Al Mohler Responds to Presbyterian Minister Who Claims Abortion Is ‘Morally Good’

October 14, 2021

In a recent article in USA Today, professor of religious studies and ordained minister Rebecca Todd Peters argued that abortion can be a “morally good decision,” calling on Christians to trust women enough to make a decision themselves.

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary president Dr. Albert Mohler responded to Peters’ article on his podcast Tuesday, saying that the pro-abortion argument had gone “for broke.”

Rebecca Todd Peters Argues for the Morality of Abortion

In the article entitled I’m a Christian minister who’s had 2 abortions. Here’s how faith informed those decisions, Peters, who is a Presbyterian minister, professor at Elon University, and mother of two, shared that she has terminated two of her pregnancies.

Peters then tied her decision to her Christian faith, saying, “I did not make my abortion decisions despite my Christian identity and faith, but rather because of it.”

Arguing that parenting is a sacred task, Peters wrote, “And I can say, without a doubt, that the two decisions we made to have children were far more morally significant than the decisions to end two pregnancies.” Peters explained that she and her husband had carefully considered each of the two abortions and saw them as the morally responsible choice.

Peters went on to detail the history of the Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion, an association of clergy formed in 1967 to counsel and refer women to licensed doctors who could safely perform abortions prior to the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which made safe abortions more widely accessible.

“More than 50 years later, we are on the precipice of returning to that pre-Roe world. While women like me will continue to find access to abortion care, it is largely poor women, women of color, and young women and their families who will bear the brunt of the burden of abortion bans,” Peters wrote, presumably referring to the recent abortion legislation in Texas.

Peters further argued, “Today’s Christians cannot stay silent while pregnant people in our communities are being harassed, abused and forced to bear children by the state…we need to recognize the moral wisdom my momma shared with me: ‘You shouldn’t have a baby just because you are pregnant – you should have a baby because you want to be a mother, you want to have a family.’”

“Ending a pregnancy when one cannot afford to care for a child (or another child) can be a morally responsible decision,” Peters said. She then argued that abortions are morally responsible when a woman is not ready for parenthood, when a pregnancy would interrupt her education or career pursuits, or when she is in an abusive romantic relationship.

The Reformed Church in America Faces Rupture Over LGBTQ Gridlock

Kathryn Post

October 14, 2021

Reformed Church in America — Photo by Sharon McCutcheon/Creative Commons

(RNS) — This week, one of North America’s oldest denominations will confront its gridlock over LGBTQ ordination and same-sex marriage. Votes cast in Tucson, Arizona, at the Reformed Church in America’s General Synod — delayed 16 months due to the pandemic — will chart the course for the already-splintering denomination.

In the past year, conservative factions have broken ties with the RCA, with other churches threatening to follow. Delegates to the synod, which starts Thursday (Oct. 14) and will continue through Tuesday, will determine how the denomination might restructure to entice congregations to stay, if the church will establish an external mission organization and whether departing congregations can plan on taking their church buildings with them.

“At General Synod, delegates come from across the RCA to discern the mind of Christ together,” said Christina Tazelaar, RCA director of communications. “There are difficult decisions on the agenda, along with many things to celebrate, and we’re praying that the Holy Spirit guides every decision.”

The RCA is a historically Dutch Reformed denomination dating back to the 1620s, when New York was known as New Amsterdam. Today, the RCA has fewer than 200,000 members and 1,000 churches. While in theory RCA churches are united by their polity, history and Reformed convictions, they hold a range of political and theological beliefs.

The RCA isn’t the only Protestant denomination facing division over views on sexuality. Next year, the United Methodist Church is expected to vote on a proposal to split the denomination over the inclusion of LGBTQ members, and the RCA’s sister denomination, the Christian Reformed Church, will grapple with its contentious human sexuality report at its own synod.

“It’s a case study in how a church can or cannot navigate questions of identity, questions that are tense, matters of conflict,” said Matthew van Maastricht, pastor at Altamont Reformed Church in Altamont, New York. “We are just one part of a greater reshaping of the broader American Protestant landscape.”

According to the Rev. Dan Griswold, clerk of the RCA’s Holland Classis, the RCA debates involve specific questions: Can an RCA church host a wedding between a same-sex couple, and can an RCA minister officiate such a wedding? Can noncelibate gay people be elected as elders and deacons and ordained as ministers? While these questions are often framed as political, they are also theological.

“It’s really about how we view the Bible, how we understand God and the nature of the church,“ said the Rev. Lynn Japinga, professor of religion at RCA-affiliated Hope College. “It’s a fundamental difference in approach to the Christian faith that’s the source of all this. … Do you have more of a rule-based faith, or do you have a more grace-based faith?”

Ron Citlau, senior pastor of Calvary Church near Chicago, frames the question differently.

“I’ve dealt with same-sex attraction, and the issue for me and many of the people I know is, is it a thing for which Jesus Christ needs to come to redeem us, or is it a blessing he wants us to embrace?” said Citlau, who is married to a woman and whose church helped form the conservative non-RCA Kingdom Network. “If we get sin wrong, there are larger things at stake.”

Domestic Terrorism, Gender Identity and Sexual Assault: How Will VA School District Controversy Impact the Church?

Stephanie Martin

October 14, 2021

When Scott Smith was arrested during a Loudoun County, Virginia, school board meeting in June, he was called an out-of-control parent, a bigot, and even a domestic terrorist. But now the father is sharing his side of the story, and fellow parents are demanding accountability from the school system.

Like many school districts across America, the suburban county near Washington, D.C. has been embroiled in intense debates about cultural issues including critical race theory and transgender rights. Smith, however, refutes claims that he attended the meeting to harass anyone or to make political or cultural statements. Instead, he says, he was there because his ninth-grade daughter was sexually assaulted May 28 at Stone Bridge High School—in a girls’ bathroom by a gender-fluid boy wearing a skirt.

Scott Smith Says He Was Concerned About Safety

Scott Smith, a 48-year-old plumber from Leesburg, Virginia, described the June 22 meeting debacle in an interview this week with Laura Ingraham of Fox News. He said Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) Superintendent Scott Ziegler denied the existence of a “predator” student and “any record of assaults occurring in our restrooms.” Then another parent—and LGBTQ-rights activist—told Smith she didn’t believe his daughter’s claim. “That’s not what happened,” she reportedly told him, which led to a heated exchange. Eventually a police officer dragged a bloodied, handcuffed Smith out of the room.

