In Need of More Than Help

September 21, 2021

Genesis 1 starts out with a bright and hopeful tone. At the conclusion of each day God declares the creation good, and crescendos with ‘very good’ at the creation of humanity. However the overall tone of the creation account running through the of Genesis 4 shifts to dim and despairing. We are confronted with the downward progression of sin, deception, distrust, and hatred running their course in the lives of the first created family. Clearly humanity needed more than help.

What begins with Adam and Eve distrusting God’s goodness and disobeying His guidelines, appears to take a turn toward hope restored when Cain is born. Eve recites God’s promise and her belief that Cain is the fulfillment of that promise. Unfortunately, her statement betrays her trust, not primarily in God, but in humanity to right this ship. God’s help is appreciated but humanity will take it from here.

We see where that philosophy leads as Cain the savior, turns out to be Cain the murderer. With one sinful act, Cain dismantles, once again, hope in humanity – Abel is dead and Cain is disqualified. Rather than running to God, we are told Cain literally left the presence of the Lord to live out his days. The result is that Cain’s offspring, Lamech, continues to charge hard away from God. Our last acquaintance with Lamech is in the form of a song he writes celebrating violence and polygamy.

In Need of More Than Help

It is difficult to step away from the narrative so far with any semblance of hope, there have been few bright spots up to this point. However, what comes next sets the stage for the remainder of Genesis and history. In the simplest fashion, we are informed that Adam and Eve conceive again. The author doesn’t let us in on the mixture of expectancy and apprehension they may be navigating with the news of this birth, but we are let in on a change in perspective on Eve’s part.

At the naming of the child, Eve declares that this birth is appointed by God. This may not seem all that significant, but when it is compared to Eve’s words at Cain’s birth it reveals a dramatic shift in Eve’s source of hope. Cain was born with God’s help, Seth is born by God’s appointment. Eve is no longer placing her ultimate hope in humanity with God’s helpful support, she is ultimately hoping in God to restore what humanity has devastated. The last verse of the creation account (Genesis 4:26) outlines the result of this shift in trust.

Seth follows in his mother’s footsteps of hope, naming his child Enosh, signifying man’s frailty and dependence. Seth’s posture stands in stark contrast to Lamech’s celebration of blatant sin. Seth’s line begins to call upon the name of the Lord. Against a dim backdrop, we see a lineage that chose to live in the presence of God, placing ultimate hope in His ability to restore. Isn’t it ironic how things stay the same?

When looking for ultimate hope, our natural propensity is still to turn to ourselves and our abilities and discoveries. We genuinely believe we can accomplish what generations before us have failed to conquer. And when we fall short, we package our failures and their fallout as cause for songs and celebration, perhaps to soothe our despair. But we cannot avoid the reality that ultimate hope is only realized when it is solidly rooted in the good God who created us and loves us with such incomprehensible immensity that He would, for no reason we have given Him, make restoration possible through His sent Son, Jesus Christ.

Acknowledging we are frail, dependent, and our need of more than help is the first and sustained step to living with ultimate hope.

This article of needing more than help originally appeared here, and is used by permission.

60 Minutes Australia’s ‘Hillsong Hell’ Details Sexual Abuse Claims Against Leadership; Hillsong Responds

Jesse T. Jackson

September 21, 2021

60 Minutes Australia aired a 28-minute episode about Hillsong Church on Sunday titled “Hillsong Hell: Disturbing Accusations Expose the Celebrity-Favored Church,” reported by Tom Steinfort.

The episode comes on the heels of Brian Houston, Hillsong’s global senior pastor, announcing last week that he was stepping down from the church’s boards. Houston was charged in August by New South Wales Police Force for allegedly concealing his father’s child sex offenses.

“I don’t care how you dress. I don’t care what type of music you play. I don’t even care as much about the messages you preach,” Billy Graham’s grandson Basyle ‘Boz’ Tchividjian told 60 Minutes in the episode. “If the least of those in your congregation and in your community are not protected and not advocated for when they get hurt, then don’t call yourself a church because Jesus was all about that.”

‘Hillsong Hell’ Details Two Accounts of Sexual Assault

The episode featured testimonies from American Anna Crenshaw who attended Hillsong College in Sydney, Australia, in 2016 and an Australian youth leader who served at Hillsong’s Melbourne East campus in 2018. For privacy, the second accuser went by the name Catherine.

Crenshaw is the daughter of senior pastor Ed Crenshaw of Victory Church in Audubon, Pennsylvania. The pastor’s daughter said she was attracted to Hillsong’s “vibrant energy,” describing the beginning of her college experience as “awesome,” “fun,” “a lot of energy,” and said she had enjoyed meeting new friends from all over the world.

Catherine likewise described her time as a youth leader as “a lot of fun” and place where she was able to make “some great friends” while having the “time of her life.”

Anna Crenshaw’s Story

*Warning: Details below contains accounts of sexual abuse.

At a 2016 gathering with church members, Crenshaw said the married Hillsong administrator Jason Mays introduced himself by putting his hand on her thigh. Taken aback, Crenshaw rose to leave, but Mays groped her by putting his hands around her waist and between her legs. Crenshaw testified that Mays touched her crotch and bottom and lifted up her shirt, proceeding to kiss her stomach while pleading for her not to leave.

Escaping Mays’ hands, Crenshaw said she left with friends, only to be followed by a stumbling Mays (alluding to his alleged intoxication) who was attempting to go with them. Steinfort asked, “Do you have any doubt about what he was trying to do?” Crenshaw said, “No. I think it’s evident where he was heading and what he was thinking.”

In 2018, Crenshaw reported the incident to Hillsong’s leadership where Mays’ father is the head of human resources, but said she didn’t feel supported by the church and felt like they did nothing with the sexual assault information. Instead, they appointed May’s wife as Crenshaw’s new church leader.

“I felt like I was the one who was in trouble, not him,” Crenshaw said. “I felt like I was doing the right thing by coming forward, but they made it into an issue that I was bringing up for no reason, in their opinion.”

From Luxury Stays to ‘Champing’ in the Sanctuary, Churches Adopt Pandemic-Era Airbnb Models

Kathryn Post

September 21, 2021

(RNS) — After the death of their founding pastor a few years ago, membership at Cullen Missionary Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, took a nosedive.

With less revenue coming in pledges and the expenses of keeping the church, which would take up nearly a city block, running, “we had more space than we knew what to do with and didn’t have the people or resources to pay for it,” said current pastor Andre Jones.

That’s when the Cullen MBC turned to Church Space, a platform akin to Airbnb that allows houses of worship to rent their sanctuaries, fellowship halls and kitchens to other congregations and organizations for as much as $30,000 a year.

“Without Church Space, I don’t know if we would still be here,” said Jones. “Those funds and resources that came in have been lifesaving.”

Since COVID-19 struck in March 2020, many churches have found themselves in Cullen MBC’s position. Faced with declining revenues and empty buildings, churches have looked for ways to make a virtue of unused space.

Some have rented out offices and classrooms for those working and learning remotely. Others have hosted “ghost kitchens” that allow restaurants without storefront locations to prepare food for delivery services like Door Dash or Uber Eats. During the pandemic, Church Space has grown from 45 renters and churches — to more than 3,700.

The boom in church rentals has its dark side. “We have also unfortunately seen a 200% increase in funeral rentals,” said Day Edwards, co-founder of Church Space.

