Trump at Gateway Church: ‘Americans Are Good and Virtuous People’

By

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June 12, 2020

During a visit to Dallas on Thursday, President Donald Trump emphasized that “Americans are good and virtuous people” and said the country’s current state of unrest is “going to end up very good for everybody.”

The president spoke at a roundtable that included faith leaders, law enforcement personnel, small-business owners, and top administration officials, including Attorney General William Barr. The event, which preceded a fundraising dinner, was held at Gateway Church, a multisite ministry founded by Pastor Robert Morris, a member of Trump’s evangelical advisory board.

President Warns Against False Labels

At the roundtable, Trump addressed the nationwide protests sparked by George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. He praised police forces, called officers who use excessive force “bad apples,” and said an executive order about policing standards is being finalized. When asked for details, Trump said it includes “tactics for de-escalation” as well as “force with compassion.” But if “somebody’s really bad,” he added, “you’re going to have to do it with real strength, real power.”

Three prominent local African-American officials—a police chief, a sheriff, and a district attorney—weren’t invited to the roundtable. Journalist Gromer Jeffers said, “The criticism of the event was that if you wanted a true conversation about these issues…maybe you should’ve had a cross-section of people from North Texas.”

Regarding racial reconciliation, the president said his efforts will go “quickly and easily,” partly because “we have so many different elements of strength in this country.” He added, “We have to work together to confront bigotry and prejudice wherever they appear, but will make no progress and heal no wounds by falsely labeling tens of millions of decent Americans as racist or bigots.”

Other areas Trump addressed included access to business capital, racial disparities in health care, social workers in police departments, and school choice. He also spoke about his administration’s efforts on behalf of African Americans, including criminal justice reform, opportunity zones, and the economy and jobs.

Gateway Church Calls Out ‘the evils of racism’

On its website, the megachurch that hosted Trump invites people to “join our conversation about racism and unity,” calling unity “not the absence of differences” but “the absence of division.” A page devoted to the topic states: “As a church, we value every color, culture, and class while staying focused on Jesus. We acknowledge the evils of racism and discrimination fighting so hard to tear us and our nation apart at the seams. Our unity is a powerful tool against the enemy’s attacks.”

Resources posted on Gateway’s website include a recent webinar conversation among church staff members. Viewers are invited to watch the participating pastors discuss pain, injustice, and next steps for healing.

Since its founding in 2000, Gateway Church has experienced massive growth. It now has 71,000 active attendees, according to its website. Pastor Robert Morris, Gateway’s founder, is an author, TV host, and radio host. In a 2017 sermon, he urged the church to take a stand against racism and said white people must work to understand the feelings and viewpoints of black people.

This Is Why Every June People Observe ‘Loving Day’

By

Jessica Mouser

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June 12, 2020

loving day — Richard P. Loving, and his wife Mildred, shown in this January 26, 1965 photograph, will file a suit at Federal Court in Richmond, Va., asking for permission to live as husband and wife in Virginia. Both are from Caroline County, south of Fredericksburg, Va., and were married in Washington in 1958. Upon their return the interracial couple was convicted under the state's miscegenation law that bans mixed marriages. They received a suspended sentence on the condition they leave the state, but they now want to return to Virginia. (AP Photo)

On June 12, 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court made a landmark decision in the case of Loving vs. Virginia by striking down state bans on “miscegenation,” or interracial marriage. Now, June 12 is recognized by many as “Loving Day” in honor of Richard and Mildred Loving, the couple whose case represented a significant triumph for civil rights.

“It was God’s work,” Mildred Loving told the Associated Press in an interview in 2007. “It wasn’t my doing.”

Loving Day: The Story of Richard and Mildred Loving

The story of Loving Day begins with Mildred Delores Jeter and Richard Perry Loving, who grew up in Caroline County, Virginia, where their families had lived for many years and where people of different races were friendly with one another. Interracial marriage had been illegal in the state since 1662, and Virginia was one of 24 states that had such laws when the Lovings got married. Those who broke Virginia’s law could serve anywhere from one to five years in prison.

Richard and Mildred became friends when he was 17 and she was 11, and their friendship eventually developed into a romance. Mildred got pregnant at age 18, so the couple traveled 90 miles to Washington D.C., got married, and returned home, where they hung their marriage certificate on the wall.

Five weeks after the Lovings’ wedding, they were awoken around 2 a.m. on July 11, 1958, by Sheriff Garnett Brooks and two of his deputies, who had received an anonymous tip about their relationship. In response to demands about who she was, Mildred said, “I’m his wife.” When Richard pointed to their marriage certificate, the sheriff responded, “That’s no good here,” and arrested them.

Richard spent a night in jail, while Mildred was jailed for several days. The couple ended up taking a plea bargain. In his ruling against them in early January 1959, Judge Leon Bazile said,

Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, malay, and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And but for the interference with his arrangements there would be no cause for such marriages. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix.

Bazile told the Lovings they could avoid serving year-long prison sentences if they agreed to leave the state of Virginia for 25 years and never returned to visit “together or at the same time.”

“But the way I understood it, the lawyer said, you know, that we could come back to visit when we wanted to,” Mildred told ABC News in an interview after the Lovings won their case. “So that Easter we came back and they got us again.”

Greear Doesn’t Want to Use a Slave-Holder’s Gavel Anymore

By

Megan Briggs

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June 12, 2020

Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) President J.D. Greear says it’s time to retire a gavel that has long been used to call convention meetings to order. The Broadus gavel belonged to SBC forefather John A. Broadus, a slave-owner and president of the denomination’s flagship seminary in the 1800s. Although Broadus’ views on slavery seemed to have evolved toward the end of his life, Greear believes using the gavel today sends a mixed message and doesn’t serve the future of the denomination.

“While we do not want to, nor could we, erase our history, it is time for this gavel to go back into the display case at the Executive Committee offices,” Greear wrote in an op-ed published on Baptist Press. Quoting his friend and president of Guidestone Financial Resources, Greear indicated the move would be in line with O.S. Hawkins’ advice to “be less about 1845 and more about 2025.”

Broadus Gavel Is One of Many

Greear wrote that when he used the gavel last year to call the convention’s 2019 annual meeting in Birmingham, Alabama to order, he felt conflicted about using it. The Broadus gavel has been in use since 1872, but convention presidents can choose from a variety of gavels to use, a fact that Greear says he did not know until later.

