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Eddie Villanueva: LGBTQ Rights Endanger Christian Rights

Eddie Villanueva
Screengrab Youtube @Rappler

A bill being debated in the Philippines would threaten religious freedom and “unduly give special rights” to members of the LGBT community. That’s the argument made Wednesday by Brother Eddie Villanueva, an evangelical pastor who recently became a deputy speaker in the country’s House of Representatives.

In a House speech, Villanueva, a member of the Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC) party, asked, “What happens to a Christian like me, and to the majority of the people in this chamber, if we are to be threatened by punishment every time we share our Bible-based beliefs on matters of transgenders and homosexuals?” He added, “We respect the lives they choose to live, but to make us conform to their lifestyle with the threat of punishment under our necks if we do not is, in itself, a violation of our own rights.”

Instead of promoting equality, the lawmaker says, the bill will “unduly give special rights to some members of our society at the expense of the rights of other members and to the detriment of the social order in our community.”

SOGIE Equality Bill Isn’t Expected to Pass

Villanueva, who founded Jesus Is Lord (JIL) Church Worldwide, warns that the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) equality bill “undermines the role of parents,” “threatens academic freedom,” “imperils freedom of speech and religion,” and “puts into question the very foundation” of laws in the Philippines.

More than a dozen versions of the SOGIE bill are currently in the House, and Villanueva says 10 interfere with parental rights. “Since when has it become our official policy to give the government authority to decide for our children’s lives,” he asks, “especially on an issue as sensitive as their identity?”

Senate President Vicente Sotto III has said the bill has “no chance” of passing in the current Congress.

Eddie Villanueva Addresses Transgender Bathroom Debate

Also on Wednesday, Villanueva defended a Filipino mall janitor who recently barred transgender representative Geraldine Roman from using a woman’s bathroom. The employee was “just doing her job,” says Villanueva, adding that her side of the story hasn’t received enough attention.

Roman, who’s championing one version of the SOGIE bill, wants a “win-win solution that will be respectful of the rights of everyone.” The lawmaker told colleagues, “There is nothing to fear but everything to look forward to in a society that welcomes everyone.” The equality bill, Roman says, simply gives fellow citizens “the same rights when it comes to work, to study, to receive services from the government, and to access commercial and public establishments, not to be insulted in the streets.”

Before founding JIL in 1978, Villanueva was a communist and atheist. The pastor and politician, now 72, is campaigning for “righteous governance” of the Philippines and recently tweeted that “Transactional Politics is a major root cause of unabated CORRUPTION in all countries of the world!”

The Philippines has faced unrest under President Rodrigo Duterte, who once said he “cured” himself of being gay. About 86 percent of the nation’s population is Roman Catholic.

‘Build My Life’ Tops List of Most-Used Worship Songs by Churches

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If you go to church this weekend, chances are good the worship leader might lead the congregation in “Build My Life” by the band Housefires. Chances are also good you’ll sing a worship song by Hillsong Music or Chris Tomlin. These song preferences are according to data published by Faithlife Proclaim, a cloud-based presentation software company that has been tracking data from churches across the United States for three years now.

The data “shows how music unites regardless of size, denomination or location,” Faithlife CEO Bob Pritchett says.

The company tracks the popularity of songs in real time and makes the information available online. The Faithlife Proclaim website states it is used by over 10,000 churches. Of course, the data it provides about popular worship songs does not account for what every church in the United States is singing—only those who subscribe to Faithlife’s presentation software.  However, it does give a good snapshot of the things a lot of churches are singing right now.

Songs are ranked according to how many churches use them in worship sets that particular week. Currently, there is even a hymn in the top ten songs. At the time of this article’s publishing, the following ten songs are the ones being used the most by churches who use the software:

  1. Build My Life by Pat Barrett
  2. What a Beautiful Name by Hillsong
  3. Ten Thousand Reasons by Matt Redman
  4. Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) by Chris Tomlin
  5. Great Are You Lord by David Leonard, All Sons and Daughters
  6. This Is Amazing Grace by Jeremy Riddle, Bethel Music
  7. Who You Say I Am by Hillsong
  8. Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow by Charles Wesley
  9. Lord I Need You by Christy Nockels, Matt Maher
  10. How Great Is Our God by Chris Tomlin

The Most Popular Song: Build My Life

A lot of worship songs are written by a handful of people—not just one musician. “Build My Life” is no different. The authors include Brett Younker, Karl Martin, Matt Redman, Kirby Elizabeth Kaple, and Pat Barrett. In an interview with HIS Radio in 2018, Barrett said the song came together “in pieces over the years” with the help of fellow worship leaders and friends. Barrett says he wrote it over a period of his life in which he experienced a lot of change. He was a new parent and “wanting to be the best parent.” Barrett says he was “looking for steadiness” in his own life, which prompted him to write the lyrics about building one’s life on God’s love.

