Newsletters
Home Blog Page 715

500+ Faith Leaders Sign Open Letter Condemning Christian Nationalism

By
Jessica Lea
-
christian nationalism
Source: Tyler Merbler, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

More than 500 pastors and ministry leaders of diverse theological backgrounds have signed an open letter condemning Christian nationalism. The letter directly links Christian nationalism to the riots that occurred at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 and calls the ideology a “perversion of the Christian faith.”

“As leaders in the broad evangelical community, we recognize and condemn the role Christian Nationalism played in the violent, racist, anti-American insurrection at the United States Capitol on January 6,” says the letter. “We recognize the damage done by radicalized Christian Nationalism in the world, the church, and in the lives of individuals and communities.” 

The authors continue, “We know from experts on radicalization that one of the key elements is a belief that your actions are ‘blessed by God’ and ordained by your faith. This is what allows so many people who hold to a Christian Nationalism view to be radicalized. While we come from varied backgrounds and political stances, we stand together against the perversion of the Christian faith as we saw on January 6, 2021. We also stand against the theology and the conditions that led to the insurrection.”

Letter: Christian nationalism Is a Modern-Day Heresy

Christian nationalism is currently a much-discussed topic in evangelical circles. 

Christians Against Christian Nationalism, a group that exists independently of the open letter, offers an explanation of this ideology that says, “Christian nationalism demands Christianity be privileged by the State and implies that to be a good American, one must be Christian.” The ideals of Christian nationalism, the open letter pointedly states, are “heretical” and a threat to democracy and to orthodox Christianity. The authors offer specific examples of Christian nationalism from the Capitol riots:

On January 6 we saw the flags claiming Trump’s name, calling for violence, and raising the name of Jesus. We saw images of a police officer being beaten with an American flag and another being crushed in a doorway. We know an officer was murdered in the act of insurrection. We witnessed the cross and the gallow being erected. We saw and heard the prayer the insurrectionists prayed from the Senate desk in Jesus’ name. Many of us recognized the content, the structure, and the style of that prayer as matching our own churches and faith. But we reject this prayer being used to justify the violent act and attempted overthrow of the Government.

The letter’s authors cite Jesus’ statement in John 13:35 that “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” and state, “No Christian can defend the unChristlike behavior of those who committed the violence on January 6.”

christian nationalism

The letter also gives examples of Christian nationalism from American history, such as the fact that the Ku Klux Klan co-opted the cross as a symbol, as well as the riots in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. Say the authors, “Just as it was tragically inconsistent for Christians in the 20th Century to support the Ku Klux Klan and Nazi ideology, it is unthinkable for Christians to support the Proud Boys, Oathkeepers, QAnon, 3 Percenters, America Firsters, and similar groups.” 

The letter notes that throughout church history, when certain heresies have arisen, church leaders have held councils to evaluate and denounce those heresies and to affirm essential Christian truths. “It is in that spirit,” say the authors, “that we unite our voices to declare that there is a version of American nationalism that is trying to camouflage itself as Christianity—and it is a heretical version of our faith.”

The United States has “a long history of faith leaders accommodating white supremacy,” the authors warn. “We choose to speak out now because we do not want to be quiet accomplices in this on-going sin. But we also want to celebrate the long tradition of prophetic Christian witness in this nation that has challenged white supremacy and violent Christian nationalism.”

The letter’s authors call on ministry leaders in the U.S. to be vocal about their stance against Christian nationalism. “We urge faith leaders to engage pastorally with those who support or sympathize with these groups, and make it clear that our churches are not neutral about these matters: we are on the side of democracy, equality for all people, anti-racism, and the common good of all people.”

VeggieTales Creator Phil Vischer Calls Evangelicalism a ‘Hot Mess.’ He Hasn’t Given up Hope.

By
Bob Smietana
-
Holy Post
Screengrab YouTube

(RNS) — Phil Vischer was driving home from his studio and listening to NPR when he had another of his big ideas.

Vischer, the creator of “VeggieTales,” the animated series in which produce-aisle items act out Bible stories, says he often talks back to NPR’s stories — with his characteristic wisecracks, of course, but also with probing questions when he feels the reporter missed something.

“I was having some really interesting conversations with myself in my car,” said Vischer, the voice of “VeggieTales” host Bob the Tomato. “And then one day, I wondered if anyone else would like to listen in to these conversations?”

The answer, it turns out, is yes.

Since 2012, Vischer has recorded more than 440 episodes of the ” Holy Post,” a weekly podcast that he co-hosts with his friend, Christian author and speaker Skye Jethani. The show has also spawned videos about race, politics and the history of the evangelical movement, drawing millions of views.

While the early audience for “Holy Post” was largely made up of “VeggieTales” fans, in recent years the podcast has increasingly spoken to millennial evangelicals who have been turned off by developments in the movement — “VeggieTales kids,” Vischer calls them, whose spiritual development he still sees as his responsibility.

“They’re growing up and looking around at white evangelical Christianity in America, saying, ‘Gee, I liked it when Bob taught it, but I don’t think I like it anymore,'” he said. “I felt a bit of a responsibility to keep teaching the faith.”

The podcast and the videos are part of Vischer’s latest attempt to reinvent himself in the years following the collapse of the company behind “VeggieTales.” It’s still a work in progress, he told Religion News Service.

The inspiration for the “Holy Post” actually predates Vischer’s becoming a household name in evangelical Christian culture during the 1990s.  The Bible school dropout — he flunked chapel — first pitched a David Letterman style talk show for teens but no one bit. So he moved to another idea — making an animated show about talking vegetables that love Jesus.

That idea hit at just the right time.

In 1993, when “Where Is God When I’m S-Scared?” — the first “VeggieTales” episode — debuted on VHS, Christian retail and videocassette sales were both booming. The annual Christian Booksellers Association meeting drew more than 12,000 people that year, including representatives from more than 2,600 stores, according to a history of the CBA.

Vischer’s Big Idea Productions eventually grew to 200 employees and $40 million in annual sales. But the company grew too big too fast, causing cash flow problems. The company’s first Hollywood film, “Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie” did well at the box office but wasn’t a major hit. Then the company lost an $11 million lawsuit filed by distributor Lyrick Studio for breaking an agreement.

10 Ministry Questions You Should Ask Yourself Each Week

By
Dale Hudson
-
communicating with the unchurched

As you lead in children and family ministry, it’s crucial to be self-aware and to keep asking yourself questions that will help you stay on course.  We often talk about having an accountability partner and that is a great thing.  But it’s also just as important to keep yourself in check.  And one of the best ways to do this is to ask yourself questions each week and act upon the answers you get.

Here are 10 questions you can ask yourself each week:

1. How is my relationship with Jesus?  Am I growing spiritually?  Is my heart in tune with His?  How much time have I spent with Him this week?

2. Who did I invest time into this week?  Who am I equipping?  Who am I pouring into?

3. Where do I see God working in our ministry?  What is He doing among us?

4. Who did I invite to serve this week?

5. What do we need to change or stop doing?

6. How have I partnered with parents this week?

7. How much have I invested in myself this week?  What book am I reading?  What podcast have I listened to?  What articles have I read?

8. Who have I shared the Gospel with this week?

9. Did I go outside my comfort zone this week?  Am I becoming lackadaisical or am I reaching and pressing forward?

10. How did I pass on the faith to the next generation this week?

Once you’ve answered these questions, create some actions steps you can take to improve and grow.

