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Church Members Lace Up Their Shoes, Raise $10K to End ‘Birthday Abortions’

By
Megan Briggs
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A church in Jacksonville, Florida was looking for a cost-effective way to raise money for the pro-life movement. Kim Wiggins of Evangel Temple Assembly of God pitched the issue to the church’s women’s group. The solution the group came up with led to a very good time and $10,000 in donations. 

“God says to open your mouth for those who have no voice. Do something. Speak for them,” Wiggins said, speaking to Stephen Strang on his podcast. 

The Pro-Life Movement Fights Late-Term Abortions

Wiggins, who leads Evangel’s Central campus with her husband, Garry, helped organize the event the women’s group came up with. The church hosted a 5k race on the church grounds and encouraged runners to raise money through sponsorship. The specific goal of the fundraising race is to help end “birthday abortions.” By birthday abortions, Wiggins is referring to the late term abortion laws that have passed or been proposed in places like New York that seek to protect a doctor should an abortion up to the point of birth be deemed necessary. Wiggins said some of these bills even allow for an infant not to be helped should it survive an abortion attempt. 

In order to avoid having to pay to rent public space or have police officers on duty for security, the group figured they could hold the race on their own property, which is quite expansive. Wiggins said they set up a loop of 1.03 miles around the campus and had participants run it three times. They also included pink and blue smoke for the runners to run through for a bit of excitement. Wiggins said they gave away “good prizes” because they wanted to encourage people to run and seek sponsorship from their families and friends. One lady raised $2,000 through sponsorships. Wiggins said they had 140 runners who were responsible for raising the $10,000 the race garnered.

Chick Fil A also lent their support to the run and undoubtedly helped some of the runners refuel after the race.

The group’s goal was to give as much money as possible to pro-life causes that were really making a difference. Wiggins explains their research led them to donate to the group Family Research Council (FRC) because it “is the best one fighting abortion in our country.” When you give money to FRC, Wiggins said, they send baby hats to members of Congress in Washington D.C. in an effort to show that “we believe in life and we believe that every life is valuable.” 

The church gave half of the money raised through the race to FRC and the other half to local pro-life clinics in Jacksonville. 

Other Pro-Life Movement Runners

Strang said he hopes others will be inspired by Evangel’s creative idea. Wouldn’t it be wonderful, Strang mused, if cities across the country started raising money for pro-life causes through races. 

There is another group that is promoting the pro-life message through running. Members of Life Runners participate in races across the U.S. When they compete, members wear jerseys that say “Remember the Unborn” and Jeremiah 1:5. Life Runners “run as a prayer to defend children in the womb so that they may be born and united to our Christian community.” 

Considering the growing popularity of races and the notable metaphors the Apostle Paul used to compare races to a life of faith in the Bible, these ideas seem like a great way to spread the pro-life message. 

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“Run so as to win.” ~ 1 Cor 9:24, #RememberTheUnborn, liferunners.org/represent

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Jarrid Wilson’s Widow: If I Have Peace, You Can Have Peace

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

At a memorial service for Jarrid Wilson on September 24th, his widow, Juli Wilson, shared that God has given her a deep sense of peace in the midst of the pain and confusion of her husband’s death. She described Jarrid’s love for people and called on the church to carry on his legacy of giving hope to the hopeless. 

“He wanted to…remove the stigma around [mental health struggles],” said Juli. “He wanted people to know that when they go to Google ‘painless ways to commit suicide,’ that the church is going to be the first thing that pops up. He wanted people to find hope that outlasts this life, and he wanted them to find that eternal joy in Christ, even when their mind was telling them their lives didn’t matter. And he fought until the very last day to do that.”

Juli Wilson Celebrates Her Husband’s Life

Juli and Jarrid met seven years ago right after Juli had decided to focus on her relationship with God and not date anyone. He pursued her, despite her resistance, and convinced her to meet up with him when he happened to be speaking in Memphis, where she lived. She said that after spending time talking with him, she “quickly realized that this was someone I wanted to have in my life for the long run.”

“We made things happen really fast,” she said. He moved from California to Memphis a month later and they got married two months after that. Juli said she “basically eloped” and showed up to their wedding with three of her friends. That was the first time she met his family and friends, and “since then, they have taken me in as their own and it is the best family I could ever ask for.”

Juli said she was drawn to Jarrid by how much he cared about people, even if they were strangers. When she goes shopping, her tendency is to avoid the employees and to choose her clothes herself. But if a saleswoman approached, Jarrid would talk to her, get Juli 15 different outfit options, and find out everything the woman was going through. Then, said Juli, that woman would be sitting with them at church the next Sunday morning. 

“I knew instantly that this guy has something about him that I need more of,” she said. “I want to be more like that, and we just came together and decided that was going to be our life mission for our whole rest of our lives.”

Carrying on Jarrid’s Legacy

“As amazing and outgoing as he was, as loving, as friendly, as open, and as much as he would give you the shirt off his back, he wanted everyone to know…that he struggled very badly with depression and anxiety, ” said Juli, sharing that Jarrid told her about his mental health challenges on their first date. And while it might seem like death won, the reality is that “God won that battle.” 

The first time Jarrid remembers struggling with suicidal ideation, he was 18 years old and was sitting in his car, looking up “painless ways to commit suicide.” That was about 12 years ago, said Juli, noting that it’s easy to think this struggle got the best of him and that the rest of his life has been wasted. “But,” she said, “I am thanking God today for the 12 years in that gap, from the first lie that Satan planted in his ear until this last week or two weeks, however long it’s been. God did so much in 12 years…and we’re going to celebrate that.”

She said that during the last conversation she had with her husband, he mentioned the next day was World Suicide Prevention Day and said, “How many people are going to see these graphics and maybe think they can keep going?”

“That was his last heartbeat,” said Juli, “that’s what he cared about and that’s what he lived for, and we’re going to continue that anthem.” The call to care for the vulnerable, the needy and the hopeless is not something that Jarrid came up with, but something that God has called each of us to follow: “I’m not retreating. It’s time to jump in. It’s time for the church to get serious about mental health.” 

She invited everyone listening to honor Jarrid’s legacy by joining her in making “our church home, our lives, everywhere we go, a little bit safer for people” to talk about their mental health challenges. She said, “I fully believe that God is on the move in the midst of this” and emphasized that the end of our story is hopeful, so “it’s time to go and reach out to a world that is feeling like there is no hope.”

Juli also shared that, despite the devastation of her husband’s death, she is encouraged knowing he is in a better place: “I was the closest person to him on earth, and I’m telling you, I have peace, and it’s possible, it’s there and available for you. Cling to the feet of Jesus. Ask Him for that hope, that peace, and He will give it to you in abundance.” 

6 Reasons “Don’t Take It Personally” Is Bad Ministry Advice

By
Karl Vaters
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Have you ever heard this because you’re taking ministry personally?

“Don’t take it personally.”

That may be the worst piece of advice I’ve ever received about ministry. It fails on so many levels.

Here are six of them.

1. Jesus Took Ministry Very Personally

Can you imagine Jesus giving anyone that advice? “Take up your cross and follow me – but don’t take it personally.”

Or the Apostle Paul? “Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ – but don’t take it personally.”

Of course not. They took ministry very personally.

Because ministry is relational. It’s passionate. It’s sacrificial. It’s overwhelmingly personal.

2. We Don’t Need More Impersonal Ministry

What’s the alternative to taking ministry personally? Taking it impersonally?

We’ve had enough of that. We don’t need more churches, ministries or ministers who care more about hyping the crowd than easing the burdens of real people.

3. Taking It Personally ≠ Having No Boundaries

I think I get what people mean when they say “don’t take it personally.” They mean “don’t take on an emotional burden that’s not yours to bear.” And to that I say a hearty “amen!”

So let’s say that. Don’t take on someone else’s problems. Don’t insist on helping someone who doesn’t want to be helped. Maintain healthy emotional boundaries.

Even Jesus urged his disciples to wipe the dust off their sandals and go to another town when people refused the message.

But not taking ministry personally? Never mourning as you see people’s faces fade away through the haze of sandal dust?

That’s not the kind of ministry Jesus calls us to participate in.