The lyrics for the song speak to God’s faithfulness and his steadiness. It’s a beautiful song that expresses God’s uniqueness and holiness.

Worthy of every song we could ever sing
Worthy of all the praise we could ever bring
Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe
We live for You
Jesus, the Name above every other name
Jesus, the only One who could ever save
Worthy of every breath we could ever breathe
We live for You
Holy, there is no one like You
There is none beside You
Open up my eyes in wonder
Show me who You are and fill me
With Your heart and lead me
In Your love to those around me
I will build my life upon Your love
It is a firm foundation
I will put my trust in You alone
And I will not be shaken

You can check out the songs that take up the other nine slots on the top 10 list below. Perhaps you’ll sing one of them at church this weekend.

What a Beautiful Name

10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)

Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)

Great Are You Lord

This Is Amazing Grace

Who You Say I Am

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow (Doxology)

Here are a few renditions of the doxology that we love.

Lord I Need You

How Great Is Our God

Dave Willis: Jesus Shows Us How to Respect Women in a Culture of Disrespect

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Dave Willis and his wife, Ashley, host The Naked Marriage podcast, cohost the MarriageToday show on the Daystar network, and travel across the country speaking on marriage, family, and culture. Dave’s latest book, coming out November 2019, is Raising Boys Who Respect Girls: Upending Locker Room Mentality, Blind Spots, and Unintended Sexism. Dave and Ashley’s mission is to create resources focused on building Christ-centered marriages and families. They have four young sons and live near Dallas, Texas.

Key Questions for Dave Willis

-Why is there so much disrespect toward women in our society?

-Why is our modern emphasis on gender equality failing to increase respect toward women? 

-What advice would you give ministry leaders when other leaders are being disrespectful toward women?

-What are proactive steps pastors can take to promote the respect of women and true biblical masculinity and femininity?

Key Quotes from Dave Willis

“I realized, you know, this isn’t just a message for my sons. I think this is a message that needs to be told broader. It needs to be told in a broader way in society, and it needs to be a message that we can champion from the church because for whatever reason, it seems that church has been largely silent on these issues.” 

“I believe firmly that Jesus, more than anybody else in all of human history, did more to respect women and advance the dignity of women in His culture, which at the time was truly a really sexist culture.”

“We’ve only got one perfect example of how a man should respect women and it’s in the only perfect man who’s ever lived, Jesus Himself.”

“I believe one of the big factors is that there has become…this sort of socially acceptable mindset that you can compartmentalize certain aspects of your life and your integrity.”

“The widespread and socially acceptable use of pornography, I firmly believe, is one of the biggest factors that’s ultimately leading to the disrespect of women.”

“Until we get honest about [porn], none of these other things are going to make sense.”

“Another big myth that our culture is pushing is that for genders to be seen as equal, that means that we have to look at genders as if they’re exactly the same.” 

“Because toxic masculinity has harmed so much in society, all masculinity has kind of been lumped in that.”

5 Reasons Pastors Ought to Pray for Slow Growth

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Many of us want a big church, but pastors ought to pray for slow growth. We should check our hearts, battle pride, and give thought to the value of slow, steady growth as opposed to rapid, overwhelming growth.

Sometimes, God has other plans. David Platt took over for a mega-church pastor. Matt Chandler’s church experienced remarkable, numerical growth not long after he began preaching. Right after 9/11, Tim Keller saw an immediate increase in attendance of about 1,000 people. God does things like this, but these are the exceptions, not the rule.

The desire for fast growth isn’t sinful, but it is sinful to make an idol out of the size of your ministry. And sometimes, the line between godly and ungodly ambition is dangerously thin.

Ten years ago, I watched a preacher set a remarkable goal. He planned for 100 campuses, 100,000 church members, and 1,000 church plants—all in ten years. It’s a seductive vision. Who doesn’t want more church plants, more church members, more Christians? But I’m not convinced it’s a wise vision.

