Jordan Gustafson on the Amazing Opportunity of Long-Term Missions

By

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June 3, 2020

Jordan Gustafson leads the church mobilization efforts of Food for the Hungry, which is a global, Christ-centered NGO working in over 20 countries. Their vision is to see all forms of poverty ended through sustainable, holistic community development and disaster relief. Jordan is also a pastor and church planter and speaks regularly at churches across the country. He is married to the love of his life, Gabby, and they have a daughter named Norah.

Key Questions for Jordan Gustafson

-Why should a church in the U.S. get involved with what is happening in other countries?

-What’s your perspective on short-term missions work versus long-term partnerships?

-How does getting into long-term partnerships with people overseas change U.S. churches?

-How can long-term partnerships enable a ministry to stay strong even during a time of crisis?

Key Quotes from Jordan Gustafson

“To be involved in another country is to say, ‘I see you.’”

“There are things that are happening elsewhere that don’t take place here in the United States. And we’ve even seen right now other people around the world be engaged and join in with what’s happening in our country as well.”

“We are part of this gigantic, global body of Christ, and so we can’t separate ourselves from everything else that’s happening. We must engage.”

“At times the idea of doing something for somebody is easier than doing something with somebody, but it might not be, and often isn’t, as powerful.”

“There is something that is felt between a church and between a community that is unlike anything else. It’s unlike showing up and doing something and leaving because it continues on…and that’s the beauty of that long-term partnership that can be happening in missions work that we’re doing around the world.”

“I think the other thing that long-term relationships in missions do is they shift things from an event to a process, and I believe that transformation is a process.”

“It’s our job as well to steward the gifts we have that we get to bring into a partnership and a relationship with somebody.”

Fire in My Bones

By

Douglas Groothuis

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June 3, 2020

“Without fire, nothing.” I often say this to my students in the context of motivation for ministry. I have felt this fire for over four decades. It has gotten me through many rejections, depressions, and my own foolishness. Fire in my bones comes from the prophet Jeremiah, a man with a rather miserable ministry of declaring God’s judgment. He was “the weeping prophet” and was often in trouble with the rebellious people of Israel. Yet through it all, Jeremiah wrote:

You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived;
you overpowered me and prevailed.
I am ridiculed all day long;
everyone mocks me.
⁸Whenever I speak, I cry out
proclaiming violence and destruction.
So the word of the Lord has brought me
insult and reproach all day long.
⁹But if I say, “I will not mention his word
or speak anymore in his name,”
his word is in my heart like a fire,
a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in;
indeed, I cannot (Jeremiah 20:7-9).

The observant reader will note that this prophet was angry with the one who made him a prophet. He would rather do something else, since the cost is so high and painful. But, indeed, he cannot! I have sometimes decided to serve God even when I did not like him very much. He is my Lord, whatever my feelings may be. I’m grateful that I have not felt this way for some time now.

Similarly, when Paul entered Athens, he was upset at their idolatry. ^“While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols” (Acts 17:16). Athens was not at the height of her glory, but was still a center of philosophy and learning. It was the home of Zeno, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle as well as being a center of culture given its architecture, poetry, and more. Yet Paul was more exercised by its idolatry than by its celebrated achievements. As a loyal Jew, he knows that God commanded his people not have no other God besides himself and to not make idols (Exodus 20:4-6; see also Romans 1:18-32; Isaiah 42:8).

But instead of throwing a theological tantrum, Paul channels the first in his bones into courageous and brilliant witness. Luke tells us that because of his “distress,” Paul “reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there” (Acts 17:17). He went on to give his classic apologetic address at Mars Hill, in which he continues to reason with his well-educated and philosophically-astute audience (Acts 17:22-34).

Many more examples of fire in my bones can be culled from Scripture. Instead of doing that, let me say that this divinely-authorized fire is never bombastic, arrogant, or mean-spirited, since that would mean grieving the Holy Spirit (see Galatians 5:13-26). Rather, the fire is a holy intensity to explain and promote the truth of the living God, come what may. Let me reflect on what this idea has meant in my life and ministry.

The fire is from God, not myself. I ask God to give it to me and to protect me from vainglory and self-promotion. As a writer, teacher, and preacher, I want to make a wide, deep, long and holy mark on the world. That cannot be done through the work of the flesh and the ways of this fallen world. I have long said that we should pray that our influence would never exceed our competence or our calling.

The fire burns even when all else is dark. At the worst times of my journey through my first wife’s dementia, I still yearned to see God’s truth shed abroad in people lives and in the world at large. Yes, the fire dwindled a bit at times, but it could not be put out. What else could I live for? After many defected from Jesus’ ministry, he asked Peter

“You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God” (John 6:67-69).

During many years of hardship and fatigue, I would often intone this verse about myself from Ecclesiastes, “The grasshopper drags himself along” (Ecclesiastes 12:5), which is part of a poetic description of the trials of aging. But the grasshopper still had fire in his exoskeleton. Now, thank God, that is no longer my go-to verse; but the fire remains. I used to sign my letters to a good friend as “The Grasshopper” and he would address me as such. Now that I am experimenting with happiness, I’ve asked him to give up that appellation and I no longer use it myself. (See my essay at Christianity Today, “The Risk of Happiness.”)

The fire in my bones is a creative spark for ministry. Paul told the Romans: “It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation” (Romans 15:20). Yes, I teach at a seminary where many other Christians minister. I write for magazine for which many other Christians write. I preach at churches were many other Christians have preached. But I seek to bring Christianity places where it is rare or scares, such as in secular publications, in the secular classroom, and talking to those who may seek quite far from the gospel. Ecclesiastes has encouraged me in this.

Ship your grain across the sea;
after many days you may receive a return.
Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight;
you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.

Sow your seed in the morning. . . .
and at evening let your hands not be idle,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well (Ecclesiastes 11:3, 6).

What the text advises for finances, I apply to ministry ventures. I ask if I can speak at a Buddhist university. They ignore me (twice). I submit a creative article to a secular philosophy magazine. They say Yes! And so it goes, the first remaining constant in my ventures, however quixotic they sometimes seem. (See my article, “Casting Your Bread on the Waters” from The Christian Research Journal).

If you have no fire for the things of God, ask him for that fire. Jesus promised:

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 7:7-12).

One way to acquire the fire is to discern and emulate its works in others. Of course, the biblical characters of Jeremiah, Paul, and, of course, Jesus, will warm turn up the heat in our cool bones, but there are many exemplars down through history. I have found that the life and ministry of Francis Schaeffer (1912-84) to be exemplary. He had fire in his bones, but also tears in his eyes. It could write in The Great Evangelical Disaster that “truth demands confrontation,” but add “loving confrontation.” I recommend, Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life by Colin Duriez (Crossway, 2008).

Whatever it takes, find the fire—and you will never be the same. Nor will the world be the same.

This article about fire in my bones originally appeared here.

We Are All Exiles Now

By

J.K. Wall

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June 3, 2020

Exile is one of the big themes of the Bible. From Adam and Eve being exiled from the Garden, to the exiles of the Israelites in Egypt and later Babylon, to Peter’s letter to the “elect exiles” dispersed by New Testament-era persecution.

