Online Small Group Discussion Template

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December 31, 2020

An online small group meeting is a different experience compared to a face-to-face small group meeting. Thanks to technology innovations, people can still meet despite limitations with time and space, but it should not be approached exactly the same as an in-person group meeting. While many aspects of facilitating a small group will be transferable to the online interface, I would recommend tweaking the format from a traditional small group agenda.

An online small group, via a video conference call, requires a person to be static in front of a screen. This is less dynamic than walking through a front door, walking to a kitchen for snacks, sitting down for discussion, standing up for worship or prayer, etc. As a result, I believe it’s wise to plan for half the meeting time. Instead of a 90 minute to 2 hour in-person group, build towards a 45 – 60 minute online small group meeting. This will help to eliminate screen fatigue, low energy and wandering minds.

To help with this, I would recommend a process I’ve developed for our online groups at my church that I refer to as The S.O.I.L. Process. Jesus tells us the Word of God is like a seed (Mark 4:14) and I believe this S.O.I.L. Process can help us to cultivate ideal conditions for God’s truth to be implanted and internalized through an online small group meeting. Currently at my church, we use this template to develop a weekly Sermon Discussion Guide that complements our Pastor’s weekend message.
Here is an overview and breakdown of the Online Small Group Agenda…

Intro – Greet, Ice Breaker, Open in Prayer	5-7 min
S – Scripture	2-3 min
O – Observation Question	6-8 min
I – Interpretation Question	6-8 min
L – Life Application Question	6-8 min
Close in Prayer	10-15 min

Intro
This is the beginning of the group meeting where you are waiting for everyone to log on. As each person joins the video conference they are greeted and welcome. If anyone is new, introductions can be made. Small talk can happen until the meeting is kicked off with an ice breaker question or activity and then a brief prayer by an individual can be made to invite the Lord into the meeting and conversation.

S- Scripture
This can be as simple as reading scripture verses out loud and sharing 1-3 sentences of comments about the passage. It can be longer a segment if there is a video that is watched with the group together online.

O – Observation Question
This is a question that guides the group participant to examine the passage and identify key elements that seem to stand out to them. Through group discussion, this will help to develop an overview of the text, allow significant patterns to emerge and prepare the participants for the next segment.

Here are a few sample Observation Questions…

What stands out to you as you read this passage?
What comes to your mind when hear the metaphor used in this verse?
What do you notice about this individual’s response in this situation?

I – Interpretation Question
This is a question that leads the group to begin to discern the biblical truth and meaning of the scripture. This allows for people to discover positive benefits to heeding a command or negative consequences to ignoring it. The right interpretation question can encourage the main theme of a passage to rise to the surface in plain view of the learner.

Here are a few sample Interpretation Questions…

What insight can be gained into the topic of this passage?
What are the benefits to obeying the instructions given here?
What can be the consequences of neglecting what is marked out here?
Why does God say we need to…?

L – Life Application Question
The focus of the discussion now shifts to each individuals’ life. Here, we want people to attach the message of God’s Word to their daily walk. We want them to hear from the Spirit of God about adjustments, eliminations and additions that need to be made in their personal decisions. This type of question cultivates obedience and transformation.

Here are a few sample Life Application Questions…

What is the Holy Spirit speaking to you personally as we’re discussing this?
Is there an area of your life this speaks to where you need to make an adjustment? If yes, please share.
What are the obstacles you need to move and/or overcome to apply this to your life this week?

Close in Prayer
Throughout the discussion someone may have indirectly shared a prayer request. It’s good to take note of these and ask if they can be prayed for at this time. You also want to ask everyone if they have a prayer request the group can lift up in prayer. It’s also important to pray for the biblical content that was discussed to become a shaping influence in everyone’s life.

This condensed online format will allow you to continue to use many of the small group skills that are necessary for a face-to-face meeting (facilitating conversation, navigating personalities, listening, speaking life, etc). Depending on the passage and/or topic, discussion questions can be customized and strategically developed for each session. In conclusion, I believe this relational and Bible-centered format can create a quality experience that will leave people wanting more, instead of more people wanting to leave.

This article originally appeared here.

Husbands, Use Your Power to Bless

By

J.D. Greear

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December 31, 2020

Some of the most polarizing words in the New Testament are these instructions from Peter in his first letter to the church: “Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands …” (1 Peter 3:1 ESV). But the most overlooked word in this whole passage directed to wives and husbands is the first word: likewise.

“Likewise” means “in the same way.” By using this word, Peter makes it clear that both men and women have a responsibility to use their power in marriage to bless and serve each other.

It’s easy to see the power men bring to their marriage relationships. Generally, they are physically bigger and stronger, which is what most commentators think Peter means in verse 7 when he calls women the “weaker vessel.” He’s not saying women are inferior; he’s reminding people of the physical reality.

It’s worth remembering, too, that in ancient Rome, women were also weaker in their societal power. Marriage law in Rome, for instance, was much more sympathetic to men than to women. Men were expected to have affairs, but women could be killed if they did so. Men could divorce their wives for pretty much any reason, and divorces always favored the man when it came to money and child custody. It was a horribly unjust system.

Some commentators also note that Peter’s reference to women being “weaker” might also be a general reference to the fact that women often display an emotional sensitivity that makes them more nurturing and compassionate (the mothering instinct). Having that sensitivity, of course, doesn’t mean that they are inferior. After all, which is weaker, a crowbar or a thermometer? The thermometer is weaker—use it to pry open a door and it’ll bust—but the thermometer can do a lot of things that the crowbar can’t. In many ways, though physically weaker, the thermometer is more powerful and useful than a crowbar.

What’s important to note, though, is that whatever Peter means by weaker, we know one thing he doesn’t mean: In no way is he hinting that wives are inferior. Consider what Peter says about wives in verse 7, “… heirs with you of the grace of life …” Wives weren’t heirs in Peter’s day. But they are in the kingdom of God. Why? Because they are true equals of their husbands.

Husbands: Whatever power you have in the relationship should be used to honor and serve your wife, not exploit her. Live with her in an understanding way: If she’s emotionally wired differently than you, don’t despise that. Seek to understand her. Learn her love language. Love her on her terms.

It is absolutely wicked when a man uses his physical power to dominate his wife. Even worse is when he uses the Christian idea of submission in marriage to dominate her. That’s not what Christ did with his power. He used his power to serve. He laid down his life. You use the leadership you have to serve your wife. In every decision, you ask, “How can I honor her, lift her up, and bless her?”

A man’s leadership in marriage is not a license to do what he wants to do but empowerment to do what he ought to do.

This article originally appeared here.

John Piper: 7 Biblical Reasons to Never Send Nude Selfies

By

John Piper

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December 30, 2020

Let’s tackle a surprisingly common phenomenon, made super convenient by the technology of the smartphone. Of course we’re talking about sending nude selfies. This is part of a growing conversation in our culture. I recently met with the assistant principle of a large public high school here in the suburbs of Minneapolis to talk about smartphones and teens. She said to me this, I wrote it down: “In the last year, I’ve been shocked at how many kids—kids that you would never suspect—have naked pictures on their phones, private pictures sent between them and a boyfriend or girlfriend. In my job I look through a lot of phones, and when I come across those pictures, I’m simply stunned. To me, when it comes to high school students and their smartphones, this is the most surprising trend I now see.”