Smaller churches are not godlier than larger churches. I’m not calling for nogrowth. I’m simply going to suggest both you and your congregation will be well-served by slow and steady growth. If God wants to grow your work at a fantastic rate, submit to his will. The growth of our churches in the hands of our God. We can trust him.

Meanwhile, I pray the members of the church I serve, and the Christians in your church family would live out 1 Thessalonians 1:8, “For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.

FIVE REASONS TO PRAY FOR SLOW GROWTH

1. Pray for slow growth because quality is better than quantity.

Let me be clear what I’m not saying. I’m not saying you should set the bar for membership so high that only theologically-solid Christians with a long track-record of faithfulness should be allowed to join your church. That would be ungodly; a church is not a seminary.

am saying that younger pastors tend to ask fewer questions of incoming members than older pastors. When you are getting started, and you meet a couple on their fifth church in five years, you may think, “Wow, they finally found the right place!” But when you’ve been in ministry for a while, and you run into that same couple, you’re more likely to think, “This is potentially a problem I need to try and figure out before they join our church.”

If you are praying for slow growth, you’re much more likely to carefully shepherd Christians into your church, or carefully shepherd them back to another church, rather than quickly let them in for the sake of fast growth.

2. Pray for slow growth because good growth is likely lasting growth.

Proverbs 13:11 comes to mind: “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.” He’s saying how you gain wealth matters. The process is important. The more disciplined you are in your accumulation of wealth, the more likely it is to last. Consider how many lottery winners wind up broke.

Do you remember that pastor who cast a vision for 100 campuses, 100,000 members, 1,000 church plants? His church was big at the time, but now it’s gone.

It’s easy to be discouraged when you see a tiny trickle of people coming into your congregation. But if that trickle is good, solid growth, it’s much more likely to be growth that lasts.

3. Pray for slow growth because churches are not factories.

There’s a principle in economics called “economies of scale.” It’s a simple idea. A business experiences cost savings when it increases production. McDonald’s can negotiate a lower price for potatoes because it can buy millions of pounds. A ship is going to burn the same amount of fuel shipping ten containers as shipping a thousand. By being more efficient, factory managers can often produce more widgets with the same number of workers. All of this is the principle of economies of scale. Long story short, it’s usually very efficient when businesses grow.

But God didn’t design the church to maximize efficiency. As helpful as small groups may be, they’ll never replace a one-to-one conversation. As valuable as marriage retreats are, your church will always have couples in desperate need of marriage counseling.

Your sermon prep time will probably stay the same if you are preaching to fifty or 500. But as your church grows, the pastoral demands will grow as well, and it will become increasingly more difficult to ensure the body is shepherded well.

I’m thinking of Paul’s exhortation to the Ephesians elders Acts 20:28, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.” The words in that sentence that stand out to me are “careful” and “all.” Elders are to carefully shepherd every single member of the congregation. This is highly inefficient work. We shouldn’t think this work will become easier as the church grows.

Therefore, pray for slow growth.

4. Pray for slow growth because your ability to shepherd well will grow with time.

Shepherds are first and foremost Christians. They’re in the process of being sanctified. This is slow, gradual work.

  • Hebrews 10:14, “For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.”
  • Philippians 1:6, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
  • 1 Corinthians 1:18, “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
  • Colossians 3:9–10, “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”

All this applies to pastors. Our ability to shepherd well grows over time. We grow in love. We grow in joy. We grow in peace. We grow in patience. We grow in kindness. We grow in goodness. We grow in faithfulness. We grow in gentleness. We grow in self-control. Simply put, if the Holy Spirit is within us, if we’re fighting the good fight of the faith, we’re becoming better pastors.

Large congregations come with many, many needs. Some men are well-suited to step into a context like that and immediately start shepherding. Most men are not. Most of us need more time to grow and mature. You can’t microwave wisdom.

Therefore, pray for slow growth because your ability to shepherd will grow over time.

5. Pray for slow growth because frail, faithful churches look a lot like Jesus.

Small churches growing slowly seem weak. They appear to be one crisis away from folding, and I suppose that’s true. Many small churches are just barely holding on.

But here’s my question: if the church is the body of Christ, shouldn’t we embrace frail, faithful churches, churches that really do resemble Isaiah 53:2–3:

He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

We live in a world that idolizes speed, size, and flash. This isn’t the Christ I worship, and I’m not sure it’s the church I want to worship in.