But for churches in the U.S. and U.K., offering a variety of rentals to local tourists, professional chefs or burnt-out frontline workers has done undeniable good — sometimes offering church camping (known as “champing”) experiences to travelers has been the difference between eking by or closing altogether.

Edwards and her co-founder, Emmanuel Brown, launched Church Space in Houston in 2019. The churches who participated in Church Space’s pilot program earned an average of $23,000-$38,000 in their first year, according to Edwards.

Church Space currently has about 150 host sites across the U.S. but tends to be concentrated across the Bible Belt. Brown, a pastor himself, said Church Space is “for churches and by church leaders” and works to ensure that host churches are matched with renters who share their values.

“We truly believe that when churches earn more they’re able to do more, not just in their congregation but also in their community,” said Edwards.

The Church Space model allows participating churches to maintain their tax-exempt status, though the co-founders declined to share additional details. “It’s something that sets Church Space apart from the other competitors,” said Edwards.

‘There Is No Credible Religious Argument’ Against COVID-19 Vaccines, Says Pastor Robert Jeffress

Stephanie Martin

September 21, 2021

Back in May, when COVID-19 vaccines became widely available to the American public, Pastor Robert Jeffress hailed them as “the best way for churches to fully open.” Now Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, says there’s “no credible religious argument against” being vaccinated against the coronavirus.

In an emailed statement to the Associated Press last week, Jeffress, a supporter of former President Donald Trump, joined other religious leaders in downplaying any arguments for religious exemptions to COVID vaccine mandates. The First Baptist staff, says Jeffress, is “neither offering nor encouraging members to seek religious exemptions from the vaccine mandates.”

Pastor Robert Jeffress: Pro-Life Argument Falls Flat

People who object to the use of fetal cell lines being used in the vaccine-testing process must be “consistent” in their pro-life beliefs, Jeffress says. “Christians who are troubled by the use of a fetal cell line for the testing of the vaccines would also have to abstain from the use of Tylenol, Pepto Bismol, Ibuprofen, and other products that used the same cell line if they are sincere in their objection.”

The fetal cell lines have been developed and used in labs for decades, and researchers say the cell line now in use contains no fetal tissue. For Catholics, Pope Francis has said receiving the COVID vaccine is not only morally acceptable but a moral obligation.

Jeffress, 65, says, “If we are intent on protecting life inside the womb, which I am, we need to also be careful to value life outside the womb and do everything we can to preserve it. And I think, certainly, the controlling passage for me in Philippians 2 is ‘Do not merely look out for your own personal interest,’ Paul said, ‘But also look out for the interest of others. Have this attitude in yourself, which was in Christ Jesus, who gave himself and was crucified for our sin payment.’”

The pastor continues, “I think that’s something that the evangelical community needs to be reminded of. It’s not just about me; it’s about us. And if we’re really Christians, we need to think about the well-being of those we come in contact with spiritually and physically as well.”

Consider the Odds, Says Robert Jeffress

First Baptist in Dallas, a 12,000-member Southern Baptist congregation, hosted a COVID vaccine clinic in May. At the time, Jeffress encouraged people to “get your doctor’s advice…but don’t use untruth as a reason for not taking the vaccine.”

‘Some Wanted Me Dead:’ Pope Acknowledges Right-Wing Critics

Nicole Winfield

September 21, 2021

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has acknowledged his increasingly vocal conservative critics, saying their “nasty comments” were the work of the devil and adding that “some wanted me dead” after his recent intestinal surgery.

Francis made the comments during a Sept. 12 private meeting with Slovakian Jesuits soon after he arrived in the Slovak capital of Bratislava during his just-finished visit. A transcript of the encounter was published Tuesday by the Jesuit journal La Civilta Cattolica, which often provides after-the-fact accounts of Francis’ closed-door meetings with his fellow Jesuits when he’s on the road.

Francis showed his dark sense of humor throughout the encounter, particularly when a priest asked him how he was feeling. The Sept. 12-15 Hungary-Slovakia trip was Francis’ first international outing since undergoing surgery in July to remove a 33-centimeter (13-inch) chunk of his large intestine.

“Still alive,” Francis quipped. “Even though some wanted me dead. I know there were even meetings among priests who thought the pope was in worse shape than what was being said. They were preparing the conclave.”

“Patience! Thank God I’m well,” he added.

The comment was a reflection of the intense interest in the pope’s health, and the speculation about what would happen if he were to fail, that always accompanies a pontiff but is perhaps more acute with a pope who has attracted vocal opposition from part of the church. After his 10-day hospital stay, Italian media began speculating that Francis might resign and pointed out the need for norms to regulate a second retired pope.

Francis has previously said resigning “didn’t even cross my mind.”

Francis was also asked about how he deals with divisions and with people who view him with suspicion. It was a reference to Catholic conservatives who have long criticized Francis’ critiques of capitalism and his focus on the environment and migrants.

Their criticism turned to outrage after Francis in July cracked down on the celebration of the old Latin Mass. Francis reversed Emeritus Benedict XVI and re-imposed restrictions on celebrating the old rite, saying the move was necessary because the Latin Mass had become a source of division in the church and been exploited on ideological grounds.

In his response, Francis referred to the Latin Mass outcry and noted that there was a “big Catholic television station that continually speaks poorly about the pope.” He didn’t name it but it could have been a reference to the EWTN media conglomerate, which has been critical of the papacy and in particular Francis’ new restrictions on the old Latin Mass.

“I personally might merit attacks and insults because I’m a sinner, but the church doesn’t deserve this; it’s the work of the devil,” he said. “Yes there are priests even who make nasty comments about me. Sometimes I lose my patience, especially when they make judgments without entering into a real dialogue. You can’t do anything with that.”

But Francis said his reaction is to just preach. “ I just go forward without entering into their world of ideas and fantasies,” he said.

___

This version corrects the date of the pope’s meeting to Sept. 12, not Sept. 13 as reported by Jesuit magazine.

This article originally appeared here.

Ed Litton Urges SBC Executive Committee To Regain Trust of Southern Baptists

Scott Barkley

September 21, 2021

NASHVILLE (BP) – Southern Baptist Convention President Ed Litton reported Monday night (Sept. 20) on the Gospel work he has witnessed during the first months of his presidency while urging Executive Committee members and guests to model and speak Christ’s message for those inside as well as outside the church.

“My heart is heavy about this gathering,” he said. “I think all of us feel the weight of it, and we need to find a way forward for the glory of God together.”

Litton’s address came just a few hours after EC members entered a closed session to debate whether waiving attorney-client privilege as requested by the Sexual Abuse Task Force could affect the committee’s fiduciary responsibilities to the Convention. SBC messengers voted in June for Litton to appoint a task force to oversee a third-party investigation of the EC’s handling of sexual abuse claims and treatment of victims. Earlier this month, the task force named Guidepost Solutions to handle the review.

The motion called for the Executive Committee to “agree to the accepted best-standards and practices as recommended by the commissioned third-party, including but not limited to the Executive Committee staff and members waiving attorney client privilege in order to ensure full access to information and accuracy in the review.”

Guidepost has since asked the EC to waive attorney-client privilege.

“Our convention is struggling right now,” Litton said, “and it’s a crisis of trust. However you label it, there’s a solution and that solution is with us. Our churches want to see our entities working together in harmony, and they want to see the EC leading the way.”