This is part of a much larger phenomenon, among young males specifically, who will send unsolicited nude pictures of themselves to girls, out of the blue—a disturbing new practice now well documented by journalist Nancy Jo Sales in her eye-opening book: American Girls: Social Media and the Secret Lives of Teenagers. It’s a troubling book, too, and a wakeup call for any parent with a daughter who has a smartphone.

How This Question Came Up:

I say all of this to introduce today’s question, which comes to us from a 20-something listener named Lily. She writes: “Dear Pastor John, I’m currently in a long distance dating relationship with a fellow Christian. Lately, he has requested that I send pictures of myself nude, which I obliged. I now regret this decision. What would you say to young, unmarried Christians who are tempted to make this same mistake?”

I think I have good biblical authority in saying on behalf of God to every one of his children, male and female, don’t ever ask to see anyone naked except your spouse and don’t ever offer to show yourself to someone naked for erotic or sexual reasons (not medical reasons) except to your spouse. And I mean don’t do it in person and don’t do it in pictures. And I will give you seven reasons for why I think I have God’s authority in saying that. And I hope none of you hearing me will ever do it or ever do it again.

1. When God created man and woman, it says in Genesis 2:25. It says, “The Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.”

God’s plan for the lifting of that shame is the sacred relationship of marriage, just like marriage is the reversal of numerous elements of the curse. The freedom that we are to discover is not on stage: Let’s take our clothes off in movies and on stage. It is not in a striptease joint. It is not in front of boyfriends or girlfriends. It is not in front of our phone. It is the profound respect and love and security of a covenant relationship called marriage. That is where people of the most ordinary looks can be free from shame. That is what love does.

Outside of that relationship, God treats nakedness as one of the most vivid forms of divine judgment. Isaiah 47:3). That is number one.

2. It follows from this understanding of nakedness and clothing that the apostle Paul would say, “Women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control…with what is proper for women who profess godliness” (1 Timothy 2:9 –10). Now, all three of those words—kosmio, respectable; aidous, modesty; sophrosunes, self control—all three of those words, interestingly, have the connotation of thoughtful, serious use of a woman’s mind as to how to make her clothing speak about her godliness. Every woman should ask that question: How is what I wear and not wear speaking about my godliness? Clothing is not a matter of indifference in God’s economy. It speaks about a woman’s (and a man’s) view of God and her own commitments to God and joy in God and her freedom from the manipulative maneuvers of men to get what they want. That is number two.

3. Paul assumes in 1 Corinthians 12:23 –24 that we take special care in covering the most intimate parts of our body. He says, “On those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require.” That is part of the way God has helped us live with the consequences of the fall in this sinful world.

4. Paul tells Timothy and, by implication, other young men, “Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers”—treat younger men as brothers—“older women as mothers”—and here is the key one: Treat “younger women as sisters, in all purity” (1 Timothy 5:1 –2). Now, what does that mean? Treat younger women as sisters in all purity. It means that, until a man is married, he should let his proper treatment of his sister, his real sister, dictate the purity of his behavior with his girlfriend. Another way to put it would be this: View the temptation to ask for nude selfies the same way you would view the temptation of incest.

Do The Teshuva: The Dance of Repentance

By

Ray Hollenbach

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December 30, 2020

There’s a new dance craze every few years. Each decade produces a faddish flurry of movement. From the Charleston to Flossing to whatever’s next, every dance move needs a name; but if you want to do the Teshuva, you’ll need a rabbi to show you how. Teshuva is the Hebrew word for repent, or return. In its various forms the root of teshuva is used nearly a thousand times in the Old Testament. When Adam is fated to return to the ground (Genesis 3:13) at the end of his days, the root word is introduced for the first time. Throughout the Old Testament the connections between “return” and “repent” run deep and strong. When Jesus told the parable of the Prodigal Son, every Jewish listener understood the depth and significance of the words, “I will arise and return to my father.”

Rabbi Maimonides was a 12th-century teacher and Torah scholar who quite literally wrote the book on teshuva, The Laws of Repentance. For centuries Christians and Jews alike have leaned on Maimonides’s work, discovering the elements of regret, confession, penance, and even restitution that comprise the ingredients of repentance. Indeed, if teshuva were a dance, Rabbi Maimonides has laid out the steps.

The famous teacher located repentance in the act of confession. No one will confess unless they first regret their actions and want to take concrete steps to return to the kind of life they had before sin worked its destruction in their hearts, their, minds, their families, and their communities.

Regret is the first step in the great dance of repentance; confession is the second step. Regret motivates the return; confession completes the return; and the return is affirmed by those who hear the confession and provide absolution. (Christians who worship in the traditions of high church, such as the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican denominations understand these terms much better than others.) This last part, the welcome—the celebration—is what makes a dance out of repentance. Giving (and receiving) absolution is not some sour-faced, shame-filled religious ritual designed to make us feel bad about ourselves. Jesus understood the joy of repentance when he told us there’s more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than there is over 99 who do not need to repent.

The Old Testament teshuva contained community context as well, where repentance was done together, acknowledging the sins of the community. In a ceremony known as Yom Kippur, the nation-wide day of repentance and atonement, the high priest over the entire community of Israel would confess the sins of the nation. Their regrets brought them together; their confession brought their sins to light, and—together—Israel determined to return to the traditions of Moses.

The Old Testament teshuva dance also contained an individual element: when I alone have sinned, I need not wait until the national day of mourning and confession—I could bring a sacrifice to the priest and confess my individual sin. The first two steps of the dance are here again: regret brings me to the priest; confession begins the cleansing. But here, in the individual repentance of my personal sin, there was one more step in the dance: restitution—to return of what was stolen or damaged as a result of my actions. Moses, the Lawgiver of Israel, laid out these steps for the people of Israel:

When a man or woman commits any of the sins of mankind, acting unfaithfully against the Lord, and that person is guilty then he shall confess his sins which he has committed, and he shall make restitution in full for his wrong and add to it one-fifth of it, and give it to him whom he has wronged. (Numbers 5:6-7)

The individual teshuva dance is three steps: return to the priest, confession of sin, and restitution to make the damaged person whole.

Regret. Confession. Restitution. These are no longer in vogue, even among the religiously-minded. And to be sure, this three-step teshuva is the Old Testament picture of repentance. In God’s great economy, this picture of repentance is transformed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Still, “Rabbi Jesus,” a thousand years before Rabbi Maimonides, was making all things new—including repentance.

In Jesus’s ministry, how important is the call to repent? It’s the very first word of the good news. Jesus calls us to repent no less than our brothers and sisters in the Old Testament age. And yet, the Lord carefully preserves these three steps and invites us into a dance grander and greater still.

This article originally appeared here. It’s also an excerpt from Ray Hollenbach’s new book, Deeper Change.