Yet for a long time, I never related to it. Exile is being absent from your home or homeland. But I’ve always lived close to where I grew up. Exile implies some sort of persecution. But in the Midwestern U.S., I still see very little persecution for Christian faith. (Merely being called weird or a Bible-thumper on occasion hardly counts as persecution, in my view.)

I realize now, however, my understanding of exile has been too narrow. Beyond physical separation and severe persecution, exile always includes a deep longing caused when our present circumstances are not what they ought to be. And all of us feel that.

We’ve certainly felt it during the coronavirus quarantine, when churches haven’t been able to gather in person, schools and many businesses operate online, and grandparents haven’t been able to hug their grandkids.

But how many of us also feel it because of a strained family relationship? Or a prolonged illness? Or a job lost—as tens of millions of people have experienced this year—through no fault of our own.

When we understand it this way, it’s clear we are all exiles. We live in a world broken by sin. And while sometimes we enter a situation of exile because of our own sinful actions, it’s at least as common if not more that the deep frustration of exile comes upon us due to the brokenness that mars all parts of this world.

Sometimes, frustration turns into fear. Fear of catching the coronavirus despite our precautions. Fear of losing a job despite our hard work and high performance. Fear of even losing our lives despite doing nothing to deserve it—as with the recent unjust killings of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery. “Black Lives Matter” is, at least in part, a cry of exiles, longing for this world to be what it ought to be.

Life can be so far from what it ought to be that it feels like death, according to John Calvin. And yet we still have reason to hope. In his commentary on Colossians 3:3, which says, “For you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God,” Calvin wrote this: “Our life is said to be hid, that we may not murmur or complain if our life, being buried under the ignominy of the cross, and under various distresses, differs nothing from death, but may patiently wait for the day of revelation. … Hence there is no reason why we should be alarmed if, on looking around on every side, we nowhere see life. For we are saved by hope.”

I don’t know about you, but when I’m confronting the longing, frustration and fear of exile, I do plenty of murmuring and complaining. But also, after repeated providential promptings, I do plenty of hoping.

God allows His people to experience exile, but He always hears their cries and carries them through. We see it over and over in the Bible. We see it over and over in our lives. So we can trust Him to do it again and again. And we can hope that, one day, we will be exiles no more.

This article originally appeared here.

Making Peace With Death

By

Justin Poythress

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June 3, 2020

It’s time to bring back the phrase memento mori (“remember you must die”) for making peace with death. Socrates taught that the proper practice of philosophy is nothing other than preparing to be dead. Stoics emphasized the value of living with death on the brain — meaning it was best to avoid emotional entanglements when death was going to have the last word anyway. Every significant world religion expends the majority of its energy orienting its followers on how to live in the light of death and the afterlife.

This brings us to the first of two significant questions we should ask when entertaining conversations about death:

What’s the difference between making peace with death and being morbid?

Our society has reinforced our innate distaste for being morbid. That label now places you in the same socially outcast territory as being creepy or bigoted. The challenge is that being morbid is easier to sense than define. The sense is similar to when someone, in a group gathering, asks an overly personal question. In both cases, the trespass is the satisfying of a personal curiosity at the expense of another’s discomfort. And in both cases, the threshold is adjudicated by the one quickest to offense. This means that the safest course of action is to steer clear of the subject, or redirect as fast as possible, while in anything resembling polite society.

This, of course, has the cyclical effect of driving the reality of death further into the shadows, which is where we have most desired to keep him. We can’t bind him, or keep him as our prisoner, as we might like, but we can, at the very least, collectively pretend that he’s not there. Death is like that roommate with whom our relationship turned cold a long time ago. He’s still there—in fact, rather embarrassingly, it’s his name written on the lease. But we do our best to ignore him. We don’t look at him, we try to avoid him, and we certainly don’t talk about him with other people. Every so often, he leaves behind unmistakable marks of his presence, like dirty dishes in the sink, or the after-effects of a party. But we grimly try to clean these things up as quickly as we can, and then go on with our lives.

The slogan of memento mori, so far from being morbid, is simply the problem-solving method behind every successful business, every well-managed project, and every healthy and happy relationship. We start with the end goal in mind, and then ask ourselves, “What steps do I need to take to reach that end goal?”

The fact that we may not want there to be an end does not remove or postpone it. Our pretending that there will not be an end is the one surefire way to not have an end goal, and thus to fail to reach any goal by the end, when it does come.

The Bible teaches us the remembering death lives right next door to gaining wisdom”

“Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will say, ‘I have no pleasure in them.'” (Ecc 12:1)

“Teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Ps 90:12)

This leads to the second question we have to consider in any serious conversation about death:

Is death natural?

If we answer ‘yes’ to that question, it leads us to a smaller, more rigorously naturalistic, Darwinian perspective. Such an attitude brings death out of the shadows, but at the cost of human transcendence, and quite a bit of hope. If death is natural, we can now talk about, embrace, and even celebrate death, but only because we, like plants and animals, exist without eternal value. Death is simply part of the circle of life. My only remaining goal is to create whatever meaning I want, wherever and whenever I want it, while I serve out my blip of existence in a world that came to being and will pass away by sheer accidents of natural causes. This sort of view gives rise to the “death with dignity” (i.e. assisted suicide) movement.

If we say ‘no’, that death is unnatural—which is the more instinctive reaction— then we are left with three options for our response:

1) Fight

This response is usually triggered by a crisis, which is why we’ve seen so much of it recently. It is the right response… in its place. Our life is a gift from God, and we should cherish it and fight for it. And yet, because of the curse, this is a fight where we can win battles while knowing we must eventually lose. Our hope is not the avoidance of death, but the Resurrection. This alters our view on what true victory looks like. Meanwhile, the expectation that we can escape or elude death creates all sorts of problems: Paralyzing fear, obsession over our diet and exercise, burdening healthcare workers with unreasonable hopes, and the looming pit of disillusionment when, eventually, it all fails.

2) Hide

Being mindful of mortality is unpleasant not only because it reminds us of the end, but also because it brings gravity to our lives. We are forced to ask, “Is there an afterlife?” Which leads to: “Does what I do here and now matter?” This is where things get rather unsettling. Without a vision of the grace of Jesus, most of us are left with the gnawing fear that perhaps watching Netflix and not killing anybody may not qualify me for the standard of living I would like in my hypothetical afterlife.

This is also why the vested powers of this world simply have no desire for you to be asking such questions. The infrastructure of this world is, by necessity, meant to support life in this world. That’s why the currency of our entertainment is levity. If, for example, in my tv show I get you to stop and consider the questions of life and death, you may conclude that there are better things to do besides watching more of my tv show.

Both fighting and hiding from death have combined forces to professionalize the sphere of death. We have joyfully turned over the keys of this strange, mysterious, eery house to the experts in medicine. They now determine when life begins and ends, what accounts for a meaningful life, and what steps of intervention to take, or not take. Like nursing homes for the elderly, and prisons for lawbreakers, hospitals have become, for better or worse, the gatekeepers of death, so that the rest of us can be free of thinking about the whole business. Like any oligarchy, this means that much of our individual encounters with death will depend on the sort of doctor we are dealing with.

3) Making Peace With Death

Making peace with death means we understand why death is unnatural. Christianity offers both the reason for death, as well as its solution. Sin leads to death (Js 1:15). The omnipresence of death serves as a physical reminder of the pervasiveness of sin and its effects. Death is the last enemy Jesus will destroy (I Cor 15:26). He came so that we could have life, and have it abundantly (Jn 10:10). Making peace with death doesn’t mean we stop seeing it as unnatural, but that we trust that it doesn’t get the last word – Jesus does.

