10 Faith Based Ice Breaker Questions for Small Groups

By

-

October 18, 2021

Faith based ice breaker questions are perfect to use with people in your small group. Because people are thinking about all kinds of different things, it’s helpful near the beginning of the meeting to ask a simple opening question to break the ice. Whether shallow or deep, goofy or profound, faith based ice breaker questions all have the potential to help people to relax, learn to know one another better and get ready for a great small group meeting.

10 Faith Based Ice Breaker Questions for Small Groups

1. What has been a recent high point and low point in your life?

This question, in my opinion, might be the best icebreaker question because it reveals what is going on right now in people’s lives and its answer constantly changes. I use this question more than any other. I’ve led groups where we ask this question every week at the beginning of our meetings.

2. What are you thankful for today?

No matter what is going on in people’s lives, everyone has so very much to be thankful for. Asking this question has the same effect as singing a God-centered worship song. It points people’s minds and hearts to his goodness at the onset of your meeting.

3. Describe your past week in weather terms. (Was it stormy, cloudy, foggy, mostly sunny or what?)

This fun icebreaker invites people to quickly describe what is happening in their lives.

4. What is a challenge you are facing right now? (How could we help you?)

Almost everyone is facing some kind of challenge right now, but often they don’t have a reason or an invitation to share it. This question brings it to the surface and then reveals ways that others help and support them.

5. What is one thing you are looking forward to?

All your group members are looking forward to something big or small right now. It’s fascinating to find out what it is.

6. What is one thing you like to do when you have free time?

It’s interesting to learn what people do to relax. Asking this question helps your members and guests learn about an important dimension of one another’s lives.

7. What is one thing you are really good at?

Everyone has something that they are really good at. This question invites them to share that and have a little fun bragging about it.

8. One fact about me that might surprise you is…

What are interesting facts about your members that you are totally unaware of? This question will reveal them.

9. What do you want to be when you grow up?

Do you remember how you used to get asked this question when you were little? But probably no one has asked you it recently. So it’s fun to ask, and to learn what people’s hopes and dreams are.

10. When did God become more than a word to you?

This is the final question of “The Quaker Questions” and is often preceded by several progressively deeper questions. People’s answers are consistently fascinating and faith-building.

I’m always looking for great opening questions. If you want to see my collection of several hundred, head to smallgroupicebreakers.com. Here’s my icebreaker question for you: What is one of your favorite icebreaker questions? I’d love to know. Please share it with us.

This article on faith based ice breaker questions originally appeared here.

Digital Outreach Strategy – 3 Steps to Get Started

By

Bob Ditmer

-

October 18, 2021

Outreach is an important part of fulfilling the Great Commission and necessary for growth. You may already have a top-notch outreach strategy that includes time-tested methods like direct mail, invitation tools and word of mouth, but there’s a chance you’re leaving something out. Do you have a plan for digital outreach?

You definitely need one: We live in an increasingly digital world, which means digital outreach belongs as part of a holistic outreach strategy. If your church doesn’t include digital outreach as part of your overall strategy, you’re overlooking an important way to connect with your community.

Digital outreach means simply using the digital tools available to you to reach your community for Christ. You can start by creating a thoughtful plan that includes the use of digital platforms as part of your outreach efforts.

A basic digital outreach strategy starts with these three components:

1. A great church website

2. Active social media profiles

3. An organized email list

3 Steps to a Digital Outreach Strategy

1. Have A Great Church Website

Are you missing out on attracting new visitors and engaging regular attendees because you don’t have a church website? In today’s digital culture, a good online presence is a vital part of ministry.

The Internet is the number one tool people use to search for information they need. If someone is searching for a church in their neighborhood, they’re probably looking online first. If you don’t have a website for them to find, you’ll potentially lose out on a new member.

Since you only have one chance to make a good first impression on someone, make sure your website is representing your church well. Think of it this way: A well-designed website that is easy to navigate serves as a digital front porch for your church. People will feel welcomed and invited in when they see you’ve put effort into creating a website that answers their questions about your church.

If you’re not sure where to begin, make sure your website has these basics on the homepage:

• Church contact info (phone and email)

• Church address

• Service times

It’s a great idea to have a “New Here” tab visitors can click on to learn everything they need to know about visiting your church for the first time. You can even include access to previous sermons so they can get a feel for your pastor’s teaching style.

As you edit and polish your website, it helps to put yourself in the shoes of potential new visitors, especially those who may not be familiar with church. Is the content on your website presenting a simple, clear picture of what they can expect from your church? If not, test and tweak different ideas to make your site visitor friendly. You can even ask for feedback when you meet new visitors at your church!

**2. Be ACTIVE On Social Media**

Social media is where community happens online — your church needs to be on social media if you want to reach people where they are. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are excellent tools for creating awareness around your church and engaging with your community.

Social media gives your church a chance to share the Gospel in the digital world. Sharing your story through content, photos and events keeps your church in front of your followers. Every post is a connection to your audience that reinforces your message. Every time someone shares your post, the message spreads even further, which means your church has a greater chance of being found by those who are seeking answers about faith, the Bible and God.

If choosing social media platforms feels overwhelming, start with Facebook. Chances are almost every person, business or ministry you know has a presence on Facebook. Don’t be left out! Setting up a Facebook page for your church is pretty straightforward, and generally easy to manage once you get the hang of it.

Here are a few tips for getting started on Facebook:

• Create a public page for your church with your physical address, service times, contact info and website.

• Upload a high-resolution cover photo that is relevant to your church. Use your church logo as your profile picture.

• Invite your members to “like” your new page and encourage them to share it in their individual networks.

• Follow other pages (think community nonprofits and other local organizations). Those pages will often follow you back, which grows your network even more.

• Once your page is set up, start posting daily. If you don’t have time to curate and share daily content, an automatic daily posting service like Social Reach Daily is a great option.

• What to post? Facebook loves inspiring, shareable content — especially video and photos!

• Show what makes your church special. You can include photos and updates about different events and ministries so online visitors get a sense of who you are.

Facebook is a solid place to launch, but consider this: Instagram is becoming increasingly popular with churches. Younger demographics are especially present here, so if you want to draw in Millennials and Generation Z, think about getting started on Instagram.

3. Organize Your Email List

How do you communicate with your church family? Email is a wonderful tool to keep up with regular attendees in a unified way or deliver relevant information to targeted groups within your church. It’s also a fantastic option for following up with new visitors.

Your church may already be using a popular email platform like Outlook or Gmail. These are great options, but if you want to polish your approach to email, consider using a free email-marketing platform (MailChimp or Sendinblueare good choices).

These platforms allow you to send sophisticated, visually appealing mass emails that keep your church in the loop. You’re also able to track data — you can see who has opened your emails, what time they opened them, if they opened them on a mobile device, etc.