The Southern Baptist family has “genuine concerns” for how abuse cases will be handled, he said. “The people are watching, and what they’re looking for is openness and transparency.”

Litton pointed to Executive Committee responsibilities originating from the floor of the annual meeting each year.

“We could talk all day about what your assignment is … but folks, we cannot disconnect ourselves from Southern Baptists,” he said. “On that floor from the world’s largest deliberation that lasts two days, they do direct us in the way we should go, and they are concerned.”

Litton, who is pastor of Redemption Church near Mobile, Ala., also addressed an overall lack of civility and perceived losses of influence and certainty. Southern Baptists are a family of churches, he said. They should be marked by love as Jesus said in John 13:35 and should outdo one another in showing love (Romans 12:10).

“In the toxicity of the conversation and lack of civility, we do the opposite,” he said. “We should honor one another [and] those who are struggling. The mood of our times is to attack, demonize, make allegations and threaten. We are seldom slow to speak and slow to anger. Why not come and reason together instead of promoting tribal hostility, ungraciousness and suspicion of one another?”

Is Porn Adultery?

Allen White

September 21, 2021

We are going to discuss the question: is porn adultery” NOTE – Today’s post presents a disturbing mental image. If you are highly sensitive, you might want to pass on this one.

If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. Matthew 5:29-30

Joe crept down the stairs into the darkness. They were waiting for him – lined up in various stages of undress. Who would he be with? The variety was like ordering from a catalog. What they promised was exciting and temporary. He knew that he would leave ashamed, but the intensity he felt in this moment erased any thought of shame.

He wasn’t limited to one. They all smiled at him. Not one of them appeared to have had a bad day or were the least bit tired. They didn’t complain about him. They were eager. Much different than the situation he faced upstairs. They were available to him. This was as convenient as picking an apple from a tree.

As midnight came and went, Joe knew he needed to get to bed. Tomorrow was a work day. With the click of a mouse, he quickly deleted his history and prayed for God to forgive him. He would never do this again, just like he had promised last night and the night before and who knows how many nights before that. After a trip to the bathroom, Joe slid into bed next to his wife. She whispered, “Is everything okay? What time is it?” He whispered back, “Good night.”

Is Porn Adultery?

Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27-28).

Jesus wasn’t talking about noticing someone. The first look doesn’t cross the line. Jesus was referring to the second look. If the second look crosses the line into lust, then pornography plunges the looker into the deep end.

Pornography creates a sensation, an escape, and false intimacy. It’s a temporary fix that in this day and age is constantly available. It lures both men and women, young and old.

I’ve heard men complain, “But, it’s not a real person.” Real or imagined, photographed or photoshopped, sin doesn’t take place inside someone else. Sin happens inside of us. Spiritually and emotionally, it’s the same thing.

After it’s all said and done, the user is left feeling empty and ashamed. Pleas to God for forgiveness and promises to abstain might last a few days or hours, but it won’t be long until the user is right back there. No one leaves pornography by himself. No one.

Is porn adultery? In recovery, folks say, “We’re only as sick as our secrets.” Porn is the sickest of the secrets.

In today’s verse, Jesus says that the sin is serious enough that the removal of eyes and hands might be preferred to continuing to sin. Jesus didn’t mean this literally, but he is challenging all of us to remove anything that might cause us to stumble. Blindness won’t cure porn addiction. People can lust after the images already in their heads. They don’t go away. But, an internet filter can certainly keep future images away from you and your family.

Ministries like Covenant Eyes offer software for filtering and accountability. The filter keeps pornographic or violent images away from both your eyes and your children’s. The accountability software sends every website you surf to an accountability partner of your choosing. This should be someone who loves you, but is not impressed with you. If you don’t have that person in your life, ask God to send you one.

So, is porn adultery?

The dictionary defines adultery as “voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone other than his or her lawful spouse.” Jesus redefined adultery to include lust. Lust is “intense sexual desire or appetite.” Jesus’ definition of adultery, then, is “intense sexual desire between a married person and someone other than his or her lawful spouse.” You’d be better off losing body parts than going down that road.

CAUTION – If you struggle with pornography, after reading this post, it will be more tempting than ever. Find an excuse to stay away from your computer tonight. Spend time with your spouse or with a friend. Don’t face this alone.

If you’re ready to get out of porn for good, Celebrate Recovery is a great resource: celebraterecovery.com. A related article: 40 Positive Reasons to Avoid Pornography

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

The Best Digital Mixer for Church Might Actually Be Analog

Caleb Neff

September 20, 2021

The Behringer X32 digital mixing board is an amazing product: used reliably all over the world, loved by beginners and pros, and is still a great choice in many situations nearly 10 years after its initial release! It’s so good it singlehandedly rescued the reputation of the Behringer brand. But is it the best digital mixer for church, or does your church need it, or any digital mixer for that matter?

In the last few years I’ve witnessed a frustrating theme in my service calls. The often-repeated story goes like this: a church has a total of three microphones in the building, no monitors on stage, and a digital mixer: usually the X32. The reason I am hired is that the sound person would like to know, “How do you work this thing?” Honestly, I would estimate this is 25% of my service calls.

The Best Digital Mixer for Church Might Actually Be Analog

It seems the desire to have a cool new piece of tech with lots of cool lights trumps the wisdom of looking at what the real needs of the situation are. When I’m trying to discern needs, I ask clients questions like: how many inputs are you using on your busiest Easter service ever? What are all the different events that will ever take place in this room? What are the needs for monitoring? What style of music are you doing and where do you see the overall sound and vibe of your worship ministry headed over the next few years?

Sometimes the old tech is better. Analog mixers are not going anywhere anytime soon. They are still great options for smaller churches, churches with only a few instruments, mobile situations, fellowship halls, or meeting rooms.

A few weeks ago I was working in a larger venue with repeat clients. We had previously set up a nice sound system in their main hall (with an X32). They wanted to add a good system in their fellowship hall area for small events and open-mic nights. After discovering that different volunteers would use this system every night of the week, that there would only be one monitor wedge, and the most inputs anyone would ever use topped out at five, the solution was simple. A small Soundcraft mixer, a rolling rack and mixer case, a couple old school rack units for house EQ and FX—and cost of installation was still less than a used X32.

And no one will ever be calling me because they don’t know how to use it.

2 Fantastic Very Affordable Options

Soundcraft EPM – the 6, 8, or 12-channel models. (Their 12-channel model actually means 12 mic inputs, unlike most other brand’s offerings.) Crucially, it has sweepable mids, without which it is near impossible to EQ an SM58 or a DI acoustic guitar.
Soundcraft Signature series – for just a little bit more than the EPM series, it has upgraded preamps and EQ, digital outputs, and built in FX, would justify the price difference by itself, if that’s a need for you.

“Go big or go home” may work for rock’n’roll, but an analog mixer may be just right for your church.

Caleb Neff is a producer, pastor, songwriter, worship leader, husband, and dad from Cape Coral, Florida. His passion is helping artists both inside and outside the church develop their full creative potential. This article about the best digital mixer for church appeared at his site. Check out his website.