4. People Need the Personal Touch

Our communities are filled with people who need someone to take their situation personally.

Even the local coffee shop knows that people want their order called by name, not a randomly-assigned number. Sure, they may get the name wrong half the time, but it matters that they tried.

Knowing people’s names, hearing their story, calling them up because you miss them, and noticing the catch in their voice when they say they’re okay, but you know they’re not, is very personal.

In James 1:27 we’re told that “pure religion” is about caring for the distress of widows and orphans so much that we will live holy lives, unspotted from the world, to give them a safe place to land.

This article about taking ministry personally originally appeared here.

8 Characteristics of Strong Christian Parents

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

I’m not a parent, so I’m always hesitant to write about parenting. On the other hand, I pay attention when I meet young people who have a strong relationship with parents. In fact, I often ask them what made a difference in the way their parents raised them.

Here are some of the primary things I’ve heard about the characteristics of strong Christian parents.

1. Their faith was real. 

These parents were not one person in public and another in private. They were consistent and faithful. They almost oozed integrity about their Christianity.

2. They said, “I’m sorry” when they were wrong. 

None of us is perfect, and all of us mess up at times—even with people we love. Saying “I’m sorry” is an act of honesty and humility that children seldom forget.

3. They genuinely loved each other. 

Their love was both obvious and infectious. Their children always knew the safety of a home that was not likely to fall apart.

4. They handled conflict in a healthy way. 

I grew up in a home with an angry father, but none of the young people I’m writing about today have told me that kind of story. Instead, they’ve spoken about how their parents lovingly dealt with their disagreements.

5. They intentionally made their home fun. 

For example, they regularly opened their home for their children’s friends. They joked with them, fed them, and made them feel important. Their goal was that their children would always love their home.

6. They never stopped praying with their children. 

Many parents pray with their children as long as they’re young, but they stop that practice as their kids get older. Not so with these parents, who most often continued to pray with their children even into adulthood.

7. They made church a big part of their lives. 

And, they did so in such a way that their kids wanted to be a part. Seldom, if ever, did these children hear their parents negatively criticize their pastor and church.

8. They prioritized their family. 

I’ve heard adult children say things like, “They were always there when we needed them,” “I always knew they’d love me even if I messed up,” “They made sure we knew the Bible,” and “They were fully present when we spent time together.”

What other characteristics would you add to this list about strong Christian parents?

This article about the characteristics of strong Christian parents originally appeared here.

Here’s How to Shepherd Your Staff

By
Steve Bezner
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As a pastor, your job is not so much as the boss of your staff, but instead you’re to shepherd your staff.

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.—1 Corinthians 11:1

Pastors, let’s begin with the hard truth.

Your staff does not belong to you.

That may be a somewhat jarring statement to read, but I believe it is an important place for pastors to begin. Your staff does not belong to you; they belong to the Lord. Your task is to help them grow in their professional capabilities and to grow into the men and women God has called them to be in Jesus Christ. Pastors—rightly, I believe—take their calling very seriously. And they want their staff to take their calling just as seriously. They want the staff to be completely committed to the work of Jesus in the church. And, generally speaking, the staff is. But each staff member is working out his or her calling in Christ. Often, this means that staff members will only be with you for a season. The Lord is often preparing them for another post in ministry. It will be rare for your staff members to stay with you for the entirety of your ministry in your church. Instead, the Lord has entrusted them to your care to help them grow—often into the sort of person that is very well-suited to do something that is no longer at your church. This is not an easy pill to swallow.

As I type this, one of our long-term staff members is preparing to plant a new church. I am excited for him and his new church. We have raised funding for him, and several of our deacons are traveling with him to start this new gospel outpost. As the adage goes: It is exciting to see him go, but it is painful to watch him leave. Adding to the pain? I helped him in the process of deciding to plant and helping him grow to this point. In other words, I was a tool in my own pain. Why? Because I decided to facilitate his growth for the Kingdom, not for my own dreams and desires.

Shepherd your staff by helping them grow into the people the Lord has made them and let the places they serve be chosen by the Spirit, not your heavy hand.

Once you decide that you will help your staff grow into the sorts of people the Lord has called them to be, you will experience a freedom. This freedom is a sign of health; you are no longer attempting to control them; you are now truly attempting to shepherd your staff.

As you shepherd your staff, think in terms of two spheres—professional and personal. When engaging the personal growth of your staff, think about spiritual health, home life, and emotional health. In shepherding them towards personal health, work to treat your staff as people, not simply as employees. You may think this is obvious, but, trust me, I know plenty of church staff members who deeply crave their pastor to care for their human side and not simply discuss work expectations. Work to embed spiritual growth and vitality into your staff gatherings. Pray together; worship together; share struggles with one another. This may be foreign to your culture or your personality, but it is essential to creating a healthy team atmosphere. When you find yourself in smaller settings with team members, try to ask questions about home, family, stress, and spiritual walk. You may choose to give some suggestions, where appropriate, but work to become a better listener. Rather than looking to immediately share your own insights, remember that often people simply want to be heard.

Professionally speaking: Set an effective personal example at work. The work patterns you set are observed by your staff and non-verbally communicate expectations. Do you work hard? Do you care about excellence? Do you handle others with compassion and grace? If you do, then your staff will probably begin to pattern those behaviors, because they see what you value. If you do not, then they will not either. Additionally, encourage your staff to continue to grow professionally. This may mean attending conferences for some, reading books for others, listening to podcasts for others. I do not believe you must be choosy in how they continue to grow professionally, but that they do so. And, as possible and reasonable, help pay for this growth from the church’s budget. Their improvement means Kingdom and church improvement. If we are able to discuss potential growth areas and find specific resources that will contribute to a staff member’s growth, then we should also take action to get those resources.

There are no silver bullets as you shepherd your staff members. Each staff member has a unique personality, gifting, and background. And yet, if we trust that the Lord has given us the rich privilege of growing ministers into the Head so that they might be mature, we have the template for what God would have us do. Let us pursue maturity in Christ ourselves so that we might spur our staff members to do the same.

This article about how to shepherd your staff was originally published at For the Church.

Real Godly Men Attack Sharks, Not Each Other

By
Eric Demeter
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Real godly men attack sharks, not each other.

An article written several years ago by Peggy Noonan told the story of a man who was killed by a shark. The husband and his new bride were enjoying their honeymoon in the South Pacific. Without warning, as they were swimming in the ocean, a shark attacked the woman. To defend her, the man began punching it in the head. He successfully distracted the shark, but the beast didn’t retreat. Instead, with his razor-like teeth, the creature turned and killed him instead.

The author’s point was that the world needs real godly men who can “deck the shark.” I agree with her. Popular culture is bent on putting the masculine heart in a blender and pushing the puree button. But the world needs us more than ever to be the leaders, husbands, and fathers God has called us to be.

Being a strong man doesn’t have anything to do with machoism or chauvinism. Real godly men can be scrawny or brawny and can hold any occupation. They needn’t don the bulging biceps of Vin Diesel or Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Likewise, it’s not the size of his shoulders that count but the size of his heart that matters. The Lord agrees: “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature…For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart’” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Godly men are on a mission in the world to bring God’s Kingdom to earth. They fight for the marginalized, take care of their families, start businesses in low-income areas, and stand-up for biblical principles. True godly men have integrity. They aren’t required to be miners, mechanics, or ironworkers. The only iron men need is in their spines.

Biblical masculinity lifts up their sisters, but toxic masculinity pushes them down. Real men don’t catcall a lady but encourage her to catch bigger dreams. We seek to embody love as it “protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13:7, NIV).

Strong men punch sharks.

MEN ARE SUFFERING

The numbers are startling. Regarding incarceration, ninety-three percent of those in prison are male[1]. Educationally, guys attend college less than their female counterparts[2]. Men live shorter lives compared to women by a full five years[3]. Concerning emotional health, men are also more prone to depression and are three-and-a-half times more likely to commit suicide than women[4]. Furthermore, “Men commit 90 percent of homicides in the United States and represent 77 percent of homicide victims[5].”

Reread those figures—it’s staggering. Sound the alarm! Men need help.

