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Pastor Has a Warning As 37 Infected at AR Church See First Death

By
Jessica Mouser
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greers ferry
Screengrab Facebook @Mark Palenske / Obituary @Wilcox Family Funeral Home & Crematory

William Wesley Barton, who was one of at least 37 people infected with Covid-19 at a church in Arkansas, passed away March 24 at the age of 91. Pastor Mark Palenske and his wife, Dena, are among the members of Greers Ferry First Assembly of God who have tested positive for the disease, and Palenske had strong words of caution for those tempted to take the pandemic lightly:

Maybe you assumed that it couldn’t happen to you, just like I did. Please adhere to the social instructions that you are receiving locally and nationally. We must keep the affected population to as low a number as possible. [One] singular act of stubborn independence can have far reaching effects on someone else’s life. Respect and compassion for the people around us must dominate our self-discipline. 

William Barton had been a greeter at the Greers Ferry, Arkansas, church, and on Facebook Palenske described what Barton had meant to the congregation: 

Each Sunday, the door would be opened for you and a white-haired, well-dressed gentlemen would extend a characteristic smile. It had been his post for years. He retired from the position several years ago, but returned after only a few months, saying that he really didn’t want to give it up. Our hearts are broken, and his family is feeling his loss deeply.

Church Guide to Coronavirus 1

The pastor said that as soon as they were able to meet publicly again, the church would celebrate Barton’s life. He added, 

Bill loved the Lord deeply and his heart was so tender to the presence of God. His life was immensely transformed by God’s grace, and I am assured that the ‘greeter’ has indeed been greeted into heaven itself. Your continued prayers for his family are greatly appreciated.

What Happened at the Greers Ferry Church?

In his latest Facebook update, Palenske wrote that almost 40 people, most of whom are from his church, have tested positive for Covid-19 and that “a small handful” is still awaiting test results. The Christian Post reports that 31 of those who tested positive are on staff with Greers Ferry and another who tested positive is a child. 

The pastor said that his and his wife’s symptoms started off with a headache and progressed to severe body aches, lethargy, chills, sweating, and nausea. Dena even had a “seizure of sorts” and had to be hospitalized for a short time. But now it sounds as though Palenske, his wife, and some of the others who got sick are coming out of the worst of the virus. He wrote, “Many of us are recovering from a long list of symptoms that seem to be common with this virus, and we certainly appreciate the hints of restored health that are headed our way.” During the course of their illness, he and his wife learned the importance of staying hydrated (which is harder than it sounds) and the pastor also noted that Tylenol “has been a great friend.”

Palenske said that those involved have not been able to determine the disease’s origin in their community, although the virus “clearly made its way through a special weekend of children’s ministry at our church.” The event took place on March 6-8, well outside the window of when states started implementing lockdowns or people in the U.S. started waking up to how serious a threat the coronavirus was. 

There are a couple other “pertinent facts” Palenske shared that are notable and troubling. First, none of those infected from his church had traveled outside the state of Arkansas, and neither the pastor nor his wife had traveled out of state even months prior to contracting the disease. 

Second, the pastor observed that the children’s ministry event occurred before there was any confirmed case in Arkansas, and he also pointed out that Greers Ferry held its last church service on Wednesday, March 11. Said Palenske, “We canceled services prior to anyone in our church testing positive, and prior to any local, state or national directive.” He credited the “quick and decisive actions” of local healthcare workers to helping prevent the virus from spreading further in the community than it already had. 

Palenske’s story highlights how important social distancing is, even for people who think they have not contracted the disease or that they are unlikely to contract it. As of this writing, there are 310 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Arkansas and two confirmed coronavirus-related deaths in the state, including Barton’s. There are currently 79,785 confirmed cases in the entire U.S., and there have been 1,124 virus-related deaths in the country as of the writing of this article.

On Facebook, Palenske thanked his church for their support through prayer and had the highest praise for the healthcare personnel working to contain the virus. He requested prayer, grace and empathy for medical workers, saying, “They are trying their very best and we are indebted to their diligence and their compassionate service.”

Ravi Zacharias Answers: What Good Is Prayer Right Now?

By
Megan Briggs
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communicating with the unchurched

Editor’s Note: After the publishing of this article, an independent investigation found allegations implicating Ravi Zacharias of sexual abuse to be credible. Prior to this report, ChurchLeaders had published multiple articles about Ravi Zacharias and his ministry. Although our editorial team believes his work still has value since it involved articulating the truths of God’s Word, we would be remiss not to disclose the painful truth of Mr. Zacharias’ personal actions that have come to light following his death. For further reading, please see:
Sexting, Spiritual Abuse, Rape: Devastating Full Report on Ravi Zacharias Released
The Story Behind the Ravi Zacharias Allegations (Part 1): Lawsuits, NDAs, and Email Threads
The Story Behind the Ravi Zacharias Allegations (Part 2): ‘Cursory’ Investigations and More Accusations

Apologist and speaker Ravi Zacharias has given his first interview since announcing that he has a rare form of cancer. Zacharias addressed his health and also the current situation with the coronavirus on the Ben Shapiro Show on Thursday, March 19, 2020. The apologist gave some advice for people of faith who are faced with the question (sometimes mockingly) “what good is prayer doing in our current situation?”

Those who mock prayer in times of crisis like these “do not understand what communion with God is really about,” Zacharias said.  

Ravi Addresses Role of Prayer on Ben Shapiro Show

Host Ben Shapiro asked Zacharias what response he has to the question of the efficacy of prayer in times of global crises. Zacharias explained that prayer is sometimes seen as a slot machine, where people feel if they put the right words in a desired result will come out. But this is a mistaken view, he said. “Prayer to start with is communion with God.” It is not “bringing God to our beck and call, to align with what we want, as much as it is the process with which our hearts get conditioned to receive his will and come into alignment with what it is he has for us,” Zacharias explained. Instead of being a “control of God”, it is rather “a surrender to the will of God and the peace that comes in the process.”

Additionally, Zacharias said that prayer serves to shape the one praying and implied that it is therefore quite useful in times of crisis: “Prayer…helps us become better citizens and better people in community to understand and help those who are going through a tough time.”

How Believers Should Behave in Pandemics

Speaking more generally of the virus and the measures people have taken around the world to mitigate its impact, Zacharias urged believers to “combine our faith and trust in God with wisdom and common sense.” He went on, “trusting God doesn’t mean you’re careless in what you do; you have to protect your children and you have to protect your family and the elderly and the most vulnerable.” 

Zacharias also warned that what often happens in times of crisis is people fall into one of two extremes: “Panic and fear on the one side and a complete indifference on the other side.” 

“In America we get so used to comfort, so used to quick answers so used to quick analyses and all of this stuff, that when we’ve found something that’s out of our control it’s very daunting,” Zacharias said, commenting on the rising levels of anxiety people are experiencing.

As far as what believers should be working on at the moment, “I would just say to people be sober-minded about it, don’t be cavalier about it, and make sure at all times your life and your relationship with God and your family is strong. That’s what’s going to matter at the end of it all.”

Keeping Desire and Temptation in Their Place

By
Richard D Phillips
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communicating with the unchurched

In the history of theological debate, one of the most important steps towards doctrinal clarity involves getting the terminology right. The ancient church sorted through the Trinitarian debate by clarifying the distinction between “essence” and “person.” Likewise, the Reformation haggled over the proper meaning of “righteousness” and “justification.” And today we need to distinguish between desire and temptation.

The Difference Between Desire and Temptation

A similar need has now arisen in 21st century, as Christians respond to the sexual challenges of postmodernity. In this case, the key terms are desire and temptation. We need a clear understanding of these biblical terms in order to address the matter biblically, especially when it comes to heated debates regarding same-sex attraction (SSA). For instance, the question is raised as to whether a same-sex attracted person must mortify his or her desires. Likewise, denominations like the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) have wrestled over whether a person may soundly self-identify as a “gay Christian.”

As these matters are debated, the two sides often speak of desire and temptation in differing ways. When it comes to SSA, we frequently hear, “There is nothing sinful about being tempted.” Defenders of an SSA identity assert, “Even Jesus was ‘tempted in every way’ (Heb. 4:15), just as we are.”

These arguments, however, often involve a category confusion between “desire and temptation. A key verse here is James 1:14. The prior verse denies that God is the source of temptation to sin: “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God'” (Ja. 1:13). James then adds: “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire” (Ja. 1:14). A study of “tempted” and “desire” in this verse will help us keep the concepts straight.

