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Police Block Churches in CA Province With 40% COVID Positivity Rate From Meeting

By
Stephanie Martin
-
teen pregnancy

Despite an alarming 40 percent COVID-19 test-positivity rate in parts of southern Manitoba, some churches in that Canadian province are still gathering in defiance of public orders. In Steinbach, 45 miles from Winnipeg, law enforcement officials are issuing fines, and a ministerial group is urging churches to suspend worship. Yet several large congregations insist that in-person gatherings are “crucial” and are being held safely. 

Church of God Restoration: ‘This is not about a virus’

Church of God Restoration near Steinbach was fined $5,000 after more than 100 people gathered on November 22. Although even drive-in services are now outlawed, the church met again yesterday, in a parking lot. As police tried to tow a van that was blocking traffic, Pastor Tobias Tissen said, “You’re big-time interfering with God right now.” Tissen, who attended a recent anti-mask protest, told attendees, “We’re made to come together to worship. Being alone at home and watching a virtual service does not replace worship.”

On Facebook, the church reminded attendees to stay in their vehicles with windows rolled up. “This won’t be like the parking lots of Costco, Walmart, and the government-owned liquor stores where people freely mingle,” the post states. “Make no mistake, this is not about a virus.”

Pastor Heinrich Hildebrandt, also with Church of God Restoration, says, “There must be an allowable expression of faith that is deemed essential while we are allowing the sale of products at establishments that exist solely for the sale of alcohol, coffee, donuts, cannabis, and fast food.” Canadians, he adds, are “guaranteed the right to religious freedom and peaceful assembly.”

In a statement, the Church of God denomination says it’s “not asking for special treatment, just fair treatment.”

Springs Church in Winnipeg also held a drive-in service Sunday, with senior pastor Leon Fontaine telling attendees, “This is absolutely safe, and getting together is crucial.”

Lives Are at Stake, Say Officials, Ministry Group 

Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief public health officer, says, “These orders are not here to restrict your right to worship; these orders are here to save lives.” With such high coronavirus rates, he adds, gatherings put everyone at risk.

City councilor Shawn Nason says it’s disappointing that local churches aren’t complying. “They have a strong social media presence, they stream their services, so I’m very unclear why they need to sidestep the spirit and intent” of the order, he says. “It’s troubling that we can’t just pause for two weeks…or however long it takes to get this (virus) under control.”

Sgt. Paul Manaigre of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police says “hospitals are full” and medical personnel “are getting burned out.”

Officials have the backing of at least 23 local pastors, who penned an open letter urging churches to obey authorities. COVID-19 health orders “in no way contravene our ability to obey and worship God,” they write. “They are not anti-faith; they are pro-life.” The pastors acknowledge freedom is being limited but add it’s “for the greater good of our society (Romans 14:6).” They conclude: “We believe that the sacrifices asked of us at this time—mask-wearing and physical distancing, for example—pale in comparison to the sacrifice Christ made on our behalf.”

The Rev. Walter Fast, who heads the ministerial group, says he’s recently lost two congregants to COVID and “aches” at the suspension of in-person pastoral care. “We are doing our best to urge our congregants to be sober-minded,” he says. “You have no idea how hard it is to get prepared in a week’s time for a graveside funeral with five people.”

Christian Starbucks Employee Fired for Refusing to Wear Company ‘Pride’ Shirt

By
Jesse T. Jackson
-
teen pregnancy

A New Jersey Christian woman filed a wrongful termination lawsuit on November 19, 2020 against her former employer Starbucks, alleging she was fired for refusing to wear the company’s Pride shirt that honors the LGBT community. The woman cited her religious beliefs as the reason she refused to wear the shirt.

Betsy Fresse has worked as barista at the popular coffee chain since December 2015. In her lawsuit she claimed managers were aware of her religious beliefs as she regularly requested Sundays and other evenings off for church attendance purposes.

According to New York Post the suit that was filed stated that Fresse was “assured by managers that her faith wouldn’t be an issue after transferring to a store in Glen Ridge early last year.” Later, in June 2019, after spotting a box during a meeting in a manger’s office that contained Starbucks‘ Pride shirts, she asked if she would be required to wear one. Fresse said having to wear the shirt would be “tantamount to forced speech” because her definition of marriage is defined by the Bible which teaches marriage is between one man and one woman only. Her manager told her she wouldn’t have to wear the company’s shirt. 

The lawsuit states that Fresse believes that “every Christian is called to love and treat everyone with respect and compassion, irrespective of their religious or other beliefs.” and that her religious belief is “that all people need Jesus.”

On August 22, 2019 a district manager told her that she had been terminated and was told she was being fired for violating Starbucks‘ “core values.” This was after Fresse received a call from the company’s “ethic and compliance” helpline due to her request to be excluded from having to wear the LGBT shirt.

The termination notice read, “We enforce these values when we embrace inclusion and diversity, and welcome and learn from people with different backgrounds and perspectives.” It also alleges that she told her colleagues they “need Jesus” when the Pride shirt was given to her.

Fresse is seeking backpay, punitive damages, and attorney fees, as well as a permanent injunction that prevents Starbucks from “failing to accommodate the sincerely held religious beliefs” of its employees.

A Starbucks representative told NBC News that Fresse’s claims are “without merit” and they are prepared to present that in court. The representative said, “Starbucks does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, religion or sexual orientation,” stating that other than the Starbucks’ trademark green apron, ” other than Starbucks’ trademark green apron, “no part of our dress code requires partners to wear any approved items that they have not personally selected.”

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 says that it is unlawful for a place of employment to discriminate on the basis of “race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.”

The Impact of Behind-the-Scenes Teams

By
Dale Hudson
-
teen pregnancy

Much of children’s ministry happens behind-the-scenes.

Faithful people who love God and have a heart for reaching the next generation.

They put together small group materials when no one is there to applaud them.  They run copy after copy after copy of the lesson for those who will be teaching and leading groups on Sunday.

They serve not for the income (volunteers don’t get paid) but for the outcome.

What they do is sometimes taken for granted.  Everyone gets used to the class materials being ready and forget that someone gave of their time to put it together.

It may seem like the people teaching the lesson are the most needed.  But that is simply not the case.  Without the behind-the-scenes people, it would be a struggle when the weekend rolls around.

They wiped down the toys in the preschool rooms so the children would be in a safe environment.  No one saw them doing this…no one except Jesus.  They laid out the name tags that the greeters would pick up and wear.  No one say them doing this…no one except Jesus.  They took the “missed you” cards to the post office.  There was no one there cheering them on.  They baked brownies for the other volunteers to have on Sunday.  There was no one in the kitchen while they were doing this…no one except Jesus.

You see the big things are made possible by the little acts of service that happen behind the scenes.  The big things are made possible not just because of the person in front of the camera, but the person behind the camera as well.  Without the person behind the camera there is no in front of the camera.

Since it is football season, I was thinking this morning about the dynamics of a football team.  Of course, the quarterback is in the spotlight.  He is at the center of all the attention.  Everything revolves around him.  He is often one of the people who talks at the press conference following the game.