Men have been paddling upstream for several reasons. Endless commercials seek to emasculate the male spirit and make men look like buffoons and doofuses. Some secular groups would rather see that ocean predator gobble up that man’s wife rather than allowing him to defend her.

We need to take our fair share of blame for our predicament. Some of us have replaced our God-give dreams with big screens. Xbox’s replaced our toolboxes. Instead of saying I “fought the good fight” of faith (1 Timothy 4:7), some have escaped to man-caves or aerie offices. Sundays for men are for fantasy leagues, not for attending church. It’s no surprise that, statistically, men attend church less than women[6]. We have traded our strength for sarcasm, pornography for purity, and listlessness for leadership. Instead of decking sharks, we are decking each other.

Sin has caused our muscles to be misguided. We might have struggled with our earthly fathers but we primarily forgot our Heavenly One. We also forgot about His Son and the work He did for us on the cross.

THERE IS HOPE

Our gender and unique gifts are needed more than ever in this world. There’s no reason for us to be shy or sheepish. The Apostle Paul commands us to “be men of courage.” That was 2,000 years ago. Our homes, work, and the church need our courage as much today as they did in Ancient Rome.

Rethinking God’s Unconditional Love

By
Richard Beck
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

About two years ago, there was a discussion we had out at the prison Bible study that has haunted me. I keep thinking about it.

Steve was the one who made the comment that has stayed with me.

Theologically, the men in the prison study tend toward legalism and orient around a works-based righteousness. Which is strange, as you’d think that men in a prison would want to talk a lot about grace and forgiveness.

They do want to talk about grace, but they are also preoccupied with the theme from the epistle of James: Faith without works is dead.

The reason for this focus is because the men see a lot of hypocrisy around them. To survive in prison, you have to be a chameleon, learning how to show different faces to different people. Accordingly, when the men come to our Bible study, they have their “Christian face” on. During the study, the men are devout and pious, their discussions in the class full of biblical allusions and church-speak.

But we all know that the minute the study is over a change happens. They re-enter the prison world and the face they wear changes accordingly.

But not everyone’s. There are a few in the class who work hard to remain overtly and consistently Christian throughout their day. For these men, the face-changing, code-shifting hypocrisy they witness in relation to the Bible study drives them crazy. They see members of the study devoutly pontificate about their commitment to Jesus only to see these same men do something wicked 30 minutes later.

Consequently, our discussions in the class often come back to a works-based righteousness: You can say you love Jesus all you want, but you have to do this stuff. You have to walk the walk. You have to put this stuff into practice. Faith without works is dead. By your works you will be judged. And God is watching how you behave out on the unit.

In short, because many of the men are preoccupied with speaking into this hypocrisy, their theological orientation tends toward a judgmental and works-based orientation. Consequently, if you speak too much about grace, someone will push back with the worry that we’re letting the hypocrites in the room—the men who pretend they are Christians for two hours but who are mainly there for the air-conditioning—too easily off the hook.

This is the backdrop for the conversation we had about God’s unconditional love about two years ago. This is the conversation that haunts me because of a comment Steve made.

We were talking about God’s love, and someone said that God loves us unconditionally. That observation, as you know, is a banal platitude in Christian circles. But I doubt many Christians have seriously pondered the radical implications of that claim, that God loves us unconditionally. Because I don’t think people actually believe it. Yes, people might say that God loves us unconditionally, but they don’t, if you press them, actually believe it.

And true to form, some of the men in the study started pushing back upon this notion. Again, the idea that God loves us unconditionally might let the hypocrites in the room off the hook. God loves us, these men reminded us, but you have to do stuff. You have to be committed. You have to be holy. You have to put in the work.

Pastor to Open Coffee Shop Run by People with Special Needs

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

Brewster McLeod might be a retired pastor, but he is still keeping busy by serving his community. McLeod has hired 50 employees, or VIPs, with special needs to work at his new coffee shop, McLeod’s Coffee House. His hope is not only to serve people with special needs but also to help others see that they are not any different from the rest of us. 

“If Down syndrome or special needs make you nervous,” he told WKYT News, “you probably need to come in here and relax and just treat them like anyone else.”

More Understanding for People with Special Needs

McLeod, who served at Southland Christian Church for over 40 years, has had the idea for the coffee shop for a while now. He will be training his team to be equipped for every role the coffee shop has, from managing to washing dishes to running the cash register. 

“They got joy, they got a heart, and they want to work,” he said. In addition to providing employment and good coffee, McLeod’s Coffee House will also be providing an environment where people who have special needs can feel comfortable and welcome. Employee Megan Gaines says she is looking forward to working behind the cash register and that other businesses in the area could learn from McLeod’s about how to be more accessible to people who have disabilities. There is a need, she says, for “ramps or wider open spaces, wider open walkways, accessible bathrooms.”

Says Gaines, “We still want to have friends, we still want to do things, we still want to go out and hang out with our friends, and just do normal stuff.” Manager Juannell Spotts also says that McLeod’s Coffee House gives him hope that there will be a place where his sons, who have autism, can work when they grow older.

Another goal McLeod has for the coffee shop is that it will encourage other businesses to be more open to the idea of hiring people who have special needs. He told WKYT, “My prayer is that everyone on Southland Drive, they come over here for a good cup of coffee, hot chocolate, iced tea, diet coke, and a sandwich and then meet Megan or they meet Jeremy and someone may stop me and say, ‘Brewster, can you tell me about Jeremy? Could he give me two hours at the gas station?’”

Brewster McLeod is not alone in his efforts to serve his community and people with special needs by means of a coffee shop. In early 2016, Amy Wright opened a coffee shop in North Carolina named Bitty & Beau’s that is run by people with “intellectual and developmental disabilities.” The shop is named after Wright’s two youngest children, who have Down syndrome, and has since added locations in other states. 

Wright says, “When you become a parent of a child with special needs, you are instantly thrust into becoming an advocate. Trying to make people see the beauty in their lives that we see.”

McLeod also wants his community see that beauty. He hopes that the Grand Opening of McLeod’s Coffee House will take place sometime around mid-October and for there to be some soft openings ahead of that. 

Governor Declares Day of Prayer and Fasting for Tennessee

By
Stephanie Martin
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Bill Lee
Screengrab Facebook @Bill Lee

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, who’s vocal about his religious faith, has proclaimed October 10 as an “official day of prayer and fasting for our state.” In a video posted online, the Republican leader invites residents to join him and his wife, Maria, to devote that Thursday to prayers of healing, forgiveness, thanksgiving, and hope. “Prayer,” he says, “strengthens our families and it strengthens our communities, it strengthens our relationship with our neighbors, it strengthens our relationship with God himself.”

Lee credits the idea to the “countless” Tennesseans he’s met who say they’re praying for him. In his video, the governor expresses appreciation for all these intercessions. “We know that God hears them,” he says. “We know that prayer accomplishes much.”

Tennessee Has a Strong Faith Base

Of the state’s 6.7 million residents, 81 percent say they’re Christian; of those, 52 percent call themselves evangelicals. According to the Pew Research Center, Tennessee is America’s third most religious state, after Alabama and Mississippi. In a 2016 survey, 73 percent of Tennessee adults identified themselves as “highly religious.”

America has a National Day of Prayer, observed on the first Thursday in May, but governors sometimes declare a day of prayer for a state—often during emergencies. This year, for example, several Midwestern governors made such proclamations following severe flooding.

But prayer shouldn’t be “strictly regulated to disaster or tragedy,” according to Laine Arnold, Gov. Lee’s press secretary. “Prayer is an umbrella that covers the gamut of human experience.”

Critics: Bill Lee’s Proclamation Is Exclusive, Insensitive  

As expected, the governor’s declaration has ruffled some feathers. It’s “inappropriate for a governor to sort of exhort citizens to pray on a particular day,” says Rebecca Markert, legal director of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. “What’s upsetting about this announcement…is just how much he talked about the importance of prayer and how God hears prayers and answers them.” That leads to a sense of exclusion for “people of nonfaith,” she adds.

About 14 percent of Tennesseans say they’re unaffiliated with a religion.

Lee is also taking some heat for the day’s timing, which immediately follows the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur. As Rabbi Craig Lewis explains to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Jews will fast from sunset on October 8 to sunset on October 9, and they’re prohibited from fasting for two consecutive days.