In lieu of the Broadus gavel, Greear said he would rather use two gavels in particular: the Annie Armstrong gavel or the Adoniram Judson gavel. Both Armstrong and Judson were SBC missionaries. Armstrong “was known for not only being a pioneer advocate for missions and church planting, but fought to send the first female African-American missionaries.” Judson was a missionary to Burma (Myanmar) and managed to translate the entire Bible into Burmese.

Who Was John A. Broadus?

Members of the SBC may be more familiar with the name of John A. Broadus after a report was published in 2018 exploring the SBC’s history of slave-owning, promoting the Confederacy, and propping up Jim Crow laws. At the behest of SBTS president Albert Mohler, faculty members from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) and Boyce College spent 12 months cataloguing skeletons in the convention’s closet, so to speak, in an effort to acknowledge the role it had played in racism in the United States.

Broadus was one of four founding faculty members of SBTS, located in Louisville, Kentucky and founded in 1859. Broadus and the other three founders owned 50 slaves between them, the report found. The report also summarized the founders’ arguments about the justification of slavery. It noted:

They argued first that slaveholding was righteous because the inferiority of blacks indicated God’s providential will for their enslavement, corroborated by Noah’s prophetic cursing of Ham. They argued second that slaveholding was righteous because southern slaves accrued such remarkable material and spiritual benefits from it.

The retirement of Broadus’ gavel may be compared to the removal of Confederate monuments that have occurred and continue to occur around the country. While a gavel used to bring order to a meeting (a substantial meeting, granted) is not as visible a symbol as a statue in a city square, it is significant nonetheless and retiring its use would make a statement. Broadus is a forefather of the convention, revered by many a Southern Baptist for his leadership in the early days of the convention.

Some may argue that while Broadus advocated for slavery earlier in his life, his views evolved in later years, and therefore it would be appropriate to continue using the gavel. However, Greear says that while he is thankful Broadus changed his views, “the reality is that given the role that slavery played in the formation of the SBC, mixed messages were still being sent.”

The SBC’s More Recent History With Racial Issues

Three years ago at the convention’s annual meeting held in Phoenix, Arizona, a resolution penned by Pastor Dwight McKissing condemning alt-right ideology and white supremacy failed to reach the two-thirds majority vote it needed from the Resolution Committee in order to be considered by convention delegates. Outcry among those within and outside of the denomination caused the resolution to be brought before all the delegates, after significant editing. When brought before the delegates, it passed unanimously. Still, the initial hesitation shown for the resolution left a lot of hurt feelings and suspicion over the convention’s desires to cut ties with its racist past.

In 2016, another resolution was proposed, asking members to cease displaying the Confederate flag. Although met with pushback, that resolution eventually passed, too. While some argued that using a resolution to dissuade members from using the flag waded into political correctness, others view it as a stumbling block to African Americans and others who find it offensive. In other words, the flag does not reflect a denomination wishing to reach anyone and everyone.

In the same way, Greear feels “retiring the Broadus gavel sends a symbolic yet tangible message that we are a convention of all people, made in the image of God, and who matter deeply to God.”

How to Gain a Healthy Stability During a Time of Disruption

By

Dan Reiland

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June 12, 2020

I’ve been a runner for decades, well, more like a jogger. I don’t run far, I don’t run fast, and I don’t run pretty, but it’s 3.1 miles every day.

One thing I’ve learned is that I don’t run well on an unstable surface.

Jogging in beach sand, rocky surfaces, or a potholed grass field doesn’t work for me. It destabilizes my footing, and I feel off-balance the whole time. It makes me run in a tentative way.

In this COVID season, the same thing happens in leadership. The sustained disruption in so much of the life and ministry of a local church has many leaders off-balance, and we can end up leading tentatively.

As leaders who live inside the continual process of productive change, we crave a certain degree of stability. That which we know, love and are accustomed to.

In many ways, that’s healthy and normal. It’s usually a good thing. A good example of that is the stability we gain from healthy relationships. Leaders need people in their lives that they can count on, connect with, and share life with in a personal and in-person way. These human connections are vital.

With social distancing, zoom calls, and working from home that no longer has the consistent place it once did. The lack of ability to gather or fully gather in your building contributes to the destabilizing disruption.

Many church leaders say they actually experience guilt because they think they need to be at church all day, but no one is there. That disruption is destabilizing.

4 ways to bring stability and strength during disruption:

1) Understand that stability is not always your ally.

I’ve given an example of a healthy kind of stability, but there is also an unhealthy desire for stability that makes you seek comfort and become resistant to change.

Comfort over personal and organizational growth is a dangerous temptation. The pursuit of comfort is the signal of surrender.

John Maxwell calls it the “comfort zone,” and we need to run from it.

We all want COVID to be over but staying in the game is vital. Pressing forward, even with all the uncertainties, is essential. Keep growing.

If you find your solace and stability in comfort, you will be tempted to resist change because change is also a disrupter, and often a good one. It’s always better to initiate productive change than settle for unproductive comfort.

The test is simple enough. Are you moving forward?

Your speed of progress is not important, simply, are you forward-thinking and are you moving forward? Setbacks that make you take two steps back are not an issue, that’s life, but are you pressing forward?

2) Embrace a church planter’s disposition.

I love church planters.

They are “whatever it takes” kind of leaders.

I’m not saying that only church planters have zeal and drive, not at all, but I’ve never met a church planter in the early stages who is unwilling to pay the price and thrilled to get to do it.

We are all in a whatever it takes season.

COVID-19 is a once in a lifetime nightmare, and it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to see what God wants to do in and through His church.

We need to be able to let go, or embrace, whatever is necessary.

It may be in the end that God didn’t ask us to change the church as we know it that much. It may look more like innovations and improvements to what we know. Perhaps the change He wants is more inside us.

Either way, we need to embrace “whatever it takes.’

This calls out the servant-spirit in each of us. That’s where leadership starts, a willingness to serve in any way that advances the mission.

Civil War. Civil Rights. Civil Love.

By

Barry York

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June 12, 2020

I cannot not speak. Again.

The tortuous murder of George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin has set our country literally ablaze. Though recent instances of other injustices created an outcry, the anger of many in our society over what they view as systemic racism has reached a new boiling point with Floyd’s death. Massive societal unrest, further violence, and the destruction of many cities’ businesses are occurring on a scale greater than that previously witnessed. Our nation’s motto of E Pluribus Unum seems like it is mocking us at the moment.

Though neither a historian nor sociological expert, I do wonder if this event – and others recently like them – are pointing our nation to a need for a third, more transformative phase of dealing with issues of race? The Civil War era brought an end to the ugly, two and half century saga of slavery. Another century later, Martin Luther King, Jr. led the country into a new era of Civil Rights as Jim Crow laws were overturned and more opportunities were made available for African Americans. Now, another half century later, do we need a new phase that we might simply call Civil Love?