10 Quotes From The Eagles That Will Challenge Every Leader

By

Carey Nieuwhof

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December 30, 2020

Music is the fuel for so much in life and even in leadership.

When I was a kid, Eagles’ music was all over the radio, and thanks to the birth of the classic rock format in music, their music never really disappeared.

While I always liked them, they weren’t one of my go-to bands until I rediscovered them a few summers ago while writing a book. I downloaded one of their albums, then more, and was amazed not only by their musicianship but by their lyrics.

Over the last few years, I’ve not only enjoyed their music in a fresh way, but their lyrics inspired me to think through some of the deeper issues of life and leadership.

Last summer I watched the History of the Eagles documentary—a fascinating study in leadership and human dynamics as the band pretty honestly talks about the tension of being a band and the ups and downs that came with it. It’s actually an intriguing study for anyone who leads a team. And the music is pretty amazing.

Glenn Frey’s recent death not only saddened me, but made me reflect back on his writing. Don Henley and Glenn Frey had a way of capturing life in their lyrics that is both accurate and a little too true.

If you’re like me, you’ll agree that leaders can learn from anywhere.

Their lyrics have actually helped me become a better leader; some of their insights really jump out at me.

I realize songs can be personal things, and no one really knows what the band meant anyway, right?

But each of these phrases have come to mean something to me as a leader and as a Christian (even though the band themselves would not call themselves Christian).

The lyrics below are Ecclesiastes-like observations on life that make me think…again and again.

With poignant honesty, the lyrics reflect the reality of life, ambition, relationships, success and disappointment.

Here are 10 Eagles lyrics that challenge me as a person and leader every time I hear them:

1. Don’t Let the Sound of Your Own Wheels Make You Crazy

That happens, doesn’t it?

It’s so easy for leaders to become self-absorbed.

Often, you end up having conversations with yourself that never end, that loop in your mind again and again. You think about what you’re leading day in and day out.

When that happens, you almost end up taking yourself too seriously.

Eventually, if you’re not careful, leadership can make you obsessed until you’re no longer fun to be around.

Leaders who take themselves too seriously ultimately get taken less seriously by others.

As Glenn Frey sang in “Take It Easy”: Don’t let the sound of your own wheels make you crazy.

Continue

A Tale of Two Pastors: How John MacArthur and Rick Warren Led Through 2020

By

Megan Briggs

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December 30, 2020

Both Pastor John MacArthur and Pastor Rick Warren have sizable congregations in southern California, which has recently become the “epicenter” of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. Despite their proximity, however, MacArthur’s and Warren’s responses to the pandemic and the resulting restrictions associated with them couldn’t be more different. While MacArthur views state-mandated restrictions as discrimination against religious institutions and has kept his church open even when the state has said not to, Warren perceives no such discrimination and sees no reason to reopen his church for physical gatherings in the immediate future.

“Most churches only have one purpose: worship. And if you take worship away, you’ve got nothing. They’re in a hurry to get back to worship because that’s all they’ve got,” Warren told Cameron Strang of Relevant Magazine during a recent interview.

Pastor John MacArthur: This is about religious freedom

John MacArthur of Grace Community Church (GCC) in Sun Valley, California has made headlines this year by claiming “there is no pandemic” and that churches who choose not to meet in person “don’t know what a church is and they don’t shepherd their people.” MacArthur has taken to Fox News to disseminate his belief that churches should be considered as providing an essential service and that to deny a church the right to meet in person is to deny religious freedom.

MacArthur has also had some success while fighting a multi-pronged legal battle against state and city officials concerning the meeting restrictions placed on houses of worship in southern California. In July, GCC opened its doors for in-person worship after holding remote-only services for several weeks during the initial stay-at-home order in California. Calling the congregation’s gathering, which was technically forbidden, a “peaceful protest,” MacArthur maintained his belief that the majority of government officials have overplayed the virus and that it doesn’t represent much of a threat to people.

After the church showed up on Los Angeles county’s outbreak list in October, again MacArthur and his legal team downplayed the threat of the virus, saying that the church was being targeted for their religious beliefs. A statement from GCC’s legal team claimed “the LA Times and others’ grossly misleading and fear-mongering headlines aim to mischaracterize Grace Community Church as irresponsible and a superspreader.”

At other times, MacArthur communicated that the church wasn’t unsympathetic to those members who don’t feel comfortable meeting in person. MacArthur emphasized members can continue to stay home and watch the live stream if, for instance, they have compromised immune systems. Additionally, the church added outdoor seating in August to accommodate around 1,000 people. MacArthur said, “we want to make people feel welcomed.” The church pledged to provide hand sanitizer, masks, and water to those choosing to sit outside.

Still, pictures and video from GCC’s services throughout the summer show people sitting inside the sanctuary in close proximity to one another, and the majority of people are not wearing masks. More recently, journalist Julie Roys published an article about another potential outbreak at GCC that has yet to be reported or formally acknowledged by the staff of the church.

Despite the controversial stance MacArthur has taken, many other Christian leaders have applauded his efforts to fight for the church and its right to worship however it deems necessary.

Pastor Rick Warren: This is about loving your neighbor

Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church, which has locations throughout the Los Angeles region, represents a good character foil to MacArthur’s more aggressive persona. Saddleback has chosen not to open its doors for worship gatherings until sometime in 2021.

Author of the Purpose Driven Life, Warren views adhering to state guidelines for social distancing as a tangible way to love one’s neighbor. “Some churches are willing to gamble the health of their people. I’m not. The good shepherd prays for his sheep, cares for his sheep. One day I will be responsible. I don’t want to be a super-spreader. I’m not doing this out of fear; I’m doing this out of love. You wear a mask for love of your neighbors, yourself,” Warren explains.

Church Buys Shoe Store’s Entire Inventory to Give to Kids in Need

By

Stephanie Martin

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December 30, 2020

Transformation Church in Bixby, Oklahoma, calls generosity part of its “culture code,” and that was especially evident this Christmas season. At a December 13 worship service, the Tulsa-area megachurch donated $3.5 million to church members in need, to local organizations, and to other congregations—almost triple the $1.2 million it donated last December.

The church, led by Pastor Michael Todd, also spent $65,000 at a local shoe store, clearing the shelves so it could present a pair of sneakers to every resident of the Tulsa Boys’ Home.

“We give just to give, not to get,” the church states on its website.

Giving was ‘imperative’ in 2020

Transformation’s year-end spending spree covered a wide range of areas and touched many lives. The church purchased six cars for people, paid off student loans, covered housing payments, and even surprised some people with homes. It also donated $1.55 million to other churches and $1 million to organizations, including those that help sex-trafficking victims and recovering addicts.

“This year was more imperative in 2020 to be the hands and feet of Jesus,” says Pastor Todd, calling December 13 “the greatest day of our church history.”

On Twitter, the church writes: “Too often we want to read the Bible but we don’t want to be a living word. Today GOD met major PHYSICAL NEEDS through the vessel of (Transformation Church). GO AND DO THE SAME!”