The Greek word for temptation is peirasmos, or in its verb form peirazo. If we consult the standard Greek dictionary, we find that is basic meaning is that of “testing.” According to Bauer-Arndt-Gingrich (BAG), peirazo means “to make a trial of” or “put to the test.” Likewise, a peirasmos is a test or trial. Peter uses its to say: “you have been grieved by various trials” (1 Pet. 1:6). These trials may have various features, including trials that God wills for the blessing of his people (never to incite them into sin, as James insists). The same word is translated “tempted” or “temptation,” when the trial involves an inducement to sin. Matthew 4:1 uses a form of peirazo to describe Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. The key feature of this biblical word for “temptation” is that it is an event rather than a disposition. Temptation is something that happens outside a person, rather than inside.

A proper definition of temptation helps us to understand what it means that Jesus “in every respect has been tempted as we are” (Heb. 4:15). The writer of Hebrews was not indicating that Jesus had an inner turmoil over disordered or sinful desires. The reason that Jesus was tempted as we are, “yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15), is that his desires and affections were perfect and holy. Yet Jesus suffered under temptation in a variety of sinless ways. For instance, his hunger was tormented when Satan tempted him to misuse his divine prerogative (Mt. 4:3). Likewise, Jesus’ patience and his holy will suffered when “the Pharisees and Sadducees came, . . . to test him” (Mt. 16:1).

To say that Jesus was tempted is not to say that he struggled with inward sinful desires. It is certainly a false analogy to posit – as has been done in the SSA debate – an analogy between a person’s inward struggle over same-sex attraction (or any other sinful desire, for that matter) and Jesus’ struggle with temptation in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus’ torment over temptation involved what was going to happen to him rather than sinful desires in him.

James’ second key word in James 1:14 is desire. He insists that temptation leads to sin when one is “lured and enticed by his own desire.” The Greek word here is epithumia, which has a standard translation of “desire, longing, or craving” (BAG). While the word can be used in a neutral or even positive sense, its overwhelming use in the New Testament is that of sinful desires and cravings. Whereas temptation is an event happening outside us, desire is a disposition acting within us. When we find that sinful desire is operating within us – in a fleeting sense or as a settled disposition – the Christian’s calling is to repent of desire while seeking the inward cleansing that God provides by his grace (1 Cor. 6:9-11). James writes that it is desire which conceives and “gives birth to sin” (Ja. 1:15), so sinful desire is the prime target of the inward mortification that is so necessary to a Christian’s sanctification.

If we keep desire and temptation in their proper biblical place, this will help us to focus where James and the rest of the Bible directs our attention. We have, in general, little to no control over temptation – external events that may incite us into sin. Neither do we control our desires, such is the plight of our fallen state! But we do have the means of grace to apply to our sinful desires through faith, trusting God’s power and mercy to work inward change in coordination with our active, faith-driven effort. These sinful desires encompass the entire lexicon of the fallen condition, including greed, pride, hatred, and lust. In many cases, these desires are tightly woven into our character in ways that we may not even understand.

How wonderful it is, then, that we are loved by a God of supernatural grace, with power to heal, cleanse, and make holy. For many of us, the grace of mortification will play out slowly and painfully over a long course of life, with many discouragements along the way – those who struggle with same-sex attraction often chronicle this struggle, to which we should respond with loving encouragement in the Lord. But struggle we must, seeking to keep desire in its place – which is to say, in the grave where Jesus died to put an end to sin.

The trouble is not with temptation itself, but with the sinful, disordered desires within, which is why the grace of God commands us:

Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.  On account of these the wrath of God is coming.  In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.  But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth (Col. 3:5-8).

This article originally appeared here.

When Old, They’ll Still Bear Fruit

By
James Faris
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communicating with the unchurched

Last month, my extended family and I sat with my dying grandmother over her final days. In the waning hours of her life, we reflected on the various blessings the Lord gives by allowing saints to live long lives. Growing old is really hard, but there are unique benefits that come to the friends and family of those who age well in Jesus Christ. Here are a few of the blessings we counted together:

Saints who live long lives on earth connect us to our past. Within an hour of my grandmother’s passing, someone asked a question to which no one remembered the answer, and then someone said “If Grandma were here, she would have known.” Old people recount facts, stories, and connections of old. When a life ends, a book of knowledge closes that cannot be reopened on earth. Elderly believers possess a knowledge and experience of God’s past work that informs our view of history as they recount the faithfulness of God. By connecting us to our past, they teach us who we are.

Saints who live long lives on earth connect us in the present. Patriarchs and matriarchs hold families together. They bind their own descendants and the families of their siblings and cousins in a way no one else can. In some cases, they bind whole communities with warmth and love. Fractured and disconnected communities are more prone to difficulties of all kinds. Old people help hold us together.

Saints who live long lives on earth speak wisdom into our lives and encourage us. Elderly people who know Jesus are excited to see the next generations walking in the truth. They inspire us with their stories, speak helpful exhortations and warnings, and they offer words of wisdom.

Saints who live long lives on earth show us how to grow old with grace and persevere in faith unto death. Unless Jesus returns or we die young, all of us will grow old. The Lord gives us examples to show us the way. How do we endure through pain? How do we navigate the loss of close friends? How do we continue to serve even as our bodies give way? Praise God for those who boldly go before us advancing still from strength to strength.

Saints who live long lives on earth pray for us. My grandmother routinely ended our phone call with, “I’m praying for you, boy!” Since her death, those are the words I miss hearing most because she did pray for me even in the particulars of my life and ministry. Dr. Roy Blackwood recently passed into glory at age 94. When I would visit him, we would conclude with prayer, and after I would pray for him, he would immediately begin, “Lord, now we pray that you would command your blessing on James…” Through those prayers the Lord has sustained me and has commanded his blessing on me.

Psalm 92 says of these brothers and sisters, “when old, they’ll still bear fruit and flourish fresh and green.” I’m thankful for the blessing of such fathers and mothers in the faith in my own life. I pray the Lord will let me live to serve him in the same kind of way, gradually, of course.

This article originally appeared here.

Leading a Child to Christ: Questions, Tips and Pointers to Do It Right

By
Dr. Andy Johnson
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communicating with the unchurched

It is a truly exciting thing to be involved in your child’s spiritual journey. The fact that you are reading this is proof that you are genuinely invested in your child’s spiritual future. Ensuring your child is well cared for in terms of physical and emotional provision is certainly important. However, the greatest contribution you can make to a child’s well being is leading a child to Christ and instilling a fervent love for Jesus Christ. But how does this happen? What steps must a parent take for leading a child to Christ? How can you ensure that what happens at church is a supplement and not a replacement for spiritual guidance at home?

Deuteronomy 6:4-12 provides an excellent framework to answer these questions. It commands parents to nurture their children spiritually during all parts of the day: at home, during travel time, when waking up and when going to sleep. These are all excellent times to share the Word of the Lord with your children and take intentional measures to grow them in Christ. As you read further, you will be encouraged in your attempts to spiritually impact your child.You will get some helpful hints in communicating the gospel to your child and learn about several means by which you can measure your child’s spiritual health. May the Lord bless you as you take bold and loving steps for leading a child to Christ.

The X-Factor for Leading a Child to Christ—YOU

Paul praises Timothy’s grandmother, Lois, and mother, Eunice, for imparting the gospel into young Timothy’s life. The primary way of leading a child to Christ is through the faithful testimony of your own life. Paul, in I Timothy 1:5 calls this a “sincere faith.” Your child has watchful eyes and will attentively notice your spiritual ups and downs. He will easily discern if Jesus is the love of your life and learn from you what makes up a Christ follower. He will observe how you go about growing in Christ and how you show your love for Christ to the rest of the world.

You are the X-Factor. Being an X-Factor means that you are a special piece of your child’s spiritual puzzle. You hold an almost irresistible influence over how your children will develop spiritually. Here are a few self-examination questions for you:

  • How have you exhibited great faith in God to your child?
  • Have you been transparent with your children about your imperfections and need for forgiveness?
  • Do you openly talk about Jesus and how He is impacting your life with your children?
  • Do your children see in you a general desire to please the Lord?
  • Do your children witness you reading God’s Word on a regular basis?
  • Do you pray often and lead your children in times of prayer outside of bedtime and meal time?