Please understand that I am not childishly suggesting that if we just generically love one another everything will be alright. For love itself is not that simple. Far from it. Rather, loving others that are different than us, or with whom we even disagree, is the most difficult work on the planet. Yet think of its power.

If now ex-Police Officer Chauvin, who is white, would have treated Mr. Floyd, who is black, with an ounce of civil love last week, none of this uproar would be happening now. (That’s not to say another similar event would not have sparked the same tinder.) If Chauvin would have quit kneeling on his neck when Floyd begged for mercy, his life would have been spared. If he had not even applied this unwarranted measure in the first place, Floyd would not have had to beg for his life. And if he had valued Floyd’s life more than the $20 bill he suspected him of using in forgery, he would have treated him from beginning to end with far greater decency and respect than he did when he first approached him.

Yes, the rioting and the destruction must be condemned. But it also must be overcome. How will that ultimately happen? As I listen to Christian brothers and sisters in the black community, I think that I am hearing the need for civil love. Respect us. Listen to us. Weep with us. Pray for us. Suffer with us. Identify with us. Speak up for us.

Where can civil love like that be found? Where is there a civil love that can overcome racial divides, heart hatred, and fierce anger? Where is there an unending, unlimited, unconquerable supply of love that can transform not just a person or two, but societies and nations? The only place it is found is at Calvary’s cross, where “God demonstrated his own love toward us in this, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). The church must first comprehend this love, in all its vastness, in the “breadth and length and height and depth,and know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge” (Eph. 3:18-19). Then God’s people must walk in that love, going back to Christ for fresh supplies of it every day, so that they are enabled to care for people different than them, respond in peace even when others make war against them, and forgive people who have hurt them. Our nation needs the church right now walking strong in Christian love in the civil realm.

Again, if the idea of civil love seems too simplistic, remember that was not the case for the church father Augustine. The bishop of Hippo in northern Africa, Augustine witnessed a time far more tumultuous than our own as the Roman Empire was collapsing as a result of tribes of Goths, Vandals (where the word “vandalism” originated from), and other groups pillaging the land. As Christians were blamed for the Roman Empire’s collapse for not worshiping her pagan gods, Augustine penned his famous book The City of God in response.

In this definitive work, Augustine contrasted God’s kingdom with “the City of Man,” which represents the envy, hostility, and evil of this world. Augustine demonstrated how it was this worldly City of Man with its lusts and hatred that was causing the nation’s collapse. Contrary to popular thought, he argued that it was the church and its Christian values that had preserved the Roman Empire to that point. In particular, Augustine described the competing loves of these two cities and how they determine the ultimate outcome of the people being influenced by them.

There are two kinds of love, of these the one is holy, the other impure; the one is social, the other is selfish;… the one subject to God, the other endeavoring to equal Him; the one tranquil, the other turbulent; the one working for peace, the other seditious; the one preferring truth to the praise of those who are in error, the other greedy for praise however got; the one friendly, the other envious; the one wishing for the neighbor what it would wish for itself, the other wishing to subject the neighbor to itself.” (City of God, #48)

In this difficult time, the church as citizens of heaven must express the love of God to the world. For Christ-like love is transformative. For an example of what this might look like and the impact it can have, watch the following video.

This article originally appeared here.

Five of the Most Difficult Areas To Trust God

By

Perry Noble

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June 11, 2020

As I spoke about yesterday, I believe there are five areas in everyone’s life where it really is difficult to trust God. (This is not based on a research poll … but on 25 years of being in the ministry).

#5—My Career

Life is too short to do something you hate doing.

I once read someone say their greatest fear in life wasn’t that they might not accomplish anything, but they would get to the end of their life and realize they accomplished a bunch of things that did not matter.

What we do with our lives is a pretty big decision—which is why I believe if we make God a priority and not just a passing thought, He will make our path straight in regards to what we are called to do.

Each one of you reading this right now has been custom designed by the Creator of the Universe on purpose, with a purpose and for a purpose. There is something you really do enjoy and you really do well that you know makes a difference, and that is most likely the direction God is calling you in.

Oftentimes we believe our career is about making much of us, climbing the ladder, making money and getting recognized; however, if you are a follower of Jesus then He has you in a career not to make much of you, but to make much of Him. When that becomes our goal and when we are willing to do what He is leading us to, then we can experience genuine joy—and we don’t just “go to work” but rather we get to make a difference.

#4—My Kids

There is not one single parent who has not struggled with really trusting Jesus with their children.

I can remember the first ER trip ‘Cretia and I had to take with Charisse. She fell off the kitchen counter and hit her head really hard. ‘Cretia went into the room where they were going to do the test to see if there was any swelling on her brain, and I had to stand outside the door. In order for them to be able to do the test, Charisse had to remain completely still … which she did not like and so she began screaming as loudly as I had ever heard.

4 Marks of Authentic Community

By

Bill Donahue

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June 11, 2020

While I’m in the process of teaching a class on what is authentic Christian community and we focus on four marks of authentic community, of that the first is to know and be known. I call this storytelling, some people would call it self-disclosure, but the idea is to open up my life to you as you open up your life to me. You know we have a deep desire to be known and to know others, but things stand in the way; there are barriers.

It’s usually fear, fear being misunderstood, fear of being shamed that my story isn’t valuable to you or maybe I’d bring some hurts and wounds from the past and you can’t accept them. Or when you hear about those you say, “Whoa, what is that about you?” so I’m worried that you’ll judge me. Maybe I’ve had bad experiences in relationships in the past. So lots of fears or barriers might stand in the way, but our deep desire is to be known and to tell a story to others and to hear their stories so that we can know them better. So carve out a place and some time to know and be known, whether it’s on your team or in your small group or whatever. The idea that we need to carve out a place — whether it’s in a group setting or at a meal or an extended time together at a retreat — we need a place and then we need some time together. Community doesn’t happen quickly, and so if we can devote some extended time to telling our stories and getting to know each other it’s a big step to building community.