Your turn.  What are some questions you ask yourself on a regular basis?  Share your question(s) in the comment section below. 

p.s. Grow yourself as a leader by reading the book “Lead Well in Children’s Ministry.”  Over 300 pages of insight and wisdom to help  you lead well.   It’s available at this link.

This article originally appeared here.

Churches Shouldn’t Have a Fourth Wall

By
Mike Leake
-
communicating with the unchurched

Churches Shouldn’t Have a Fourth Wall

It’s the late 70s and you’re an up and coming television host with a new morning show. You’ve booked an icon in Judy Collins. She comes on the stage, takes a deep breath, sings into the microphone….nothing. What do you do?

If you’re David Letterman and crew you use it as an opportunity. Letterman came onto the stage and said, “You know, ladies and gentleman, what you have just witnessed is a screw up.” And as his biographer noted:

“And instead of getting angry, Letterman came across as light on his feet…It broke the fourth wall by adding an element of self-awareness. It also set a precedent.” (Zinoman, 61)

The fourth wall is the imaginary wall which separates those on stage with the audience. It’s incredibly common in our day for actors to break the fourth wall and directly talk to the camera/audience. But it wasn’t so common in the earlier days of television. Letterman was somewhat of a pioneer in this regard. He wasn’t the first to break the fourth wall—but he might have been the first one to break it as a mockery of his own industry.

This had me thinking about the fourth wall and how it relates to the gathering of the local church. I’ve been in churches where something like the Judy Collins incident would have ended with the sound guy being fired. I’ve known of churches where the effectiveness of the Sunday morning “performance” was measured by things like the smoothness of transitions.

I guess I’m a bit like Letterman in that a hallmark of my ministry has always been kicking against the smoothness of delivery. I think I have even inadvertently made our churches tagline “we do awkward well”. There is a self-awareness, an ability to laugh at ourselves, that I believe is vital to authentic Christian community.

I am awkward.

For me to pretend like I’m slick at giving announcements would be to betray who I am. I try. I give it 110% but at the end of the day I’m going to end up putting phrases together in weird ways that leaves people more confused than not. It happened yesterday. I was trying to make an announcement encouraging folks to give towards the possibility of having a string quartet at our Easter celebration. People thought I was trying to collect strings. So I acknowledged that I was awkward and that my announcement was going terribly.

My worldview actually informs this. I believe God relates to us as we authentically are. He doesn’t relate to the fake self that we are trying to project. That person doesn’t actually exist. He relates to you as you are. So my hope in being vulnerable with my own awkwardness is to create a culture where we don’t have a fourth-wall in our own lives.

There might be those who roll their eyes at my awkwardness. Some might even bemoan my lack of “professionalism”. But I’ll take that if somehow my awkwardness can communicate with people who have never felt heard or understood. If it can help create a culture where we are authentically human and awkwardly relating to Jesus—but doing so wholeheartedly—then its worth it.

And this is why I love Calvary of Neosho. God has placed me with a bunch of other awkward Jesus-followers. I love seeing people relate to one another as they actually are. I love seeing honesty in struggles and success. I love seeing fourth walls crumble in the lives around me. Because it’s here, in the lives we actually live, that we can really encounter Jesus. It’s here, in a gathered church without a fourth wall, that we can really live out the one another’s of the Bible.

I break that fourth wall on Sunday morning because it’s necessary for Monday morning discipleship.

This article originally appeared here.

3 Ways We Parents Wrongly Teach Kids to Earn God’s Approval

By
Eric Geiger
-
communicating with the unchurched

As parents we hate to see our kids live with the burden of trying to gain approval. Or worrying if they are going to be accepted by their looks, their dress, their performance. Or struggling with the pain of wondering if others will love and accept them.

As Christian parents we know we have a message of approval, so we declare that message to our kids. Messages like, “God loves you period. There is nothing you will do that will make me love you more than I already do. You don’t have to earn God’s love or my love. You already have it.” Those are the messages we so badly want our kids to hold tightly to in a world filled with the pressure to achieve and fit in.

We declare those messages because we believe them. We know those messages personally. We know we are loved. We know we stand right before God because of Jesus’ sacrifice for us. The glorious good news of the Christian faith is that because of Jesus we are approved by God and don’t live with the impossible burden of earning God’s approval. We now live because we have already been approved not so that we will be approved.

Yet even in the midst of our good and true declarations, there are subtle things we can do as parents that undermine the message we are declaring. There are things we can do that contradict the message of grace; things we can do that cast doubt on the good news that our kids are already approved. Here are three ways we wrongly teach our kids that they have to earn God’s approval.

1. By finding our approval in their performance

If parents find their worth in how their kids perform on a field or in the classroom then how can those kids be expected to find their worth in something else? If parents find approval from their peers based on what college their high school senior gets accepted into then how can we think those high school seniors aren’t going to find their approval in their college acceptance process? Our kids often mirror back to us our own struggles and if we are still seeking to earn approval through the things of this world, that message is heard loud and clear by our kids.

2. By needing their approval

If we need the approval of our kids to feel alive and important and as if our lives matter, then our kids will inevitably sense that in us. They will sense our striving for their approval and wonder what is lacking in our lives that causes us to need them to like us. One of the best ways to teach our kids to live from a posture of already being approved by God is for us to parent from a posture of already being approved by God. When we parent with the humble confidence that our identity is secure no matter how our kids behave we give our kids a picture of resting in the approval that has already been given.

3. By teaching character over Christ

If we approach the Bible with our kids as a moral guide to learn character traits, we teach them the Bible wrongly. The Bible is fundamentally one story about God coming to rescue us because we cannot rescue ourselves with our moral character. Yes, there are great lessons in the Scripture but the main hero of the Scripture is Jesus.

Sadly, people can use the Bible to teach kids to behave rather than teaching them the beauty of Jesus. And teaching our kids to behave apart from their hearts being transformed by Jesus is to enslave them with commands they will be unable to follow and character traits they will be unable to emulate. They must meet Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. They need to see that Jesus came here for them, and did not give them a map on how they could earn His approval.

This article originally appeared here.

TobyMac Releases First Song of Hope Since Son’s Passing

By
Jesse T. Jackson
-
communicating with the unchurched

Earlier this month, Christian artist TobyMac performed in one of the first indoor arena concert tours in America (socially distanced, of course) since the pandemic halted all music tours of any kind.

Last week, the DC Talk notable and one of Christian music’s most popular artists released his first single of 2021 titled “Help Is On The Way (Maybe Midnight)” along with a brand new music video. The seven-time Grammy winner told Reel Faith’s DeWayne Hamby that after the sudden death of his eldest son Truett in October 2019, he did nothing for a few months.

When he was able to return to the studio his creativity was stuck in what he called “sad, teary-eyed ballad-y songs.” The tone can be heard in the single “21 Years,” which he released less than three months after Truett’s passing. TobyMac said he recalled calling out to God asking “What is going on? Is that all I’m going to be able to write? For the rest of my life?”

TobyMac’s new song was inspired by a verse in Psalms 98. In The Message translation, Psalm 98 says God “rolled up his sleeves. He set things right,” referring to God coming to our rescue. “God is rolling up his sleeves. Help is on the way,” TobyMac wrote on Instagram, “It’s like the promise of God…the God of all creation rolling up His sleeves on my behalf…our behalf. It felt like promise to me.”