The unruly meeting and Smith’s arrest made national news, and the father soon became a poster child for organizations that feared threats in public forums. The National School Board Association mentioned Smith in a letter to President Biden, asking him to use laws such as the U.S. Patriot Act to prevent “domestic terrorism and hate crimes” against public school officials.

Smith’s attorney, Elizabeth Lancaster, says, “If someone would have sat and listened for 30 seconds to what Scott had to say, they would have been mortified and heartbroken.” Smith tells Ingraham, “I am good with gay people and cross-gender people—anybody who wants to be a good American.” He adds, “I went [to that meeting] to find out why our children were not safe.”

Now some people are questioning whether LCPS covered up that assault because it was trying to pass a controversial transgender policy. (It eventually passed on August 11.) As ChurchLeaders has reported, a Christian teacher fired by Loudoun County for refusing to use transgender students’ preferred pronouns recently won a court case for reinstatement.

Superintendent Faces Calls to Resign: Here’s Why

Scott Smith, who faces a jury trial next March related to his arrest, says he’d been advised to keep quiet to ensure justice for his daughter. But last week, he and his wife discovered that the boy suspected in their daughter’s assault faces similar charges at the school to which the district reportedly transferred him.

Public-records requests reveal that the sheriff’s office did file a report and conduct an investigation into a sexual assault at Stone Bridge on May 28. A suspect was arrested but not named because he’s a juvenile. The sheriff’s office also confirms that the same suspect faces charges for an alleged assault that occurred October 6 at Broad Run High School.

Tim Tebow and Tony Dungy Weigh In on the Urban Meyer Controversy; ‘Disappointing’ and ‘Heartbreaking’

Jesse T. Jackson

October 14, 2021

ESPN football analyst and former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow shared his thoughts after seeing his close friend and former college coach Urban Meyer in a compromising bar video. In the video, Meyer can be seen dancing inappropriately with a young woman.

Tim Tebow’s Advice to Meyer

Tebow called the situation “disappointing” and “heartbreaking” as he spoke with ESPN‘s First Take hosts Molly Qerim Rose and Stephen A. Smith last Friday.

“My heart was hurting for Miss Shelley [Urban Meyer’s wife],” Tebow shared.

“[Shelley] is someone I love very much and [Meyer’s] daughters are whom I am very close with,” the former NFL quarterback said, adding that he had spoken with all of them after the news broke.

Tebow’s advice to Meyer was: “Apologize. Admit it. Learn from it. And to never, never repeat it.” The coach told Tebow that this has been “one of the hardest times of his life.”

“This has weighed so heavy on his heart, and he is hurting,” Tebow said.

Tebow then explained that Meyer will need to earn back trust and respect in the locker room with some of the Jacksonville Jaguars‘ players, adding that Meyer is determined to do so.

“This is not something that anybody in his family takes lightly,” Tebow said. “This is a very serious situation [and] a very disappointing situation.”

Tebow shared that he believes that the coach “wants to make amends,” which will be very hard and take time.

“Giving Coach a chance to earn that respect back is something I want to do because of how much I love Coach and his family,” Tebow said. “But at the same time, not condoning those actions — [I want to be] someone that gives people a chance to change, to grow, to be able to earn back that trust and respect.”

“A reputation takes a lifetime to build and a moment to lose.” – Tebow

The Church’s One Foundation

R.C. Sproul

October 14, 2021

More than forty years ago, Los Angeles experienced a terrible earthquake, one of the worst in the city’s history. I remember the event because just before the earthquake, I had driven a friend of mine to the airport so that he could catch a flight to Los Angeles, where he was a pastor. The earthquake affected his church, and he later told me that at first everything seemed to be fine with the sanctuary building. Although there was no visible damage of any significance, a later inspection revealed that the foundation of the church had shifted to such a degree that they had to close the church and rebuild the sanctuary because it was no longer safe. To any casual observer, it seemed like the sanctuary was stable. However, in reality it was unfit for use, and it had to be demolished and rebuilt upon a sure foundation.

In Psalm 11:3, David asks the question, “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” David draws on an analogy in the physical realm to depict a particular spiritual concern that he had. If the failure of a building’s physical foundation spells the end for the entire building, the failure of God’s people to maintain the foundation of truth means disaster for their spiritual health and well-being.

We can apply this idea to the church. If the foundation of the church is shaken, can the church survive? No. But what is the foundation of the church? Answering that question correctly will help us guard the foundation and preserve His truth.

I’ve often taught on this subject—the foundation of the church—in my years of ministry. I’ve often pointed out that while the author of the line, “The church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ our Lord,” had his heart in the right place when he was writing his hymn, the line itself is a conduit of misinformation. With respect to the foundation of the church, Scripture does speak of Jesus as the foundation: “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11). However, that is not all that the New Testament says about the church’s foundation. Paul says in Ephesians 2:20 that Jesus is actually “the cornerstone.” Jesus is called the foundation because He is the linchpin, as it were, for the entire foundation. But there are other stones in this foundation.

What, then, is the rest of the foundation? The foundation, Paul tells us, consists of the prophets and the Apostles (Eph. 2:18-21). In Revelation 21, we read of the magnificent vision of the New Jerusalem, the heavenly city that comes down from above. Verse 14 tells us that “the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.” Even the heavenly Jerusalem is based upon the foundation of the apostles.

Historically, the Christian church is, in its very essence, Apostolic. The term Apostle comes from the Greek word apostolos, which means “one who is sent.” In the ancient Greek culture, an apostolos was first of all a messenger, an ambassador, or an emissary. But he wasn’t just a page. He was an emissary who was authorized by the king to represent the king in his absence, and he bore the king’s authority.

The first Apostle in the New Testament was actually Jesus, for He was sent by His Father into the world. We get the fullest picture of what it is to be an Apostle by looking at what He says in the New Testament about this role of His. Jesus said, “I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me” (John 8:28). Christ told His disciples, “For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak” (12:49). He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matt. 28:18). Jesus was granted authority by God the Father to speak on behalf of the Father and to deliver His Father’s Word, so Jesus’ teaching had God’s authority.

God’s Sovereignty Brings a Special Joy to Our Giving

Randy Alcorn

October 14, 2021

One time I was driving with Luis, a thirteen-year-old boy I was mentoring. I took a road I hadn’t been on for a few years and found myself stuck at a long red light in a left-turn lane. A twentysomething woman called to me from the sidewalk, “Got change for a dollar?”