A second one is to love and be loved, to express love and receive love. Gary Chapman in The Five Love Languages book, years ago picked five areas we can do that in. With words, because some people are words people they need to hear or see in writing that you care about them, that you appreciate them. Some people are touched people, they need a hug or handshake or you know, that punch in the arm or something but that the touch is important that says I connect with you, I care about you and I know you care about me. For some it’s gifts, actual tangible things, “Hey, here’s a book I want to lend to you” or “I heard this great music on this CD I want to give you” or maybe you were traveling and you said “Hey I thought you while I was traveling and I picked up this little object here this token of my appreciation for who you are” that little iconic sort of thing represents your affection for them and that gift is something they can look at it see if they feel cared for. Service is another one, just doing acts of service, serving others, doing the little things to encourage them and lift them up, do chores for them do the hard things in their life for them, help them with their taxes or whatever. And then finally time, just spending time together is another way to say “Hey, I care about you I love you, I’m glad you’re in my life.”

A third one is to serve and be served. To use our gifts, abilities and talents for the sake of others in our group and outside of our group in the world around us and to be served by people to let them serve us appropriately. That exchange builds a sense of bonding and encouragement and oneness.

And then finally to celebrate and be celebrated. Everybody loves to be affirmed and encouraged. I have to think today, how can I affirm and celebrate and encourage others in my group, on my team, in my world?

So, take some time to know and be known. Think of some ways to express love and receive it. Find some aspects of your talents, gifts and abilities that you can share with others and serve them and be served by them. And then be thinking… “How can I encourage someone today, how can I build them up by celebrating who they are and allowing myself to be celebrated by them as they do the same for me?”

“Free” Images? You’d Better Check the Terms of Service

By

Yvon Prehn

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June 11, 2020

Some new guidelines have come to our attention about the “free images” on sites such as Canva, PicMonkey, and Snappa. These sites (and others) have recently updated their Terms of Service. Since many churches and organizations make use of free sites, it’s important you understand the changing rules. What I learned has some significant applications for how you and your church can legally use images.

However—if your church does something as seemingly innocent as selling a t-shirt for camp, or a cookbook as a fundraiser or selling anything else, you are now in the commercial category also. Sadly, there are some professional groups that love to go after churches if they feel their image rights are violated. For these reasons you need to be as careful as possible in your communication creations and in the media you use for them.

The Bottom Line

Double-check all the sites from which you get images. Unsplash, Pexels, Pixabay, and a number of others are safe and legal for both church and commercial usage.
EXCEPT (and this goes for ALL sites):
1. Don’t use recognizable FACES of people.
2. Don’t use recognizable famous landmarks or brands.
3. Why these images are included on the sites, I don’t know. In theory, you are supposed to get a model release. Just because it isn’t practical, doesn’t make it legal.
For PicMonkey–Don’t use any of their images–bring in your own. I’ve had a lengthy dialog with the company and even they admit Getty images (where they get their “free images”) crazy restrictive.
For Canva–for totally in church stuff you are probably (with the two exceptions above) OK. For any commercial work, including all I do–you can’t use their images OR TEMPLATES (so no use of one if you want to sell t-shirts). I still think it’s one of the greatest programs, and I’m preparing some new videos on it, but you have to obey their limitations.
Snappa.com is a wonderful program. Although they are far more limited in what they can do with templates, etc., they have the most clear image usage statement — making it possible to use their images without fear.

What to do to be creative and yet follow the rules:

Perspective on any situation always helps. I remember the days when any image was difficult to get and expensive. So, even with these challenges and restrictions, we still have thousands of free, useful images, so for any site (not using Canva and PicMonkey ones) what can we do to take advantage of the many free images, but respect the growing concerns about terms of service, here are some suggestions:

With people, you can use a back view of them or the many other poses where a face is not recognizable.
You can shoot your own photos if you must have people facing the camera and get a model release form signed. The cameras in phones today are amazing.
Simply don’t use trademarked images or questionable landmarks—there are plenty more options in that category. Generic outdoor or city images are available in the thousands.
As I’ve done in many of my instructional videos, you can use the little white cartoon people if you feel a person-like image is needed.
A site that charges for images like Presenter Media has cartoon and animated characters that work well for many instructional settings. There are many sites that charge for images, but even those may have restrictive rights, so read their terms carefully.
Never just grab images off the web; always read the Terms of Service carefully. Look for updated Terms; many have gotten more detailed than they were in the past.
Pray for wisdom and discernment.

Editor’s note: Yvon’s original post appeared at her very-helpful website, Effective Church Communications. If you are a communications director for your church, you should take the time to read the detailed, in-depth, full article about interacting with terms of service.

ALSO: Check out Pro Website Tips for New Church Webmasters.

Clergy, Laity Share Harrowing COVID-19 Stories

By

Sam Hodges

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June 11, 2020

laity — Chris Yuen (right) gets a bouquet of balloons during his hospital stay for the coronavirus. Yuen, a 32-year-old member of Midland Park United Methodist Church in New Jersey, spent about 20 days on a ventilator. Doctors and nurses lined the hall to cheer when he went home on April 22, after nearly a month’s hospitalization. Photo courtesy of Chris Yuen.

The Rev. Dunford Cole was too ill with the coronavirus to help with May 31 worship services at the two churches he leads in south Alabama.

But he preached anyway via Facebook from his hospital bed the next day.

Fighting for a full breath, choking back tears at times, the 45-year-old pastor of Campground and Rutledge United Methodist churches still managed to lay it on.

“Y’all, let me tell you,” he said in a video post viewed more than 41,000 times. “You take care of yourself out there. This thing has been hard, and it’s been bad. And it’s as bad as they claim it to be.”

Cole is doing much better and just got home from Crenshaw Community Hospital. His message is the same.

“Respect this virus,” he said.

Though some churches have reopened and many are taking steps to do so, the number of COVID-19 cases has risen to about 2 million in the U.S., with 20 states seeing an increase in new cases.

Clergy and Laity Affected by the Coronavirus

Also mounting are the harrowing stories of United Methodists, both clergy and laity, who have been directly affected by the virus.

There have been clergy deaths, including the Rev. Rafael Luna, 61, pastor of a Hispanic United Methodist congregation in Denver; the Rev. Sherrie Dobbs Johnson, 72, a retired Greater New Jersey Conference district superintendent and wife of retired Bishop Alfred Johnson; and the Rev. Zosimo Maputi, 67, pastor of Antipolo United Methodist Church in the Rizal Philippines Conference East.

The Rev. Norm Moyer, retired pastor in the Arkansas Conference, entered a hospital with the coronavirus on March 27 and died there on May 11, having been connected to a ventilator nearly all that time.

A history lover and accomplished storyteller, Moyer was 66. He and his wife, the Rev. Bonda Moyer—who also contracted the virus but quickly recovered—just missed celebrating their 41st anniversary.