3.5 MILLION DOLLARS???
Given away in one service?!
I’m sorry………….. WHAT?!!?!?!??

Too often we want to read the Bible but we don’t want to be a living word. Today GOD met major PHYSICAL NEEDS through the vessel of TC. GO AND DO THE SAME! pic.twitter.com/EUMn9MHHWF

— TransformationChurch (@transformtulsa) December 13, 2020

Tammy Quarters, the church’s chief operating officer, says their stewardship philosophy is “all about inspiring belief.” She says, “Our mission is to represent God to people. We want to see their lives changed, but oftentimes, people have tangible needs that need to be met (first). And it’s like, ‘You can talk to me about your big God when you help me with this hunger issue or help me with this housing issue.’”

Church Surprises, Inspires Shoe-Shop Owner

When a team at Transformation, including Pastor Todd, walked in to Silhouette Sneakers & Arts and asked to purchase the store’s entire inventory of kicks, owner Venita Cooper initially thought she was being pranked. Instead, she soon learned the church planned to donate all 186 pairs—worth $65,000—to children at the Tulsa Boys’ Home, who may never have received new shoes before. Some of the sneakers resell for more than $1,000 per pair.

Jeff Johnson, volunteer coordinator for the home, says if residents could have anything for Christmas, they’d probably first ask for a family. “But if that’s not going to be the case this year,” he adds, “a new pair of Air Jordans, that’s going to rank up there.”

Purchasing the shoes, says Pastor Todd, “is a double blessing because (Cooper’s) business got blessed, but then all of these shoes are going to bless other people.”

Silhouette, a Black-owned business on what’s known as Tulsa’s Black Wall Street, has been open just one year and has managed to survive the pandemic. “We try not to pressure people to come out and shop with us, because we know these are hard times,” says Cooper. “This is the biggest Christmas gift I have ever received. It means the world. I’ve never been a recipient of such an incredible act of generosity and kindness.”

NM Fines Churches $10,000 for ‘illegal and selfish’ Christmas Gatherings

By

Jessica Lea

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December 30, 2020

Two megachurches in Albuquerque, New Mexico, are among the latest in the U.S. to incur penalties for disregarding state COVID-19 restrictions. Calvary Church and Legacy Church are facing fines of $10,000 each for services they held over the Christmas holiday.

“We have taken the pandemic seriously from the start, and have prudent measures in place,” said Legacy Church in a statement about a service it held on Christmas Day. “But when governments exceed their constitutional authority and contradict what we are called on by God to do, we answer first to His authority.”

Videos and images posted online show hundreds of people gathered at Legacy Church and Calvary Church, respectively, to celebrate Christmas. The attendees do not appear to be observing social distancing, and most are not wearing masks. The New Mexico Public Health Department has fined each church $5,000 for breaking the mask mandate and another $5,000 for exceeding the 25 percent attendance limit on houses of worship.

A statement issued by the governor’s office says the churches have “endangered the lives, livelihoods and health of not only their parishioners but their entire communities — and given how quickly this virus can spread, potentially our state as a whole.” As of this writing, New Mexico has recorded 139,875 positive cases of COVID-19 and 2,403 deaths from the virus. The statement goes on to say, “These illegal and selfish gatherings will directly contribute to more suffering and illness in our state. These church leaders should reflect on the danger they’ve unleashed in their communities.”

Critics of the Albuquerque churches say that the state’s fines pale in comparison with the bailout money that the churches received from the government or even how much an emergency room visit would cost an individual.

Calvary, Legacy Church Defend Their Actions

In a lengthy statement about its Christmas Eve service, Calvary Church said,

Calvary Church experienced significant attendance at our in-person Christmas Eve services on one of the most celebrated and sacred days of our Christian faith. In response to this outpouring, Calvary Church chose not to break fellowship with any worshiper by requiring them to leave the gathering of their church family.

The church explained that it had seated attendees in every other row in the auditorium and encouraged worshipers to follow safety precautions, including sanitizing, practicing social distancing, and wearing masks. Calvary provided overflow seating in rooms outside the main auditoriums “in order to maintain acceptable spacing,” and it also broadcast the service on a screen outside the building for those who wished to worship outdoors.

“Church staff was diligent to monitor allowable percentages,” said the church, “while encouraging people to choose outside seating or seating in the overflow rooms. Church staff provided masks for those who did not have one. We observed the majority of those attending services wore a mask as they entered. If a person refused to wear a mask, we assumed they had a preexisting health condition or other restriction that prohibited them from doing so.”

“We acknowledge that some will disagree with our decisions,” the church continued, “and we respect their freedom to believe differently. We do care about people’s physical health, and we take great precautions such as those mentioned above. At the same time, we believe that people can be responsible adults and make their own choices about their life and health and that of their families.”

In an additional statement, Legacy Church said,

It’s tragic that what we do for thousands of shut-ins, those in despair, and kids who go without meals gets no state notice, but fixation on one service can net us large fines. The state should fold its losing hand against Churches as Colorado has, focus on the truly vulnerable, and recognize what the US Supreme Court has recently said about Churches because we must continue to do what we are called to.

The Best of 2020: Aimee Byrd Asks What It Really Means to Be a ‘Biblical’ Man or Woman

By

Jason Daye

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December 30, 2020

Aimee Byrd speaks regularly at churches, conferences, and retreats, and has written five books, including her latest from Zondervan, entitled “Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: How the Church Needs to Rediscover Her Purpose.” Aimee is married to Matt, and they have three children.

Key Questions for Aimee Byrd

-You new book is titled, “Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.” Why would someone need to recover from something that is “biblical”?

-How did the view of Jesus as subordinate to God impact your theology on the roles of men and women?

-Do you still see erroneous teachings on gender roles in churches now?

-What do we miss when we separate men and women during activities such as studying God’s word?

Key Quotes from Aimee Byrd

“As I grew in my Christian walk and my marriage and I went back to [Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood], I realized there are some real errors in there, including even maybe the premise in the title.”

“We need to take into account that the Son, the incarnate Son has two wills, a divine will and a human will. So when we speak of his submission then, we need to be very careful to ascribe that to his human will, or as mediator, that he shares the same divine will with the Father. This is very important.”

“[Complementarians] also talk about woman being created second, and that since we are created second, that means that we are subordinate, and so there’s this hierarchy in our very ontology. And you know, I began to see the error in that and that maybe we’re looking at this whole creation thing wrong.”

“When Adam looks at woman, he sees what he is to become. And that’s a very glorious thing.”

“What makes a masculine male and feminine female? What are “feminine” and “masculine” virtues? Are they different? Is biblical manhood and womanhood our aim in discipleship? Are there different approaches to discipleship, then, between men and women?”

“Women are becoming frustrated as disciples. These women in a lot of these churches, they’re not trying to subvert leadership roles in the church, but they’re finding that they’re not being invested in as disciples the same as the men are.”

“Our whole idea about men and women in relationship in the church as brothers and sisters needed to be addressed.”

“I do not identify with the complementarian movement because of all the troubling teaching I find attached to it.”

“Some of my critiques of the egalitarian movement is that while they want to include women in the life of the church, I often can’t find where they find the woman’s contribution specifically valued and needed…what does the woman have to offer that’s different than the man?”