Communicating the Gospel for Leading a Child to Christ

Kids (and all people for that matter) need to be certain of the facts of salvation before they can respond appropriately. When teaching your children the gospel message be sure they recognize the basic premise that they are sinners and that because of God’s great love for them, He allowed His son Jesus to be crucified, buried and resurrected for their sin. Here are some Scriptures you can utilize to help convey these truths:

Repentance and faith are the internal responses that God desires to work in us in order to save us from our sin. It is good to raise a child up to know the Scriptures and to talk of the things of the Lord. However, a child is not “born” a Christian. He, as anyone else, must be born again (John 3:5) by a work of God in his heart. As a parent, you must be able to see some sort of change in his life as a result of his repentance and faith. Repentance is a literal changing of mind and heart. It is a recognition that sin is destructive to one’s relationship with God and a turning toward God recognizing that one needs Him. Faith is a reliance on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus to wipe away one’s sin. It is a personal trust and approval in the person and work of Jesus.

When talking about the gospel with your child, you will want to be sure to use clear terminology. Until about the age of ten or eleven, children tend to think very concretely. They may not understand the metaphors we use to communicate the gospel.

A Shining Example of Pastoral Ministry During the Yellow Fever Epidemic

By
Nicholas Batzig
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communicating with the unchurched

In the midst of the current worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, an account about the pastoral ministry of B.M. Palmer in the midst of a yellow fever epidemic came to mind. Yellow fever is extremely contagious and far more deadly than Covid-19; yet, Benjamin Morgan Palmer viewed the fulfillment of his pastoral ministry as of greater importance than his own safety. In The Life and Letters of Benjamin Morgan Palmer, Thomas Cary Johnson recounts Palmer’s autobiographical, third-person account of a meeting he had at the deathbed of a young man who had contracted yellow fever.

From a Pastor During the Yellow Fever Epidemic

He wrote, “During the epidemic of 1867, a pastor in the city of New Orleans was just leaving his study to attend the funeral of one who had fallen a victim to the pestilence. A crumpled note was placed in his hand requesting him to repair immediately to the couch of a dying stranger. Promising to obey the summons as soon as released from the service then present, within an hour he turned sadly away from the cemetery, where the solemn words, ‘dust to dust,’ had just been pronounced, to look again upon Death, struggling with his prey, in a retired chamber.

“A single glance revealed the form of an athletic young man, with a broad and noble brow, upon which the seal of the grave was visibly set. Sitting upon the edge of the bed, and taking the sufferer’s hand kindly in his own, the preacher said, ‘Mr. M., do you know how ill you are?’

“‘Yes,’ was the quick response; ‘I shall soon pass the bourne whence no traveller returns.’ “‘Are you, then, prepared to die?’

“‘Alas! no, sir,’ fell upon the ear like the knell of a lost soul.

‘”Will you, then, let me pray for you?’ and with the assent given, the knee was bowed before Him who alone has power to save. In two or three terse sentences, uttered with a tremulous emotion, the case of the dying sinner was laid at the mercy-seat.

“The moments were shortening fast; very soon the last sand would disappear from the hour-glass. The conversation was promptly resumed, as follows:

“‘Mr. M., I am told you are the son of pious parents, and have been reared in the bosom of the Church; you do not need, therefore, that I should explain to you the way of salvation—for which, indeed, there is now no time. But you know that the Bible says, “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Only believe now in this Savior, and you are saved.’

“‘Oh, sir,’ was the reply, ‘if God will only spare me this once I promise that I will live very differently in the future than I have lived in the past.’

“‘My dear friend,’ rejoined the minister, ‘this is the last device of Satan to destroy your soul. I tell you faithfully, there is no future for you in this world; you are now passing, whilst I speak, through the gateway of Death, and what you do, you must do at once, or be lost forever.’

“To this appeal the only answer was a deep groan, whilst the beads of moisture, gathering upon that ample forehead, and the swollen veins, drawn like a dark seam across it, betokened the anguish of a guilty spirit, shrinking from the presence of an angry God. A few seconds of awful silence intervened; but a last effort must be made to pluck this soul from the lethargy of despair. ‘Mr. M., do you remember the story of the penitent thief upon the cross? His time was short, just as yours is; but one brief prayer, not longer than a line, expressed his faith, and was enough. So you see that it is never too late.’

“At this the closed eyes were opened, and the first word of hope fell from the parted lips: ‘No, it is not too late; thank God. it is not too late.’ 

“‘Mr. M.,’ said the pastor, ‘do you trust now in the Lord Jesus Christ?’

“‘Yes, I do. He is my Savior, and I am not afraid to die!’ rung out upon the startled listeners, as though a note from the song of the harpers had fallen from heaven into that chamber of death.

“There was another silence of a few seconds—this time a silence of wonder and joy; it was broken by the dying man, as he turned upon his side and whispered to the minister, ‘Will you write to my father?’

“‘Yes, certainly: but what shall I tell him?’

“‘Tell him I have found Jesus, who has pardoned my sins, and I am not afraid to die. He will meet me in heaven.’

“It was his last utterance, for in the next moment the soul, that had passed through this fierce struggle into the second birth, winged its separate flight, and stood before the throne.

The whole interview thus described was shut up within the limits of fifteen minutes, from the moment of entrance into that darkened chamber till the tenantless body lay in its cold sweat, to be shrouded for the tomb.

“Sad, yet sweet, were the pastor’s thoughts as he walked to his home, beneath the stars, through the streets of the silent city—thoughts of the vast solemnity and preciousness of his office, as an ambassador for Christ—thoughts of that blessed family covenant by which God remembers the prayers of a believing parent, and looks at the tears in his bottle—sometimes even upon the death-bed of the child—thoughts of that unutterable love which saves, even to the uttermost, and makes it never too late to pluck the brand from the burning.”‘1

What a powerful and motivating story of the way in which pastors should be willing to put themselves in harms’ way for the sake of the salvation of others. Palmer did not love his own health more than he loved the souls of those God had entrusted to his care. Pastors must face the dangers of pestilence with a fervor for the eternal well-being of others. May the Lord give His ministers a burden for the salvation of those around them–even in a time of the uncertainty of an epidemic  and fear about unknown pestilence.

1. Thomas Cary Johnson, The Life and Letters of Benjamin Morgan Palmer (Presbyterian Committee of Publication, 1906) p 298.

This article about ministry during an epidemic originally appeared here.

Effective Missions Will Require More Power Shifts in the Status Quo

By
Howard Foltz
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communicating with the unchurched

My book, Power Shifts, challenges the Christian missions community to rebel against the status quo. Our traditional methods have been instrumental in evangelizing half of the world; that is true. But the half that is evangelized is slowly returning to the cults and “isms” that we thought were left behind. And the 40–50 percent that has never been evangelized still waits for the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ. The bottom line here is that we must change our method of operations so we don’t take another 2,000 years to complete the final task Christ gave His followers before He returned to His Father in Heaven.

That means we must make ourselves available to what God wants to do in this generation. And I believe He wants to give His Church—the Bride of Christ, which He intends to use in His plan to win the world—a new understanding and experience of His power. Throughout my book, we call that a power shift.

However, I don’t believe that power shifts occur one at a time. We in the West tend to think in a linear fashion. We believe you start at the beginning and proceed step-by-step until you reach the end. Much of life, and especially life in the Spirit, can’t be explained that way. Instead of linear, it’s circular. In this context, our attitudes become actions, our actions necessitate alignment, our alignment releases abundant resources, which hopefully will happen in concert with an acceptance of God’s anointing. Each power shift gains momentum from and feeds into the others.

It’s a little bit like the fruit of the Spirit. Perhaps you’ve noticed that Paul didn’t say the fruits of the Spirit, as if we could take two or three and leave the others for someone else. The fruit of the Spirit is God’s character revealed in us. Certainly, it has different expressions, but God expects believers to reflect all of the fruit.

Power shifts are the same way. We can’t pick and choose from among them and expect them to have the same effect they have together. And they must be developed in the context of prayer.

This book was written primarily to challenge the Church to reconsider the missions status quo, which has left us with half of the world unevangelized, despite 2,000 years of labor in its harvest fields. Within that context, the comments of David F. Wells take on additional significance. Wells believes prayer is the most basic form of “rebelling against the status quo.” He says:

Petitionary prayer is, in essence, rebellion—rebellion against the world in its fallenness, the absolute and undying refusal to accept as normal what is pervasively abnormal. It is, in this negative aspect, the refusal of every agenda, every scheme, every interpretation that is at odds with the norm as originally established by God.

And so I challenge you to rebel against the status quo by prayerfully considering the conclusions on which this book is based. We live in an information-laden society. We have succumbed to the idea that information yields power. But we have lost the true significance of information in the tidal wave of data that has threatened to drown us. You see, information only has power as it changes the way we think and behave. Its authority lies in its application.

If you read this book, ponder its conclusions, and then put it on your shelf and promptly forget it, I’ve accomplished nothing. I challenge you, therefore, to earnestly bring my conclusions to God. Seek His face and ask Him if they are true or untrue. If you come away convinced that they are true, ask Him how He wants you to apply them.