The Rev. Norm Moyer (left) and the Rev. Bonda Moyer, retired United Methodist pastors in the Arkansas Conference. Norm Moyer died from COVID-19 on May 11. Photo courtesy of Bonda Moyer.

“Several people from different churches said that Norm always reached the underserved with love,” said Bonda Moyer, a retired district superintendent who met her husband at Southern Methodist University’s Perkins School of Theology.

The full extent of COVID-19 clergy and retired clergy deaths is unclear because some conferences are withholding names or cause of death because of privacy concerns and policies.

That’s the case in the hard-hit New York Conference. Bishop Thomas Bickerton noted that the conference isn’t always definitively informed of a cause of death.

“We estimate around a half dozen pastors and spouses have died (from the virus), and an untold number of parishioners,” he said.

United Methodist laity deaths from the coronavirus include 53-year-old nursing home worker Alice Sarupinda, in Walsall, England, on April 17.

She was part of a Zimbabwean United Methodist congregation in England’s Midlands.

“We are coping through the support of our United Methodist members,” said husband Wellington Sarupinda of himself and three sons.

Alice Sarupinda (right) stands with her family for a graduation portrait. Sarupinda, a Zimbabwean and a United Methodist who lived in England, contracted the coronavirus while working at a nursing home in Walsall, England. She died April 17, at age 53. Photo courtesy of the Sarupinda family.

Recovery stories are, thankfully, far more common. Some are dramatic.

Chris Yuen, 32, spent 20 days on a hospital ventilator and was nonresponsive much of that time.

“A lot of people thought I wasn’t going to make it,” said Yuen, a member of Midland Park United Methodist Church in Midland Park, New Jersey.

Yuen rallied, and was able to leave a local hospital on April 22, after almost a month there.

“Several nurses and doctors lined up and gave me a cheer on the way out,” he said.

The Rev. Jennifer Stephens, associate pastor at Epiphany United Methodist Church in Loveland, Ohio, came down with the coronavirus in early April.

“I’ve been extremely healthy, so it’s shocking to me that the symptoms were as bad as they were,” the 47-year-old clergywoman said. “I’m an avid runner. I eat a plant-based diet.”

Stephens eventually tested positive for COVID-19 and was able to recover at home, thanks in part to house calls from a doctor and nurse in her congregation.

But she’s still dealing with extreme fatigue and daily headaches, and is concerned about long-term effects.

Matt Chandler: We Need to Mourn with Those Who Mourn

By

Jessica Mouser

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June 11, 2020

In a sermon he gave on June 7, Pastor Matt Chandler of the Village Church preached from Ephesians 1:15-23 on the theme of growth, highlighting the importance of believers growing in their knowledge of and hope in God, as well as their experience of his power. Toward the end of his sermon, Chandler spent some time unpacking the phrase “his glorious inheritance in his holy people” in light of the current racial unrest in our country.

“Our inheritance and what we are being robbed of as believers in Jesus Christ right now, in this moment,” said Chandler, “is the unity of spirit between all ethnicities born of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Pastor Matt Chandler: We Have Given Up Our Inheritance

We know that through his blood, Jesus has purchased us a spiritual family from every “nation, tribe, people and language.” If, said Pastor Matt Chandler, you study the civil rights movement in the 60s, you will notice something interesting—namely that the church played a crucial role in that movement. In fact, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., established a pattern of meeting at churches, praying, and then marching.

Chandler said that when it comes to the present racial unrest in our country, “one of the things that has happened is the church by and large has refused to participate, which means that we have turned over, God help us, we have turned over what is our inheritance to dark ideologies.”

It is not fair or reasonable to say that we simply need to preach the gospel, instead of taking action against racism. Chandler called this mindset “so hypocritical” and pointed out that people do not live this way when it comes to other social ills. “You don’t just preach the gospel to sex trafficking,” he said. “You don’t just preach the gospel on the issue of life and abortion. No, you act.”

The pastor believes we have no business critiquing what is happening in our country when we have given up our inheritance of fighting injustice on behalf of the vulnerable. “You cannot point out all the flaws in this current movement when you have abandoned the place that we were meant to play,” said Chandler, adding that neither can people “ignore the sorrow and lament of 12 to 13 million image bearers in our country. You can’t do that! We mourn with those who mourn.”

The pastor did not downplay the problems that exist in some of the current movements, although he did not name any specifically. He said, “Yes, there are demonic and evil ideologies at play, but that’s where the people of God are meant to run with light and the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, not to sit back and snipe via social media.”

Chandler’s comments fit within his overall message of the importance of growing in our hope in God as Paul encourages us to do in Ephesians. Paul would not pray this for us if it were impossible, said the pastor. We must grow in hope that God can and will heal racism and the turmoil we see unfolding around us. In Ephesians 1:19, right after he mentions our “glorious inheritance,” Paul refers to God’s “incomparably great power for us who believe.” Some translations call God’s power “immeasurable.”

“Can we just talk about how powerful that is?” asked Chandler. As Paul goes on to explain, that power is so great that it raised Jesus from the dead. And it is this power that all followers of Jesus take with them into every area of their lives.

No matter how well we understand what God has given us, we can always internalize it even more. In verse 15, Paul says he has heard about the Ephesian believers’ faith in God and love for one another. That is a lot to be thankful for and you might think the apostle would be satisfied with it, said Chandler. But Paul’s response to hearing of the Ephesians’ faith and love is to want them to have even more of both. Said Chandler, “He wants them to grow in knowledge.”

“This growth in knowledge is both experiential and believing by faith,” said the pastor, emphasizing that we need to believe in God when we don’t feel like it and to yearn for an experience of God, as Moses did when he asked God to reveal to his glory. “Don’t either/or when you should both/and,” he said.

Chandler believes the Western church has a tendency to overly focus on believing the gospel to the neglect of experiencing God and that “this is why so many Christians are bored.” No matter where we are in our spiritual journeys, we can always seek a deeper knowledge of God that will lead to greater unity in the church and love for our neighbors.

“The triune God of the universe is an inexhaustible well,” said Pastor Matt Chandler. “There’s more for you right now.”

4 Pastors Discuss: The Role of a Black Father

By

Maina Mwaura

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June 11, 2020

On a normal day, if you invite four pastors to a gathering, you better get ready to hear them talk. However, on this day, the mood is a little different as Rodney Mason, Demarcus Preyer, Reggie Fields and Rodney Pierre gather in the room to discuss the challenges of being a black father in today’s world.