This article about making peace with death originally appeared here.

Free Video Package: “Kaleidoscope”

By

Daniel So

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June 2, 2020

Free Video Package

Download a set of 6 1-minute background loops of kaleidoscope patterns.

You can use these as backgrounds to your worship songs or announcement slides.

Get Download Now

Resource provided by New Life Church

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

5 Tips for Recruiting Volunteers

By

Josh Evans

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June 2, 2020

I do not know a church in America that could not use just a few more volunteers. Every church is in search of more volunteers to do more for the mission of their church.

Why is recruiting volunteers such a problem?

I believe that the problem might not be with the ones in the seats on Sunday. The problem might be in our approach to recruiting.

Here are five tips to help you recruit volunteers:

1. Celebrate volunteers

Your church will not maintain a steady influx of new volunteers if they are not celebrated.

Whoever started the idea of posting a church volunteer of the week on their social media pages is a genius.

Celebrate them, bless them and recognize them.

When you celebrate volunteers, you communicate that you value and are appreciative of what they do each weekend for you.

If you do not think that celebrating and recognizing volunteers is important, try to do church on Sunday without them.

It would be utter chaos. It would be foolish. We need them, and therefore we should recognize them.

Churches who keep volunteers recognize and celebrate them.

2. Communicate specific expectations

Leader, do not be aggravated with your volunteers and their performance if you have not clearly stated your expectations for them.

If someone is holding a door for people, they need to know specifically what you expect.

This may sound silly and tedious, but there is a certain way of doing what you want, and our volunteers want to know what that is.

3. Never sound desperate

Too often, we sound like the ministry will fall apart if you do not recruit more volunteers.

Look, that may be true. I get it, we need volunteers and rely heavily on volunteers every weekend, but never sound desperate.

Make your pitch to volunteers inspirational and motivational. Communicate that every volunteer gets to be a part of our mission every weekend.

Every volunteer regardless of the position helps your church do what they do. Motivate and inspire your volunteers—do not guilt or make them feel like you are desperate.

Desperate appeals for volunteers will leave you with people who are volunteering because you need them, not because you want them.

Articulate your vision to prospective volunteers and where they fit into your vision.

4. Set clear start and end dates

We tend to never have a problem with the first part of this. Start dates are easy.

We rarely set end dates. I believe too many churches have communicated to people who when they sign up, they are in it for life.

This scares many away. When you recruit volunteers, tell them that this is for a six-month or one-year term, and then you will evaluate them to see if they want to continue serving.

It gives time for volunteers to give it a shot and if they hate it, they have an out.

5. Communicate every position as fun and important

Do not ever down play a position in your church. From the guy in the parking lot, to the one passing out bulletins, to the one holding babies, to the one speaking to the adults, every position is important and helps churches accomplish their mission.

You should paint it this way when you recruit. You also need to paint the position as fun. Make every position sound like the most fun job at your church.

It encourages people and places value on the position.

What advice would you add to this list for recruiting volunteers?

Free Kids’ Lesson Package: “Sharing”

By

Daniel So

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June 2, 2020

Free Kids’ Lesson Package

From CMD, “Preschoolers will learn that they can share their stuff with friends just like the widow who shared her food Elijah. 1 Kings 17:7-16, Widow Shares Her Food With Elijah”

This 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
Take Home Activity

Get Download Now

Resource provided by Children’s Ministry Deals

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

Singing Songs From Questionable Sources

By

Bob Kauflin

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June 2, 2020

I had already been working on this post when I received this email from Ethan:

“For the past year, I’ve struggled with the idea of playing ‘good’ songs (obviously room for defining some terms there…) from questionable ministries. In playing their songs, am I advocating for their entire ministry? In playing their songs, am I necessarily pushing my people toward their church (i.e., when the CCLI info pops up at the end of the song)?”

I took a stab at this question eight years ago when I wrote “Does it Matter Who Writes the Songs We Sing?” Since then, I’ve been asked the question so frequently I’ve tried to refine my thinking on this topic.

What Makes a Song Source “Questionable?”

Songs can be from “questionable” sources in at least three ways:

It’s recently come to light publicly that the composer of a song is living or has been living in unrepentant sin.
A composer is part of a denomination that teaches what you consider a distortion of the gospel.
The song springs from a church or ministry that has theology or practices you think are unbiblical.

Interestingly, I’ve visited websites and blogs that view Sovereign Grace Music as one of those “questionable sources,” usually because we’re continuationist, Reformed or use contemporary music styles.

So whatever your reasons for questioning the origins of a song, here are some thoughts.

First Things First

Let me start with some general observations.

First, to dismiss this conversation as irrelevant, petty or unnecessary (e.g., “Who are you to question my sincerity?”) fails to appreciate the diverse and deep ways songs affect our thoughts and emotions. It also minimizes the importance Scripture gives to singing (Eph. 5:18-20; Col. 3:16-17). To say, “It doesn’t matter who writes the songs we sing,” isn’t helpful, because it does matter to many people. In fact, I’m asked this question more than any other. By a long shot.

Second, exercising discernment isn’t the same thing as sinful judgment. Our culture often wrongly equates disagreement with disdain and insists that to make distinctions is to be condescending. But God tells us in Scripture to judge rightly, distinguish between those who should hear our message and who shouldn’t, be able to discern who a fool is, avoid people who cause divisions, and know the difference between sheep and wolves in sheep’s clothing (Jn. 7:24; Mt. 7:6; Prov. 13:20; Rom. 16:17; Mt. 7:15).

5 Reasons We Struggle to Be a Friend of Sinners

By

Matt Brown

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June 2, 2020

Amazingly, Jesus, the most holy person to ever walk the face of the earth, was also known as a “friend of sinners” (see Matthew 11:19).

One of my pastors recently shared—out of all of the names and attributes of God throughout the Bible, there is only one that is actually attainable by you and me—friend of sinners.

Since we are called to follow Jesus, it should be our goal to be a friend of sinners as well.

But this can be a struggle for any Christian. Once we are saved out of sinful habits and destructive tendencies, it can be really easy to surround ourselves with only Christian friends, and Christian activities, and become insulated from the world around us that needs God so much.

When we get so wrapped up in what is known as the “Christian bubble,” we soon forget what it feels like to be “without hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12).

How can we get back to this holy calling of being a friend of sinners? What obstacles stand in our way? Here are five reasons I believe we can struggle to be a friend of sinners:

1. We’ve forgotten how much God loves the world.

John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” If you’ve forgotten how much God loves all people, even struggling sinners, read how God opened D.L. Moody’s eyes to his incredible love here.

Earlier this month, we had the opportunity to travel to Israel and visit some of the places of the Bible.

In Joffa, we saw the port where Jonah ran from the call of God to preach repentance to Nineveh. He was eventually swallowed by a large fish and spit up on the shore. In this very same port, many years later, the Apostle Peter stayed at a friend’s house and had a vision from God to preach the gospel to the Gentiles as well as Jews.

Interestingly, in this same area, God was repeatedly trying to get His message across to take His hope to lost and broken sinners.