How to Share the Gospel in 5 Minutes (Though Kids CAN Listen Longer)

Rachel Blom

September 20, 2021

While getting my teaching degree and ever since, I’ve heard that young people can’t concentrate. To reach teenagers with a message, people say, you must do it in segments of 5 minutes, 10 max. Nonsense. I don’t think that’s true, and I’ll tell you why. Yes, it’s important to know how to share the gospel in 5 minutes. But no, that’s not all the time you have with kids. Their attention spans are longer than that; you just need to know how to keep them engaged.

Kate John, a youth minister and presenter, once described the “standard” for presenting the gospel to young people. It involved showing scenes from the “Jesus” movie accompanied by sad music. Next came a 10-minute sermon on penal substitution. Obviously, that doesn’t work any more. John encourages youth pastor to experiment with evangelism and altar calls. Her ideas:

How to Share the Gospel in 5 Minutes

Use the big-story context.

I couldn’t agree more. Too often we see the Gospel as only a small part of the Bible’s whole story. Yet the Bible is the Gospel, all of it. It’s very important to give young people time and again the bigger picture. Explain how the Gospel, our salvation though Jesus Christ, fits into God’s whole redemptive story.

Use a broader theology.

Again, I completely agree. Too often I hear people explain the gospel in terms of just being saved from your sins and going to heaven when you die. Yet we have so many more theological issues to explore with young people. How about the Kingdom of God here on earth, right now?

Use teenagers’ imagination.

John also encourages youth workers to let young people use their imagination when doing altar calls. Help them dream dreams, imagine what things could be like. Having young people use their imagination will certainly keep their attention, so I’m not opposed to it.

But then came the conclusion: To present the gospel effectively, to do “new style” altar calls, youth workers should know how to share the gospel in 5 minutes, using short, creative, interactive segments. Nonsense.

Yes, I agree the “old” way of presenting the Gospel and doing altar calls probably doesn’t work anymore. (Though maybe that’s due to other reasons; I’m more opposed to the manipulative aspects of using video and music this way.) And I agree it’s a good thing to get more creative in how we present the Gospel. We still have lots of room for improvement there. For example, youth pastors often don’t take young people’s learning styles into account.

I’m also a huge fan of adding in more theology and presenting a bigger picture. But you can’t really do that in five minutes. If we keep catering to what everyone tells us about teens’ short attention span, then we risk losing out. We’ll lose the depth of the gospel and our message in general.

A 5-minute limit? That’s just nonsense.

Believe me, young people can concentrate for more than five minutes and even for more than 20 minutes. You just need to keep their attention by using stories, emotions, testimonies, and visual means (charts, graphics, etc.). Engage their senses. Be intentional about keeping your audience’s attention, both in your preparation and while you’re talking. You can do so many things to make a message interesting and compelling without limiting yourself to five-minute slots.

So yes, please experiment with altar calls and presenting the Gospel in different ways. Please be creative and see what works for you and your young people. But don’t limit yourself to five-minute slots. Yes, it’s great to know how to share the gospel in 5 minutes. But kids definitely can focus for more than five minutes. You just need to give them a good reason.

Do you agree with the theory of small time slots? What tips do you have for how to share the gospel in 5 minutes? How do you keep young people’s attention?

Children’s Ministry Leadership Lessons: 5 Must-Know Insights

Greg Baird

September 20, 2021

As a children’s ministry leader, you’ve likely taken numerous training courses, attended refresher workshops, ventured out on retreats, and so on. But has anyone ever shared hard-learned kidmin leadership insights with you? Review the children’s ministry leadership lessons below. I’ll bet a few might even surprise you!

5 Essential Children’s Ministry Leadership Lessons

1. The Most Important Person in Your Ministry Is…YOU.

I know, that sounds kind of self-centered. And it’s certainly not the attitude a church leader should have, right? But if you don’t take care of yourself, you won’t last very long.

Ministry is very difficult. In fact, I encourage you to read this post by Eugene Cho titled Death by Ministry? If you’ve been in ministry very long, you’ll understand what he’s talking about. After all, the Bible says we (as believers) are in a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:12). And who better for Satan to take out than the “leaders” in that battle?

With that in mind, the person you need to take care of first is yourself. And that requires being intentional. Doing it on purpose…with a clear plan. It’s one of the most challenging but most important children’s ministry leadership lessons.

You can plan self-care in a variety of ways. Just find one that works for you! I base mine on a Bible verse you’ve probably heard. Luke 2:52 says, “Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.”

The best way I know to protect myself and keep from stagnating is to grow. I need to constant evaluate my own personal growth and health. That verse from Luke covers all the areas.

4 Key Areas of Self-Care

Mentally – Am I growing in knowledge and wisdom? What’s my plan to do this? The single greatest way I’ve grown in this area is through reading. At first it was overwhelming. I tried to read everything all at once and ended up reading very little. Then, early on in ministry, I committed to reading just one chapter a day. It’s amazing how many books you can read in a year (about 25 if each book averages 15 chapters). Reading keeps me up to date, thinking, and challenged. I read about children’s ministry, leadership, business and, the last few years, technology (Fast Company & Wired magazines are great for this).
Physically – The older I get, the more I realize the importance of my health. Unless I’m regularly engaged in exercise, I can’t possibly be at my best in ministry. Nor will I be able to engage with my family as I ought to. More than likely, they’ll get my scraps when I’m tired and rundown. I must have a plan and be willing to set aside time to exercise, eat well, and get the sleep I need. You’re fooling yourself if you think you can ignore your body (i.e., your “temple,” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
Spiritually – I love that Jesus grew “in favor with God.” What an inspiration—and aspiration! Here’s what I’ve learned, though: We ministry types can live and breathe “spirituality” so much that our own spiritual lives, our own faith walk, becomes part of our job. Don’t let that happen. Your spiritual growth should be fresh and new and invigorating every day. Don’t let writing that VBS lesson become your devotions for today. Don’t let prepping the talk for Kids Church become your time with God. Sure, any time in the Word is great. But make sure you’re being intentional about your time in the Word and prayer. My ministry should naturally flow from my time spent with God, not vice versa.
Relationally – Our ministry should be all about relationships. Ministry happens best in the context of relationships. We must grow in our ability to build relationships as leaders. We also need to have healthy relationships in other areas. As men and women, we should have deep and meaningful friendships with others outside our ministries. As spouses and parents, we need healthy relationships within our families (that’s a whole book, so I’ll just mention it here).

Growing personally and being healthy in all these areas must be a priority for any children’s ministry leader. It’s so hard because of ministry’s demands. But I challenge you to create a plan to keep yourself healthy. Commit to it in terms of your time, energy, and resources (for at least 6 months). Then see how things change. If this has been an area of weakness, you might need to create some accountability.

If you stick to your plan to take care of yourself, then those around you—from family to friends to ministry colleagues—will benefit from your commitment.

SBC’s IMB Mandates COVID-19 Vaccinations for All Missionaries

Holly Meyer

September 20, 2021

missionary vaccine policies — FILE - In this Sunday, March 22, 2020 file photo, Missionaries visiting the Philippines return to the U.S. at Salt Lake International Airport. Faith groups are taking various approaches to COVID-19 vaccines for missionaries. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gives unvaccinated missionaries assignments in their home countries. The Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board requires the COVID-19 vaccine. (Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP, File)

COVID-19 vaccine refusal rates may be high among white evangelical Christians, but the International Mission Board — which deploys thousands of missionaries — is not hesitant about the shot.

The global agency of the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest evangelical Protestant denomination in the U.S., announced this month it is requiring vaccinations for missionaries they’re sending into the field amid the pandemic.