All four guys are clear that they love the role of being a father. According to Reggie Fields, “When I found out that I was going to be a father, it was pure joy that God was going to entrust me to be a father.” Fields is the father of two young adult girls. All four men acknowledge that navigating their roles as fathers to black children is accompanied with certain pressures in today’s world.

Being a Black Father Is Different

When asked what they believe the difference is in raising black children compared to that of other races, the men are clear that there is a difference. “It’s totally different, because you feel like you’re a fish in a glass bowl in today’s world,” according to Demarcus, who is the father of two boys. “I’ve had to teach my girls how to navigate in this world differently than their counterparts,” says Fields. When pressed, the men are clear that fathering black children in today’s climate is tough, but that they’re up to the task of rearing their children to know that God has a plan for their lives despite the obstacles that they may face. “There are limitations that they have, that others just don’t have,” insists Pierre.

Many African- American families are familiar with the term having to have “the talk”, which refers to having to have the dreaded, but necessary conversation with your child about how to handle dealing with law enforcement. All these dads have respect for law enforcement, but also know the reality in which they live. These four fathers have been moved by what they have seen on the news when it comes to stories like George Floyd’s. When questioned in reference to how they are navigating the issue of Floyd’s untimely death with their children, Pierre is clear that the George Floyd incident has helped him instill in his children “What battles they’re going to have to fight.”

For all four fathers, they had one common theme when it comes to the future, and that is that they all have hope that things will get better. Each one of the fathers are clear in expressing that the hope they are longing for can only come from the power of God. “I want my children to realize the power and hope that can only come from God,” Pierre concludes.

Hypocrisy Is Christianity’s Greatest Scandal: Also Its Greatest Validation?

By

Scott Sauls

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June 11, 2020

Having been a Christian for thirty-four years and a minister for twenty-four, I have been told countless times by non-believing people that they would never consider becoming Christians because of the hypocrisy of all the Christians they know who are hypocrites.

“So many Christians,” the argument goes, “talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk.” As Huffington Post contributor Francis Maxwell has said, “Ahhh, Christianity in America. Or should I say, the single greatest cause of atheism today. . . . The type of people who acknowledge Jesus with their words, and deny him through their lifestyle.”

The legitimacy of such concerns notwithstanding, what Francis Maxwell and many of my friends don’t realize, and what I try to explain to them when given an opportunity, is that this very fact—that every single Christian is a hypocrite—is the whole basis for our Christian faith.

As the Bible insists, Christ did not come into the world to affirm and accept the good people, but rather to rescue and receive the people who are not good. Being a religion of grace, Christianity doesn’t have much to say to people, whether religious or secular, who build their lives and identities upon the idea of being good and virtuous.

“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” the apostle Paul wrote, “of whom I am the worst” (1 Tim. 1:15).

“None is righteous, no, not one . . . no one does good, not even one” (Rom. 3:10–12).

When asked, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus replied, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:30–32).

To say that Christians are hypocrites, that we fall short of the mark, that we don’t keep the standard, is actually to affirm the chief tenet of our faith. It is to validate the very claim of Christ—that he came for sin-sick sinners who recognize that, apart from his rescue, they would hopelessly perish.

While it is fair to call out Christians for hypocrisy, the hypocrisy in no way negates Christianity, but rather establishes it. In the same way that it would make zero sense to call Beethoven a substandard composer because a six-year-old plays a Beethoven piece sloppily and out of tune at a piano recital, it makes zero sense to call Jesus a substandard Savior because his followers imitate him poorly.

I once heard Steve Brown, a pastor and radio personality from Florida, say that if we pastors were required to live without hypocrisy in every area about which we presumed to speak, we would have nothing left to preach. The same applies to every Christian, and every other human, also. All honest people, whether religious or secular or otherwise, will be able to identify with the pronouncement that we are all, on some level, hypocrites. We all live inconsistently with the beliefs we profess.

The late Francis Schaeffer, a well-known pastor, philosopher, and author, said that if we were all forced to carry a voice recorder around our necks that captured every conversation we’ve ever had and our conversations were made available for the rest of the world to hear, we would all go into hiding for the rest of our lives. Said differently, we all know deep down that we are hypocrites. “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (Rom 7:15).

This is certainly true of me. Is it true of you?

As the life stories of Zacchaeus, King David, and others in the Bible suggest, there is a significant and irreconcilable difference between “do-good religion” and Christianity. Whereas religion says, “If you do good, there will be a reward waiting for you at the finish line, and if you do bad, there will be punishment,” Christianity says, “No one does good. But all is well nonetheless, because Jesus did not come for the righteous, but for sinners. He did not come for the good people who feel no need for him, but for humble people who know that without him, they are sunk. For those humble people, the reward is not given at the finish line, but rather at the starting line.”

Whereas religion presumes to work for the favor of God, life in Christ works from a favor that’s already been given by God freely in Christ.

Perhaps this is why the poor-in-spirit tax collectors and sinners, much more so than the proud-in-spirit religious moralists, respond so swiftly and decisively when Jesus invites them to deny themselves, take up their crosses, and follow him. For he, and he alone, has the words of life (John 6:68). He, and he alone, can give a good name to bad men and women—and is therefore our ultimate source and power for the gentle answer.

This article originally appeared here.

Made Right by Christ, NOT Your Church’s Reopening Plan

By

Eric Geiger

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June 11, 2020

What does drinking have to do with re-opening the church? Since this is already a divisive conversation, I will just go ahead and make it a bit more divisive with this real-life illustration.

When I first became a pastor, it was common in some church ministry circles to hear conversations against the use (any use) of alcohol. Not drinking was a sign, for some leaders, of spiritual maturity. It proved their holiness. Years later, it became common in some ministry circles to hear conversations for drinking alcohol. Drinking was a sign, for some leaders, of spiritual maturity. It proved their freedom.

In both cases, one’s handling of alcohol became the litmus test of one’s spiritual maturity. If you were really holy, you did not drink. Or if you were really free, you did drink. Both views were placing Christian identity in the wrong source. Christ, not what we drink or don’t drink, is our holiness and our freedom. When we replace Christ with something else, we become legalists – attempting to prove our holiness or our freedom or our right standing with God with something other than Christ. Not drinking or drinking, for some, also became a source of greater unity with others than Christ Himself. People stood more closely with those who had the same view. When we take something other than Christ and make it the source of our identity, it also becomes the source of our unity.

And now here we are talking about when church gatherings should resume, and the timing of when church gatherings should resume is becoming more and more a divisive conversation.

