americans’ weight loss to the physical condition of people in prison camps.

Pastor Preys on Homeless Americans to Profit off 60 Fake Marriages With Foreign Nationals

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Jesse T. Jackson

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October 22, 2021

Joshua Shonubi — Screen grab from Facebook: @Josh Shonubi

Pastor Joshua Olatokunbo Shonubi of NewLife City Church in Hyattsville, Maryland was arrested on October 20, 2021, and charged with conspiracy to commit marriage and visa fraud as well as presenting false documents to a federal government agency.

According to the Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office District of Maryland, the pastor allegedly arranged “approximately 60 fraudulent marriages for foreign nationals and submitted false reference letters on church letterhead and false leases in support of foreign nationals’ applications for permanent residence.”

The pastor was scheduled to appear before Judge J. Mark Coulson in a Baltimore court on October 21, 2021.

Shonubi’s indictment states the pastor started receiving thousands of dollars from foreign nationals as far back as January 2014. The money Shonubi received was in exchange for “arranging [foreign nationals’] marriage to United States citizens who served as their sponsors for permanent residence in the United States.”

On his Facebook page, the 50-year-old pastor posted photos of himself serving the homeless. The indictment argues that he used these activities to “recruit” and “groom” economically disadvantaged U.S. citizens, claiming that Shonubi would bribe them with money and promises of money if they’d marry foreign nationals.

In addition to officiating “fraudulent” marriages, Shonubi wrote reference letters for foreign nationals’ permanent residency applications on NewLife Church letterhead, lying about his relationship to them. The pastor gave false testimony regarding his counseling and spiritual guidance, as well as the arranged couples’ romantic relationship.

The indictment also states that Shonubi falsified rental leases to prove that the couples were living together, when they in fact were not.

The pastor faces a maximum sentence of 35 years in a federal prison if convicted.

“Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s statement said. “A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.”

Christian Aid Ministries Clings to Faith as US Works on Haiti Kidnapping Case

By

Pierre-Richard Luxama and Matías Delacroix

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October 22, 2021

Haiti Kidnapping — A man and woman, both cradling children, are seen walking on the grounds of the Christian Aid Ministries headquarters in Titanyen, Haiti, Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021. The leader of the 400 Mawozo gang that police say is holding 17 members of missionary group is seen in a video released Thursday saying he will kill them if he doesn’t get what he’s demanding. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A U.S. religious organization whose 17 members were kidnapped in Haiti asked supporters on Friday to pray and share stories with the victims’ families of how their faith helped them through difficult times as efforts to recover them entered a sixth day.

Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries issued the statement a day after a video was released showing the leader of the 400 Mawozo gang threatening to kill those abducted if his demands are not met. Haitian officials have said the gang is seeking $1 million ransom per person, although they said it wasn’t clear if that includes the five children in the group, the youngest being 8 months old.

“You may wonder why our workers chose to live in a difficult and dangerous context, despite the apparent risks,” the organization said. “Before leaving for Haiti, our workers who are now being held hostage expressed a desire to faithfully serve God in Haiti.”

The FBI is helping Haitian authorities recover the 16 Americans and one Canadian. A local human rights group said their Haitian driver also was kidnapped.

“Pray that their commitment to God could become even stronger during this difficult experience,” Christian Aid Ministries said.

At the White House on Friday, U.S. press secretary Jen Psaki sidestepped questions about whether the Biden administration would look to halt deportations of Haitians to their home country or consider adding a U.S. military presence on the ground in response to the missionaries’ kidnappings.

“We are working around the clock to bring these people home,” she said. “They are U.S. citizens, and there has been targeting over the course of the last few years of U.S. citizens in Haiti and other countries too…for kidnapping for ransom. That is one of the reasons that the State Department issued the warning they did in August about the risk of kidnapping for ransom.”

Psaki spoke a day after a couple hundred protestors shut down one neighborhood in Haiti’s capital to decry the country’s deepening insecurity and lack of fuel blamed on gangs, with some demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

The streets of Port-au-Prince were largely quiet and empty on Friday, although hundreds of supporters of Jimmy Cherizier, leader of “G9 Family and Allies,” a federation of nine gangs, marched through the seaside slum of Cité Soleil.

“We are not involved in kidnapping. We will never be involved in kidnapping,” Cherizier, known as Barbecue, claimed during a speech to supporters.

