Newsletters
Home Blog Page 757

Don’t Fear Satan, But Don’t Ignore Him, Either

By
J.D. Greear
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

When the famous Maasai warriors in Kenya notice the sheep they are tending are suddenly skittish and that a patch of grass isn’t swaying with the wind, they know there’s a lion close by.

So what do they do? They know not to run—either at or away from a lion. Instead, the warriors form a group and start making noise to agitate the lion. Then, when the lion attacks, they band together. After sharing about this strategy, one warrior showed one of our Summit missionaries some scars on his chest from where a lion had attacked him. The warrior said, “When the lion fell on me, my fellow warriors fell on the lion.” The lion was killed; the brothers were not.

The Apostle Peter told the early church of another lion that is on the hunt for our souls and not our bodies: “Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour” (1 Peter 5:8 CSB).

The word “sober” meant in Peter’s day what it means today: Don’t be drunk. Peter issues this warning three times throughout his letter, and that’s not accidental. Many people under stress and in hard times drown their problems in alcohol—but you cannot afford to do that when there is an enemy always at work trying to destroy you.

“Sober” also means to see the world clearly. In his book The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis said that Christians make two primary mistakes in regard to Satan: Some people give Satan too much credit, where they blame him for any sin in their life. On the other side—and perhaps even more problematic—are those who don’t recognize Satan at all.

You may think your child just made some bad choices and got in with the wrong friends. You may think you’re just having a tough time in your arguments with your spouse or friends. You may think you just need a little more discipline to spend time reading your Bible.

All of that may be true. But don’t neglect how Satan could be at work there, too. He’s roaring everywhere.

Lions have two modes: stealth when they are hunting their prey and roar when they have them. Lions only roar when they feel like they have won. Peter says we can hear Satan roaring in every part of the world. If you can’t hear him roaring in your life, it’s because he’s in stealth mode.

Many Christians are totally unaware of Satan’s active role in their lives. They don’t pray much or stay close to God. They compromise with sin and give Satan a foothold. To which Peter says, Be alert!

Satan Is Strong, Jesus Is Stronger

The odds of being attacked by a shark are one in 3.7 million, and people still don’t get in the water for fear of a shark attack. The odds of a grizzly bear attack are one in 2.1 million, and people still don’t go in the woods. Your chances of being attacked by a supernatural lion? One out of one—and yet you still don’t live aware of that? Satan is either roaring or in stealth mode, but he’s always active.

That may seem pretty overwhelming, but Peter says you can overcome Satan—not because you are stronger than him but because Jesus has defeated him. On the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished.” Revelation 20:9 tells us about the final battle between Satan and Jesus and—spoiler alert—it’s not a big fight. In fact, it’s a little anticlimactic. It takes about a second for Jesus to speak and for the fight to be over.

You can bring that confidence into the fight you are facing today.

You don’t need to fear Satan, but you should also not ignore him. You have to fight him, and not with the weapons of the flesh, like your personality, your wisdom, or your resolve. That’s like bringing a knife to a gunfight.

You need the weapons of the Spirit: Pray frequently. Walk in step with God. Be in community and share your burdens. Repent and confess your sin often. Memorize God’s Word. Don’t just give in and go along with culture. Keep doing the right thing. Fight to stay faithful.

The Christian life is hard. It’s far better than the alternatives, but it’s not necessarily easier. In fact, following Jesus sometimes intensifies the hardship you live with. But there is more to this life than just surviving a cruel, chaotic world.

There is full life in Jesus. Only when we are mindful of the ongoing fight against Satan can we be fully aware of the victory we have in the cross. Then, we can band together to defeat sin in our lives and thrive in the hard days.

This article originally appeared here.

25 Ways to Show Your Staff You Really Care About Them

By
Dale Hudson
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers
  1. Brag on them in front of others.
  2. Celebrate their birthday.
  3. Have them over to your house for dinner.
  4. Tell them you appreciate them with your words.
  5. Honor them for their years of service.
  6. Love on their children and grandchildren.
  7. Give them cost of living raises.
  8. Demand that they put their family first.
  9. Ask them for advice.
  10. Say “I’m sorry” when you blow it.
  11. Show by your actions that you are there to serve them instead of them serving you.
  12. Ask them to speak into your life and help you grow.
  13. Follow through when you tell them you are going to do something.
  14. Tell them you appreciate them with a handwritten note.
  15. Don’t always be looking over their shoulder.
  16. Look for opportunities to put them in the spotlight instead of yourself.
  17. As the leader, take the ultimate responsibility when something goes wrong…even if it was their fault.
  18. If they have a late night at church, tell them to come in late the next day.
  19. Show you care more about them than about what they do.
  20. Correct and give feedback face-to-face instead of by phone, email, or text.
  21. Tell them you believe in them.
  22. Go to the hospital when they or their family are sick.
  23. Pray with and for them.
  24. Cry with them.
  25. Help them see their blind spots so they can grow past them.

94 Servant Evangelism Ideas for Your Church

By
Steve Sjogren
-

Servant Evangelism (SE) connects people to people in a natural, easy, low-risk, high grace way.

Who doesn’t like to be given a cold soda on a hot day? Especially by someone who is smiling, happy, and having fun. SE wins the heart before it confronts the mind. A small act of kindness nudges a person closer to God, often in a profound way as it bypasses one’s mental defenses. The average Christ-follower is willing to hand a stranger a can of soda (low-risk). The high grace is seen in the typical reaction. “Oh, thank you!” “This is so nice!” “I can’t believe this is free!” And “Why are you doing this?”

Kindness builds the bridge for the person to receive a touch of love from God. Add an invitation to church or other method of connection—even a simple card with your church’s name, phone number, and times of services—and you’ve reached someone with the love of Christ! It’s simple, practical, effective, inexpensive, and fun! We get reports from pastors, lay leaders, and ordinary Christ-followers all over the world who have discovered the power and impact of “showing God’s love in practical ways,” and again and again, we’ve seen relationships with God born from these simple acts of kindness in Christ’s name.

Here are some great ideas to get your church started in servant evangelism.

EASY, LOW-COST SERVANT EVANGELISM GIVEAWAYS

  1. Coffee Giveaways

Use either Igloo containers or air pump Thermoses. Offer three options: regular, decaf, and hot chocolate. On a cool day, you will have folks swarming for a cup of something hot. You will need three or four people to help give away coffee for each big canister. With each drink, we give out a connection card. Consider having paper cups with your church’s name and logo printed.

2. Newspapers

Some convenience stores will allow you to purchase an entire stack of newspapers. Place a sign on the top of the stack that reads, “Free Newspapers – Courtesy of (Church Name)” and attach a connection card to each paper with removable adhesive.

3. Donut Giveaway During Morning Traffic Times

This giveaway is especially effective when performed by senior citizens—who can say no to a sweet grandma-type? These gals set up on a traffic island at a stoplight (make sure they’re safe out there). When the light turns red, they step up to cars and ask, “Would you like chocolate, maple, or glazed?” They then give them a connection card with the snack.

4. Soft Drink Giveaways

“Hi, would you like regular or diet?” This is our standard opening to bless folks with a small act of kindness on a hot day. And it works! We set up at grocery store entrances with large coolers filled with ice and drinks. Buy name-brand drinks instead of the cheaper stuff, and place a connection card under the opener. A courtesy note: Sometimes, a location will conflict with vendors selling what you are giving away. Some of the most irate critics we’ve run into have been vendors who conclude we are trying to put them out of business. The answer: Set up in a location away from vendors. In extreme cases, consider asking the vendor how much money he/she anticipates losing by our presence, then give them that amount in cash.