The lane between our car and the woman had no traffic, so I beckoned her over, gave her some money, and then handed her my little book Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Heaven, which includes the gospel message.

She said, “Cool,” thanked me, and returned to the sidewalk.

Afterward I pointed out to Luis, “Had I driven a different street, or had that light turned yellow two seconds later, we wouldn’t have been here. Had that woman come to the crosswalk thirty seconds earlier or later, she wouldn’t have called to me.”

I could have added that had I not felt moved the day before to replenish my supply of books in the car, I wouldn’t have had any copies to give her. And to top it off, had it happened another time, Luis and I wouldn’t have had the fun of together seeing God at work.

But Luis and I didn’t sense only God’s sovereignty in that moment; we also sensed His happiness. What a delight it was to have this unexpected encounter that I could never have orchestrated.

I don’t know who that young woman was—whether she read the book or responded to the gospel, or whether the book ended up in the hands of someone else whose life might have been changed by it. But if it did, one day I’ll see her again or meet the person God touched through it.

In His sovereignty, God orchestrates unique opportunities for us to be generous. He delights in those moments of divine connection, and so should we.

This article about God’s sovereignty originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

The Rise of False Messiahs: What You Must Know

Christine Yount Jones

October 14, 2021

When the disciples asked for signs of the end times, Jesus warned them about false messiahs. Jesus responded to the disciples: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.” (Luke 21:8-9)

The end time could very well be near if we look at the number of people around the globe who are rising up to say that they are indeed the Messiah.

Since 1979, Alvaro Theiss has been proclaiming that he is Jesus Christ reincarnated. Alvaro changed his name to INRI Cristo (a tribute to the inscription “Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum” that Pontius Pilate posted on the cross where the true Messiah died).

INRI lives with 12 followers in a compound in Brazil. INRI wears white robes and a crown. His devoted followers dress in all blue and push their leader around on a rolling pedestal.

Other False Messiahs Claiming to Be Jesus Christ

According to news.com.au, at least six other men have claimed to be Jesus Christ reincarnated in the last decade.

Mitsuo Matayoshi of Japan claimed to be God and that he would execute his last judgment through the political system–if elected. However, Matayoshi died from illness on July 20, 2018, and faced a different judgment (Hebrews 9:27).

Moses Hlongwane of South Africa has set himself up as the reincarnation of Jesus Christ in a compound with a dozen disciples in KwaZulu-Natal town.

Vissarion of Siberia claims to be the second coming of Christ and teaches reincarnation, vegetarianism, civility, ecology, and apocalypse. He lives with 4,000 of his followers and has 10,000 followers worldwide.

David Shayler of England declared himself the Messiah in 2007 and sometimes preaches as his cross-dressing alter ego, Delores Kane, according to news.com.au.

Bupete Chibwe Chishimba of Zambia started claiming he was Jesus Christ in 2013 and was quickly beaten by townspeople. Chishimba claims that he fell from heaven in 1999.

Alan John Miller of Queensland is the founder of the Jesus Cult. Miller claims he is the reincarnation of Jesus and his partner is the reincarnation of Mary Magdalene. Miller makes doomsday predictions and holds “Divine Truth” seminars where he teaches what he calls the “Divine Love Path” which focuses on “Emotional Clearing,” according to news.com.au.

Use Discernment When It Comes to False Messiahs

Up to 10,000 cults still exist today in the United States, according to Steve Eichel, a psychologist and cult expert with International Cultic Studies.

6 Small Group Ideas That Are Working This Fall

Allen White

October 13, 2021

When Carey Nieuwhof told the world that just when pastors thought we were ending the marathon of 2020, then 2021 handed us a swimsuit and a bike making this a triathlon. He wasn’t wrong. Clearly things have not snapped back, and it appears that things may never resume 2019 standards and strategies. And, that’s okay. While many pastors are hyperventilating or quitting these days, you don’t need to. Disciples still need to be made. People still need community. The climate around you has changed, but the mission remains the same. Are you ready to try some small group ideas that are working this fall?

Small Group Ideas That Are Working This Fall

1. Flexible Group Formation

All of your groups won’t look the same this fall. That’s okay. Your groups probably shouldn’t have looked the same in the first place. Depending on the impact of Covid on your community, your people will not all feel comfortable doing groups exactly the same way. That’s okay. Offer your people the flexibility to meet in-person, online, or a hybrid of that. They should do what feels comfortable to them with whoever they want, wherever they want, and however they want. Whether they are maskites or anti-maskites, they can find their people and do something intentional about their spiritual growth. Flexibility is the key. For more on starting flexible groups, go here.

2. Personal Invitation

Inviting leads to thriving in 2021. Leaders who take the initiative to invite people they know who in turn invite people they know are making their groups happen. Leaders who are depending on passive recruitment methods like sign up cards, websites, or group directories are feeling a little like the kid standing along at the junior high dance. (That wasn’t me. Our church forbade dancing).

Going along with the flexible format, leaders can invite their people. Who do they know who would enjoy or benefit from the study? Who do they want to spend time with anyway? This doesn’t need to be complicated. They just need to invite their friends. Who wouldn’t want to spend more time with their friends?

Prayer is a key part of successfully starting a group. Leaders should pray and ask God who He wants to join their group. Then, they should pay attention to who crosses their path. If they run into someone at the grocery store who they haven’t seen for six months, God is answering their prayer. If someone calls “out of the blue,” it’s not a coincidence. If group leaders truly want to start a group, they will take the initiative. Like Home Depot says, “You can do it. We can help.” You don’t need to fill anyone’s group.

3. Pastor Promotion

If you want people to pay attention to an invitation to start a small group, your pastor should make that announcement. Your pastor will get 3 times the result compared to you standing on the stage saying the exact same words. By virtue of your pastor’s leadership role in the church, you will get the best result. The pastor will do better than you, the campus pastor, the worship pastor, the service host, and the communication director combined. All you need to do is give your pastor a few bullet points, then be prepared to collect the response (HINT: Keep the response close to the invitation) and train your new recruits! This works. I have not personally recruited a small group leader since 2004, and I’ve served three different churches since then!