As they marched, the supporters sang and chanted that G9 is not involved in kidnappings. Some of them were carrying high caliber automatic weapons.

Historic Methodist Church Reflects on Its Racial History During Milestone Anniversary

By

Adelle M Banks

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October 22, 2021

(RNS) — Two and a half centuries ago, Francis Asbury arrived in the United States from Great Britain, bringing with him what would become the Methodist faith. He went on to spread it across the country, with St. George’s Church in Philadelphia as his home base.

St. George’s will mark the occasion of Asbury’s arrival with a weekend of events at the end of October. But the historic church, which remains the oldest continually used Methodist building in the United States, is also the starting point of three African American churches and one denomination after a “walkout” by Black worshippers.

Over time, recounts the Rev. Mark Salvacion, St. George’s current pastor, African Americans —some recently freed from slavery — were segregated to the sides of the church, to the back of the building and to a balcony, preventing them from receiving Communion on the church’s main floor.

Salvacion describes this and other parts of St. George’s history in the church’s “Time Traveler” program for teen confirmation students learning about their faith and in classes of middle-age adults training to become certified lay ministers.

“It’s not just telling happy stories about Francis Asbury itinerating to West Virginia,” said Salvacion, pastor of what is now called Historic St. George’s United Methodist Church. “It’s uncomfortable stories about race and the meaning of race in the United Methodist Church.”

The turning point for many African American worshippers, already dissatisfied with mistreatment, was a Sunday morning in the late 1700s. Lay preacher Richard Allen saw another Black church leader, Absalom Jones, forcibly pulled up while praying on his knees at St. George’s.

That led Allen and some of the other Black attendees to leave what was then known as St. George’s Methodist Episcopal Church and strike out on their own — in different ways.

“This raised a great excitement and inquiry among the citizens, in so much that I believe they were ashamed of their conduct,” wrote Richard Allen in his autobiography. “But my dear Lord was with us, and we were filled with fresh vigour to get a house erected to worship God in.”

In 1791, Allen, who had been a popular preacher at St George’s 5 a.m. service, started what is now Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Asbury dedicated its first building, a former blacksmith shop, in 1794.

“Here’s Asbury and he comes in and he still has this kind of relationship with Richard Allen that is more than just collegial,” the Rev. Mark Tyler, current pastor of Mother Bethel, said of the men who were the first bishops of the Methodist and AME churches, respectively.

“I mean, you go out of your way as the representative and the saint of Methodism in America and you dedicate Mother Bethel. That is a statement that you’re behind this and endorsing it.”

Georgia Pastor Indicted on COVID-19 Relief Fraud Charges

By

AP News

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October 22, 2021

BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia pastor has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges related to stealing thousands of dollars in COVID-19 assistance funds and using some of the money to buy a luxury car.

Mack Devon Knight, 45, is accused of lying to the Small Business Administration in applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia.

If convicted, the Kingsland man could face financial penalties and up to 30 years in prison, followed by a period of supervised release.

Knight also describes himself as a mortician, restauranteur and tax preparer, the release says.

He applied for the loans in February and March on behalf of two Camden County businesses. According to the indictment, the applications falsely claimed that the businesses each had hundreds of thousands of dollars in gross revenue before the pandemic.

Knight sent in a false bank document and one of the applications was approved. The indictment says he received $149,000, a portion of which was used to buy a Mercedes-Benz sedan.

It wasn’t immediately clear if Knight had an attorney who could comment on his behalf.

This article originally appeared here.

Should Christians Sue One Another? Feud Between Stone and Moore Sparks Debate

By

Dale Chamberlain

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October 22, 2021

On Wednesday (Oct 20), ChurchLeaders reported that pastor and former SBC president nominee Mike Stone filed a defamation lawsuit against Russell Moore, the former president of the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission (ERLC). Since that time, considerable online debate has arisen regarding the ethics of one Christian leader suing another and whether Stone’s lawsuit is justifiable from a Christian perspective.

The conversation centers on how Christians should interpret Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 6:1-8, where he rebukes the Corinthians believers for bringing lawsuits against one another.

To some, this passage constitutes a universal prohibition against Christians suing one another. However, others interpret Paul’s words to mean that Christians ought not to bring frivolous lawsuits against one another.