The lyrics from ‘Help Is On The Way (Maybe Midnight)” read, Well, I seen my share o’ troubles But the Lord ain’t failed me yet So I’m holdin’ onto the promise, y’all That He’s rollin’ up His sleeves again. 

    A post shared by TobyMac (@tobymac)

TobyMac explains that writing the song with and co-writer Micah Kuiper in December represented the first time he could express the sporadic feelings of hope he’d felt since Truett’s death “in an artistic, creative way.” It was the first time he could “scream hope from the mountaintop,” the musician explained. 

This has been a season of reflection, TobyMac explained, which has provided more time with his wife and kids. Over the past year, TobyMac says he’s had more time than he has ever had due to his not touring or being in the studio as much. While the musician says he’s “grateful” for the time, the last two years have been rough for his family with the death of his son, the death of his sister, and the loss of touring incoming due to the pandemic.

TobyMac plans to continue spreading the gospel and “screaming hope” to everyone he comes in contact with. He and his Diverse City band are scheduled to start Drive-In Theater Tour in March after the completion of their current Hits Deep Tour.

Planned Parenthood Sets Records With 354,871 Abortions, $618.1 Million in Govt Funding

By
Jessica Lea
-
abortions
Source: Robin Marty on Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Planned Parenthood performed a record 354,871 abortions in 2019-2020 and received a record $618.1 million in government funding. This occurred despite the fact that the organization is no longer participating in Title X and in a year when the U.S. implemented widespread lockdowns.

“Planned Parenthood’s business is abortion, not health care,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the pro-life non-profit, Susan B. Anthony List. Responding to Planned Parenthood’s 2019-2020 Annual Report, Dannenfelser said. “At a time when U.S. abortions overall have long been on the decline, Planned Parenthood is ending the lives of more than 354,000 unborn children a year. With Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the White House, we can expect this alarming trend to continue.” 

Number of Abortions Up, Despite Pandemic 

There is no doubt that the Biden administration is staunchly pro-choice, but it is nevertheless the case that these record highs in abortions and tax-payer funding took place while Donald Trump was in office and despite the fact that Planned Parenthood withdrew from Title X in August 2019. Planned Parenthood made this decision after the Trump administration released rules earlier that year that, with certain exceptions, prohibited Title X participants from providing abortions or from referring patients to get abortions. The Supreme Court of the United States will hear a set of cases this year challenging the Trump administration’s limitations to Title X; Planned Parenthood is a plaintiff in at least one of the cases.

To illustrate the significance of Planned Parenthood’s latest annual report, what follows is a list of the number of abortion services Planned Parenthood has reported every year, starting with 2011-2012. The list also includes the amount of government funding the organization has received each year and its percentage of Planned Parenthood’s total revenue. Note that abortion is not the only service Planned Parenthood provides, and the organization receives funding from private donors and other non-government sources. 

Planned Parenthood 2019-2020 Annual Report
-354,871 abortions
-$618.1 million in government funding, 38 percent of total revenue

Planned Parenthood 2018-2019 Annual Report
-345,672 abortions
-$616.8 million in government funding, 37 percent of total revenue

Planned Parenthood 2017-2018 Annual Report
-332,757 abortions
-$563.8 million in government funding, 34 percent of total revenue

Planned Parenthood 2016-2017 Annual Report
-321,384 abortions
-$543.7 million in government funding, 37 percent of total revenue

Planned Parenthood 2015-2016 Annual Report
-328,348 abortions
-$554.6 million in government funding, 41 percent of total revenue

Planned Parenthood 2014-2015 Annual Report
-323,999 abortions
-$553.7 million in government funding, 43 percent of total revenue

Planned Parenthood 2013-2014 Annual Report
-327,653 abortions
-$528.4 million in government funding, 41 percent of total revenue

Planned Parenthood 2012-2013 Annual Report
-327,166 abortions
-$540.6 million in government funding, 45 percent of total revenue

Planned Parenthood 2012-2013 Annual Report
-333,964 abortions
-$542.4 million in government funding, 45 percent of total revenue

Explainer: What You Need to Know About the Equality Act

By
Stephanie Martin
-
communicating with the unchurched

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on a controversial bill known as the Equality Act. The proposed legislation, officially known as H.R. 5, would substantially expand discrimination protections on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Opponents, however, warn that it threatens religious liberty, harms women and girls, and promotes abortion extremism. 

President Biden has identified the Equality Act as a legislative priority for his first 100 days in office. Passage of the landmark legislation, he said before being elected, is “essential to ensuring that no future president can ever again roll back civil rights and protections for LGBTQ+ individuals.”

During the previous session of Congress, the bill passed in the House but not the Senate. Although it’s likely to pass in the House again this year, the legislation as written is expected to fall short of the 60-vote threshold needed to overcome a Senate filibuster.

Here’s an overview of the Equality Act, as well as arguments for and against it.

What the Equality Act Entails

This sweeping legislation would ban discrimination against sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), adding those two categories to classes currently protected by the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The Equality Act would expand protections beyond employment and housing to all “public accommodations,” which could include everything from retail stores and funeral parlors to adoption agencies and homeless shelters.

Because the legislation has few religious exemptions, say experts, even if an organization receives no federal funding it could be subject to the provisions. Under the Equality Act, organizations wouldn’t be able to use the 1993 Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) to challenge or defend against claims of SOGI discrimination.

The legislation also gives people the right to use facilities based on the gender with which they self-identify. “An individual shall not be denied access to a shared facility, including a restroom, a locker room, and a dressing room, that is in accordance with the individual’s gender identity,” the bill reads.

Supporters Cite the Need for Safeguards

LGBTQ advocates say the Equality Act would provide overdue protections by codifying the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2020 Bostock ruling. Without overarching federal safeguards, they say, LGBTQ individuals are at the mercy of a patchwork of state laws. According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), 27 states have no anti-discriminatory laws; meanwhile, two-thirds of LGBTQ people report experiencing discrimination.

“Decades of civil rights history show that civil rights laws are effective in decreasing discrimination because they provide strong federal remedies targeted to specific vulnerable groups,” states HRC. “By explicitly including sexual orientation and gender identity in these fundamental laws, LGBTQ people will finally be afforded the exact same protections as other covered characteristics under federal law.” More than 600 organizations have endorsed the legislation, according to HRC.

Opponents: Religious Rights Are at Stake

People opposed to the Equality Act, including many evangelical Christians, lambaste it as overreaching and dangerous. They call it a setback for women’s rights and the pro-life movement and say it eliminates freedom of conscience, meaning that individuals and institutions might be forced to choose between their beliefs and their work. Hiring practices could be affected, as could policies on everything from pronoun use to single-sex college dormitories.

Four SBC Churches Disfellowshipped for Abuse and LGBTQ Membership

By
Bob Smietana
-
communicating with the unchurched

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) —  Four churches were disfellowshipped by the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee on Tuesday (Feb. 23).

The denomination’s credentials committee determined that four congregations are “no longer in friendly cooperation” with the denomination. Those churches are Towne View Baptist Church in Kennesaw, Georgia; St. Matthews Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky; Antioch Baptist Church in Sevierville, Tennessee; and West Side Baptist Church in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania.