4. Adding a Strategy

If you’ve been at small group ministry for a while, your winning strategy has probably starting running out of steam, especially in 2020-2021. Your strategy isn’t broken. It’s just done all that it can do. One size simply doesn’t fit all. But, there’s no rule that you are limited to using just one strategy to connect people into groups.

By simply adding another strategy to what you are currently offering, your church can attract more people into groups than ever before. What does that look like? Well, if it ain’t broke, don’t break it. Offer your established groups to your congregation, then offer a second option like groups following a sermon discussion guide or sermon-aligned study. Many churches are using Rooted. While I’m a big fan of Rooted, it’s only 10 weeks. What do people do who aren’t ready for Rooted or who have already done Rooted (Yes, I know about Life in Rhythm)? Just offer another option. But, isn’t this confusing? (See the next section).

5. Blended Connection Events

When you have multiple offerings, the key is to promote “groups.” Don’t promote Rooted groups, and D-Groups, and support groups, and sermon-based groups, and, and, and… Just promote groups. When your people come to your connection event, then you can ask what type of group they are interested in. This way you can keep your current groups going and start new groups.

6. Emphasis on Connection Over Meetings

As you’ve seen not everyone can meet in-person and some groups don’t want to meet online. How do you have groups? Well, we can go back to the philosophical discussion of whether a group is a meeting or is more like a family. (I think “family” wins). Well, what do you do when the whole family can’t show up for a meal? Do you kick the absent members out? Of course not! They’re family.

If group members can’t attend meetings, you’ve got to keep the family together. Your leaders should “own” their group rosters. If someone is on their group roster, even if they rarely attend, they are the leader’s responsibility. Give them a call. Send them a text. Let them know that you care. The group may be the person’s only connection to the church or even to another human right now. These connections are significant. Encourage your leaders to reach out to everybody on their lists.

Think About This

Fall 2021 is a challenging ministry season. Some states are practically under lockdown again. Other states are enjoying their freedom. No matter what type of environment you are ministering in, God is using groups to accomplish His purposes. The numbers may not be what you had before. That’s when you need to count what matters.

This is a tough season, but it’s not the toughest ministry season of all time. Don’t lose heart. Keep making connections. Keep inviting people into community. Keep recruiting new leaders to gather their friends. Move with the movers especially now that so much seems stuck.

This article about small group ideas originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

Church of the Highlands Pastor Named Co-Defendant in Sexual Misconduct Allegations

Jessica Mouser

October 13, 2021

Dino Rizzo, a member of the Senior Pastor Leadership Team at The Church of the Highlands in Alabama, is one of several defendants named in a recent lawsuit filed by Laura Ashley Eagan. Eagan claims that while she was an intern at Vibrant Church in Mississippi last year, she was subjected to sexual harassment, negligence, and deceit at the hands of senior pastor Jason Delgado.

“Mr. Jason Delgado used his position of confidence, and his knowledge of Mrs. Eagan’s situation to fulfill his sexual perversions,” states the suit, which was filed Sept. 30. “At best, this is a deliberate manipulation of those in need to fulfill unnatural, sexual fantasies. At worst, this is a calculated sexual predator, with his free pick of vulnerable victims.”

Delgado resigned as pastor of Vibrant Church in April 2021 due to accusations of sexual impropriety. Both Vibrant, located in Columbus, Miss., and Birmigham-based The Church of the Highlands have ties to the Association of Relational Churches (ARC), which Rizzo helped found and where he currently serves as executive director. Notably, Micahn Carter, another pastor at The Church of the Highlands, resigned several months ago following a rape allegation. Carter had been undergoing “ministerial restoration” at the time.

Dino Rizzo’s Involvement ‘Ironic,’ Says Suit

According to the lawsuit, Eagan started marital counseling with Ron Delgado, who is Jason Delgado’s father and a staff pastor, in February of 2020. Her whole community was comprised of people connected to Vibrant, says the suit. “In essence, Plaintiff put her whole life in the hands of the Church.”

Eagan began interning with the church in the fall of 2020 and in December 2020, her supervisor allegedly gave her a poor performance review on the basis that she was “‘too sexy’ to be an intern.” After that incident, the church referred Eagan to Jason Delgado to mentor her through her internship. “Shortly thereafter,” says the suit, “Mr. Jason Delgado began contacting Plaintiff through various electronic means. These communications began at inappropriate times but were initially believed by the Plaintiff as benign in nature.”

The suit claims that through these communications Eagan learned that Jason Delgado knew information she had shared in confidence with Ron Delgado during marriage counseling.

From this point forward, the communication spiraled downward from Mr. Jason Delgado. Initial communication turned into suggestive comments, and then devolved into disgusting, graphic communications of a sexual nature. Mr. Delgado even admitted to performing this sort of activity in the past, stating he had sexual relationships with other women than his wife.

Eagan felt that she could not go to church leadership with her concerns since Ron Delgado had already broken her confidence and the Human Resources Director is Ron’s wife, Miriam.

Christian and Former ‘Superman’ Actor Dean Cain Reacts to Superman Being Bisexual

Jesse T. Jackson

October 13, 2021

In 1938, DC Comics introduced Superman, its first costumed superhero. Today, Superman remains arguably the world’s best-known superhero. In his next comic book appearance, the Man of Steel will come out as bisexual.

Superman Is Bisexual

On Monday, DC Comics announced that Jon Kent, the fictional son of the original Superman (Clark Kent) and current Superman, will be taking a “bold new direction” on November 9, 2021. Much like his father, Kent will fall in love with a reporter. But unlike Clark Kent, his son will become romantically involved with another man.

The announcement was made on National Coming Out Day, a day members of the LGBTQ community celebrate making their sexual orientation known.

The story, which will appear in SUPERMAN: SON OF KAL-EL #5, will follow Jon Kent’s journey of becoming mentally and physically burnt out as a superhero. Reporter and romantic interest Jay Nakamura will be there to care for the weary superhero.

One of the issue’s writers said in a statement, “Superman’s symbol has always stood for hope, for truth and for justice. Today, that symbol represents something more. Today, more people can see themselves in the most powerful superhero in comics.”

DC Chief Creative Officer and Publisher Jim Lee said, “We couldn’t be prouder to tell this important story. We talk a lot about the power of the DC Multiverse in our storytelling, and this is another incredible example. We can have Jon Kent exploring his identity in the comics, as well as Jon Kent learning the secrets of his family on TV on Superman & Lois. They coexist in their own worlds and times, and our fans get to enjoy both simultaneously.”