This helps you refine your approach to email so that you can be sure to deliver relevant content to different segments of your church. It’s easy for visitors and new members to sign up for your email list through “subscribe” buttons you can embed on your website. Email services like these can also help you stay in compliance with spam laws and other email regulations.

No matter the email system you use, it helps to go through your email list and remove names and emails of people that are no longer connected to your church. You can also create email segments of specific ministries in your church (think women’s ministry or volunteers) so that you can send them content tailored to their interests and activities.

Here are a few ideas on how you can use email to reach out to your church and community:

• Use your connection cards to gather visitors’ email addresses, and then have a follow-up sequence tailored to them. This email sequence can thank them for their visit and suggest ways they can further connect with your church.

• Send out a monthly newsletter to update everyone about what’s going on at your church. You can include reminders about upcoming events and links for them to register.

• Do you have a prayer team? Use an email list to remind your congregation to be praying for the needs of your church.

When it comes to social media, ever-changing algorithms mean there’s never a guarantee all of your followers will see your messages. That’s why email is a great addition to your outreach strategy — though you can’t be sure that people will open your emails, you’ll at least know your message arrived in their inbox.

Your digital outreach strategy can grow and change with your church. Get started with these three basics and let them serve as stepping-stones to help you toward a fully integrated outreach strategy. By pairing your digital efforts with traditional outreach, you’ll have even more opportunities to reach people in your community for Christ.

Pumpkin Prayer Coloring Page: Download This Free Printable

By

Daniel So

-

October 18, 2021

Throughout the harvest season, children’s ministry workers can use pumpkins to teach Bible-based principles. For example, print and hand out this pumpkin prayer coloring page. Parents and kids will enjoy using it after they carve their own pumpkins at home!

Free Pumpkin Prayer Coloring Page

From Christian Preschool Printables: “This is an adorable Pumpkin Prayer PDF that takes children through the carving of a pumpkin with special qualities to remember and thank God for.”

Examples from the pumpkin prayer coloring page:

Cut off the top.
Lord, open my mind and fill me with your wisdom and guidance.

Scoop out the yuckies.
Lord, take out all my fussies and frownies and fill me with your love.

Carve out the nose.
Lord, help me to be a sweet, sweet fragrance for you.

Carve out the eyes.
Lord, open my eyes to see all of the beautiful things you have made.

Carve out the mouth.
Lord, help me always speak Your words of love and kindness.

Place a candle inside.
Lord, let me be a light to others, for you have filled me with your light.

You can use this pumpkin prayer activity on the Sunday before Halloween. It also makes a special craft during your church’s Trunk or Treat or other Halloween-alternative outreach event. Send the handout home with parents and guardians, too. Encourage families to try the activity during their family devotions during the month of October!

Get the Free Download Now

This resource is provided by Christian Preschool Printables.

Christian Writer Danté Stewart on Expanding ‘Theological Imagination’ to Include the Black Experience

By

Emily McFarlan Miller

-

October 18, 2021

(RNS) — When people reel off the names of American Black writers such as Kiese Laymon and Jesmyn Ward and Deesha Philyaw, Danté Stewart hopes they’ll include his name, too.

“I wanted to be in the tradition of Black writing, but also wanted to do it as a Christian,” Stewart said.

His first book, “Shoutin’ in the Fire: An American Epistle,” released this week, isn’t necessarily a Christian book, he said, though it’s published by Convergent Books, which publishes major Christian writers such as Jen Hatmaker and Philip Yancey.

Instead the author weaves together memoir and social and cultural criticism along with theology — stories about his family with stories from the Bible and Black literature. He shares his own experiences as a Black man leaving and returning to the Black church alongside the stories of Black men whose lives were cut short by police violence.

“I’m going to literature, I’m going to art, I’m going to our bodies to see what type of revelation can be had in both of those,” he said.

Stewart spoke with Religion News Service about “Shoutin’ in the Fire,” his experiences in white evangelicalism and how reading has shaped his faith and writing.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Why did you write this book, and what do you hope readers will take away from it?

I wrote the book first and foremost for me, because it was the type of book I needed to write and I knew I could write, but I had to challenge myself to write. But also I wrote the book for Black people. I wanted to write a book that would be incredibly hard to put in the “antiracist” category insofar as I didn’t want this book to be received as something that can teach white people about Black life in hopes that white people can get better. A lot of people ask me, “What can white people learn from your book?” I’m not really concerned about answering what white people can learn, because I’m not really concerned about what white people learn.

White people have had centuries to learn, and my book, as small or as huge as it is, can only do so much to reorganize the systems and the powers and the structures of society — you know, things like that that would actually, fundamentally change the type of experience that we’re living in.

But I wanted to write something that was for us, that felt like us, that was familiar and familial in the sense that it used the language that we use, the smells that we smell, the tastes that we taste, the places that we went.

Kamala Harris’ Sunday Morning Address Draws Comparisons to Mike Pence’s SBC Speech

By

Jessica Mouser

-

October 18, 2021

A video of Vice President Kamala Harris promoting Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe (D) will be broadcast in more than 300 Black churches from Oct. 17 to Nov. 2. While the video troubles many ministry leaders, some church leaders of color are cautioning white evangelicals against ignoring a potential plank in their own eyes.

“Make no mistake about it,” said Dwight McKissic, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas. “I’m not a fan of partisan politics advocated from the pulpit, period. However, this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. There’s literally no difference between VP Mike Pence addressing the SBC, & VP Harris speaking to 300 churches.”

McKissic was referring to the fact that former vice president Mike Pence spoke at the 2018 annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention, where he spent a great deal of his speech campaigning for former president Donald Trump.

“I don’t support Politicians being in the pulpit, especially on the Lord’s Day,” said preacher Kyle J. Howard. “But the audacity of white evangelicals to criticize as if their tradition’s history hasn’t been political idolatry & filling their own pulpits with politicians not to advance justice but oppression.”

Kamala Harris Urges Churchgoers to Vote for McAuliffe

Democrat Terry McAuliffe is running for governor of Virginia against Republican Glenn Youngkin and is reportedly putting forth a great deal of effort to counter apathy in his base. One of McAuliffe’s strategies is having the vice president campaign for him. Another is targeting “Souls to the Polls,” a national movement that has grown out of Black churches in which congregations caravan to polling locations to vote immediately following a Sunday service. This is the first year that Virginians will be able to vote on Sundays.

Kamala Harris begins her video by mentioning her experience in church as a child and saying that we have a “sacred responsibility to raise our voice.”