5. Bottled Water Giveaway

Many people prefer water to soft drinks. Ice down bottles of water in large coolers for an alternative to a soft drink giveaway. Use the same connection cards. We don’t recommend combining this with a soda giveaway because it offers too many options and gets complicated.

6. LifeSavers

If you are looking for an affordable entry point for a large number of people, consider this one.

We purchase the candy at a warehouse store for about five cents per roll. We attach a connection card and give out hundreds of these candies to passersby. Everyone will take a roll of these candies. Consider printing the message of the connection card onto mailing labels and sticking them over the top of the LifeSavers wrapper.

7. Lollipops/Blowpops

These are great giveaway items for parks, festivals, and college campuses. Purchase at a warehouse store for around six cents apiece and fold a mailing label with connection information around the stick.

8. Popcorn

You can either make bags of popcorn before you arrive at your outreach site or consider renting/purchasing your own carnival style popping machine and do it on the spot. You will draw more of a crowd with the machine on hand.

9. Sunglasses (cheap ones!)

Have you ever left home for a sporting event only to forget your sunglasses? Many sporting events attendees experience this every weekend. We have purchased large quantities of sunglasses for as little as a quarter a pair.

10. Ice Cream Coupons

Approach a local ice cream store and explain your desire to give away thousands of ice cream coupons. Chances are the owner/manager will be willing to give you a good deal on ice cream coupons. Attach a connection card to each coupon, and you’ll have a project that will elicit a response from just about everyone in town.

SERVANT EVANGELISM SERVICES

11. Umbrella Escorts

Moms with kids and the elderly find it tough to make it from stores to their cars in the rain. We use huge golf umbrellas to help get them and their purchases to their cars with as little wetness as possible.

12. Grocery Bag Loading Assistance

Moms with lots of kids hanging on them like koalas often need assistance getting their bags loaded into the car from the shopping cart. The elderly need the same sort of help. Volunteers on this project need to appear particularly safe and friendly; nametags or coordinating T-shirts identifying connection to your organization makes the servants look more “official.” Note: On this project, almost everyone will try to give a tip, but as with all kindness projects, to receive money would taint what you are trying to communicate: “God’s love in a practical package with no strings attached.” This project may require permission from the store manager on the day of the event.

13. Bag Packing at Self-Service Grocers

Increasing numbers of grocery stores are cutting out services such as bag packing. Place volunteers at these stores to pack bags for customers. Again, nametags or coordinating T-shirts or aprons helps the baggers look more official and identifies the connection with your organization. The first time we volunteered to do this, the manager was skeptical, but the feeling quickly melted. We’ve received reports from all over the U.S. that this project is very effective.

14. Trash Pick-Up

There is lots of trash to pick up at festivals and sports events. Buy garbage bags, wear matching T-shirts and plastic gloves, and bring a sign to put up that says, “Kindness in Progress” while you pick up trash. People will notice.

15. Shoe Shines

Small investment + some elbow grease = big return. Set up in front of a grocery store on a Saturday or perhaps in front of a barbershop. This is a great project to get talking with people; you have a captive audience while you serve!

16. Restroom Cleaning at Public Places

This is Steve Sjogren’s favorite project. There’s nothing like walking into a gas station, restaurant, or retail store and saying to the manager, “We’d like to clean your toilet for free!” Put a little cleaning kit together containing a toilet brush, air freshener, window cleaner, paper towels, toilet bowl cleaner, rubber gloves, and a doorstop. There’s nothing magical about the technique here. Steve has cleaned commodes all over the world and says they are all pretty much the same as the ones in your home. Note: This is probably one of the most frequently rejected projects we do, probably because the offer to clean a toilet is a bit overwhelming. No matter—give them your connection card, smile, and say, “OK! We’ll come back some other time and clean when you need it. We’re just trying to show you God’s love in a practical way.”

17.Business Blasts

Surprise employees of local businesses with a small gift, such as a basket of candy. Bring in one package to be shared by store employees and leave a connection card that reads something like, “We appreciate how you serve the community with your business, and we wanted to share God’s love in a practical way.” Make sure you only give items to employees so they don’t think you are “soliciting” their customers.

18. Soft Drink Giveaway to Employees

What can you do when denied permission to give away soft drinks in front of a prime retail location? Offer to give soft drinks to the employees. As usual, place the connection card on top.

19. Stamps in Front of the Post Office

One church holds a major stamp outreach on April 15th for late tax-filers. Not only do they give out stamps, but they also offer coffee and donuts—stress recovery food. Volunteers stand by the mail drop-off boxes with a card table filled with food and stamps.

20.Gatorade at Biking Trails

Some health-conscious folks like runners, bikers, and other people don’t drink soda at all. Set up at along a bike trail, athletic field, or hiking trail and offer Gatorade or bottled water to exercisers.

21. Pay Library Fines

Leave $20.00 at the front desk in the local library, and instruct the clerk to use it for the next person who has fines. Leave a connection card in an envelope for the person, so they can see why the fine was paid.

22. Surf Wax

Who says non-surfers can’t relate to surfers? Buy the current popular brand of wax and hit the beach, dude! It’s a definite door-, or rather board-, opener.

23. Pictionary in the Park

This was a popular game in the late 1980’s similar to Charades. Set up in a local park and play the game using with a white board to draw hints. Complete strangers will start to join in, especially if your group is friendly and animated. When onlookers correctly guess the answer, allow them to play the next round. After 15-20 minutes, take a break, serve soft drinks, and talk to the visitors one-to-one.

24. Golf Balls

The average golfer loses three or four balls per outing, so give away imprinted golf balls on the local golf course. Imprinting your church’s name and message on golf balls is surprisingly affordable, and if it’s lost on the course, another golfer will pick it up later and get your message.

25. Golf Tees

Golfers can never get enough of these. Imprinted golf tees cost just a couple of cents apiece. Some golf courses will even give them away for you at their counter.

26.Golf Ball Cleaning

Sure, there are ball-cleaning machines spread throughout most golf courses, but most players don’t take the time. With permission of the course, set up a simple clean up station and clean golf balls before golfers begin a round. Most golfers carry dozens of balls in their bag.

27. Cleaning Up at Food Courts

If you can get your foot in the door at your local mall, ask if you can do clean up in the food court area. Along with a connection card, consider distributing handy-wipes with your logo imprinted on them.

28. Upsizing Food Orders in Fast Food Drive-Thru Lanes

Set-up near the drive-thru order station. As customers drive up, offer to pay the difference between their order and the bigger size—which is usually about 39 cents. Your offer will get the entire restaurant talking.

Get all 94 ideas to share with your team – Download full list now   

Originally published on SermonCentral.com. Used by permission.

The Stakes of the U.S. Election Are Even Higher Now

By
Stephanie Martin
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

With just six weeks until Americans choose a president, a SCOTUS vacancy has made the stakes of the election higher than ever. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second woman to sit on the country’s highest court, died Friday at age 87.

A liberal icon who supported equal rights and abortion rights, Ginsburg reportedly said her dying wish was to not be replaced until the next president was selected. But a battle is now underway to fill Ginsburg’s seat before the November 3 election.