Jon Kent was introduced in July 2015 in the Convergence: Superman #2.

Earlier this year, Marvel Comics introduced its first gay Captain America. That version of the character was the first LGBTQ hero to appear in the Marvel franchise’s 80-year history.

Former Superman Dean Cain Reacts

Hollywood actor and Christian Dean Cain played Superman in the hit television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. A day after DC Comics’ announcement, Cain appeared on “Fox & Friends,” where he described the decision to portray Superman as bisexual as “bandwagoning.”

Missing 3-Year-Old Boy Found Alive by Man Who Claims God Told Him Where to Look

Dale Chamberlain

October 13, 2021

Three-year-old Christopher Ramirez was found alive and healthy near his Texas home after being missing for three days. The man who found Ramirez told police that God told him to look for the boy, and that if he did, he would find him.

Christopher Ramirez Went Missing

Ramirez went missing last Wednesday after following a neighbor’s dog into the woods while his mother, Araceli Nunez, was unloading groceries from the car. The dog returned, but Ramirez did not.

While Ramirez was missing, his mother pleaded with the community to help find her son. “I am asking you all to please help and find my son. I don’t know anything about him, and a lot of time has passed. I don’t know what to do. Please everyone help me,” Nunez said during a press conference on Thursday. “I’m desperate and my heart has a hole in it. Please bring back my son. Please help me.”

The search for Ramirez was assisted by the search and recovery organization Texas EquuSearch. Search crews included FBI personnel and community members who canvassed the wooded area surrounding Ramirez’s home. They later expanded the search perimeter after not finding the boy.

Christopher Ramirez Found

After three days of searching, Grimes County Sheriff Don Sowell announced in a Facebook post on Saturday that Ramirez had been found, saying that the “kind and humble citizen that (sic) found Christopher was indeed a special and Guardian Angel that was in the right place at the right time.”

101 Ohio Clergy Criticize President Biden for Vaccine Mandates, Abortion in Open Letter

Dale Chamberlain

October 13, 2021

In an open letter dated on October 11, 101 Ohio clergymen criticized President Joe Biden for vaccine mandates, his stance on abortion, and his immigration policy. President Biden signed an executive order on September 9, requiring federal employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

The letter states, “As clergymen from one hundred and one (101) diverse congregations across North Central Ohio, we would like to note that this unnecessary mandate by your office is in sharp contrast to the statement you made as President-elect on December 4th, 2020 when you stated you would not impose a national vaccine mandate.”

The letter goes on to argue that President Biden has shown a “pattern of insincerity” with regard to requiring actions that could save American lives, citing that the Biden administration is supportive of abortion rights.

The letter added, “Sadly, human tissue from pre-born infant victims of abortion has been used for the manufacturing of the COVID-19 vaccines,” referring to the belief of many Christians that COVID-19 was produced from fetal cells.

“In other words Mr. President, your Administration believes the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness do not come from our Creator GOD but rather from a federal government which does not know its right hand from its left,” the letter said. “Your Administration’s politicization of the truth is profound.”

The National Institutes for Health (NIH) says COVID-19 vaccines do not contain aborted fetal cells. Embryonic cell lines, which are derived from laboratory-grown cells that were originally based on fetal cells collected decades ago, were used in the testing of the mRNA vaccines during research and development.

The letter also called the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines into question, saying, “We think it is immoral for persons to be forced to take unproven COVID-19 experimental vaccinations…that may alter their own DNA.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “There are strict protections in place to help ensure the safety of all COVID-19 vaccines. Before receiving validation from WHO and national regulatory agencies, COVID-19 vaccines must undergo rigorous testing in clinical trials to prove that they meet internationally agreed benchmarks for safety and efficacy.”

‘It’s Not Satanism’: Zimbabwe Church Leaders Preach Vaccines

Farai Mutsaka

October 13, 2021

Yvonne Banda stands in front of a church congregation on the outskirts of the capital Harare, Friday, Sept. 10, 2021. The Apostolic church is one of Zimbabwe's most skeptical groups when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines. Many of these Christian churches, which combine traditional beliefs with a Pentecostal doctrine, preach against modern medicine and demand followers seek healing or protection against disease through spiritual means like prayer and the use of holy water. To combat that, authorities have formed teams of campaigners who are also churchgoers to dispel misconceptions about the vaccines in their own churches. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

SEKE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Yvonne Binda stands in front of a church congregation, all in pristine white robes, and tells them not to believe what they’ve heard about COVID-19 vaccines.

“The vaccine is not linked to Satanism,” she says. The congregants, members of a Christian Apostolic church in the southern African nation of Zimbabwe, are unmoved. But when Binda, a vaccine campaigner and member of an Apostolic church herself, promises them soap, buckets and masks, there are enthusiastic shouts of “Amen!”

Apostolic groups that infuse traditional beliefs into a Pentecostal doctrine are among the most skeptical in Zimbabwe when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines, with an already strong mistrust of modern medicine. Many followers put faith in prayer, holy water and anointed stones to ward off disease or cure illnesses.

The congregants Binda addressed in the rural area of Seke sang about being protected by the holy spirit, but have at least acknowledged soap and masks as a defense against the coronavirus. Binda is trying to convince them to also get vaccinated — and that’s a tough sell.

Congregation leader Kudzanayi Mudzoki had to work hard to persuade his flock just to stay and listen to Binda speak about vaccines.

“They usually run away, some would hide in the bushes,” he said.

There has been little detailed research on Apostolic churches in Zimbabwe but UNICEF studies estimate it is the largest religious denomination with around 2.5 million followers in a country of 15 million. The conservative groups adhere to a doctrine demanding that followers avoid medicines and medical care and instead seek healing through their faith.

Conversely, Tawanda Mukwenga, another religious Zimbabwean, welcomed his vaccination as a means of allowing him to worship properly. Mukwenga recently attended Mass at the Roman Catholic cathedral in the capital, Harare, his first in-person Sunday Mass in 10 months after the pandemic closed churches and forced services online. Zimbabwe has reopened places of worship, though worshippers must be vaccinated to enter.

“Getting vaccinated has turned out to be a smart idea,” said Mukwenga, delighted to celebrate Mass at the cathedral again.

More than 80% of Zimbabweans identify as Christian, according to the national statistics agency, but the contrast in attitudes displayed by the Seke Apostolic members and Mukwenga means there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to convincing hesitant religious citizens to get vaccinated.