“I believe that my friend, Terry McAuliffe, is the leader Virginia needs at this moment,” said Harris, going on to list McAuliffe’s accomplishments during his former term as governor. “Virginians, you deserve a leader who has a vision of what is possible and the experience to realize that vision.

Harris encourages Virginian churchgoers to vote for McAuliffe after Sunday service and also explains how to join McAuliffe’s campaign. She concludes, “Thank you, may God bless you, and may God bless America.”

Other Church Leaders Weigh in on Kamala Harris Video

“This is a bad idea,” tweeted Ed Stetzer, editor-in-chief of Outreach Magazine and executive director of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center. “It was bad when the Republicans did it, and it is bad when the Democrats do it. When you mix politics and religion, you get politics.”

Legislators Seek to Repeal Parental Notification Law for Abortions in Illinois

By

John O'Connor

-

October 18, 2021

parental notification — In this May 7, 2019 photo, Illinois state Rep. Anna Moeller, D-Elgin, speaks to reporters at a news conference in in Springfield, Il. Moeller is sponsoring legislation to repeal a law requiring that their parents or guardians of minors seeking abortions be notified at least 48 hours in advance. (AP Photo by John O'Connor)

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Alarmed and at the same time energized by a Texas law that bans most abortions, abortion-rights advocates in the General Assembly are targeting what people on both sides of the contentious issue consider the last restriction on access to abortion in Illinois.

Democrats in the House and Senate are pushing to repeal a law requiring that a parent or guardian be notified at least 48 hours in advance when a minor 17 or younger seeks an abortion. Consent is not required as it is in nearly half the states.

To parental-notice supporters, it’s a “commonsense” approach to ensuring that families are involved in a minor’s health care and even identify children in abusive situations who need additional help. Opponents say it serves no purpose but to delay a minor’s constitutional right to choose their health care, a disruption that could have adverse effects.

Repeal has a sudden sense of urgency among proponents. The Texas law prohibits most abortions after a cardiac activity is detected — at about six weeks. And the U.S. Supreme Court will hear in December a challenge to a Mississippi law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks.

“There is another dimension to this now…,” said Rep. Anna Moeller, an Elgin Democrat and the repeal’s House sponsor. “I expect Texas-style laws will be coming to states near us. We’re already surrounded by states that have very strict abortion-access laws. It will be this race to the bottom: Who can be the toughest on abortion until the Supreme Court weighs in?”

Moeller said she’s talking to colleagues, counting votes and trying to persuade moderate Democrats. Democratic Sen. Elgie Sims of Chicago has similar legislation in the Senate, but he did not respond to a message seeking comment. If they can collect the votes, they’ve got an ally ready to sign the law.

“I’m in favor of repealing PNA,” Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker said last week. “I don’t know whether the Legislature will bring this up over the two weeks of veto session, but I have stood in favor of it since I was elected.”

The 1995 law, adopted during the only legislative session in the past half-century that Republicans controlled both the House and Senate and the governor’s office, did not take effect until 2013, after years of judicial challenges by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Since then, the number of abortions among minors has dropped 38%, to 1,092 in 2018, while abortions overall among Illinois residents remained steady, according to Illinois Department of Public Health statistics. The numbers in both categories have plummeted since the mid-90s; overall, sinking 25% from a high of 49,131 in 1996 while abortions among minors hit a high of 4,853 in 1995 and a low of 1,003 in 2017, a drop of 79%.

“It’s a very commonsense law that actually transcends the abortion issue,” said Amy Gehrke, executive director of Illinois Right to Life. “This has to do with the basic right of parents to be involved in their children’s health care decisions. Here in Illinois … minor girls can’t get their ears pierced, they can’t get a tattoo, they can’t go to a tanning bed, they can’t go on a school field trip, they can’t even get an aspirin from the school nurse without their parents’ explicit consent.”

17 Missionaries Kidnapped in Haiti, Notorious Gang Suspected

By

Dánica Coto and Evens Sanon

-

October 18, 2021

missionaries kidnapped — Children stand in the courtyard of the Maison La Providence de Dieu orphanage it Ganthier, Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, Sunday, Oct. 17, 2021, where a gang abducted 17 missionaries from a U.S.-based organization. The 400 Mawozo gang, notorious for brazen kidnappings and killings took the group of 16 U.S. citizens and one Canadian, after a trip to visit the orphanage. (AP Photo/Joseph Odelyn)

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A notorious Haitian gang known for brazen kidnappings and killings was accused by police Sunday of abducting 17 missionaries from a U.S.-based organization. Five children were believed to be among those kidnapped, including a 2-year-old.

The 400 Mawozo gang kidnapped the group in Ganthier, a community that lies east of the capital of Port-au-Prince, Haitian police inspector Frantz Champagne told The Associated Press. The gang was blamed for kidnapping five priests and two nuns earlier this year in Haiti.

The gang, whose name roughly translates to 400 “inexperienced men,” controls the Croix-des-Bouquets area that includes Ganthier, where they carry out kidnappings and carjackings and extort business owners, according to authorities.

Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries said the kidnapped group consisted of 16 U.S. citizens and one Canadian, for a total of five children, seven women and five men. The organization said they were on a trip to visit an orphanage.

Christian Aid Ministries in Berlin, Ohio is seen here on Sunday, Oct. 17, 2021. A group of 17 missionaries including children has been kidnapped by a gang in Haiti, according to a voice message sent to various religious missions by an organization with direct knowledge of the incident. The message from Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries said the missionaries were on their way home from building an orphanage. (AP Photo/Tom E. Puskar)

“Join us in praying for those who are being held hostage, the kidnappers and the families, friends and churches of those affected,” Christian Aid Ministries said in a statement. “As an organization, we commit this situation to God and trust him to see us through.”

Haiti is once again struggling with a spike in gang-related kidnappings that had diminished in recent months, after President Jovenel Moïse was fatally shot at his private residence on July 7 and a 7.2-magnitude earthquake killed more than 2,200 people in August.

The missionary group offers Bible classes, runs a medical clinic, helps orphans and distributes seeds to farmers, among other efforts in Haiti, according to its annual report.

The report for last year said that American staff had returned to their base in Haiti after a nine-month absence “due to political unrest” and noted the “uncertainty and difficulties” that arise from such instability.

An AP team on Sunday visited the group’s orphanage in Ganthier, where a couple of children were seen walking through a yard. A security guard confirmed that it was the place the kidnapped missionaries visited before they were abducted. The guard called the orphanage’s pastor at the AP’s request, but he declined to comment, saying only, “Let’s leave things as they are.”

Nearly a year ago, Haitian police issued a wanted poster for the gang’s alleged leader, Wilson Joseph, on charges including murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, auto theft and the hijacking of trucks carrying goods. He goes by the nickname “Lanmò Sanjou,” which means “death doesn’t know which day it’s coming.”