“This is an explosive political moment,” writes Albert Mohler Jr., president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. “This has set up an epic and historic battle in what was already a contentious election.” Ginsburg’s death, he says, has “fundamentally shifted the entire narrative around the 2020 election.” America is engaged not just in “a battle for the White House,” Mohler says, but “a battle for the balance of power in all branches of government.”

President Trump Wants to Move Quickly on Filling SCOTUS Vacancy

President Trump, a Republican who in his first term has already named two Supreme Court justices, is urging the Republican-controlled Senate to quickly confirm his next nominee. “We have this obligation, without delay!” the president tweeted on Saturday.

Trump says he expects to announce his next pick by Friday or Saturday, allowing time to “pay respect” to Ginsburg. And Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says Republicans will “keep our promise” by giving Trump’s nominee “a vote on the floor of the United States Senate.”

On “Fox & Friends” Monday, Trump said it’s his constitutional duty to fill the vacant seat, and he downplayed talk that Democrats might try to impeach him to block the confirmation. The president also cast doubt on Ginsburg’s dying wish, saying, “I don’t know that she said that, or was that written out by Adam Schiff and [Chuck] Schumer and [Nancy] Pelosi?”

During the past four decades, confirmation of Supreme Court justices has taken an average of 70 days. But Trump expressed confidence that moving quickly is possible—and is the correct thing to do. “The bottom line is we won the [2016] election,” he said. “We have an obligation to do what’s right and act as quickly as possible.”

At a rally in North Carolina Saturday, Trump called Ginsburg “a legal giant” and promised to replace her with a female justice. Rally attendees, meanwhile, cheered, “Fill that seat!”

Democrats Cry Foul

In February 2016, Justice Antonin Scalia, a conservative icon who’d served on the Supreme Court for 30 years, died more than 10 months before the presidential election. Although President Obama nominated Merrick Garland to replace him, Senate Republicans blocked the vote. In April 2017, Trump nominee Neil Gorsuch filled Scalia’s seat.

McConnell said back in 2016, “The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president.” Also in 2016, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, now chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said, “I want you to use my words against me: If there’s a Republican president in 2016 and a vacancy occurs in the last year of the first term, you can say Lindsey O. Graham said, ‘Let’s let the next president, whoever it might be, make that nomination.’”

Hawk Nelson’s Jon Steingard Shares That He Still Prays to God

By
Jessica Lea
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Last week, Hawk Nelson frontman Jon Steingard appeared on two episodes of The Matthew West Podcast, where he discussed what his spiritual journey has been like during the past few months. In May of this year, Steingard published a post on Instagram announcing that he no longer believes in God and explaining why. During his conversation with Christian singer and songwriter Matthew West, the frontman shared that one of the most surprising consequences of having renounced his faith is how much he still feels compelled to live as though it were true.

“I have publicly said that I don’t believe in God,”  said Steingard, “but more than ever, I find myself motivated to live in such a way that sort of indicates that I do.” For example, he said, “I still pray. When I pray now, it sounds something like, ‘God, I don’t know if you’re there. If you’re not there, then what I’m doing right now isn’t harming anything. But if you are there, then, if you can hear what I’m doing right now and talking to you, can you show up in my life?’” 

Jon Steingard’s Unexpected Spiritual Journey

With his May announcement, Steingard has followed in the footsteps of other high-profile influencers, such as Josh Harris and Marty Sampson, who also recently said they no longer believe in Christianity. The lead singer shared with West that when he published that post, “I sort of expected it to be I guess maybe a minor shake-up in the Christian music world for like a day or two.” He did not expect it to “rock the boat that much.” 

The post was widely reported on, however, with major outlets like Fox News and CNN picking it up. One positive outcome of that publicity, said Steingard, is “it’s enabled me to connect with so many people, mostly through Instagram, that are in the same boat as me.”

After he put the post on Instagram, Steingard thought he would be able to say, “Great, I’m done with God, and I can just live my life free of that stuff now. But what I discovered was as soon as I did that, I did have freedom…But then very quickly, I was like, ‘Okay, so what do you believe?’ And the last two months has been a crash course in trying to figure that out.” While he can no longer call himself a Christian, Steingard said he is not an atheist either because he finds Naturalism to be ultimately “dissatisfying.” 

“Agnostic is probably the closest term to where I’m at,” he told West. “I even have a hard time saying I don’t believe in God because I’m sort of like, ‘Well, maybe.’” Steingard said that in many ways his pursuit of God has only increased as he has felt the freedom to express his doubts: “I’ve never had more conversations about God than I’m having right now. I’ve never read the Bible more than I am right now.” 

Certain aspects of the world make it difficult for Steingard to trust in God, but other experiences and observations make him want to believe in him. For example, the lead singer finds the intelligent design argument for God’s existence to be compelling. Steingard also mentioned that when his son was born, he remembers thinking, “I don’t see how someone could have a child and not believe in God.”

“That still sort of haunts me,” he said. “I have days where I’m like, ‘Maybe I do believe in God.’ And then I have days where I’m like, ‘No, I don’t think I do.’ It’s really, really strange.”

Some have asked Steingard why he felt the need to share his doubts publicly and potentially hurt the faith of others. The frontman said he had shared publicly about his faith in God for so long that he felt it would have been hypocritical to continue letting people think that he was still a Christian. He also strongly disagrees with any mindset that says people should not share their doubts because it will hurt others’ faith. 

“I actually think that’s really harmful,” he said, “and I think all the healthiest Christian communities I know are communities where questions are welcomed and where doubts can be processed openly, and there’s no shame associated with it.” Steingard said that if he had remained silent, “I would be participating in a culture of shame, and I didn’t want to do that.” And if God is really there, he is strong enough to withstand our questions. 

West expressed his respect for Steingard’s courage and willingness to ask challenging questions about his deepest beliefs. “No letter that you could publish or put out could fully describe the complexity of the journey that you are walking,” he said. “My prayer is that we’ll all be challenged by this conversation…to not settle for a surface level of faith, but to dare to believe that God can take us to deeper depths.”

Real Talk on Teen Issues: Insights for Youth Leaders

By
Chad Swanzy
-

As a youth leader, it’s essential to stay informed about the challenges teens face—both visible and hidden. A great resource for this is Radical Parenting, a website dedicated to offering real, heartfelt advice on how to love and support kids well. The topics discussed there provide valuable insights into common struggles teens encounter, regardless of their social or economic backgrounds.

Below is a list of some of these issues, along with added insights. These topics aren’t listed in order of importance, nor are they exhaustive. Feel free to share additional thoughts in the comments to expand the conversation.

1. Smoking

For many teens, smoking symbolizes maturity and independence. It’s also a coping mechanism, helping them suppress feelings, reduce hunger, and relieve stress. Beyond these factors, smoking often garners attention, giving teens a fleeting sense of control or connection.

2. Bullying

Bullying today isn’t about stealing lunch money—it’s far more damaging. Teens endure deep emotional wounds caused by labels, rumors, and relentless verbal abuse. This aggression often comes not only from peers at school but even from those they consider friends.

3. Shoplifting

Shoplifting may seem like a minor issue, but it can signify deeper struggles. Some teens steal to gain acceptance among peers or because they’ve experienced poverty. This act often leaves them battling guilt, shame, and the long-term consequences of their choices.

4. Depression

Teens face intense pressures from abandonment, stress, and trying to compartmentalize their lives. When life becomes overwhelming, many disengage. This leads to a loss of motivation, hope, and relationships—a slow and painful “secret form of death” that they struggle to express or address.