Survey: ‘Great Replacement’ Belief Correlates With Christian Nationalist Views

Jack Jenkins

October 13, 2021

(RNS) — An often repeated element of Christian nationalism — an ideology with a range of expressions and increasingly vocal supporters — is a belief in America’s divine origins. The United States, proponents insist, is meant to be a “city on a hill” which God intends as a blessing and example for the world.

A new survey finds a majority of Americans who hold to such a view also believe in a “replacement” conspiracy theory holding that immigrants are invading the U.S. in an attempt to replace the country’s current culture.

The survey findings were released in an editorial on Monday (Oct. 11) by Public Religion Research Institute CEO Robert P. Jones. In his post, which was published both on the Substack platform and at Religion News Service, Jones revealed previously unpublished data from a broader survey conducted by PRRI in August — specifically, a question concerning a telling of U.S. history often voiced by Christian nationalists.

Asked whether “God intended America to be a new promised land where European Christians could create a society that could be an example to the rest of the world,” white evangelical Protestants were the only religious group with a majority (52%) who said they completely or mostly agree.

Hispanic Protestants were second (46%), followed by other nonwhite Protestants (38%), white Catholics (37%), Hispanic Catholics (35%) and white mainliners (34%).

Among those least likely to agree were Jewish Americans (27%), Black Protestants (26%), other non-Christians (15%) and the religiously unaffiliated (11%).

Jones noted the question echoes the Doctrine of Discovery, a theological principle outlined in a series of papal bulls that has been used for centuries to justify the subjugation of Indigenous peoples.

How To Set Expectations for a New Group Guide

WordGo

October 13, 2021

If you’ve ever been an employee without a job description, you may have felt unsure whether you were qualified for the role, what you were committing to, what was expected of you, and why you were hired.

That’s why when you want to encourage your small group to participate actively in discussion, to co-lead with you – or even to start their own Bible study – it’s good practice to communicate expectations, outline the commitment involved, and establish common goals.

Start with S-A-F-E communication

Kickstart healthy cooperation within your group by clearly outlining what you expect from one another as you gather together. The S-A-F-E acronym below is an example of how this might look, but it could easily be adapted to reflect the attitudes and behaviors you value most:

S – Secure boundaries

Expect to establish healthy limits; to accept the answer ‘no’ graciously; to be free to express opinions openly and respectfully.

A – Authentic openness

Expect to grow in faith as you guide discussion; to pursue honesty; to value transparency; and to demonstrate integrity in all you do.

F – Forward-facing welcome

Expect to develop together in spiritual maturity, numbers and relationship; to encourage gifting you see in others; and to always extend a wide-open invitation.

E – Engaging encounters

Expect to prepare for challenging discussions; to anticipate life-changing conversations; to develop dynamism and enthusiasm; and to engage passionately with the transforming Word of God!

Set a realistic P-A-C-E

Alongside clear communication, be transparent about how you’d like people to participate. This will guard against frustration and burnout in your small group.

P – Planning

Do you want people to help send out weekly communication, set up snacks, brainstorm icebreakers, lead prayer, or facilitate discussion? Whatever you have in mind, involve them in the process. Let them know well in advance if you’d like them to lead any aspect of a Group Gathering, give them time and space to prepare, and point them to any relevant Bible study resources available to them.

A – Availability

What availability is needed for what you’re asking? If you’re asking someone to join a new group, do you intend to complete one study, or more? Do you want them to commit for six weeks, one year, or indefinitely? If you’d like someone to lead the discussion one evening, share how long it usually takes you to prepare for the gathering.

C – Care

Assure anyone helping with any aspect of the gathering or discussion that you prioritize their well-being and the group is there to support them. Ask how things are going and how they are feeling. Look out for signs of stress and encourage them to establish regular rhythms of rest.

E – Evaluation

Set a date in the near future to chat over how things are going with your group. One of you may prefer to do more or less hosting, friendly follow ups, or discussion leading, for example. Or perhaps now is the time for one of you to step out and lead a group themselves! Regular evaluation keeps communication channels open.

It’s amazing what common goals do to bring people together, inspire creativity, instill passion and promote unity. What is the purpose of your small group? What does a win look like for you? What do you dream of God doing?

At WordGo, our vision is to see you read the Bible regularly, help you stay in it, and watch you be blessed and inspired as you grow together in God’s Word with friends.

We read, He speaks, and we are transformed.

Now that’s great Bible study.

Remember, you can set a S-A-F-E P-A-C-E for your small group by:

…communicating clearly

…outlining commitment, and

…setting common goals.

Want to learn more?

Want to make your WordGo Gathering a great place for identifying and growing God-given abilities in each other? Or perhaps you’d love someone to come alongside and facilitate with you? In this blog series, we’ll explore four more strategies for developing and discipling one another. Join us!

How to encourage well
How to guide by example

Who in Your Small Group Could Become a Group Guide?

WordGo

October 13, 2021

Here at WordGo we want every Christian to feel confident about initiating and guiding a Bible study group! And here’s why:

… because it’s biblical.

We don’t need to lead or study alone. In fact, God’s Word is packed full of case studies for training up and helping others grow.

For example, Joshua’s time spent learning from Moses became essential to the journey into the promised land. Moses died at the edge of the wilderness, but Joshua was able to go further than Moses ever could. He led the people into Canaan with boldness and confidence.

Jesus Himself intentionally taught, mentored, empowered and developed a select group of leaders who would continue His work on earth. In His Great Commission (Matthew 28), He commands His disciples – and every believer since – to go and disciple others.

The apostle Paul shaped Timothy’s ministry and told him to “entrust” the “things you have heard me say … to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (1 Timothy 2:2). Every Christian today is also called to do the same.

… because it’s practical.

Encouraging others to lead is not only biblical; it’s God’s design for His church and it also makes perfect practical sense. Life happens. Illness, work or family commitments, combined with ministry responsibilities, can become too great a burden for us sometimes.

Remember when Moses was feeling discouraged and burnt out because he had taken on too much? God pointed out seventy capable leaders around him who were ripe and ready to serve (Numbers 11:10-17). The more we share ministry with the capable people around us, the more we are reminded that none of this was ever about us anyway!

Another benefit of encouraging active group ownership is that if you have to step away from your small group temporarily – or even permanently – it will continue to grow and flourish without you! It is always wise to act before you begin feeling overstretched; you’ll preserve your passion for ministry, and your small group culture will be much healthier for it. A win-win scenario!