Colin Powell Dies From COVID-19 Complications at 84

By

Jesse T. Jackson

-

October 18, 2021

Former United States Secretary of State, General Colin Powell, died from COVID-19 complications at the age of 84 on Monday, October 18, 2021. Powell had also been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of plasma cells.

His family released a statement regarding Powell’s passing on Powell’s Facebook page. Powell was fully vaccinated.

General Colin L. Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, passed away this morning due to complications from Covid 19. He was fully vaccinated. We want to thank the medical staff at Walter Reed National Medical Center for their caring treatment. We have lost a remarkable and loving husband, father, grandfather and a great American. — The Powell Family

Powell is survived by his wife and three children. Powell and his wife Alma celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary in August.

General Colin Powell

Powell retired from the United States military as a four-star general in 1993 after 35 years of service.

He was first Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, serving under President George H. W. Bush and President Bill Clinton from 1989 to 1993. Powell later became the first Black United States Secretary of State, serving under President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005. He was Secretary of State during the 9/11 attacks.

Powell is remembered for his support of the 2003 war on Iraq, which Powell himself called a “blot” on his record. “It turned out, as we discovered later, that a lot of sources that had been attested to by the intelligence community were wrong…It has blotted my record, but — you know — there’s nothing I can do to change that blot. All I can say is that I gave it the best analysis that I could.”

Powell was also known as a man of faith and spoke at Willow Creek’s Global Leadership Summit in 2013.

George W. Bush and Others React

Former president George W. Bush and his wife Laura posted a statement saying, “Laura and I are deeply saddened by the death of Colin Powell. He was a great public servant, starting with his time as a soldier during Vietnam. Many Presidents relied on General Powell’s counsel and experience. He was National Security Adviser under President Reagan, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under my father and President Clinton, and Secretary of State during my Administration. He was such a favorite of Presidents that he earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom — twice. He was highly respected at home and abroad. And most important, Colin was a family man and a friend. Laura and I send Alma and their children our sincere condolences as they remember the life of a great man.”

Former NFL standout and pro-life advocate Benjamin Watson tweeted, “A great American, servant and leader. May the Lord comfort and keep the Powell family, friends and loved ones during this time. Thank you for your service to this land and its people. The country mourns.”

Parents: 3 Reasons Why the Way You Treat Your Spouse Matters

By

Andrew Linder

-

October 18, 2021

I can remember growing up and thinking that Mom always had eyes in the back of her head. Mom seemed to know everything. But now as a parent, I’m almost equally as convinced that my kids sometimes have eyes and ears in the back of their heads as well.

There’s very little that they’re not observing, listening to, and soaking in from their surroundings, especially at home with mom and dad.

Consequently, nothing has more power or potential to hurt or help kids than what they see, hear, and experience at home.

Kids are like little sponges taking in all the surroundings they are immersed in. They are like little monkeys that see, hear and do what they are exposed to.

For these reasons and more, the way we treat one another in family life matters. And this starts primarily with how parents treat one another.

Here are 3 reasons why the way you treat your spouse matters:

1. Your kids are WATCHING what matters to you.

The way you treat your spouse shows what is in your heart. If our kids see that the way mom and dad treat each other publicly is different than how they interact privately, they are going to notice. If what we say doesn’t match who we are, our kids suffer.

We are never more authentic with anyone more than those we are closest to. That means that our children see the real us. They know our greatest strengths. They also see our biggest weaknesses. And sometimes that’s okay.

Our kids need to see not only our struggle but especially our growth in the way we treat each other as our love increases. There is an amazing amount of security that comes to a kid from knowing that mom and dad love each other forever, and nothing will ever change that.

2. Your kids are LEARNING what you value.

The way you treat your spouse reveals their value to you. We naturally prioritize and praise what we value. Our kids see this.

A dad should regularly praise his wife in front of the family. This could be as simple as complimenting mom on the meal in front of the kids, or making a fun comment about how good looking your kids’ mother is. Kids should also see dad serving mom. (Men, when’s the last time we did those dishes?)

52 Sweet Texts for Your Wife (Hint: That’s One Per Week)

By

Brad Hambrick

-

October 17, 2021

Whether we nurture or neglect our marriages will be determined by how we steward “small moments.” Too often men fall into the trap of trying to hit a home run on Valentine’s Day, birthday, anniversary and Christmas because they’ve been distracted for the rest of the year. But what if you considered the idea of sweet texts for her?

Side Note: If you do a good job of nurturing your marriage, two things will happen with those four days listed in the previous paragraph: (1) what you do for your wife will be more meaningful because you’ll know her better and (2) whether you hit a home run will be less important because you’re not making up for anything.

In this post I want to offer one way to nurture your marriage. Send your wife regular sweet texts with endearing messages. When our wives get sweet texts from us, they should be excited because they anticipate an affirmation or encouragement; not stressed because they expects something to be added to their to-do list or a change to the family schedule.

52 Sweet Texts for Her

Consider the list below a brainstorming exercise. Just come back to this post when you get “writer’s block” and need some fresh ideas for sweet texts.

I love you!
I enjoy being married to you.
Thank you for all the things I never have to think about.
What can I do for you tonight?
I look forward to a quiet evening at home with you.
You captivate my imagination all day long.
Tonight let’s talk about [a subject you know she enjoys].
Let me do [blank] so you can get some extra sleep tomorrow.
[link] here is something I thought you would find funny.
I love you!
Thinking about you is a nice break from the rest of my day.
Ask me about [blank] tonight [event that will prompt a quality conversation].
Why don’t you call [friend] and you guys get dinner? I’ll take care of the kids.
I liked it when you smiled at me this morning.
The more I know you the more beautiful you become.
You are the best wife ever.
I noticed [fruit of the spirit] in you when [action by your wife].
Even on a difficult day, I am glad I get to come home to you.
You’ve always got at least one person who is always on your team—me!
I love you!
[flirty emoji]
You did a great job [task she did well].
[GIF to make her laugh]
I read [article] today about [topic that interests her] and want to talk about it tonight.
I prayed for you today [better if you can connect it with something she’s shared with you recently].
I’m glad our boys have you as the example for the kind of wife they’re looking for.
Your smile will always be my favorite.
How did [event from her day] go? [Shows that you know her schedule and care]
If I could marry you again, I would do it every time I got the chance.
I love you!
Did you know it was [##] days until our anniversary? I couldn’t have known how good that day was going to be for me; thank you!
I’m looking forward to a quiet evening at home with you.
I heard [a song she likes] and thought of you. Moments when you come to mind are the best.
I like writing our love story with you.
You looked amazing this morning.
[meme with one of her favorite movie lines]
I read [Bible passage] and was reminded of how well you exemplify [a particular virtue].
I know today is hard for you because [painful anniversary] and want you to know I’m praying for you.
I look forward to the future because you’re in it.
I love you!
[pick a verse from Proverbs 31 and quote it with #Proverbs31Deluxe]
You make our home a place of rest and refuge. Thank you!
You are my happy place.
An “ordinary day” with you is wonderful.
I’m striving to be the Christ-like husband for you that we want for our daughters.
Thank you for believing in me and supporting me.
“A good day” = a day with you.
You’ve seen me at my best and my worst, and you love me anyway. Wow! What a blessing!
I’m looking forward to our date this weekend. I love time with you!
I love you!
I’m a better, more Christ-like man because you’re my wife. Thank you for the ways God uses you to shape me.
I look forward to growing old with you (even if it’s not as far off as it used to be).