God may see fit to grow my church in a remarkable way—he’s done so with men like Chrysostom and Charles Spurgeon and John Piper. But however big my church is, I pray it keeps the frailty and faithfulness of my Savior—always humble, always dependent upon the Holy Spirit, always willing to be rejected by the world.

This article about pastors ought to pray for slow growth originally appeared here.

Ten Atonement Songs You Should Consider Singing

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Over the years, I’ve realized that not all atonement songs about the cross are created equal. Some use the word “cross” without explaining what it means. Others see the cross merely as a selfless act of love for our encouragement. Others give voice to an appropriate response of devotion (e.g., Isaac Watts’ “When I Survey”). Some come close to articulating what Jesus accomplished at the cross while leaving out some of the details.

But the power of the cross is in the details of atonement songs.

That’s why I’m constantly on the lookout for atonement songs that clearly, beautifully, faithfully, and compellingly point us to what actually took place on a hill called Calvary. Jesus, the perfect Son of God, bore our sins in his body on the tree to endure the wrath of God for us. Why? So that we might be forgiven, reconciled to God, live joyfully for God’s glory, and spend eternity with him (Col. 1:13–14; 1 Pet. 2:24; Col. 3:17; Rev. 5:9–10). That reality is a source of endless beauty, wonder, worship, and joy.

You probably already sing worship songs that do just what I’ve been describing. Atonement songs like “Before the Throne of God Above,” “And Can It Be,” “In Christ Alone,” “Man of Sorrows,” “It Is Well,” “The Power of the Cross,” and many more.

Here are ten more atonement songs for you to consider that you might not know about or haven’t sung yet.

I’ve included some lines from each song and intentionally drawn from a variety of eras and styles.

Atonement Song #1. At the Cross of Jesus (John Eddison/Richard Simpkin)

“At the Cross of Jesus” is a modern, five-verse UK hymn with a simple melody. “Even though I be chief of all the sinners, there is hope for me.” “Though my sins condemn me, Jesus died instead.” “Let your love possess me, so that all may see what your death accomplished on the cross for me.”

Atonement Song #2. His Robes for Mine (Chris Anderson/Greg Habegger)

“His Robes for Mine” is another recent, four-verse hymn with a chorus. This is well known in some circles, but I led it for the first time last year. “I cling to Christ, and marvel at the cost, Jesus forsaken, God estranged from God.” “What cause have I to dread? God’s daunting law Christ mastered in my stead.” One of the few hymns that manages to get both “vicarious” and “propitiation” in one song.

Atonement Song #3. Jerusalem (Jonny Robinson, Rich Thompson, Tiarne Kleyn)

“Jerusalem” is a beautiful hymn from the Australian based group CityAlight, that takes us to the day Jesus died. “Dust that formed the watching crowds, takes the blood of Jesus.” “And he stood before the wrath of God, shielding sinners with his blood.”

Atonement Song #4. O Lord, My Rock and My Redeemer (Nate Stiff)

“O Lord, My Rock and My Redeemer” is a modern hymn that expresses the satisfaction and security that come from knowing our sins have been paid for. “My guilt and cross laid on your shoulders, in my place, You suffered bled and died.” “You rose, the grave and death are conquered, You broke my bonds of sin and shame.”

Atonement Song #5. Mediator (Cam Huxford)

“Mediator” is an upbeat indie rock song that expounds on 1 Timothy 2:5. “He takes our place and stands in front of God on high, he speaks on our behalf since we don’t have the right.” “There is only one God, there is only one mediator, standing between God and man, he’s the only way to salvation.”

Atonement Song #6. My Saviour Left His Throne Above (Zac Hicks/Julie Anne Vargas)

“My Saviour Left His Throne Above” is a modern hymn in 3/4 that reminds us of what Jesus did, felt, and earned for us through his life, death, and resurrection. “He felt the storms of human pain.” “He kept his Father’s every word; the Law he followed perfectly; So all God’s pleasure he secured, all this and more he earned for me.” “Because he died once for all time, and bore the curse of death and hell, final forgiveness here is mine, so it is finished, all is well.”

Atonement Song #7. Now Why This Fear (Doug Plank/Augustus Toplady)

“Now Why This Fear” is a modern adaptation of Augustus Toplady’s hymn, “From Whence This Fear and Unbelief.” “Will the righteous Judge of men condemn me for that debt of sin now canceled at the cross?” “Complete atonement You have made, and by Your death have fully paid the debt Your people owed.” “The merits of your great high priest have bought your liberty.”