The IMB may be the first U.S. missionary agency known to have such a mandate, according to leaders in the field, as other faith groups approach the issue in a variety of ways including limiting where people can serve and making considerations for uneven global access to the vaccines.

“This is a very common-sense decision,” said Ed Stetzer, a Southern Baptist who is dean of Mission, Ministry and Leadership at Wheaton College. “Mission-sending agencies from the United States have the real opportunity to be vaccinated, and they’re going to places around the world that don’t.”

The IMB policy applies to both current and future missionaries as well as some staff members. Among the reasons it cited for the measure are health concerns and the fact that increasing numbers of countries are implementing their own vaccine requirements — some field personnel have reported needing to show proof to board airplanes and subways or enter restaurants and malls.

In a statement announcing the policy, IMB leaders acknowledged that it could be a deal-breaker for some people considering missionary work or currently serving with the organization.

The Rev. Allen Nelson IV, a pastor who leads a Southern Baptist congregation in Arkansas, said he is not against vaccines but is completely opposed to mandates for missionaries.

“This is something that must be left up to a person’s own conscience, research and discussions with a doctor, as well as their particular ministry context,” Nelson told The Associated Press.

Man Charged in Home Invasion of Pastor Who Baptized Him Two Days Earlier

Stephanie Martin

September 20, 2021

Pennsylvania Pastor Daniel Miller and his wife survived a terrifying ordeal last week, and the alleged suspect turned out to be familiar. About 4 a.m. last Wednesday, Miller confronted someone who was banging on his front door in Newton Township. The pastor immediately recognized 44-year-old Christopher Phillips, a man he had baptized just two days earlier.

According to Miller’s account, Phillips “wanted to fight me.” The pastor and his wife, Deb, were able to flee to safety, escaping out a bathroom window and running through a wooded area to a neighbor’s house. Phillips is now in police custody and faces numerous charges, including attacking his father before confronting Pastor Miller.

Daniel Miller: ‘Two Days Ago I Baptized You’

When Pastor Daniel Miller opened the door and asked Phillips what he was doing, the suspect reportedly responded, “Get out here, you’re not Pastor Dan.’” Miller replied, “I am Pastor Dan. Two days ago, I baptized you in the swimming pool right here.” Phillips raised his fists and “was going to beat me to death with his hands,” Miller says, recalling the “sheer terror” of the incident.

The pastor, who warned the suspect he had a gun, says he didn’t want to use it but might have been forced to if Phillips had breached the bathroom door. “I know his family,” says Miller, “so I don’t want to shoot anybody, but at the same time if your life is in danger, I guess I would have.” He describes the ordeal as straight out of a movie, saying, “This doesn’t happen to people. This is crazy, running for your life from somebody who’s coming to kill you.”

After a scuffle, police arrested Phillips, who had allegedly attacked his own father two hours earlier. Neil Phillips, who’d been asleep at the time, has numerous broken bones and will need facial reconstructive surgery, according to news reports. Pastor Miller says at the time of the home invasion, he wasn’t yet aware that Phillips had assaulted his father.

Pray Immediately, Pastor Tells Congregants

In his sermon yesterday at the Servant Church of the Abingtons, Miller thanked congregants for their prayers and concern. Several church members, he notes, had felt God telling them to pray for the pastor and his wife, including some who were woken up as the home invasion was occurring. “God knew there was something bad going down,” he says.

Your Church Needs NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH

Cary E. Vaughn

September 20, 2021

Throughout our global society, truth is ill-defined and in short supply. Is truth yours, mine, or ours? Should it be politically modulated or is the very concept of truth so politically incorrect that it should be avoided? Is truth extinct?

According to Barna Group research, 70% of Americans believe there is NO absolute truth. Even in the Church, the concept of truth has been tarnished by secular confusion—damaging our harmony and diminishing our witness.

There may be no greater threat to Christianity than a world that cannot comprehend truth combined with a Church that fails to stand up for it.

It’s imperative, perhaps now more than ever, that the Church shift her focus from the world’s conceptual struggle with truth to the definable and victorious PERSON of TRUTH, answering Pilate’s throw-away question “What is truth?” with a resounding one-word declaration: Jesus!

Pastor Adrian Rogers, the founder of our ministry at Love Worth Finding, taught faithfully from the timeless truth of the Word of God, and long-recognized the erosion of truth in our culture as a great danger for the Church and for our nation. “We’re only one generation away from paganism,” he correctly forecasted prior to his death in 2005. He also said, encouragingly, “If only 10 percent of the people who call themselves Christians were on fire for the Lord Jesus Christ, we’d change this nation.”

We’re calling the 10 percent, and then some! This is the passion behind the new documentary film, NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH (www.NBTTmovie.com), and a new church package on truth called THE CHURCH EXPERIENCE.

The truth—as presented in the Person of Jesus Christ and revealed in the Word of God—is the unashamed focus of every piece of sound reasoning in the film offered by Pastor Rogers along with such respected voices as Lee Strobel, Dr. Tony Evans, Dr. Al Mohler, Ed Newton, Len Munsil, Dr. Johnny Hunt, Dr. Robert Jeffress, Mike Huckabee, Jenifer Rothschild, Trillia Newbell, Ken Whitten, Jonathan Falwell, Dave Ramsey and others.

The film is now available for digital or DVD purchase, and has already been shown to hundreds of congregations at no cost as part of THE CHURCH EXPERIENCE from Love Worth Finding. The vision is for churches to set aside a period of time to learn, discuss, and promote truth.

The EXPERIENCE, available at lwf.org/nbtt/church-experience, includes:

a limited license to show the film
a seven-day email challenge focused on TRUTH in daily living (available to those inside and outside your church)
four-week, small-group discussion guides and film clips (one set for adults and one for children and youth); these are suitable for use in Sunday schools, small-group meetings, and even homeschool sessions
a bonus fifth week to the discussion guides that provides a presentation of the Gospel and invites people to come to faith in Christ
sermon outlines, overviews, and transcripts that pastors and teachers may utilize as needed to develop or supplement targeted messages about TRUTH; these may stand alone or may be used in a series
digitally downloadable promotional material churches may use to invite members and others to events

Churches are already reporting back to Love Worth Finding about their special events and the valuable dialogue opening up in families, small groups and Sunday school classes.

“Laura” in Tennessee wrote to us after moderating a four-week, small-group discussion series related to the film: “We discovered that facts change but real truth from the Word of God never changes. We had really healthy discussions, and sometimes disagreements, but we learned to look at those things we disagreed about in light of God’s Word.”

As Mike Huckabee said so well in the film, “If I’m God, what I think really matters. If I’m God, what I believe really matters. If I’m God, what I feel really matters. But if I’m not God, I need to make sure that what I think, what I believe, and what I feel matches up to something bigger than me.”

Together, the NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH film and THE CHURCH EXPERIENCE are leading churches into a season of dialogue about:

the conflict between biblical truth and individually-determined truth
the erosion of truth in our culture (backed up with research from Barna Group)
the Christian’s susceptibility to the same lies bought and sold by those who don’t claim Christ
our responsibilities as Christian citizens
contending for the faith
sharing truth in love
recognizing Jesus as THE TRUTH

As Jennifer Rothschild says in the film: “You can’t replace lies with the truth unless you know the truth. …Ultimately Jesus is truth. …People talk about their own truth. …I do not want my own truth because I don’t trust me enough to have my own truth. I have decided that I’m going to find the truth according to the one who proclaimed to be the truth. When I put my life and my thoughts up against His life and His teaching, then I’m really able to know the truth and that truth sets me free.”