Meeting in executive session, the Executive Committee voted to remove all four churches.

Towne View and St. Matthews were removed for “affirming homosexual behavior” in their standards for members and leaders.

Antioch Baptist Church “knowingly employs as pastor a man convicted of statutory rape,” according to the credentials committee. That committee also told the Executive Committee members that West Side Baptist “knowingly employs as pastor a registered sex offender.”

St. Matthews was previously removed from the Kentucky Baptist Convention in 2018 for its support of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, after the CBF decided to allow some gay employees, according to the Louisville Courier Journal.

Towne View was notified earlier this year that the Executive Committee would review its status. At issue is Towne View’s decision to affirm John and John M. Reynolds as full members.

“We felt strongly that we wanted our boys to have the opportunity to attend a Bible-based church,” John M. Reynolds told Religion News Service earlier this year, “to have the best opportunity to develop their own personal relationship with God.”

The Reynoldses have since moved and are no longer at the church.

Executive Committee members also received a report from a task force that investigated the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. That report concluded that the ERLC was a distraction for the SBC and its actions had led to a loss of donations. The committee took no action on the report.

Executive Committee member Rod Martin, a noted critic of ERLC President Russell Moore, asked if the agency was still needed, given that the denomination faces division on a number of issues and the ERLC does not focus primarily on evangelism or missions.

West Side, St. Matthews and Antioch did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This article originally appeared on ReligionNews.com.

Social Security and the Minister: What It Means to “Opt Out” 

By
Clergy Advantage
-
communicating with the unchurched

Social Security issues for ministers and their ability to opt out of Social Security on their ministry income is so different than for secular employees. It’s very important to a minister’s financial future to understand Social Security and what the rules and consequences are for any action. 

For that reason, we offer a comprehensive video on our website that is free to all. We encourage ministers to consult a Clergy tax or financial advisor before making any major financial decision, but planning cannot be overemphasized when considering the long-term effects of a minister “opting out” of Social Security. For now, we’ll try to clear up some common misconceptions.

Let’s start with the two qualifying factors to opting out to begin the conversation:

  1. A minister must be licensed, commissioned, or ordained. 
  2. This decision MUST be for religious reasons and applied for within 2 years of your initial ordination. 

If you qualify as a minister, you can opt not to pay Social Security tax on future ministry earnings. If you choose to “opt out” and already have your 40 quarters OR if your spouse has or will have 40 quarters, you ARE still eligible to receive social security benefits. You will still be eligible to receive whatever benefits you have already accrued. If your spouse has or will have 40 quarters, you are automatically eligible for HALF of their benefits, regardless of how much social security tax you have paid.

How Are “40 Quarters” Determined?

As an individual works and pays taxes, they earn Social Security “credits.” In 2021, you earn one credit for each $1,470 in earnings — up to a maximum of four credits per year.  The amount of money needed to earn one credit usually goes up every year. Most people need 10 years of work to accrue 40 credits to qualify for benefits. 

It’s important to realize that Social Security benefits only replace some of your earnings when you retire, become disabled, or die. Social Security can be very helpful for many but not critical if the minister plans carefully to compensate the loss of those benefits. The “Old” age pension, California Medicare Advantage insurance, life insurance and disability insurance are the major benefits of Social Security. So, planning to compensate for lost benefits in these areas is especially critical if one opts out.

It’s a Tax, Not a Retirement Account.

Another important take away here is that Social Security should not be considered an investment for retirement. It’s a tax (currently at 15.3% and incidentally, the largest tax many ministers pay). Some of that tax you pay is returned to you under specific circumstances like old age, but don’t confuse it with retirement planning. It’s rarely adequate for most individual’s retirement needs by itself and especially for ministers who have so many more retirement advantages available regardless of which option you choose. A clergy retirement specialist or tax advisor can help you reduce social security tax and even state and federal tax with a proper retirement plan.

Whether you decide for religious reasons to opt out or stay in, you need qualified clergy advisors to prepare adequately for the future. If you do opt out, you MUST plan to replace the lost benefits. Using all of your clergy tax advantages in a holistic plan to help build wealth or form a strategy to compensate for the loss of Social Security benefits will make a huge difference in your future and financial wellbeing.

View our free video, “The Minister and Social Security” for complete details on all facets of this issue as it affects ministers.

Jason Sobel: How to Read the Bible in High Definition

By
Jason Daye
-
communicating with the unchurched

Jason Sobel grew up in a Jewish family in New Jersey and has spent much of his life in pursuit of truth and connection with God. After he encountered the Lord, he found his purpose as a Jewish follower of Jesus. Jason is the founder of Fusion Global, a ministry that seeks to bring people into the full inheritance of the faith by connecting treasures of the old and the new. He is the co-author with Kathie Lee Gifford of the New York Times best-seller, The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi: My Journey into the Heart of Scriptural Faith and the Land Where It All Began. His newest book, entitled Mysteries of the Messiah: Unveiling Divine Connections from Genesis to Today, is available now.

Other Ways to Listen to this Podcast with Jason Sobel

► Listen on Apple
► Listen on GooglePlay
► Listen on Spotify
► Listen on Stitcher
► Listen on YouTube

Key Questions for Jason Sobel

-How did you come to put your faith in Jesus?

-Why do you value the mysteriousness of God, and why is that quality so important in our journey with him?

-Why do many people not appreciate how the Old Testament and New Testament fit together? How can church leaders help people deepen their appreciation for the connection between the testaments?

-Do you have any cautions for pastors as they try to make connections between the Old and New Testaments?

Key Quotes from Jason Sobel:

“I lost most of my family during the Holocaust, so being Jewish was something that was really important.”

“I had this encounter with this King, high and lifted up in this glorious light, and I didn’t know anything about Jesus, but I knew that was him sitting on that throne, and he told me I was called to serve him. Now, I had no idea what that meant, for a Jewish kid from New Jersey to serve Jesus.”

“I was blown away by how Jewish [the New Testament] was.”

“I gave my life to him, and I was completely transformed…it’s been a crazy journey.”

“There has been a loss of wonder…We have to restore this wonder and this mystery.”

“I like to describe the Scriptures as an ocean. It’s shallow enough that anyone can wade in it and enjoy, but it’s so deep that you can never plumb the depths of it.”

Learn How to ‘Adult’ Before You ‘Missionary’

By
Alex Kocman
-
communicating with the unchurched

Every head bowed, every eye closed. Good. Now, do you feel a stirring deep in your soul when I talk about missions? If so, stand up.

If you’ve spent any time in evangelicalism, you know all too well this familiar scene, when the trajectory of one’s life boils down to a single, mystical moment as the band ascends the stage and a synth pad drones in the background.

January isn’t just the season of resolutions, frigid temps and caloric deficits. It’s also conference season in the evangelical world. And for many college-age believers, it’s a chance to double-down on their spirituality, arms high and heart abandoned in a sea of like-minded students.

I’m not against conferences—many of them I love. I work conferences regularly, I am friends with those involved, and I even attended a Christian university where our thrice-weekly chapel was itself a literal arena event. But the problem with spiritual mountaintop experiences, like any other high, is that there’s always a low. Just as the demon-riddled lowland greeted the disciples after the transfiguration, the monotonous valley of everyday life never lags too far behind the final chorus. This is normal. And it wouldn’t be a problem at all, in fact, if it weren’t so radically divergent from the enchanting bill of goods the Christian conference cottage industry often sells young adults.

