Lecrae Shares He Observed Passover Seder Meal: It Was ‘Powerful’

March 30, 2021

Christian rapper Lecrae shared that Saturday he participated in a Passover seder meal, an experience he described as “powerful.” Lecrae posted about the seder on his social media accounts, along with pictures of his visit to Israel in 2019.

“Going thru the process of eating the bitter herbs, unleavened bread, wine, and prayers was powerful,” said Lecrae. “I look forward to celebrating in Jerusalem in the future and more importantly in the New Jerusalem forever.”

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What Is a Passover Seder?

“Seder” is a word that means “order,” and the Passover seder is a ritual in which Jewish people remember that God set the people of Israel free from slavery in Egypt. In Exodus 13:3, Moses says, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery, because the LORD brought you out of it with a mighty hand.” Passover 2021 began at sundown on Saturday, March 27, and will conclude at Sunday evening, April 4.

God famously set the nation of Israel free by bringing 10 plagues upon Egypt, the last of which was the death of the firstborn. Prior to that plague and as part of their observance of the first Passover, the Israelites were to eat an unblemished lamb, along with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. God told them to put the blood of the lamb on the door frames of their houses. Then, when God passed through the land to strike down the firstborn, he would “pass over” every house that had the lamb’s blood on the door frames. Passover was later commemorated as a feast (the Feast of Unleavened Bread) that the Israelites were to celebrate in memory of God’s salvation. Throughout the Old Testament, Passover is treated as a defining moment in Israel’s history and in the nation’s relationship with God.

According to My Jewish Learning, “Freedom is one of the primary themes of the seder. The seder permits Jews to worship God through prayer, study, and learning by taking part in what is essentially a lesson of Jewish history, literature, and religion. Participation in the seder lets one symbolically and vicariously relive the Exodus.”

The seder involves 14 stages that include singing, storytelling, ritual washing and eating foods that have symbolic meaning. For example, the seder opens with a blessing over wine, and two steps of the seder involve eating matzah, or unleavened bread. Another stage involves eating “bitter herbs,” represented by horseradish. Participants eat a full meal towards the end of the seder, and the ceremony wraps up with the Nirtzah.

Passover is important to Christianity, not least because Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper on it and observed it as his last meal with his disciples before he was crucified. The symbolism of the Passover seder in its own right is significant to Christians because Scripture says that the ritual has found its fulfillment in Jesus.

For example, in 1 Corinthians 5, Paul writes that Jesus is our Passover lamb and gives a spiritually symbolic meaning to the unleavened bread. Rebuking the Corinthian church for tolerating sexual immorality, Paul says, “Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” Because of the significance of Passover to Christianity, some Christians participate in a version of the Passover seder on Easter.

Lecrae has observed versions of other Jewish rituals in the past as part of his Christian faith. During his trip to Israel, he was baptized in the Jordan River, a decision that drew criticism from some who said that he did not need to be baptized again because he was already a believer.

Before I say my next bit, know I support you and what you do.
Baptism is one of the first steps in proclaiming your new life Christ. You, on the other hand, took a weird bath in a very significant place.

— Joshua Fletcher (@joshuafletchor) September 20, 2019

Among his explanations for why he chose to be baptized in the Jordan, the rapper said, “it’s Mikvah,” referring to a ritual bath used for a variety of purposes in Judaism.

“I love the Jordan because of all the symbolism it holds,” said Lecrae of his experience. “It was the border of the promised land. It was the picture of safety and security. Getting baptized in it was an incredible experience for me.”

Appellate Court Arguments Set for Charleston Church Shooter Dylann Roof

AP News

March 30, 2021

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Attorneys for the man sentenced to federal death row for the racist slayings of nine members of a Black South Carolina congregation are set to formally argue that his conviction and death sentence should be overturned.

Oral arguments have been set for May 25 before the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in the case of Dylann Roof, according to federal court records.

In 2017, Roof became the first person in the U.S. sentenced to death for a federal hate crime. Authorities have said Roof opened fire during the closing prayer of a 2015 Bible study session at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, raining down dozens of bullets on those assembled.

Serving as his own attorney in the sentencing phase of his trial, the self-avowed white supremacist neither fought for his life nor explained his actions, remorse, saying only that “anyone who hates anything in their mind has a good reason for it.”

Roof’s 2017 appeal to the 4th Circuit came as no surprise, as transcripts of hearings to determine his trial competency revealed that Roof told his lawyers he’d seek appeals to drag his case out as long as he could. With the passage of time, Roof explained, he expected white supremacists to take over the U.S., pardon him for the killings and make him governor of South Carolina.

Following his federal death penalty trial, Roof was given nine consecutive life sentences after he pleaded guilty in 2017 to state murder charges, leaving him to await execution in a federal prison and sparing his victims and their families the burden of a second trial.

After that sentencing, Solicitor Scarlett Wilson — who had also been pursuing the death penalty — called the deal “an insurance policy for the federal conviction,” ensuring that Roof would spend the rest of his life in prison, should the federal sentence not stand.

Wilson also said that she felt more confident a federal death sentence would be carried out under the newly minted Trump administration that it would have been under a Democratic one. At the time, there was anticipation that then-President Donald Trump might swiftly resume federal executions, following cessation of the practice under several several previous administrations.

Trump’s decision to reinstate federal executions didn’t come until 2020, however, when his Justice Department ended a 17-year hiatus, going on to oversee a total of 13 federal executions. Due to his remaining appeals, Roof’s case was not eligible for execution at that time.

President Joe Biden, who as a candidate said he’d work to end federal executions, hasn’t spoken publicly about capital punishment since taking office. Earlier this year, four federal death row inmates told The Associated Press that Biden’s silence has them on edge, wondering whether political calculations will lead him to back off far-reaching action, like commuting their sentences to life in prison.

Biden could instruct his Justice Department not to carry out any executions during his presidency, thus sparing inmates’ lives for at least four years but leaving the door open for a future president to resume them.

If unsuccessful in his direct appeal to the 4th Circuit, Roof could file what’s known as a 2255 appeal, or a request that the trial court review the constitutionality of his conviction and sentence. He could also petition the U.S. Supreme Court or seek a presidential pardon.

This article originally appeared here.

Officer Eric Talley’s Funeral: ‘Greater Love Has No Man Than This’

AP News

March 30, 2021

Eric Talley — Boulder, Colo., Police Department Chief Maris Herold listens as Boulder County, Colo., District Attorney Michael Dougherty makes a point to outline the ongoing investigation into the mass shooting at a King Soopers grocery store during a news conference outside police headquarters Friday, March 26, 2021, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

DENVER (AP) — A Colorado police officer shot and killed after rushing into a supermarket where a gunman opened fire sacrificed his life and showed what is best about police, Denver’s archbishop said Monday during a funeral Mass for Officer Eric Talley.

“Jesus has told us, greater love than this no man has than to lay down his life and Eric lived that,” Archbishop Samuel Aquila said during the traditional Latin Mass, the style beloved by Talley, at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver.

Aquila offered his prayers and condolences for Talley’s family, which include his wife and seven children. He also said he would pray for the protection of police, who are too often “taken for granted.”

“For too often, you are are taken for granted and yet in situations like this, you are the ones who protect human life,” Aquila said.

Talley’s casket, draped in black and flanked by six unbleached beeswax candles to signify that he has gone to God in his natural state, stood near the altar as the Rev. Dan Nolan led celebration of the Mass in Latin, which included interludes of ethereal singing by a choir as well as chanting. Talley’s family, at their request, was not shown on a livestream of the service and no family or friends spoke during the service that followed the style that pre-dated reforms made by the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s.

According to police, officers arrived at the store one minute and 40 seconds after being alerted to the shooting on March 22. They said Talley led an initial team of officers inside within 30 seconds of arriving and the suspect, later identified as Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 21, shot at the officers, killing Talley. Nine other people, including customers and workers, were also killed.

“No other individuals were shot or killed after these brave officers engaged the suspect,” police said in a tweet last week.

Alissa, who was wounded in the leg during an exchange of shots with police, has been charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder for firing at another officer. Prosecutors expect to file more charges as the investigation continues.

One of Alissa’s public defenders, Kathryn Herold, told a judge during his first court appearance that they needed to assess Alissa’s mental illness but did not provide details about his condition.

A law enforcement official briefed last week on the shooting said Alissa’s family told investigators they believed Alissa was suffering some type of mental illness, including delusions. The official was not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to the The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The funeral’s sermon by the Rev. James Jackson focused on how Jesus, whose suffering and death is marked by Christians during Holy Week this week, was watching during the suffering and death seen in Boulder a week ago, a tragedy that Christians believe is part of the world’s sin that he atoned for. He also called for action from public officials.