Atonement Song #8. The Passion (Brooke Ligertwood/Scott Ligertwood/Chris Davenport)

Like “Man of Sorrows,” “The Passion” is another Hillsong offering that articulates penal substitution clearly and faithfully. “For Jesus’ blood that sets us free means death to death and life for me.” “The Innocent judged guilty, while the guilty one walks free, death would be His portion, and our portion liberty.”

Atonement Song #9. Upon A Life I Have Not Lived (Horatius Bonar/Kevin Twit)

“Upon a Life I Have Not Lived” is an indie song from Indelible Grace that emphasizes how the cross eliminates any boasting in ourselves. “Upon a life I have not lived, upon a death I did not die, another’s life, another’s death I stake my whole eternity.” “O Jesus, Son of God, I build on what Thy cross has done for me, There both my life and death I read, my guilt, my pardon there I see.”

Atonement Song #10. Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me (Jonny Robinson, Rich Thompson, Michael Farren)

“Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me” is another CityAlight addition to modern hymnody that I hope is being sung for a long time. “No fate I dread, I know I am forgiven, the future sure, the price it has been paid, for Jesus bled and suffered for my pardon and He was raised to overthrow the grave.”

While substitutionary atonement isn’t the only thing God wants us to sing about, it’s why we can sing to God at all, and the greatest reason we have to sing. And for those reasons, we will never have enough songs to extol the glory of the Lamb who was slain to purchase our salvation.

This article about atonement songs originally appeared here.

A Liberating Scripture About God’s Will

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Because we don’t want to get this one life wrong, Christians ask a lot of questions about God’s will. And they are searching for Scripture about God’s will.

More than any other time in history of Christianity, this is a popular topic. There was a time that if you grew up in a town as the son of a fisherman, you became a fisherman who lived in that town and married a woman from that town. When you moved into a house in that town, you never discussed all the options for the kitchen counters.

Throughout history we are a rarity. We have so many choices now, and we (including me) enjoy that freedom. But, as psychologist Barry Schwartz has pointed out, we are likely to live with paralysis or regret because of all the choices we are confronted with. We can be paralyzed by the magnitude of decisions, and we often regret the ones we make. For example, imagine you go on vacation and choose a condo on beach online from one of 30 available condos. As you walk the beach in the late evening, you will look at the 29 condos you did not select and wonder how your vacation would have been better or different if you had chosen a different place to spend a week. Instead of savoring the moment on the beach, you will notice the chairs you did not get to sit in, the view you did not choose, and the hammock that is hanging from the porch you did not select.

If we believe that God’s plans are best for us, we want His plans. And some of us have believed, or been taught, that those plans are very specific. And it is up to us to find them because even though we believe God is a loving and perfect Father, for some reason, He likes playing “hide and go seek” with His will and our lives.

How some have viewed God’s will is a burdensome way to live. Some have imagined that if we make one wrong choice we will be forever doomed to living outside His perfect and wonderful plan for our life.

The Liberating Scripture About God’s Will

I just finished reading Decision-Making and the Will of God by Garry Friesen. It is a very helpful book, and the most impactful section for me came from Garry’s articulation of Genesis 2.

The Lord God took the man and placed him in the garden of Eden to work it and watch over it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:15-17).

God’s desire was for Adam and Eve to not eat from one tree, but there was a lot of freedom beyond that. God did not say, “On Monday and Wednesday mornings you eat from the apple tree and on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, you eat from the avocado tree but only during odd months.” God gave them a lot of freedom if they were willing to follow what He revealed as His desire for them. He enjoyed watching them and handed responsibility to them. God was not indifferent to Adam and Eve’s choices but was equally pleased if they chose an avocado or an apple.

Follow what God has revealed to you and “you are free to eat from any tree.” Or as Augustine famously said, “Love God and do what you please.”

This article about Scripture about God’s Will originally appeared here.

10 Ways to Help Small Group Members Participate More

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Nathan Tate was a cell leader in a quandary. He had great quiet time—sometimes during his cell meeting! Other weeks, the talkative folks in the room would dominate the discussion. Some people would appear distracted and unable to focus during the sharing time. Nate was frustrated, and the group’s gatherings would end on a hollow note. How could Nate facilitate the group so all the small group members participate and get their needs met?