We need God to break our hearts for what breaks His: a lost world. God’s heart breaks for millions of people in our world who are “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a Shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).

God longs for people’s eyes to be opened, and the veil to be removed so they “see the bright light of the gospel in the face of Christ” (see 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:6).

2. We’ve filled our schedules too full.

One of our biggest challenges to doing what we know we ought to do is margin in our schedules.

In 1970, two psychologists discovered that not having enough time made the difference between seminary students being a good samaritan or passing by a person in need.

Learn to not pack your schedule so full of good things that you don’t have time for the best things. Leave spaces in your schedule to befriend and have real conversations with people who are far from God.

3. We’ve forgotten how to deeply connect with others.

In their book 5 Gears, Jeremie Kubicek and Steve Cochram share the importance of learning to slow down and deeply connect with other people.

Sometimes we can get so busy rushing about life that we go months without deeply connecting with others. It’s important to shift gears, slow down and connect deeply with others. Including those who are outside the church.

4. We’ve forgotten how to be hospitable.

One of the most meaningful ways to connect deeply with others is through hospitality, and sharing meals together.

This is a simple and practical way we can take a step to befriend people outside the church: invite them over for a meal, or go out for a meal together.

And don’t start the conversation with your faith or the gospel. Connect with them, and share life with them. Unless the Lord impresses you, be patient to show the them gospel in your kindness and care, and when they “ask you about your hope” (1 Peter 3:15), they are primed to hear what God has meant to you.

5. We are too condemning.

If we spend too much of our energy on social media berating culture, we can seem unapproachable and harsh. We have to balance what we say with grace and love, and not pick a fight with every culture-war that pops up. People outside the church should see the love, compassion and grace of Jesus in our tone online and offline.

It’s unacceptable for Christians to be fundamentalists about every Scripture except for the loads of passages about the importance of showing love, kindness, gentleness and compassion. It’s not one or the other. We are called to spread truth, always with love and grace.

As Seth McBee stated, “Jesus must’ve known how to balance truth and love, because He definitely spoke the truth, and he still got invited to the parties.”

The Divorced-Deacon Dilemma

By

Joe McKeever

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June 2, 2020

A safe course here would be to spend all our energies pursuing the multi-faceted question “Can a divorced person be a deacon?” and at the end, choose the safest and most reasonable exit without coming down on a firm position. But where’s the fun in that?

“Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.” (1 Timothy 3:11)

There it is. One simple sentence that has divided and perplexed and frustrated the Lord’s faithful people for eons.

Let’s state our position up front so there can be no doubt. As a general rule, divorce disqualifies a man from service as either a pastor or deacon. However, there are exceptions.

And by “exceptions,” I most definitely do not mean we must convene an investigating committee to search out the reasons for the man’s divorce and establish a) that he was sinned against or b) that he was unsaved at the time and has since come to the Lord. This kind of scrutiny over a person’s ancient history is outside the capability of any preacher on the planet. All we have to do is look at the Roman Catholic Church’s annulment processes to see a) how complex this can get and b) how hypocritical it all appears to the outside world. We will grant that their intent is good, but the product is a disaster.

The exception—that is, the divorced men who can be considered as deacons—applies when the divorce occurred decades ago and the man has lived an exemplary and godly life since.

That’s where I am at the moment. Good people will agree and disagree, and I’m fine by that. We each have to come to our own conclusion as to the Lord’s will.

This is an emotional, volatile subject.

Yesterday, I posted this question on Facebook: “Can a divorced person be a deacon?” An hour later, we had over 40 responses. This morning, the number is approaching 150. And as one might expect, the answers were all over the map.

Few people are without an opinion on this subject.

Anyone who wishes to see just how explosive a subject this is should stand in a church business conference and make a motion that the church change its stance on divorce.

Either way, it doesn’t matter. If your church ordains divorced people, move that it reconsider. If your church opposes ordaining the divorced, move that it consider changing and begin ordaining them. Then, stand back and watch the fur fly.

One has to wonder why people feel more passionate about this subject than issues of greater weight such as abortion or integrity or morality or world missions or the displaced people of Sudan or the starving children of Central Africa.

For our purposes here, suffice it to say, “They do.” (Pastors, be forewarned!)

Created for Community: Three Re-opening Options

By

Bryan Haley

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June 2, 2020

I’ve heard lots of people talk about their longing and excitement for the grand reunion that will take place once life gets back to “normal.” Many churches even promoted their Easter Sunday worship as merely a mini-celebration of the resurrection—anticipating the real party once the congregation gathers together again in person after re-opening. I think this longing points to the fact that we were created to be in community—and I love hearing stories like this (but that’s for another article). Many churches wish that one Sunday a switch is going to flip and everything will go back to the way things were before. But this scenario seems unlikely. As we look to other parts of the world that are ahead of North America in the fight against COVID-19, there are few options we can consider. And, of course, this all depends on your area’s restrictions and guidelines.

Re-Opening Option 1: Continue to Meet Digitally Until Mass Gatherings Are Allowed

Looking at other places around the globe, the trend seems to point to a relaxing of rules followed later by more contracting—and this back and forth might continue until a vaccine has been created, approved, and available. So one option might be to remain fully digital until your region says all mass gatherings are safe to commence again. This is an especially attractive option for larger churches (more than 250) because being required to stop gathering in person a second (or third or fourth) time might be a lot harder on the congregation than the first time around.

Tip: If your church goes this route, it is vital to have a solid communication and connection strategy in place.

Re-Opening Option 2: Midweek Only

Chances are, your church gathers all together just once a week. Throughout the week, though, you have smaller ministries, gatherings, prayer times, Bible studies, and more that happen. One way to help provide in-person connection while also avoiding large gatherings would be to open your building to midweek ministries—those smaller gatherings of 10, 20, or even 50 people (depending on what government guidance is)—while keeping worship services all online. This might allow for quicker and deeper connection with your congregation because it’s smaller groups of people who are centering on a subject or theme. If you choose to go this route, be sure to communicate clearly your church’s plans to help keep the virus at bay through disinfecting and other means.

Tip: This could also be a great way to start (or revamp) your church’s small group ministry.

Re-Opening Option 3: Take a More Fluid Approach

Another option that your church may want to consider is taking a fluid approach to how your church is gathering each week. Most of our congregations have a strong desire to gather together again. While we can’t just snap our fingers and get back to normal, we can provide as many opportunities as possible for people to come together again. This could look like following your area’s guidance for group gatherings and amending your worship service schedule to meet the current needs. For example, let’s say you’re a church of 400. What if your state is only allowing groups to meet together 100 at a time? Your church could offer four service times on Sunday, along with live streaming. As the guidance expands and contracts, you could add or reduce services as needed. You could also ask people to RSVP to which service they plan to attend and make it more of a “ticketed” event to help ensure you’re following the guidelines in place. With this approach, in-home watch parties might also be an option for those unable to make the service in person.

Tip: Make sure you’re on top of your communication game if you want to take the fluid approach. There will be lots to communicate over the coming weeks, including changing service times, need to RSVP, etc.

As church members, we’re extremely excited to be back together in person. However, we need to recognize that in all likelihood we will not resume “normal” church life as soon as restrictions are lifted. Instead, let’s plan wisely so that we can lead our churches into new seasons of uncharted territory.

Has your church discussed ideas on what this next phase of ministry might look like? I’d love to hear what you’re planning—add a comment below!