Many conferences rally young people to do extraordinary, counter-cultural, radical things for the kingdom. High school, college and seminary students are exhorted to do anything but settle for a predictable, cozy existence. The drumbeat, intentional or not, is risk, run, burn out and die for Jesus.

This, admittedly, is what many young people—and the rest of us—probably need in order to pierce through the haze of apathy that envelops our cushy American lifestyles. But I doubt if such rhetoric always represents the counsel most fitting for current college students.

Generational Trends

Christian college students are far from immune to the cultural trends affecting Generation Z (defined, after Millennials, as those born after 1997).

College students need to learn to “adult” before they “missionary.”

I’m not saying that all students born after 1997 are delinquents. Such a claim would be absurd. I am saying, however, that our pastoral rush toward the “radical” rally-cry exposes a gap in our discipleship track: ordinary faithfulness.

Faithfulness First

When I was a biblical studies student at my Christian university, I bought into the logic of extraordinary Christian living. I rushed to finish my undergrad in two years, convinced I had a far more glamorous calling awaiting someplace in which my talents and I would finally be recognized as God’s gift to the world. God needed me, after all.

Wide-eyed for ministry, I eagerly proposed to my girlfriend, and we made plans to begin our adventure right after college. But with precious little professional experience at my unripe age, having pigeonholed myself as a professional evangelical, my ambitions backfired, and I quickly found myself scrambling for ministry jobs to no avail.

The best pieces of advice I received during that season of life came from two respected guys on campus, both a few years my senior. My first friend brought me to 1 Chronicles 21, where David, relying on his own achievements, orders an unsanctioned census of Israel, incurring national judgment. In spite of David’s hubris, God mercifully lessens the severity of the punishment (v. 15), an act of mercy that literally lays the foundation for the temple (v. 28; cf. 22:1). In this, the Lord reminded me that knuckleheaded decisions have consequences—and God is gracious anyway.

The second guy simply reminded me of Luke 16:10: “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much” (ESV). At a season in life when I was looking for my big break—to burn out for Jesus in a proverbial blaze of glory—I needed to focus on ordinary, menial obedience.

I wanted to win the world, but I needed to get a job. I wanted to preach, but I needed to do the dishes. My calling was simply to do the next thing, what Eugene Peterson called “a long obedience in the same direction.”

Starting Small

Hell is real, Jesus saves, souls are in the balance, and time is short. The oft-posed Monday morning question, of course, is, what next?

If we do not disciple the up-and-coming generation with an understanding of obedience in the ordinary, we will produce fickle missionaries at best. Full-time ministry—in any culture—is, after all, the sum of a hundred ordinary days at the office, church budget meetings and sermon prep sessions after the kids have gone to bed.

While we challenge young people to live lives of eternal significance, our counsel must also include:

  • Join a church. (As a member.) Submit to elders. Serve faithfully. Do jobs nobody else wants.
  • Make a budget. Limit your expenditures. Live below your means.
  • Get a job. Develop a good rapport before the watching world. Make yourself useful to other people. Contribute to society.
  • Tithe. Give above a tithe. Save money. Pay off your loans.
  • If you want to get married, stop playing juvenile dating games and get married. Learn to love a spouse, raise children and die to self.
  • Exercise. Eat right. Lose weight if you need to lose weight. Gain weight if you need to gain it. Pick a goal and strain to reach it.
  • Read your Bible every day. Know it by heart. Master it, and be mastered by it. Abide in Christ.
  • Pray fervently. Make disciples locally. Preach the gospel in your Jerusalem.

I’m not saying that full-time ministry is reserved for those who have reached the pinnacle of human perfection. God graciously uses us in our mess—just as he redeemed my boneheadedness in college, and redeems my daily boneheadedness now.

But adulthood is a baseline qualification, not the pinnacle. It takes no super-saint to have a spiritual experience while the music reaches crescendo in a room of thousand; the proof is in the life that follows. We should be able to say, with Paul, “When I became a man, I gave up childish ways” (1 Corinthians 13:11). Rally-cries have their role, but God’s program for our lives always winds through lengthy valleys of ordinary faithfulness. This requirement is intrinsically good and is divinely hard-wired into the sanctification process for our maximal maturity and God’s greatest glory.

If we aspire to ministry greatness or missionary success, we must first be made small. If we cannot be faithful with the “little” of adulthood, we will surely be unfaithful with the “much” of mission.

This article originally appeared here.

4 Ways to Live Wisely Through a Season of Being Overwhelmed

By
Eric Geiger
-
communicating with the unchurched

According to Gallup’s research the only people whose mental health increased from 2019 to 2020 are those who attend church every week. Other than those people, mental health reached a twenty-year low in 2020. No one was surprised. 2020 was filled with news and moments that angered, scared, and frustrated people. We dealt with those moments while also having some of the predictors for strong mental health missing from our lives.

In the midst of a global pandemic several predictors of strong mental health were removed from us: exercise, community, and meaningful work. Gyms were closed, people were told to isolate from one another, and work was altered for many with the changes ranging from job loss to remote work. For decades doctors, researches, and counselors told us the importance of these disciplines on our mental health. When they were ripped from us, how could we not expect that mental health would sharply decline?

This has been a season of being overwhelmed for many people, including leaders who wrestle with how to serve their ministries and organizations well in the midst of such differing viewpoints on a plethora of issues.

I am thankful for close friends who have encouraged me to not passively watch myself experience being overwhelmed but to play offense for my own soul so that I can be as healthy as possible for my family and the people I serve. The same predictors of strong mental health that were removed from us can and should be used to wisely care for oneself in the midst of being overwhelmed.

1. Exercise: Move your body.

I have made the mistake of lessening my exercise when I feel overwhelmed, thinking that if I spent more time thinking on a particular issue that I would be less overwhelmed. Big mistake. According to the research-based book Spark, consistent exercise is like medication for your brain. More than I exercise for my body, I exercise for my mind.

2. Community: Be with others who care for you.

“I feel like I am seeing my son come alive again.” “Thank you for having groups for teenagers. My daughter is finally returning to herself.” These comments came from parents of high school students when we launched student groups in the midst of COVID. Isolation damages us. This is not just for high school students, but for all of us – leaders included. An isolated leader is a leader with an injured soul. In the last year, I have spent a few days with other ministry leaders I love and respect, good friends I cherish, and God has used each time to refresh me and encourage me.

3. Work: Do all for the glory of God.

In his book, Lost Connections, Johann Hari cites research that indicates jobs with high-expectations don’t cause the most stress; jobs without meaning cause the most stress. Good news for the Christian: work can be meaningful because of who we ultimately work for.

4. Rest: Find your rhythm of rest.

Some really great personal rhythms of rest were deeply disrupted in my life in 2020, as was the case for many of us. One example: Kaye and I would spend hours together on Fridays while the kids were in school. We would walk, have lunch together, take a nap, and pick the kids up from school. Was awesome. And then schools were closed and we lost that day. The effect of losing that day was not felt immediately, but it compounded. When we realized it, we had to quickly establish some new rhythms of rest.