5. Pregnancy

Teen pregnancy remains a significant issue, despite increased media attention. For many girls, the desire for affection, attention, and companionship leads them to take extreme risks, sometimes with life-altering consequences. Often, pregnancy becomes a desperate attempt to avoid loneliness, turning into emotional Russian roulette.

6. Obesity

Obesity is a difficult but necessary topic to address. Teens, like adults, may use food as an emotional crutch—eating to escape reality, mask feelings, or suppress pain. Over time, this can lead to cycles of self-hate and inner turmoil that are hard to break.

These challenges are just a starting point for understanding the struggles teens face. By recognizing and addressing these issues, youth leaders can better support and guide their students through tough times. Let’s keep the conversation going—share your insights in the comments to broaden the discussion and help create a positive impact for the next generation.

Engaging the Whole Family 1

By
Paul Sheneman
-

Reality TV is often an amusing form of entertainment. We sit back and are entertained by the shock factor of Wife Swap, where contradictory family value systems collide in quite amusing ways. Then there was the Osbourne family, who for a short period, appeased the guilt of many families with their previously unimaginable level of dysfunction. Finally there is the hard nosed quasi-Mary Poppins from Great Britain, Jo Frost (a.k.a. Supernanny), that will put little kids on the “naughty step” in order to right the wrongs of poor parenting in the United States. And though laughter is what usually flows from these shows, there is an eery feeling that these “reality” programs feel more like a mirror of the North American family then a sensationalized depiction.

In the midst of such depictions of family in the entertainment media,youth and family ministers are left wondering, “What is the family? What happened to it? How can we engage the whole family in Christ-like ways?”

I want to suggest three resources that can help you wrestle through these questions.
David Elkind, Ties That Stress: The New Family Imbalance
Diana Garland, Sacred Stories of Ordinary Families
Marjorie J. Thompson, Family the Forming Center: A Vision of the Role of Family in Spiritual Formation

Every Tuesday over the next four weeks we will engage some of the insights of each of these works as we continue to seek meaningful ways to engage the whole family as youth workers.

Questions to Consider:
How do you define the family?
What are the central challenges facing families today?
What resources have helped shape your engagement with families?

Cru Who? Lessons to Learn from the Name Change at Campus Crusade

By
Ed Stetzer
-

Suddenly, name changes are in the news– everywhere. Name changes are a big deal and I have been thinking about how to weigh in on the Campus Crusade controversy. So, I wrote this post a week ago to reflect on the Campus Crusade name change. Since many people are now discussing a potential name change for Southern Baptists, I have also posted about that at the Between the Times blog, where I blog about denomination-specific issues, on that issue. Yet, this blog is about Cru and Campus Crusade.

In July, the organization formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ, founded over half a century ago by Bill Bright, announced the changing of its name to “Cru.” And, in less time than it takes a seraph to say “holy, holy, holy” the condemnation began. Some accused the leaders of kowtowing to political correctness while others saw it as part of a continuing trend to remove Christ from the public discourse.

How exactly a thoroughly evangelistic, solidly biblical organization removes Christ from public discourse is well beyond my powers of reason, but this was exactly the interpretation that came from none other than Fox News. With the headline “Prominent Christian ministry drops ‘Christ'” and in an interview with Cru’s U.S. Vice-president (Steve Sellar); Fox made the charge that the decision was specifically about dropping Christ from the name.

It really is frustrating that so many wholeheartedly buy into the media when it supports their preconceptions and that so many seem unable or unwilling to think for themselves on the issues. It may be accurate that Fox is more conservative than CNN or MSNBC, but they, too, fall into the trap of producing entertainment and calling it news. In other times they try to make a story when none exists.

The reality is that Cru has an entire page of its website dedicated to the decision process there revealing, among other things, that more than 1,600 names had been considered and that the old name “Campus Crusade for Christ” no longer represented their mission since they were larger than a campus ministry. It was also enlightening– and heartening– to see them considering the negative effects the name had in Muslim countries. From the Cru website:

Our name presented obstacles to our mission. The word “campus” does not adequately represent all our ministries in the United States and confuses our constituency as well as potential partners. The word “crusade”-while common and acceptable in 1951 when we were founded-now carries negative associations. It acts as a barrier to the very people that we want to connect with. It’s also a hindrance to many Christians who would like to partner with us but find the word Crusade offensive.

Our surveys show that, in the U.S., twenty percent of the people willing to consider the gospel are less interested in talking with us after they hear the name. We are changing the name for the sake of more effective ministry.

When your name is a hindrance to your mission you have three options: Change the mission, change the name, or suffer the consequences. I’m glad they chose to change the organization’s name, as the other two choices were certainly less than optimal for the Kingdom.

Another bandwagon hanger-on was the now ex-Fox News personality, Glenn Beck. Apparently with little research being done, or with that little research being ignored, Beck launched into a foundationless tirade against the name change that would make…well…Glenn Beck proud. He said, at the beginning of his mocking rant, “They decided Christ might be offensive.” The problem here is this: Beck’s challenge is demonstrably false. Both the website and the interview with Steve Sellars make it plain that the name change was not to deny anything, but rather to increase the impact of their ministry. Why do so many evangelicals believe someone like Glenn Beck rather than the trusted leadership of Campus Crusade?

Even more out of touch were some of the comments on Beck’s website. After wading through that garbage for a few minutes one might get the idea that Cru had been taken over by a group of atheists who were steering it away from Bright’s original vision for proclaiming the gospel of Jesus. In fact, as Sellars and Vonette Bright (Bill’s widow) both point out; Bill Bright himself had been promoting the idea of a name change for decades. It is true that Christians can be suspicious because of institutions and organizations that experience theological drift: the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA, now “The Y”), Harvard and Yale universities come to mind. However, regardless of how finely tuned a person considers their own news radar to be, Christians do not need to be like blue whales indiscriminately swallowing all the plankton around them. Gullibility is not a fruit of the Spirit. Just because it is on Fox News doesn’t mean it’s true and just because Glenn Beck says it does not make it worth repeating. We must use a biblical filter of truth and error, of foolishness and wisdom. This is far too often lacking. Perhaps those who claim the name of Christ should trust their brothers and sisters who also claim the name of Christ. I think we’re on the same team, after all.

So ill-aimed were the criticisms leveled at Cru that John Piper felt obliged to weigh in:

Glenn Beck ridiculed the change as he wadded up the report and threw it away. His entire focus was to attack the wimpy people who avoid using the name Christ for fear of giving offense. The problem with Beck is that he cared nothing about dealing with the real problems created by the name “Campus Crusade for Christ.”

The problem was not “Christ.” The problem was the limiting word “campus” (when CCC ministers to millions that have nothing to do with any “campus”) and “crusade” (which for millions of people has one main connotation: Medieval crusades against Muslims). Beck’s approach is not responsible journalism but careless hype for the religious right.

This is not to say that Cru didn’t make a mistake by failing to anticipate such a negative response– I think they did. Ultimately, though, the names of organizations matter less than their fidelity. I was amused at people who expressed disapproval, emphatically stating the need for “Christ” to remain in the name, likening the change to being ashamed of Christ. I guess the Wesley Center, Reformed University Fellowship, InterVarsity, The Navigators and Baptist Campus Ministries have been denying Jesus for a long, long time.

Thankfully, a broad representation of Christian leaders rose up in defense of Cru’s leadership. For what it is worth, I think Cru is a great name, because it describes a great organization filled with people who seek to make the name of Christ more widely known.