And then there is the center.  The person who hikes the ball to the quarterback.  He does his job, not worried about who will get the “praise” for the victory.  You never see him being interviewed after the game or giving a speech to all the players and reporters following the game.

But without the center faithfully hiking the ball to the quarterback, there is no play.  The center who hikes the ball is critical for success.  If he messes up, the play is not going to go anywhere.

If you are one of the behind-the-scenes people in your children’s ministry, let me encourage you today.

Keep serving for the cause not for the applause.

The applause for the behind-the-scenes people may not always be there.  You may feel at times that no one cares about what you do.  You may not have heard the words “thank you” in a long time.

Keep hiking the ball…even when no one pats you on the back.  Keep hiking the ball…even though the spotlight may never be turned your way.  Keep hiking the ball…even though others will get the glory for the great play.

Be encouraged today.  Your behind-the-scenes work is what makes the “up front” ministry possible.  God keeps great records and great will be your reward in heaven. You are making a huge impact.  And the full extent of it will be known in heaven, when Jesus says to you, “Well done good and faithful servant.”

Just a reminder that our big sale on resources starts this Friday, Nov. 27 and run through Dec.15.  Lots of great resources are being discounted by 30-50%.  These are resources that have been proven to work in a local church setting.  Go to www.buildingchildrensministry.com to get great deals on cutting-edge, effective resources…at an amazing price.

This article originally appeared here.

Locked Down in a Small Town: Rural Ministry During COVID-19

By
Karl Vaters
-
teen pregnancy

If you live in a small town or rural area, the current coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis is hitting you differently than your big-city friends.

Here are 5 lessons I’m learning from conversations I’m having with rural pastors:

1. The Impact Is All or Nothing

It’s impossible to live in a heavily-populated area and not feel the results of this pandemic at close range. Even if you don’t personally know someone who’s sick, there are hurting people all around you.

In a small town or rural area, the results are different. As in, it’s all or nothing.

For most rural folks, either the coronavirus hasn’t affected anyone who lives near you, or it’s hit your town with a vengeance.

For instance, in the small town of Bobcaygeon, in Ontario Canada, there is a nursing home where coronavirus killed almost half of its residents in the first few weeks of the pandemic. Friends in that town tell me that the immediate onrush of medical professionals came in under the assumption that “everyone in Bobcaygeon is infected.”

The way pastors are responding in Bobcaygeon will necessarily be very different than the way pastors are responding in towns that don’t have a single case of coronavirus yet.

2. The Response Needs to be Contextual

In big cities around the world, the response to this pandemic is all about percentages. Some have more cases, some have fewer, but they’re all dealing with something. But in rural communities, the “all or nothing” impact means there’s no standard response.

Because of this, many people in rural areas will be more skeptical of national or state mandates, which are likely based on situations that are common in big cities but have little overlap with their specific context.

Pastors of small-town churches can be a huge help to their communities during this season, as they are often among the most respected members of their towns.

They have the pulse and the trust of their communities, so they can respond in ways that make sense in their context.

3. Technology Can Feel Like a Burden, Not a Blessing

If you live in a big city, it’s easy to think that the internet is accessible everywhere.

Church building closed? Just go online! Many churches reported that their early online numbers were vastly larger than their in-person attendance ever was.

Not so in small towns.

In many rural areas, internet access cannot be taken for granted. And even if it is available, small town churches are more likely to minister to aging congregants, many of whom don’t know how to watch online.

Plus, if the church didn’t have an online presence before stay-at-home orders went into effect, the only person who can make live stream services happen is the pastor, and they are unlikely to have the tech skills to do it themselves.

In big cities, and especially in big churches, there may be a team of people who can do the tech for you. In a small town, it’s just you. And you’re a pastor, not a tech expert.

The online “opportunities” that fellow pastors are using well, and may even be excited about, may feel like a 100-lb weight on the shoulders of our colleagues in rural areas.

So what’s a small-town pastor to do?

Here’s the most important lesson I’m learning from my small-town pastor friends…

4. The Personal Touch Is Essential

Phone calls are our friend.

Yes, the old-school, voice-to-voice, “how are you doing?” phone call.

The smaller the town and the older the congregation, the more our church members and neighbors need to hear from their pastor and each other.

In most rural situations, a couple of short phone calls a week will mean far more to church members than an online service ever could.

If you can do both, by all means do them. But physical distancing doesn’t have to mean emotional distancing.

We can still call our church members. Then, because we know people personally, the local pastor is often aware of what their church members need, even if the member won’t ask for help.

The small-town pastor is aware which members are likely to be more fearful, who is likely to be going stir-crazy, and who is in a potentially abusive situation in their own homes.

5. They Need Our Prayers and Support

Pastors in small towns and rural areas are on the front lines of ministry right now.

They bear the needs of their church members deeply. Yet they and their churches probably feel unseen, undervalued and under-resourced by those inside and outside their church.

If you know a pastor in a small town, call them. Listen to them. Pray for them. Ask how you can help.

It will mean more than you will ever know.

This article originally appeared here.

The Only Way to Get Stronger

By
Dr. Mike Glenn
-
teen pregnancy

The Only Way to Get Stronger

Like a lot of us, I’ve been challenged to keep up my workout routine because of the pandemic quarantine. I used to be a regular at my local gym, but when the governor issued his stay at home order, I lost my focus on my workouts. Sure, I still walked through the neighborhood, but let’s face it, you don’t push yourself as hard when you’re working out by yourself. You don’t watch your diet as you should when you know you aren’t going to have to weigh in while someone else writes down the results.

So, a few weeks ago I got back to the gym. A few days ago, I started working out with a trainer.

That was a mistake.

For one thing, trainers are obsessed with numbers. How much do you weigh? How much protein do you eat? How much water do you drink? What’s your BMI? Your max O2?

I just want to get in a few laps, sweat a little bit, and go home.

But no, we’re going to do 3 sets of squats – first without weights and then, with weights. Now, we’re going to do a series of presses — chest press, shoulder press and leg press. Each exercise will be done ten times, and each time, the trainer will add weight.

That’s right. They ADD weight. Just when l would get comfortable doing an exercise using a certain weight level, the trainer adds more weight. Every time I try to relax, my trainer adds more weight, extends time on the treadmill, or increases the ramp angle on the treadmill. In general, my trainer seems to be determined to make my life harder.

I want my life easier. They want my life harder. Why? Because they want me stronger, and the only way to get stronger is to add more weight. The only way to get better is to increase the resistance or extend the distance. If you want to get stronger, you have to work harder.

There are no shortcuts.

And just like there are no shortcuts in the gym, there are no shortcuts following Christ either. For some reason, we wrongly assume once we start following Christ, our lives will be problem free. We’ll never have to look for another parking space at the grocery store. They will just magically appear in front of us. We’ll never lose our jobs, money problems will disappear and our lives will be filled with rainbows.

But it’s not that way. Let’s be honest. Following Christ doesn’t make our lives easier. Being a disciple makes our lives harder. Why? Because Jesus wants you and me to become stronger, and the only way to get stronger is to add more weight to your work.

Do you remember the parable of the talents? The one who had five was rewarded with five more. The one with two was rewarded with two more. In fact, the one who had ten ended up picking up the one from the servant who didn’t do anything. He had a total of eleven!