We face a situation like that of the sower in our Lord’s parable, which we quoted at the beginning of this book. We can’t afford to continue settling for the thirty-fold harvest when God has provided for the hundred-fold yield.

We live in a crucial, strategic age. We must not miss His provision for this generation. That’s what utilizing power shifts are all about.

Save the Date: Global Day of Prayer and Fasting March 29

By
Stephanie Martin
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prayer and fasting
Lightstock

A group representing 600 million evangelicals encourages Christians worldwide to pray and fast on Sunday, March 29. Due to the current pandemic, the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) developed the Global Day of Prayer and Fasting initiative based on Psalm 107 and the theme “Lord, help!”

Though March 29 is a targeted day of prayer and fasting, the initiative isn’t limited to one day. “We hope to galvanize the prayer efforts and encourage believers to become part of the global prayer movement to intercede daily,” says the Illinois-based group.

On its website, the WEA offers a guidebook and other resources for church leaders. It also created a public Facebook group for global prayer and offers a profile-picture frame that reads “I’m praying! #Covid19.”

WEA: This Crisis ‘calls for humility and prayer’

“We are reminded just how vulnerable man is as a tiny virus…brings the entire world to a halt,” says Bishop Efraim Tendero, WEA’s secretary general. “It is a time that calls for humility and prayer to our Heavenly Father, the Creator and Sustainer of this world.”

Tendero, based in the Philippines, adds: “Prayer is still the greatest help that we can give… Let’s pray especially for all the frontline medical and government workers—for protection, good health, and wisdom in all that they do. Working together with God’s help, we shall overcome Covid-19.”

Other prayer movements are underway, including 24-7 Prayer, which offers a virtual prayer room and several guides. President Trump called for a U.S. national day of prayer on March 15. The following Sunday, Italy and England had similar observances. The Netherlands held a teen-focused prayer day last week, using social media and YouTube.

Louisiana Governor Also Encourages Prayer, Fasting

March 24 was a day of prayer and fasting in Louisiana, which faces a spike in virus cases. Governor John Bel Edwards, a Catholic, cited the current “Lenten season where we focus on fasting and prayer.” He added, “God will, as He has done before, heal His people and our land.”

Despite the governor’s order against gatherings of 50 or more people, Life Tabernacle Church in Baton Rouge refuses to comply. Pastor Tony Spell continues holding several weekly services with about 1,000 worshipers. “If they close every door in this city, then I will close my doors,” Spell tells CNN. “You can’t say the retailers are essential but the church is not. That is a persecution of the faith.”

A petition for Spell’s arrest has more than 4,500 signatures. The Washington Post reports that Tony Perkins, an evangelical adviser to Trump, spoke to Spell about the situation. In a statement, the White House strongly recommends that “all Americans, including pastors, follow CDC guidelines by limiting groups to 10 people and practicing social distancing.” It adds, “President Trump encourages Americans of all religious backgrounds to do their part to stay healthy and stop the spread.”

On Monday, Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, and Timothy Dalrymple, CEO of Christianity Today, co-wrote an editorial reminding church leaders that not meeting in person during this crisis isn’t a denial of faith. “It is one thing to risk your own life in order to worship together in person,” they write. “It is quite another to risk the lives of countless others, when so many churches are finding creative and compelling ways to carry on in worship and community from a distance.”

Francis Chan: People Need to Know Why We Have No Fear of Death

By
Jessica Mouser
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communicating with the unchurched

In a video posted on March 20, Francis Chan emphasized that our current global crisis presents a unique opportunity for believers to share the hope of the gospel with others. He exhorted Christians not to allow fear to rob them of love, joy or peace, but instead to remember that because of what Jesus has done for us, we can have no fear of anything, not even death. 

 “We are people that are supposed to be fearless, just absolutely fearless,” said Chan. And that fearless trust in God enables us to love those around us well. “This is one of the greatest opportunities we’ve ever had as a church where people are open to talking about serious things, life and death things.”

There Is No Fear in Love

It has only been three weeks since Francis Chan and his family left the United States to be missionaries in Hong Kong. Right before they left, Chan and his wife gathered their kids together and asked how they were feeling about the move. Most of them expressed mixed emotions, saying they felt sad about leaving their friends, but excited to live in another country. They weren’t too worried about the coronavirus at the time. But when the Chans asked their five-year-old, Silas, how he was feeling, the boy started crying and said, “I’m just so sad that all these people are dying in China.” 

Church Guide to Coronavirus 1

That made them pause, said Chan, as they realized, “He’s the only one who has the right perspective.”

Because of the instability the pandemic has introduced into our lives and the fear and anxiety that can accompany it, “it’s so easy for us to lose what we’re supposed to be all about, which is to be these people who are loving, that are concerned that hundreds of people every day are dying and many headed to an eternity apart from Christ.”

With that in mind, Chan had words of encouragement for his We Are Church family and for all believers navigating the pandemic. First, he said, don’t lose your love. Continue to live out of the love of God, seeking his will about how to serve the people around you.

Daniel Grothe: Who Are the 80-Year-Olds You Want to Be Like?

By
Jason Daye
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communicating with the unchurched

Daniel Grothe is the Associate Senior Pastor at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he has served for nearly 15 years. He is a gifted preacher, teacher and pastor who believes in the value of local, contextualized ministry. Daniel has a new book releasing in April 2020 from Thomas Nelson entitled Chasing Wisdom: The Lifelong Pursuit of Living Well. Daniel is married to Lisa and they have three children.

Key Questions for Daniel Grothe

-What did you learn from Eugene Peterson about the importance of asking for help?

-Where do we see sages in Scripture?

-How do you recommend ministry leaders discover the sages in their lives?

-How can pastors balance the need to be patient with a proper sense of urgency in ministry?

Key Quotes from Daniel Grothe

“For me, wisdom has always been this invitation…How does one live a life that doesn’t fall apart?”

“When you live well as a believer in Jesus, the older you get the better you get.”

“One of the great ways you learn is by practicing life and seeing what works and what doesn’t work.”

“We Americans, we 21st century Westerners ought to understand that we’re living in an experiment that the future will judge us on.”

“If you look back in time with these elders at the city gates, people living in humility and submission to those who have gone before, you see societies preserved.”

“Eugene [Peterson] became an unexpected sage in my life.” 

“The sages aren’t going to run you over. The sages will be discovered. They will be chased, they will be pursued. They would never presume upon you, they would never knock on your door. Eugene Peterson would never have written me a letter and said, ‘Hey young man, let me teach you something.’”

Adoption and the Image of God

By
David Barry
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communicating with the unchurched

When I was in my early 20s, I met a college friend of my parents for the first time. After a short conversation, she smiled and commented, “You’re just like your dad!” She wasn’t just referring to my appearance, but to my personality, mannerisms, and demeanor. She was talking about what I was like. I took it as a compliment. My dad had passed away several years before, so it was especially gratifying to have someone recognize him in me. I love my dad and am thrilled to reflect something of him. That’s one way that love works. There’s something built-in and natural where children should be pleased to reflect their parents and where parents delight in passing on their likeness to their children.

Sadly, my wife and I are in a position where we may never enjoy that feeling. We have not been able to have children of our own. I wonder if I’ll ever see any of my wife’s loveliness or personality in our children. Because we’ve not been able to conceive on our own, we’ve begun to wade into the complicated, emotional world that is adoption. We had always intended to pursue adoption at some point, infertility just moved up the clock. This article arises partly out of the realization of how much there is to sort through, both emotionally and spiritually.

One of the early hurdles in the process of educating ourselves about adoption was to reckon with the loss of what is commonly called “genetic children.” Before living through it, I had (naïvely) thought it would be as simple as coming to a fork in the road and going left instead of right–the other direction was simply closed. I had even felt a mild reproach towards others who were hung up on the issue. It had seemed like a vanity to fixate upon genetics when the world is full of children who need loving parents. After all, adopted children would be just as much “our” children as genetic children would be. What’s the big deal about genetics?

It is unquestionably true that adopted children would be “ours” in the fullest sense of the term. Nevertheless, the thought that losing genetic children would be simple or painless was far from the reality we encountered.

The Reality of the Loss

I have come to realize what many others already know that–real or only perceived–there is an emotional and even spiritual sense of loss when a couple cannot conceive their own children. While we can adopt and intend to, it’s a reality that any children my wife and I do adopt won’t physically look like us, have that genetic connection, share with us whatever is nature as opposed to nurture. To put it in biblical terms, they will not bear my “image.” Genesis 5 describes the birth of Adam’s third son, Seth, with that terminology: “[Adam] fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth” (Gen 5:3). The loss of genetic children feels like the loss of image. They won’t have my wife’s eyes. They won’t have my smile.