“While there is no objection to prayer, because all prayer can be helpful, declaring a day of fasting after all the Jews in the state have fasted for a day seems a little insensitive,” says Lewis. “To have a day of prayer in our state is a good thing as long as it leaves open the possibility for everyone to pray in their own way.” About one percent of Tennessee adults identify as Jewish.

Arnold, the governor’s press secretary, points out that the “invitation to pray, reflect, and fast” is “free for individuals to engage [in] as they see fit.” Gov. Lee, adds Arnold, considers this proclamation “as a table that is open for everyone.”

It’s a Great Day to Pray: Students Unify Around Prayer, Flag Poles

By
Megan Briggs
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This morning, the 29th annual See You at the Pole (SYATP) prayer event saw students praying outside their schools all across the U.S. Organizers of the nationwide event estimated around a million students were planning to participate. 

“One of the coolest things about prayer is what it does to us. It’s so unifying,” Joel Smallbone of the band For King & Country said in a promotional video for the event. “There’s so much division so often in life, in school, in relationships, and prayer really unites our hearts, not only with God, but with each other.”

See You at the Pole Emphasizes Unity

Schools across the U.S. and 63 other nations participate in the annual event. Images of students praying around flag poles or other central locations on their campuses can be found on social media. There is a strong emphasis on helping students not be afraid to pray at school and to come together in unity. 

The Push to Get Students to Pray Together Year-Round

Organizers of the event also launched a “Campus Prayer” app that seeks to connect middle school and high school students to other praying students at their schools throughout the year. The app provides interested students with content, ideas, and tools they can use for weekly prayer gatherings on their respective campuses. 

“See You at the Pole is a ‘moment,’” Doug Clark, national field director of the National Network of Youth Ministries, told Baptist Press. “We hope adults and students will consider turning that moment into a movement by praying every day.”

A Small Group of Teens Inspired See You at the Pole

Today, SYATP is an event that spans across 64 countries and involves an average of one million students each year. It started in 1990 in a small town in Texas. A group of teenagers attended an event called DiscipleNow in Burleson, Texas. SYATP’s site explains:

On Saturday night their hearts were penetrated like never before, when they became broken before God and burdened for their friends. Compelled to pray, they drove to three different schools that night. Not knowing exactly what to do, they went to the school flagpoles and prayed for their friends, schools, and leaders.

After that fateful night, some youth leaders got involved, who realized there were pockets of Christian students across the country who were burdened to pray for their school friends. At a brainstorming session for a meeting of “key youth leaders,” the idea of having students organize a prayer event at the flagpoles outside their schools came to be. The annual event originated on September 12, 1990, with 45,000 students in four states. From there, it grew. 

Are There Any Legal Concerns With Students Gathering to Pray?

SYATP emphasizes it is a student-led event, and the website outlines how students can avoid potential problems with the administration of their schools by doing things like informing the school staff when and where they will be meeting. The website also assures those who may be concerned that “You can legally gather for prayer before school, but it’s best to let the administration know ahead of time.” The site also gives advice for advertising the event on school grounds, telling students not to “cover” their campus with flyers or “stuff lockers” as this “may not be cool with the administration and is outside your rights as a student.” The site provides videos and images students can use on their social media accounts to advertise the event. 

The site even goes so far as to outline how to respond if they receive pushback from the administration of their school. The organizers emphasize the need for students to know their rights, avoid conflict, and use expert legal counsel if necessary. They include a list of legal help, including the Alliance Defending Freedom and the Christian Legal Society. 

While the recommendations may seem to be listed out of an abundance of caution, a situation that occurred in Tennessee recently highlights the need for students to know what is permissible to do on school grounds and what may not be. 

In related news, NFL player Drew Brees recently came under fire for promoting a Focus on the Family initiative called Bring Your Bible to School day. This event, coming up on October 3rd, encourages students to bring their Bibles to school (and to read them).

Rusty George: How My Church Navigated the Tragedy of Pastoral Suicide

By
Jason Daye
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Rusty George is a speaker, teacher and author of several books, including Justice. Mercy. Humility.: A Simple Path to Following Jesus. He is married to Lorrie, and they have two daughters, Lindsey and Sidney. Rusty is also Lead Pastor of Real Life Church in Southern California. Real Life knows firsthand what it is like to navigate the suicide of one of its pastors—in January 2019, Family Life Pastor Jim Howard took his own life. 

Key Questions for Rusty George

-Is someone who struggles with mental health issues qualified to serve as a pastor?

-What advice do you have for pastors worried about missing a warning sign that one of their fellow ministers is suicidal?

-After Pastor Jim Howard took his life, did you make any changes with your staff or the church as a whole?

-How did you walk your congregation through processing one of your pastors dying?

Key Quotes from Rusty George

“The amount of church leaders out there that are facing [mental health challenges] because of somebody on their staff or because of something in their own life, it is far greater than I think we really know.”

“We have to understand that, first of all, we all have our issues. We all have our brokenness.”

“To say that somebody who has that particular break in their life [struggling with mental health] is disqualified from being a pastor, would be to disqualify a lot of people that we hold up as heroes in the scriptures and a lot of people that have served us well as heroes in our faith.”

“When they survey people who have survived a suicide attempt, most of them say that decision that they made to try suicide happened in about a three to five minute window. It really happens quite quickly.” 

“Create an open environment to talk about [mental health struggles].” 

“We have to probably start mandating counseling, rather than just saying, ‘It’s here for you if you want it.’”

“We used to have staff meeting and we would deal with business and we would pray at the end. Then we decided to have two different meetings per month. One is a business meeting; the other is staff chapel.”

“If you’re the lead pastor, you probably don’t know who it is you can talk to and [you] assume you’re supposed to have it all together…so who is that person? And we tried to create that by bringing in some outside help that was here on a constant basis.”

Mind the Gap: Reuniting Generations in Our Churches

By
Christina Embree
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Recently there’s been a return to cross-generational and intergenerational communities and contexts with reuniting generations in our generations. This is mostly because of the research being done on the importance of multigenerational community. (Source).

As crazy as it seems to us, it’s actually quite normal and quite healthy for us to be reuniting generations to spend quality time together.

But, let’s be honest: The way society is currently structured, connecting with generations outside of our own can feel uncomfortable and decidedly not fun.  And because of that, we sometimes think that we don’t have anything in common with generations other than ours and even more sadly, that we can’t be friends.

But, that’s simply not true.  It’s what we’ve become accustomed to but it’s not truth. The truth is we actually live better, more fulfilling lives when we are around each other.

Is it possible to change our minds?

Some amazing places are showing it is possible, like this intergenerational care home in the UK and these intergenerational communities in the US. They are built on the idea that we have more that unites us than separates us, more in common than difference. And I believe that can be done in the church as well. In fact, I believe it is one of the most important things we can do in our churches today. But how?

Start Slow When Reuniting Generations

Realistically most of the generations that attend a church don’t even know one another’s names. They often don’t attend the same service times, they are in age-specific Sunday school classes that don’t intermingle with other classes, and they very often are in different parts of the church building.

The very first thing we can do is provide a way for generations within the church to learn each other’s names. Check out this cool resource that is a perfect way to create connections across generations: Pray for Me.

Create a Common Identity When Reuniting Generations

As members of one faith community, this idea of a common identity should be relatively easy to create. Basically, using your church’s vision and mission, craft language that can be used across generations to say “This is who WE are.”  Don’t just use the language in the adult classes or church service where children and youth aren’t present.

Make sure that everyone knows they are part of the church and identify with the mission. As silly as this may seem, tee shirts are a great way to make this happen. Magnify the similarities NOT the differences.

Allow for Interactions While Reuniting Generations

If your church is set up in a way that doesn’t allow for generations to mix and mingle (separate services, classes, and spaces) then it will be necessary to intentionally create space for interactions to take place. Meals together, intergenerational worship, and cross generational events are some ways to allow for that.