Have you ever thought that he might not have wanted all of these talents? For all we know, he could have been saying to Jesus, “Lord, I have more than enough.” Now, he goes from 5 to 11. He doubled the five. The expectation is he will double the 11.

That’s a lot of work. Life didn’t get easier because of this servant’s success. It got harder.

The reward for good work is more work.

All of us admire the faith of Elijah to call down fire from heaven. What we overlook is the miracle of the widow’s jar of oil in the chapters before. Elijah’s faith in a small moment is rewarded by a challenge to his faith we still talk about all of these years later.

David reported to Saul how God had helped him kill the lions and the bears, and with that, David had the confidence to defeat Goliath. No one kills giants on the first day. You have to work up to that.

The disciples were sent out two by two with Jesus before Jesus sent them out with the Great Commission. Great acts of faith are always preceded by little acts of faith.

The great adventures of Christ always begins with small steps of obedience. This is why we can never overlook the small miracle in front of us. Every small miracle leads to a bigger miracle.

So, start where you are, but be ready. Jesus wants you stronger. He’s going to add more weight.

This article originally appeared here.

International Missions – Building Upon John Piper’s Guidance

By
Zach Bradley
-
teen pregnancy

Over the past decade, John Piper’s categorical way of thinking about international missions and the local church has invigorated countless people. Originating from Bethlehem Baptist Church’s “Driving Convictions Behind Foreign Missions,” the decisive paradigm places one of three roles on every Christian when it comes to missions.

  1. Goers: those “who cross a culture to plant the church where it isn’t.”
  2. Senders: those “agitating, fundraising, giving, praying, and supporting those who go.”
  3. Disobedient: those “who don’t even think about it and don’t care about it” (ibid.).

I am grateful Piper clarified and specified international missions involvement in this way. I believe it allowed many to see that everyone has a role to play in the Great Commission. It has also been one of the best attempts I’ve ever known to affirm sending as noble, vital, and meaningful. And it expresses the biting reality that uninvolved Christians are actually disobedient to Christ’s command to make disciples of all nations.

But I also believe there’s a better way to think about this. You and your fellow church members are more than senders, goers, or disobedient. Here’s why.

Every Christian Is Sent

We love to say that God is a “missionary God.” But that’s limited by our pragmatism. More broadly we could say that God is a loving, outgoing God. His love is richly shared from eternity past among Father, Son, and Spirit (John 17:24). From his loving, overflowing nature, God sent. The Father sent the Son, the Father and Son sent the Spirit, and the Father, Son, and Spirit send the church.

So I believe we can more aptly say that God is a sending God. That means every single one of his sons and daughters, by the image of God that they bear, are sent ones. Sent ones aren’t limited to those who cross cultural and linguistic barriers to proclaim the gospel. All of us are sent on God’s mission, yoked with the Great Commission (Matt. 5:14; 2 Cor. 5:20).

Missions Is More Than Practice—It’s Also Identity

In the world of international missions, we tend to be rather pragmatic. We aren’t just desperate to talk about getting the gospel to those who haven’t heard. We actually want to get it there—yesterday.

We want action. The Bible commands it. The lost need it. And so we are drawn to practical categories such as goers, senders, and disobedient. But as my former professor Bruce Ware boomed with a slap to the lectern, “There is no such thing as ‘practical theology’—all theology is practical if you really believe it!”

Skipping ahead to the practice of international missions misses the powerful theological-missiological identity of every Christian. Our historical limitations on sending may have more to do with the failure to cultivate the sent identity of every Christian than the failure to provide more avenues, funds, or training.

Emphasizing Practice over Identity Limits the Mission

Ignoring, or at least downplaying, international missions identity leads each Christian to focus mainly on their deeds (or lack thereof). While there are certainly biblical grounds for true faith being expressed by action (John 14:15; Eph. 2:10, James 1:22), the New Testament never separates what we do for God from what God does for us.

The truths and implications of the gospel inform and empower our obedience to Christ. Focusing primarily on our deeds in regard to international missions can be crippling. For those who aren’t missionaries, even the appearance of their lack of deeds can be guilt-inducing enough to distance them not only from the Great Commission, but from God himself. For those who are missionaries, the temptation to admire their surplus of deeds, even subtly, can lead to pride that alienates them from others as well as the delights of the gospel.

Creative Resource: Great Stock Footage from Capernaum Studios

By
Capernaum Studios
-
teen pregnancy

Capernaum Studios is a comprehensive film studio with a wide variety of set rental options available including our First Century Village, Post-Apocalyptic Town and Small Town Main Street. Our newest addition is an 18th Century Cabin and Fort that you have to see to believe. For the more rustic looks, we also have a rocky ravine, open meadows, grass lands and beautiful wooded areas. We can even build a custom built set to meet your filming needs.

With special pricing for churches, we have made it possible for church teams to come use Capernaum Studios to produce quality products that help spread the good news of Jesus Christ to a lost world through film. Contact us today to schedule a tour and let us help you bring your vision to life!

Capernaum Stock is affordable, high quality footage that brings to life stories from the Bible and made available to everyone. Our goal is that churches, organizations and ministries will use this content to help tell the greatest story of all time. All clips available in HD versions and many available in 4K. Whether you are looking for Jesus content, Roman soldiers, or first century battle scenes, we have clips for you.

Go to www.capernaumstudios.com/filmsets for pictures and more! We are also excited to now offer high quality stock footage for sale to help bring stories from the Bible to life for your church! We have a variety of first century scenes and plan to keep adding to our collection in the near future.

Please go to www.capernaumstudios.com for more information and to see the clips we have available.

Your Church is FINALLY Getting a Website – But WHY?

By
Duke Taber
-
teen pregnancy

You’re in a meeting with your leaders, and everyone is in agreement that 1st Church of Smallchurchville (Don’t be offended, I pastor a small church) needs to come into the 21st century. But the haven’t given consideration to any church website objectives.

So you go out and find a free website builder like Wix or WordPress.com or any of the other numerous free sites out there, and you put up a website with your church name, address, and service times.

You are all ready for the flood of traffic that is going to come to your church because of being on the web. Unfortunately, all you see is empty pews. Why?

  • A. Your website will never be found. That type of site is not given much love from search engines like Google and Bing.
  • B. Your website doesn’t serve a purpose other than to be a replacement for a yellow pages ad.
    You need to think through your church website objectives.

3 Primary Website Objectives

There are three primary church website objectives and numerous secondary objectives that you need to consider and then put into your church website.

Those objectives are to attract, inform, and inspire.

Objective #1 – Attract New People

Your church website needs to be focused on attracting the “who’s” your church will bless.Every church I have ever pastored or attended has said they want to attract new people. However, most don’t stop and think about whom they want to attract.

Let me put it this way. If your church is a traditional church that sings hymns, then you want to attract people who will appreciate hymns. If they hate hymns and only want to sing modern songs, don’t waste your time or theirs trying to draw them. The opposite is true as well.

In my church, we are not trying to compete with the larger churches with multiple programs. We realize that a person that is looking for a church with a large variety of programs or ministries to fit every need they may have is not going to want to attend our church.