Feel free to weigh in and discuss in the comments below (be sure to review the comment policy). If you would like to talk about the potential name change for the Southern Baptist Convention, please join the conversation at my Between the Times post.

8 Reasons Negative People Don’t Recognize They’re Negative

By
Chuck Lawless
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

You probably know people who are always negative. You see it, and others see it—but the negative person doesn’t seem to have a clue. Here are some reasons why that happens:

  1. They always believe they have a cause. In fact, they’re always looking for a cause. They see their role as to correct others, and they see it as a godly calling.
  2. What others see as negative, they see as standing up for right. And, they see that apparently, no one else is willing to stand with them—so they stand alone in hyper-spiritualized pride.
  3. They’ve sometimes recognized a real issue. That is, they might well see a problem area that someone needs to address—which validates their concerns. It’s just that they always point out the problem but choose not to be part of the solution.
  4. They seldom have others who speak into their lives. Nobody holds them accountable for anything (which usually means they have other areas of their lives in need of improvement as well). They’re either loners, or they hang out with other negative people.
  5. They usually find an audience to hear their complaints. And, they’re not worried about finding a bunch of listeners; give them just one or two people willing to hear them, and they’ll walk through that open door. One listener is all you need to confirm you’re right.
  6. They’re not that sensitive to the Word and the Holy Spirit. My experience is that the most negative people I know spend little time in Bible study and prayer. They’ll quote the Bible when they need to, but they don’t regularly turn to it for guidance.
  7. Few people are willing to point out their negativism. Frankly, people just get tired of them and choose not to invest in trying to help them. The silence of others then gives the negative person more permission to press on.
  8. They’re sometimes not saved—and unsaved people don’t readily recognize their sinfulness. Even Jesus had a fake among His twelve disciples, and we’ll have them, too—even, sometimes, among leadership. In those cases, their negativity is a symptom of their lostness.

What would you add to this list?

This article originally appeared here.

How to Pray for Those in Authority

By
Daniel Henderson
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” 1 Timothy 2:2

Paul was a Pharisee – a religious ruler. In fact, he called himself a “Pharisee of the Pharisees” (Philippians 3:5). Pharisees knew all about the practice of prayer. Unfortunately, they did not have a universal outlook on their prayers; they primarily focused on praying for the nation of Israel.

In his encouragement to Timothy, Paul makes a bold statement that prayer, in various forms, should be made for all men, and urged this young pastor to pray for those in authority. Godless Emperor Nero was on the throne at that time. Yet, the believers were supposed to pray for him?

What a difficult and different approach to governmental authority. Even if we disagree, we are to pray for those who rule the daily affairs of our lives.

The early church had been accused of acting against the decrees of Caesar and having another king, Jesus Himself (Acts 17:7). Their enemies effectively accused them of dissatisfaction with the ruling parties. Yet, Paul encouraged these early believers to look to God as the One who had placed these men in authority (Romans 13:1-7).

If I disagree with the president, shouldn’t I voice my concern? Maybe you should pray first. If I’m being mistreated because of government intervention, shouldn’t I protest or sign a petition? Maybe you should lift up the ruler in prayer, thank God for them, and willingly subject yourself to their leadership – because God has allowed them to rule and has placed them in their position.

We are encouraged to pray for “kings” – those ruling heads of state and CEOs of our government. We pray for those who represent us to the world at large. And we are encouraged to pray for those “who are in authority” – those who are subordinate rulers, regional leaders, and local officials. We pray for those who protect and provide for us on a daily basis.

So how should we pray for those in authority?

  1. Pray that they would have wisdom. This was Solomon’s prayer as he ruled the nation of Israel – that he would have “an understanding mind to govern the people” (1 Kings 3:9). Pray that our leaders would have wisdom to know right and the strength to do it.
  2. Pray that they would have discernment. This is the ability to know right from wrong; to know God’s leading as opposed to the leading of the enemy (1 Kings 3:9). Pray that God would protect them from lies and deception.
  3. Pray that they would be instruments of God. This was Paul’s instruction in Romans 13:4; that rulers, authorities, and governing bodies were actually “servants of God”. Pray that our leaders would lead a society marked by tranquility, godliness, and dignity (1 Timothy 2:2).
  4. Pray for the election of such people. If it is God’s will that our society be marked by peace, dignity, and righteousness, we must pray for people who support this to be elected. Pray for God to raise these people up, and for our nation to embrace those who will promote honor, righteousness, and justice.
  5. Pray with a heart of thanksgiving. This is the peace that comes down from above. When we honor God, trust Him with our daily lives and needs, and commit that to prayer, the “peace of God that passes all understanding will guard our hearts and minds” (Philippians 4:7).
  6. Pray for God’s will to be done. Jesus, in His instructional prayer to the disciples, said, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). God’s governing and ruling will flows from heaven to earth. He is in complete control.

This article originally appeared here.

Same Address, Different Church

By
Dr. Mike Glenn
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

A few weeks ago, I celebrated my 29th anniversary as pastor of Brentwood Baptist Church. The church, since its founding in 1969, has had two pastors — Bill Wilson, the founding pastor, and me. Bill, who was a great friend and mentor, and I used to joke with each other that we were the only two members of a very select fraternity – guys who had been pastors of Brentwood Baptist Church.

It’s not a bad club to be in.

As I start my 30th year of ministry at Brentwood Baptist Church, people have been asking me to tell them the secret of a long-term ministry.

Honestly, I don’t know. I didn’t set out to have a 30 year plus ministry here. I kept showing up to work, and there was always something to do. I would do that, and then, we’d move on to the next thing. Before I knew it, 30 years had slipped away.

I will say this. I don’t pastor the same church I came to in 1991. In fact, I don’t pastor the same church I was leading in 2000, 2010 or 2015. I have led five or six different churches during my career. They’ve just been at the same address at Brentwood Baptist Church.

Every time the church faced a new opportunity, the church would have to change something about the structure or ministry programming to meet the new challenge. Not only did the church have to change, but I had to change, and I had to change first. Before the church could change, I as pastor had to change.

The first challenge we faced was how to handle the growing pastoral care needs of the church. I love visiting hospitals and ministering to people in the crisis moments of their lives. Now, there were just too many people for me to care for them adequately. Like the first century church, we had to find a new way to take care of our members, and again, like the first century church, the deacon ministry saw what was happening to me, and the church and stepped up. They set up a care structure to take over ministering to the pastoral care needs of our church.

And take over they did. I was told if I was making hospital visits, then they weren’t going to make them, and if the deacons made them, then there was no need for me to make them. For a while, I worried they wouldn’t do as well as I would have in taking care of our people. I needn’t have worried. The deacons did an amazing job. It’s not unusual for our deacon ministry to make in excess of 15,000 pastoral care contacts in one year!

Our deacon team covers every hospital almost every day. Their deacon badges have become well known in our local hospitals, and it’s not uncommon for a nurse to ask one of them to step in and pray with someone who may not have any family support.

Here’s what I didn’t expect. Our church grew to love our deacons in ways they used to love me. It wasn’t unusual for someone to stop me after worship services and tell me about when they were in the hospital, the deacons had visited them, prayed for them and stayed in contact with them. Then, they would tell me how much they loved the deacons.

They used to love me. Now, they loved the deacons. This was a little harder to take than I thought it would have been.