It’s also vitally important facilitate and encourage interactions outside of the church buildings. Some ideas:

  • Have the kids who play sports or dance post their game or performance schedules and encourage older folks to attend.
  • Ask the older generations videotape themselves telling stories about their memories of being in church and share videos with the kids once a month.
  • Create a Homebound Ministry with the youth who go and visit people who aren’t physically able to come to the church.
  • Host classes where skills can be taught between generations, older to younger and younger to older.
  • Find places in the community where teams could volunteer and serve and send intergenerational groups out to serve with one another.

Show Up in Unconventional Ways

If there is always an adult leading the call to worship, let a child do it. If a child always takes up the offering, have a college student do it. Move chairs and tables around so that people end up sitting with other generations and making new friends.  Keep messaging that we have more in common than we think and help them discover common likes, dislikes, and activities. And when you find a commonality, celebrate it!

If there is an advertised “churchwide” event, then make sure the whole church is there, all ages, including children, youth, and senior adults. As Paul would say, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3).

Regardless of what our society has convinced us of, this is actually what we want. Our soul longs for community and our physical health and well-being benefit from it in ways we are just starting to understand. So, yes, while it will take some intentional work and some consistent messaging, ultimately the end goal is worth it.

We will be the body of Christ when reuniting generations.

This article about reuniting generations in our churches originally appeared here.

8 Deadly Sins of Student Pastors

By
Chase Snyder
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Student ministry is one of the greatest callings within the church! But there are some deadly sins of student pastors that must be avoided.

Who would want to be in charge of buildings and grounds when you can plan a summer beach camp?

While there are ample opportunities to do some incredible good in student ministry, there are some pitfalls that we must navigate to ensure that we are being effective in our calling.

Every student pastor wants an effective ministry. No one would argue with that! However, effectiveness doesn’t come from exuding more energy. It comes from making the right decisions at the right moment. It takes us saying no to distractions, yes to the right opportunities and prioritizing people over projects.

Are you committing any of these deadly sins of student pastors? Be honest with yourself, and then take the necessary steps to get back on track with God’s mission.

8 Deadly Sins of Student Pastors

1. Being Busy Without Being Effective

Most of the student pastors I know are not lazy. Sure, there are a few bad apples that can give student pastors a bad reputation, but most student pastors’ wives would let you know that they actually overwork. A huge sin for student pastors is to be busy with areas that don’t matter without being effective in your call to serve students and parents. Stop wasting so much time on logos, T-shirts, and other areas that you can outsource and start being effective in what you were called to accomplish. Energy and productivity do not equal effectiveness.

2. Failing to Develop Your Leaders

There is a line between doing and leading. Spending all of your time doing ministry yourself will never enable you to effectively lead your ministry. There are times and situations where you must be on the front lines, but you must develop leaders to be effective ministry leaders too.

3. Failing to Share God Stories With the Church

Don’t be an island of ministry. Share stories with your senior leaders and church community about what God is doing. The church needs to be encouraged by the stories of life change that are happening in your ministry! Talk with your direct leaders to see what avenue is the best to regularly share God-sized stories with the church.

4. Being a Poor Communicator

Did your mind instantly think I was going to talk about your preaching style? That is because as pastors we tend to elevate time spent in front of a large group and devalue communicating with the parents, leaders, and our staff. To be an effective pastor you must be able to lead from the platform and from the office. How well are you communicating with your ministry team, parents, students, and the church body? Are you sharing vision, communicating needs, talking about encouraging stories of transformation, and building excitement about upcoming events?

5. Tending to Everyone’s Spiritual Fire While Neglecting to Stoke Your Own

Your role is to stoke the spiritual fires in students’ souls. In the rush to tend to others’ fires, we often neglect stoking our own spiritual growth. You can’t forget to stoke your own spiritual fire and lead out of your passion for Jesus! Books by Donald Whitney and Paul David Tripp are excellent encouragements for pastors.

6. Not Being a Great Team Player With Your Staff

How well are you interacting with your staff? Being a team player takes energy and effort. It’s essential that you show up prepared for staff meetings, ask difficult questions, and invite others to speak into your leadership over the student ministry.

7. Failing to Establish Work Boundaries

My 4-year-old son has a plastic cell phone that he used to carry around the house with him and pretend to take calls, capture videos, and send pictures to his grandparents. It was cute until I realized he was mimicking me. Your family needs you to be completely present. Ministry can be and all-the-time thing if you let it, so decide ahead of time what your boundaries are and only bend them in true emergencies.

8. Putting All of Your Energy Into Midweek Worship Gatherings

Josh Griffin recently tweeted this gem: “Our job is not to get students to show up, but to show up in students’ lives.” Worship gatherings are a portion of the ministry that Jesus has entrusted us with. Showing up in students’ lives means that we are disciplined to get outside of the walls of our church and meet students where they are. How are you investing in leaders and students outside of the designated “church time”?

Now What?

After taking an honest look at this list of deadly sins for student pastors, how many of these sins are you struggling with?

What other areas would you add to the list?

This article about deadly sins of student pastors originally appeared here.

RELEVANT Founder Accused of Fostering Toxic Culture, Steps Down

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

RELEVANT Magazine’s founder and CEO, Cameron Strang, is stepping away from his role at the publication in the wake of accusations from former employees that he promotes a toxic work environment. Both Strang and RELEVANT have posted apologies, promising to take the needed steps to pursue transparency and accountability in the future.

“I don’t want to see any of my negative patterns continue,” said Strang in his post. “I don’t want my lack of positive leadership to hold RELEVANT’s mission back. So, this morning the RELEVANT leadership and I decided that I would step away from my position. Call it a sabbatical, or a leave of absence, but I want to use an extended period of time to engage a process of healing, growth and learning.” 

What Happened with RELEVANT Magazine

On Saturday, the 21st, Religion News Service (RNS) broke the story that multiple former employees at RELEVANT had come out with accounts of negative behavior they encountered from Strang during their time with the publication. People started sharing these stories because Andre Henry, Managing Editor of RELEVANT from October 2017 to July 2018, saw that on Twitter, the magazine had recommended a podcast about race and the church. Henry commented that based on his experience with the magazine, there was no way RELEVANT could possibly address racial issues in any meaningful way. 

Soon afterward, Henry wrote a blog on Medium titled, “Black Christians Deserve Better Than Companies (And Churches) Like Relevant Media Group.” In it, he provides some examples of “many occurrences of oblivious racial insensitivity” and controlling behavior he witnessed from Strang. After being hired, Henry says his job went smoothly until Strang took issue with how much content he was planning for Black History Month. The CEO suggested that people wouldn’t be interested in that much content on racial issues and that Henry should have run his curating decisions by Strang–even though curating content was central to Henry’s job. 

Henry says he was soon “stripped of all decision-making power” when it came to choosing content and that he ended up only staying at the magazine for six months, “largely because of race fatigue.”

Others chimed in on Twitter to say that their experience was similar to Henry’s.

In particular, Rebecca Flores, who was the Managing Editor before Henry, published her own post about her experience at RELEVANT.

She describes manipulative, erratic and controlling behavior from Strang, as well as disturbing interactions on the topic of race. 

One time in an editorial meeting, those present were discussing how to feature a black Christian rapper who had publicly supported the Black Lives Matter movement. Strang suggested portraying him with a noose around his neck to “symbolize his lynching by white evangelical America.” Flores, who was the only woman and the only person of color present, was the only one who pushed back on the idea, saying they couldn’t publish an offensive image like that. Instead of understanding, Strang was annoyed with Flores for disagreeing with him.  

A turning point in her experience came when Strang modified Flores’s byline without her permission. When she corrected what she thought was a mistake, he reprimanded her, told her that her writing was terrible and removed her name from the article. Flores describes other abusive behavior from Strang, whom she calls a “toxic despot.” As time went by she grew increasingly depressed in her role, and he eventually let her go from the position.

At the end of her article, Flores writes, “Cameron Strang is exceptionally talented at behaving for those whom he must behave for and that itself reveals the inner conflict that drives so much of this egotistical behavior. This is probably the most important thing I can communicate about the experiences that are all too common between myself and other former employees. He’s either aligned with the winners or he’ll be the victim, but he can never be the loser.”

Speaking to RNS, Ryan Hamm, who was an editor and managing editor for RELEVANT between 2009 and 2012, confirmed the accounts of Strang’s racial insensitivity. And Aaron Hanbury, who used to be Rebecca Flores’s boss at the magazine, verified her story about the rapper with the noose around his neck. 