“And who knows but that some politicians will show some common sense and move to increase funding for the police. Perhaps even more sense will be shown by efforts to restore Christian culture to our country. Writing more and more laws will not be sufficient,” he said.

Talley, who grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, took an untraditional route to becoming a police officer. He held a master’s degree in computer communications but left his office job to join the department in 2010 at the age of 40 because he wanted to serve his community, his father Homer “Shay” Talley, 74, told AP last week.

A memorial service was also planned for Talley on Tuesday at a large non-denominational church, Flatirons Community Church, in Lafayette. The service is open to the general public but attendance is also restricted because of the pandemic. Organizers are encouraging people to watch a livestream of the service on television news stations.

This article originally appeared here.

At Nationwide Rallies, Christians Stand Up for Asian Americans

Religion News Service

March 30, 2021

CHICAGO (RNS) — At events in 14 cities across the U.S., an estimated 5,000 people demonstrated in support of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Sunday (March 28) after attacks on people of Asian descent in the Atlanta area this month.

The National Rally for AAPI Lives and Dignity, organized by the Asian American Christian Collaborative, brought hundreds out in Atlanta; Austin; Boston; Dallas; Detroit; Houston; Los Angeles; Ellicott City, Maryland; Minneapolis; New York City; San Francisco; and Washington, D.C. A virtual event was based in Seattle.

Among the eight people killed at three spas in the Atlanta area March 16, six were women of Asian descent.

Denise Peñacerrada Kruse, her husband and their three children traveled about 300 miles from the St. Louis area to Chicago to take part in the rally and march there, which began outside the Uplift Community High School in the city’s Uptown neighborhood.

“Healing happens in community,” Peñacerrada Kruse, an editor with the Asian American Christian Collaborative, told the crowd as her 3-year-old daughter gleefully shouted into the microphone.

“I drove up from St. Louis for community and to show my kids … we don’t need to live in fear, and we don’t need to be silent anymore. Even if our churches are, even if so many people we know are, we won’t be, and we won’t be afraid.”

AACC formed a year ago in response to the uptick in anti-Asian racism that accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic, as some, including elected leaders, have blamed China for the virus’s spread.

The group hosted its first event in Chicago last year, in the aftermath of the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, gathering more than 1,000 people at its March for Black Lives and Dignity.

Justin Giboney, president of the AND Campaign, a Christian social justice coalition that was one of the rallies’ co-sponsors, told Religion News Service that it is important for the Black community to turn out now in support of the AAPI community, to say, “Hey, we’re with you, and when given the opportunity to stand up for you, we will.”

Many groups in America haven’t shown up for each other in that way up to this point, said Giboney, who spoke in Atlanta Sunday. But he believes they have an opportunity to take a new direction now — and the church can lead the way.

“Over the last year, we watched our Black friends. We absorbed some of their language and are learning some of their skills,” said Reyn Cabinte, a pastor in Washington Heights, who spoke at the New York event, held between downpours in Union Square.

“We don’t have a long history of self-advocacy,” Cabinte said about Asian Americans.

Cabinte, whose multiethnic church is located in a predominantly Dominican and Jewish neighborhood, has urged his congregation in the past year to speak up for Black lives. Watching the uptick in Asian American violence, however, he felt a growing tension with what he called “the binary nature of the American justice conversation, where Black and white dominate the vocabulary and the attention.”

Asian Americans, Cabinte said, need to learn to tell their own stories. “We’re fighting for room to expose white supremacy from our perspective. We are asking for permission to complicate the justice discussion, the race discussion,” Cabinte said.

“What’s been going on has been pretty burdensome on our hearts,” said Arah Cho, of Joy Manhattan Church, located in Koreatown, and the lead coordinator of the New York rally. She described a prayer meeting at her church the week before, after the Atlanta attacks: “It turned into a two-hour conversation. We weren’t sure how to process. We felt a lot of things, but we weren’t sure what we were feeling.”

Sunday’s rally included prayers of lament, healing and repentance, as several speakers apologized for staying silent too long in the face of anti-Black racism and acknowledged even the Asian American church had marginalized women.

Julie Won, who is running for city council in District 26 in Queens, which includes several predominantly Asian American neighborhoods, noted Asians are the fastest-growing immigrant population in New York City and are also, per capita, the largest group living under the poverty line.

Speaking to RNS after the event, Won, a first-generation Korean immigrant, said the Asian American experience is often misunderstood or stereotyped. “We’re not all the same, and we have very different historical backgrounds. There is such a richness to our culture and our heritage and our immigrant experience that people don’t realize.”

At Seoul International Park in Los Angeles, where signs dotted the park lawn with messages such as “We belong here!” and “Jesus Restores,” the Rev. Janette Ok also addressed stereotypes of Asian Americans as a “model minority.”

“A challenge we face as Asian American Christians,” Ok, a professor at Fuller Seminary and pastor at Ekko Church, told the crowd, “is recognizing that our identity in Christ … our identity comes, not because we’re exceptional from certain things that we do from being the good minority, no. … It comes from how God calls us, from who we are in Christ.”

Justin Koh, 36, of Los Angeles, told RNS he has struggled with his own faith because he said the church has suppressed “minority voices in order to accept what white American churches have to say for them.”

Koh, who was raised by adoptive white parents in Washington state, said he wasn’t exposed to the Korean American church until college, which, he added, was “part of a broader process of finding my ethnic identity and Koreanizing myself.” He now attends Citizens in downtown L.A., a church he said lines up with his values.

In Chicago, AACC chose to march through the Uptown neighborhood after a 60-year-old Vietnamese American man reportedly was punched by one man in the head and was followed by another carrying a baseball bat days earlier there, explained Gabriel Catanus, lead pastor of Garden City Covenant Church.

Carrying a cardboard sign bearing the names of each person killed in the Atlanta shootings, Joseph Tam, 25, of Chicago, said it was important to grieve and lament their losses, “real people with lives and stories.”

It also felt important to Tam, who attends the multiethnic River City Community Church in the city’s Humboldt Park neighborhood, to be around other members of the Asian American faith community — especially at a time when it’s easy to feel isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Justice is God’s character in the Bible,” he said.

“I think we show love to other people by fighting against injustice, by not being afraid to look it in the eye, because evil and sin are present around us. I firmly believe that Christ is more powerful than all of those things. I know that in the midst of hurt, in the midst of loss and grief, he’s with us,” he said.

RNS national reporter Alejandra Molina reported from Los Angeles, and editor Roxanne Stone reported from New York.

This article originally appeared here.

6 Christian Baby Gift Ideas That Are Perfect for the Newest Little One

Vanessa Myers

March 30, 2021

As a Children’s Ministry Director, I am always looking for different gifts to give to the newborn babies that are born to the families in our church. In the past, I have always given gift cards for the parents to use to buy what they need, but lately I have been wanting to do something more. I want to give a Christian baby gift that lets these little ones know that Jesus loves them and that our church loves them. I want to give a meaningful baby gift so that our church families can start their faith journey with their newborn on the Word of God. So I got busy creating a resource, as well as researching Christian baby gift ideas. And the list below are things you can give to the newest little one in your family or friends.

6 Christian Baby Gift Ideas

1. Personalized Baby Gift Printable

I love creating graphics and personalized things for kids! This beautiful printable includes the baby’s name, date of birth, and Scripture. It includes 6 designs (3 for boys and 3 for girls) and it’s all customizable. After downloading, just log into your Canva account and customize it for the newborns in your church. After I printed it out, I framed it in an 11×14 frame matted for an 8×10 photo and gave this gift. I love how it turned out! Download these 6 designs here.

What is a good Bible verse for a new baby? For this personalized gift, I used Jeremiah 1:5, which I believe is perfect for newborn babies: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” I love this verse because it reminds parents and the little ones (as they get older) that God created them and He did so for a purpose.

2. Baby’s Hug-a-Bible

I like to give the children in our church a Bible at 2-years old and in 2nd grade. But I have yet to find a Bible for babies until I attended an online children’s ministry conference recently. The Hug-a-Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones is a Bible filled with some stories from the Bible. And I love the cover! It’s soft like sheep’s wool…very huggable!

3. Child of God Onesie

Parents can dress their baby in this cute onesie that reminds them that they are a child of God! When you shop cheap baby boy boutique clothing, you’ll never have an issue with fit, quality, or design.

4. The Wonder That is You

This book by Glenys Nellist tells the story of a mother’s love for her new baby. Great gift for new moms to share with their babies! It’s available in picture book and board book formats.