The deacon ministry wasn’t the only ministry that stepped on my turf. Administratively, I was pushed out of more and more meetings and processes. In my early days, I had been part of every meeting of every committee. I knew everything that was going on. Now, the church was too large for me to handle all of the administration required for our multi-dimensional congregation. We hired an executive pastor and a business administrator to take care of the details. I was given reports, but there were whole areas of the church I didn’t touch any more. I had to give up being involved in everything. I had to do this in order for the church to grow.

Here’s what I’ve found out. For a church to grow, the pastor has to grow first. This growth requires both letting go of some areas of ministry and learning how to do new things. Letting go means grief. I miss some of the things I used to do. It also means discipline – forcing myself to learn new things that may be uncomfortable or even difficult for me to do.

Most of the time, when a church reaches one of these opportunities or seasons, they will change their pastor, or the pastor will choose to move on. The church will need a different kind of pastor for the next season of their ministry. Some pastors know their season. They know what skills and experience they bring to a church and have a well-defined understanding of their ministry.

Some are church planters. They love getting a church started from nothing. Others are healers and love going to a wounded church and guiding them back to health. Eventually, they will sense they’ve accomplished their mission and look for a new place to do their work.

On the other hand, there are some pastors who refuse to grow. They don’t learn new skills or keep up new opportunities. They find one or two things they do well, and then, that’s all they do.

It’s not the church that’s afraid of growing. It’s the pastor. Like a bad parent, some pastors refuse to let their churches grow because they fear the church will outgrow their skill set or not need them anymore.

A growing church will always demand their pastor to be the first one who grows. After all, no organization, not even a church, can ever outrun its leader.

This article originally appeared here.

How to Have a Simple Children’s Ministry With BIG Impact

By
Greg Baird
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

I just learned some new things related to having a simple children’s ministry with a big impact that I want to share with you. I came across this post from Tony Morgan not long ago, which speaks a little to what communication should look like in our churches (in a word, “simple”). I would encourage you to read this post and also the article from which the post originates.

Of course, I relate almost everything I read to how it might apply to children’s & family ministry, and it struck me that the ideas behind this article are very applicable.

Here’s a quote used in the post which reflects the general outlook of most families:

American families are overwhelmed by clutter, too busy to go in their own backyards, rarely eat dinner together even though they claim family meals as a goal, and can’t park their cars in the garage because they’re crammed with non-vehicular stuff.”

Our church families are far too busy, also, and too often we just compound the problem by adding to their already frenetic life through over-programming, poor communication habits and non-collaboration within the church itself. This is not helping them love God, love others or grow spiritually – which should be our primary goals.

Instead of adding to the problem, our goal ought to be to help alleviate the problem. Church should be an example and a sanctuary to our families. Church should be a place where they do life “right”. It doesn’t mean it’s easy, but we should strive to make it simple.

Simple children’s ministry.

Here are a few ideas for making children’s ministry simple when it comes to some the more common problems:

Over-programming. 

»  When was the last time you looked at every program you offer and asked the question, “Do we really need this?” I would venture to say that 50% of the programs in our children’s ministries are not accomplishing what they were intended to accomplish. So why are we still investing our resources in them? Many times our best programming is the elimination of tradition-based and/or ineffective programs that are draining our resources.

»  Before committing to a new program, always, always, always answer these questions:

  • Does this clearly align with the stated vision of our ministry? If it doesn’t, don’t even think about doing it, no matter whose idea it was!
  • If the answer is “yes”, then define how & why this program is an imperative piece to accomplishing the vision.
  • Is their leadership available (other than the children’s pastor) to drive this ministry long-term?
  • Do we have the resources available to “do it right” and continue to do it right (sustainability)?

Poor communication. 

»  Take a few minutes and list all the ways you (and anyone else in children’s ministry) are trying to communicate with parents. Include face to face, emails, Facebook (& other social media), bulletins, department or class specific  flyers, take-home papers, signs in the lobby – everything. Chances are their are many avenues of communication and few, if any, are coordinated. This equals poor communication and just adds to the barrage parents deal with every day, because they are getting the same thing from their kids’ school, sports teams, clubs, and who knows where else!

»  Develop a communication strategy which:

  • Defines what communication is vital. Focus on these messages to try and reduce the noise.
  • Limits the number of messages in any given week or month to as few as possible.
  • Creates messages which stands out. That poorly written email which is 4 pages long doesn’t work. Think: few words; variety; image rich; clear & concise.

»  Create a communication center which parents can come to on their own time to find what they need (a up-to-date website & Facebook page should be minimum components they have access to)

Non-collaboration. 

»  Just because the youth pastor or the worship pastor (or whoever) doesn’t collaborate when scheduling doesn’t mean that you can’t. Don’t think “it’s useless because they never want to work with me”…rather, think “for the sake of my families I’m going to do everything I can to avoid asking them to be somewhere every night of the week.”

»  Be sure to coordinate within children’s ministry, as well. AWANA should not be competing with Sunday School – make sure every area is working together.

An entire book could be written on this subject, but these are just a few ideas
that might help us create more “simple” children’s ministries.

What have you learned about keeping things simple?  

Why It’s Time to Ask WWJD Again

By
Matt Chambers
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

If you were within just about any proximity to a church youth group in the 1990s, no doubt you saw, wore, or personally owned dozens of WWJD bracelets. Of course, these initials simply stood for the question, “What would Jesus do?”

They. Were. Everywhere.

Call it good intentions, call it genius marketing, call it whatever you want, I can’t think of anyone I knew that didn’t wear one at least for a little while. In my Sunday School class at church, we had WWJD posters, WWJD Bibles (because…I have no idea), WWJD devotions, WWJD hats…t-shirts…necklaces…

Then…they were gone. Oh, you can probably still spot them every once in a while, but they’re about as scarce as a Model-T these days.

Because, like many trends in the church, it was just another thing people did without (mostly) having any idea why…what it REALLY meant…or what consequences came with participating.

When I was a little boy, my grandfather gave me a book from I believe the 1920s or 1930s…it was called In His Steps by Charles M. Sheldon. It was actually in this book, originally written in 1896, that the question, “What would Jesus do?” first appeared. The premise of the book is about a pastor who is suddenly struck by the reality that while Christians proudly proclaim that they follow Jesus, they actually live greedy, judgmental, selfish lives.

Lives based on results…

Lives that avoided the poor…

Lives not focused on doing good to others…

Sheldon opens the first chapter with the pastor writing his sermon for Sunday about what it means to follow Jesus. He’s interrupted by a poor jobless man asking for help. The pastor turns him away and finishes the sermon. On Sunday, however, the same man shows up at the pastor’s church…this time interrupting the service. As the parishioners look on in awkward silence, he explains how he’s lost his job…how his wife has died in the most impoverished section of the city…how he wasn’t welcomed anywhere…how no one will help him…even the Christians. Then, he lowers the boom with these remarks:

“I’ve tramped through this city for three days trying to find a job; and in all that time, I’ve not had a word of sympathy or comfort except from your minister here, who said he was sorry for me and hoped I would find a job somewhere.

What do you mean when you sing ‘I’ll go with Him with Him, all the way?’ Do you mean that you are suffering and denying yourselves and trying to save lost, suffering humanity just as I understand Jesus did? What do you mean by it? I see the ragged edge of things a good deal. I understand there are more than five hundred men in this city in my case. Most of them have families.