Follow Up Examination: Get out your phone. Review your texts with your wife for the last three months. If these sweet texts for her are indicative of the functional vs. romantic interactions with your wife, what would that reveal about the health of your marriage? The reality is we are not going to reduce the amount of functional conversation life requires; we can only increase the amount of affirming-flirty-invested communication we have.

Your cell phone text history can be a place where you (a) get a tangible read on how invested you’ve been and (b) where you can be more intentional moving forward.

Another Reflection:

Imagine for a moment that your wife’s confidence and identity were built only based upon those things that she heard from you. How healthy and balanced would her self-image be?

If this is an area you want to grow, I would invite you to attend one or more of the upcoming Creating a Gospel-Centered Marriage seminars. Dates, times, location and RSVP are provided at this link.

If this post with suggestions for “sweet texts for her” was beneficial for you, then considering reading other blogs from my “Favorite Posts on Marriage” post, which address other facets of this subject.

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

How to Leave Room for the Holy Spirit in Your Life

By

Ed Stetzer

-

October 17, 2021

If you grew up Catholic (like I did) you probably heard the phrase, Leave room for the Holy Spirit. Honestly, I don’t remember if I actually heard someone say it to me or heard a joke about it. Either way, it’s generally about a nun giving dating instructions.

Well, that’s not the worst advice. (As the father of daughters, I embrace it!) However, I want to apply it a different way. Be sure that you leave room for the Holy Spirit between the plans, programs, and strategies of worship.

Leave room for the Holy Spirit

1. What I Do

It would be easy for me to lose touch—I’m largely a “motivational speaker living in a van down by the river.” It would be easy for me to become disconnected from local church issues and real people.

So I am intentional about carving out time and space for personal interaction with people I wouldn’t have time to get to know at a conference.

But, it is not just me—it is you as well.

2. Fast Listening

In order to keep myself aware of what’s going on outside of my normal circle, sometimes when I travel, I’ll tweet, “Hey, if you’re not crazy or angry, you can come meet me for dinner at such and such a time.”

If I’m in Orlando, I’ll have 20 people. If it’s Boston, I’ll have four people. But either way, I’ll sit there and learn.

Another thing I do regularly is tweet out, “If you need prayer, encouragement or advice, send me a direct message, and for the next two hours I will be calling people.” One night I had two hours while I was driving, so I made calls from 10 p.m. until midnight and just talked to people—about 15 to 20 individuals.

I prayed with them, and we talked. I get to hear someone’s story. They get to bounce stuff off of me. I learned some stuff from them. We connect spiritually. Everyone wins.

Of All Men, Christian Men Should Be the Greatest Advocates for Women

By

Melissa Edgington

-

October 16, 2021

I grew up with a father who listened to me. He didn’t just listen to me–he sought out my thoughts and opinions, and was interested in my ideas and my delights and my sorrows. I never got the impression that he thought of me as a “hysterical female” or that he was inwardly rolling his eyes at me. In my writing, he’s been one of my biggest cheerleaders, encouraging me to be bold in telling the truth. And he often texts me after I’ve written something, claiming that he learned from it or that it spoke to him in some way.

Maybe it’s because I grew up with a father like him. Or maybe it’s because I was raised in a small town where old men encouraged me in my gifts. Maybe it’s because I married a man who values my opinion, who invites me to be a part of conversations and decisions and complications. Maybe these are the reasons that I had no experience with not being taken seriously as a woman. But then social media happened. Every bad thing about the way people think and feel came into focus a little bit more, and then it began spilling into real life. Suddenly, I could clearly see the disdain that many men have for women’s ideas and opinions. I could feel the dismissal of my own thoughts by men. I saw the difference in the promptness of response when my husband had a concern, and the way my own concerns seemed to be brushed off or forgotten. My husband has even signed emails that I wrote, just because we knew they would get more immediate and serious attention.

We have certainly seen that some men (even those who call themselves Christians) delight in disparaging women on the internet. But in the case of most Christian men, I don’t believe that these are necessarily conscious differences. I believe that Christian men often have an ingrained way of seeing women that was implanted there from very early ages. They may not even know exactly why they dread talking to a woman or “dealing” with her. They may not understand themselves why they are happy to immediately call a man and take care of an issue but will fairly ignore a woman, refusing to meet with her or shutting her down by making her jump through procedural hoops in the hopes that she will drop the matter. But I believe it’s worth calling Christian men to account over.

It goes without saying that men who are followers of Jesus should be the loudest champions of abused and marginalized women. But, brothers, your responsibilities as Christians go far beyond just taking up the most egregious cases of mistreatment among women. I would ask you to also examine yourself, or better yet, ask God to examine your heart (Psalm 139:23-24), and see if there isn’t some “grievous way” in you when it comes to the way you feel about, view, or treat women. Of all the men in the world, you are the ones we’re counting on not to be dismissive, not to be callous, not to discount women as overly emotional non-thinkers.

Jesus was unusually interested in the hearts and minds of the women he encountered during his earthly life. Women were an important part of his inner circle, and he never dismissed them as inferior or harder to deal with. He has a tender heart toward them. I believe that God can awaken in his sons a care for women that would make the world wonder.

Bible Stories for Elementary Age: How Children Learn God’s Word

By

ChildrensMinistry.com

-

October 15, 2021

As children grow, their attention spans and understanding levels change. So it’s important for Sunday school teachers and children’s ministry workers to adapt lessons accordingly. Find out how to teach Bible stories for elementary age, from toddlers to tweens.

These “Age-Level Insights” from Children’s Ministry Magazine will help you discover how young students learn Bible stories.

Bible Stories for Elementary Age: 2 to 5 Years

Young children like to be read to with age-appropriate books. They like pictures, age-appropriate terminology and simple wording. Their attention span is only two to 10 minutes. Preschool children like to interact with objects. They learn by touching objects and through repetition.