5. Jesus Loves Me Blanket

This blanket comes rolled up like an elephant. All you need to do is unroll it to use it like a blanket. It’s stitched with a reminder that Jesus loves you! And if you’re looking for baby hamper delivery singapore, check out HoneySpree.

6. Praise Baby DVDs

My daughters received these DVDs when they were babies and they loved them! The beautiful praise songs were a great way to introduce them to worship music and praising God. Fun songs!

So for the next baby born into your church family, give a meaningful baby gift that will help share the message of Jesus with the whole family! I hope you have found some new Christian baby gift ideas to give to the newborn babies and parents in your church!

The original article appeared here.

Lee Strobel Video: This Is Why We Can Believe in the Resurrection

Bob Ditmer

March 30, 2021

Editor’s note: Last year Easter fell on April 1st, and author Lee Strobel made a video where he noted how he would have reacted to that when he was an atheist.

Easter Sunday this year is April 1st, also known as April Fool’s Day. Author Lee Strobel says if that had happened when he was an atheist and legal editor at the Chicago Tribune, he would have laughed at that coincidence because he was convinced that anyone who believed Jesus rose from the dead had to be a fool.

Then, one day his wife came home and announced that she believed Christ’s resurrection story and had become a Christian. So Strobel decided to take his journalism and legal training and debunk the resurrection of Jesus. What he found shocked him.

He tells the story of his investigation in a three-minute video that he is making available to pastors to show to their congregations on Easter Sunday. You can download it here.

Strobel says he spent two years analyzing the historical data surrounding Jesus’s death and resurrection and found history points to the resurrection as being an actual historical event based on four points:

First, there is no dispute that Jesus was dead after the crucifixion. Even the Journal of American Medical Association found that Jesus was dead even before being stabbed in the side with a sword while still hanging on the cross.

Second, early reports of the resurrection of Jesus came so closely after his death that they have to be taken seriously.

Third, the empty tomb. Even opponents of Jesus admit that the tomb where his body was placed after the crucifixion was empty when they inspected it.

And fourth, nine ancient sources inside and outside of the New Testament confirm and corroborate that the disciples encountered the risen Jesus.

Strobel calls that an “avalanche of historical data.”

In addition, Strobel cites seven ancient sources that confirm the disciples led lives of deprivation and suffering as a result of their testimony that they had seen Jesus after the crucifixion. Strobel concludes that the only reason they would endure such difficult circumstances is because they saw the risen Jesus and knew the truth. To see such a miracle made any amount of suffering worthwhile.

Strobel says his two-year investigation led him to the conclusion that Jesus is who he claimed to be—the Son of God—and he backed up that outrageous claim by rising from the dead.

Instead of a rush of emotion at such a discovery, Strobel said he experienced a “rush of reason” and became a child of God.

Easter Sunday 2018 is not an April Fool’s Day joke. Strobel says it is a solid foundation of historical truth.

Strobel’s investigation is also told in his book The Case for Miracles.

10 of the Best Church Websites in 2021

Bryan Haley

March 30, 2021

While the COVID-19 pandemic taught all of us a ton of life (and ministry) lessons, one of them was an especially timely reminder: while the message of the gospel does not change, sometimes our methodology does. Each year the folks at Churchjuice post their selections of the best church websites. This year it’s even more important, because we can all learn something to improve our digital game.

When, in God’s sovereignty and due to pandemic restrictions, we were forced to stay out of our church buildings, so many churches quickly adapted and shifted to a digital ministry format. Those changes forced us out of our comfort zones. The upending of our world was a clear reminder that the church is not about a building.

A church’s website has become its centerpiece of information; it’s the front door of a guest’s experience. We were reminded during the pandemic that the church’s website is sometimes the only exposure a person has to your church. So what is your church’s website telling new people? What is it communicating?

Take a look around at Churchjuice’s list of 2021’s best church websites. Our list is purposefully representative of different worship styles, regions, and church sizes. What do you like about each one? What does each website communicate to a person who knows nothing about the church? What can you learn?

Get Churchjuice’s “Best Church Websites of 2021” ebook! DOWNLOAD THE EBOOK

1. Menlo Church (California)

2. Redemption Church (Arizona)

3. Mosaic (California)

4. Bay Area Christian Church (California)

5. Mosaic Church (Virginia)

6. Flatirons Community Church (Colorado)

7. Sovereign Hope Church (Montana)

8. Cornerstone Church (Georgia)

9. North Point Community Church (Georgia)

10. Hope City Church (Alberta)

Learn what makes these websites great and how you can make a great church website in our latest ebook:

DOWNLOAD CHURCHJUICE’S FREE EBOOK

This list of the best church websites originally appeared at ChurchJuice site, and is used by permission.

3 Perspectives on How to Start a Church With Little to No Money

Ray Hollenbach

March 29, 2021

Keeping track of people and money are two primary tasks for church administrators, and because most church plants run on a shoestring budget, every dollar matters. Sometimes (if we are honest) the dollars seem to matter more than the people. When it comes to how to start a church, two things are certain, though: (1) God can provide, and (2) people matter more than money.

People have worried about money ever since the invention of money—church planters (and church administrators) are no exception! In the classic film “It’s a Wonderful Life,” George Bailey, distraught over his financial situation, is ready to take his life. Clarence the angel is sent to the rescue. Clarence explains, “We don’t use money in heaven.” Bailey answers, “Well, it comes in pretty handy around here, Bub.” It turns out both Clarence and George were right!

3 Perspectives on How to Start a Church with Little to no Money

1. Hugh Halter – Follow Jesus’ Example

Missional leader Hugh Halter gave some thought to how to start a church with no money. He observed, “What if we never had to worry about growing or building a church? What would change if we really lived out of the truth that God does the building and growing as we live in simple kingdom ways?” He shared these three lessons:

First, we noticed that Jesus hung with outsiders—all the time.
Second, Jesus blessed people.
Third, Jesus created space for people to just be with God.

2. David Hayward – Give Up Trying to Control Things

David Hayward (the artist known as The Naked Pastor) suggests that we’ve made administration and planting too complicated. Hayward says, “It is a control-driven church culture that demands there be theologically trained leaders who are accountable to centralized authorities. That isn’t necessary, and it isn’t required. Don’t be afraid.” His list of 10 steps on how to start a church point to metrics beyond the normal concerns of administration. You can read his “10 easy steps” here.

3. Michael Lukaszewski – Plan Ahead

There does come a time when things like facilities and meeting space must figure into our plans. Michael Lukaszewski, director of Church Fuel, an organization “dedicated to providing insanely practical resources to pastors” recalls the early years when he was both administrator and planter.

Lukaszewski says, “When we renovated and moved into the House of Rock, I didn’t do enough homework on how much renovations would truly cost. We had to go back to our people and tweak our fund-raising campaigns, and that’s never good. It’s better to take the time in order to get accurate financial projections and timetables.”

A Bonus Bible Perspective

Considering how to start a church does, eventually, mean thinking about money, though. The book of Acts reports that the very earliest churches had financial concerns. Acts 4:32-37 details the financial practices of the church in Jerusalem. It’s worth noticing how their priorities differed from our 21^st-Century models, though.

Bible Study for Middle Schoolers: What You Need to Know Now

Andy Blanks

March 29, 2021

This year I’m teaching seventh-graders on Sunday mornings at our church. That’s significant because I’ve never taught middle schoolers before; I’ve always taught senior high. So going into the new ministry year, I was much more aware than I normally would be about how I was going to approach Bible study for middle schoolers. I wanted to make extra sure I was prepared to open up Scripture to them in a way that was engaging and transformative in an age-appropriate way.

I decided to focus on accomplishing three main goals in every Bible study for middle schoolers. I didn’t reinvent the wheel. My guidelines aren’t rocket science. In fact, they’re pretty basic. But they’re simple, they allow for a lot of flexibility, and they help me make sure I offer middle schoolers concrete information while making the Bible come alive.

Here are the 3 main things I try to accomplish in every Bible study for middle schoolers:

1. Reinforce the story of Scripture.

I want to make sure this is the year these middle school students grasp the narrative of the Bible. I want to make sure they don’t think of the Bible as a random collection of stories mixed in with verses here and there that help us know what not to do. So I’m taking the time to place what we’re studying in the context of the Bible’s big-picture narrative.

How do I do this? The first week I taught a Bible study for middle schoolers, we were in the Gospels. During the first five minutes, I drew a timeline on the board that started with Creation and hit all the major highpoints in the story of the Bible from Genesis until Matthew’s Gospel. I did it with a lot of energy and a ton of interaction. (I was a little surprised at how well the students could help me fill in the gaps. It’s going to be a good year.) I won’t do the full timeline every week, but I will reference it, and I will place every lesson within the greater context of the story.