In the suit, Stone claims Moore led a “malicious campaign” against him that was motivated by Moore’s desire to retaliate against Stone for conducting an investigation into the ERLC.

Stone’s Sermon on Christian Lawsuits from 2018

In response to news of the lawsuit on October 20, Ryan T. Land tweeted a clip from a sermon about 1 Corinthians 6 that Stone delivered in January 2018. In that sermon, Stone can be heard saying, “Let’s say somebody defames your character with unfounded gossip. The legal thing to do…might be to defend your name. The godly thing might be, ‘Let it go.’”

In a now-deleted tweet from October 6, Stone said, “First Corinthians, like all other epistles to specific congregations, has the immediate context of life within a local church. A church with identifiable members and identifiable leaders who have agreed upon (by virtue of their membership) to submit to that church’s discipline, counsel and mediation. The entire letter must be interpreted as a letter to a local church.”

Here are some of Mike Stone’s thoughts on defamation lawsuits. pic.twitter.com/JH5AH7P72V

— Ryan T. Land (@RyanTLand) October 20, 2021

Though tweeted before the news of Stone’s lawsuit broke, this statement appears to lay the groundwork for Stone’s reasoning behind it.

Scott Coley tweeted a screenshot of Stone’s October 6 tweet, saying, “Filing this here for the next time a CBN affiliate contests my reading of Paul’s epistles on literally any subject.” The Conservative Baptist Network (CBN) had endorsed Stone in the SBC presidential race and is known for taking a more literalistic approach to biblical interpretation.

Please Pray: Stories of Persecution in Afghanistan Include Taliban Letter Targeting Christian Children

By

Stephanie Martin

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October 22, 2021

Now that American troops are out of Afghanistan, that country no longer dominates daily U.S. headlines. But people who remain there—or who have knowledge about what’s happening—are urging Christians to continue pray for Afghanistan, particularly for safety and peace.

Pray for Afghanistan: Pastor Reports Disturbing Letter

Pastor Josh Manley, who leads an evangelical church in the United Arab Emirates, recently tweeted: “Afghanistan may have fallen out of the news cycle, but you should continue to pray for the Afghan church. This letter (officially translated) passed along from a trusted Afghan brother. Revelation 6:9-11 Come Lord Jesus.”

He shares an image of a threatening document, with names redacted. The notice reads, in part: “You are instructed to present your children [redacted], who have converted from Islam to the obsolete religion of Christianity, to the Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate for discussion as soon as possible. You do not have the right to complain about harm to family members or your property.”

Afghanistan may have fallen out of the news cycle, but you should continue to pray for the Afghan church. This letter (officially translated) passed along from a trusted Afghan brother.

Revelation 6:9 – 11

Come Lord Jesus.
pic.twitter.com/cD0dad8f1T

— Josh Manley (@JoshPManley) October 20, 2021

Many Groups of People Remain at Risk

When the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August, many Christians and women who weren’t able to flee the country went into hiding. They fear for their lives because of the Taliban’s oppressive history, giving journalists only their first names or pseudonyms.

The groups under threat are wide-ranging, according to reports. For example, Afghanistan’s female athletes are “in a bad situation and in despair and fear,” says the coach of the women’s national volleyball team. The Taliban allegedly beheaded Mahjabin Hakimi, one of the team’s top players, and then posted photos of her body on social media.

Because the Taliban have banned music, singers and musicians also are trying to escape Afghanistan. One tells the BBC the Taliban had been threatening him even before they officially took power.

Female Judges and Lawyers Are Targets Too

Also at risk are female judges and lawyers, especially those who had ruled in favor of women or granted them a divorce. When the Taliban entered the capital city of Kabul, hundreds of prisoners were set free, and officials’ personal information was compromised. Women who had served in the legal field face “a dark future,” says a former judge on Afghanistan’s Supreme Court, a woman who’s now in a safe house.

A 30,000-Foot View of the Old Testament

By

Bob Ditmer

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October 22, 2021

If you’ve ever taken an Old Testament survey class in college or seminary you know that after 13 weeks you feel like you’ve tried to take a drink from a fire hose.

This video gives you a survey of Old Testament themes in a little over 12 minutes.

The Old Testament makes up three-quarters of the Bible and is separated into 4 sections: the Pentateuch, History, Poetry and the Prophets. This arrangement is a later Christian tradition that developed after Jesus and the apostles.