There is a Christian truth that underlies that sentiment. God created Adam in his image and only then did he declare his creation very good (Gen 1:31). Likewise, Jesus, the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15), is his beloved in whom he is well pleased (Matt 3:17; 17:5; Mark 1:11; 9:7; Luke 3:22; 2 Pet 1:17). God delights in seeing his likeness in the world. There’s something of that same inclination in any mother who sincerely loves her husband and delights in seeing his characteristics in her children. We are meant to delight in the likeness of the people we love.

That sense of loss is real. But, I’m writing this article to try to refocus the question and put the loss in a broader context.

Refocusing

While the sense of loss is real, it is important to not misunderstand what is actually lost for what cannot be. Yes, adopted children may not have my smile or physiological characteristics. But, is that the most valuable thing I have to pass on?

I quoted Genesis 5:3 above which describes Adam having a son in his “image” and “likeness.” At first we might consider that unremarkable because we tend to take it physiologically. Of course, Adam’s son looked like him. But that same language was also used in Genesis chapter 1 of God creating mankind, where God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Gen 1:26). What God imparted to man by making him in his image was not physical at all. He imparted characteristics, but they weren’t eyes or a smile. God is spirit. The characteristics he gave were far more valuable. They are the spiritual virtues of true knowledge, righteousness and holiness.1 God made us to reflect his true and perfect thought. He made us to reflect his justice and character. He made us to reflect his sinless perfection. Simply put, he made us to be godly.

Godliness was the very quality that was tarnished in the fall. Mankind stopped reflecting God in his thoughts and behavior. In that light, we can say that God knows what it is like to lose his likeness, far more than I do. In fact, the reason God sent Jesus, his son and image, was so that he could restore it in the people Jesus came to save. Romans 8:29 says, “those whom [God] foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” God’s concern in redemption has nothing to do with preserving physical characteristics of any kind, but with restoring mankind’s godliness and glory.

Conclusion

The loss of genetic children is a real loss. But, that loss is only physiological. The most valuable image I have to pass on is not my smile or my wife’s eyes, but my likeness to Christ. He is restoring his image in me day by day. Godliness has nothing to do with my genetics and everything to do with my heart. There are many commands in Scripture to train children for godliness (e.g., Prov 22:6), but no clear commands to perpetuate our genetics for their own sake. Would it not be vain of me to inflate the value of my image and diminish the value of God’s? Because God has shown me grace, I am in the position to raise children in the knowledge, righteousness, and holiness of God. I can raise them in the Lord and call them to godliness.

I have two images to share. I can narrow the focus to my own genetics or recognize that my reflection of Christ is of vastly greater value than any likeness to myself alone. The privilege of seeing my wife’s eyes in my children (as wonderful is that would be!) cannot be compared with the privilege of seeing even a hint of the beauty of Christ in them.

1. Cf. WCF 4-2; WLC 17; WSC 10.

This article originally appeared here.

Viruses, Your Immune System and the Glory of God

By
Eric Davis
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communicating with the unchurched

God’s people have been writing some helpful things recently during the virus crisis. Today, I wanted to step back and look at the glory of God in his creation in the human immune system.

The world is being bombarded by another virus right now. It’s taking a toll, sadly. I thank God for the blood, sweat, and tears of our healthcare workers under immense pressure in these times. Our world is feeling it in all sorts of rough ways.

Viruses are nasty little guys. They are very, very small. The coronavirus is about 100 nanometers in diameter. To put that in perspective, there are one billion nanometers in a meter. In other words, ten million coronavirus’ lined up end to end would make a meter. But size is no commentary on their strength. They are wicked villains. They aren’t even technically considered living things. They are super selfish and unloving. They prey on other cells to keep going, without asking permission. Though they are not living, they do have genetic material that they shove into other cells, which forces reproduction, causing you to get sick.

But, virus bombardment is nothing new. Every day on this planet, we face a huge number of micro-villains, looking to destroy us. Whether in an airport, your house, a church, walking on the beach, sleeping in a five-star hotel, or hiking in the snow, you are basically always being attacked. Viruses, bacteria, pathogens, intruders, and disease-causing things are assaulting you all the time.

In light of the voluminous mirco-terrorists ceaselessly assaulting us, it’s simply amazing that we are not debilitatingly sick every second of our existence.

How is that? How do we keep living? In part, this thing that the God of the Bible created us with called our immune system.

Consider the immune system.

The immune system is a highly-organized defense system designed to fight off the mirco-terrorists. It is a very complex, massive army of cells and bodily defense that go after intruders.

One line of defense that we have is our skin. It’s simply a huge wall and barrier which blocks the micro-villains from entering. And they want to. It’s how they survive and propagate. There is also the sticky mucus which surrounds our organs. As slimy and nasty as mucus seems, it’s important. It’s like a sticky mud-bog of doom for the terrorists, grabbing them and trapping them. But, the terrorists sometime get into the body other ways, for example, when we a virus-laden surface, then touch our touch our eyes, mouth, or nose.

We have a complex system of cells which operate as 24-hour security guards. These mast cells are regularly patrolling, looking for any intruders. When they find something, they send out an alert, and blood cells come to heal any damage.

Then there are leukocytes, which are like special forces soldiers. Some of them patrol the body. And when they find a micro-terrorist, they take no prisoners. They kill the thing. Some of them head out and can kill up to 100 intruders at a time.

Sometimes our own cells can become infected by an intruder. Some of the special forces defenders which patrol the body specifically look for our own infected cells. When they find them, they take them out.

Then there are immune cells which roam around doing detective work. Some of the micro-villains leave little traces of pathogens, sort of like fingerprints or little pieces of evidence. When the immune cells find them, they pass on that information to T cells, so that the T cells can take them out.

Some T cells also patrol the body, and will communicate as necessary to the while blood cells. They will call up the white blood cells to take out the intruders as when needed.

Then there are B cells. These cells make these clever things called antibodies which attach to the micro-terrorists. Antibodies are like highly-specialized tags. When other cells from our immune system see the tags, they destroy those tagged-terrorists.

There are times when your immune system will cause your body to have a fever. They let loose a chemical that tells your body to raise the thermostat which results in a fever. That fever can be a good thing because temperature rise increases the metabolism of cells, which means they can usually heal faster.

Then there are the B and T memory cells. These things are extraordinary. They are like tireless defense-system, record-keepers. Together they keep a record of all the micro-terrorists. They record details about the intruders, like who they are and how they work, so that they can be ready for them in the future. In that way, if the micro-terrorists return, the immune system takes swift action.

Much more could be said. But consider the brilliance of God in our immune system: we have patrolling special forces able to recognize intruders. We have some cells which patrol and communicate to other cells when something is wrong. And we have other cells that keep a sophisticated record of past intruders.

Every second of our existence, this highly-skilled intelligent, special-forces defense system is laboriously working to keep us safe. While we sit there and eat a bag of chips or sleep or write a letter or converse with a friend or ski or listen to a sermon, our micro-defense department is protecting us.

So, how do you get a highly organized army with sophisticated weapons, a communication system, as well as a running record of enemies? Can rocks and water; hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen, smashing together for millions of years create that?

“All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being” (John 1:3).

“For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth” (Col. 1:16).

God the Son created it all. That eternal second Person of the Trinity, who took on human flesh; he did it. He thought of it. He designed it. He made it, and he did so as an act of kindness towards us. And he also made horses, hearts, hawks, hyenas, humpback whales, and your hippocampus.

A few final so-whats?:

1. Praise this brilliant God.

When we consider just our immune system, the saying is true: we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139:14). God is worthy of our unending applause in light of his brilliance.

2. Fear this great God.

The right response to such brilliance and power is fear and awe. God created this micro-world of genius simply by speaking.

“Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him” (Ps. 33:8).

3. Do not hope in yourself or this world.

As brilliant as our immune system is, it will not work forever this side of heaven. One day, it will fail. All grasshoppers will drag themselves along. Our physical bodies will return to the dust. There is no hope in this world.

4. Trust in Christ alone to rescue from all viruses.

Sin is the reason we are attacked by micro-villains and will all die (Gen. 2:17). Being children of Adam, we will face death (Rom. 5:12). However, death no longer has the last word (1 Cor. 15:22). God the Son clothed himself in lowly humanity (Phil. 2:5-7). He faced the viruses and villains, big and small, of this world. Then, he substituted himself for all who put faith in him at the cross (1 Pet. 2:24). When he did, he stood in as if he had committed all our sin and carried all our guilt. Jesus died for our sin.