2. Emphasize one main thing.

When I taught on the Transfiguration, I took a pretty exegetical approach, going through the Bible passage almost verse by verse. I was very interactive, as always. The middle schoolers helped me look at the historical context. We talked through the details of Peter’s response. Even did a Greek word study. It was good Bible study. But as we ended, I made sure I wrote the phrase “One Main Thing” on the board. I then wrote the word “IDENTITY.” I wrapped up the Bible teaching time by showing middle schoolers that this passage is all about the identity of Jesus.

I expounded on it a bit more, but the point is this: After some good interaction and learning, I made sure I landed the plane with one main idea so middle schoolers would have no doubt what the key focus was on. I wrote it on the board. In big letters. It was concrete. It said, “When you leave here, remember this thing.”

3. Leave middle schoolers with one key takeaway.

I teach in a large-group format where we divide kids into small groups for the last 15 minutes of our meeting time. This is where application of the lesson takes place in dialogue with a small-group leader. I make sure to equip our small-group leaders with questions that flow out of one main application point (I call it the One Takeaway). My One Takeaway for the Transfiguration lesson was something like this: “Because of Jesus’ identity, because of who he is, he can’t be just one part of our lives. As God’s only Son, as the Messiah, as Savior, Jesus should be at the very center of our lives.” The small-group interaction focused on fleshing out this One Takeaway.

To summarize: In every Bible study for middle schoolers, show the big-picture story of Scripture, drive home the one main thing, and leave kids with a key takeaway. That’s a solid guideline for teaching younger teenagers.

The key is to define these, in solid terms, helping students make the right connections and challenging them to be changed by the Truth.

What do you think? When leading Bible study for middle schoolers, what do you add or do differently?

‘Some Say I Am Filthy Now Because of My Name’—Naomi Zacharias

Jessica Lea

March 29, 2021

Naomi Zacharias, daughter of Ravi Zacharias, has announced that she is stepping down as director of Wellspring International, the humanitarian arm of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). In her announcement, Zacharias alluded to the pain she is dealing with as a result of her father’s sexual misconduct, but did not mention the victims of his abuse.

“When I look back at 20 yrs of a calling, it was ignited by passion and belief but woven together by threads of my own brokenness,” Naomi Zacharias said in an announcement on Instagram. “Perhaps one day I will look back at this unanticipated turn, too, & see a faint trace of wings shaped not in spite of but through it.”

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A post shared by Naomi Zacharias (@nmzacharias)

The website of Wellspring International has gone private. However, on the website of End Violence Against Children (which partnered with Wellspring), Wellspring describes itself “as an extension of the central focus of RZIM, where we live out what we preach and defend. Through a process of due diligence, the vision of Wellspring is to identify and financially equip existing organizations aiding women and children at risk, as well as to provide individual scholarships to support education, healthcare, and basic living needs.”

While it is not clear what Wellspring’s future is, a metadescription in Google may indicate that the organization permanently closed on March 25, 2021.

Naomi Zacharias Bids Her Team Farewell

In her post, Naomi Zacharias thanked her team and “the people & organizations around the world with extraordinary courage I had the opportunity to witness.” She did not directly mention her father’s sexual misconduct, but she did mention “cancel culture,” which Zacharias called “untenable.” Zacharias also referred to the love her father showed her during “an unanticipated life turn” when she was afraid her parents would love her less.

“Some voices have held us,” she said. “Others have told me I am filthy because of my last name; that I need to know my dad had no love for me; asked if I will change the name to hide identity.” Naomi Zacharias’s response to this question is a clear “no.” She concluded her post, “Life carries mystery in its threads. My name is Naomi Zacharias. I am the daughter of Ravi Zacharias. I am the daughter of God my Savior. I will raise my head. For I am being called to carry on.”

The news that Ravi Zacharias, a beloved apologist, was in reality a prolific sexual predator is arguably the most shocking recent story of abuse in evangelicalism—stories which only seem to proliferate.

For further background on Ravi Zacharias’s abuse, see the following articles.

Sexting, Spiritual Abuse, Rape: Devastating Full Report on Ravi Zacharias Released

The Story Behind the Ravi Zacharias Allegations (Part 1): Lawsuits, NDAs, and Email Threads

The Story Behind the Ravi Zacharias Allegations (Part 2): ‘Cursory’ Investigations and More Accusations

RZIM PR Manager Says She Was Shunned For Asking Questions

As Zacharias Institute Leaders Apologize, Ravi’s Son Still Pushing Back

Perspectives on Pastor James Coates: Saint or Sinner?

Stephanie Martin

March 29, 2021

Following his March 22 release from jail for violating public health orders, Canadian Pastor James Coates returned to the pulpit yesterday at GraceLife Church near Edmonton, Alberta. Coates, who spent 35 days in jail and was charged $1,500 for breaching bail, goes on trial in May for violating COVID-19 restrictions limiting the size of in-person gatherings.

According to news reports, GraceLife’s parking lot and pews were full on Sunday, and police were present but didn’t intervene. Coates’ ongoing stand against government-imposed worship restrictions have led to mixed reactions with some people praising the pastor’s actions and others condemning them.

Supporters Call Pastor James Coates Courageous

Since February, a GoFundMe campaign to pay Coates’ legal fees has raised more than $45,000. John Klassen, who says he’s not affiliated with GraceLife or its pastor, established the fund. “Coates has been a rare and refreshing voice of courage in these unprecedent[ed] times,” writes Klassen. “He has stood on the word of God faithfully, courageously, and uncompromisingly as a man of God when all around him men falter and fail.”

Pastor Coates has denied trying to be “a political revolutionary,” saying it’s “simply…my obedience to Christ that has put me at odds with the law.”

The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), which represents Coates, maintains that no GraceLife congregants have contracted COVID-19. JCCF president John Carpay says, “We look forward to appearing in court in May and demanding the government provide evidence that public health restrictions that violate the freedoms of religion, peaceful assembly, expression, and association are scientific and are justifiable in a free and democratic country”

Erin Coates, the pastor’s wife, says her husband has shepherded his flock “wisely” during the pandemic, “putting many precautions in place” at the church. During an interview while her husband was in jail, she said faith leaders will have to “stand before the Lord and give an account on Judgment Day for the souls that have been entrusted to them.”

Critics Say Pastor James Coates Is Risking Lives

A group of Alberta faith leaders has been expressing disagreement with Coates and urging willing compliance with local health regulations. The Rev. Scott Sharman told a local newspaper, “People’s religious freedoms have been spoken to and protected, but also the faiths that are being protected [must] sometimes put their talk of rights aside when it’s to the benefits of others.”

Jeffrey Champion, the provincial judge who set Coates’ release terms, said violating health orders “is an issue when someone makes a decision that can affect the health and lives of thousands of people.” Champion told Coates, “The shepherd ought to protect his flock… You don’t get to make that decision for everyone else.”

After news broke of yesterday’s in-person service at GraceLife, Alberta politician Rachel Notley tweeted that the church should be shut down. “Enough is enough,” she writes. “So many other congregations across the province have made sacrifices and adapted their services to comply with public health orders. The people attending this church are not above anyone else. Their refusal to follow the rules puts others at risk.”

President Biden Has Promised to Pass the Equality Act—Here’s How That Threatens Your Freedoms

Sarah Kramer

March 29, 2021

The “Equality Act” should be concerning to anyone who values religious freedom and true equality.

Yet, the passage of this legislation is more likely than ever before—the House passed it last month, and it is now being debated in the Democrat-controlled Senate. President Joe Biden campaigned on the promise that he would sign the “Equality Act” into law within his first 100 days if passed.

The “Equality Act” is a deliberate attempt to force people of faith—good people who serve everyone—to promote messages and celebrate events that conflict with their sincere beliefs. The “Equality Act” would also threaten the equal treatment of women and upend the bedrock understanding of male and female in our law and culture.

To understand how, let’s take a more in-depth look at this legislation and its ramifications.

What is the “Equality Act”?

The essence of the “Equality Act” is its addition of “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” as protected classes to already existing federal nondiscrimination laws. This would prohibit employers, preschools, and even religious schools and organizations from making choices based on basic biology, bodily privacy, and their beliefs about the nature of marriage. It would apply to every single recipient of federal financial assistance (including every public school and almost all colleges and universities.)

And though “nondiscrimination” sounds good in the abstract, that is not what this bill is truly about. The bill actually poses a devastating and unprecedented threat to free speech, religious freedom, and the progress that women have made toward true equal treatment in law and culture.