Instead, we focus on the strengths of our small church. This is our relationships, our accessibility, our mission to our community. People who will like our church are those that want something different than a church with programs.

Your church website needs to attract those that will like your church.

How To Attract People To Visit Your Church Through Your Church Website

Right on the home page of your church website provide a way for them to read about why your church is such a great place to worship. You may also want to describe for them what they will experience when they come to visit your church. Is there a dress code? Are their childcare or children’s ministries?

Let them know why your church is worth checking out AND give them the information they need to decide if your church is a good fit for them or not.

Provide for them sample sermons on audio or video for them to listen to your pastor speak. The millennial generation listens to an average of 6 sermons from a church website before every deciding to visit a church. Include a welcome video if possible.

I could not regularly attend a church where the pastor shouts their sermons or reads their sermons word for word. Those styles of sermon delivery do not speak to me. Yet, I know numerous people that do receive from God that way.

Be comfortable in who your church is and let God speak to the people He has for your church.

Provide an easy way for people to contact your church via phone and email to ask questions about your church.

You might also want to provide an FAQ page for questions that people regularly have about your church.

Objective #2 – Inform Current Members

Your website can be the communications hub between your church and its members. You should have a page that lists out the upcoming events for kids, men, women, youth, and community service groups.The next objective your church website needs is to be a tool for your current members to stay up to date on the latest activities and events your church is going to have.

This can be a little time consuming but if you also have a Facebook page for your church, there are programs available to connect your Facebook page to your church website and all your activities and events that you list on Facebook can be imported right to your church website. That is what we do at my church.

You can also use your church website to inform your members about your giving goals and allow them the opportunity to give online.

Objective #3 – Inspire Your Church Members And Others

Your church website can become a source of inspiration with audio and video sermons, inspirational writings from the pastor, or even blog posts by other leaders in the church.

Not only will your church members be blessed by what they find on your website, but others in the community will as well.

We have more people that watch our Sunday live stream than attend the church. Some are physically unable to participate on Sundays. Some are families that are out of town. And some are from across the world.

You can post weekly devotional, upcoming notes for your Sunday School class, or even offer online courses on topics that are of relevance to your community. There is no limit to how you can inspire your church and your community through your church website.

Final Thoughts On Developing Church Website Objectives

Give your website purpose. It is a tool, not an advertisement. It can attract visitors like an advertisement but only if you approach it differently.

So take a moment and get together with your leaders. Since you all decided to enter the 21st century, now is the time to ask yourselves some questions.

Whom do we want to attract? What do we want our website to accomplish? How can we do that? What are some creative ideas that will accomplish our objectives?

If you do this and build a beautiful website for your church that focuses on these objectives. You will see a few of those seats filling up with visitors because of your church website.

 

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

Apathy as the Enemy of the Gospel

By
J.D. Greear
-

I picked up John Piper’s new book, Bloodlines and thought this was a great passage on how the gospel transforms a heart from passionless apathy to fervent living.

“Apathy is passionless living. It is sitting in front of the television night after night and living your life from one moment of entertainment to the next. It is the inability to be shocked into action by the steady-state lostness and suffering of the world. It is the emptiness that comes from thinking of godliness as the avoidance of doing bad things instead of the aggressive pursuit of doing good things.

If that were God’s intention for the godliness of his people, why would Paul say, ‘All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted’ (2 Tim. 3:12)? People who stay at home and watch clean videos don’t get persecuted. Godliness must mean something more public, more aggressively good.

In fact, the aim of the gospel is the creation of people who are passionate for doing good rather than settling for the passionless avoidance of evil. ‘[Christ] gave himself for us…to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works’ (Titus 2:14). The gospel produces people who are created for good works (Eph. 2:10), and have a reputation for good works (1 Tim. 5:10), and are rich in good works (1 Tim. 6:18), and present a model of good works (Titus 2:7), and devote themselves to good works (Titus 3:8,14), and stir each other up to good works (Heb. 10:24).

And when they set about them, the word they hear form God is, ‘Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord’ (Rom. 12:11). The gospel does not make us lazy. It makes us fervent. The Greek for fervent signifies boiling. The gospel opens our eyes to the eternal significance of things. Nothing is merely ordinary anymore.

Christ did not pursue us halfheartedly. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the uttermost (John 13:1). His death gives the deepest meaning to the word passion. Now he dwells in us. How will we not pray for the fullest experience of his zeal for the cause of justice and love? ‘So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith’ (Gal. 6:10).

Free Kids Christmas Series: "Presence"

By
Daniel So
-
teen pregnancy

Free Kids Series

Download this four-week series to share with your children’s ministry leading up to Christmas.

This series package includes:

  • Challenge cards
  • Experience guidelines
  • Group games
  • Series artwork
  • Series notes
  • Message videos
  • Teaching segment videos

Get Download Now

Resource provided by LifeChurch.tv

Download Instructions: Choose the elements you’d like to add by clicking the “Add Item” button next to it, then log into your free LifeChurch.tv account to complete your download.

When Your Groups Are Divided Over COVID

By
Allen White
-
teen pregnancy

This is a complex time filled with believers and non-believers. Some believe that COVID is a deadly pandemic and that every precaution must be taken. Others believe that the COVID is completely made up to control people. There are others who venture out with precautions. There are others who resent precautions. As one pastor said recently, “You just described my whole church.” But, what happens when your groups disagree over whether to meet in-person or online?

Being Right Misses the Point

People have already decided what they believe about COVID, the presidential election, global warming, etc. Positions have been taken. No amount of arguing, tweeting, posting, or unfriending will convince them otherwise. Debate will not make anyone feel better about meeting or not meeting as a group.

As stated earlier, opinions range across an entire spectrum. Some choose to err on the side of caution because of a family member who is elderly or who has a compromised immune system. Others are just over it. Coronavirus has carried on for over eight months. Typically, people don’t stick with anything that long!

This division is not a matter of who’s right and who’s wrong. It comes down to the best way to accommodate group members over an issue that is important to them. Coronavirus aside, how can the group love one another and thus prove they are Christ’s disciples?

What Can the Group Agree on?

For the sake of discussion, let’s consider a less emotionally-charged issue. Instead of meeting or not meeting because of COVID, let’s change the debate. Let’s say that part of the group would like to continue meeting on Tuesday night, but another part of the group would like to change to Thursday night. The Tuesday members have their reasons. The Thursday members have their reasons. Would the Tuesday members possibly move to Thursday? Why can’t the Thursday members meet on Tuesday? Is there another night of the week that’s open for everyone?

If the heart of the group is to stay together, they must arrive at some kind of compromise. Alternating group meetings between Tuesdays and Thursdays would be confusing and would effectively split the group. As with any group dilemma, the group needs to revisit their Group Agreement. If the current Group Agreement is no longer working for the group, then they need to do their best to make adjustments in order to continue. If they cannot make adjustments, then the group will probably disband. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

What If the Group Can’t Reach Consensus?

The question of a group being split over COVID actually came up in an online leader training I did last week with Grace Point Church in Topeka, Kansas. (Thanks Josh Cooper for inviting me!) One of the leaders was facing this exactly dilemma in her group.