… because of the potential!

God has an amazing way of using people with all kinds of backgrounds, personalities and gifts to accomplish His purposes. Identifying and developing our God-given gifts is a crucial part of growing in our faith. Small group Bible studies are the perfect place to learn to become the person and the leader God has called you to be. They are also an ideal context to help others do the same. This is why it is so important to ask God to help you see the spiritual potential in one another.

Look around your Bible study group at your next gathering, and you’ll soon notice those who are natural initiators! Maybe there’s someone who’s gifted at guiding conversation and asking insightful questions? Perhaps one person always comes well-prepared and makes an effort to make everyone feel included? Or, could it be that some of you have a talent for hospitality, which you could cultivate further by hosting a WordGo Group? Encourage your small group to see one another as brimming with passion and potential!

… Be biblical!

… Get practical

… Look for potential, and

… Watch your group grow!

Want to learn more?

Want to make your WordGo Gathering an excellent place for identifying and growing God-given abilities in each other? Or perhaps you’d love someone to come alongside and facilitate with you? In this blog series, we will explore six more strategies for developing and discipling one another. Join us!

… How to set clear expectations

… How to encourage well

… How to guide by example

… How to empower one another

… How to equip others

… How to aim for expansion

Pastor Dwight McKissic Would Like White Evangelicals to Learn From Jon Gruden

Jessica Mouser

October 13, 2021

Jon Gruden as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders during practice at the team's training facility in Napa Valley, California on August 7, 2018. U.S. Air Force employee Louis Briscese of Travis AFB, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Dwight McKissic, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, praised the Las Vegas Raiders Monday for holding head coach Jon Gruden accountable for racist comments he made in the past. McKissic said this is a standard the white evangelical church has yet to meet with regard to John MacArthur, pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, Calif.

“The NFL/Raiders, have shown a stronger aversion to racism than the White evangelical church who allowed John MacArthur to call the Black Church a ‘caricature’ without any consequences,” said McKissic. “I have huge respect for The Raiders decision to dismiss Gruden in real time for racist remarks.”

The NFL/Raiders,have shown a stronger aversion to racism than the White evangelical church who allowed John MacArthur to call the Black Church a “caricature” without any consequences. I have huge respect for The Raiders decision to dismiss Gruden in real time for racist remarks.

— Dwight McKissic (@pastordmack) October 12, 2021

Jon Gruden Resigns From the Raiders

On Monday, Jon Gruden announced his resignation as head coach of the Raiders following reports from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and the New York Times (NYT) that he had made racist, homophobic, and misogynistic comments in 650,000 emails over a seven-year period while an analyst for Monday Night Football.

In a statement posted to the Raiders’ Twitter account Monday night, Gruden said, “I have resigned as Head Coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. I love the Raiders and do not want to be a distraction. Thank you to all the players, coaches, staff, and fans of Raider Nation. I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt anyone.”

The emails came to light as part of an investigation into the Washington Football Team, and many involve derogatory comments about women and the gay community. The accusations of racism against Gruden focus on a comment he made in a 2011 email, where he referred to NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith, saying, “Dumboriss Smith has lips the size of Michelin tires.”

DeMaurice Smith responded to this news in a Twitter thread in which he said:

The email from Jon Gruden – and some of the reaction to it – confirms that the fight against racism, racist tropes and intolerance is not over. This is not about an email as much as it is about a pervasive belief by some that people who look like me can be treated as less…I appreciate that he reached out to me & I told him that we will connect soon, but make no mistake, the news is not about what is said in our private conversation, but what else is said by people who never thought they would be exposed and how they are going to be held to account.

The email from Jon Gruden – and some of the reaction to it – confirms that the fight against racism, racist tropes and intolerance is not over. This is not about an email as much as it is about a pervasive belief by some that people who look like me can be treated as less.

— DeMaurice Smith (@demauricesmith) October 11, 2021

In a post-game press conference Sunday, Gruden addressed the comment about Smith, saying that he was not a racist. “I apologize again for the insensitive remarks. I had no racial intentions with those remarks at all…I know I don’t have an ounce of racism in me.”

Emmanual Acho, a Christian and former NFL player, took issue with that apology. Like McKissic, he believes Gruden is being held accountable (as opposed to being “canceled”), and he also addressed those who question Gruden being forced out for comments he made years ago.

Brian Tome: What It Was Like to Pastor Through the ‘Worst Season of Discouragement’ in 25 Years

Jessica Mouser

October 13, 2021

The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast · Brian Tome: What It Was Like to Pastor Through the ‘Worst Season of Discouragement’ in 25 Years

Brian Tome is the founding and senior pastor of Crossroads Church, 2017’s fastest-growing church in America. He has authored four books including his best-seller, The Five Marks of a Man, and also hosts The Aggressive Life podcast. He is also a featured speaker at the Amplify Outreach conference on Oct. 19-20, 2021. As an entrepreneur, Brian has opened several other non-profits and started Man Camp, a primitive weekend camping experience that has helped tens of thousands of men reclaim the code of manhood. An avid adventure motorcyclist, Brian rides tens of thousands of miles and camps more than 30 nights a year. He has also released an adventure ride TV show called “Phantom Lake,” available on Amazon Prime. Brian is married with three children and lives in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Other Ways to Listen to This Podcast With Brian Tome

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► Listen on YouTube

Key Questions for Brian Tome

-What does it look like for you to engage people who don’t know Christ during such a turbulent and culturally divisive time?

-What is the difference between healthy and unhealthy aggression?

-How do you help men move to a healthy place, particularly in their marriages and friendships?

– As a pastor and church leader, how have you handled walking through a spiritual desert this past year-and-a-half?

Key Quotes from Brian Tome

“You know, you always want to engage people who don’t know Christ, but really, I think my focus and our focus has been to shepherd the flock that we’ve already had.”

“Waiting on the Lord is something that you do when you’re at the end of your abilities, when you just can’t put a dent in it. I don’t wait on the Lord to bring my kids up in the way of the Lord. I bring my kids up in the way. I don’t wait on the Lord to solve my marriage. I look at what’s wrong in my marriage. I deal with it. So the aggressive life isn’t about pounding somebody physically or dominating somebody. It’s just recognizing I have one life that God’s given me, and I need to aggressively manage it.”