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

Trump Abused ‘our sacred space’ with Photo Op, Bishop Says

By

Stephanie Martin

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June 2, 2020

Hours after sustaining fire damage during riots in Washington, D.C., the historic St. John’s Episcopal Church near the White House became the center of another firestorm. Following a Rose Garden speech in which Donald Trump declared himself “an ally of all peaceful protesters” yet also threatened to deploy the military against unruly crowds, the president walked across the street to St. John’s and held up a Bible. “We have a great country,” Trump said, later adding, “We’re going to keep it nice and safe.”

The president didn’t address the ongoing protests across America—some of which have turned violent—or what sparked them: the death of George Floyd, a black man, in the custody of Minneapolis police.

Bishop Decries Abuse of ‘our sacred space’

The Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, bishop of Washington’s Episcopal Diocese, quickly spoke out against Trump’s unexpected stop at St. John’s. No one reached out beforehand about “using the church as a backdrop in that way,” she says. “I was outraged that [Trump] felt that he had the license to do that, and that he would abuse our sacred symbols and our sacred space in that way.”

Budde says of the president: “He did not pray. He did not offer a word of balm or condolence to those who are grieving. He did not seek to unify the country.” Her faith tradition, Budde says, doesn’t support Trump’s “incendiary response to a wounded, grieving nation” but rather aligns itself “with those seeking justice” for Floyd’s death, “in faithfulness to our Savior who lived a life of nonviolence and sacrificial love.”

When asked if Trump was welcome in the future at St. John’s, known as “the church of the presidents,” Budde said all citizens are welcome “to kneel before God in humility.” And when asked what she’d preach to the president, she replied, “I would give him the same message I would give to all of us: That we have to look deep, we have to go to the root causes of the pain that we are witnessing. We have to keep our focus on the sacredness of every human life and the outrage and anguish that we are hearing from so many of our nation’s young people and people of color.”

Other Faith Leaders Respond to Photo Op

A range of religious leaders echoed Budde’s anger. Jesuit priest Father James Martin tweeted: “This is revolting. The Bible is not a prop. A church is not a photo op. Religion is not a political tool. And God is not a plaything.” Rabbi Jack Moline, Interfaith Alliance president, called the incident “one of the most flagrant misuses of religion I have ever seen.”

On Tuesday morning, a group of D.C.-area African-American Baptist pastors received permission to pray and speak in front of St. John’s. “We are enraged as local pastors,” one said, and call “for repentance of this president and this government.” Another referred to Trump’s photo op as “the rape of a church and God’s Holy Word.”

Southern Baptist Convention president J.D. Greear said in a statement, “The Bible is a book we should hold only with fear and trembling, given to us that in it we might find eternal life. Our only agenda should be to advance God’s kingdom, proclaim his gospel, or find rest for our souls.”

Franklin Graham, a Trump supporter, tweeted that the president “made a statement” in front of St. John’s Monday evening, proclaiming that “God & His Word are the only hope for our nation.”

Trump adviser Johnnie Moore also praised the president’s appearance at St. John’s, tweeting that Trump’s “in-total-control walk” to the church defied “those who aim to derail our national healing by spreading fear, hate & anarchy.”

On ChristianityToday.com, Ed Stetzer and Andrew MacDonald describe Trump’s photo op as “jarring and awkward,” writing, “It did not play well, even with many of the president’s supporters.” They add, however, that the Bible’s contents have the power to “heal our deepest wounds and cut through the most hardened hearts.”

White Prayer Vigil Participants Confess ‘years and years of racism’

By

Jessica Lea

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June 2, 2020

Violence has erupted throughout the country in response to the death of George Floyd, but two ministry leaders in Houston—one white and one black—are showing people a different way. The two men led a prayer vigil Sunday, and the event featured a powerful moment when the white participants knelt in front of the black participants, asking for their forgiveness.

“I believe you came here because you agree that we owe the black community an apology,” said Bobby “Tre9” Herring, who organized the event with Pastor Johnny Gentry. “Maybe it’s for neglect. Maybe it’s for the fact that we just didn’t get involved in helping the black community. Maybe it’s something we said. Maybe it’s our stereotypes. Maybe it’s just being insensitive altogether. I don’t know what yours is…For me as a white man, I’m going to own that. We can bring true healing if we start owning it.”

Herring is a Christian rap artist and the founder of the non-profit Eyes on Me, which serves at-risk youth and their families in the Houston area. He and Gentry, the pastor of Free Indeed Church International told Fox 26 Houston that they are calling their meetings (which are essentially prayer walks) “praytests,” in order to differentiate them from the violence occurring elsewhere in the nation. Herring posted on his social accounts Saturday, showing people walking through Houston and praying at various places.

View this post on Instagram

#Praytests happening all over the city. Started in Greenspoint today. I’ll be a poor excuse of a man before I sit back and watch the enemy write the narrative about Christians and how we respond. Some say we don’t do nothing as the church, or even as white people specifically to combat racism, hate and violence against the oppressed. Not in Houston, TX we do not sit back and watch. We aren’t reactive we are proactive. We’ve been screaming out for laborers for 11 years and there is no reason why anyone should become social media hate mongers when you choose to do nothing to bring the solution. Where will everyone be when the media stops covering the protests? We always tend to go back to our comfort zones. Well now that God has touched your heart and fired you up saints let’s go! We can make a move on the enemy right now. This prayer walk is just the beginning, we got lots more to do, DM me and plug in. #GLOBEMovement #houstonriots #houstonriot #prayforchange #prayerwalking #multiethnicchurch #unity #onechurch #missionaryminded #blacklivesmatter #alllivesmatter #policelivesmatter #proactivevents #communitylove #greenspoint #Christians #tre9warcry #eyesonmeinc #hiphophopemissions #dtsbrotherhood #ldtssisterhood #disciplethestreets #justiceforgeorgefloyd #georgefloyd #georgefloydprotest #georgefloydpraytests

A post shared by Tre9 (@tre9online) on May 30, 2020 at 1:30pm PDT

Gentry: Prayer Vigil Was ‘prophetic and historic’

On Sunday afternoon, a diverse group of hundreds of people met in the pouring rain for a prayer vigil at Cuney Homes in Houston’s Third Ward. George Floyd grew up playing basketball there, and the crowd gathered at a basketball court with Floyd’s name written in the center of it.

Herring and Gentry had written out prayers on index cards and asked a few people to pray in front of everyone there. When the prayer circle ended, Herring said he “felt the burden” to ask people to separate by race and face each other on either side of the court. After they did so, he told those standing behind him that he had no problem if anyone disagreed with what they were about to do and preferred to leave, but he wanted to kneel in repentance before those gathered from the black community and ask their forgiveness. Herring emphasized that “other stats” that could be brought up were irrelevant and that it didn’t even matter how much he personally already serves in the black community. The point, he said, is that right now the black community is hurting. “That hurts me,” said Herring, “because I’m part of the body, and when one part hurts, we all hurt.”

So the white attendees knelt behind Herring, who led them in a prayer of confession to those standing before them on the other side of the court. Kneeling opposite Gentry, Herring asked God’s forgiveness for “years and years of racism, of systematic racism, of bigotry, of hate.” He prayed that God would raise up people who would “get involved” and become friends, allies, and neighbors to those in the black community. “We honor them,” said Herring. “God, we love them. You love them.”