Before that, each work was on separate scrolls in a three-part presentation collectively called the TaNak. The Old Testament themes are in the three sections are the Torah (instruction), Nevi’im (prophets) and Ketuvim (writings). The three sections follow a similar but different order than what is found in the Bible.

The video gives an overview of the purpose of each section.

The Torah (Instruction)

The Torah begins with the story of God’s creation and his desire that it be run by humans. But Adam and Eve sin by wanting to define good and evil for themselves. From there humanity spins out of control, as does evil. The downward spiral leads humanity to the city of Babylon where humans exalt themselves to the place of God.

The plot conflict of the whole Bible is set in this first scroll. God wants to bless the world and rule it through humans but now humans are the problem.

God’s solution– a new kind of human. But sadly, each new example of God’s ideal also fails because of sin.

Moses dies while Israel is searching for the Promised Land and the Torah ends with the scribes wishing for another leader like Moses.

The Nevi’im (Prophets)

The Nevi’im shows us a series of leaders who at times are like Moses but too often fail and sin just like their ancestors. But in their failures are seeds of future hope.

The Nevi’im ends with the scribes telling the reader to watch for a new leader who they call Elijah who will announce the arrival of Israel’s God to purify and save his people.

The Ketuvim (Writings)

The Ketuvim is a diverse collection of scrolls and includes Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Job, Chronicles and Daniel. Each book develops themes found in the other scrolls.

They carry on a profound conversation on how to live wisely in God’s good and often confusing world, point to a future king and conclude with the future hope of a New Jerusalem.

In total, the Old Testament is a unified story of God’s covenant promise to Israel and all humanity.

How Sinful Is Man?

By

R.C. Sproul

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October 22, 2021

Imagine a circle that represents the character of mankind. Now imagine that if someone sins, a spot—a moral blemish of sorts—appears in the circle, marring the character of man. If other sins occur, more blemishes appear in the circle. Well, if sins continue to multiply, eventually the entire circle will be filled with spots and blemishes. But have things reached that point? Human character is clearly tainted by sin, but the debate is about the extent of that taint. The Roman Catholic Church holds the position that man’s character is not completely tainted, but that he retains a little island of righteousness. However, the Protestant Reformers of the sixteenth century affirmed that the sinful pollution and corruption of fallen man is complete, rendering us totally corrupt.

There’s a lot of misunderstanding about just what the Reformers meant by that affirmation. The term that is often used for the human predicament in classical Reformed theology is total depravity. People have a tendency to wince whenever we use that term because there’s very widespread confusion between the concept of total depravity and the concept of utter depravity. Utter depravity would mean that man is as bad, as corrupt, as he possibly could be. I don’t think that there’s a human being in this world who is utterly corrupt, but that’s only by the grace of God and by the restraining power of His common grace. As many sins as we have committed individually, we could have done worse. We could have sinned more often. We could have committed sins that were more heinous. Or we could have committed a greater number of sins. Total depravity, then, does not mean that men are as bad as they conceivably could be.

When the Protestant Reformers talked about total depravity, they meant that sin—its power, its influence, its inclination—affects the whole person. Our bodies are fallen, our hearts are fallen, and our minds are fallen—there’s no part of us that escapes the ravages of our sinful human nature. Sin affects our behavior, our thought life, and even our conversation. The whole person is fallen. That is the true extent of our sinfulness when judged by the standard and the norm of God’s perfection and holiness.

This article about total depravity originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

Eugene Peterson: The Jesus Way Vs. The American Way

By

Eugene Peterson

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October 21, 2021

In this short excerpt from his book The Jesus Way, Eugene Peterson encourages Christians to attend not only to the “the truth” and “the life” of Jesus, but also to “the way” of Jesus—and he explains why he believes that the way often followed by North American Christianity and its consumer-driven churches is not the Jesus way at all.

Here is a text, words spoken by Jesus, that keeps this in clear focus: “I am the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6) The Jesus way wedded to the Jesus truth brings about the Jesus life. We can’t proclaim the Jesus truth but then do it any old way we like. Nor can we follow the Jesus way without speaking the Jesus truth.