We at Love Worth Finding are praying that this film will open the eyes of those who do not yet know the Lord to see Jesus as the way, the TRUTH, and the life, and that it will help believers replace lies with truth in their thinking, live truthfully in marriage, and influence the next generation to live for and stand for the TRUTH of the Gospel.

Pastor Rogers taught, “We’re to praise our country when it does right; we’re to preach to our country when it does wrong.” NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH can help pastors and church members alike “preach” (literally, and in their day-to-day interactions) to a country that has turned away from the truth—using cogent arguments and a winsome voice.

Christian Author Josh McDowell Apologizes for Comments About Black, Minority Families

Bob Smietana

September 20, 2021

(RNS) — A best-selling Christian author and speaker denounced the idea of systemic racism at a national gathering of Christian counselors, saying Black Americans and other minorities were not raised to value hard work or education.

Josh McDowell, best known for his book “Evidence that Demands a Verdict” and other books defending the Christian faith, gave a speech Saturday (Sept. 18) at a meeting of the American Association of Christian Counselors.

The talk, entitled “The Five Greatest Global Epidemics,” identified a series of threats McDowell claims face the Christian church. The first, he said, was critical race theory, an academic field of study on the nature of systemic racism. Known by the acronym CRT, critical race theory has become controversial among Christian conservatives and political conservatives alike.

McDowell told Christian counselors that CRT “negates all the biblical teaching” about racism — because it focuses on systems rather than the sins of the human heart and said today’s definition of “social justice” is not biblical.

“There’s no comparison to what is known today as social justice with what the Bible speaks of as justice,” he said. “With CRT they speak structurally. The Bible speaks individually. Make sure you get that. That’s a big difference.”

He went on to say not all Americans have equal opportunities to succeed.

“They don’t, folks,” he said in his speech. “I do not believe Blacks, African Americans, and many other minorities have equal opportunity. Why? Most of them grew up in families where there is not a big emphasis on education, security — you can do anything you want. You can change the world. If you work hard, you will make it. So many African Americans don’t have those privileges like I was brought up with.”

He added that the Bible only focuses on individual sin, not structural sin.

McDowell’s comments were first noted on social media by Christian college professor Aaron New. After New drew attention to those comments, a recording of McDowell’s speech was removed from the AACC website, where all the speeches and presentations at the conference are offered for sale.

Religion News Service obtained a copy of the recording and verified McDowell’s remarks.

After being contacted by Religion News Service, McDowell issued a statement on social media apologizing for his remarks, saying they do not reflect his own beliefs. He said his comment about minority families “does not reflect reality.”

“Racism has kept equality from being achieved in our nation,” he said.

McDowell’s ministry is affiliated with Cru, a national campus ministry founded by the late Bill Bright, a legendary figure among evangelicals. Cru, formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ, has faced criticism by some long-term staff because of its recent focus on issues of race and diversity. A group of staff has accused Cru of “embracing a secular system of ideas that divides humans into victims and oppressors.”

Fierce debates over critical race theory and social justice have become commonplace among American evangelicals in recent years. The presidents of the Southern Baptist Convention’s seminaries have denounced CRT as incompatible with the denomination’s statement of faith — a claim that led a number of high-profile Black pastors to leave the denomination — and the debate over CRT was a key topic at the SBC’s 2021 annual meeting.

A nonprofit founded by former Trump official and Wheaton College graduate Russ Vought has published a handbook labeling CRT as unAmerican and outlining steps for barring its use in local schools.

This article originally appeared at Religion News Service.

Probe of Southern Baptist Sex Abuse Response Moves Forward

AP News

September 20, 2021

southren baptist — FILE - In this Tuesday, June 11, 2019 file photo, Jules Woodson, center, of Colorado Springs, Colo., is comforted by her boyfriend Ben Smith, left, and Christa Brown while demonstrating outside the Southern Baptist Convention's annual meeting in Birmingham, Ala. First-time attendee Woodson spoke through tears as she described being abused sexually by a Southern Baptist minister. (AP Photo/Julie Bennett, File)

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — The Rev. Marshall Blalock feels the weight of his new responsibility. The South Carolina pastor serves as vice chair of a recently formed Southern Baptist Convention task force charged with overseeing an investigation into how a top denominational committee handled sex abuse allegations, a review that comes years into the SBC’s public reckoning with the scandal.

Blalock thinks the work of the task force, set into motion in June by a vote of Southern Baptists at a national gathering, could be a foundational part of how the SBC addresses the issue in the future.

“If the task force does what the convention’s asked us to do, if the Executive Committee responds favorably, I think we’re making huge first steps toward really setting the future toward preventing and appropriately responding to and caring for sexual abuse survivors,” Blalock said.

The sex abuse scandal was thrust into the spotlight in 2019 by a landmark report from the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News documenting hundreds of cases in Southern Baptist churches, including several in which alleged perpetrators remained in ministry.

Appointed by new SBC President Ed Litton, the seven-member task force of pastoral, legal, counseling and advocacy professionals is charged with overseeing an outside firm’s probe of allegations that the Executive Committee mishandled abuse cases, resisted reforms and intimidated victims and advocates.

“We’re tired of abuse, and it has to be dealt with,” Litton, who was elected in June amid divisions over race, women’s roles in the church and how to address the abuse issue, said during a recent event. “But I also think a clear message came out that this is not a witch hunt. That this is an opportunity for us to pave the way for the future.”

More than two months in, the task force has completed two key tasks: picking Guidepost Solutions to be the third-party firm conducting the probe, and asking the Executive Committee to waive attorney-client privilege for the purposes of the investigation at its upcoming business meeting.

“It’s all about uncovering the truth so we can deal with it,” said the Rev. Bruce Frank, a North Carolina pastor and task force chair.

The Executive Committee has welcomed the selection of Guidepost, noting it is the same investigative firm it had planned to use before the task force was formed.

“We look forward to meeting again with Guidepost in order to expeditiously coordinate our activities in support of their important work,” the committee said this month in a statement.

Jules Woodson, a church sexual abuse survivor based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, remains wary but is hopeful that meaningful change may be ahead for the SBC. She was encouraged after meeting with the task force, she said, and is willing to engage with Guidepost even though she is still skeptical of the firm.

“It is so hard as a survivor to put faith, hope and trust in people and processes and a system that has continuously failed us,” Woodson said. “For the first time in forever, we are finally seeing steps being taken in the right direction.”

How Your Church Can Support Family Worship

Christina Embree

September 20, 2021

If you are looking for some ways your church might incorporate times where the family can stay together to worship, grow, and learn about God together in church, here are five places you might start. These ideas come from a variety of different church backgrounds and traditions, so they may not ALL work for your ministry context, but chances are one might strike a chord and you will be able to begin working towards more and more times where, through family worship, the family experiences faith formation together with their faith community.

How Your Church Can Support Family Worship

1. Family Worship Sundays

Many churches have begun offering times of Family Worship, often once a month or on fifth Sundays, where the family stays together and worships as a unit. These Sundays should not be confused with Children’s Sundays or times where kids perform for the church. While these are special times for the church as well, they are more focused on children than they are families.