10 Ways to Help Small Group Members Participate More

1. Plan to Help Small Group Members Participate.

Nate realized he needed to take a step back and make long-range plans and goals for the group. His facilitation strategy, like that of many small-group leaders, was “ready, shoot, aim.” But people need to know the target before they can effectively work toward it. They need a reason for being together and a sense their group is striving for something, not just existing. People come to a group with different expectations. Without stated goals from the beginning, conflicts invariably arise. Those conflicts can eventually lead to the group’s disintegration. A group with no plan is like Jesus’ story about a blind man leading another blind man—into a pit (Matt. 15:14)!

To avoid the pits, pray for God’s guidance in determining your goals. Observe the people in your group. Ask them questions about their expectations, interests and needs. Formulate some specific goals, and then suggest them during a meeting. Encourage the group to discuss the goals and share any others they feel are important. Give them the opportunity to take “ownership” of the group’s goals.

2. Keep an eye (and ear, nose, mouth and skin) on the details.

Nate started paying attention to the physical environment of the meeting after reading this quote by poet Stephen Spender: “There is always a tendency of the body to sabotage the attention of the mind by providing some distraction.” Some of Nate’s cell group members could not focus on spiritual matters because of an uncomfortable atmosphere.

Keep these in mind when setting up your meeting space:

Circle up, so everyone can see the face of every other person in the group. A circle helps small group members participate equally.

Check the thermostat. Just a few people in a room increase the temperature. One expert advises that 67 degrees is an ideal temperature for groups.

Sniff around. We get accustomed to the smells in our homes, but visitors sense them immediately. Pets, things children spill in odd places, heavy perfumes, the evening dinner, even room deodorizers can irritate noses. Try lighting a few candles or simmering potpourri in the house. Research shows, for instance, that peppermint helps keep people alert.

Make your meeting tasteful. Straight-from-the-oven brownies, fresh popcorn or a beautifully arranged tray of fruit encourage group interaction. They also signal people that you planned ahead and want them there. Be creative and remember to provide for weight-watchers, diabetics and others with medical or personal needs.

Find the right room size. A cell meeting may feel intimidating in a huge room, but a group of 12 adults may feel claustrophobic in a tiny room.

Let your light shine, but not too brightly. Low lamplights are better than bright florescent or overhead lighting. The room should be bright enough for everyone to read, but low enough to feel cozy.

Don’t allow couples to share materials or Bibles. One of them will be less involved in the discussion.

Guard against distractions. Turn off cell phone ringers and mute the volume on answering machines. Put pets in another room or outside. Turn off TV sets, radios and computers during a meeting.

3. Don’t leave out the Holy Spirit!

The Spirit is the real teacher and leader. Nate began to notice how Jesus stayed open to His Father’s moving. In John 5:17, Jesus said, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” Later He said, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does” (v. 19). If Jesus admitted He could do nothing Himself, why should we think we can?

4. Build relationships outside the meeting.

Small group members participate more when they feel like “one of the gang.” A cell isn’t just a once-a-week meeting; it’s real fellowship. It’s a lifestyle! The early church met together “every day” (Acts 2:46), encouraging each other, caring for each other, instructing one another, etc. Nate looked for creative ways for members to “meet together”: using the phone and the Internet, doing everyday things (like shopping) together, playing or watching sports, whatever worked.

Excellence in Church Tech Ministry Flows From Great Training – Here Are Three Imperatives

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It should probably go without saying that volunteers are the lifeblood of any church tech ministry. No matter what kind of equipment a church has, or how great of a leader is on the team, it’s practically impossible in most cases to automate everything. It takes a team of talented folks to help pull off a service or event.

When it comes to having a team ready to run a service, the challenge many of us face is that of time. We’d love to have a group of folks able to fill every position and run it all like champions. But as the team leader, we often have so much already on my plate that we just can’t seem to find the time to train people to step in and do everything.

So, the result is that we either have to bear too much weight by running multiple positions on our own, or we’re stuck using ill-equipped church tech ministry volunteers in key roles, and we run the risk of the service quality being compromised or of that volunteer feeling so overwhelmed or discouraged that he isn’t interested in coming back next week to serve.

This is why having an effective training process is so critical. There is tremendous long-term benefit, if we’re able to really invest in people to the point that they’re able to run things on their own. This gives us the freedom to step back and observe the service, instead of having to live in the weeds every week. And, who knows…we may be able to have a Sunday off once in a while.