But Jesus as the truth gets far more attention than Jesus as the way. Jesus as the way is the most frequently evaded metaphor among the Christians with whom I have worked for 50 years as a North American pastor. In the text that Jesus sets before us so clearly and definitively, way comes first. We cannot skip the way of Jesus in our hurry to get to the truth of Jesus as he is worshiped and proclaimed. The way of Jesus is the way that we practice and come to understand the truth of Jesus, living Jesus in our homes and workplaces, with our friends and family.

A Christian congregation, the church in your neighborhood, has always been the primary location for getting this way and truth and life of Jesus believed and embodied in the places, and among the people, with whom we most have to do day in and day out. There is more to the church than this local congregation. There is the church continuous through the centuries, our fathers and mothers who continue to influence and teach us. There is the church spread throughout the world, communities that we are in touch with through prayer and suffering and mission. There is the church invisible, dimensions and instances of the Spirit’s work that we know nothing about. There is the church triumphant, that “great cloud of witnesses” who continue to surround us (Heb. 12:1). But the local congregation is the place where we get all of this integrated and practiced in the immediate circumstances and among the men, women and children we live with. This is where it becomes local and personal.

The local congregation is the place and community for listening to and obeying Christ’s commands, for inviting people to consider and respond to Jesus’ invitation, “Follow me,” a place and community for worshipping God. It is the place and community where we are baptized into a Trinitarian identity and go on to mature “to the measure of the full stature of Christ” (Eph. 4:13), where we can be taught the Scriptures and learn to discern the ways that we follow Jesus, the Way.

The local congregation is the primary place for dealing with the particulars and people we live with. As created and sustained by the Holy Spirit, it is insistently local and personal. Unfortunately, the more popular American church strategies in respect to congregation are not friendly to the local and the personal. The American way, with its penchant for catchy slogans and stirring visions, denigrates the local, and its programmatic ways of dealing with people erode the personal, replacing intimacies with functions. The North American church at present is conspicuous for replacing the Jesus way with the American way. For Christians who are serious about following Jesus by understanding and pursuing the ways that Jesus is the way, this deconstruction of the Christian congregation is particularly distressing and a looming distraction from the way of Jesus.

A Christian congregation is a company of praying men and women who gather, usually on Sundays, for worship, who then go into the world as salt and light. God’s Holy Spirit calls and forms this people. God means to do something with us, and he means to do it in community. We are in on what God is doing, and we are in on it together.

John Piper Points to ‘Freedom’ to Encourage Christians to Get Vaccinated

By

Jesse T. Jackson

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October 21, 2021

Theologian and author John Piper released an article Tuesday (Oct. 19) encouraging Christians to get the COVID-19 vaccine, joining voices like Russell Moore, Franklin Graham, Robert Jeffress, Daniel Darling, Beth Moore, and Max Lucado.

Piper addressed his article to unvaccinated Christians who fear they will be “out of step with people they respect, and in step with people they don’t admire.” Bethlehem Baptist Church’s former pastor of nearly 33 years shared what he called a simple message to those who feel that way. “You are free,” he said.

Piper told those who have checked their conscience, consulted their doctors, and have chosen to remain vaccine-free, to “tearfully and cheerfully” go on their way.

Piper explained that Christians should be tearful because over 4.5 million people have died from COVID-19, over 700,000 of which being Americans. And they should be cheerful “because Christ makes it miraculously possible to love people by being ‘sorrowful yet always rejoicing,’ ” as 2 Corinthians 6:10 says.

Piper Provides Statistics

The Don’t Waste Your Life author cited the Associated Press, Evansville Courier and Press, KRTV—Great Falls, Lexington Herald-Leader, and Fox43 to point out that nearly all COVID-19 related deaths in the United States have occurred among unvaccinated people.

Piper pointed out that even if one was hesitant to get vaccinated because of governmental pressure, the vaccine is proving its worth regardless of who might be behind it.

Piper said, “The team called ‘vaccination’ just made a first down, even if monkeys are holding the chains. For friends around the world who don’t know American football, that means a win is a win even if all the coaches and referees are incompetent.”

Piper’s Point: Resist Political Peer Pressure

Piper argued that allowing fear to be the driving force in the decision to refuse the vaccine is unbiblical, saying that it is “God alone [who] owns us. And God alone [who] rules us. We are not ruled by any man. We are free from all human ownership and rule.”

Piper explained that Christians should follow God’s leading, not the political left or right.