As Herring was finishing his prayer, the black participants also knelt down. Several of them were crying. Gentry asked the people now kneeling behind him, “If ya’ll receive it, when I count to three, can you say, ‘We receive it’?” He then counted to three, and the crowd behind him proclaimed, “We receive it!”

The two groups continued kneeling across from each other with bowed heads. Herring and Gentry clasped hands, and the pastor offered a prayer in response to Herring’s confession. “You are the God of reconciliation,” said Gentry, as those behind him affirmed his words. “Not only do we receive their repentance but, God, we repent as the black community for holding unforgiveness, for acting out of anger, for Father God, failing our own community at times.”

Gentry later said, “Today was prophetic and historic. The white community repented to the black community for generations of systematic racism and injustice. The black community received and reciprocated repentance.”

On Facebook, Herring described his feelings leading up to the moment he decided to lead people in that prayer at the prayer vigil. “I kept wrestling with what to say to whoever showed up, regardless of how many, or their status,” he said. “It only left my stomach in knots, my mind cluttered & my heart heavy all day long. My thoughts were all over the place & I couldn’t bring myself to write a speech or make special plans so I said to God, ‘Will you please use my mouth to speak your words during our time together?’” He added, “All day I kept thinking about how George Floyd’s legacy should be honorable and spark a unified movement, rather than the violence and division we are seeing everywhere.”

Gentry echoed that sentiment when he explained the mindset of the “praytest” movement to Fox 26 News. “Let’s not tear up our cities,” he said. “Let’s not dishonor authority. Let’s not dishonor others. Let’s do what we have to do but keep it respectable and honorable so others can align with us.”

Gentry and Herring are planning more “praytests” this week, including another prayer vigil this evening. Reflecting on Sunday afternoon, Gentry said, “Powerful. I’m speechless and in awe of God.”

Pastor, Calvin Seminary Grad and Wife Killed in Tiv-Jukun Conflict

By

Megan Briggs

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June 2, 2020

tiv — Screengrab Facebook @Emmanuel Bileya

A pastor serving the Christian Reformed Church in Nigeria (CRCN), Emmanuel Bileya, and his wife, Juliana, have been killed. The couple was attacked while working their farm in Taraba state, Nigeria. They leave behind eight children and a congregation full of believers. Just a few weeks ago, Bileya wrote to his friends in the United States asking for their prayers as his town in Nigeria was immersed in a tribal conflict between the Tiv and the Jukun.

“Sometimes I feel like leaving Nigeria to work somewhere else that is more peaceful. I am tired of the insurgencies, communal clashes, armed robbery, kidnappings, poor economic that renders us live hand to mouth, and other serious vices. GOD THE SOVEREIGN IS OUR ONLY HOPE,” Bileya wrote in his letter.

Bileya had the chance to study in the United States at two different religious institutions. The pastor attended Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan and The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies in Jacksonville, Florida.

Tribal Tensions Between Tiv and Jukun/Itchen

At Calvin Seminary, Bileya studied under John Witvliet, who shared an excerpt from Bileya’s letter on his Facebook page. The letter goes into detail about the tribal conflict plaguing the local government area (LGA) in which Bileya lived: Donga LGA, in Taraba State, Nigeria. Bileya, who belonged to the Jukun/Itchen tribe, did not shy away from describing the violence perpetrated by both the Jukun and the Tiv:

Please, pray for my Local Government Area (Donga LGA, in Taraba State of Nigeria). It is a very very serious matter beyond Corona Virus pandemic: It is war. Tiv tribe is in a serious war with my people and where I work (Jukun/Itchen tribe). So far more than 10 of our (Jukun/Itchen) villages have been completely destroyed and people killed. The Jukun/Itchen tribe has retaliated by destroying Tiv tribe’s villages and killing their people as well. This war has been going on for about a month now in my area, since April 2020. The Tivs have destroyed our churches and rumoured that they plan to come to destroy the church where I am working at, which is in Itchen town called Mararraba located in Donga LGA of Taraba State in Nigeria. For some time now, many people have fled the town for safety including my family but I have remained in Mararraba praying and hoping for God’s restoration of peace and protection of the town and church.

Both the Tiv and Jukun tribes have been majorly sustained by farming and leaving together in Jukun area. The Tiv have been migrating to the Jukun land in mass, looking for fertile farmland. Also, both the Tiv and Jukun people are majorly Christians and both their churches the NKST of Tiv and the CRCN of dominantly Jukun were planted in Nigeria by the same missionaries and are of the Reformed faith affiliation (Calvinists).

The truth is that the war started from a farm dispute. An Itchen man, a member of my branch church in an Itchen village called Gidan-Adamu kindly gave part of his farmland to a Tiv man to farm. But this year, 2020, the Tiv man encroached more into the Itchen man’s farmland of which the owner disagreed. A farm dispute resolution committee with a membership of both Tiv and Itchen was set up to resolve the issue. Although yet to be resolved the Tiv man invited a team of 200 Tiv people who came in mass and with guns and forcefully went ahead to farm on the Ichen man’s farm. When the Itchen man so them and tried to stop them they beat the life out of him to the point of death leaving laying on the ground supposedly dead with 3 marched cuts on his head. He was brought to a hospital in Mararraba where I visited him in the theatre while the doctors were still stitching his head wounds. He survived. While we were trying to calm the situation in town Itchen youths retaliated by beating a Tiv man on his farm. After this, after 2 days Tivs shot 4 of my church members who decided to leave Gidan-Adamu village to a different peaceful village to look for a job: 2 were killed 2 survived. I buried the 2 boys. In summary, the Tiv people attacked the Gidan-Adamu village 2 times without success but succeeded on the 3rd attempt, they killed some of the villagers and burnt down the whole village with our branch church and the pastorium. The next day the Tiv again attacked and burnt down a neighbouring Itchen village called Gankwe on the same area (where a colleague pastor of our church lost all his belongings + school certificates, he and his family stayed with me for some days before moving to a safer place). The Tiv went ahead to burn down more Jukun/Itchen villages, they destroyed 8 Jukun villages serially. At this, the Jukun youth went to their hideouts to stop them and so we are now in a fullfledged war against each other. The Tivs have succeeded in destroying more than 10 villages of the Jukuns and the Jukuns have also burnt down more than 5 of the Tiv villages. Many lives and properties have been lost.

Bileya went on to explain that he believed there weren’t enough security personnel in the region to quell the fighting due to the coronavirus lockdown, the fight against Boko Haram, and “other serious insurgencies” occurring in Nigeria. Witvliet indicates Bileya had been communicating about the ongoing conflicts in Nigeria for several years.

Robert Morris: Why Many White Christians Don’t Understand Racial Tension

By

Megan Briggs

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June 2, 2020

Robert Morris believes the reason America still has a problem with racism is due, in part, to the church. The pastor of Gateway Church in Dallas, Texas addressed his congregation several years ago on Sunday, October 15, 2017, and discussed the country’s ongoing racial tension then. Tragically, his message is just as timely today as it was then.

“We have a problem in our country and I believe obviously all of us know Jesus is the answer,” Morris begins, “but I believe the reason we still have this problem today is because of the church. I don’t believe the church has taken the stand that the church needs to take [on racism], and I want us as a church to take a stand.”