Survey: British Teens Are More Likely Than Millennials to Believe in God

By

Jack Jenkins

-

December 30, 2020

(RNS) — A new poll of Britain’s Generation Z finds older adolescents and younger adults are more likely to believe in God than are millennials, the demographic ahead of them.

The survey, conducted by YouGov in late November, found that 23 percent of Britons aged 16 to 24 said they believe in God, with an additional 13 percent saying they believe in a “higher spiritual power.”

By contrast, only 19 percent of those aged 25-39 said they believe in God, with 16 percent saying they believe in a higher power.

Both groups fell behind the general British population, 27 percent of whom overall say they believe in God.

“About two in five Britons believe in a god or a higher power” Graphic courtesy of YouGov

According to The Times, the share of Gen Z members who claim to believe in God is up from 21 percent in January (when the question was asked of 18 to 24-year-olds), raising the possibility that some have embraced religious belief over the course of the ongoing pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus.

Landon Schnabel, a sociologist at Cornell University, observed on Twitter that teenagers are more likely to live at home with their family, which may contribute to them holding on to faith.

It was not immediately clear whether the poll suggests a significant or lasting shift toward religious expression for the group, or if the difference between teenagers and older millennials is evidence of a broader trend.

No parallel trend has been identified in the United States, according to Ryan Burge, a political scientist at Eastern Illinois University. Overall, a higher proportion of U.S. citizens own to a religious identity than in the United Kingdom, yet Burge pointed to 2018 data from the General Social Survey showing that people ages 18 to 24 remain noticeably less likely to believe in God than those ages 25 to 40.

This article originally appeared on ReligionNews.com.

Brené Brown’s Definition of Trust Will Change Your Relationships

By

Esther Laurie

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December 30, 2020

braving brene brown trust — Screengrab Youtube @OWN

Brené Brown’s definition of trust is called “braving,” which is actually an acronym that gives us the anatomy of trust. If this definition within a definition hasn’t already confused you, read on!

What Is ‘Braving’?

Brown explained “The Anatomy of Trust” in her recent SuperSoul Session. As always, her storytelling is on par. She explained how trust is a lot like a marble jar, which was a discipline and reward system her daughter’s teacher used in the classroom. If the class did positive things, marbles went in the jar and there’s a party when the jar is full. If the class did something negative, then marbles are taken out of the jar.

When her daughter came home from school hurt and afraid to trust again because some friends broke her trust, Brown said to her, “Trust is like a marble jar. You share those hard stories and those hard things that are happening to you with friends who over time you’ve filled up their marble jar. They’ve done thing after thing after thing where you know you can trust this person.”

We often think trust is built by grand gestures at crucial moments in our lives, but trust is typically built with simplicity and small actions.

After looking at the research Brown said, “It’s very clear. Trust is built in very small moments.”

In relationships, we have opportunities to build trust or to betray the trust of another.

“To choose not to connect when the opportunity is there is a moment of betrayal,” she said.

We trust those friends and loved ones whose jars are full. These are the people who have built up a store of trust moments with us.

Now the question is, “What are the marbles?” and “What is trust?”

Brown said Charles Feltman had the “most beautiful definition of trust,” which was “Trust is choosing to make something important to you vulnerable to the actions of someone else.”

“Feltman says that distrust is what I’ve shared with you that is important to me is not safe with you,” Brown continued.

Brene Brown: Trust

Basically, “When we trust, we are braving connection with someone. So what is trust?” Brene Brown’s definition of trust gives us the acronym BRAVING, which is the anatomy of trust:

Twelve Major Trends for Churches in 2021

By

Thom Rainer

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December 30, 2020

While escaping 2020 has been a stated goal for many people, there will still be challenges in front of us as we move into 2021. Churches will be among the organizations to confront clear and present challenges.

Of course, the topic of COVID is unavoidable as congregations move forward to a new year. The devastation the pandemic has wreaked among people and organizations has also been acutely felt by churches and their leaders.

While predicting future trends is never a precise effort, we do see enough data points to suggest these twelve trends are potentially powerful movements that will affect congregations, some for better and some for worse. They are not listed in any particular order.

Massive growth of co-vocational ministry. It will be increasingly common for churches to have fewer full-time staff. Some will hold other jobs because churches cannot afford full-time pay and benefits. Some of the staff will choose to be co-vocational so they can have a marketplace ministry. Both of these factors will result in a massive number of staff moving from full-time to co-vocational.
Baby boomers will be greater in number than children in the majority of churches. This demographic shift has three causes. First, the birthrate is declining. Second, the boomer generation is large in number, second only to millennials. Third, increasing longevity means boomers will be around for a while. If a church is not considering what senior adult involvement looks like, it’s already behind the curve
The micro-church movement begins in about 5,000 North American churches. A new manifestation of the multi-site movement will be multi-site campuses with 50 or fewer congregants. The early adopter churches, estimated to be around 5,000, will define this movement and become the models for future micro-churches.
Digital church strategies will complement in-person strategies. We’ve seen some leaders advocate a “digital first” strategy while some insist on an “in-person first” approach. As we have followed thousands of churches, we are seeing more strategies where neither approach is a priority over the other. Church leaders are moving toward blending these two important areas in a complementary fashion. We will be looking at this reality in future articles.
The number of adopted churches will begin to catch the number of closed churches. This trend is very positive. While we are not seeing a decline in the numbers of churches on the precipice of closing, we are seeing a major trend develop as more of these very sick churches get adopted by healthier churches. This development means more neighborhoods will have a gospel witness.
Church fostering will move into the early adoption stage. Church fostering takes place when a healthier church helps a less healthy church for a defined period, usually less than a year. We anticipate 30,000 churches (meaning 15,000 foster churches and 15,000 fostering churches) will enter into this relationship in 2021. Again, this trend portends well for the overall gospel witness of local congregations.
Once the pandemic stabilizes and the number of cases decline, churches’ average worship attendance will be down 20% to 30% from pre-pandemic levels. As of today, we are seeing quicker recovery among smaller churches. If this pattern continues, churches over 250 in attendance (before the pandemic) will have the greatest challenge to recover.
The new definition of a large church will be 250 and more in average worship attendance. These “new” large churches will be in the top ten percent of all churches in North America. Before the pandemic, a church would need an average worship attendance of 400 to be in the top ten percent.
Denominations will begin their steepest decline in 2021. In terms of membership and average worship attendance, denominations overall will begin a greater rate of decline. This negative trend can be attributed to three factors. First, the churches in the denominations will decline more rapidly. That factor is the single greatest contributor. Second, there will be fewer new churches in the denominations. Third, the combination of church closures and church withdrawals from denominations will be slightly greater than previous years.
Giving in churches will decline 20 percent to 30 percent from pre-pandemic levels. For the most part, the decline in congregational giving will mirror the decline in attendance in churches.
Overall conversion growth in local churches will improve. This indicator is mostly positive. We define conversion growth as the average worship attendance of the church divided by the number of people who became followers of Christ and active in the church in one year. For example, if a church has 20 conversions and an average worship attendance of 200, its conversion rate is 10:1 (200 divided by 10). Lower is better with conversion rates. We say “mostly positive” for this trend, because some of the improvement in the conversion rate is due to lower worship attendance.
Nearly nine out of ten North American congregations will self-define as needing revitalization. Though this trend is troubling, it does indicate at least one silver lining in the cloud. Congregational leaders, particularly pastors, are more open and willing to admit they need help.