How RELEVANT Has Responded

After the Twitter firestorm erupted, Henry posted a screenshot of a personal apology Strang had sent him, as well as an edited version demonstrating what Henry felt would have been a genuine apology.

Trump Calls Religious Freedom an ‘eternal right’ in UN Speech

By
Megan Briggs
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on Monday, September 23, 2019. Trump called religious freedom one of his “highest priorities” and urged world leaders to act to end religious persecution.

“The United States was founded on the principle that our rights do not come from government; they come from God,” Trump said at the beginning of his speech. The president acknowledged the fact that the religious freedom enjoyed by Americans is “rare” and that most countries do not experience such freedom. 

Pence and Trump Describe a Dire Situation

“More than 80 percent of the world’s population live in nations where religious freedom is threatened or banned,” Pence said during his introduction for Trump. 

Pence mentioned the persecution Christians especially face in Iran. In Iraq, Pence said Christians and Yazidis have been “nearly wiped out.” In China, the Uighur Muslims face a threat to their way of life and culture, while pastors in China have repeatedly been imprisoned and beaten by the government. Calling out the President of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, Pence accused that leader of waging a war on the Catholic Church. In Venezuela, Pence said, Nicolás Maduro is using the country’s anti-hate laws to prosecute clergy while his aides are using the media to spread antisemitism. 

Trump echoed Pence’s point that people are being jailed, persecuted—even murdered—by their own governments. Speaking specifically about Christians, Trump said it is “estimated that 11 Christians are killed every day for following the teachings of Christ.” Additionally, he mentioned the United States is committed to “standing up” for 250 million Christians worldwide who are being persecuted because of their faith. 

Both Pence and Trump mentioned recent terror attacks that have targeted places of worship. Among those the pair brought up were the attacks at synagogues in Pennsylvania and California earlier this year; the mosques in Christ Church, New Zealand; and the bombings at churches in Sri Lanka. Trump also mentioned the shocking murder of a priest in France that occurred as he was conducting Mass in Normandy, France. 

The U.S. Is Helping Those Persecuted for Their Faith

A major theme of both Pence’s and Trump’s speech included what the U.S., and the Trump administration in particular, has done to promote religious freedom. Pence said the reason Trump has taken “such decisive action” is because the situation is so pressing. 

He mentioned the task force the administration has strapped together, entitled the Genocide Recovery and Persecution Response Program, that is focusing their efforts in northern Iraq. The initiative is backed by $370 million in funding to aid ethnic minorities and faith communities that have been persecuted by ISIS. 

Additionally, the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and launched by the Trump Administration in 2018, held its second annual meeting this July in Washington, D.C. Pence also said the fact that he was sitting there, addressing the U.N. on the topic of religious freedom was, for him, “among the greatest honors I’ve ever had.” 

For Trump, something he’s very proud of was his effort to “obliterate” the Johnson Amendment. (What is the Johnson Amendment? Read about it here.)

Trump also mentioned his administration’s efforts to see Pastor Andrew Brunson released from prison in Turkey.  Brunson and his wife, Norine, were in attendance at the meeting. Trump took the opportunity to make a critical comment about a “previous administration” that didn’t try hard enough to get Brunson out of Turkey. 

The President also acknowledged and thanked Franklin Graham, whose organization Samaritan’s Purse helps in disaster situations and aids refugees.

Kondo and the Minimalists: Why Marie Kondo and Minimalism Are So Popular

By
Wyatt Graham
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Marie Kondo sparks joy in millions who have decluttered and organized their homes. In her recent Netflix series, Kondo teaches her clients how to let go of possessions they do not need and to keep items that spark their joy. Kondo’s appeal goes far beyond the minimalist movement that seems more suited to spartan men than the average person. Kondo and the minimalists have a message for the church.

Instead of only getting rid of items, Kondo teaches people to manage possessions. She shows them how to order their clothing, dishes, and sentimentals. In short, she mixes minimalism with organization.

And the effect seems to be pervasive. San Francisco thrift stores have had to limit donations largely due to people minimizing their households. Netflix hosts not only a documentary on minimalism but also a whole season of Marie Kondo doing what she does best.

So why are Marie Kondo and the minimalists so popular? Why do so many people feel oppressed by their households and need the freedom that comes by tidying up?

Because ordered lives mean ordered souls

The lie of materialism is that we are biological machines without souls. Yet most people throughout the ages have realized that humans comprise body and spirit, matter and immateriality, external and internal elements.

Everyone knows that exercise gives us energy and vitality. It also can make an unkind spirit more joyous. A connection lies between external act and internal disposition.

The way in which we order our lives—what Christians call spiritual disciplines—shapes our whole person. Waking up at set times, praying at set times, meditating, and so on have venerable and ancient precedent in Christianity.

Order and not chaos lie at the heart of who God is. God ordered creation to sustain life (Genesis 1). He orders worship to create peace and not confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). In him is no change. He is order.

So it stands to reason that God’s creatures would thrive by ordering their lives around set patterns: years, seasons, holidays, and so on. And even at the individual level, holy writ encourages shaping one’s life around God’s instructions (Deuteronomy 6) and to meditate on them day and night (Psalm 1).

And God has commanded humans to not only follow his order but also to order the world around them by being fruitful, multiplying, and working earth—to create culture, agriculture, horticulture, and whatever else tends towards dominion over the world.

External act and internal disposition unite together because humans are a composite of spirit and matter.

And so an ordered home makes an ordered soul

Kondo and the minimalists have tapped into the heart of what it is to be human. They have done what many Christians have not. They acted upon natural law while many believers fall head-long into Gnosticism.

For too long, we have acted as if all problems involved some internal principle. We ignored the body. We ignored the chaos of space. We thought accumulation would equal happiness. It is better to get than not to have at all, we thought. Consumerism enticed us into an unholy alliance with treasures on earth.

We failed to see any problem with buying new things every day and with filling our homes and offices with things. We thought that all that mattered was what lay within. We were wrong.

Dead wrong.

Things have now become an oppressive task-master creating hoarders across the continent. They have become addicted to stuff and so mastered by what they buy.

But more than this, the purchase of things and the over-clutterization of our environments (home, work, and society) has created a commensurate disorder in our souls. We feel constantly in flux, worry about the mess, live with a feeling of unease. Much of this can be located in our external disorder.

The disorder outside of us affects the order within us. The material world outside of us changes the interior world inside of us. No gnostic separation of body and spirit exists. It is diabolical rubbish to think that a disordered environment will not transform our inner-environment.

And the opposite is also true.

A disordered soul leads to a disordered life

Sin destroys purpose. Our purpose is to image God and so glorify him. Sin complexifies life by adding self-centred motives and actions that that split our attention. We pursue pornography while claiming fidelity. Yet this split purpose divides our attention. It makes us double-minded, double-souled.

So a disordered environment may not only mean a latent Gnosticism (the spirit does not relate to the body), it can also illustrate the sin of divided-purpose—that is, pursuing ends for self-glory, not God’s glory.

Note: I am not talking about a cluttered desk or sprawled toys on the floor within a young family’s house. I am talking about a systemically disordered life without schedule or ritual, a life that buys without giving away, that lets things control rather than be used.

And so Kondo and the minimalists offer real but insufficient help.

What we own controls us. The more we have, the more we must maintain. The less we have, the freer we are. Kondo and the minimalists do bring order to distressed souls by reordering our exterior life.

But the greatest disorder which lies at the heart of it all is sin. Sin vitiates. It rusts away virtue. It makes what shines lack its gleam. It is an acid that eats away at a chassis. Sin brings chaos to our interior and exterior life.

It causes bodily harm and spiritual harm because they are one and the same: we are composite beings of body and spirit. We cannot privilege the one and ignore the other.

Each has their place. The soul begins the transformation that flows outwardly to our bodies and environments. So there is a taxis, an order. And yet a sinful person entering into a holy church will find much room for sanctification. So the exterior church contributes to the renewal of the inner-person. Spirit and body work together.