The moment feels really similar, as if we have been here before. Only this time the posturing and conversations are not developing over the course of a few years, they are happening in the course of a few weeks. And this time is not alcohol proving one’s holiness or freedom, it is opening a church’s gatherings to prove one’s belief in religious liberty or delaying opening to prove one’s concern for neighbor. It is opening church gatherings to show “we are bold” or not opening to “show that we are wise.” Most egregious are the hints that one choice is what love for God and love for others really looks like, as if the other choice is somehow less Christian. In other words – “those not handling the situation as we are handling the situation must not love Jesus as much as we do. Pray for them.”

How tragic it will be if we send the signal to our kids, to our churches, and to our neighbors that our re-opening plans is what makes us right with God. Our work. Our wisdom. Our ideas. What a foolish way to up-end the message of the Christian faith and put ourselves and our work at the center instead of the finished work of Jesus. How tragic it will be if we build unity based on re-opening plans instead of on Christ.

Leaders, as you make decisions as the Lord leads you and your team, please be cautious that you don’t use your plans as the ultimate source of unity or as what proves how much you love God. Please be cautious to not demonize another viewpoint, even in subtle ways. By God’s grace, perhaps we can work to not allow this extremely challenging and unprecedented decision to become a point of divisiveness among God’s people. We are seeing divisiveness on the rise in our country, and the Church must offer a beautiful alternative. As my friend Ed Stetzer has said: A divided world needs a united Church.

This article about being made right by Christ originally appeared here.

Get to Know Generation Alpha

By

Dale Hudson

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June 11, 2020

Move over Gen Z, the next generation after you has arrived. They are called Generation Alpha. At the time of this writing, they represent kids born between 2010 up to 2025. Presently there are 9,000 Gen Alpha babies born every day. The oldest are 9 years old and the youngest have yet to be born.

They are the first generation entirely born within the 21st century.

Gen Alpha is growing up in a variety of living arrangements. A large percentage of Alphas are spending at least part of their early formative years in living arrangements that do not include both of their biological parents. It is higher than any generation observed in the previous century,” said Elwood Carlson, a demographer and professor of sociology at Florida State University. “When you look at a child in this generation, you never know what kind of family life they have experienced.”

This generation of children will be shaped in households that move more frequently, change careers more often and increasingly live in urban, not just suburban, environments. -Mark McCrindle, social researcher

Mark goes on to say, “Generation Alpha will be the most formally educated generation ever, the most technology-supplied generation ever, and globally the wealthiest generation ever.” He goes on to note that more than 2.5 million Alphas are born every week around the world and by 2025 they are estimated to number two billion.

By 2025, Generation Alpha will number 2 billion globally. It will be the wealthiest, most educated, and technologically literate in history.” – Robert Hannah, Chief Operating Officer at Grant Thornton U.K.

Generation Alpha is the first generation to spend their entire life immersed in technology. They are being shaped by their experiences with Artificial Intelligence. Some AI devices and toys are already specifically aimed at Generation Alpha. A couple examples are Hello Barbie and Hatchimals.

These advancements mean that technology for Generation Alpha is not something separate from themselves, but rather, an extension of their own consciousness and identity. Natalie Franke, head of community at the business management platform HoneyBook

They hold in their hands the power to persuade their parents into making purchases for them. When it comes to spending and making buying choices, they are the decision makers or at the least a powerful influencer with their parents. It has been reported children under 12 and teens influence parental purchases totaling between $130 to 670 billion a year. 81% of millennial parents say their children influence what they spend their money on.

The most popular boys’ names for Alphas are Oliver, William, Jack, Noah and Jackson. The most popular girls names are Charlotte, Olivia, Ava, Emily and Mia.

Who is already influencing Gen Alpha?

A big influence is their favorite Instagram or YouTube star. 55% say they would purchase a product if they saw their favorite Instagram or YouTube star wearing it.

We’ve heard how much data younger generations consume on mobile devices. But an interesting stat is that televisions are still the most common way for kids ages 6 to 12 watch their favorite shows. And as televisions continue to get “smarter” and more interactive – large screen televisions are as relevant as they have ever been. The TV in the living room (and kitchen, den and bedroom) is as much a family entertainment platform as ever.

4-in-5 kids watch content on TV every day. 69% watch tv programming several times a day. And influncers know this. An example is eight-year-old Ryan Kaji who has made the leap from YouTube to television. His millions of Ryan’s World subscribers, billions of views, and supposed $26-million pre-tax income in 2019 led right back to kids TV – more specifically, a show on Nick Jr.

What about Alpha kids and their smartphones? 53% of Alpha kids have their own smartphone by the age of 11. Gaming is the number-one smartphone activity, followed by watching videos and texting.

They expect on demand. They are being wired to have access to all content anywhere and at any time. They expect instant gratification.

Alpha kids prefer communication via images and voice control over typing and texting. Typing is out for them – talking is in. Typing is being replaced by voice-activated devices. Smart devices are becoming part of family life. Using devices like the Amazon Dot is growing daily. 39% of Alpha kids use this type of device every week. They are growing up with the familiar voice of Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant in their home.

They are diverse. “This newest American generation displays unprecedented diversity in almost every dimension one can examine – ethnicity, nativity, income, family arrangements” says Elwood Carlson, demographer and professor of sociology.

Stay tuned for more information and insight about Gen Alpha. It is important to be aware of the unique characteristics of this new generation. As I have said many times, we are missionaries to today’s kids. If we are going to reach them we need to understand them and how they are being shaped by the world they live in.

This article originally appeared here.

Approaching Difficult Conversations & Conflict

By

Charles Lee

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June 10, 2020

It’s never easy, but nonetheless, it’s an essential part of leadership.