The good news is that God has equipped Alliance Defending Freedom for such a time as this.

With 12 Supreme Court victories since 2011, ADF will stand up to the Biden administration, all the way to the Supreme Court if necessary, to protect the First Amendment rights of Americans.

How would the “Equality Act” threaten religious freedom and free speech?

ADF has seen the impact that laws similar to the “Equality Act” have had across the country. And we stand ready to provide a strong defense for religious freedom and free speech.

The “Equality Act” could forbid churches and religious nonprofits from requiring their employees to live out their religious beliefs about marriage, sexual morality, and the distinction between the sexes. They could be required to open their sex-specific facilities to members of the opposite sex. ADF successfully represented one Massachusetts church after the government threatened to force it to open its women’s shelter for victims of domestic violence to males.
The “Equality Act” would threaten religious foster care and adoption agencies with closure if they operate according to their deeply held belief that the best place for a child is a home with a married mother and father. In New York, for example, the state is using a sexual orientation, gender identity regulation—similar to the “Equality Act”—to shutter the adoption services of New Hope Family Services, which has been placing children in loving homes for over 50 years. ADF is representing New Hope in court.
It would threaten creative professionals and other business owners who simply want to live and work according to their beliefs. ADF successfully represented promotional printer Blaine Adamson after he respectfully declined an organization’s request to print shirts with a message promoting an LGBT pride festival because the message violated his religious beliefs. But Blaine offered to connect the organization to another printer who would create the requested shirts. Even so, the organization filed a discrimination complaint against Blaine, and a local human rights commission ordered him to undergo diversity training.
The “Equality Act” would also force individuals to speak messages that violate their beliefs under the threat of punishment. ADF is representing Nicholas Meriwether, who was disciplined by Shawnee State University for declining to refer to a male student as a woman. He offered to refer to the student by first or last name only, in order to respect both the student and his own beliefs, but this did not satisfy the university, which still punished him.

How would the “Equality Act” threaten women?

The “Equality Act” would force women to share private spaces with men.
This is a threat to women who need critical services, such as those provided by Downtown Hope Center in Anchorage, Alaska. ADF successfully defended Downtown Hope Center after the city government tried to force the shelter to allow biological men who identify as female to sleep mere feet from women, many of whom have suffered rape, sex trafficking, and domestic violence. For these women, having a biological man in the room where they sleep or undress triggers severe anxiety and trauma—so much so that one woman said she would have to leave the shelter and sleep in the woods in the Alaskan winter, because she could not sleep in the same room as a biological male.
The “Equality Act” would also undermine the purpose of Title IX.
Title IX was created to ensure equal opportunities for women in education. The “Equality Act” could destroy many of those opportunities. Among other consequences, the “Equality Act” could allow male athletes who identify as female to compete in women’s sports.

ADF represents four girls in Connecticut, where a state high school athletic policy does just that. These four female athletes have already lost races, state championships, and opportunities to compete at the highest level. Our laws should recognize the biological differences between the sexes; by ignoring those differences, the “Equality Act” could make Connecticut’s disastrous policy a nationwide reality.

What about the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA)—doesn’t that provide some protection for these groups?

If you’re not already concerned about the scope and reach of the “Equality Act,” here’s another issue.

In the past, similar proposals have claimed to respect the concerns of the religious community, offering a few narrow protections for religious freedom. But the “Equality Act” offers no protections for religious freedom. In addition, the bill would forbid religious individuals and organizations even to invoke the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. That would make it harder for the faithful to defend themselves against a bill designed to punish them for living out their beliefs.

Does that sound like equal treatment to you?

Essentially, the “Equality Act” gives people of faith an ultimatum: Change your faith-based practices or face government punishment.

The Bottom Line

Laws must respect freedom and promote justice for every citizen, no matter who they are. But that is not what the “Equality Act” does. Instead, it threatens Americans’ fundamental liberties. And that is something no American should stand for.

Help Your Church Be Better Prepared

ADF Church Alliance is a membership program that provides religious freedom legal help to protect your church to the greatest extent possible.

ADF Church Alliance acts as a hub for churches like yours to gain access to experienced First Amendment lawyers who are available to answer religious liberty questions, conduct document reviews and provide advice, and even represent your church in court if necessary and appropriate – it’s virtually all-inclusive for religious freedom issues.

UPDATE: Ed Young Thanks Church for Support After Death of Daughter, LeeBeth, at Age 34

Jessica Lea

March 29, 2021

Ed and Lisa Yount — Screengrab Twitter @EdYoung

After the sudden death of their daughter, Texas megachurch pastors Ed and Lisa Young, expressed their appreciation to a standing ovation from their Fellowship Church in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Ed Young posted the video to his Twitter account.

“The Lord is in the fight,” Ed proclaimed while Lisa stood supportively by him. “Thank you Church so much for walking with Lisa and I through this grief. For grieving with us because I know that you are. (his voice cracking with emotion). This has definitely been the most challenging and difficult time in our lives. No question losing our daughter, our precious daughter, so suddenly.”

Lisa and I want to thank you for all of your prayers, support, encouragement and love. The Lord is in the fight! pic.twitter.com/9WqWPWkfXN

— Ed Young (@EdYoung) March 28, 2021

“However, because of the grace of God, the power of God,” Ed continued. “Because of your prayers, support, encouragement, and love, it’s been just supernatural as we’ve been able to walk on parallel tracks. One being, of course, deep sorrow and the other one being outrageous, contagious joy. Sounds like a book title.” Both Ed and Lisa laughed.

Ed promised that they would share what they were experiencing and learning with the church in time. He said, “We’ve been processing that and will continue to go through that over you know this season as we teach and preach and do church here together.”

He then said that today Lisa would be amazing to share a little bit about what God has been doing, and he prayed this prayer over her: “Father, thank You so much for my incredible wife (voice cracks with emotion). And I ask, God, that You speak through her and use her. And you would touch every person here and also at our other locations who are listening. In Christ’s name, amen.”

—————————-

January 21, 2021 – LeeBeth Young, the daughter of Texas megachurch pastors Ed and Lisa Young, passed away Monday, Jan. 18, at the age of 34. Ed Young announced the tragic news Tuesday on his social media channels.

“It is with great sadness that I write these words,” said the pastor. “Last night, our precious and cherished daughter LeeBeth passed away. She was our firstborn, and we celebrate her life. LeeBeth was a bright, intelligent, strong, creative, witty, and faithful young woman. We love our daughter, and she loved the Lord. Because of her relationship with Jesus, she is now healed and whole in His presence. We ask that you pray for our family, our church, and so many others who loved LeeBeth deeply.”

pic.twitter.com/L9ZQM95yca

— Ed Young (@EdYoung) January 19, 2021

Celebrating the Life of LeeBeth Young

Ed and Lisa Young are the founding pastors of Fellowship Church in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and LeeBeth was the eldest of their four children. She was a graduate of Baylor University and served as director at Fellowship Church, according to LinkedIn.

LeeBeth also took the stage at times at Fellowship Church. In August 2013, she joined her parents onstage to discuss the challenges of raising a family. In March 2018, she delivered a Sunday morning sermon. In a pre-recorded video introducing his daughter before she gave her message, Ed Young said, “I love LeeBeth to death as any father would love their daughter. She’s funny, she’s insightful.” He then asked everyone to give her a standing ovation and welcome her as their teacher.

LeeBeth began her sermon by saying that she wanted to honor her parents, who had moved to Grapevine, Texas, to start Fellowship Church when she was three years old. “I just look back on my life,” she said, “It’s probably the greatest honor in my life, just being able to have courtside seats to all the growth and all the life change God has done through this great church. So I’m very fortunate to be here. And yeah, my parents are incredible leaders, as you know, but they’re even better parents.”

LeeBeth’s Instagram feed contains many posts of her friends and family. In one, she said of her mom, “She has and continues to model a deep faith, a love for her family and passion for the local church… ❤️ you mom!” In a post on her dad’s birthday in 2018, LeeBeth said, “Happy Birthday to the greatest man I have ever known…I love you so much Dad!”

Gary Thomas, Beth Moore, Kay Warren, David Kinnaman and Derwin Gray are among the many who have expressed their condolences and support for the Young family. The Youngs have not revealed the cause of LeeBeth’s death.

A service will be held to celebrate the life of LeeBeth Young this Saturday, Jan. 23, at 12 p.m. It will take place at Fellowship Church Grapevine, and those unable to attend in person can watch the service on the church’s website.

Join us as we celebrate our daughter, LeeBeth Young. Service to be held Saturday, January 23 at 12:00 pm, Fellowship Church Grapevine.