We will be following these trends and others closely. Follow us at ChurchAnswers.com as we continue to share this vital information.

This article originally appeared here.

Feeling Overwhelmed in Ministry Life? Try This

By

Charles Stone

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December 30, 2020

Feeling Overwhelmed in Ministry Life? Try This Life Balance Wheel

Ministry burnout, overload, and destructive stress lead to an abysmal survival rate for pastors today. For 20 years a friend of mine followed 105 pastors and discovered that only half remained in ministry. Many other statistics bear witness to the high fallout rate for pastors. Burnout, moral collapse, and the weight of ministry has shattered many dreams for Kingdom impact. No pastor ever begins ministry with a goal to end up as a casualty of it. Unfortunately, unless some make systemic changes to their hearts and ministry pace, they too will end up a statistic. But, if you feel yourself on the road to burnout and overwhelmed you can change your trajectory through this simple yet life-transforming exercise.

I’ve used a tool that many coaches use to help people regain balance from feeling overwhelmed. It’s called a “Life Balance Wheel.”

It had its origins in the Middle Ages when few could read. Etched on many cathedrals, it visually represented the cycle of daily life: happiness, loss, suffering, and hope. For most people life offered little hope and the carved images instructed the common person about the inevitable change process in life.

Today we use the life balance wheel in a more positive way. It takes many forms, but this example captures its essence. Each piece of the pie represents an area of life. Within that area the scale rates your satisfaction with that part of your life.

Here’s how to use it to help regain balance and deal with life’s pressures in a more intentional way.

Google “Life Balance Wheel” and you’ll find many free printable templates.
After you print it out, mark your level of satisfaction within in each area of your life.
Connect the dots to see how balanced or imbalanced you have described your life.
Pick one or two areas in which you feel least satisfied.
Describe what life would look like if your satisfaction in those areas increased to an “8”
List five specific steps you could take in each area that could help you move to an “8”
Give each step a specific date when you will take the step.
Make yourself accountable to someone to help you regain balance. A good coach trained in the life balance wheel would be a good investment.

This simple tool could have profound implications for your future, your family, and your ministry. Right now schedule an hour this week to complete the exercise and see how God could use it in your life.

If you’ve used the life balance wheel before, what have you found helpful?

This article originally appeared here.

Free Kids’ Lesson Package: “Beautiful Feet”

By

Daniel So

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December 29, 2020

Free Kids’ Lesson Package

From FourFiveSix, “This is a lesson about love. It’s also a lesson about sharing the good news of God with the lost. This lesson helps preteens to develop their understanding that loving others means thinking about, wanting and doing what’s best for them. We’ll talk about what truly is best for others – God. We’ll take a look at Paul’s reference in Romans to the “beautiful feet” that are talked about in Isaiah: It is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'”

This lesson package includes:

31 Page Lesson PDF — including lesson overview, leader prep and devotional, large group and small group options, social media elements, printables
Set of 34 slides in JPG format
3-minute teaching video

Get Download Now

Resource provided by FourFiveSix.org

Download Instructions: To download these resources, follow the on-screen directions at the download site.

Experiencing God in the Ordinary

By

Tyler Speegle

-

December 29, 2020

When is the last time you took a few moments and enjoyed the simple pleasure of a sunrise or sunset? How long has it been since you slowed down long enough just to thank God for the miracle of life and the gift of breath that is in your lungs?

I ask those questions because recently I asked myself the same thing. It made me realize just how much I was taking for granted. I realized that I had slowly allowed myself to believe that God’s presence was only to be found in the extraordinary, the spectacular and the “super-spiritual.” I found myself scheduling God to only show up during the pinnacle of my Bible study and prayer time.

God will most definitely show up during those times, but thankfully that is NOT the ONLY time He will show up in our lives. God wants to reveal himself not only during our moments of spiritual devotion, but also in our daily routine.

You can welcome His voice and His presence into every aspect of your life. Your daily commute, your job and your family time … it can all be done in connection with Him. It’s easy to become overly spiritual and isolate God to the moments that seem spiritual, but God wants all of your life, not just the ‘spiritual’ stuff.

God desires relationship with us! He wants to hear our voice calling out to Him, audibly, under our breath and in our thoughts. He wants our ears and heart sensitive and inclined to His voice. When we walk in relationship with Him, we will know and recognize Him in any environment or circumstance, not just the “spiritual.”

Some of the most mind-blowing “God moments” of my life have occurred when God interrupted something ordinary in my life. Recognizing God in the ordinary creates the extraordinary moments we all desire to experience.

Some of the most important events in scripture occurred during some of the most ordinary times.

For example …

—The anointing of David took place while he was carrying out his duty of shepherding sheep. (1 Samuel 16:11)

—Jesus called many of His disciples on an average, ordinary day while they were on-duty at their job. (Matthew 4:18-22)

—-God spoke powerfully to Moses through a burning bush while he was out tending to his father-in-law’s flock. (Exodus 3:1-6)

If we let our environment set the pace for our relationship with God, I’m afraid we will miss out on so much. Believe it or not, God is just as present in the Wal-Mart checkout line as He is in the front row of your church on Sunday.

Let’s not waste some of the most important moments of our life by overlooking them as simple or ordinary. In a world that presents ‘the next big thing’ every week, it’s easy to lose our child-like wonder. Before long, we all feel like we have seen it all and heard it all.

Don’t buy into that lie. Keep your wonder. Keep your amazement.

Give your wonder, amazement and awe to the One who truly deserves it, and do it regularly. From the moment you wake up to the moment that you lay back down at night you have a multitude of opportunities to experience His presence.

Thank Him for your spouse. Thank Him for your children. Thank Him for your health. Thank Him for your job. Thank Him for your home. Thank Him for your church. Gratitude always leads us back to His feet in worship.

Every sunrise, every goodbye hug and kiss, every morning commute, every chuckle and smile from your child, every sunset and every night you’re blessed to make it back to your bed is reason enough to worship and another opportunity to experience God in the ordinary.

5 Hindrances to Church Growth Every Church Needs to Know

By

Nelson Searcy

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December 29, 2020

Are you stuck? Has your church growth leveled off or even started declining? I can relate.

When we launched The Journey Church in 2002 with 110 people, I was ecstatic. What a great number for a brand-new church in the middle of New York City!

Unfortunately, my excitement didn’t last long. The next week, only 55 of our 110 attendees returned. Not too bad, I reasoned—we’d kept half. Yet, over the next five months, with my dynamic leadership and powerful preaching, I “grew” the church down to 35 … in a city of 8 million.

Something was definitely wrong.