The list is not exhaustive. Counseling and therapy are also really helpful and good. But these four predictors were deeply altered for many of us in the last year, and these four have been routinely recognized as important to our mental health. We need these more, not less, when we are in seasons of being overwhelmed.

This article originally appeared here.

Modernize Your Church’s Digital Signage With OptiSigns Digital Signage

By
OptiSigns
-
communicating with the unchurched

With OptiSigns simple digital signage solution, turn any TVs into digital signs by using an Amazon FireStick or one of our preconfigured devices.

$10/MONTH/SCREEN AND CHURCHES

ENJOY 25% OFF

Manage remotely from a central dashboard. Choose from 100+ Apps and 500+ Templates. Supports formats ranging from images, videos, playlists, Google Slides, Weather, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and more.

Remotely create and edit screens using the drag and drop interface. All changes made are synchronized across screens in real time.

Display any images, videos, or documents on digital signs by uploading them to the OptiSigns portal.

Use the calendar tool to schedule when specific content will be displayed and create custom playlists made up of various screen transitions.

Already streaming? Automatically push it to your overflow room with our YouTube Live, Facebook Live and Vimeo apps.

Use QR code to help your congregation easily RSPV for events, follow your social media, share feedback and more.

Collaborate in creating and managing your signs by integrating to apps that they are already familiar with: Google Slides, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.

Advanced Analytics, playback reporting. Use our dashboard report or export data to create your own.

 

 

J.D. Greear: Closet Racists Should Not Feel More at Home With Us Than People of Color

By
Jessica Lea
-
communicating with the unchurched

J.D. Greear admonished leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) not to let their political leanings or arguments over critical race theory (CRT) distract them from the gospel. Greear said he sees behavior in the SBC similar to that of the Pharisees, whom Jesus harshly rebuked.  

“Let me state this very clearly, as clearly as I can,” said Greear in an address to the executive committee of the Southern Baptist Convention. “Critical race theory is an important discussion, and I am all for, as I hope you would be, robust theological discussion about it. For something as important as what biblical justice looks like in the world today, we need careful, robust, Bibles-open-on-our-knees discussion. But we should mourn when closet racists and neo-Confederates feel more at home in our churches than do many of our people of color.”

Greear, who is president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and pastor of The Summit Church, directed much of his concern at how the SBC is engaging with race. But he also warned the denomination against letting politics distract them from the primacy of the gospel. 

“We are not, at our core, a political activism group,” he said. “God has not called us to save America. He has called us to build the church and to spread the gospel, and that is our primary mission.”

J.D. Greear: We Are Straining Out a Gnat to Swallow a Camel

The Southern Baptist Convention, along with much of evangelicalism, has been roiled with controversy lately over the issue of critical race theory. At the end of last year, the presidents (all of whom are white) of the SBC’s six seminaries issued a statement denouncing racism while stating that CRT is “incompatible with the Baptist Faith & Message.” Greear supported the statement at the time, although the SBC later apologized for denouncing CRT without consulting any SBC leaders of color.

The statement, however, deeply concerned many Black leaders in the SBC. Rev. Ralph D. West, founder and pastor of Church Without Walls in Houston, Texas, cut ties with the SBC entirely. Dwight McKissic, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, has expressed concerns. McKissic’s church remains in the SBC, but has pulled out of one of the conventions with which it was affiliated. Other Black pastors, including Dr. Tony Evans, have said that while they do not embrace CRT in its entirety, they believe that aspects of it can be helpful. 

Prior to the controversy over the seminary presidents’ statement, other prominent pastors of color, such as John Onwuchekwa, left the SBC over how the denomination has failed to engage well with racial issues. In his explanation of why he decided to leave the SBC, Onwuchekwa said, “The SBC is not teaching its members to deal effectively with these issues. Its silence is deafening to those of us who feel the effects of this oppression every day. And those people are in my neighborhood. They are in my church. They are my brothers and sisters. They are me.”

In his address on Monday, which he called, “Leading in a Crisis,” Greear clarified that the crisis he is referring to is not the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather, the crisis is the uncertainty the SBC is facing over the denomination’s purpose and identity. While Greear does not believe there needs to be any changes made in the denomination regarding the gospel or its mission, he does believe that there needs to be some serious changes in how the SBC lives out the gospel in its culture. He said, “Gospel doctrine and gospel mission without gospel culture is sterile and weak and, according to Scripture, even deadly.” 

The SBC president emphasized at various points that he firmly believes in the core doctrines of the faith, such as the inerrancy of Scripture and the exclusivity of Jesus. In making his points, Greear said he had no interest in surrendering ground to liberalism. He observed that in the past, the SBC has repudiated “the leaven of the liberals,” something that was certainly needed at the time. Said Greear, “I believe the question is now, are we going to repudiate the leaven of the Pharisees, which can choke out the gospel just as easily.”

In Matthew 23, Jesus chastises the Pharisees, the religious leaders of his day, saying, “You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.” 

What does straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel look like in the SBC today? Greear believes that it looks like the current debates over CRT. He said, “The reality is that if we in the SBC had shown as much sorrow for the painful legacy that racism and discrimination has left in our country as we have passion to decry CRT, we probably wouldn’t be in this mess.”

It is not as though a conversation about CRT is unimportant, said the pastor. But he believes the SBC is so focused on that debate that it is neglecting what Jesus, again in Matthew 23, called “the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.”

Author Shauna Niequist Apologizes For Her Silence Following Allegations Against Father, Bill Hybels

By
Emily McFarlan Miller
-
communicating with the unchurched

(RNS) — Popular Christian author Shauna Niequist has apologized for her silence following the allegations against her father, Bill Hybels, the founding pastor of suburban Chicago megachurch Willow Creek Community Church.

Niequist spoke out about the allegations for the first time in a long Instagram caption posted Monday (Feb. 22) accompanying a simple image with the words “An apology.”

“I apologize for my silence & for all that it communicated. I’m so sorry. I continue to grieve alongside every person who’s grieving,” she wrote.

Hybels retired early from Willow Creek in 2018 after he was  accused by several women, who worked for or attended the church, of sexual misconduct stretching back more than 20 years. He has denied the allegations.

His successors stepped down as well, along with the church’s entire elder board. All admitted they had mishandled the allegations against Hybels that had been emerging for years, initially backing their former pastor and calling the women’s claims lies.

An investigation by an independent group of Christian leaders advising the church later found those allegations to be credible. Among them: Women said Hybels had invited them to hotel rooms or made suggestive comments about their appearances. In one case, Hybels allegedly kissed a co-worker against her wishes. In another, he allegedly engaged in oral sex with his former assistant.

“That season shook me to the core, & I shut down,” Niequist wrote in her apology post.

Later that year, Niequist announced she, her husband Aaron Niequist, a former worship leader at Willow Creek, and their children were moving from the Chicago area to New York City. The New York Times bestselling author and her husband enrolled at The General Theological Seminary, an Episcopal school in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood.

Since then, Niequist said she has been “trying to find the words to write about my dad & our church,” noting she has posted before about how painful different aspects of the past few years have been. She apologized for not speaking more plainly.

She had been encouraged to take time to “grieve & listen & recover,” she wrote. She needed it, she said — but she also acknowledged in her post she extended that silence too long.

“I now understand that my silence communicated to many that I defend my father’s actions and his ongoing silence. I don’t. I grieve both of those things,” she wrote.