If you are unable to attend in person, there will be an online option at https://t.co/PWTgwVaIcn pic.twitter.com/mEgf1Zu3lL

— Ed Young (@EdYoung) January 21, 2021

Suicide Bomb Hits Palm Sunday Mass in Indonesia, 20 Wounded

AP News

March 29, 2021

Police officers inspect the area near a church where an explosion went off in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, Sunday, March 28, 2021. A suicide bomber blew himself up outside a packed Roman Catholic cathedral on Indonesia's Sulawesi island during a Palm Sunday Mass, wounding a number of people, police said. (AP Photo/Masyudi S. Firmansyah)

MAKASSAR, Indonesia (AP) — Two attackers believed to be members of a militant network that pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group blew themselves up outside a packed Roman Catholic cathedral during a Palm Sunday Mass on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, wounding at least 20 people, police said.

Rev. Wilhelmus Tulak, a priest at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral in Makassar, said he had just finished celebrating Palm Sunday Mass when a loud bang shocked his congregation. He said the blast went off at about 10:30 a.m. as a first batch of churchgoers was walking out of the church and another group was coming in.

He said security guards at the church were suspicious of two men on a motorcycle who wanted to enter the building and when they went to confront them, one of the men detonated his explosives.

Police later said both attackers were killed instantly and evidence collected at the scene indicated one of the two was a woman. The wounded included four guards and several churchgoers, police said.

National Police Chief Gen. Listyo Sigit Prabowo told reporters when he visited the crime scene late Sunday that the two attackers are believed to have been members of the militant group Jemaah Anshorut Daulah, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State group and was responsible for deadly suicide bombings on Indonesian churches in 2018.

He said one of the attackers was believed to have links to a church bombing in the Philippines.

The attack a week before Easter in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation came as the country was on high alert following December’s arrest of the leader of the Southeast Asian militant group, Jemaah Islamiyah, which has been designated a terror group by many nations.

Indonesia has been battling militants since bombings on the resort island of Bali in 2002 killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists. Attacks aimed at foreigners have been largely replaced in recent years by smaller, less deadly strikes targeting the government, police and anti-terrorism forces and people militants consider as infidels.

Police have identified one of Sunday’s attackers only by his initial, L, who they believe was connected to a 2019 suicide attack that killed 23 people at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in the Philippine province of Sulu, Prabowo said.

He said the two attackers were linked to a group of suspected militants arrested in Makassar on Jan. 6, when a police counterterrorism squad shot and killed two suspected militants and arrested 19 others. Members of the squad were initially supposed to arrest the two slain men for their alleged role in the Philippine suicide bombing.

He said on Sunday police arrested four suspected militants believed to have links with the attackers in a raid in Bima, a city on Sumbawa island in East Nusa Tenggara province.

“We are still searching other members of the group and I have ordered the Densus 88 to pursue their movement,” Prabowo said, referring to Indonesia’s elite police counterterrorism squad.

Indonesia’s last major attack was in May 2018, when two families carried out a series of suicide bombings on churches in the city of Surabaya, killing a dozen people including two young girls whose parents had involved them in one of the attacks. Police said the father was the leader of a local affiliate of Jemaah Anshorut Daulah.

President Joko Widodo condemned Sunday’s attack and said it has nothing to do with any religion as all religions would not tolerate any kind of terrorism.

“I call on people to remain calm while worshipping because the state guarantees you can worship without fear,” Widodo said in a televised address.

He offered his prayers to those injured and said the government would cover all costs of medical treatment. He said he had ordered the national police chief to crack down on any militant network that may be involved.

At the end of Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, which opened Holy Week ceremonies at the Vatican, Pope Francis invited prayers for the victims of violence. He cited in particular “those of the attack that took place this morning in Indonesia, in front of the Cathedral of Makassar.’’

“We join with Pope Francis in praying for the victims of this horrendous attack,” said a statement emailed to The Associated Press by the Archdiocese of Washington.

In Atlanta, where the archdiocese is home to many Asian communities, Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer said in a statement that “As we enter today into the holiest week of the year, we grieve once again for the victims of senseless violence. I join in prayer for those killed and injured in the suicide bombing in Indonesia.”

A video of the scene of the attack obtained by The Associated Press showed body parts scattered near a burning motorbike at the gates of the church.

At least 20 people were wounded in the attack and had been admitted to hospitals for treatment, said Mohammad Mahfud, the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs.

Indonesia has been on high alert since police in December arrested Jemaah Islamiyah leader Aris Sumarsono, also known as Zulkarnaen. Over the past month the country’s counterterrorism squad has arrested about 64 suspects, including 19 in Makassar, following a tipoff about possible attacks against police and places of worship.

Jemaah Islamiyah was once considered the preeminent terror network in Southeast Asia, but has been weakened over the past decade by a sustained crackdown. In recent years, however, a new threat has emerged in militants who fought with the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria and returned to Indonesia or those inspired by the group’s attacks abroad.

___

Karmini reported from Jakarta, Indonesia.

This article originally appeared here.

Think the “Equality Act” Will Spare Churches and Religious Schools? Think Again

Sarah Kramer

March 29, 2021

You might expect churches and religious schools, of all places, to remain safe from the government’s meddling hands.

Our Constitution does guarantee religious freedom, after all.

But if the “Equality Act” is passed – which President Biden has promised to push for in the first 100 days of his administration – not even churches and religious schools will be safe from the government’s reach. And now that the House passed this federal legislation, we are one step closer to this becoming the law of the land.

The deceptively named “Equality Act” would add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” as protected classes to existing laws banning discrimination in places of public accommodation, employment, housing, and by recipients of federal financial assistance.

And while its name may sound nice to some, the “Equality Act” actually poses devastating and unprecedented threats to religious freedom.

We’ve already seen examples of these threats where similar legislation has been passed at the state and local levels. Now, let’s take a look at what the “Equality Act” would mean for churches and religious schools.

The Equality Act forces churches to abandon biblical teaching on human sexuality.

In Massachusetts, state officials declared that churches are subject to state public accommodation laws. That meant if churches host public activities – something as simple as a spaghetti supper – they would be forced to open women’s private changing areas and restrooms to biological men. If a church refused, it would face crippling fines and even jail time.

This impacted people like Pastor Esteban Carrasco and House of Destiny Ministries. Esteban and his church wanted to open a women’s shelter for survivors of domestic violence. But according to this interpretation of the law, they would be forced to allow men who identify as female to use the same changing rooms, restrooms, and living facilities as these vulnerable women.

Thankfully, in response to an ADF lawsuit, state officials reversed course and admitted that the First Amendment protects a church’s freedom to operate consistently with its faith even when it hosts community outreach events.

But situations like this will multiply if the “Equality Act” is imposed on the whole country.

The Equality Act demands Christian schools act against their beliefs.

In South Euclid, Ohio, city officials passed a city ordinance that adds sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression as protected classes under the law.

This deeply concerned The Lyceum, a classical, Catholic school, so it spoke out against the ordinance from the very beginning. Still, the city voted to pass it.

The Lyceum operates according to the teachings of the Catholic Church, including its beliefs on human sexuality and marriage – and it asks its employees to do the same. It also asks its students to abide by the school’s faith-based conduct policies while the student attends The Lyceum.

The Lyceum was concerned that the ordinance could force it to employ people whose actions conflict with the school’s beliefs, and might force the school to abandon its faith-based standards for student conduct. The Lyceum reached out to the city multiple times to find out if it would face substantial fines and even jail time for its administration if it operates according to its religious beliefs. But the city refused to say.

That’s why ADF filed a lawsuit on behalf of The Lyceum.

Thankfully, in response to the lawsuit, the city admitted that The Lyceum has the right to hire employees that share its beliefs. But the school would likely not have that same freedom if the “Equality Act” becomes the law of the land.

The “Equality Act” also threatens religious colleges and universities, forbidding college students from using their federal tuition assistance at schools that “discriminate” on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. That means any Christian university that has a code of conduct prohibiting sex outside of marriage or that declines to let biological males compete on women’s sports teams could lose federal student aid.

While you might expect churches and Christian schools to be safe from such government overreach, experience tells us that this will not be the case if the “Equality Act” is made law.

The bottom line is that our laws must respect freedom and promote justice for every citizen, no matter who they are. But that is not what the “Equality Act” does. Instead, it threatens Americans’ fundamental liberties. And that is something no American should stand for.

Help Your Church Be Better Prepared

ADF Church Alliance is a membership program that provides religious freedom legal help to protect your church to the greatest extent possible.

What Is ADF Church Alliance Membership?