Without knowing it, I was already bumping up against growth hindrances—the issues we all face at various points in ministry that stop or reverse our church’s growth. But I slowly learned to identify and break through these barriers that were standing in our way.

In five years, with God’s blessing and a clearly defined system for dealing with growth hindrances, The Journey had become a multicultural, multisite community of more than 1,200.

Most churches seem to face growth barriers at five key points: when attendance reaches 65, 125, 250, 500 and 1,000.

In training pastors throughout the country, I’ve discovered we all deal with the same inevitable hindrances, so remember you’re not alone. However, by becoming proactive in learning to identify and break through these barriers, we can keep our momentum and continue growing for God’s glory.

First and foremost, as a pastor looking to grow your church, make sure you’re always asking yourself the right question about growth.

The Wrong Question: How do I get my church to grow?

Your job is not to force growth. When you think growth is your responsibility, you will inevitably make bad decisions. Church growth is ultimately not about what we can do in our own power; it’s about God’s power and His choice to work through us. Refuse to settle for anything less than God’s vision for your church.

The Right Question: What is keeping my church from growing?

Healthy organisms grow. If you feel stagnation setting in, hindrances are inhibiting your growth. Implement a plan to remove them.

Now that you’re asking the right question, I encourage you to make two affirmative decisions.

Decision No. 1: I believe God wants church growth.

Second Peter 3:9 (NLT) tells us: “The Lord isn’t really being slow about His promise to return, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” Your church is part of that redemptive plan. Of course, God wants it to grow. Growth signals repentance and life change.

10 Keys to an Excellent Nursery

By

Dale Hudson

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December 29, 2020

We are finishing up the remodeling of our church nursery. It has been such a fun project for me. I love the nursery. There is nothing more precious to me than walking through our nursery on the weekends.

What are some of the keys to an excellent nursery? Here are my top ten tips for creating a loving and nurturing environment for the little ones.

1. Sanitary.

It should look, smell, and sparkle with cleanliness.
This means weekly cleaning, disinfecting toys after every service, washing sheets, etc.

2. Sane.

This starts with your nursery director. This person will set the tone for your nursery. The director should be someone with a pleasant personality. Someone who stays calm and collected even when children are crying at their highest decibels. Someone who connects well with parents and has experience as the parent of small children.
There will be crying. There will be times when a child is not having a good day. There will be days when a child is having separation anxiety. But sanity can still be attained. Bubble blowers, an aquarium, and other techniques can be used to keep things sane.
Have proper adult to child ratios. This is vital. We strive for 1 adult for every child. It’s a lot easier for a volunteer to keep things sane when they are placed in a proper ratio.

3. Secure.

Create an environment where parents feel comfortable leaving their most precious possession.
Security tags. Children are only released to the person who checked them in and has the matching security tag.
Only people who have been through an interview and background check process are allowed to serve.
Only females are allowed to change diapers.
Have security cameras in every room.
Never allow a volunteer to be alone with a child. No exceptions. If you don’t have two volunteers, then don’t open the room.
We have a police officer stationed in the nursery hallway. You can never be too secure. Parents will notice and appreciate it.

Next Page >>

The Leaders We Lost in 2020

By

Megan Briggs

-

December 29, 2020

Several notable leaders in the evangelical church died in 2020. Some passed due to complications associated with COVID-19, while for others that was not the case. Either way, these leaders are no longer with us but their work and the memories associated with them live on in the lives they impacted.

9 Well-Known Church Leaders Who Died in 2020

March 10, 2020
Sister Dory, the Rev. Adoracion Jose Villanueva

Sister Dory, along with her husband, Brother Eddie Villanueva, founded Jesus Is Lord Church Worldwide (JIL) in the Philippines 1978. JIL has 5 million members in 60 countries. Sister Dory is being remembered as “a spiritual mother, a competent teacher, a prayer warrior, and a model of faith.” She was 73 when she passed.

March 27, 2020
The Rev. Joseph Lowery

The Rev. Joseph Lowery is most known for his work in the Civil Rights Movement, working alongside people like Martin Luther King, Jr. A United Methodist minister, Lowery offered a prayer at President Obama’s inauguration. He also co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with King. Lowery was 98 years old.

April 20, 2020
Sy Rogers

Pastor and former president of Exodus International, Sy Rogers was notable in the evangelical world for leaving a homosexual and transsexual lifestyle behind to follow Christ. Rogers lost his battle with kidney cancer at the age of 63.

May 7, 2020
Darrin Patrick

Darrin Patrick served as a teaching pastor at Seacoast Church, and was also the founding pastor of The Journey Church in St. Louis, Missouri. He was a founding member of the Pastor’s Collective and the author of multiple books. Patrick was fired from Journey Church in 2016 and later submitted to a restoration process under the direction of Gregg Surratt. Patrick, who was only 49, died by suicide.

May 19, 2020
Ravi Zacharias

Author and apologist Ravi Zacharias founded Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in 1984. Ravi, along with his team, spoke to thousands of people around the world about apologetics and addressed questions of doubt. In more recent years, Zacharias has been accused of sexual misconduct and abuse. A recent report from an independent investigation found some of the accusations to be credible. Zacharias had a brief battle with sarcoma before passing away at the age of 74.

Editor’s Note: After the publishing of this article, an independent investigation found allegations implicating Ravi Zacharias of sexual abuse to be credible. Prior to this report, ChurchLeaders had published multiple articles about Ravi Zacharias and his ministry. Although our editorial team believes his work still has value since it involved articulating the truths of God’s Word, we would be remiss not to disclose the painful truth of Mr. Zacharias’ personal actions that have come to light following his death. For further reading, please see:
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

July 17, 2020
The Rev. C.T. Vivian

C.T. Vivian was a Missouri native who worked in the civil rights movement. Starting in 1947, Vivian protested segregated lunch counters before joining Martin Luther King, Jr. In addition to serving as a pastor, Vivian served as an editor for a Baptist Sunday School publisher and dean of divinity at Shaw University Seminary in Raleigh, North Carolina. Vivian was 95.

July 17, 2020
J.I. Packer

James Innell Packer (or J.I. Packer as he was more widely known) was one of the most influential evangelical theologians of the twentieth century. Over his lifetime he published over 160 books, and was best known as the author of the 1973 best-selling book Knowing God, that sold over 1.5 million copies and has been translated into more than a dozen languages. He was 93.

October 20, 2020
Luci Swindoll

The older sister of Chuck Swindoll, Luci Swindoll authored several books. The popular Christian book Wide My World, Narrow My Bed on singleness was written by Luci in 1982. In addition to writing about singleness and serving God, Luci took a role in over 30 operas at the Dallas Civic Opera and worked 30 years for Mobil Oil in Dallas, Texas. She was also involved in the popular conferences Women of Faith. She was 88.

November 9, 2020
Bishop Harry Jackson

Bishop Harry Jackson was the senior pastor of Hope Christian Church in Maryland. Known for his conservatism on issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage, Jackson was an informal evangelical advisor to President Trump. Jackson founded the High Impact Leadership Coalition (HILC). He was 66.