My initial response was to tell the group leader to choose the members she liked and go with them. While that brought a laugh, it wasn’t really a solution. But, I was only half joking.

The first thing leaders must consider is what they are comfortable doing. If the group made an accommodation to a different night or a different format for the sake on an insistent member, I’ve often found that even after the group makes the change, the member doesn’t show up. Leaders should do what they’re comfortable doing. If they like meeting on Tuesday night, then meet on Tuesday night. If leaders would prefer to meet online over the Winter instead of in-person, then meet online and keep those who will meet with you. But, what about those on the other side of the issue?

If your group is divided 60/40, then you have effectively split the group. Those who don’t want to continue based on the group’s decision should form their own group and choose the relative leader in the group. Before the group makes this move, the leader should discuss this with his or her coach or small group pastor. You don’t want to elevate someone without clearing the name with the church first. Once the new leader is approved, then the new group can start.

This could be a temporary solution until the situation changes, and the group can reunite. Or, the group could intentionally start another new group. The new in-person group and the new online group that have formed will have room for new members. People who’ve been watching the online worship service could connect with the online small group. Look at this as an opportunity and not a problem!

Now, notice what I didn’t say. I did not say to send the three or four members who differ from the rest of the group to the small group pastor so they can be assigned to a new group. This is not the small group pastor’s problem, so don’t make it your problem. Let the group work out their differences with the guidance of their coach. Stay out of the matchmaking business.

Concluding Thoughts

This is a complicated time. Opinions vary widely. But, as at any other time, group issues should be solved by the group. If they need help, then their coach can guide them. Avoid the temptation to fix this for the group. They can work it out. And, above all else, “stop passing judgment on one another” (Romans 14:13).

This article originally appeared here.

Top 10 Ways Churches Drive Away First-Time Guests

By
Thom Rainer
-

If you attend a church regularly, you’ve probably noticed the phenomenon. A first time guest shows up for a worship service, but he or she never returns. It is, unfortunately, a common issue in many churches.

Why a First Time Guest Might Not Return

I did a Twitter poll to ask these first-time guests why they chose not to return to a particular church. While some of the responses were anticipated, I admit being a bit surprised with some of them.

Though my poll is not scientific, it is nevertheless fascinating. Here are the top 10 responses in order of frequency.

1. Having a stand up and greet one another time in the worship service.

This response was my greatest surprise for two reasons. First, I was surprised how much guests are really uncomfortable during this time. Second, I was really surprised that it was the most frequent response.

2. Unfriendly church members.

This response was anticipated. But the surprise was the number of respondents who included non-genuine friendliness in their answers. In other words, the guests perceived some of the church members were faking it.

3. Unsafe and unclean children’s area.

This response generated the greatest emotional reactions. If your church does not give a high priority to children, don’t expect young families to attend.

4. No place to get information.

If your church does not have a clear and obvious place to get information, you probably have lowered the chances of a return visit by half. There should also be someone to greet and assist guests at that information center as well.

5. Bad church website.

Most of the church guests went to the church website before they attended a worship service. Even if they attended the service after visiting a bad website, they attended with a prejudicial perspective. The two indispensable items guests want on a website are address and times of service. It’s just that basic.

6. Poor signage.

If you have been attending a church for a few weeks, you forget all about the signage. You don’t need it any more. But guests do. And they are frustrated when it’s not there.

7. Insider church language.

Most of the respondents were not referring to theological language as much as language that only the members know. My favorite example from a first time guest was: “The WMU will meet in the CLC in the room where the GAs usually meet.”

8. Boring or bad service.

My surprise was not the presence of this item. The surprise was that it was not ranked higher.

9. Members telling guests that they were in their seat or pew.

Yes, this obviously still takes place in some churches.

10. Dirty facilities.

Some of the comments: “Didn’t look like it had been cleaned in a week.” “No trash cans anywhere.” “Restrooms were worse than a bad truck stop.” “Pews had more stains than a Tide commercial.”

There you have it. The top 10 reasons first-time guests said they did not return to a church. I can’t wait to hear from you readers. You always have such good additions and insights.  

Franklin Graham Responds to School Canceling Shoebox Campaign

By
Jesse T. Jackson
-
teen pregnancy

On November 21, 2020 Samaritan’s Purse’s President Franklin Graham appeared on Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle to discuss a Kansas school recently canceling their Operation Christmas Child shoebox campaign because of complaint filed by The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a group which advocates for atheists, agnostics, and non-theists.

After receiving the complaint, Superintendent Helfrich responded saying, “Regarding our students’ participation in the ‘Operation Christmas Child,’ we are discontinuing that effort upon learning that its mission is more sectarian in nature than we realized.”

Operation Christmas Child has given out and estimated 200 million shoeboxes over the course of the ministry, Rev. Graham told host Laura Ingraham.

Graham expressed his gratitude to the children at Liberty Middle School in Kansas, and said, “I want to say thank you to the kids…I want to say thank you for anyone that has ever packed a shoebox, and I want people to know that there at Liberty Middle School that you can send your shoeboxes directly to Samaritan’s Purse and we’ll take them even though your school doesn’t want to participate…you can participate.”

“I want every child that gets a box to know that God loves them and cares for them,” Rev. Graham said. “We don’t hide that we are Christians, it’s on our website.”

Ingraham played a clip from recent guest Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church where he claimed that America is in a moral free-fall saying,

America’s in a moral free-fall. Just look at it as I would as a pastor. You murder the babies in the womb, if they survive the womb you try to seduce them into transgender sexual deviation when they’re young. If they survive that you corrupt them with a Godless education. If they survive that you have divorce in the family, and if they grow to be adults you drown them in a sea of pornography. This is a nation so far down in the sewer of immorality and wickedness that nothing surprises me. In fact I would be shocked if a judge said “Open all the churches and close all the strip clubs.”

The Fox News host asked Rev. Graham if he shared his concerns with Pastor MacArthur’s assessment of America. Samaritan’s Purse’s president said, “I do share his concerns, I think we are in a moral free-fall in this country. The only hope for our country I believe is God, and for that to happen,” he continued, “we have to come to Him in repentance…turning from our sins, and putting our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. I think that if we do that God will hear our prayers and heal this country.”

“I don’t think this country will ever come together,” Rev. Graham said after saying he was asked by others what would it take to see the country come together? We are so divided now, he said and it is only going to get worse. “The hatred that we see from many in the public square towards Christians is incredible.”

“I’m not going to back down Laura. I’m just going to keep telling people that God loves them, that He cares for them and Christ died for their sins…I’m not gonna back down.”

Ingraham closed by saying, “Rev. Graham it should never be controversial to help a child anytime of the year, but especially at Christmas.”

Supreme Court Sides With Churches in NY; Blocks COVID Restrictions

By
Jesse T. Jackson
-
teen pregnancy

On Wednesday November 25, 2020 the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of houses of worship, thereby blocking Governor Andrew Cuomo’s coronavirus restrictions that only allowed a maximum of 10 people for worship services. There was no evidence that the houses of worship that filed the lawsuit have contributed to the spread of COVID-19, the court said.

The requests were made by Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn and two Orthodox Jewish congregations that dated October 6, 2020.