The growth and health of a an organization or business is often dependent on the leadership’s ability to engage difficult conversations during times of tension or conflict. Avoiding or ignoring these opportunities (yes, opportunities) for maturity has led to the unnecessary demise of many endeavors. Here are some insights/lessons I’ve learned over the years in dealing with conflict that I hope you find helpful:

Meet in person.
- Whenever possible, choose the more uncomfortable and inconvenient option of meeting in person. Other forms of communication like email, text messages, social media replies, and phone calls rarely produce good results. Also, meeting in person puts flesh to the conflict. In other words, we can’t hide behind technology and/or our insecurities when we’re face to face with another human being.
Listen well.
- There’s a difference between listening well and just waiting so you can throw out your next argument. No matter how difficult it is in the heat of the moment, try to listen for what the person is really trying to say. Consider the underlying presuppositions and try to follow what led the person to think the way they currently do. Are they being reasonable? Could they actually be accurate in some of their views, especially given their scope of experience?
Be clear.
- The goal of these kinds of engagements should not to be “right”. Rather, it should be the clarification of each person ended up with their conclusions. More often than not, it’s misunderstanding that fuels the tension. Ask questions that clarify the situation. If the goal isn’t to “win” the argument, approaching these moments take on a totally different posture.
Stay honest.
- No one’s perfect. It is quite possible that each person involved in the conflict as a skewed perspective of the situation. Be upfront and publicly recognize that. Work towards the truth (if possible) and don’t hide behind egos and insecurities. The goal should be to learn and grow from the conflict in order to move forward in a healthy way as a company, organization, or individual.
Think action.
- As you work through the conflict, take notes on what can be implemented into your personal life as well as the life of the organization that will curb future tension. Share some of these thoughts as you process. Taking the posture of a learner is healthy and will benefit many more people along the way.
Have a neutral party there.
- In some situations, it might be wise to have a neutral party there to witness and even moderate the conversation. This person is not there to be a judge, but rather, a person who can work the conversation towards a solution.

Conflict can become a great catalyst for growth if we choose to approach it with humility and wisdom. What are some of the ways you have learned to approach difficult conversations and conflict?

Chris Hodges Being ‘Canceled’ for Social Media Activity

By

Stephanie Martin

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June 10, 2020

Chris Hodges — Screengrab Youtube @WVTM 13 News

In what may serve as a warning for pastors using social media, the leader of Alabama’s largest church is apologizing for liking some controversial posts, and the church is dealing with major backlash. Chris Hodges, founder and senior pastor of Church of the Highlands, with 20 campuses and 60,000 members, is expressing regret for clicking “like” on posts by Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, a conservative speaker who calls white privilege and systemic racism myths.

Since being called out for the online activity, Hodges has made numerous apologies. Meanwhile, a local school board and public housing authority have cut ties with the megachurch.

The Posts in Question Involve Race

Pastor Hodges, an author and member of Evangelicals for Trump, had previously expressed a desire to quit social media because of its “distractions.” Yet he was active recently, reportedly liking at least three posts by Kirk: One contrasts photos of President Trump standing with Rosa Parks and Muhammed Ali in the 1980s to Virginia’s Democratic governor, Ralph Northam, appearing with men wearing blackface and a KKK outfit. A second features President Obama golfing and a quote from his wife, Michelle, about leaving the house only for essential activities. A third post Hodges liked shows a photo of Kirk donating blood, with a caption about defeating the “Chinese Virus.”

Kirk says he’s “deeply saddened” at “being slandered by the mob for stating mainstream pieces of widely cited data and public information.” He calls Pastor Hodges “a gifted ambassador for Christ” who liked the posts “on his own” and shouldn’t have to apologize when “irrefutable facts” are involved. According to Fox News, Kirk had been scheduled to speak to the Church of the Highlands’ youth group.

A high school English teacher in Birmingham who called attention to Hodges’ social media likes says she isn’t “judging” but finds the posts culturally insensitive. “I can’t see into Pastor Chris Hodges’ heart,” says educator Jasmine Faith Clisby. “I’m not saying he’s a racist.”

Chris Hodges Apologizes, Links Racism to the Devil

During a prayer service on Saturday, Hodges addressed the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, which has sparked protests throughout America and the world. “Racism, bigotry, prejudice exists,” he said. “It’s real, and it’s of the devil. White supremacy or any supremacy other than Christ is of the devil.”

In a sermon the next day, Hodges apologized for how his social media activity made people feel and insisted it doesn’t reflect his views or the church. “Some saw something on social media that questioned my character, and I’ll own it…but that is not what I believe, and it is not what I teach,” he said. “I would love for you to not just look at a microscopic zoom-in but look at the totality of 37 years of ministry and 19 years as a church,” the pastor added. “It will be abundantly clear that we value every person. For every person that has been marginalized, rejected or belittled, abused or even afraid because of how God made you, [we] stand with you.”

On Tuesday, Hodges addressed the issue again, in a letter to congregants. “I can tell you those social media posts that I ‘liked’ do not reflect, in any way, my true feelings or beliefs,” he writes. “I now realize they were hurtful and divisive, and I sincerely apologize…. Please know that I have learned, and will continue to learn, so much from this.” The pastor adds that he’s become aware of “unconscious bias and privilege” and that the church is planning forums “to listen, learn, and be a part of the solution.”

Controversy Costs Church Local Partnerships

In response to the flap, Birmingham’s education board voted to terminate leases with Church of the Highlands, which held worship services at two local high schools. The church pays about $288,000 yearly to rent space in the buildings.

Also this week, the Birmingham Housing Authority voted to disallow the church’s volunteers to work in public housing communities. The church’s Christ Health Center in Woodlawn made headlines in March for offering mass drive-thru testing for COVID-19. The church also offered free mentoring and support groups to public-housing residents. Although Church of the Highlands didn’t receive payment for services, it was permitted to have volunteers onsite.

A Godly Person Has a New Heart

A Godly Person Has a New Power

A Godly Person Has a New Struggle

What About You–Are You a Godly Person?

8 Small Group Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Forsaking relationships in favor of studying Scripture

2. Forsaking studying Scripture in favor of building relationships

3. Ignoring the context of a passage

4. Asking “what does this mean to you?”

5. Forsaking dialog and questions just to get through a scripted lesson

6. Thinking discipleship and completing a book/program are synonymous

7. Not fellowshipping outside of the Bible study

8. Not doing outreach as a group

Here are some things I reminded them that may prove helpful to you when you find yourself betrayed:

WHEN DOES ABSTRACT THOUGHT DEVELOP?

HOW DO KIDS THINK?

President Warns Against False Labels

Gateway Church Calls Out ‘the evils of racism’

Loving Day: The Story of Richard and Mildred Loving

Broadus Gavel Is One of Many

Who Was John A. Broadus?

The SBC’s More Recent History With Racial Issues

4 ways to bring stability and strength during disruption:

1) Understand that stability is not always your ally.

2) Embrace a church planter’s disposition.

The Bottom Line

What to do to be creative and yet follow the rules:

Clergy and Laity Affected by the Coronavirus

Pastor Matt Chandler: We Have Given Up Our Inheritance

Being a Black Father Is Different

Who is already influencing Gen Alpha?

The Posts in Question Involve Race

Chris Hodges Apologizes, Links Racism to the Devil

Controversy Costs Church Local Partnerships

New Articles

New Podcasts