A Family Sunday will incorporate ways for the family to experience worship together such as communion, prayers said aloud with the whole church, worship songs that everyone know and can sing to, a sermon that is appropriate for all ages and elements of the service that invite participation of parents/caregivers and children such as Scripture readings by families and prayer as families. For ideas on how to include families in worship on Sunday, check out jensfrontporch.org .

2. Family Worship Experiences

There are a few subtle difference between a Family Worship Sunday, where the family joins with the whole congregation in a regular worship service time, and Family Worship Experiences where families are specifically targeted and ministered to. Often these experiences take place at a time other than Sunday morning and incorporate a variety of interactive activities, worship, and teaching.

Some great examples can be found at www.dandibell.com and if you want a group to come in to host, Seeds Family Worship has one they do in connection with Phil Vischer and What’s in the Bible? with Buck Denver.

3. Family Faith Formation

For some, inviting the family to stay together takes place best in a mid-week experience. This is what our church does and we have had a lot of fun using these nights to explore the Bible together. We write our own curriculum in 5-week blocks based on what families have indicated they want to learn. Each family sits in chairs in a circle and explore Scripture, do activities, and participate in a time of affirmation and blessing each night. Our topics have included Prayer, Salvation, The Bible, God as Creator, and Service.

Kids absolutely love spending this time with their parents. Of all the programs we have at church, this one gets the highest praise from children.

4. Family Activities

If your church isn’t ready yet to host a Family Sunday or Family Worship Experience, one idea is to begin hosting Family Activities on a monthly basis. These activities should have as their central theme the idea of having family spend time together either with/around the larger faith community, around service to the larger community, or around worship and the Word as a family unit. Putting these focuses on a rotating basis can help your families begin to spend intentional time together around the topics of faith, community, and outreach.

For instance, one month you could host a Family Game Night at church (time with faith community), and the next offer an activity that families can do at home that include a Faith Talk and time in God’s word (time with worship/Word), and then the next month offer a service experience in the community that families can do together (outreach). By offering a variety of ways for families to come together around the themes of faith, community, and service, you can begin to cultivate times of faith formation for the whole family to engage in together.

5. Family Service Projects

What better way to bring the family together than in an opportunity to serve Christ and others as a unit? There are many ways to engage the family in service. Check with your local food pantries and Salvation Army to see if there are ways families can work together stocking shelves or organizing donations. Many local soup kitchens or churches who serve meals will welcome family groups to serve together. Check also with local mission and ministries that serve the poor, homeless or other marginalized groups to see how families can offer assistance.

Engaging the family in the act of serving together can be one of the most transformational and meaningful ways to connect faith with everyday life and create bonds in the family that last long after their time of serving has ended.

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

Understanding Transgender, Non-Binary, and Intersex

Darryl Dash

September 20, 2021

Big Idea: Understand complicated issues around biological sex, sexuality, and respond with biblical conviction and a willingness to walk with people.

We’re in the middle of a tough series on sexuality and gender, and I want to warn you up front: this is going to be perhaps the most difficult message in the series. It’s good to acknowledge that up front. We’re going to talk about transgender, non-binary, and intersex issues and people. This is a very complicated topic, and I am a learner. I don’t want to speak beyond my level of knowledge, and I want to approach this topic as carefully and accurately as I can.

So a few notes as we begin.

This is a complicated topic. I’ve already said this, but I want to repeat it again.
We’re not just talking about an issue; we’re talking about people. Because It’s about both people and an issue, and so we must aim to be both biblical on the issue and loving to people. We don’t want to just focus on activists and deconstruct their ideology. We must think accurately and biblically, but take care not to destroy people in the process.
We need God’s help. So let’s pray right now for that. Father, we ask that as we look at these topics that you would lead us into both grace and truth. Thank you for your help so far in this difficult series. And we pray once again for your help today. May we love well, and may this sermon be marked by your wisdom and your compassion. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Defining Terms

The first thing we want to do today is to define terms. We can’t really talk about these issues if we don’t know what we’re talking about.

So let’s look at some important terms:

Sex and gender — These terms used to be interchangeable, but increasingly they’re not. For the sake of clarity, we’ll talk about sex as biological sex: the physical and biological dimensions of being male and female, including the sexual anatomy, chromosomes, and secondary sex characteristics. We’ll talk about gender as “the psychological, social and cultural aspects of being male or female,” and gender identity as “how you experience yourself (or think of yourself) as male or female, including how masculine or feminine a person feels” (Mark Yarhouse, Understanding Gender Dysphoria).
Transgender is an umbrella term for the various ways in which some people experience incongruence between their biological sex and their gender identity. Gender dysphoria is related: it’s “the feeling that their biological body is lying. A person in this situation really thinks that he or she is, should be, or would feel better as, the gender that is opposite to their biological sex, or no gender at all.” (God and the Transgender Debate)
Transsexual is someone who has pursued or is pursuing medical treatment — a sex change or hormone therapy — to align their biological sex and their gender identity, or is thinking of doing so — although this is a bit of an outdated term.
Intersex is used to describe someone who is born with atypical characteristics in their sexual anatomy and/or chromosomes. In 99% of cases of intersex people, there is little to no ambiguity about the biological sex of the person, but in 1% of cases there is significant ambiguity about the biological sex.
Non-binary — which includes terms like gender queer, gender fluid, pan gender, gender non-conforming — refers to people who don’t like to be put in a box, who see male-female as a spectrum and argue that they are somewhere in the middle. It’s a social term more than a medical one.

Can you see how complicated all of this is? Here’s the number one thing we need to understand: transgender people are not all the same. As someone has said, “If you have met one transgender person you have met one transgender person. No two experiences are the same.”

Really there seem to be, broadly speaking, four kinds of stories we may encounter:

Some people are gender dysphoric. This can range from mild to severe. They feel that their sense of gender is at odds with their biological sexual anatomy. It causes them stress and anxiety.
Some don’t fit masculine/feminine stereotypes. They don’t meet cultural expectations of what it means to be male or female.
Others are autogynephyliac. This one is controversial. It’s about males who are sexually aroused by the thought of themselves as a female. According to a study at the University of Lethbridge, it’s a form of “erotic target identity inversions” in which men desire to impersonate or turn their bodies into facsimiles of the persons or things to which they are sexually attracted. Some transgender activists become really upset at this label, but it does exist, but can’t be used to label all kinds of transgender people.
And then there are trans-trending, or what some call rapid-onset gender dysphoria (ROGD). It describes people who identify as trans and maybe even experience some gender dysphoria, but it comes from mostly social pressures. As someone has said, “Trans is trendy.” One doctor who runs a gender clinic says that only a small number of those who come to him would be identified as having gender dysphoria. For instance, a teen can come out as trans seemingly out of nowhere, sometimes as a result of peer and social pressures.

To get some ideas of the numbers that we’re talking about:

0.005% – 0.014% experience gender dysphoria, according to the DSM 5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders).
Approximately 1 in 10,000 males and 1 in 30,000 females experience gender dysphoria, according to a 2016 study published in the Annual Review of Clinical Psychology.
0.6% identify as transgender. In other words, many people identify as transgender but don’t experience gender dysphoria.
And then it’s really interesting to look at how age affects this. 12% of Millennials identify as transgender or gender non-conforming. 27% of Californian youth (13-18 years old) identify as gender non-conforming, or neither completely male or female. 50% of Millennials believed that gender is not binary (male and female) but exists on a spectrum.