Though death is the fate of every person, Christ overcame death. When Jesus launched out of the grave, he made a mockery of viruses, pathogens, mirco-terrorists, and anything that puts us to death (1 Cor. 15:55-56). One day, all who put faith in him will rise to eternal life.

5. Heaven will be villain-less.

This current world is replete with micro and macro-villains. Once Adam and Eve rebelled, viruses and violence began to deluge our world. All things death-causing are allowed in. But, Jesus died and rose. When he did, he guaranteed the future resurrection into a future heaven for all who repent (John 11:25-26). That future, literal world will be one where, either viruses are entirely absent, or an immune system is no longer needed (Rev. 21:3-4). Either way, the only outbreak in that happy place will an outbreak of praise, worship, and unceasing joy among God’s people in the presence of Jesus

This article originally appeared here.

Free Printable: Isaiah Coloring Page

By
Daniel So
-

Free Printable

Download and print this coloring page to help teach the book of Isaiah.

From Ministry to Children, “In one illustration, Mandy has show several of the main themes from the scriptural narrative.”

Get Download Now

Resource provided by Ministry-to-children.com

Download Instructions: To download this resource, right-click on the link that says “print-friendly PDF format” and choose “Save As.”

Handling Volunteers Who Just Can’t Sing

By
Don Chapman
-

It’s a common problem that plagues all worship leaders, from suit-wearing songleaders to skinny-jeaned hipsters: off-pitch housewives (henceforth referred to as OPHs) who demand to sing on your praise team. (By “demand,” I mean they march up to you after church and announce they’ll be singing next week. Oh, really?)

An ongoing problem

I’ve encountered OPHs in every church I’ve ever been in—traditional, blended, contemporary and the most cutting-edged. Maybe that’s one reason why even praise teams (preceded by choirs) are going by the wayside these days—too much drama! It’s so much simpler for a male worship leader to have just one trusted and talented female worship leader by his side. This worship paradigm is becoming more and more common.

I was happily working as a music director in one church until a rich lawyer became an elder, and of course, his OPH expected to be singing on the praise team. I did all I could to help her fit into the group but it didn’t work—she simply couldn’t sing on pitch or blend with others. And what’s worse, when I’d schedule other people for the praise team, they’d ask “is [insert name of OPH] singing? Oh, she is? Darn, I just remembered I’ll be out of town that weekend!” Here’s a great rule of thumb for worship leaders: Volunteers who can sing don’t want to sing with volunteers who can’t.

Naturally, this all came to a head and I was dragged before the [nonmusical, businessmen] elders, who were baffled as to why I wasn’t allowing people to “use their gifts.” I describe the outcome in this article—basically, American Idol saved my job.

To sing or not to sing, that is the question

It’s a struggle, isn’t it? As a worship leader, you want to be nice and affirming to everyone. But some people who really want to sing with your praise team just sound so … awful!

A soundman once suggested we let our OPHs sing, and he would simply turn off their microphones in the house. No, this just didn’t seem honest. Let’s not play games and demoralize our team in the process. My philosophy is one of common sense. If you can sing, you can sing on the praise team (assuming the person walks with the Lord). If you can’t, find another place of service. One of our worship-leader responsibilities is to connect the right person to the right ministry—and this might mean a ministry outside the music. You do this with much prayer and consideration. Unfortunately, in our celebrity-crazed culture, if someone has made up their mind they’re the next Famous Pop Singer and you discover they can’t carry a tune in a bucket, you can be in for some major trouble (one OPH tried to get me fired.)

Actually, it’s all about pitch. I don’t really care how “good” of a voice you have—what I care about is if you can sing on pitch and blend with others. I once knew a top-tier Nashville session singer who sang on all the big records. You’d never want to hear this guy make his own solo recording, but he had a unique voice that could blend in harmony with anyone, and he knew how to use it.

Two types of singers

Some people are soloists, some are choir/praise team singers. Your job, in auditions, is to figure out who’s who. Some people can be both, and some choir singers can grow into soloists.

I’m not a vocal soloist. To my amazement, I always found my way into the elite choirs in college because, in auditions, I’d sight-read music like a maniac and sing the correct notes. I can blend and am your dream choir singer.

Then I ended up leading worship in a church. At that time, there was a really famous worship leader who had a thin, nasally voice. As you’d listen to his music, you’d think, “How on earth did this guy get a record contract?” I figured if he could lead worship, I could, too. The more I sang, the stronger my voice became. However, I’d never sing a solo and always had a good praise team singing behind me as I led to mask my vocal deficiencies.

It’s not just a small-church problem

I know of a 10,000+ megachurch leader who only has one good male vocalist (the main worship leader) and one good female. That’s literally it. If, in my little church, I had at any given time two or three OPHs demanding to be on the praise team, he must have 200-300.

He candidly told me they started having auditions to help relieve the OPH problem. Evidently the OPHs were nearly going to riot and the pastor actually had to preach a sermon about the situation to calm them down. Oh, how they hoped they’d find someone, anyone with talent. They had over 100 people come to auditions, and not a single person had enough ability to even sing halfway decently on their praise team.

The sad reality is very few people these days have contemporary vocal abilities. Maybe it’s because high schools don’t have the music programs they did years ago. Maybe it’s because churches don’t have choirs like they did years ago. Some people are overtrained. I’ve known talented music majors who just couldn’t cut the praise team because they were classically trained and couldn’t handle the most simple contemporary syncopations.

A simple solution

One megachurch music director once gave me a wonderful piece of advice that helped his OPH problem. Before auditions, he stated that to be on the praise team one MUST be able to sing parts. This makes sense: As most worship leaders are male tenors who sing too high, a soprano can’t merely sing the melody an octave higher without sounding like an opera singer and must sing a lower harmony part.

He told me this eliminated 90 percent of the OPHs during auditions with no drama. They knew the requirements going in, and they quickly discovered they couldn’t sing a harmony part by ear.

Bottom Line: One of our worship jobs is to help people find their proper place in ministry.  

Where Should Children Worship?

By
ChildrensMinistry.com
-
communicating with the unchurched

Of all the issues that’ll get children’s ministers debating, this one has to be the hottest. Where should kids worship­-with adults in “big” church or in their own children’s church setting?

We asked that question in our poll at www.childrensministry.com and got a whopping response. Of the 2,032 people who responded, 48% said definitely in the corporate worship setting; and the other 52% said in a separate children’s church setting.

To dig deeper into this issue, Children’s Ministry Magazine asked two children’s ministers to tell why they believe strongly in one side or the other. In this article, you’ll see their views, poll respondents’ views, and basic models for how churches handle this important issue.

Pro Family Worship

What children’s ministers at cmmag.com say…

  • “My children need to see their parents worshiping. They learn so many things by parents’ example-including worship.”
  • “Families are separated enough in our society. Worship should involve everyone…Keep my family together on Sunday morning!”
  • “If kids learn at an early age that it’s acceptable in the house of God to separate themselves from the adults, later on they learn that it’s okay to segregate themselves.”
  • “We try very hard to incorporate plenty of kid-friendly elements into the service…I’ve seen kids’ eyes light up when we’ve used video clips from Finding Nemo to explain the parable of the prodigal son.”
  • “If children are set apart and not allowed to learn what’s expected, what’s going to happen to our churches? When the older members die out, what are we going to do?”
  • “There’s nothing more beautiful than to take part in services of worship with children present. Just to see their little eyes widen and faces light up fills me with joy.”

Build Families Together

by Jessica Nelson

We in children’s ministry know that one of our goals is to bring families closer in their relationship to God, yet when families enter the church, we seem to be in a rush to separate them. Many churches take children out of worship to provide a separate children’s church, but the traditional model of families worshiping together and then dividing into age-appropriate classes has much more to offer modern families.

Worship is a place for families. Parents need to understand the importance of the religious training children need to help guide them throughout their lives. For these and many other reasons, we have to build the kind of worship environment that facilitates families growing together.

Build comfort in sanctuary.

We need to prepare our children for the inevitable difficulties they’ll face in life. Every child will have a loved one die or face a major trauma at some point. Imagine a child who has never been in a sanctuary facing that massive space for the first time at a grandmother’s funeral. If a child or young adult visits a chapel in a hospital during a time of grief, no one is going to come out in costume to hear their prayers. The child will be alone in a quiet space for prayer and reflection. This can be disconcerting if the first time that place of refuge is introduced is when needed most. We need our children to be comfortable in the house of the Lord and to help them find peace and comfort in quiet prayers. This takes practice, time, and effort on all our parts.

Build family unity.