Ways to Teach

Paraphrase Bible stories and highlight only main points. For example, say: “God chose Noah to save all the animals from the flood. He told Noah to build an ark. An ark is a large boat. Noah brought in the animals. The flood came. Finally, the ark landed on dry land and God made a rainbow.” Tell the story using objects, such as storybooks, stuffed animals or a wooden animal and boat set. Allow children to play with the objects after the story. Remind children about or repeat the story as they play. Reinforce the story with an activity such as an animal craft, song or game.

Bible Stories for Elementary Age: 6 to 9 Years

By this age, children’s attention span is 10 to 20 minutes. They understand more details. Objects hold their attention during story time. Children love to be a part of and interact with the story. Children think concretely and focus on the parts and actions of the story.

Ways to Teach

Provide details. For example, say: “God wasn’t happy with people on earth. But Noah made God happy because Noah obeyed. People made fun of Noah and his family when Noah obeyed God.” Have children act out the story, playing different parts such as Noah, his family, friends and animals. Let children tell the story in their own words. Highlight only one main point with one direct application.

For example, say: “Noah obeyed God. We can obey God too.” Reinforce the story with crafts, games or other activities. For example, play Simon Says, and focus on the importance of obeying the leader.

Wife Who Fought to ‘Save Saeed’ Says Christian Leaders Failed to Act on Her Abuse Claims

By

Bob Smietana

-

October 15, 2021

Franklin Graham Naghmeh Panahi — L: Franklin Graham Cornstalker, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. R: Naghmeh Panahi. Courtesy photo

(RNS) — In the summer of 2016, Naghmeh Panahi sat in a room with one of the most powerful ministers in America to discuss the fate of her marriage.

Both her lawyer and her pastor were by her side. Also in the room was her then-estranged husband, Saeed Abedini, who had been released from an Iranian prison a few months earlier.

Panahi had spent years advocating for Abedini’s release, enlisting the help of evangelical leaders such as famed Christian lawyer Jay Sekulow and Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, along with celebrities and powerful politicians who took up his cause.

Born in Iran, Panahi immigrated to the United States with her family during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. Her family converted to Christianity after arriving in the United States and eventually settled in Boise, Idaho. An aspiring missionary, she moved to Iraq in the early 2000s, where she met Abedini, a charismatic young pastor who had started a series of house churches. The two married in 2004 and later settled near Panahi’s family in Idaho.

Abedini continued to work with churches in Iran and in 2012 was jailed by the Iranian government, which claimed that those churches undermined Iran’s national security. He was sentenced to eight years in prison, becoming a symbol of the struggle for international religious freedom.

At the National Prayer Breakfast in 2015, President Obama had told attendees, “I was recently in Boise, Idaho, and had the opportunity to meet with Pastor Abedini’s beautiful wife and wonderful children and to convey to them that our country has not forgotten brother Saeed and that we’re doing everything we can to bring him home.”

But during those years of advocacy, Panahi had kept a secret. Her husband had been physically and emotionally abusive for years. And while she wanted him out of jail, she did not want him to come home unless he got help. Otherwise, she believed, her family would be in danger.

When she finally revealed that secret, Panahi told Religion News Service, few of her supporters believed her. Those who did pressed her to go to marriage counseling with Saeed, assuring her that God could work everything out.

The chief advocate of that approach in the room that day in 2016 was Franklin Graham, head of the Billy Graham Association and Samaritan’s Purse.

“There is nothing the two of you face, Naghmeh, that God can’t fix, if the two of you want it,” Graham told Panahi, urging her to go to counseling with her husband, according to a recording of that meeting.

Boy Known As ‘Pastor Caleb’ to Celebrate 10th Birthday With Community Revival

By

Jessica Mouser

-

October 15, 2021

A boy from Tupelo, Miss., who has cerebral palsy is holding a community-wide revival for his 10th birthday. Caleb Rodgers, known as “Pastor Caleb,” has developed quite a ministry so far in his young life, and part of that ministry includes writing short, encouraging messages for people on Facebook.

“Slow runners eventually cross the finish line, but only if they keep stepping!” said Caleb in an Oct. 14 message. “Someone needs to understand that you only need never to give up!”

An encouragement from earlier this week reads: “Place your mountains in perspective of God’s view, not yours! See how small such a large obstacle can become! Those mountains turn to ant hills!”

Caleb Rodgers Is All About Jesus

Caleb Rodgers was born on Nov. 11, 2011, and suffered a brain injury at birth. While he is nonverbal, he is able to communicate by pointing to letters and numbers on a card that his mother, Jennie Rogers, holds for him.

She told WCBI News that Caleb learned this way of communicating soon after he learned to read. Not long after that, he told his parents he had trusted in Jesus. Said Jennie, “He accepted the Lord, told his Dad (Rodney Rodgers), ‘Daddy I’m ready to be baptized.’ Our pastor said he was the youngest person he had baptized.”

Caleb started sharing his faith by posting messages on Facebook and even speaking to men at rehab facilities. “He was able to go to recovery places,” said Jennie, “and he would deliver a message so we were able to sit there and they weren’t waiting all day for him to get a sentence out, in ten minutes he had preached a whole sermon to those men.”

Below is a message Caleb delivered to men at Transformation Ranch, which offers a recovery program for men struggling with addiction, homelessness, and “unmanageable life circumstances.”

‘Amen Church’ in Dallas, Texas Doesn’t Pay Its Pastors, Casts Vision to Reach the Disenfranchised

By

Jesse T. Jackson

-

October 15, 2021

Mint Dentistry owner Dr. Field Harrison and his wife Sabrina recently launched Amen Church in Dallas, Texas. The new church will consist strictly of volunteers and will not pay any of its pastors or staff.

The successful dentist shared with WFAA News that he answered God’s call to start a church after he experienced severe ringing in his ears resulting from tinnitus. Harrison believes this was a sign from God, saying, “My ears started ringing out of nowhere…I really had felt called to [start a church] before then, but when my ears started ringing I just knew this was the time.”

Harrison has rented the 2000 seat Meyerson Symphony Center for a year to host Sunday worship services, a place were Harrison says God planted a seed in his heart when they visited the symphony years ago. Their first service was held on on October 3, 2021.

Sabrina shared how reading the Bible helped them decided on the name Amen Church. She said, “That’s the one consistent word I read everyday. It’s actually one of the names of God, so it was a no brainer.”

Amen is not often referred to as a name for God. Theologian and pastor Kevin DeYoung explains it to mean “let it be,” “so be it,” “verily,” or “truly.”

“We want to really change the reputation of the church to where people can’t ever say that this church is self-serving [or] self-promoting,” Harrison said in reference to the fact that Amen Church doesn’t have a paid staff.