My wife died four months ago. I’m glad she is out of trouble. My little girl is staying with a printer’s family until I find a job. Somehow, I get puzzled when I see so many Christians living in luxury and singing ‘Jesus, I my cross have taken, all to leave and follow Thee,’ and remember how my wife died in a tenement in New York City, gasping for air and asking God to take the little girl, too. Of course, I don’t expect you people can prevent everyone from dying of starvation, lack of proper nourishment, and tenement air, but what does following Jesus mean? I understand that Christian people own a good many of the tenements.

A member of a church was the owner of the one where my wife died, and I have wondered if following Jesus all the way was true in his case.

Chick-fil-A Will Stop Donating to Groups with Political Agendas

By
Toni Ridgaway
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Just two months ago, the president of fast-food chain Chick-fil-A Dan Cathy stirred a heated nationwide debate when he told The Baptist Press that he supported traditional marriage. Now the company apparently will adopt a new policy that it will not donate money to groups with “political agendas,” including Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council, and it will not engage in social or political debates.

According to The New York Daily News, a Chick-fil-A executive penned a letter to Chicago Alderman Joe Moreno saying the company “is now taking a much closer look at the organizations it considers helping, and in that process will remain true to its stated philosophy of not supporting organizations with political agendas.” This comes after Moreno previously opposed the opening of a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Chicago. Moreno told the Chicago Tribune that Chick-fil-A executives have agreed to include a statement of respect for all sexual orientations in an internal document. Moreno said he achieved his goal of getting Chick-fil-A to “affirm that they do not have discriminatory policies.”

The announcement touched off a steady stream of angry comments on the company’s Facebook page accusing the company of “caving in” on their values, said an article in USA Today. Chick-fil-A officials have not yet commented on the announcement.

This article was written by a churchleaders.com staff writer.

Why You’re Not Reaching the Unchurched

By
James Emery White
-

Want to know why you’re not reaching the unchurched? Read on.

Another one came this past week. A flyer arrived in my mailbox from a new church plant, promising me relevant and practical messages, contemporary “urban” music, great coffee…

Sigh.

How can it be that so many leaders have such an outdated understanding of culture, and specifically the unchurched?

How can it be that so many are still operating with a 1980s/1990s approach?

Here’s the essence of the mistake: “If you build it, they will come.” Or in the case of this mailer and scores of others like it I’ve received: “If you offer it, they will come.”

Meaning that if you spruce church up a bit, musically and stylistically, the unchurched will suddenly stream in your doors and fill your seats.

No, they won’t.

Don’t Miss

At least, not if they are truly unchurched, part of the growing number of religious “nones” that make up our modern milieu.

Yes, it worked in the movie Field of Dreams. A man built a baseball diamond in the middle of a corn field having been promised, “If you build it, they will come” – meaning crowds of people to watch Shoeless Joe Jackson and the 1919 Chicago White Sox.

Sounds strange, but it’s a fun film.

But don’t ever think that’s all that there is to building a church, particularly a church that is going to reach an unchurched person.

I’ll grant you that it’s a subtle and enticing temptation. To believe that if we encourage casual dress, offer Starbucks coffee, play rock music, and then deliver a message in a style similar to the popular speakers of the day, we will automatically grow is enormously appealing.

But it won’t work.

And it hasn’t worked for at least a decade.

How Perfectionism Makes You a Spiritual Quitter

By
Melissa Edgington
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

People who know me well would laugh to hear me say that I’m a perfectionist. After all, I’ve never been accused of being a neatnik. My cabinets aren’t neatly organized, and I struggle to keep up with things like important pieces of paper. More than once I’ve sent a frantic text to a fellow dance mom or basketball mom or a dear teacher to try and retrieve the information that I probably accidentally threw away about the day’s recital, game, or assignment. My closet is what you might call tornadic. No, I’m not one of those women who loves long walks through the aisles of The Container Store, dreaming of my next organizing challenge. I toss it. I pile it. I throw it away. But I rarely organize it.

Still, there is an interesting side of me that longs for perfection, especially in the area of spiritual discipline. I can’t tell you how many times I have begun a study, a prayer journal, a book, a plan for regular evangelism or outreach, a daily prayer time, a Bible reading plan. Each time I begin I have huge goals. I set my sights high. I set all sorts of restraints and strict schedules for myself, and usually I start strong for a few days. I hit the mark. I study for the perfect amount of time. I write down the self-prescribed number of items. I make the phone calls. I read the exact number of chapters I’m supposed to. But then, life happens. I have a sick kid. I have a commitment at the kids’ school.  Chad needs help with a project at church. I have to go grocery shopping. And I miss a day of my journaling, my prayer time, my Bible reading, my book studying.

That’s all it takes, really. Just one day of failing to follow through with my huge plan for spiritual growth, and I am ready to give up. I feel like a failure, like I will never achieve true discipline, and I quit altogether. In my mind, if I can’t execute the plan perfectly, I may as well forget about trying it at all. And instead I fall into a period of spiritual water-treading. I’m not drowning, but not going anywhere either, just keeping my head above water and wondering when I will ever figure out how to achieve Olympic-sized spiritual disciplines for Christ.

It has taken me 43 years to begin to learn that there is a happy, spiritually-nourishing medium between praying for an hour a day and not praying at all. Between reading five chapters in my Bible and not reading a single word. Spiritual disciplines don’t have to be feast or famine, and they shouldn’t be. I don’t have to perfectly execute a plan in order to be growing in Christ, learning from His word, communing with Him daily, learning more about who He is and who He wants me to be.

Olympic-sized goals are not the key to spiritual growth, and especially not if I am setting myself up to fail. Rigidness and perfectionism are enemies of spiritual formation. We spiritual perfectionists tend to think it’s not worth doing if we don’t do it the “right” way, but in the end that thinking usually leads to exactly what it sounds like it would: we don’t do it at all. We don’t read. We don’t pray. We don’t reach out. We don’t follow through. We want perfection or nothing at all. And the sad result of that line of thinking is that we settle for the nothing. We wallow in a constant state of feeling like we’re failing, and nothing about it seems perfect or even remotely good.

So, what are we to do? How do we function when we want to be Puritanical in our spiritual disciplines but we can’t even keep a prayer journal for three days in a row?

We have to set smaller goals. Reading Scripture for ten minutes a day is better than reading nothing at all. We have to let go of the arbitrary numbers that we assign to “real” spiritual disciplines. We need to start smaller, and let God begin to mold us through ten minutes of meditation on His word a day.

We have to keep going. Missing a day should not spell the end of our studying. Missing a whole week shouldn’t either. We have to get back to it. In a year, we can read the Bible for 60 hours just by reading for ten minutes a day. Say we miss a whole month’s worth of reading–we would still read 56 hours worth of Scripture in a year, and that’s a whole lot better than the nothing we will read if we let perfectionism force us to quit altogether.

We have to start where we are. We can’t wait for the perfect time, the perfect plan, the perfect sense of motivation, the perfect “feelings” to surface. Part of spiritual discipline is just plain old discipline. That means we do it when we feel like failures. We do it when we feel like hypocrites. We do it when we feel disinterested. We do it when we’re angry. We do it when we are feeling so far from perfectionism

.

And, probably most importantly, we have to remember that the point of spiritual discipline is not so we can check off a list of stuff we did. It’s so God can renew our minds through the reading of His word. We don’t need a chart and a neat pile of gold stars to add when we read our Bibles and pray. We need hearts that yearn to know God. This isn’t about our achievements, but the glory that He gets when He is truly known by His children.