Learn more about membership, and find out how you can help prepare and protect your church at www.adfchurchalliance.org.

Franklin Graham Unfazed After Evangelical Base Blasts Him for Encouraging Vaccines

Yonat Shimron

March 29, 2021

covid-19 vaccines — Samaritan's Purse administers COVID-19 vaccines in a church gym in Boone, North Carolina. Photos courtesy Samaritan's Purse

(RNS) — As Facebook posts go, it was pretty straightforward.

“ I have …been asked if Jesus were physically walking on earth now, would He be an advocate for vaccines,” wrote Franklin Graham in a Facebook post.

Graham’s answer? “I would have to say — yes, I think Jesus Christ would advocate for people using vaccines and medicines to treat suffering and save lives.”

The blowback was fast, and it was furious.

“Sorry, Brother. While other vaccines have been beneficial, I seriously doubt this vaccine is one of them,” was among the more tame responses.

“I’ll take the Oil and Wine, but NOT Experimental Gene Therapy,” wrote another.

“I just lost all respect for you spreading such garbage as saying Jesus would have taken that vaccine, that is a devilish lie!”

Graham, the son of the Rev. Billy Graham and the often-polarizing evangelist and missionary, doesn’t typically part company with his white evangelical audience.

But the March 24 post revealed a deep divide among evangelicals, many of whom are suspicious of COVID-19 vaccines. The comments correspond to a recent Pew Research poll that found only 54% of white evangelicals “definitely or probably” plan to get vaccinated — the lowest of any U.S. religious group.

Graham’s post kicked up a lot of dust, drawing 20,000 comments and nearly 10,000 shares. It was the top-three highest-performing Facebook posts the day it was posted. Though his supporters ultimately rallied online, the vituperative anti-vaxxers initially overpowered them.

Graham, however, has remained nonplussed.

“I can’t say anything without getting blowback from somebody,” said Graham, founder and president of Samaritan’s Purse, the globetrotting Christian humanitarian relief organization.

“The left will blow back; the right will blow back. The only way to make everybody happy is to keep your mouth shut. I’m not very good at that.”

But it also revealed the way Graham navigates his evangelical bonafides. Graham is public enemy No. 1 for LGBTQ people trying to secure equal treatment. He is hated by Democrats for his clarion defense of Donald Trump and Republican politics.

But when it comes to medicine, count Graham an advocate.

Part of it is his own family history.

His mother’s father, Dr. L. Nelson Bell, was a medical missionary to China.

“When the polio vaccine came out, he was asked to take charge of vaccinating the children in our small area of North Carolina,” Graham recounted of his grandfather. “They put a blue vaccine in a sugar cube. You put it in your mouth and that was it.”

Graham is now following in his footsteps.

In Boone, North Carolina, Samaritan’s Purse has partnered with the Watauga County Health Department, a local pharmacy and a local church to vaccinate 3,500 people.

This past year Samaritan’s Purse erected half a dozen mobile field hospitals across the world to treat people suffering from COVID-19. His staff at these tent hospitals work jointly with medical professionals from some of the best hospitals in the world.

And Graham has watched his own staff suffer from the coronavirus. His son, Edward, came down with COVID this past winter. So did Ken Isaacs, vice president of programs and government relations for Samaritan’s Purse.

“I’ve seen first hand what COVID will do and believe me, you do not want it,” Graham said. “It’s not the cold. It has a dark, ugly side to it.”

Graham said he will stop short of requiring all Samaritan’s Purse employees to get the vaccine. But he’s also clear that if his employees must travel, they may not be able to perform their jobs if they are not vaccinated, because some airlines won’t allow them to fly.

Graham said he’ll continue to advocate for vaccines and has been vaccinated himself — as has his family.

“Look how many people’s lives (vaccines) have saved? Millions of lives,” he said. “We’ve had smallpox, measles. The list goes on. I would encourage everyone to pray about it and consider it.”

This article originally appeared here.

6 Children’s Sermons for Parents to Use at Home This Easter

Christine Yount Jones

March 29, 2021

During this season while church gatherings are postponed, children’s ministry leaders and parents wonder what to do with the kids on Sunday morning. What about their children’s sermons? their Bible lessons? How will they keep learning?

We don’t know how long this season will last, but we do know that our children’s Christian education matters—whether we gather or not.

So what’s a parent to do? We’ve collected easy children’s sermons and Bible worksheets for you to do at home with your kids. These topics and Scriptures are perfectly lined up with the lectionary that many churches use. If your church doesn’t use the lectionary, that’s okay. These children’s sermons are good for every church or parent to use leading up to and after Easter.

6 Children’s Sermons for Parents to Use at Home

These children’s Bible lessons are easy. Kids will love them! And your kids’ Christian education does not have to be put on hold. Simply lead your kids in the children’s sermon each week. Then print out the worksheets and coloring pages for them to enjoy.

March 15: Jesus Heals a Blind Man

Theme: Glorifying God in everything
Scripture: John 9:1-13
Memory Verse: “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:5 (NIV)

In this children’s sermon, kids will learn about Fanny Crosby who was blinded when 6 weeks old. She grew up to write over 8,000 hymns and poems to praise and glorify God. Your kids will be inspired to glorify God in everything.

March 22: Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead

Theme: Jesus weeps with His children.
Scripture: John 11:1-45
Memory Verse: “Jesus wept.” John 11:35

Your children will see a little bottle that represents how God cares when we cry and when we’re sad. They will learn that God keeps all our tears in a bottle (Psalm 56:8). Kids will learn that Jesus cried when He saw all the people who were sad about Lazarus dying. And then Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead!

March 29: Palm Sunday: The King Is Coming

Theme: Palm Sunday
Scripture: Matthew 21:1-11
Memory Verse: “The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’ ” Matthew 21:9 (NIV)

Your kids will imagine what it would be like if the president came to town. How would they cheer? They will think about things they do today at a parade to celebrate important people. Then they will experience what people did when Jesus came to town on Palm Sunday.

April 5: An Easter Surprise

Theme: The Resurrection of Christ
Scripture: Matthew 28:1-10
Memory Verse: “But He is not here. He has risen from death as He said He would. Come and see the place where His body was.” Matthew 28:6 (ICB)

Your kids will find a little surprise inside of a cookie. And they’ll learn that when Mary Magdalene and Mary went to the tomb on Easter morning, they were very surprised. Jesus was no longer there! He had risen from the dead! (You can even have fun with your kids making these cookies—recipe included.)

April 12: Doubting Thomas Believes

Theme: Jesus has risen from the dead.
Scripture: John 20:19-31
Memory Verse: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29 (NIV)

Kids will hear some wild stories about almost unbelievable things that have happened. Like a weenie over 3,000 feet long!? They will also hear about how Thomas would not believe that Jesus was alive until he saw it for himself. They’ll learn that seeing isn’t always believing in a fun way.

April 19: The Road to Emmaus

Theme: Jesus reveals himself to His followers.
Scripture: Luke 24:13-35
Memory Verse: “When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.” Luke 24:30-31 (NIV)

You will blindfold your kids and have them guess who is talking. Your kids will see that it’s not always easy to know. Your kids will learn that two disciples did not recognize Jesus when they met Him on the road to Emmaus. And your kids will learn that Jesus wants us to know Him.

Want More Great Ideas for Easter? Check out these ideas.

Why Kids Are Misbehaving in Your Class (and How to Fix It)

Dale Hudson

March 29, 2021

There’s a reason why kids are misbehaving. And it might just be the opposite of what you’re thinking.

Do you have a hard time getting your class or small group at church to listen to you? Are they constantly talking out of turn, wiggling or interrupting you?

The “why” behind their misbehavior has more to do with what is happening during the week. On Sunday, you’re simply seeing the culmination of it.

So, what is happening during the week? One notable factor is kids are being play-deprived. When I use the term “play,” it does not mean playing video games, watching a YouTube video on a phone or a movie on Netflix. I mean playing pick-up baseball in someone’s backyard, building a fort in the woods, playing Barbie dolls with other girls in the neighborhood, etc.

Unsupervised play helps kids develop important people skills that they can use all their life. When they don’t get that, they have a harder time behaving.

Many kids are also not being given the opportunity to contribute to their family by doing chores like helping cook dinner, cleaning the house and doing yard work. Lofty goals like playing professional sports or being a movie star doesn’t render the same return as working in community.

Kids also have very little control over areas of their life. Many kids have parents who micromanage every detail of their life. This can lead to stress and lack of self-motivation. The more power you give them to make choices, the more they will step up.

Since many kids are not in empowering environments during the week, you have a great opportunity to provide that for kids at church. And out of that, you can give parents some great tools and tips about how they can do the same thing at home.