“I now understand that my silence allowed many people to assume that I don’t care about the people he hurt. That’s not true, & that’s something I regret so deeply. I’m so sorry.”

Niequist said she still loves and has a relationship with her father. She cannot apologize or make amends for him, she wrote, but she hopes her post will be a first step toward apologizing to and making amends with people hurt by her own silence.

In recent weeks, the Niequists had received public criticism for not speaking out.

Late last month some Twitter users questioned why Aaron Niequist was leading worship online for the Episcopal Church’s Forma conference, given his connection to Hybels.

“Please help me understand the public responsibility I have for my father-in-law’s sin,” Aaron Niequist responded.

Christian writer D.L. Mayfield tweeted back to him, “If you have benefited from publicly being tied to someone who is powerful (like your father-in-law) and they abuse that power in terrible ways, you have a duty to publicly address it.”

Mayfield later named the Niequists in a separate Twitter thread on why she believes people connected to abusers needed to address and denounce that abuse. Mayfield ended up deleting the thread, which had garnered significant attention, both positive and negative.

A number of Christian authors and speakers expressed support for Niequist Monday in the comments on her post, some sharing they did not believe she owed anybody an apology for another person’s actions.

“I love you. You didn’t ask for this or cause it. You were deeply hurt too, and that gets to count. You get to reel and grieve and process trauma too. You have my unending love and support,” said Jen Hatmaker, who spoke alongside Niequist  on the 2016 Belong Tour, a women’s ministry conference.

But, Niequist said in her post, public pushback was part of the reason she has been silent: “While I fought to regain my footing, a group of people took their anger toward my dad out on me in very public ways,” which she says drove her further into retreat. “I’m not proud of that.”

“In this area of my life, I’ve been living according to my fear, not my values. I carry so much regret, & I apologize,” she wrote.

“I know it might not make sense that someone who writes for a living, literally, could find herself so unable to say what needed to be said. But that’s the truth. I was wounded, & I waited too long.”

This story has been updated. This article originally appeared on ReligionNews.com.

Quarantine Date Night for Spouses

By
Josh Reich
-
communicating with the unchurched

Covid and quarantine have made everything challenging, but I think one of the biggest challenges is how to keep the romance alive in your marriage.

If that is something you are finding a challenge, or maybe you aren’t comfortable going out for dinner or having someone in your house to babysit your kids, here are some ideas on keeping that romance alive while you are at home.

  1. Have a plan. Nothing hurts date night more than having no plan. In the same way that you plan going out, plan what it will look like at home. What will you eat, who is doing what, what time will things get started? Decide those things ahead of time. You may have to be more intentional about the plan for date night at home because you are at home.
  2. Get dressed up. Don’t get into your pajama pants. Nothing shuts your brain down more at the end of a long day like getting into comfortable clothes. Wear what you would wear if you were going out.
  3. No electronics. The fastest way to kill most date nights is turning on the TV, no checking out Facebook or Twitter or your email. Concentrate on each other if you decide together to watch a show or movie, great but make sure that it is part of the plan.
  4. Plan a fun meal. It doesn’t have to be expensive or a feast, but something special. Something you wouldn’t normally eat. Katie and I love to try new recipes, so we’re always searching. There are so many blogs and ideas out there.
  5. Eat with your kids. At home, we do an appetizer while our kids eat so that we can still eat dinner with them, talk with them about their day, and it helps to hold us over until we eat.
  6. Know who will cook and who will put the kids down. It might be more relaxing for your wife to cook. She may want you to handle the kids or vice versa. Whatever it is, communicate that and stick to it.
  7. Pick a night you are awake for. There are certain nights you are more alert and awake than others. Find that night and do date night on that night. If you have a long day on Tuesday, don’t do date night that night. Maximize the night where your energy levels are highest. I find knowing which night date night will help me to be mentally prepared for it.

This article originally appeared here.

No Pastor, Everything Hasn’t Changed

By
Dr. James Scott, Jr.
-
communicating with the unchurched

Not only does the average person feel like the world today has turned upside down, so do many pastors.

In fact, pastors have been so deeply impacted by the global pandemic, civil unrest, and other changes happening in our society that a multitude of them are thinking about quitting vocational ministry altogether (check out this post by Thom Rainer on this subject). Scott Free Clinic is seeing the need for Pastor Care services reach record levels. Church leaders are confused, frightened, stressed, anxious, and battling depression at record numbers.

While for pastors it might feel like “everything has changed,” it’s critically important for church leaders to grasp that what is important for leading the church today hasn’t changed. Circumstances have changed — some of them enormously so! — but “circumstances” are always changing!

What matters most for leading and serving in a church hasn’t changed in any way. Those things are:

    • Jesus Christ, who is unchanging, remains the one foundation for the church. “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have — Jesus Christ,” 1 Corinthians 3:11. “Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself,” Ephesians 2:20. “Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So he is first in everything,” Colossians 1:18. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever,” Hebrews 13:8.
    • Our primary tool for leading in the church – the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ — hasn’t changed. “And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation,” 2 Corinthians 5:18-19. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work,” 2 Timothy 3:16-17. “As the Scriptures say, ‘People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever,’” 1 Peter 1:24-25.
    • The power of prayer, and our ability to come before God in prayer at any time, hasn’t changed. “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results,” James 5:16. “So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most,” Hebrews 4:14-16. “Never stop praying,” 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
    • We can still seek and receive wisdom from God. “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking,” James 1:5.
    • Remember and rely on the faithfulness of God. “But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one,” 2 Thessalonians 3:3.
    • The indwelling presence, power, and direction of the Holy Spirit. “If you love me, obey my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you,” John 14:15-17. “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit,” Romans 15:13.

So remember, pastor, that while circumstances have changed (and still are!), what is essential for leading and serving in the church has not changed. What is needed is wisdom for knowing how to minister in changing times. Here are a few things you might find helpful:

    • Be aware of how changing circumstances are impacting your congregation and the community. They’re being impacted spiritually. With the onset of the pandemic, many believers as well as people who usually don’t attend church flocked to watch the livestreaming of church services online. But that skyrocketing viewership has been declining. New surveys report as many as one-third of previous church attenders have tuned out of watching church online altogether, and another survey reports a decline in Bible reading among church attenders. How, then, are Christians dealing with the pandemic? A new study says the most popular way is by watching TV and streaming movies online. The pandemic has also significantly exacerbated a pre-existing mental health crisis; there has been a steep increase in the number of people reporting mental health issues such as severe stress, chronic anxiety, clinical depression, disturbed sleep patterns, and more. Relationships have also been impacted as seen in an increase martial and family conflict and abuse. Not everyone is reeling from the changes; some people have experienced little change from the pandemic other than perhaps working from home and having more time together as couples and families and are doing well with that. Pastors need to assess the overall impact of change in the lives of their church members and in their communities.
    • Don’t be afraid to explore with new and different tools and technologies for ministry. Prior to the pandemic, some churches still did not have websites. Many pastors only trifled sloppily with social media, and only some were doing anything with technology like live streaming services or producing podcasts. Now, these and other things are increasingly important tools and technologies for ministering both to congregations and to unbelievers. The need for new tools and technologies won’t disappear once the pandemic is over; church leaders need to make time to explore the tools and technologies available for ministry and adopt those that can be useful and effective.
    • Learn new skills. Adopting new tools and technologies for effective ministry now and the immediate future may require pastors to learn new skills. If so, make learning what you need to learn a priority! As a pastor, you’ve likely already known that being a lifelong student is essential for a pastor; you need to keep learning to be an effective leader and teacher. But staying on top of developing new skills as needed as circumstances change is also critically important to keep you equipped to serve in the most effective way possible.
    • Adjust staffing as needed. Depending on the size of your congregation, you may need to reassess how you are staffing your church. New positions and/or greater financial commitment to staffing for communication, website, video, pastoral care, and other areas may be needed to adjust to changing ministry needs.
    • Learn to delegate. Too many pastors are poor at delegating. One lesson from the pandemic being driven home harshly for some church leaders is that you NEED to rely on help from others. Leading and serving a congregation was never supposed to be a one-man job! If you haven’t already, now is the time to learn to delegate and further develop in your congregation the “ministry of all believers.”