“We might think that the point of this biblical reality of bold, brokenhearted Christian freedom would be this: You don’t have to be vaccinated when the government tells you to. You are free. Live as people who are free,” Piper wrote. “That’s true, of course. If your Father in heaven makes it clear to you, by His word and wisdom, that His glory and your neighbor’s good will be better served by not being vaccinated, you are free to risk COVID for love’s sake. No Christian is obliged to bow to unwarranted mandates.”

Addison Resigns From SBC Executive Committee Staff

By

Brandon Porter

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October 21, 2021

NASHVILLE (BP) – Greg Addison, executive vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, is stepping down. Addison notified Ronnie Floyd, SBC EC president and CEO, of his intention to step down on Oct. 15, according to an email sent to EC trustees and staff on Wednesday (Oct. 20).

Addison filled a new position for the EC when he came into the role in October 2020.

In the email, Addison said, “I am working to ensure that the matters over which I have responsibility have good transition plans in place.” He said he plans to transition on Oct. 31. His resignation follows Floyd’s resignation Oct. 14.

Rolland Slade, chairman of the EC, called Addison “a dear friend,” adding, “I will miss him and our team conversations regarding advancing the Gospel through all parts of the SBC.”

Addison came to the EC after serving as the associate executive director of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention (ABSC) since 2014.

Addison earned a bachelor of business administration in marketing from the University of Memphis and a doctor of jurisprudence from the University of Tennessee. Before entering full-time ministry, he spent six years practicing law in Memphis. He was ordained in 1996 at Bellevue Baptist Church near Memphis and served on staff there from 1996-2002.

Prior to joining the ABSC, he was senior pastor at East Side Baptist Church in Paragould, Ark., and First Baptist of Cabot. He served as president of the ABSC in 2012-2013 and as chaplain of the Arkansas House of Representatives in 2013-2014.

This article originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

Brandon Porter serves as the Associate Vice President for Convention News at the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee.

Man Gets 11 Years in Prison for Drowning Daughter in Church

By

AP News

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October 21, 2021

drowned — FILE - In this Nov. 22, 2016, file photo, Gerardo Mendoza appears in Sonoma County Superior Court in Santa Rosa, Calif. The Northern California man was sentenced Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021, to 11 years in prison for the 2016 drowning of his 4-year-old daughter in the baptismal pool of a Catholic church. (Kent Porter/The Press Democrat via AP, File)

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP) — A Northern California man was sentenced to 11 years in prison for the 2016 drowning of his 4-year-old daughter in the baptismal pool of a Catholic church.

Gerardo Mendoza, 47, had been smoking methamphetamine for three days and began believing his two youngest children were “being attacked by evil” when he took them to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in the small California wine country city of Healdsburg on Nov. 20, 2016, authorities have said.

The 11-year sentence issued by a judge Wednesday was predetermined, part of a negotiated plea to manslaughter that Mendoza agreed to as he was facing trial on murder charges, which could have put him in prison for 25 years to life, the Press Democrat reported.

Sonoma County Superior Court Judge Robert LaForge told Mendoza that several statements he made to probation officers before Wednesday’s hearing were objectionable.

“Certainly, I’m going to give you the maximum allowed by law based on what I read,” LaForge said. “There were a couple things that were concerning. Your statement was concerning, minimizing. I want you to know that.”

LaForge was referring to Mendoza’s comments to a probation officer, who prepared a presentencing report and recommendation to the court, that he gave his daughter water but never submerged her.

Investigators said Mendoza wanted to find a priest. But after he couldn’t find one, he led his daughter Maria and 9-year-old son into a cross-shaped baptismal pool at least a foot (30 centimeters) deep, court documents show.

He then carried the girl’s body to a nearby police station and stood naked in the station’s back parking lot yelling “help” and “police” in Spanish as he held his fully clothed and soaked daughter, authorities said. His 9-year-old son stood next to him wearing only shorts.

The child was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Facing a potential 25-years-to-life sentence if convicted of drowning his daughter, Mendoza pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter. A no-contest plea is not an admission of guilt but is treated as such at sentencing.

This article originally appeared here.

Gungor Announces New Music: ‘Worship for the Heretics’

By

Dale Chamberlain

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October 21, 2021

Musical artist Michael Gungor recently took to Twitter to announce his band will begin creating worship music again, this time for “the heretics and the outcasts.”