Kondo gives us the order that we crave, that we need. But she can only give partial order. Sin, that principle of decadent disorder, only finds order by its destruction. It is nothing, has no being, but merely vitiates what is good. Christ on the tree bore our sin, destroyed it, and gave us the vivifying Spirit who conforms us to the God of peace and order.

We return to that image in which God first created us and so attain true humanity in the best human ever: Jesus.

And so tidy your house, tidy your heart by faith, and become truly human. Kondo cannot bring you there. Jesus can.

This article about Kondo and the minimalists originally appeared here.

The Elusive Quest for Getting a Raise

By
Benjamin Kerns
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

So, you want a raise. Who doesn’t. Getting a raise as a vocational youth worker is one of the most difficult, and therefore rarest item to ever make a church budget. Just like the quest for El Dorado, this journey often leads to a disappointing conclusion. Before you sacrifice your family finances and your soft heart for the church by being a good soldier, working for Jesus and not money, consider the perilous world of church finances.

By better understanding what you were hired into, it will in turn help you make the appropriate and healthy choices at your current church, and when negotiating compensation packages at future churches. So, if you think it is about time you deserve a raise and are not sure where to go next, consider looking at your position from the outside perspective. This perspective should inform the some of the decisions that you will need to make as your student ministry career progresses. And finally this reality should allow us to guard our heart toward our current church and its leadership. With that being said, lets jump right into it:

BEFORE GETTING A RAISE, UNDERSTAND YOUR POSITION THROUGH THE EYES OF YOUR BOARD.

You were hired to fill a position, not as an investment in your life long personal development. This sounds harsh to you as the employee, but unfortunately, you must understand that is exactly what you are. You were hired on a certain salary scale for a particular position. This has no value judgements, just a helpful understanding. The salary you were offered was the point on the salary scale which is the lowest point you would be willing to go (often way too low, because of some spiritual head trip). In most churches, salary negotiations are simply getting the most bang for their buck. Churches want to hire someone for the lowest cost possible. This isn’t jerky or slimy, it is simply how salary negotiations work, which means when we negotiate, we have to negotiate, and not let the “call” trump all other data as we use our discernment.

The church has no extra money. Most churches spend exactly what they take in. Most churches don’t have an intentional financial plan. And the churches that do, rarely have giving the youth pastor a raise as anywhere in the top 10 list of financial priorities. The lead pastor needs a raise, the other associate pastor does too, the floors need to be cleaned, there has to be paint, carpet, a new copier, and then consider the ministry programs’ budget. All of these need money before you do.

If you do propose a raise and actually get one, it will take at least 18 months from start to finish. Church budgets are tricky and take a long time. The current budget was decided 6 months before the budget gets implemented. A new item needs to be considered a year before that. Usually the youth pastor wont even consider suggesting / fighting for a raise until they are in immediate financial need. Combine the immediate need with the 18 month lead time and you can see how this quest rarely turns out well.

HOW THIS INFORMS YOUR FUTURE DECISIONS REGARDING YOUR CAREER:

I get that you are called by Jesus to love kids and help them come to love Jesus. I get that this isn’t a career, but a high calling. And while this is true, it doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive to taking the negotiating process and your family’s financial situation seriously.

Your calling is most likely not to a specific church for the rest of your life. Your calling is as a student ministry pastor. So the team you play for isn’t what determines your call. And if the church you are working at isn’t paying you well, there is nothing wrong with shopping around and looking for a context that will.

GETTING A RAISE IS NOT A SPIRITUAL ISSUE, IT IS JUST HOW IT IS

From the church’s perspective you are a commodity. There was a youth pastor there before you and there will be one after you. You are faithfully running your leg of the baton relay. It is not all about you, in fact because it isn’t about you at all, then you are now free to make choices for your family and career as you move forward that will allow you to live into the full calling that Jesus has put on your life.

For as glorious and mysterious as the church is, when it comes to budgets, it is a simple non profit organization forever in budgetary crisis. The financial situation that you agreed to when you were hired will most likely be the financial situation you will have until you move on. The church is not evil or jacking you. They are doing the best with what they have and hoping you will stick around for a while. The freedom comes when you understand that you are simply a section runner in the big relay race of student ministry in this church. Don’t make it more or less then what it is.

IF YOU STILL WANT TO FIGHT FOR GETTING A RAISE, THEN:

1) Run your area of ministry with excellence.

2) Be a value add: do or offer to do more than your job description in exchange for higher salary.

3) Plan ahead: from time of consideration to implementation is 18 months.

4) Do right by your family: Don’t let your family finances ruin your spouse’s or your heart for the church.

If you are financially going down, then ask for the raise you think you deserve, and look for a job that will pay you what you think you are worth.

Good luck fellow travelers on the road to El Dorado!

This article about getting a raise originally appeared here.

30 Unique Ways to Celebrate Your Anniversary

By
Scott Kedersha
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Every year of marriage is something to celebrate. Here are 30 unique ways to celebrate your anniversary. Hopefully you’ll find some unique ideas to help you celebrate your anniversary this year.

Sometime last year, one of my marriage ministry teammates celebrated her third wedding anniversary. When I asked her what are doing to celebrate your anniversary, she shared with me something she and her husband started doing on their first anniversary two years prior.

Their first anniversary fell in the middle of a Dallas ice storm. Whenever we get any bad weather in Dallas, the city shuts down. Instead of getting to go out on the town for a great meal, they were stuck in their apartment with a frozen pizza. They celebrated their first anniversary with a frozen pizza and conversation on their apartment floor. They put phones away and just caught up on the ups and downs of their first year of marriage. When year two came around, even though they weren’t trapped at home by an ice storm, they decided to celebrate their anniversary with a frozen pizza, no cell phones, and a recap of year two.

Their annual anniversary plans got me thinking. If you’re a married couple, you want to celebrate your anniversary in a fun and memorable way. I know I can learn from others and steal some of their ideas. So, I asked on the Facebooks for some of my friends to share their anniversary plans and traditions. This post includes a collection of 30 of the best ideas so that you can steal or borrow to celebrate your anniversary. I wrote most of these from the first person point of view from the individual who submitted the suggestion. In no particular order…

30 Ways to Celebrate Your Anniversary

1. “My favorite anniversary tradition is that we get away somewhere special to us for the night/a few nights. On the date of our anniversary, my husband reads the story of Jesus washing His disciple’s feet from John 13. He prays and then washes my feet as his vow to continue forward in our marriage with humility and servanthood. He has done this since night one of us being married and every year on our anniversary we remind ourselves of the importance of serving one another.”

2. “We watch our wedding video together and dance to our first dance song in our living room.”

Side Note from Scott: Share below your first dance song from your wedding. I’ll pick a winner from the comments below to win a free copy of my new book Ready Or Knot?. I’ll go first: our song was It’s Your Love by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

3. “This isn’t for our anniversary but something we do for Valentine’s Day. Instead of going out and spending a lot of money at a nice restaurant, we buy fresh ingredients and make pizza at home. And, of course, we make chocolate-covered strawberries. We look forward to our homemade pizza night every year!”

4.  “We get a fancy piece of cake, watch our wedding video, and look through our wedding photo album!”

5. “We alternate who plans our anniversary celebration. The wife plans the even years and the husband is responsible for the odd years.”

6. “We always do a getaway for our anniversary. It’s ranged from a weekend at the beach to a night in a hotel in town. This has become more challenging with young kids, but it’s so important for us to get together time and celebrate!”

7. “We’ve been married for 45 years, and we always listen to the audio of our ceremony.”

Side Note From Scott: First of all, how cool that this couple has been married 45 years? And it’s hard for me to believe that video didn’t always exist and this couple has to listen to the audio! I guess we shouldn’t talk—we were the first DVD customer for our photographer/videographer. We just got out of the VHS era!

Along these lines, another couple said, “We watch our wedding video with our kids and listen to their hilarious observations! It’s good for your kids to know you existed before them!”

Regardless, many couples re-watch their ceremony annually on their anniversary. I love this idea. We did it a few times but have gotten away from it in recent years.

8. “We reread our wedding vows. We had our vows printed on canvas with our wedding date on it, and we keep it posted in our home.”

Side Note From Scott: YES! We need to be reminded of what we committed to and what God calls us to in marriage. Every time I officiate a wedding, I remind guests to listen to the vows the bride and groom share so they can be reminded of their own vows and commitment.