Amen church will give all donations to the church back to the community while being 100 percent transparent to where that money goes. Harrison explained, “Right now, we’re planning on listing how much in donations we got that week and were we gave it that week.”

“We’re just really trying to get our feet and hands dirty and just be there to serve and help,” Sabrina said. “And meet every need we possibly can.”

The couple understands that the model for their church plant is unconventional but told WFAA News that their vision is to reach those who feel disenfranchised by the Church.

A post on the church’s Instagram says, “When God asks us to do something, one small act of obedience brings the blessing. We don’t realize what our daily act of obedience will do, until we step out in faith, and trust God to do the impossible. When we embrace our weaknesses, God releases His grace. His grace is enough! He is faithful!”

Field and Sabrina Harrison say that they are not interested in growing a brand but instead growing Jesus’ Church.

“We are creating a place where people can meet with Jesus, while we share the love of God and the truth of the Gospel,” the church’s website explains.

Harrison is quoted on Amen Church’s website as saying, “You don’t have to be a pastor to grow the Church. Every believer of Jesus is called to do that.” A statement from Sabrina says, “We are simply the messengers, here to bear witness to the Word we have received – the Gospel of Jesus.”

Study: Attendance Hemorrhaging at Small and Midsize US Congregations

By

Yonat Shimron

-

October 15, 2021

(RNS) — A new survey of 15,278 religious congregations across the United States confirms trends sociologists have documented for several decades: Congregational life across the country is shrinking.

The most recent round of the Faith Communities Today survey, or FACT, found a median decline in attendance of 7% between 2015 and 2020.

The survey, fielded just before the coronavirus lockdown, finds that half of the country’s estimated 350,000 religious congregations had 65 or fewer people in attendance on any given weekend. That’s a drop of more than half from a median attendance level of 137 people in 2000, the first year the FACT survey gathered data.

As Scott Thumma, director of the Hartford Institute for Religion Research and the survey’s author, put it: “The dramatically increasing number of congregations below 65 attendees with a continued rate of decline should be cause for concern among religious communities.”

Produced by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, the FACT survey consists of self-reported questionnaires sent out to congregational leaders every five years since 2000 — mostly through 20 collaborating denominations and faith traditions.

It found that mainline Protestants suffered the greatest decline over the past five years (12.5%), with a median of 50 people attending worship in 2020. Evangelical congregations declined at a slower rate (5.4%) over the same five-year period and had a median attendance of 65 people at worship. Catholic and Orthodox Christian churches declined by 9%.

The only groups to boost attendance over the past five years were non-Christian congregations: Muslim, Baha’i and Jewish.

“One of the meta narratives of the last several decades is mainline decline and evangelical health,” said Mark Chaves, professor of sociology, religious studies and divinity at Duke University who conducted a similar analysis known as the National Congregations Study. “It’s clear in recent years there’s been a decline in evangelical churches as well. Mainline decline is not unique.”

The survey found that half of the nation’s congregations were in the South, even though only 38% of the U.S. population lives there. It also suggested that small congregations in rural areas and small towns may be unsustainable. Nearly half of the country’s congregations are in rural areas (25%) or small towns (22%), while the 2020 census found that only 6% of Americans live in rural areas and 8% in small towns.

The country’s changing demographics may be key to rural and small-town decline. Young people have been moving to urban areas; businesses and industries have also left these communities bereft of resources and talent.

That doesn’t mean small churches are all going to close. Allen Stanton, director of the Turner Center for Rural Vitality at the University of Tennessee Southern, said smaller congregations need to be judged on their own metrics.

To Facilitate Expansion, Trust the King Of The Expanse.

By

WordGo

-

October 15, 2021

Have you been considering how to grow your small group? We often think of more chairs in the circle and feet through the door—but perhaps biblical expansion means a little bit… more?

How to Grow Your Small Group

God commissions us to go into the world and spread his good news of salvation. And in eagerness to get going, sometimes we rush in, don’t we? “Time to build the Kingdom! Grow this small group for impact!” But in our will to build, do we forget the king?

When you think about how to grow your small group, remember God doesn’t commission us to go without him—his will, his power, and submission to his plan. He’s no mere earthly king calling orders; he’s intimately involved, present everywhere, and sovereignly in control. So when you dream of small group growth, before you go to task, first ask… Whom do I trust? Then, What am I to do?

Whom Do I Trust?

“Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth? Declare, if you know all this.” Job 38:18

The King of the Expanse

He drew lines where the earth meets the sea. He set signs in the sky to mark the passing of time. God himself is the expanse; he’s written the story of his kingdom’s expansion across eternity. Think for a minute about God’s work from Creation, to Christ, to his gathering of your small group. Wrap your mind around every detail—from his calling of matter into existence to his call upon your life. We can’t. As you grow your small group, can you trust that the King crafts the future growth of your Bible study and a path of purpose for each group member?

“So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” 1 Cor. 3:6-7

The Master of Multiplication

Crowds followed Jesus throughout his earthly ministry, yet he searched out the ones. In John 4, he sat by a well in Samaria to reveal himself as savior to one broken woman. The mystified disciples thought, Why bother with her? But as she ran to share the news, the whole town came forth to see Jesus! God is the master of multiplication; he knows exactly when and where to set up his ministry and gives it growth. Can you trust him with the greatness or smallness of your small group—and his ability to multiply the faith of one into many?

What Am I to Do?

“And he said to them, ‘Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand?’” Mark 4:21

Shine in Truth

God’s light is his salvation in Jesus and his truth of Scripture. Is your Bible study a place where his light charges up your heart? If your small group is founded on his Word, God calls you to shine truth. As a group guide, do you freely express excitement? Do your group members allow each other to be moved by what God’s revealing? If your heart says, “Amen that’s amazing,” let it out! The more your community shines openly, the more you’ll reflect his light wherever God sends you.

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works…” Heb. 10:24

The Power of Encouragement: How to Unlock Potential in Your Small Group Bible Study

By

WordGo

-

October 15, 2021

“…let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds…” (Heb 10:24)

Think back to when you first took the brave step to start your own group Bible study. Did you feel unsure of yourself? Who or what encouraged you to take the plunge? Perhaps it was a promise from Scripture, guidance from a church leader, or affirmation from a trusted friend that made all the difference.

Encouragement is a wonderful way to draw out the strengths of those around us. And now that you have some valuable experience of initiating a Bible study, you can play a part in unlocking your small group’s potential!

Here are four ways you can encourage well:

1. Call out what you see in them

“Therefore encourage each other and build one another up…” (1 Thess 5:11)

Often, people think of leadership as a formal position, rather than a natural outworking of what God has already placed in them. So, whether you’re approaching someone about co-facilitating gatherings, or even starting their own Bible study group, tell them why you think they’ll be great at it. Maybe you admire their consistency and integrity. Perhaps you’ve noticed their willingness to help out, or how well they facilitate conversation. Don’t hold back; call out the qualities you see!