Gungor made a name for himself as a popular worship leader and musical artist, gaining widespread popularity with his band’s 2010 album “Beautiful Things.” Gungor later began to question his faith and has shared that he spent a year “embracing atheism.”

The band’s lineup has changed over the years and currently consists of Gungor and his wife, Lisa. In his Twitter announcement, Gungor outlined the history of the band and his personal faith, and what led him back to worship music.

Gungor’s Journey

In the thread posted to the band’s official Twitter page, Gungor described coming full circle to worship music as searching for his home.

“Sometimes you have to leave the house to find home, and I’ve certainly done my fair share of moving houses,” Gungor wrote. “From the ‘Friend of God’ early 2000’s version of worship leader Michael Gungor, to the ‘let’s learn how to use Pro Tools’ Michael Gungor Band, to the ‘oh no, I’m not sure God is real’ of early Gungor, to the ‘I don’t want to sing about Jesus anymore’ universalism of the last few years of Gungor, it was quite the journey.”

This past July, Gungor stirred up controversy with a tweet, which said that while Jesus is Christ, so is Buddha, Muhammand, and “you.” In that tweet, Gungor argued that “Christ is a word for the Universe seeing itself.”

Reflecting on the band’s journey through the years, Gungor’s Twitter announcement said, “We saw a lot. We felt a lot. And eventually, we felt like we needed to lay it all down and walk away to make room for something new.”

“And through all of it, here’s what I’ve discovered: I really love God,” the statement added.

Explaining that he and Lisa had some friends living with them during the pandemic, Gungor recounted how they would sing old worship songs together. “At first, we were just joking and playing around, but there was also something sort of sweet and sad about it because deep down, we all missed the good parts of worshipping with other people.”

Texans Will Vote in November on Whether Governments Can Limit Religious Services

By

Alejandra Molina

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October 21, 2021

Texas Religious Services — Voters line up outside Vickery Baptist Church waiting to cast their ballots on Election Day Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, in Dallas. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

(RNS) — Texas voters will decide on Election Day (Nov. 2) whether state and local governments can impose limits on religious services, such as the public health orders that shut down houses of worship and businesses earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic.

If voters approve the measure, known as Proposition 3, it would add a clause to the Texas Constitution forbidding state or local authorities from prohibiting or limiting religious services.

The amendment has divided religious groups in Texas and has also amassed bipartisan support, passing both the state Senate and House of Representatives with a number of Democrats joining unanimous Republican support.

State Rep. Scott Sanford, a Republican who sponsored the Freedom to Worship Act, has said closing churches in the wake of COVID-19 eliminated critical ministries “in a time of crisis” and “violated their religious freedom.” In addition to being a legislator, Sanford is executive pastor of a church in Allen, Texas.

Eric McDaniel, a professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin, told Courthouse News Service the bipartisan support of the amendment was not surprising.

“Religion, especially in Texas, is very important to people and no politician wants to be seen as anti-religion,” McDaniel said. “Going after religion in Texas is probably worse than going after Social Security.”

Similar measures have made their way to states across the country. A February analysis by the Deseret News found legislators across the U.S. were “considering nearly 50 bills dealing with religious freedom protections during a pandemic.”

In California, Sen. Brian Jones’ “Religion Is Essential Act,” which would have deemed religious services as an essential activity during a declared emergency, failed to pass a state Senate committee. But in Arkansas, a new law declares the governor cannot prohibit a religious group from continuing to engage in religious services during an emergency.

Texas’ Proposition 3 has its share of critics.

Amanda Tyler, executive director for the Baptist Joint Committee, said the measure is overly broad and unnecessary. She told Religion News Service it sends “a damaging message that religious people are more concerned about special treatment than they are about the good of their communities.”

Pastor of New Church in Florida Arrested During Trafficking Sting

By

Stephanie Martin

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October 21, 2021

Samuel Phillips Jr., a Florida pastor who just last month launched a new church near Tampa, has been arrested and charged with solicitation to commit prostitution. He’s one of 125 people arrested in Hillsborough County after a 20-day sting named Operation Round-Up.

At a press conference Monday, Sheriff Chad Chronister shared information about the sting, which led to the rescue of five females, including one teenager. He also emphasized that the county is determined to “eradicate human trafficking.”