Newly appointed judge Amy Coney Barrett sided with other conservative judges ruling that the New York Governor restrictions were a violation of the First Amendment.

Governor Cuomo’s restrictions were ordered at a time when the requesting churches where in a “red zone” due to the spike in COVID-19 cases. The Governor said in a call with reporters Thursday, “It’s irrelevant from any practical impact because the zone that they were talking about has already been moot. I think this was really just an opportunity for the court to express its philosophy and politics.” Cuomo claimed the ruling wouldn’t have impact on current restrictions, and those restrictions don’t apply at the moment because that area is no longer in a “red zone.”

Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn’s attorney Randy Mastro said, “We are extremely grateful that the Supreme Court has acted so swiftly and decisively to protect one of our most fundamental constitutional rights—the free exercise of religion.”

Agudath Israel of America’s attorney Avi Schick said, “This is an historic victory. This landmark decision will ensure that religious practices and religious institutions will be protected from government edicts that do not treat religion with the respect demanded by the Constitution.”

Conservative Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert sided with those not in favor of the houses of worship writing in his dissent, “Numerical capacity limits of 10 and 25 people, depending on the applicable zone, do seem unduly restrictive. It is not necessary, however, for us to rule on that serious and difficult question at this time.”

Although the Supreme Court has reached a decision on this case, the case is still ongoing in the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Oral arguments are scheduled for December 18th.

Executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union Donna Lieberman said, “New York’s temporary restrictions on indoor gatherings do not discriminate against houses of worship, and, in fact, treat them better than comparable non-religious gatherings,” adding that “The Supreme Court’s decision will unfortunately undermine New York’s efforts to curb the pandemic.”

Early this year the Supreme Court has turned away similar requests from churches in California and Nevada.

Andy Stanley: Circles Are Better Than Rows

By
Mark Howell
-
teen pregnancy

Had the great privilege of attending the Re:Group conference recently and there was a moment in one of the main sessions that I just can’t get out of my mind. Andy Stanley was speaking. It was a great session. And then suddenly . . . I couldn’t write fast enough. What he said was just amazingly spot on.

Today, as I was listening to a recent Catalyst podcast, I heard a similar riff and just knew you’d appreciate it. He was asked what he says to people who wonder what will happen to North Point (and their sites) if something happens to Andy. Here’s what he said:

Let’s say that something happens to me, all the staff, and all the buildings simultaneously explode. Let’s make it worst case scenario. There’s no staff. There’s no buildings. And there’s no me. Here’s what would happen. On Monday, Tuesday and Thursday of the following week, thousands and thousands of adults would gather in homes all over the city and pray together, and do Bible study together and take care of whatever family members are left over and the church is going to go on.

Because at the end of the day, circles are better than rows. And from day one, we’ve been committed to creating a culture that’s all about circles and not rows. We are famous for our rows. But the strength of our churches is what happens in circles.

Catch that? I love that! Bet you do too. If you want to listen to his Catalyst podcast interview, you can hear it right here.

10 Issues to Work Through Before You Get Married

By
Tim Challies
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teen pregnancy

Some people get married too soon. After love at first sight and a whirlwind romance, they quickly plan a wedding, exchange rings and settle into a marriage that soon turns sour. So much pain can be avoided by working through relationship issues before that wedding day. While courtship and engagement is, of course, the time to plan a wedding, it is also the time to plan a marriage. Here, drawn from the work of Jim Newheiser, is a list of relationship issues to work through before you get married.

10 Key Relationship Issues To Work Through Before You Get Married

  1. Are you both in love with the gospel, and is it impacting your lives? 
    This is, of course, the most foundational question of all. Are you a Christian? And is your future spouse a Christian? Are you both confessing your sins before God and one another? Are you both extending and receiving forgiveness? Do not marry anyone until you are convinced he or she is a Christian; do not marry a Christian until you are convinced that you, too, are a believer.
  2. Do you respect each other’s character?
    Having been convinced that your future spouse is a believer, are you also able to respect their character? Does that person have the kind of character that will be a blessing to you throughout your marriage? These will be issues of leadership and submission as well as issues of parenting, working, temper and much else. In short, is this person displaying mature and maturing Christian character?
  3. Do you have compatible life goals?
    Do you and your future spouse have similar goals for the future? Are you both committed to foreign missions, for example, or just one of you? Are you both eager to begin a family, or just one? Do you know how many children you each want to have and when you’d like to begin having them? How about the type and level of your commitment to the local church? Do not assume that you both have the same or even similar life goals. Talk!
  4. How do you function together in group settings?
    While much of married life will be lived in relative isolation, much will also be lived in community. For this reason, it is important to consider how your future spouse behaves in public and how the two of you behave together. How do the two of you work together in public? Are you both meeting people and making friends? Is one of you content to be alone and isolated? Does your future spouse have close friendships or have many of his or her former friends become isolated?
  5. Have you been able to work through the past?
    It is rare that a couple enters marriage without a romantic and sexual history (with one another or with others) and these issues can be very difficult to discuss and resolve. They can put an immense weight on a young marriage. Have you spoken to your future spouse about their sexual history in sufficient detail that you know enough? Have you asked and extended forgiveness for whatever sexual history you have accumulated? Also, is your future spouse chaste now or content to look at pornography and masturbate? Be sure to work through issues of sexuality.
  6. Are you able to be honest with each other about sins and faults?
    By the time you are engaged, the “best foot forward” stage of dating has passed and you have learned many of the flaws and foibles of your future bride or groom. The stress of engagement and marriage planning will all but guarantee you will have a couple of good fights, and these will give you the opportunity to see if and how you can resolve them. Is he or she quick to forgive? Quick to ask forgiveness? Long to hold onto sins? Is that person beginning to be like Christ in forgiving those who sin against him or her?
  7. Can you love and accept each other as you are?
    Some people enter marriage with the idea that their spouse is a project and that a little TLC will be all that person needs to be changed. While that may be the case, old patterns die hard. While you, of course, hope that God will continue that work of grace, the fact is there may not be as much change as you’d like. Don’t expect that your spouse will someday be a completely different (and better) person.
  8. Why do you want to marry each other?
    Couples don’t always pursue marriage for the best of reasons. Sometimes the reasons go no deeper than physical attraction. Sometimes it’s an inordinate desire for companionship. Sometimes it’s that they are feeling guilty for sexual involvement. No matter the case, couples must be clear on why they want to marry one another. Be sure to prioritize godly character overlooks, friendship and everything else!
  9. What are your expectations of marriage?
    You’ve probably heard it said that a woman gets married expecting that her husband will change while a man gets married expecting that his wife will never change. The fact is, in some ways both partners will change and in some ways, they probably will not. Are you prepared to stick it out for the long-haul with your future spouse as he or she is now? Are you willing to endure all kinds of trials with that person by your side?
  10. How well do you know each other and yourself?
    Do you know yourself? Do you know your future spouse? A little pre-marriage counseling and planning can go a long way. Before you marry, ensure your pastor or a godly older couple has spent some time with you, whether formally or informally. Talk through these issues and any others that come to mind. A little knowledge can go a long way.