2. Tell them what they do well

“I commend to you our sister Phoebe … she has been a great help to many people, including me.” (Rom 16:1-2)

We cannot underestimate the impact of commending someone when they do something well. Positive feedback inspires enthusiasm and an encouraged person will always aim higher than a discouraged one.

Remember that genuine, direct expressions of praise always carry more weight than a vague, ‘Good job’:

“‘I loved the sensitive way in which you led the prayer time,’ or, ‘I appreciated how gracious you were in dealing with that controversial moment,’ or, ‘I was impressed by how you included everyone in the discussion.”

Get specific!

Report on Menlo Church Finds Missteps But No Evidence of Abuse

By

Stephanie Martin

-

October 15, 2021

Although no evidence of sexual abuse was uncovered at Menlo Church, its leaders weren’t transparent and should improve safety. Those are the key takeaways from a report by Zero Abuse Project, a third-party investigator hired by the San Francisco-area megachurch. Menlo shared a link to the full report on its website and will hold an open house this Sunday, October 17, for discussions related to it.

The church and its longtime former pastor, John Ortberg, had come under fire for not disclosing that a children’s ministry volunteer confessed to being sexually attracted to minors. As ChurchLeaders has reported, that volunteer turned out to be the pastor’s son, Johnny Ortberg. The disclosure came from another of Ortberg’s adult children, Daniel Lavery, who expressed concern that Johnny was still permitted to work with children at Menlo.

Ortberg, also a bestselling author, resigned from Menlo in July 2020. At the time, he expressed “regret” for not using “better judgment.” Though Ortberg had said he was confident Johnny hadn’t acted on his attractions, the pastor admitted not balancing “my responsibilities as a father with my responsibilities as a leader.”

The church currently has a transitional pastor, John Crosby. In a letter to the congregation, he and another leader write, “We mourn the hurt we have caused, and we hope the completion and findings of this investigation are the next steps in a healing journey.”

Menlo Church: What the Report Reveals

Zero Abuse, which interviewed 104 witnesses and reviewed more than 500,000 documents, “did not find any disclosure or other direct evidence the volunteer in question sexually abused a child.” Although the report doesn’t name that person, previous news articles have identified him as Johnny Ortberg.

Faulting Menlo Church’s leadership for secrecy, the report states: “The decision of the Senior Pastor not to disclose to church leaders or others the conversation he had with the volunteer, as well as the decision of the church Elders not to be fully transparent about this situation, caused significant damage to the Menlo community.”

Zero Abuse says the volunteer gave rides to youth group members and was allowed to be alone with them. (Again, it found no evidence of abuse or grooming by the volunteer.) When a laptop went missing, the volunteer expressed concern about his search history. He didn’t accept investigators’ “offer to examine the laptop,” but Zero Abuse “supports a conclusion” that the computer had a “search history related to his attraction to children.”

10 Faith Based Ice Breaker Questions for Small Groups

1. What has been a recent high point and low point in your life?

2. What are you thankful for today?

3. Describe your past week in weather terms. (Was it stormy, cloudy, foggy, mostly sunny or what?)

4. What is a challenge you are facing right now? (How could we help you?)

5. What is one thing you are looking forward to?

6. What is one thing you like to do when you have free time?

7. What is one thing you are really good at?

8. One fact about me that might surprise you is…

9. What do you want to be when you grow up?

10. When did God become more than a word to you?

3 Steps to a Digital Outreach Strategy

1. Have A Great Church Website

2. Be ACTIVE On Social Media

3. Organize Your Email List

Free Pumpkin Prayer Coloring Page

Kamala Harris Urges Churchgoers to Vote for McAuliffe

Other Church Leaders Weigh in on Kamala Harris Video

General Colin Powell

George W. Bush and Others React

1. Your kids are WATCHING what matters to you.

2. Your kids are LEARNING what you value.

52 Sweet Texts for Her

I love you!

I enjoy being married to you.

Thank you for all the things I never have to think about.

What can I do for you tonight?

I look forward to a quiet evening at home with you.

You captivate my imagination all day long.

Tonight let’s talk about [a subject you know she enjoys].

Let me do [blank] so you can get some extra sleep tomorrow.

[link] here is something I thought you would find funny.

I love you!

Thinking about you is a nice break from the rest of my day.

Ask me about [blank] tonight [event that will prompt a quality conversation].

Why don’t you call [friend] and you guys get dinner? I’ll take care of the kids.

I liked it when you smiled at me this morning.

The more I know you the more beautiful you become.

You are the best wife ever.

I noticed [fruit of the spirit] in you when [action by your wife].

Even on a difficult day, I am glad I get to come home to you.

You’ve always got at least one person who is always on your team—me!

I love you!

[flirty emoji]

You did a great job [task she did well].

[GIF to make her laugh]

I read [article] today about [topic that interests her] and want to talk about it tonight.

I prayed for you today [better if you can connect it with something she’s shared with you recently].

I’m glad our boys have you as the example for the kind of wife they’re looking for.

Your smile will always be my favorite.

How did [event from her day] go? [Shows that you know her schedule and care]

If I could marry you again, I would do it every time I got the chance.

I love you!

Did you know it was [##] days until our anniversary? I couldn’t have known how good that day was going to be for me; thank you!

I’m looking forward to a quiet evening at home with you.

I heard [a song she likes] and thought of you. Moments when you come to mind are the best.

I like writing our love story with you.

You looked amazing this morning.

[meme with one of her favorite movie lines]

I read [Bible passage] and was reminded of how well you exemplify [a particular virtue].

I know today is hard for you because [painful anniversary] and want you to know I’m praying for you.

I look forward to the future because you’re in it.

I love you!

[pick a verse from Proverbs 31 and quote it with #Proverbs31Deluxe]

You make our home a place of rest and refuge. Thank you!

You are my happy place.

An “ordinary day” with you is wonderful.

I’m striving to be the Christ-like husband for you that we want for our daughters.

Thank you for believing in me and supporting me.

“A good day” = a day with you.

You’ve seen me at my best and my worst, and you love me anyway. Wow! What a blessing!

I’m looking forward to our date this weekend. I love time with you!

I love you!

I’m a better, more Christ-like man because you’re my wife. Thank you for the ways God uses you to shape me.

I look forward to growing old with you (even if it’s not as far off as it used to be).

Leave room for the Holy Spirit

1. What I Do

2. Fast Listening

Bible Stories for Elementary Age: 2 to 5 Years

Ways to Teach

**2. Be ACTIVE On Social Media**