It can be reassuring for pastors to know not everything has changed. What is essential for ministry remains the same, and that can be an anchor of peace for pastors. But circumstances have changed, are changing, and will continue to change. Understand their impact, explore what tools and technologies are available to help you make needed changes, develop any new skills needed, adjust staffing to meet changing needs, and learn to delegate and serve with others than trying to do too much by yourself.

This article originally appeared here.

Five Fun Ice-Breakers From Across the Globe

By
Matthew Blake Sr
-
communicating with the unchurched

Five Fun Ice-Breakers From Across the Globe

The time has come and you are hosting that first small group gathering, or group leader training. You wonder how to get everyone talking, or a way to “break the ice.” Well, wonder no more, we have got you covered. My name is Matt Wray, and I am the Small Groups director at Hillside Chapel, in New Albany, Ind. I have been blessed to do a lot of traveling in my life. I have been to Rome, met the Pope, and have been to Central America.

You are probably asking yourself what any of that has to do with a post on ice-breakers? Well, since you asked, in that last sentence are two truths and one lie. I love to do this as a way to get people talking in a new group. Figured out which is which yet? If you are still wondering, I have never met the Pope. I have been to Rome and also to Central America. I did this ice breaker with my own small group just a few short weeks ago, and it was a blast.

If you are like me, you probably have no trouble talking to others, or striking up a conversation. When I was a kid we went on a family vacation to Cedar Point, and I made a friend in the arcade at the hotel from Chicago. Our parents met, and the next day he came to the park with us. Talking might come easy for you, but what about some of your leaders, or the people in your groups.

We asked for your suggestions on some of the best ice-breakers you have heard or used, and we received several responses from all around the globe. That is one of the best things about the Small Group Network, being able to learn from others from all around the world. I compiled a list of some of the best ones we received from you.

1.  If you had a day with absolutely no obligations how would you spend it?

2.  Lucky Penny: Each person takes a penny and looks at the date. You then go around the room and each person tells something interesting that happened during that year

3.  Tell a story about your best friend from childhood. This works really well since it is personal, but not cheesy, and someone new would not feel uncomfortable with this.

4.  How-Wow-Pow-Chow: How: Are you doing right now? Wow: A wow moment from last week. Pow: A hard moment from last week. Chow: The best thing you ate in the last week.

5.  When was the last time you did something for the first time.

Remember, when you start thinking about an ice-breaker, your goal is to get your group talking. Sometimes this can be difficult, but with these examples, and others you might come up with, you will do just that. Have fun with these, and let us know if you use one, and the success that you have in getting your group to open up.

This article originally appeared here.

To Every Pastor Who Is Ready to Give Up

By
Brandon Cox
-
communicating with the unchurched

I once wrote an article called “From the Heart of One Pastor, I’m Sorry I Let You Down” touched a nerve. It was viewed by thousands the first day it ran on pastors.com. I think this is partly because pastoral burnout and discouragement have reached epidemic levels. There are all kinds of factors behind this, but regardless of the causes, my heart breaks every time I talk to another discouraged pastor. Recently, a young pastor named Roger left a public comment on an article on pastors.com, and it weighed on my soul.

I’m leaving my church because I am tired of being the problem as the pastor. If something is wrong in the church, I am blamed by the congregation.

On the other hand, my pastor friends and denominational consultants say I am the solution to turning the church around. But I realize that I can’t do it. Only Jesus can rescue this church.

Meanwhile, I am going broke and we have no friends here after living here three years. I moved 2,000 miles to be here and sacrificed greatly to do so. As the pastor, I am one of the youngest in my church and I am scared I will end up being a caretaker of seniors in this church rather than obeying the Great Commission.

Our church has had lots of problems, and as a result the task of making disciples has fallen by the wayside. I have struggled to put out fires ever since I arrived here, and I am so tired. As a result, I have accepted a teaching job in a public school back in my home state and will be moving there at the end of the summer.

I honestly don’t blame Roger for being a discouraged pastor. I’ve been there. And back again. Here was my response to Roger:

Roger,

I wanted to reach out and thank you for the courage to post your comment on pastors.com. I completely understand. When I say that, I’m not just putting on. I pastored a church for five months and watched it nearly die (it did close a couple years after I left). Then I served the next church for seven months, same story (and yes, it closed within a couple of years too).

I was done. I never wanted to pastor again. I really thought I’d just serve part-time on a church staff and work a secular job forever. Three months into that decision, I was asked to be a pastor again and, with great reluctance, gave it one more shot. I wound up spending eight really great years there. The church grew. It doubled, in fact, from about 45 to just over 100 (so not a megachurch, just a healthy small church).

What I want to say to you is, don’t give up. Don’t write off the possibility that your current experience could very well be the fire God has allowed you to walk through to shape you into the mighty servant He desires you to be. I’m convinced that God is just as concerned about your growth as the growth of the church you’re a part of.

And also, I never had a true “friend” in the trenches in either of those experiences—at least not the kind you go on to do life with. But God has now surrounded us with quite a few people with whom we feel quite close.

Don’t give up! As Pastor Rick (Warren) always says, “The tide goes out, but it always comes back in.”

I love you brother, and I’m praying for you as I post this reply!

I can now reflect on those earliest experiences without feeling any sense of pain, but it cost me years as a discouraged pastor before I got to that place. I feel the liberty to tell you what I think led up to those painful experiences. I wanted to voice my reflections to the church-at-large so that whether you’re in the role of a pastoral leader or a member of a local church, you might glean lessons from my own pain to apply to your situation as a discouraged pastor.

1...714715716...1,194Page 715 of 1,194
855,266FansLike

New Articles

New Podcasts

Joby Martin

Joby Martin: What Happens When Pastors Finally Understand Grace

Jessica Lea -
Joby Martin joins “The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast” to discuss what happens when a church leader has truly been run over by the “grace train" and understands the profound love and grace of God.
Jennie Allen

Best of 2024—Jennie Allen: Why Church Leaders Need To Pay Attention...

Jon Acuff

Best of 2024: Jon Acuff—How To Pursue Success Without Destroying Your...

Libin Abraham

Libin Abraham on God’s Surprising Job Description for the Pastor

ChurchLeaders.com is dedicated to resourcing, informing, and connecting a community of church leaders for greater Kingdom impact worldwide.
Contact us: support@churchleaders.com

Company

Trending

Popular Categories

© ChurchLeaders