“Man Camp started at the end of a camping trip I had with some buddies as actually a motorcycle trip, and we sat around in the morning, our last campsite around the fire, and just started talking about things that were beneath the veneer and started talking about our hearts and started talking about God. And this is after we had had a couple of days of real difficulty, and I said, ‘We should have something like this for guys who don’t want to ride motorcycles and just want to bond with other people and be pushed.”

“You have to have things in your church that are outside of a worship service that your men would be attracted to. That can be a mission trip, by the way. It absolutely can. Men really connect with those things. It could be a camping thing outside….We had a guy bring in a wild horse and broke a wild horse on stage at Crossroads.”

Does “Breath of Life” in Scripture Mean an Unborn Child Isn’t Human Until They’re Born and Breathing?

Randy Alcorn

October 13, 2021

I read someone’s argument on social media that “Human life occurs at the moment God breathes into [naphach] the biological life the breath of life [neshamat chayyim, ‘soul life’]. This happens at birth.”

When several other commenters pointed this person to what Scripture has to say about God forming the unborn, they responded,

Job 31:15 & Psalm 139:13 refer to God’s involvement in the “mediate” creation of biological life, which began after God created Adam & Eve through “immediate” creation. Biological life is created from existing material, whereas soul life is created after a pattern (God’s) at birth.

…The bible clearly teaches soul life is imputed at birth. The pattern of creation is: 1) biological life is completely formed 2) God breathes soul life into the completed biological life 3) Human life is created.

…Scripture is clear about human life beginning at birth. Even Christ elucidated that BIRTH is the beginning of human life, just as being BORN AGAIN is the beginning of our spiritual life. He didn’t say we must be “conceived again.”

Likewise, some prochoice religious groups argue that as Adam’s life began when God breathed into him, so each human life begins when the baby is born and takes his first breath. This demonstrates a misunderstanding of the nature of the unborn’s respiration. John Davis writes in his book Abortion and the Christian:

While breathing in the usual sense does not begin until birth, the process of respiration in the more technical biological sense of the transfer of oxygen from the environment of the living organism occurs from the time of conception…it is the mode but not the fact of this oxygen transfer which changes at birth.

The creation of Adam was historically unique, never again to be duplicated, and has no parallel to the birth of a child. As Harold O. J. Brown put it in his book Death Before Birth:

If God took inanimate matter and made a man from it, as Genesis 2:7 seems to be saying, then obviously what he created was not a human being until it was given life. But the fetus is not “inanimate matter.” It is already alive. And it is already human….to apply Genesis 2:7 to human beings who were carried for nine months in a mother’s womb before birth is clearly ridiculous. This argument is seldom used by people who take Scripture seriously.

Since Scripture clearly refers to the unborn as living beings—as it does to Jacob and Esau and David conceived a sinner, and hence a human being, in Psalm 51—before they took their first breath outside their mother’s body, it refutes the contention that Scripture teaches life begins with the first breath. (See Biblical Perspectives on Unborn Children.) What more would you want these passages to say if they were suggesting that life begins long before a child is breathing on his own?

You Can’t Just Put Kids in Church

Christina Embree

October 13, 2021

I mean, you just can’t put kids in church. Developmentally, kids aren’t ready to be in a worship service. They aren’t going to get anything out of it and they will just be a distraction to the adults. Besides, they have their own classes that are geared toward their age that are a lot more fun and they get to be with their peers.

Oh, wait….that’s actually not what I meant. But this is exactly what I have heard many people say. And frankly, they have a point. Not because these reasons are correct but because most worship services in America are geared toward one target audience, one that falls somewhere between 25 and 65, and the outliers, those older than 65 and those younger than 25, are left on the fringes. In that sense, those who believe kids shouldn’t be in worship service for the reasons above have some ground to stand on.

But in reality, there’s a fundamental understanding of church, community and culture that is missed in this approach.

Putting Kids in Church

If “putting kids in” a worship service means simply placing their bodies in a pew and expecting them to sit for an hour and then being confused when they are bored, or want to talk, or wiggle too much, or (fill in the blank), then we’ve missed what it means to welcome children in worship.

Developmentally, children aren’t ready to sit for an hour without engagement. Children need a “re-set” about every 10-15 minutes to regain their attention. Changing positions (like standing to sing or going to the altar), hearing their name called (like having the pastor say, “Kids, listen up, this is for you”), being given something tactile to work with (like sermon notes or coloring sheets or even busy bags with quiet activities), or just having the chance to change their focus for just a few minutes.

Actually studies show that “when any human sits for longer than about 20 minutes, the physiology of the brain and body changes, robbing the brain of needed oxygen and glucose, or brain fuel. The brain essentially just falls asleep when we sit for too long. Movement and activity stimulate the neurons that fire in the brain. When we sit, those neurons aren’t firing.” (Source).

Children are not adults, but for some reason, when it comes to church, we expect them to be. We expect that what they “get out” of the service should be the same as what we as adults get out of the service. So we figure, if kids in church can’t understand the sermon and don’t know how to sing the songs and really don’t get what’s going on with communion or prayer, then they aren’t getting anything out of being in church.

But I would offer that since kids are not adults, they get other things out of being in a worship service.

For one, kids in church get to see. They get to see that they are part of something much bigger than themselves and their peers.

Second, they get to be seen. Adults who don’t volunteer in children’s ministry rarely if ever get to see and interact with children and youth who are consistently separated from the congregation.

Third, they get to experience church. Even if they don’t “understand” it all, they get to have the opportunity to experience worship and liturgy and sacraments and Scripture like the church has for centuries (more on this here).

Because children learn through play, through movement and through repetition, it is highly likely that they will in fact play, move and repeat things throughout the service and yes, that can be distracting.

But there is a huge difference between being distracting and being a distraction.

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Use Discernment When It Comes to False Messiahs

Small Group Ideas That Are Working This Fall

1. Flexible Group Formation

2. Personal Invitation

3. Pastor Promotion

4. Adding a Strategy

5. Blended Connection Events

6. Emphasis on Connection Over Meetings

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Start with S-A-F-E communication

Set a realistic P-A-C-E

Want to learn more?

Want to learn more?

Jon Gruden Resigns From the Raiders

Other Ways to Listen to This Podcast With Brian Tome

Key Questions for Brian Tome

Key Quotes from Brian Tome

Putting Kids in Church

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