God knows that we aren’t perfect. Goodness, does He know. When we allow our desire for perfectionism to shut us down spiritually, we are actually standing in our own way. We’re cutting ourselves off from our only hope for spiritual growth and formation, and we ultimately decide that if we can’t seek God in our own, “perfect” way, then we won’t seek Him at all. And, what’s more, we decide that unless we seek Him perfectly, He doesn’t want us to come to Him at all. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Jesus said that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Come to me, He said, all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.   Not an ability to achieve Olympic-sized spiritual goals every single day. Rest. We have to stop making knowing Christ seem so hard. He is near. He is knowable. He is perfect, and we are not. He wants us in all of our messy closets and messy minds and messy hearts. In all of our imperfection. Start small, my fellow perfectionists. Let’s go forth and rest in who Christ is, not in our always faltering “perfection.” He will meet us where we are.

This article originally appeared here.

2 Ways Boredom Destroys Ministry Leaders

By
Eric Geiger
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Before King David committed adultery with Bathsheba and attempted to cover his sin by murdering her husband, boredom settled into his heart. He was bored the night he was on the roof, bored and looking for something else other than God. Earlier in his life, while on the run from Saul, David woke up at dawn with singing (Psalm 57) to the God He sought. David had longed to stare at the beauty of God, but not on the fateful night he stared at Bathsheba. He was looking for something else, something other than the Lord, when his eyes and heart were captured by the beautiful woman bathing.

If we are bored we are looking for something other than God because God never bores. And anytime we look for something other than Him, we are looking for something less. Where does boredom manifest itself in ministry leaders? Where must we pay attention and guard against boredom seeping into our hearts?

The apostle Paul challenged the young pastor Timothy to “pay close attention to your life and your teaching; persevere in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16). We must watch both our lives and our teaching. Boredom in either can lead us away from the Lord.

1. Boredom in our life

If we find ourselves bored with our lives, we have stopped staring at the One who is infinitely awesome. If we find ourselves looking for a new mission to conquer, it is because the mission He has given us no longer captures our hearts. There is a massive difference between longing for a new mission and seeking new approaches or opportunities to fulfill the mission the Lord has given. All believers have been given the mission to make disciples, to be His ambassador, to declare Him as praiseworthy. How we fulfill the mission the Lord has given may change, but if the Lord’s mission bores us we are headed towards ruin.

2. Boredom in our doctrine

Boredom in doctrine expresses itself in longing for something new and unique to say. But we don’t have anything new and unique to say. We have a faith that “was delivered to the saints once for all.” Longing to say something no one has ever said will pull you away from the truth we are to stand on. Seeking new ways to communicate the same message is vastly different from wanting to say something no one has ever said before.

Don’t let boredom ruin you. Look to Him and you won’t get bored. Seek new ways to fulfill the mission the Lord has given, but don’t seek a new mission. Seek ways to communicate the message in new ways, but don’t seek a new message.

This article originally appeared here.

57 Leadership Tips from a Veteran Pastor

By
Joe McKeever
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

1. Delegate.
Just because you do a job better than someone else does not mean you should do it.
Read more

2. Follow-Up.
People do not do what you expect; they do what you inspect.
Read more

3. Earn the Right to Lead.
Still your impatience and earn the right to the congregation’s trust before making difficult decisions.
Read more

4. Appreciate Your Support Team.
A pastor depends on his wife and family, other ministers, and countless others in his service for God.
Read more

5. Know When to Give In.
In some conflicts, maintaining harmony and unity is more important than being right.
Read more

6. Learn from Your Failures and Go Forward.
“If you want to succeed, you must prepare to fail.”
Read more

7. Discipline Yourself.
A great purpose drives self-discipline; you can tell yourself “no,” and you can bring yourself to do the hard thing.
Read more

8. Remember Names and Use Them.
There is just no substitute for a pastor learning the names of the members, even if there are a lot of them. The payoff is well worth the effort.
Read more

9. Sometimes Leaders Must Follow; Do It Well.
It takes great strength and maturity to recognize when another has the gifts and training to lead in a situation where you do not and to turn it over to him.
Read more

10. Your Brother Is Your Partner, not a Competitor.
There is no competition between lighthouses, and there shouldn’t be between God’s family members.
Read more

Next Page >>

Why Children Will Bring God’s Blessings to Your Church

By
Dale Hudson
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Last week I was reading the story of Jesus and the children in Luke 18.  I was reminded that one of the keys to Jesus’ blessings to your church is making Children’s Ministry a priority.

One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so He could touch and bless them.  But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering Him.  Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to Me.  Don’t stop them!  For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.  I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”  
Luke 18:15-17

Blessings To Your Church

I believe when you make Children’s Ministry a priority at your church, you get Jesus’ attention in a unique way and usher in His blessings.  Do you want Jesus’ blessings on your church?  Then…

Make Children’s Ministry a high profile ministry in your church.  Children’s Ministry should be a cornerstone ministry of your church.  Does your outside advertising reflect this?  Does your weekend bulletin reflect this?  Do your announcements reflect this?  When people think of your church, one of the first things that should come to their mind is “they love children.”

Make Children’s Ministry physical space a top priority.  The Children’s Ministry building, classrooms, decor, and location should be the best area on your church campus.  Instead of it being an afterthought, it should be one of the most thought-through areas.  Does your physical space reflect Jesus’ heart for children?

Make Children’s Ministry personnel a top priority.  Children’s Ministry should be the best-staffed ministry in your church.  Is it time to bring more people on board who have the same heart for children as Jesus does?

Make Children’s Ministry programming a top priority on your church calendar.   Notice how Jesus moved Children’s Ministry up to the front of His schedule.  Does your church schedule line up with Jesus’ schedule?

Make Children’s Ministry program funding a top priority.  Put your faith in Jesus’ heart for children.  I believe He will pour out His financial favor on a church that pours it’s resources into Children’s Ministry.  The Children’s Ministry budget should be one of the largest in the church.

The bottom line is this.  The disciples saw children as a bother.  Jesus saw them as a blessing.  Line up your ministry with Jesus’ heart for children and He will smile upon you.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Dead at 87

By
Jesse T. Jackson
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died Friday September 18, 2020 at the age of 87. Her death came as a result of complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer. During her lifetime she battled cancer five different times.

Ginsburg was only the second female to be named to the U.S. Supreme Court, and she was the first Jewish female justice to serve on the court. She was nominated by President Bill Clinton on June 14, 1993, and filled the vacant seat of retired Justice Byron White.

Chief Justice John Roberts said of Ginsburg, “Our Nation has lost a jurist of historic stature. We at the Supreme Court have lost a cherished colleague. Today we mourn, but with confidence that future generations will remember Ruth Bader Ginsburg as we knew her — a tireless and resolute champion of justice.”

Dr. Russell Moore posted a video on Twitter saying, “The most important thing to keep in mind is that Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a human being, her family are fellow human beings…are fellow Americans, and we need to extend sympathy and pray for that family as they grieve tonight.” Moore explained that he and Justice Ginsburg had some ‘major disagreements” on matters of abortion and religious liberty but that now is a time to “pray for our country in a really divided time.”

Here is a list of facts about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Please keep her family in prayer.

1...756757758...1,181Page 757 of 1,181
855,266FansLike

New Articles

New Podcasts

Joby Martin

Joby Martin: What Happens When Pastors Finally Understand Grace

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

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

Jon Acuff

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

Libin Abraham

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

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

Company

Trending

Popular Categories

© ChurchLeaders