Other Lesser-Known, But Equally Important, People Who Died in 2020

In addition to these leaders who had more public profiles and ministries, the church lost many others throughout the year. We recall the beloved youth minister in Seymour, Indiana who died from complications with the flu earlier in the year.

As the year was fraught with insecurity and fear, we can’t help but be thankful for the ministers who served their congregations with faithfulness and diligence. Many of these ministers died from COVID-19, including 30 in the Church of God in Christ denomination during the early stages of the pandemic. Another eight ministers from various denominations were honored in a mass obituary The New York Times published about victims of COVID-19.

As church leaders were major contributors to the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, we remember other Civil Rights heroes like John Lewis who helped our country take a step closer to becoming a more perfect union.

And then there were the sudden and unexplainable deaths like that of pastor’s wife and mother Marilane Carter, author Tim Challies’ son, and TobyMac’s sister.

All of these people, regardless of how they died, lived and brought light and life to the people around them. We will miss them and remember their contributions to the world.

How One NY Church Plant Launched March 1 and Did More Than Just Survive 2020

By

Jessica Lea

-

December 29, 2020

When Pastor Jason James and his team planted New Hope Church in New York City at the beginning of this year, they had no idea that God would use the upheaval of a global pandemic to shape the kind of church they would become.

“People in our community lost jobs, couldn’t afford rent or groceries,” said Pastor Jason James. “Local businesses had to close. We all knew someone or knew of someone who died of COVID. And along with all of this was the loss of meaning. But we always wanted to be a church that would share the hope of Jesus Christ with those who lived without him. And we always wanted to serve the most vulnerable among us. And the pandemic, rather than disrupting these plans, became the setting for [them]. It forced us to grow up into the kind of church we dreamt of being.”

Pastor Jason James on Planting a Church in 2020

New Hope Church is part of the Acts 29 Network, which has planted 25 churches this year, despite 2020’s unique difficulties. One of those difficulties has been trying to find new ways to minister to people during lockdown. Said Pastor Jason James, “We had no idea that all our familiar methods of [sharing the hope of Jesus] would become impossible. We officially launched on March 1, 2020, but had to stop gathering after two weeks.”

For James personally, “The greatest challenge has been finding meaning in the midst of grief and loss. I struggled with depression for months. It all seemed so meaningless that we invested much time, effort, and energy in launching a church that could not gather.” It was also unexpectedly hard for him to shift to new ways of connecting with people.

“I could no longer meet my neighbors in a coffee shop and discuss their questions about Christianity,” said James. “I could no longer look into the eyes of the people I have been called to pastor and remind them of God’s greatness and love. I underestimated how much I loved our methods of ministry, perhaps just as much or more than the mission.”

James realized he was looking for peace in the ministry methods he was used to instead of in God himself. “The Lord was calling me to love him,” he said, “the one who first loved me, and therefore, find rest in him. It was out of this place of rest that I found the courage to follow him wherever he leads in the path that he defines.”

Jason James and New Hope Find New Paths Forward

In 2019, the New Hope team did not have a permanent location for gathering, and that experience helped prepare them for when their new church was unable to meet in 2020. Said James, it “helped form an identity in us as a people and not a building or a church service.” Nevertheless, New Hope still had to figure out how “to find our footing as an infant church plant, while also walking through the profound loss and grief in our community and neighborhood.”

The church leaders decided to take the money they would have spent on meeting in person and use it to meet the needs of their members and those in their community. “The Lord strengthened our church to help people who couldn’t pay rent, couldn’t afford groceries, medical expenses, and tuition costs,” said James. The church assisted immigrants who were seeking asylum and helped provide meals for local healthcare workers, postal workers, and police officers. The congregation also provided Thanksgiving meals for 100 families in their neighborhood.

Another service the church offered was mental health counseling—Pastor Jones’ wife, Jyothi, is a licensed professional counselor. According to Acts 29 executive director Brian Howard, “This [mental health] ministry was priceless for those who visited the new church plant, and it contributed to their growth.” New Hope now has 50 members and averages 300 weekly online attendees.

Not losing sight of the importance of pursuing Jesus in community, New Hope Church started “home groups” in August. The groups follow safety guidelines and meet weekly to watch and discuss the Sunday sermon together. Even though home groups have had to move online again because of the recent spike in COVID-19 cases, James says the groups “became a way to equip people for the work of ministry, while uniting our church under the same vision and teaching, and also create a space for people to experience genuine community.”

After navigating how to meet the needs of their community during the pandemic, New Hope leaders had to determine if they were going to carry these same ministries forward into the new year. “The question we had to answer was whether this was an aberration,” said Pastor Jason James, “something that we are doing until we can all go back to what is familiar to us. And it has become clear to us that the answer is no. God has used the challenges of 2020 to shape us into the church that he has called us to be. We are a church born in suffering for those who experience suffering.”

The 20 Most Popular Articles of the Year 2020

By

Jesse T. Jackson

-

December 29, 2020

The year 2020 will be a year that we will never forget. A year that was filled with news, a lot of which we all probably wish he hadn’t had heard or experienced.

On the other hand, 2020 was also a year of innovation for the church. As many churches closed their doors in an effort to protect people from the coronavirus, new methods of ministry and outreach were developed. We saw churches rise to the occasion as they met the needs in their respective communities, whether that involved providing food for struggling families, helping children and parents with remote learning, or supporting local businesses.

In the U.S., we weathered an incredibly divisive election year alongside disagreements about whether or not churches should follow state guidelines for houses of worship in the midst of the pandemic. Our editorial team grappled with the good and the bad and the nuance of each story. To say that it was difficult would be quite the understatement. We are grateful to you for sticking with us through a difficult year and we, like you, are hoping for a better year ahead as we trust in God’s sovereignty.

Below are the top 20 most popular news stories from 2020 based on our readers’ clicks.

Todd White Repents: ‘I Haven’t Preached the Whole Gospel!’

“I haven’t preached the whole gospel! And I repent! I repent!”

What You Need to Know About the Abraham Accord

Under the Abraham Accord, Israel and the UAE will exchange embassies and ambassadors, and they plan to “sign bilateral agreements regarding investment, tourism, direct flights, security, telecommunications, technology, energy, healthcare, culture, the environment…and other areas of mutual benefit.”

How This Question Came Up:

1. Don’t Let the Sound of Your Own Wheels Make You Crazy

Pastor John MacArthur: This is about religious freedom

Pastor Rick Warren: This is about loving your neighbor

Giving was ‘imperative’ in 2020

Church Surprises, Inspires Shoe-Shop Owner

Calvary, Legacy Church Defend Their Actions

Key Questions for Aimee Byrd

Key Quotes from Aimee Byrd

What Is ‘Braving’?

Brene Brown: Trust

Free Kids’ Lesson Package

Decision No. 1: I believe God wants church growth.

Next Page >>

9 Well-Known Church Leaders Who Died in 2020

Other Lesser-Known, But Equally Important, People Who Died in 2020

Pastor Jason James on Planting a Church in 2020

Jason James and New Hope Find New Paths Forward

New Articles

New Podcasts