These 10 relationship issues are drawn from Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage by Jim Newheiser.

This article about relationship issues originally appeared here.

The Myth of Self-Esteem

By
Mark Loughridge
-
teen pregnancy

The Myth of Self-Esteem

“Never criticise” is the mantra that we are all told these days when it comes to working with young people.

I don’t know if it is still the case, but for a while teachers were told not to use red pens, nor to put an ‘X’ at incorrect answers, because it crushes the spirit.  Instead of getting an ‘F’ for ‘fail’, you now get a ‘U’ for ‘ungraded’—as if that will make you feel better!  Instead tell them they can do anything, be anything they want to be. All this because we want to wrap people in cotton wool, and shield them from the reality that there are some things they aren’t good at—in case we harm their self esteem.

Of course there is some truth in it—some have only known the harshest of voices and the sternest of criticism from those who should have been encouraging and loving.

But as often happens, we have swung to the opposite extreme, swallowing the whole sickly nonsense of self-esteem.  We tell ourselves that it is more productive to shower ourselves and others with praise.

Yet psychologists have realised that it simply doesn’t work.  Instead it produces people who only think that they are good at something, but are unable to take even the mildest criticism.  The Dean of Education at Stanford University keeps a box of Kleenex in her office for students who, for the first time in their lives, receive tough feedback and can’t deal with it.

And worse than that, all the efforts to increase self-esteem have created an epidemic of narcissism–so points out Will Storr in his book ‘Selfie: How the West became Self-obsessed’. He quotes two American psycologists investigating the impact of the self-esteem movement that came out of California in the 1980s and 90s:

“The irony was intense. ‘Narcissism causes almost all of the things that Americans hoped high self-esteem would prevent,’ wrote Twenge and Campbell, ‘including aggression, materialism, lack of caring for others, and shallow values. In trying to build a society that celebrates high self-esteem, self-expression, and “loving yourself,” Americans have inadvertently created more narcissists.’”

The conclusions of an in-depth analysis on self-esteem included the following: high self-esteem does not of itself earn children higher grades; it does not make people better at their jobs; humility, rather than self-regard, is a better predictor of who will make a successful leader.

Roy Baumeister, Professor of Psychology at Florida State University, writes “After all these years, I’m sorry to say, my recommendation is this: forget about self-esteem and concentrate more on self-control and self-discipline.”

Interesting.  That’s exactly what God says in his word.

“This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.” declares the LORD.  Isaiah 66:2

Then Jesus said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.”  Luke 9:23

In my line of work I sometimes hear the refrain, “I have no self-esteem”, and, whilst I understand what is being said and have great sympathy where it is merited, it has often made me wonder.  After all, we are only reconstituted earth, which lives in rebellion against its creator—what have we to be esteemed about?

True esteem comes only when we realise our worthlessness, and guiltiness before God, and come to him seeking forgiveness.  And then, when he forgives us and brings us into his family, we realise that we are more loved than we could ever have imagined.  More honoured.  More delighted in.  And that is where our esteem comes from.  It isn’t to be found in ourselves—that is a modern-day version of the emperor’s new clothes.

Esteem is only worthwhile when it is realistic.  And it is from God alone that we get a true sense of who we are.

“As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him.” – Psalm

This article originally appeared here.

How Anti-Missionary Laws Are Influencing the Evangelical Church in Russia

By
Michael Cherenkov
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teen pregnancy

Even though the religious freedom situation in Russia is already challenging the traditional and therefore ineffective political correctness of international rights organizations and Western governments, few of them acknowledge that the continuing limitation of freedom is affecting the actual life and missionary practice of local evangelical churches. Today, churches unwillingly appear in the center of attention of officials and security services as the main spiritual extremists and terrorists. As is well known, in July 2016, the president of Russia signed a package of “antiterrorist laws” that became known by their co-author name as the Yarovaya Laws. In practice the so-called anti-terrorist laws turned out to be anti-missionary and even anti-church laws. Instead of a war on terror, the state unfurled a very real war against religious freedom.

It is remarkable that even during a pandemic there have been numerous instances of limiting the religious freedom of evangelical believers, mostly fines for distributing spiritual literature and bans on conducting worship services.1 The fact that the state is so active in its attempts to control the activity of evangelical communities even in the midst of more global problems shows plenty about the priorities of state policies.

Worship services in the forest

Recently in the news about religious freedom in Russia, an interesting headline caught my attention, “Vladimir Ryakhovsky Agreed with the Mayor of Novorossiysk About Solving the Problem of Evangelists Conducting Services in the Forest.”2 The news appeared on Sep. 10 on the official site of the Russian President’s Council on the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights.

Immediately I thought of two things. It was strange to see a Baptist church in the woods as the result of all the heroic efforts of the president of Russia and his Council on the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights. It was even stranger to hear that it is necessary to “agree” on the implementation of constitutional rights of freedom of conscience and assembly.

I learned from the news that “believers turned to a human rights defender because in July 2019, the judicial authorities sealed the living room of a residence where a church of evangelical Baptists conducted a worship service. A ban on the owner and other persons using the yard and the residence for religious purposes was imposed by a court decision. As a result, the congregation was completely deprived of a place for worship and forced to conduct worship services in the forest during the summer of 2020.”3

Thanks to Vladimir Ryakhovsky’s personal intervention, the congregation gained the hope that it could restore worship services in its church building. In order to understand the seriousness of the situation, one should know that Mr. Ryakhovsky is a prominent Russian attorney, a member of the presidium of the President of the Russian Federation’s Council on Development of Civil Society and Human Rights, and co-chairman of the Slavic Center for Law and Justice. His brother, Sergei Ryakhovsky, heads the very large union of Pentecostals of Russia, and even so, is considered quite loyal to the Kremlin.

It seems that even such a highly-placed intercessor is unable to defend local churches. The role of the Council regarding “human rights” is more and more becoming a façade, leading to an illusion of freedom and even hiding its absence. At the same time, anti-missionary limitations are becoming a part of a consistent government policy directed against the most active religious congregations that are not controlled by the government.

Forum 18 announced that before it went to the forest, the Novorossiysk congregation was subjected to systematic pressure by the security organs.4 Its pastor Yurii Kornienko was fined for conducting a worship service in a private home owned by a church member. Although there were only Baptists at the service and although the pastor himself had permission to conduct missionary activity, the ban on using the building was imposed by the Novorossiysk administration. Thus, a small Baptist congregation lost the right to gather in a building and was forced to transfer to the forest.

Suppression of evangelical church locations 

This event is part of a general problem in which the state does not allow believers to exercise even minimal rights to a designated place for assembly, forcing them into a semi-legal space and clandestine existence. Evangelical believers assemble in private homes not because they do not want to build separate church buildings (“cultic facilities”). Rather, they are not allowed to do this by the state itself, which then punishes them for this. Thus, the state deliberately creates the conditions under which no place for congregations remains in the legal space of social life and then forces them to break up into clandestine small groups or to gather in the forest.