So, here are some practical tips for your class or small group.

Be a guide rather than a commander. Now you may be afraid of “giving up control of the classroom.” Don’t be. And be OK with a noisy classroom. It will be noisy and very active. Your role is to take the kids on a trip into God’s Word and then guide them through passages that are conducive for spiritual growth.

Be a facilitator rather than a lecturer. This is where choice comes in to play. As we stated earlier, kids have very little control in their life. They are constantly told what to do, when to do it and where to do it. Consider giving them several options for Bible activities, crafts, games, etc. and then let them choose what they want to do. After they are done, you can guide them through some review questions that will help them put what they learned into action.

Some parents are micro managers of their kid’s lives. Remind them that their job is to train up their children to leave. Success for a parent is bringing up a self-reliant child that can leave and build their own life and family.

Respond to kids’ misbehavior instead of reacting to it. Reacting is yelling. Reacting is immediate grounding for two weeks. Reacting is immediately removing privileges.

Responding is calmly talking with the child about contributing to the class through their actions. Responding is calmly talking with the child about collaborating with the other kids in their group. Responding is calling up the child to be a good example.

If we respond rather than react to kids’ misbehavior, then we’ll get the results we want.

This article originally appeared here.

Doubling the Value of a Pastor’s Ministry Expenses

Clergy Advantage

March 29, 2021

All ministers have ministry expenses. What many churches and ministers don’t realize is the value to a church and to a minister in implementing an Accountable Reimbursement Plan for ministry expenses, especially in light of recent tax law changes. It might sound complicated, but it’s very simple, doesn’t cost the church anything, and saves the minister significant tax. It directs 100% of the resources into ministry rather than making them subject to tax which decreases the amount being applied to ministry. Experience has shown us that an Accountable Reimbursement Plan can save a typical minister between $2,000 and $3,000 in tax each year.

Ministry expenses include all costs a minister incurs in the course of doing ministry. Common ministry expenses recognized by the IRS include mileage, business use of phone and internet, meals and home hospitality, gifts, supplies, continuing education, and conferences. Many churches cover some of these expenses through a budget line or reimbursement, but churches rarely cover all of the eligible ministry expenses often due to budget limitations. An Accountable Reimbursement Plan allows a minister to save considerable tax on unreimbursed ministry expenses.

Many ministers miss out on claiming legitimate tax deductions for ministry expenses because they don’t realize how much they are actually spending on eligible ministry expenses or they aren’t aware of all that the IRS allows to be claimed as ministry expenses. A common example is home hospitality. Many ministers host meetings, events, small groups, and bible studies in their home. All expenses related to this are eligible ministry expenses, rarely reimbursed by the church, which could save significant tax through an Accountable Reimbursement Plan.

A correctly functioning Accountable Reimbursement Plan can be as much as a 30% tax savings for many ministers. That’s because it provides a tax-free fringe benefit which allows a minister to save federal income tax, social security tax, and state tax on ministry expenses unreimbursed by the church. Saving that much tax greatly increases the amount that can be directed to ministry. Recent tax law changes no longer allow ministers to deduct ministry expenses as itemized deductions so this is the best option for many.

An Accountable Reimbursement Plan is a business model which is easily implemented by the church at no additional cost to the minister or church. It’s often as simple as restructuring ministers’ pay packages to designate some of their compensation as reimbursement for ministry expenses which they are already spending on eligible ministry costs. This increases the ministers’ take-home pay because they don’t have to pay unnecessary tax on the amount of these expenses.

Already have an Accountable Plan? Many churches have some kind of ministry expense plan but don’t understand the plan well or implement it fully. Some churches mistakenly limit ministry expenses or exclude some expenses. Not fully utilizing an Accountable Reimbursement Plan doesn’t make sense from the IRS standpoint and certainly not from a ministry growth standpoint.

Learn what to deduct, how much and discover other legitimate expenses that you may not be aware of with our free, “Ministry Business Expenses” video. If you don’t have an Accountable Reimbursement Plan yet or aren’t sure if what you’re using is set up or being used properly, check out this special opportunity for unlimited viewing of our “How to Set Up an Accountable plan” video with sample documents and forms. It can make a big difference for many ministers.

Hybrid Groups: The Best of Both Worlds

Ken Braddy

March 29, 2021

Hybrid Groups: The Best of Both Worlds

I am a golfer. At least I try to be.

I have loved playing the game since I was a kid. My grandfather introduced me to golf by giving me my first set of clubs. He took me to my first golf course at age 12.

Over the years I’ve taken lessons, bought equipment like bags, swing aids, and more. The best investment I ever made in equipment, though, were the times I purchased hybrid clubs.The hybrid club is on the left. You can see how it is designed to be easier to hit than the iron it replaces! It’s the best of both worlds!

Hybrid clubs came along a few years ago. What is a hybrid club? Glad you asked! A hybrid club combines the best features of an iron and a fairway wood. It’s like those two clubs had a baby. Golfers take a long iron, like a 4-iron, out of their bag (longer irons like 2, 3, and 4 irons are harder for average golfers to hit) and replace it with a 4-hybrid. The hybrid has the same loft as the iron it replaced, but it is easier to hit. Plus, it’s more versatile.

A hybrid club glides through taller grass, unlike its iron counterpart. Because of a lower center of gravity, hybrids help golfers get the ball high into the air. And around the green, hybrids can be used to chip the ball if needed. They really are the best of both worlds.

Let’s think about some hybrid options in your Bible study group. COVID has caused us to rethink many things about group Bible study. Some groups are back on church campus, others are not. Some groups are meeting online, others are not meeting at all. A hybrid Bible study group may be just what your church needs today. Groups can become hybrid groups in three ways:

Place a camera in the classroom and go online – Some groups have members and guests who are not able or willing to meet with other adults in a small-ish room on the church campus. Because of COVID, many groups learned to use online meeting tools like Zoom to continue to meet weekly for Bible study, prayer, and fellowship. I had lunch today with a group leader who uses his smartphone to broadcast his Bible study to members and guests who view it online. He also brings in a laptop so that on-campus group members can see the faces of the people who are participating virtually. These groups are going to operate in both the physical and virtual worlds. It’s a hybrid approach that is working for groups.
Rotate groups on and off campus – If your church doesn’t have room for all your adults to come back and still physically distance themselves, rotating groups may be your answer. In this hybrid approach, an adult group would meet off campus one week (in a home, park, backyard, etc.) and would then come to the church campus the next week to study the Bible together at church. While this does require clear communication and coordination (can you see some groups getting confused and appearing at church when it wasn’t their week? Me, too!) it is worth it to keep groups connected to the church, the campus, and others.
Provide physical and digital versions of Personal Study Guides – Another way that groups are becoming hybrid groups is by providing their members with either a digital Personal Study Guide or a physical copy of one. Some churches go so far as to provide both! By doing this, groups live in both the physical and digital worlds simultaneously.

COVID has changed things in group life, but I see ways that it has changed things for the better. I hope that your church and maybe even your Bible study group will consider a hybrid approach to Bible study.

This article originally appeared here.

What Is a Passover Seder?

6 Christian Baby Gift Ideas

1. Personalized Baby Gift Printable

2. Baby’s Hug-a-Bible

3. Child of God Onesie

4. The Wonder That is You

5. Jesus Loves Me Blanket

6. Praise Baby DVDs

Get Churchjuice’s “Best Church Websites of 2021” ebook! DOWNLOAD THE EBOOK

1. Menlo Church (California)

2. Redemption Church (Arizona)

3. Mosaic (California)

4. Bay Area Christian Church (California)

5. Mosaic Church (Virginia)

6. Flatirons Community Church (Colorado)

7. Sovereign Hope Church (Montana)

8. Cornerstone Church (Georgia)

9. North Point Community Church (Georgia)

10. Hope City Church (Alberta)

Learn what makes these websites great and how you can make a great church website in our latest ebook:

3 Perspectives on How to Start a Church with Little to no Money

1. Hugh Halter – Follow Jesus’ Example

2. David Hayward – Give Up Trying to Control Things

3. Michael Lukaszewski – Plan Ahead

A Bonus Bible Perspective

Here are the 3 main things I try to accomplish in every Bible study for middle schoolers:

1. Reinforce the story of Scripture.

2. Emphasize one main thing.

3. Leave middle schoolers with one key takeaway.

Naomi Zacharias Bids Her Team Farewell

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Critics Say Pastor James Coates Is Risking Lives

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How would the “Equality Act” threaten religious freedom and free speech?

How would the “Equality Act” threaten women?

What about the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA)—doesn’t that provide some protection for these groups?

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