Morris then employs a water bottle to explain the havoc misunderstanding is wreaking on the nation. Holding the bottle up, with its brand logo facing the audience, Morris asks “What word do you see?” The congregation replies with the brand name. Then Morris, looking from his perspective, tells them “I don’t see that. The word…is not on this side.”

The climax of his practical illustration about racial tension lies in these words: “I’ll never see what you see until I take the time to walk around the bottle.”

Morris then relates the illustration to the current racial tension and arguments around racism embroiling the U.S.: “We have a problem in our country, mainly because white people don’t understand. It’s really true. And we need to take the time to walk around the issue and see what our brothers and sisters are seeing and see what they’re feeling.”

Morris encourages the congregation, which from crowd shots featured in the following video, looks to be predominately white, not to argue about protests or demonstrations. Instead of arguing, he insists, take the time to understand what your brothers and sisters are trying to say. He also instructs them not to see it simply as an issue or as history, “but as people.”

Morris is the lead pastor of the Texas megachurch, which is the largest congregation in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The church sees a weekly average attendance of 36,000 people across its seven campuses (one of which is in Arizona).

What the Bible Says About Racism

In his sermon, Morris states there are 7 reasons that racism is “pure sin.”

Racism is pure evil.

2. Racism is pure self-righteousness.

3. Racism violates the Great Commission.

4. Racism violates the Great Commandment.

5. Racism questions God’s creation.

6. Racism questions God’s plan.

7. Racism questions God.

Watch Robert Morris’ entire sermon about racial tension here.

If We Can’t Sing in Church…

By

David Manner

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June 2, 2020

Most of us have seen the articles, blog posts and videos this last week indicating the potential for a higher level of asymptomatic spread and aerosolization of COVID-19 through choral and congregational singing. The emotional responses from music and worship leaders run the gamut of fear and grief to outright denial. What if we can’t sing in church?

It is obviously still too early to be certain how these theories will play out and influence our musical worship in the future. What is certain, however, is that even if our congregations and choirs can’t sing together for a season, worship can and will still occur. It may look different but it most certainly won’t disappear.

An older member of one of my previous congregations was a fine vocalist and instrumentalist when he was younger. But because of laryngeal cancer surgery, he could no longer sing and even had to learn a new way to talk. One Sunday while leading congregational singing I observed this gentleman whistling the songs as other congregants sang. Just because he was physically unable to sing didn’t keep him from actively participating in worship. He just had to figure out a new way to do it.

If We Can’t Sing in Church, How Will We Worship?

Worship leaders, if our congregants and choirs aren’t able to worship through singing, then it will be our responsibility and calling, by the way, to help them figure out a new way to do it. Our methods might have to change but our calling to lead and their calling to respond certainly hasn’t changed.

This conversation is not that different than the conversations we had a couple of decades ago when worship styles and methods changed. As leaders, we often encouraged and even admonished our congregations that even though “we’ve never done it like this before” it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t or couldn’t. Some of us as worship leaders need to have that same conversation with ourselves as we lead through this uncertain future.

Oh, if we can’t sing and worship through congregational and choral songs for a season we will definitely need to spend some time lamenting what we no longer have. But once we’ve had that opportunity to ask God why we have to walk through this desert, we’ll need to move pretty quickly from those complaints to “but I trust in You, O Lord.” Then we’ll need to figure out a new way to do it because our congregations will need it and our God will expect it.

This article about if we can’t sing in church originally appeared here.

Increasing Struggle With Mental Health … 3 Thoughts for Church Leaders

By

Eric Geiger

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June 2, 2020

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought significant disruption to community, structure, exercise, and meaningful work. Therefore, the pandemic is having a devastating impact on people’s mental health. People we love in our churches and in our communities are struggling. While we were rightly concerned about surges in Covid-19 cases, we should also be concerned about the surges in the struggle with mental health, specifically anxiety and depression. How should we be responding to the increasing mental health challenges in the midst of this pandemic?

Here are three thoughts to help people who struggle with mental health:

1. Recognize when we struggle and help people recognize when they struggle with mental health.

This is not a time for Christian clichés or trite statements that are divorced from the painful season surrounding us. While we must, as ministry leaders, be optimistic and faith-filled, we must not minimize the loss that people are feeling or rush through the grieving people are experiencing. Yes, we must use this time as an opportunity to make the best use of everything and point people to Jesus. But we must simultaneously recognize the pain and loss around us. This includes being honest about our own sense of loss and struggle and being honest about our own struggles.

Though I have not done this perfectly, I have attempted to help our team and our church grieve in this season. I have led our team to share things we are grieving, losses we are experiencing. We will hold a special worship service next Monday night to help people lament. I have tried to be honest about my own struggle with mental health in this time – the losses I am feeling. People won’t cry out for help if they don’t think they need help, so we should model that all of us are in need of help.

2. Fight and help people fight.

When you understand the predictors for mental health that psychologists have pointed to for years, it is no surprise that people are struggling more in this season. For example, being in community with others is a proven way to fight for your mental health and peace. It is not the only way, but it is an important way. Isolation hurts us, and it is much easier to surrender to isolation in the midst of a global pandemic.

It would be a mistake to “wait until everything is back to normal” to resume providing opportunities for community and connection for people in our churches. While I do not believe a small group over Zoom is as effective or as desirable as a group in person, it is what we have now. And we must help people fight for their spiritual and mental health by making it as easy as possible to be in a group. Especially in this time! As a church we are moving hundreds of people to groups and helping our existing groups gather digitally. It is a lot of work, but it is so important.

At the same time, fight for your own mental health. Take an honest look at what has been lost. If your exercise routine has been disrupted, fight to find a new one. If structures have been dismantled, fight to put some new ones in place. As a church leader you are not immune to the challenge and struggle with mental health.

3. Call for help and help people call for help.

If you need help, ask for it. And help people in the church call for help by providing a simple path to do so – such as a number to call or text. Make it as easy as you can to help people call for help in the midst of this overwhelming season. If you have people on your team or in your church that are experienced with issues surrounding mental health and can help, rely on those people. If you do not, find people in your community who can help and quickly build pathways for your people to those experienced experts.

This article about helping people who struggle with mental health originally appeared here.

The Chocolate Hummus of Ministries Left Behind

By

Allen White

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June 2, 2020

The Coronavirus pandemic has created some interesting times for life and ministry. Back in March 2020 toilet paper disappeared from the store shelves along with hand sanitizer. While the second one made sense in combating a virus, the first one was a bit of a puzzle.

What also seemed curious were the items left behind on store shelves. Items that didn’t appear on anyone’s shopping list included things like chickpea-based linguine, chocolate hummus, dryer sheets, obscure canned veggies like artichokes and asparagus spears, plant-based proteins, and oddly enough, Dasani bottled water. “Chocolate hummus is the canary in the coal mine. If you see it selling out, it’s time to start fleeing into the woods,” according to Aaron Mak in a post on Slate.com.

What Are Churches Leaving Behind?

Once stay-at-home orders too place, churches went online. Worship services went online. Small groups went online. Giving went online. But, some things got left behind.

In a recent survey of churches across North America, pastors reported not only what they stopped doing, but also what they’re not bringing back. This included things like the church bulletin, working at the church office, tons of physical meetings, large group speaking events, and too much programming.