There’s an amazing amount of chaos going on in the lives of families. School, work, soccer, and ballet practices are only part of it when we look at the rates of divorce, adultery, suicide, and drug use in families. Look up those statistics for your community and look into your congregation. What could be going on inside their homes that you don’t know about? Families today need a haven, and that could be your church.

Our families need time together in peace. Children need calm and security, and they don’t always get that at home. Sitting in worship, holding hands, and speaking community prayers together can give our families a respite. Once families are comfortable with these practices, they’ll be able to use them away from the church when a crisis or difficult situation emerges and they need family spirituality.

How to Lead Your Team in Uncertain Times

By
Brian Dodd
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communicating with the unchurched

We are in uncharted territory regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19).  New normals are likely to be established.  So how do you lead during uncertain times? As Director of New Ministry Partnerships for INJOY Stewardship Solutions, this is a question I wrestled with as I met with my team this past Friday.

If you are unfamiliar with INJOY Stewardship, we help churches establish cultures of generosity and raise significant money for major projects with our capital campaign coaching. Our products include high-touch consulting, financial analysis, weekly giving, digital giving options, personal finance, and digital systems to increase weekly giving.

Leveraging my experience from the 2008 financial market crash, the following is how I advised our team to proceed during these uncertain times:

  1. Be Diligent – Do your job.  Referring Nehemiah 2, keep serving our prospects and customers with excellence despite the panic.  Keep making your calls, sending and returning emails, following up, Marketing, selling, creating, and doing all the things we do on a day-to-day basis.  Play to your strengths.  Focus on what you do well.  Control what you can control.
  2. Be Empathetic – Pastors and church leaders are feeling uncertainty as well.  They may be concerned about attendance and giving patterns as many churches are being forced to move online.  No one truly knows what the impact will be.  However, we need to be a calm and soothing voice because God was not surprised by this.  He has all of this under control.
  3. Be Creative – Uncertain times require creative, out-of-the-box solutions.  This requires offering a multitude of options.  For our organization, we must also understand the season we are in.  We are looking at fall campaigns for many churches.  There is still plenty of time to engage in this process.  Many people feel the virus will “flatten out” in a few weeks.  Easter is coming.  Also, churches needing to retire debt will need our services now more than ever.  I advised our team to take advantage of all our products and services to meet whatever generosity needs a church may have.  These could include improving their online giving platforms through GiveINJOY, one-year relationships to (re)build cultures of generosity/weekly giving and bridge to 2021 projects, or personal finance classes through I Was Broke. Now I’m Not. to the families who may be adversely affected by the economic challenges our nation is facing.  Or in many cases with churches I am talking to, I am listening to their stories and offering some combination of all the above.
  4. Be Positive And Encouraging – God has not given us a spirit of fear.  I believe the weeks following the coronavirus could be some of the church’s finest hours.  People are being reminded life is paper-tissue thin. We are being forced to ask, “Are we really a society who freaks out over toilet paper?  Is that what we’ve come to?”  People need something they can count on.  They need to find a more solid foundation to base their life upon than what they currently have.  When the coronavirus scare has subsided, I am confident they will find the answers they are searching for by visiting your local church and being introduced to the person of Jesus Christ.  So be prepared to receive them.

Be Diligent.  Be Empathetic.  Be Creative.  Be Positive And Encouraging.  This is how I am leading through the coronavirus / COVID-19. How about you?

 

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

Just Announced: 2020 SBC Annual Meeting Cancelled

By
Megan Briggs
-
communicating with the unchurched

The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) announced today that its 2020 SBC Annual Meeting is cancelled. Originally scheduled for June 9-10 in Orlando, Florida, the meeting will not be rescheduled. 

SBC Annual Meeting Cancelled for ‘Grave Emergency’

“In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic which we believe constitutes a grave emergency, it is in the best interest of the SBC to cancel the Annual Meeting—for the first time in 75 years—out of a deep concern for the health and safety of messengers and attendees,” a message on the SBC’s website states.

“We are extremely disappointed in having to make this decision,” former SBC President Ronnie Floyd told the Baptist Press. “We know our churches need to focus on ministering to their communities and to those who have been impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic,” he continued.

J.D. Greear, the current President of the SBC, echoed Floyd’s sentiments and elucidated how local churches could help their communities: 

I don’t need to tell you how many of our churches are hurting right now. Or how most of our communities are experiencing unprecedented need. In this extraordinary hour, pastors need to be focused on their people, and churches need to be focused on their communities. Pausing from these efforts to make a costly trip to Orlando just doesn’t seem like the right thing to do. In this moment, keeping the Gospel above all means staying where we are to minister to those who need us.

Let me encourage you to consider reallocating resources that might normally have been spent on getting to the Convention to minister to people in crisis. At The Summit Church we have decided to take the money that we were going to spend on sending messengers to Orlando and use it to help bivocational pastors and church planters meet payroll over these next several weeks. I am calling on other churches to join us in this if they are able. The apostle Paul tells us in Galatians that fulfilling the law of Christ means bearing the burdens of our brothers and sisters, shouldering their loads alongside them.

Let me also encourage you to consider ways that your church might bless your community in this difficult season. You might consider making a donation to your local pregnancy resource center, for example, since they tell us that during times like these, abortion rates go up. You might donate to the many food banks helping feed children who are in need because of school closures. You might reach out to local organizations that focus on the marginalized and the vulnerable and simply ask, “What can we do to help?”

The decision to cancel the meeting was made by SBC officers, the SBC Executive Committee, and the executive heads of the Convention’s boards and institutions. A unanimous vote of 77-0 decided the matter. The SBC’s Constitution gives instruction for canceling an annual meeting. “The Convention officers, the Executive Committee, and the Executive Heads of the Convention’s boards and institutions acting in a body may, in case of grave emergency, cancel a regular meeting or change the place of a meeting,” the Constitution reads. 

During World War II, in 1943 and 1945, the annual meetings were also cancelled. At that time, the U.S. government instructed people not to gather in groups of more than 50.

Decisions Put on Hold

Since the convention will not meet this year, certain officers of the SBC will hold their positions until an in-person vote can occur, which doesn’t look like it will be until next year. Online voting or “proxy voting” is not permitted, according to SBC governing documents: “All propositions, decisions, and choices shall be by a majority vote of the messengers present and voting in person, except where provisions have been made for a greater than majority vote.” 

One such officer who will hold his position for a year longer than originally planned is Greear. “I certainly didn’t plan for a third year [as SBC president],” Greear told Baptist Press. “But [I] trust that the God who ordains our days will give us strength equal to the task.” 

Summer VBS 2020 … 6 Options for Children’s Ministers

By
Christine Yount Jones
-
communicating with the unchurched

During this season of social distancing with quarantines, sheltering in place, and online church, children’s ministry leaders are already diving in to solve what Easter will look like for their kids this year. On the heels of this decision, they’re also looking forward to VBS 2020 and wondering what they will do in the age of Covid-19.

“For many churches, VBS is the largest outreach event they host all year,” says Tracy Watkins, Group Publishing’s VBS Business Director. “More importantly, it’s one of the most effective outreach opportunities they have each year. Every summer, thousands of kids experience Jesus for the first time and begin a lifetime relationship.”

It’s no wonder that children’s ministry leaders (who also plan wa-a-a-a-y ahead) are weighing their options now. To help answer the questions about VBS 2020, we have been having conversations with leaders in our ChurchLeaders’ Facebook group Children’s Ministry Ideas & Encouragement. And we’ve reached out to the experts–Group Publishing and LifeWay Kids–two of the largest vacation Bible curriculum suppliers.

6 Options That Children’s Ministers Are Suggesting About Summer VBS 2020

Ministry friends jumped in to respond to Tiffany Christensen from Friday Harbor, Washington, when she asked in our ChurchLeaders’ Facebook group Children’s Ministry Ideas & Encouragement:

“I work for a church that pours a lot of money and support into our VBS. I am currently about 50% through my purchases (VBS 2020 is scheduled for mid-July). I am now faced with this tough decision: Do I continue to purchase materials? Or wait? Are people already talking about postponing or canceling? What are other churches doing?”

Option 1: Plan VBS as though nothing has changed.

“From our perspective it’s still too early to make a definitive call,” says Chuck Peters, Director of Operations for LifeWay Kids. “Things are changing rapidly day to day, and we need to operate on the assumption that VBS will be on. We are pressing forward with a mindset that we need to be prepared for VBS to happen as planned, in hopes that it will. We have talked to many church leaders all over the country and we are hearing that churches are still planning on VBS happening this summer.”