So there are a variety of experiences. We need to understand the diversity.

Today we will focus on gender dysphoria and intersex, although you’ll see the implications for other areas.

How to Overcome Comparison: Cultivate a Contented Heart

Chelsea Crockett

September 19, 2021

Comparison steals our joy. These days, being content with what we have and how we look is a struggle. If you ask a group of women what one of life’s biggest struggles is, the overwhelming answer will be being content and not comparing ourselves to others. A contented heart is something that we can (and need to) learn, because we are God’s children and He made us the way we are for a reason. Comparison and envy date back as far as Rachel and Leah in the Old Testament, where in Genesis 30:1 it says, “When Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, she envied her sister. She said to Jacob, ‘Give me children, or I shall die!’” We not only compare whether we are as “good” as others, but also compare our struggles with others and whose hardships are “worse.” How do we put out the comparison fire that Satan lights in our hearts?

How to Overcome Comparison: Cultivate a Contented Heart

1. Accept Your Uniqueness

Accept your uniqueness: Think of something you are good at, and then think how long you have been working at it. Is it running? Bargain shopping? Cooking? Remember everything good in life takes work. Do you envy that a friend has lost weight and looks great? Tell her that she looks amazing, and let her inspire you to work hard as well. And remember that God designed us to be different and unique. Life would be so boring if we all looked alike, dressed alike, and had the same talents and skills.

2. Celebrate Others

Be happy for the strengths of others: This one sort of goes with the point above. If we aren’t careful, when we first met someone we can get sucked into comparing ourselves to them. Whether it is their physical attributes or the material things they possess, we can either make ourselves feel better or worse about ourselves based on our evaluations. It is so hard to overcome this habit. Try every day to see yourself as God sees you, and remember that comparison is selfish. See the real person behind their physical and material attributes. Consider their feelings, and work hard to compliment others from the heart. You never know, they could also be struggling with a comparison battle. You can also learn from others, and instead of making life feel like a competition, you can become a better person.

Get rid of the “me” mindset: Comparison is selfishness disguised. It has us looking at others and thinking about ourselves. We need to work to train our minds to want to impress God and not others. When we stop thinking of how others view us, we can be free from the burden that is selfishness.

3. Comparison Ruins a Contented Heat

Kick worldly expectations to the curb: Like I said earlier, comparison steals joy. Not only does it steal our joy, it also steals our contentment and our will to live a godly life. When we compare ourselves with others, we are not using an accurate measure. Dragging around the world’s expectations hinders us from the journey that God has in store for us. We cheat ourselves out of God’s blessings when we try to live the life we see others living. When you live your own life, and stop envying someone else’s, you see your blessings more clearly.

Let’s rejoice in our strengths, work on our weaknesses and with a contented heart celebrate each other for the unique people we are!

This article on a contented heart originally appeared here.

Unless It’s a Praise and Worship Sermon, Here’s Why We Preach Second

Don Chapman

September 19, 2021

I recently visited a church who prides themselves in always doing their praise sets after the sermon. (I’m not talking about a praise and worship sermon, but a regular sermon.) In fact, the Sunday I visited, the pastor explained in great detail why they do this (does this explanation happen every Sunday?): they want to give the congregation the opportunity to “respond” to the message (as in musically—so we’re not talking about going forward while singing “Just as I Am”).

Great! So let’s see how this works out in real life. I sat through a fantastic sermon that really got me thinking—it hit home in a powerful way. Then, the praise set started and the feeling that immediately came over me was one of . . . annoyance. I felt literally annoyed to be singing. I did not want to sing. I did not want to learn new songs (I recognized one out of the three songs in their praise set). What I wanted to do was think about the message.

Unless It’s a Praise and Worship Sermon, Here’s Why We Preach Second

Now whether you do your music before or after the message is neither right nor wrong. However in this case, the church’s actions (worship after the sermon) completely thwarted their intentions (helping me reflect on the sermon). Surely I’m not the only person in the congregation to have had this reaction. After over 20 years of church work, I’ve noticed church leaders can sometimes come up with ideas that look absolutely marvelous on paper but don’t work so marvelously in real life. Then, they dig in their heels and continue on that not-so-marvelous path with absolutely no course correction.

There’s a practical reason why most churches I’ve visited and worked in do their praise sets before the sermon:

Worship warms the soul.

Sure, music is more than a warm-up to the sermon (although many a pastor really doesn’t believe this) but the time-tested paradigm of music then message just works. The classic contour of a few upbeat songs that cool down into a worship ballad or two simply arrests, then engages a crowd who mostly arrive in a frenzy after having fought with kids to make it to church on time. Now just how often have you felt that “sweet spirit” in the congregation after an exceptionally touching worship ballad—then the pastor gets up to deliver the sermon and has their undivided attention?

To this church I’d say: If you want to plan your service this way, fine. But must you follow the same order every single week? Try changing it up on occasion—how about three weeks with music after the sermon and one week with praise and worship sermon? The same churches who would denounce a dead, unchanging liturgy have actually created their own contemporary version.

This article about praise and worship sermon placement originally appeared here.

9 Reasons We Don’t Invite Our Friends to Church

Michael Harvey

September 18, 2021

Southern Baptists — Photo by Andrew Seaman/Unsplash/Creative Commons

As I have traveled the world, I have yet to find an invitational church.

So let me ask you the following question with two possible answers, (you have to choose between the two answers): Is your congregation welcoming or inviting? As I have asked this question right around the world to pastors, you can imagine which answer is chosen: welcoming! But how welcoming can we be if we are not inviting?

We are welcoming as long as people can get themselves across the threshold of the church building, but we don’t take our welcome out in the form of invitation.

Something is going wrong at the threshold of our church buildings. I became fascinated as to why congregational members are not inviting. In fact, I went on to find out that up to 95 percent of most congregational members are not going to be doing any inviting.

My journey has now taken in 12 countries across five continents, multiple denominations and thousands of churches, and I became a one-question researcher, “Why are we not inviting our friends to take a closer look at Christ and his church?”

Here are some of the answers I receive regularly and some of my thoughts as I hear them. Look below the surface and you will find something God anticipated.

1. “We have no non-church going friends.”

Now either this is true or it is not true. Let’s for one moment say that this is true, that would lead the pastor to conclude that we are a church that has ghettoised itself.

Let’s say it is not true, then of course we are lying to ourselves! It is either one or the other and God graciously opens up a teaching path.

2. “It’s the pastor’s job!”

I have heard some congregational members go on to say, “In fact, what on earth are we paying them for if they are not into mission?” I have heard of church management meetings where fingers are pointed very firmly in the direction of the pastor.

We must remember, however, that when we start pointing the finger, three fingers are pointed back straight at us. Jesus invited the 72 into mission. He invited us all into mission.

Now mission is a large concept, into which many books have been written. However, at the center of most mission is invitation. We can all invite, and therefore it is not just the church leader’s job.

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Defining Terms

So let’s look at some important terms:

Really there seem to be, broadly speaking, four kinds of stories we may encounter:

To get some ideas of the numbers that we’re talking about:

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1. “We have no non-church going friends.”

2. “It’s the pastor’s job!”

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