Samuel Phillips Jr.’s Be Limitless Church Just Kicked Off

The sheriff’s office identifies Samuel Phillips Jr., 44, as “a pastor at Be Limitless Church,” noting that he was arrested “when he responded to a false ad placed on an escort website and offered to pay our undercover detective for sex.”

Be Limitless, located in Riverview, held its first worship service September 26 in a local theater. On its website, the church says its purpose is “to interrupt people’s current situation and help them experience the love of Christ.” A video that was still up midweek features Phillips and his wife, Selena, introducing their two daughters and explaining the church’s background.

Samuel Phillips Jr. says God spoke to him in January, saying, “I am a limitless God, and I call you to be a limitless people.” Be Limitless isn’t just the name of the new church, adds Selena Phillips, but “also a command.”

The church has deactivated its Facebook page, and its phone number is now out of service. ChurchLeaders emailed Be Limitless, requesting comment, but hasn’t received a response.

A Facebook post by another local pastor, who indicates he is friends with the Phillips, features photos of the Be Limitless kickoff. “Sam and Selena, Thank you for your faithfulness and willingness to follow The Lord’s guidance,” writes Brent Simpson. “I’m rooting for you guys.”

Several headlines about the Operation Round-Up arrests single out Phillips, as a pastor, and Joel Velasco, a former public school teacher. Sheriff Chronister says those two men, thinking they were communicating with females, offered undercover officers money for sex.

“These men who were all held to a standard of trust and respect were all arrested for soliciting another to commit prostitution,” he says. “Individuals who make a conscious choice and effort to take advantage of others through human trafficking have no room in Hillsborough County.” In the Tampa area, the sheriff adds, anti-trafficking work is year-round, “proactive and relentless.”

The Top 10 Things Modern Pharisees Say Today

By

Carey Nieuwhof

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October 21, 2021

Chances are if you’re a Christian your desire is to be more like Christ.

Which is great.

But are you?

How would you know?

A recent Barna study owned me.

The survey revealed that 51 percent of North American Christians polled possess attitudes and actions that are more like the Pharisees than they are like Christ.

In other words, the attitudes of most Christians were described as self-righteous and hypocritical.

According to the study, only 14 percent of Christians surveyed reflected attitudes and actions that better resembled the attitudes and actions of Christ.

What surprised me (as well as study author David Kinnaman) is how my attitudes and actions still need work…I’m far too much like a Pharisee and not enough like Jesus. I was so bothered by it, I taught an entire series about it. And you can watch a conversation David Kinnaman and I had about the research here.

And what breaks my heart is that I think the Pharisee in many of us is killing the mission and effectiveness of the church.

So how do you know how much Pharisee resides within you?

In defense (well, almost) of Modern Pharisees.

Before we jump to that, I understand that in many church circles to simply say the word “Pharisee” is to immediately conjure up an image of a villain.

Better Than Ten Percent: Pastoring Young People Through the Pandemic

By

Christina Embree

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October 21, 2021

Recently, one of my friends posted on Facebook the following question: “Trends indicate that the church is losing an entire generation of young people. What can reverse this trend?“

There were a lot of responses, ranging from revival to education to community.

On that same day, I received an email from Springtide Research sharing some of their findings from one of their latest surveys.

In The State of Religion & Young People 2021: Navigating Uncertainty, our research is revealing some surprising things.

First, only 10% of young people told us a faith leader reached out to them during the pandemic.

Second, only 16% of young people turn to faith leaders in times of uncertainty—which is the same percent of young people who tell us they turn to “no one.”

Ten percent of young people had a faith leader reach out to them over the year-long pandemic.

Let’s put these two pieces of information into context: One statement contends that the church is “losing” an entire generation, presumably the youngest generations. The other states that during a global, year-long pandemic that has been proven to have had a profound impact on the youngest generations, only 10% of them had a faith leader reach out to them.

I know, I’ve repeated that statistic a few times. I’m hoping at this point the reality of what is being experienced by young people in the church is beginning to sink in.

Revival without relationship, education without empathy, and community without consistency will not bring about lasting, lifelong, dynamic faith formation. It will bring about a deconstructing, disassociating generation who know A LOT about the Bible but very little about the Church; who can quote Bible verses and win treasure boxes and go on mission trips but never experience a community that allows for doubt, questions, disagreement, or meaningful intergenerational relationships.

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