One shift is to stop gauging the church’s success on Sunday worship attendance. One pastor wrote, “We need a more unified and thoughtful approach going forward.”

Scarcity brings clarity. What will your church leave behind?

What Are Churches Starting and Keeping?

Every church represented in the survey reported a much stronger online worship attendance after March 1, 2020 than their average weekend attendance in February 2020. While some churches just expanded the reach of an existing online campus or streaming service, others have discovered that through online services, they are engaging a larger part of their congregations and attracting people outside of their church (often outside of their state!).

Churches are also engaging in an uptick of personal ministry. Pastors are using text messages, phone calls, personal emails, handwritten notes, and of course, Zoom meetings. The overall tone of ministry has become more informal and more experimental. Restrictions have forced churches to rethink the methods in fulfilling their mission.

This is a time of learning. The church is learning what to do and what not to do. The church is discovering what really matters, what doesn’t seem to matter, and what used to matter. And, of course, the church is waiting. Waiting on the Lord is a good thing.

The church is discovering that it’s much more than a Sunday service in a building. We’ve all said that, but now we’ve lived it. As Alan Hirsch says the church is playing chess without the queen. With the queen of the worship service gone, it’s a chance for the church to see what all of the other chess pieces can do without her. That’s not saying the on-campus worship service shouldn’t come back. But, it is causing everyone to look at what is working during a crisis.

A while back someone said, “Right now everything is a startup.” How is your church a startup? How are you innovating? What have you discovered?

And, most importantly, what is the chocolate hummus in your church?

This article about ministries left behind originally appeared here.

Jack Brewer: Racism Is a Spiritual Enemy, Not a Physical One

By

Megan Briggs

-

June 1, 2020

Jack Brewer, a former safety for the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, spoke to Fox News’ Martha MacCallum about the protests that turned into riots in some U.S. cities this weekend.

“It’s emotionally draining to write this often about unarmed black men losing their life at the hands of evil individuals…it’s even more draining to watch polarization and identity politics being used to divide us following a brother or sister’s tragic loss of life. This is definitely a war—I just hope we keep our eye on the actual enemy,” Brewer wrote in an op-ed for Fox News on Friday.

The real enemy, according to Brewer, is evil itself, or Satan. “We live in a world where Satan drives racism.” As Brewer sees it, the fight against racism isn’t one “of the flesh” but rather a spiritual battle.

We won’t solve the problem by “blaming it on President Trump, blaming it on the mayor, blaming it on the governor,” Brewer explains. Rather, what he thinks we need to do instead of looking for a politician to blame is to repent. “Our country has a long history of oppression toward black people, of a police culture that has not been very good.”

Brewer believes most Americans agree on the need to address racial injustice and police misconduct. In fact, Brewer says he’s spoken to people across the country, including police officers, who agree that George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police was “a horrible thing.” This tragedy of Floyd’s death should have united us, but Brewer believes “we can’t get away from identity politics long enough to address “the sick and evil enemy of racism.”

Brewer also brought up the Atlanta riot, which occurred in a city where “there is so much prosperity for African Americans and that’s so rich in history.” Brewer believes the act of rioting in Atlanta is akin to “fighting this [spiritual enemy] physically. It’s fighting it in the flesh.” Brewer also likened the rioting to making all white cops feel like they’re evil. “There are men and women of God that are going out there fighting and scratching to protect and serve their communities. We can’t let something that one or two percent of people are doing and let that become the reality for the entire country. That’s just not true.”

Although Brewer emphasized we cannot fight against racism in a physical or fleshly way, he indicated he has hope for Americans to get through this current season of unrest. “I think as a nation we can come together and win this war against evil.”

D.C. Protesters Set Historic ‘church of the presidents’ on Fire

By

Stephanie Martin

-

June 1, 2020

church of the presidents — Demonstrators start a fire as they protest the death of George Floyd, Sunday, May 31, 2020, near the White House in Washington. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Cleanup is underway today after a weekend of protests and demonstrations throughout America. One of the many buildings that suffered damage is St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., near the White House. The National Historic Landmark, built in 1815, is called “the church of the presidents” and has a pew reserved for the Commander in Chief.

Every U.S. leader since James Madison has attended at least one worship service at St. John’s, and every president since Franklin D. Roosevelt has attended a prayer service there before being sworn in.

Fire Was Contained in a Basement of ‘church of the presidents’

Sunday afternoon in D.C., crowds peacefully protested the death of George Floyd, the 46-year-old black man allegedly killed by Minneapolis police. But as night fell, demonstrations grew violent. In Lafayette Park, where St. John’s sits, protesters smashed windows and threw bottles at police. Someone ripped down the U.S. flag outside St. John’s and threw it into nearby flames. Another person spray-painted anti-Trump graffiti on church walls. Then shortly before the city’s 11 p.m. curfew, the parish house was set on fire.

A fire department spokesman says the blaze “didn’t seem to have spread very much,” adding, “I guess God was on [the church’s] side.” No one from “the church of the presidents” was inside during the blaze.

In a Monday update, the Rev. Rob Fisher, the church’s rector, reports that the “small fire in the parish house basement” was contained to the nursery. Though other basement areas have smoke and water damage, “the rest of the church and parish house is untouched except for some exterior graffiti, which the city’s graffiti team has already covered up.”

Fisher expresses gratitude for “the support and messages” St. John’s has received, and he requests prayers “for our community and our country.” Earlier on Sunday, the rector said the church’s “most valuable items” had been secured as well as possible.

Tensions Continue to Run High

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has set a new curfew time of 7 p.m. for Monday and Tuesday. “We applaud the American spirit of protest,” she says. “However, we will not allow the continued destruction of our hometown.”

During the peaceful portion of Sunday’s protests, D.C. police escorted marchers from Howard University, a historically black school, to Lafayette Square. Protester Elizabeth Betts, who carried a sign reading “Even in the middle of a pandemic, cops are killing us,” tells NPR, “We are at a point where it’s the same story, the same things are happening. I’m tired of this.”

The Right Rev. Mariann Budde, bishop of Washington’s Episcopal Diocese, is from Minneapolis, the site of Floyd’s death. “There are a lot of things to be heartbroken about,” she says, “but obviously we wanted the church to be a place of haven and safety.”

Budde, who doesn’t support violence or property destruction, urges people to focus on the initial reasons for the protests: racial inequality and police brutality. “A building can be rebuilt,” she tweets. “The deeper wounds of our nation remain our focus.”

Derek Chauvin, the former police officer charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s May 25 death, is being held in a Minnesota jail. His first court appearance, initially scheduled for today, has been postponed until June 8.

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2. Communicate specific expectations

3. Never sound desperate

4. Set clear start and end dates

5. Communicate every position as fun and important

What advice would you add to this list for recruiting volunteers?

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Since we are called to follow Jesus, it should be our goal to be a friend of sinners as well.

1. We’ve forgotten how much God loves the world.

Interestingly, in this same area, God was repeatedly trying to get His message across to take His hope to lost and broken sinners.

2. We’ve filled our schedules too full.

3. We’ve forgotten how to deeply connect with others.

4. We’ve forgotten how to be hospitable.

5. We are too condemning.

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1. Recognize when we struggle and help people recognize when they struggle with mental health.

2. Fight and help people fight.

3. Call for help and help people call for help.

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