This is a well-known story for local evangelical believers who still continue from the times of furious Soviet anti-religious campaigns when all churches were closed and when believers went underground and gathered secretly in private homes or in remote unpopulated places. Little has changed since then. Although in the first years after the collapse of the USSR, the state closed its eyes to the “self-willed-ness” of the evangelical churches and tolerated their missionary activity, in the last 20 years it transitioned to active countermeasures against further growth and church activity. Even so all this time, the Orthodox Church was allowed full government support and built luxurious religious buildings in the very best locations.

Today we see a shocking contrast between the golden cupolas of the Orthodox Church and the humble congregations of evangelical believers in the forest. These contrasts speak volumes. First, that in distinction from the Soviet practice of fighting against religion as such, the current Russian authorities are quite discriminatory in their attitudes toward religion. They maintain a course of state support for one confession and of marginalizing the others. That which can be controlled winds up in a golden cage. That which opposes control winds up behind prison bars, or in the forest.

Regrettably, many Western experts on religious freedom are inclined to follow the lead of Russian propaganda and to equate the Christian revival in Russia with the expansion of the official Orthodox Church. They are simply deceived by the results of surveys in which the majority of Russian confidently declare their adherence to Orthodoxy. Even more, they are deceived by the beauty of the Orthodox churches. Therefore, instead of solidarity with evangelical believers in defense of their freedom, the experts advise reconciling with the reality of Orthodoxy and the pro-Putin consensus and to accept the rules of the game, which are written in the Kremlin. But there is another path, a narrow path of faith in God and one’s conscience, which leads to the forest, and for some to prison.

I recall my childhood experience of being a part of the underground evangelical community. I committed my life to God in such a church, which we called Church in the Forest. Then we gathered in worship services in deserted places far from the cities and walked many miles to worship God freely in lap of wild nature. There were harsh crackdowns on congregations and frequent fines and searches of homes. But my parents were prepared for this; and we, the children of Christian parents, were proud of their courage and valued our freedom to believe in God and to be faithful to him. Sometimes the church can remain the church only in the forest.

That which occurs today in Russia is not Christian revival but determined state support of Orthodoxy and discrimination against all other confessions. But knowing the history of the evangelical church, including the history of my family which included not a few martyrs and prisoners, I can confidently say that the result of the state’s anti-missionary campaign will be not the cessation of the churches’ missionary activity and the isolation of believers but the general mobilization of the church and the creative search for new forms of service. Having been deprived of buildings, the church does not cease to gather; but it finds its place even in the woods and in prison.

The difficulties for the evangelical church created by the anti-missionary laws aid its growth and its active mission much more than gifts or temporary concessions or privileges by the government. The church in the woods is an excellent illustration of the faithfulness to God and its mission. The persecutors of the church never did and never will understand that this history of faithfulness never frightens believers but strengthens their faith and motivates them to a more sacrificial mission.

This article originally appeared here.

Free Kids Lesson Package: “Heaven and Nature Sing”

By
Daniel So
-
teen pregnancy

Free Kids Lesson Package

From CMD, “Kids will learn that the good news of Christmas pushes away our fear and worry.”

This kids lesson package includes:

  • Make It Stick! Parent Sheet
  • Memory Verse
  • Skit
  • Object Lesson or Kids Sermon
  • Large Group Lesson
  • Small Group Discussion
  • Large Group Game


Get Download Now

Resource provided by Children’s Ministry Deals


Download Instructions: Follow the on-screen directions at the download site.

How to Talk to Students Who Don’t Show Up to Youth Group

By
Aaron Helman
-

A few weeks ago, our 12th grade small group was having lunch together.

But one student told me he couldn’t make it. Homework and scholarship applications were due.

I tried to convince him to come. That’s my job, right?

My guilt trip wasn’t necessarily excessive …

… and when I enrolled other students to engage in positive peer pressure, it was genius.

There was just one problem.

That student was clearly overwhelmed and stressed out, and I was just making it worse.

 Here was the net result of all that practiced persuasion. The student still didn’t come to the event, only now he didn’t feel encouraged by me but like he’d disappointed me.

My guess is that I’m not the only one who spends energy trying to persuade students into attending events, and while that is generally the kind of the thing that we really should be doing, this time it was wrong.
I messed up and then I apologized.
There’s a right way to talk to students who don’t come to your events. There’s a wrong way too.

There’s something much deeper that happened when I was trying (too hard) to persuade that student to show up for our event.

If I would have asked him about his scholarship application, he would have told me that it was a $20,000 application, due the next day, that was likely the difference between his ability to attend the Christian school he’d been shooting for …

… and not.

If I would have asked him about his homework, he would have told me that he was still way behind after spending much of the previous week with food poisoning.

But I didn’t do those things. I had 10 minutes with a student and I made it about the event instead of making it about him, or even about God.

I had, in front of me, a student who needed—more than anything else—prayer and encouragement. Instead of offering those things now, I spent my energy trying to convince him to come back later …

… so that I could offer him prayer and encouragement at our event.

If you’re blessed to spend five minutes with a student, you’ll both be better served if you use that time for ministry now instead of trying to persuade them to show up for ministry later.

You’ll notice that Jesus could have tried to convince the woman at the well to come listen to him teach at the temple, but instead he engaged her in the moment they had.

I’m convinced that that’s an example worth following.
What actually happens when we get too persuasive?

Here’s a practical idea that you can start using today, and it starts with an idea so simple that I can’t believe it never occurred to me before.

You probably have a student who you see on Sunday mornings, at football games or at the grocery store, but who very rarely comes to youth group. You might have a bunch of those students.

Like any good youth pastor, you see them, say hello, tell them you’ve missed them and encourage them to attend your next event, whatever it is.

Because you’re a better youth pastor than me, you probably refrain from laying it on too thick.

But let’s get into the head of that student for a second, because there’s something happening here that we need to be aware of.

Would YOU want to hang out with someone who, every time you saw them, was trying to add something to your schedule?

 That student is going to associate your ministry and your events with their experience of your personality, and in this case, that’s maybe not a good thing.

The (much) better way to talk to students who don’t show up

Here’s the step that you can take to minister to your students in the middle of their busy lives, and maybe even make them more likely to participate in your ministry.

Every time you talk to a student, that exact moment is your opportunity to speak the Good News into their lives. That’s your opportunity to pray for them.

 Can’t make it to youth group tonight? Bummer. Let me pray for you right now.

If I could have a do-over on my well-intentioned but misguided guilt trip, this is what I’d do differently—the RIGHT way to talk to that student.

I’d ask him what he had going on and I’d really listen to what he had to say. I’d commiserate with his stress, and I’d be sure to remind him to find ways to lean on Jesus through this tough time, even if he can’t do it in the context of our youth event today.

I’d leave him with a Bible verse to spend some time with, even if it was just for a minute or two between applications and research papers.

Then I’d gather up the other students—the ones that I used for positive peer pressure—and we’d pray over our friend together.

That has the distinct flavor of impactful ministry, but there’s this other thing happening too, and I believe that it’s the thing that might even make it more likely for students to be a part of your events.

Would you rather hang out with someone who was always positive, encouraging and prayerful toward you?

 I know I would, and I don’t think my students are all that different from me.

So, was I wrong to lay down the guilt trip? What would YOU have done differently? I’d love for you to share your wisdom in the comments.  

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