Sarah AnnMarie Kilpatrick, children’s director at Calvary Baptist Church in Nacogdoches, Texas, agrees. She encourages leaders to “keep on keeping on. Plan. Pray. Purchase. (If you can buy stuff safely). If we can’t do VBS this year, we will be ready for next year! Our whole 2021 VBS budget could go to something else.”

LifeWay Kids’ Peters points out a great insight that may spell a bigger opportunity for VBS 2020:  “Some may push their dates a little later depending on developments; but many are also aware of the possibility that this summer’s VBS may be their best attended one in years, believing that parents will be ready to get their kids out of the house, and kids will be hungry for interpersonal connection and fun.”

Option 2: Cancel VBS for 2020.

Samantha Herard from Transformation Church in Orange County, New York responded: “We have a high amount of cases where we are including the schools themselves. It’s not going to take a few weeks to get rid of the virus. We don’t expect kids to go back to school this school year. If school doesn’t open, a kids camp will not be successful because we would lack volunteers and parents would still feel uncomfortable. We don’t want to be the church that helps spread the virus.”

Option 3: Plan VBS 2020 conservatively.

Karin Gelatt Hulbert, VBS director at Calvary Grace Brethren Church in Alto, Michigan, says, “I’m planning as normal & purchasing supplies (probably not everything for crafts yet however). I’m not going to start making big decorations as I simply don’t have room to store them. Our state department of education stated the school days missed need to be made up so if that stands, it would be a struggle to fit it into summer 2020.”

Option 4: Put VBS 2020 ordering on hold.

That’s what Cathryn DuBose Shurett is doing in Woodstock, Georgia, is doing. And Bobbi Jo Bruni, children’s ministry director at CrossPoint Alliance Church in Lewiston, Idaho, says, “I’m on hold and asked to not spend any money if I don’t have to at the moment. Our VBS is usually mid-June so it’s a total unknown as to where we will be at that time.”

Pastor With Coronavirus: This Virus Is Like Sin

By
Megan Briggs
-
communicating with the unchurched

Pastor With Coronavirus Shares His Experience

A pastor from Illinois is sharing his experience with covid-19. The pastor contracted the virus while traveling to Ukraine for a missions trip. Now he is in quarantine and is sharing his experience along with the gospel on his church’s YouTube channel.

“The greatest pandemic to ever hit all of us is that sin caused us all to be separated from God and sin has caused death to come to us all,” Pastor Tim Lewis says in the video. “But I know God loves me because he sent his son to die for my sins so that I might be set free and healed and forgiven of all of my sin and not die, but have everlasting life,” he continued.

Pastor Tim Lewis of Bethel Baptist Church in Troy, Illinois went into self-quarantine after returning home from Ukraine. While traveling back to the U.S. from Kiev, Lewis had layovers in Munich, Germany and Atlanta, Georgia. He is currently in quarantine in his house in Illinois while his wife, Cristie, is staying with one of the couple’s four grown children. Lewis mentioned repeatedly throughout the video that he missed his family “incredibly” and that he missed the church he serves.

As hard as quarantine has been, though, looking back, Lewis says “I am so glad I didn’t go see my doctor or go to the emergency room. I stayed quarantined.” The pastor developed symptoms two days into his quarantine and called his doctor for advice, who directed him to the county health department. At first, the health department told Lewis he didn’t qualify to receive a test for covid-19, but after his symptoms continued to get worse, he was allowed to go to a drive-in test facility in nearby St. Louis. Lewis describes a health care worker putting a “long swab” up into his nose and sinuses. 

Five days later, Lewis found out his test came back positive for covid-19. Lewis describes the virus as being “kind of like” the flu. “I had this non-stop cough. At first it was just a dry cough. It wasn’t productive, nothing coming out.” He said he had a “busting headache” that accompanied the coughing. Lewis said he was “achy” and had a “very low” fever. Other symptoms included “a little tightness in my chest” and “it felt like I had something in my lungs.” 

Lewis says although he has a couple underlying conditions such as diabetes, he believes his body is fighting off the virus. “I’m getting stronger day by day.” Still, he experiences “waves” of headaches and coughing.

The virus is “kind of frightening,” Lewis admits. He says he understands the need to quarantine. “We’re trying to keep everybody from getting it too quickly and overwhelming our healthcare facilities,” he explained. Lewis maintains that “God’s in control…This little virus, God’s in control and he is sovereign and he is wise and he’s loving and he’s good and I can trust him.” 

Lewis feels God’s presence with him. “Even when I’m sick he’s with me,” the pastor said. “The Bible says God is our refuge and strength and he’s a very present help in times of trouble. I know he’s with me and I know he’s with you.” 

Lewis has pastored Bethel Church for 33 years. He and Cristie have four grown children, six grandchildren, and one more grandchild on the way.

Coronavirus, Porn, and Anxiety: When Three Pandemics Converge

By
Jay Stringer
-
communicating with the unchurched

Times of uncertainty like the one we’re in naturally intensify anxiety and powerlessness, and with it, the spread of pornography use. We turn to behaviors that provide relief from the difficulties we face, but as we all know, many of the solutions we find only end up intensifying our original distress.

What’s unfolding today is the confluence of three pandemics: COVID-19, porn and anxiety. One country that is experiencing this toxic convergence of three pandemics is Italy. The Italian government has taken extensive measures to quarantine the entire country to prevent hospitals from being further overwhelmed. In response, one of the most popular porn sites in the world offered everyone in Italy free premium porn subscriptions throughout the month of March.

When Italian Pornhub users opened the website, they saw this message:

“To keep you company at home during these weeks, you’ll be able to access Pornhub Premium for free for the whole month, with no need for a credit card.”

Yes, to “to help keep you company” during a health pandemic, a country is invited to escape an anxiety pandemic by turning to a porn pandemic. While it’s concerning that a company would promote using human beings for sexual gain, they do so because porn offers two experiences we haven’t been able to find in the coronavirus pandemic: relief and power. The relief and power porn offers however is not only temporary, it’s deeply problematic for two reasons:

      1. Porn damages sex and mental health
      2. Porn is a violation against women.

PORN DAMAGES SEX AND MENTAL HEALTH

One of the clients I spoke to this week said he felt more triggered to use porn now than in the last two years combined. “I’m not sleeping well and my mind starts racing by 5AM. We’re in a recession, but should we really be talking about a depression? And if that’s not enough, my dad has the flu and can’t get tested. My mind just can’t rest.”

As you can see with my client, when we’re anxious, our brains naturally seek out behaviors that provide us with an opportunity to find relief. What we actually need however is to develop an inner life capable of tolerating anxiety. Instead, porn offers us a shortcut to  experience temporary calm and control. As a consequence of outsourcing a solution, we never develop the internal resources for growth.

When you pursue porn as a shortcut to reduce anxiety, your brain forms new neuropathways to connect what you’re doing to the pleasure you’re feeling.[i] A map of these experiences is formed in your brain, complete with powerful neurotransmitters like dopamine. These neurotransmitters change our brain by essentially saying, “Remember this! This feels amazing. Way easier than anything else.”

Porn = Less Sex
The more you use porn, the more it adversely effects your sexual life. Research has actually shown that the best way to have less sex and less satisfying sex is to watch porn. [ii] Porn simultaneously overloads you with sexual stimulation while also teaching you to only consider your own sexual desires. Porn is so appealing not merely because it’s ‘erotic’ or ‘erotica’, but also because it lets you create a world where nothing is required of you. Real sex asks you to know and develop your desires while also learning to study, delight, and call forth the desires of another. Therefore, if you want to limit your sexual potential, porn is the fastest route to do so.

Porn = Less Purpose
In the research I completed for my book Unwanted, I found that when a person lacked a clear  sense of purpose, they were seven times more likely to increase the amount of porn they watched. It’s crucial to understand that a lack of purpose drives us to porn. Many people attempt to stop using porn but do little to transform what drives them to it.

If it were not for pornography, how else would you address your fear of the economy crashing? If not for porn, how else would you address the conflict you’re facing as you spend more time with your spouse? Porn invites you to escape the crucibles of your life. But when you take its bait, you find yourself hooked into an even greater experience of futility.

This is the madness of porn use. The very thing we choose to assuage personal and relational problems ends up intensifying them. At this juncture, many people try to fight against their desire for porn through contempt or self-mastery. The problem is that this fight does nothing to transform the key drivers that bring you to porn. Therefore, if you want to fight, don’t fight do eliminate porn, fight to create daily rhythms to find calm and greater purpose (more on that at the end of this article). When you have integrity with your anxiety, your clarity and confidence will grow in your capacity to face the uncertainty ahead.

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