9. This one is my personal favorite. Two friends of mine have been married over 35 years. Because they believe their marriage is too important to officially celebrate just one time/year, they celebrate months, not years, married. At the time of this writing, my friends recently celebrated their 38th year  456th month of marriage. Let’s give it up for my friends!

The United Methodist Church Split: 4 Proposals for the Future

By
Stephanie Martin
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United Methodist Church split
Logo Wikimedia Commons

As a United Methodist Church split looms large due to conflicts over homosexuality, various options for the denomination’s future have now been submitted. These proposals, due last week, will be considered at next year’s General Conference in Minneapolis. UMC leaders will meet from May 5 to 15 to determine the future of America’s second-largest Protestant denomination.

The full text of these proposals, or petitions, will be available after they’re translated into the conference’s four official languages: English, French, Portuguese, and Kiswahili. The deadline for providing the 862 delegates with all the petitions—via an Advance Daily Christian Advocate—is February 5, 2020.

The Traditional Plan Passed in February

In February 2019, after intense debate at a Special Session of the General Conference, the UMC voted to maintain a traditional stance on homosexuality, not allowing gay clergy or same-sex marriages. Since then, talk of schism has intensified, donations have declined, and some congregations have left the denomination.

The Traditional Plan emphasizes that marriage is between one man and one woman, as stated in the Book of Discipline, the denomination’s consensus ruling document. The plan also supports the UMC’s ban on ordaining “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” and its ban on hosting or officiating at same-sex weddings. It passed in February after a more progressive One Church Plan failed to pass the Legislative Committee. Supporters of the Traditional Plan include UMC bishops in conservative areas such as African countries and the Philippines.

New Plans Up for Consideration Next May

The Indianapolis Plan would split the UMC into at least two different denominations. One would keep the language approved at February’s special session, while the other would remove wording from the Book of Discipline that calls homosexuality “incompatible with Christian teaching.” Additionally, a third denomination might allow full inclusion of LGBTQ people, allowing ordination as well as same-sex marriage ceremonies.

Each new denomination would keep “United Methodist” in its title, and regional U.S. conferences would decide which to join. In other countries, conferences could vote to join a particular denomination or create their own.

A group of 12 United Methodists with varying backgrounds created this plan in Indianapolis this summer. One organizer, the Rev. Kent Millard, president of United Theological Seminary, says, “We’ve discovered the United Methodist Church can’t live in the same house together peaceably, but we can live next door to one another.” He adds, “It’s not a divorce. It’s giving life to expressions of the church that are now in conflict.”

Lynette Fields, a lay leader at an LGBTQ-friendly UMC congregation in Florida, was one of the Indianapolis Plan’s progressive drafters. “Our internal conflict is keeping us from our primary mission to make disciples of Christ for the transformation of the world,” she says. “I believe that an amicable separation or a birthing of new expressions will allow each new group to be healthier, more vibrant and mission-focused.”

Three Other Proposals Under Consideration

The UMCNext Proposal, released last month, attempts to hold the denomination together; however, it lets congregations leave while maintaining access to denominational agencies such as the publishing house. This proposal would remove homosexuality-related language from the Book of Discipline, stop any discipline against gay clergy members, and give pastors discretion about performing same-sex weddings.

The UMCNext Proposal has received support from the UMCNext Coalition, which includes the progressive group Reconciling Ministries Network. The plan resulted from a May meeting in Kansas led by the Rev. Adam Hamilton, pastor of America’s largest UMC congregation. “Most United Methodist congregations have people of differing views and convictions regarding same-sex marriage,” he says. “The UMCNext proposal seeks to reimagine a United Methodist Church for all people.” Hamilton adds that this plan “provides a gracious exit” for congregations wanting to leave and “allows pastors and churches to minister according to their convictions.”

“A New Form of Unity,” proposed in July by two bishops, is a third strategy that delegates will consider in May. Under it, the UMC would split into various self-governing churches that remain in full communion. The denomination would serve as “an umbrella organization to facilitate this new form of unity” among three branches: traditional, open, and progressive.

Bishop David Bard of the Michigan Conference and Bishop Scott Jones of the Texas Conference say they presented “A New Form of Unity as “a thought experiment that we hope others will take seriously and consider as they are making decisions about the future of the church.” Although bishops don’t vote at the General Conference, their opinions are influential.

Why Are Pastors Depressed? A Look at the Research

By
Megan Briggs
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why are pastors depressed?
Adobe Stock

As the evangelical church has become painfully aware recently, pastors struggle with mental illness, including depression and thoughts of suicide. In light of recent events, many are wondering: Why are pastors depressed?

A survey of protestant clergy in Canada conducted in 2003 showed that 20 percent of respondents had been diagnosed with an emotional condition; specifically, 16 percent said they had been diagnosed with depression. “This is double the Health Canada findings which states that approximately eight percent of Canadian adults will experience major depression in their lives,” the study authors write. 

A 2014 LifeWay study among pastors in the U.S. found that these numbers don’t seem to have changed much in the almost decade that has transpired between the two studies. LifeWay’s study indicated more than one in five pastors have personally struggled with mental illness of some kind. It should be noted this number mirrors the national average of people in the U.S. who struggle with mental illness, according to research from 2018.

Why Are Pastors Depressed?

In light of these statistics, the question arises: Why do pastors seem to struggle with mental illnesses such as depression at rates equal to or greater than the societal norm? This is an issue the Canadian study, entitled “Clergy Well-Being: Seeking Wholeness with Integrity” attempted to tackle. Even though it was conducted several years ago, the insight from the study is useful for our present-day discussions. 

The study, conducted by Rev. Andrew Irvine of Knox College, University of Toronto, began in conversation with ministers, who met in focus groups to help form a questionnaire. Ministers then helped interpret the 338 responses the survey garnered. Respondents represented a handful of Protestant denominations, including Anglican, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Baptist, and Pentecostal. 

Among its more discouraging findings, the study found:

70 percent moderately or strongly disagreed with the statement, “I feel fulfilled in ministry.”
67 percent agreed to strongly agreed with the statement, “I sometimes project my job frustration on the family.”
62 percent agreed to strongly agreed with the statement, “Sometimes my outward appearance seems happy and content while inside I am emotionally distressed.”
75 percent agreed to strongly agreed with the statement, “I am afraid to let my parishioners know how I really feel.”
80 percent agreed to strongly agreed with the statement, “I feel guilty if people see me taking time off during the week.”
50 percent moderately to strongly disagreed with the statement, “I am consistent between who I am and how I appear to others.”

In the interpretation of the responses, the study authors articulated five things that contribute to stress and, one could argue, be correlated to mental illness in clergy. 

Lack of Rest or a Day Off

The majority of pastors surveyed said their contracts allowed them to take two days off a week, but most do not utilize those two days. Respondents work an average of 50 hours per week, with nearly 25 percent working more than 55 hours a week. The majority of ministers (80 percent) also indicated they feel guilty if people see them taking time off during the week. 

While ministry can be very demanding, the study points to another factor present in the problem of overwork, having more to do with a clergy member’s sense of self-worth than the demands of their position. “Ministers felt that to be constantly busy (or so to appear) and to show an appointment book full of activity, demonstrated self-worth and that they were an essential part of the church and community. There was indication that ‘not having time off’ was viewed by some as an indicator of their value and worth and actually became, for some, a point of boasting.” 

Lack of Support From Fellow Clergy and a Sense of Competition 

Adding to the sense of isolation among clergy members is a feeling of not being able to draw support from the very people who would be able to sympathize with their struggles. There is a crippling sense of competition among pastors, which doesn’t help those who are struggling. Only four percent of respondents say they went to their denomination’s staff when facing a personal crisis. When struggling, most pastors choose to look for help outside their own church. In the following order, pastors said they looked from help from “another minister, spouse/life partner, lay friend, a family (other than partner) member, a person of another profession.”

A full 80 percent admitted to being jealous of the success of other pastors. Additionally, only 40 percent of clergy said they had someone they considered a personal pastor, while only 16 percent said they had a spiritual director. In other words, few pastors feel they have a pastor for themselves as individuals. 

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