When it comes to building out an effective and functional church tech ministry training process, there are three main qualities that the process must have:

Church Tech Ministry Training Must Be Clear.

There’s nothing worse for a new volunteer than to be stuck in a muddled situation and not know what to do. Lack of clarity is a complete killer when it comes to momentum and positive energy and emotion. That’s why it’s critical that there be absolute clarity when it comes to the expectations of a new trainee.

At our church, every church tech ministry position at every campus has a list of what we call “benchmarks” that must be met throughout the training process. This allows us to communicate with absolute clarity what exactly is expected of anyone who wishes to serve.

It removes the subjectivity out of the process. No more “He feels like he’s ready” or “I’m sure she’ll be fine after she serves a couple of weeks” or “I think he’ll get the hang of it after a week or two”. There now becomes a clearly defined standard of what every operator should be able to do and understand.

Our team loads these benchmarks in Planning Center, using their new, free People app. By keeping this information digital, it allows the trainees to be able to monitor their own progress and know where they need to continue growing, and it allows the trainers to be able to make notes and keep track of how everyone is doing as they navigate the process.

Think of the training process as an interstate on-ramp. The goal is to go from 0 to 70 by the time you merge into traffic. But the only way you know your speed is to be able to look at something that objectively tells you where you stand, so you know how you need to improve. There’s no guesswork involved; the speedometer makes it perfectly clear to everyone in the car how close we are to success.

And without making the performance standards clear during the training process, it makes it nearly impossible for us to ever go back to that person and have a conversation to correct their performance, or tell them they aren’t serving at the level we need. If we never clarified the goal in the first place, it’s not fair to hold someone to a standard they never knew existed.

Church Tech Ministry Training Must Be Correct.

The old adage of “practice makes perfect” isn’t necessarily true. Practicing truly can help you get closer to perfection, but only if you’re practicing the right things the right way, and if there’s a coach to help provide guidance and advice during that training.

It is crucial to properly model the correct behavior at every step of the training process. Using experienced team members to mentor or coach a trainee (whether it’s the main team leader or another experienced volunteer) is an important part of the process. We don’t just want our trainee to have to figure things out on their own; we want someone with experience to show them the precise way we do things, and also explain they “why” behind the “what.”

A Kanye Sunday Service Brought Healing to Dayton After Shooting

communicating with the unchurched

Three weeks ago a gunman opened fire outside of a bar in Dayton, Ohio, killing nine people. In addition to killing his own sister, the gunman wounded dozens of other people. Last weekend, Grammy Award winning Kanye West brought his typically invite-only ‘Sunday Service’ to a park a few blocks away from where the tragedy took place. In the past, a Kanye Sunday Service has drawn preachers like Rich Wilkerson Jr. and Carl Lentz, not to mention other famous singers like Justin Bieber.

My Experience at a Kanye Sunday Service

Born in Dayton, and currently living in a suburb just outside of it, I was given the tip that West’s ‘Sunday Service’ was going to take place in our city. I was intrigued to see what it was all about and just how much worship and “Jesus” would be displayed from this word of mouth ‘Church Service’.

Having an open mind and an open heart going into it all, I have to say it was a little hard not to be star-struck. When popular comedian and movie star Dave Chappelle, Kanye’s wife Kim Kardashian, and two of their children came over to where I was standing and sat down in front of me, it felt as if my cell phone came out of my pocket and started snapping pictures on its own volition.

 

A choir was bussed in and consisted of approximately 100 local residents (all of whom practiced for the performance beforehand). The large group surrounded a piano, organ, and drum set. Kanye West then made his way up near the instruments and joined the choir. They allowed everyone waiting to then join them in the circle to worship. Jason White, ‘Sunday Service’s’ choir director, began the service with prayer, praising God for His love that lasts forever and thanking Him for showing that love even when men attack (referring to the gunman that opened fire a few blocks away just weeks prior).

Kanye himself could be seen singing, dancing, smiling, and clapping along with everyone in attendance. The choir sang notable gospel songs like ‘Amazing Grace‘, ‘Stand On The Word’ and a very powerful performance of ‘Hallelujah He Is Wonderful’.

They also sang renditions of Mary J. Blige’s song ‘Real Love‘ and Kayne West’s song ‘Jesus Walks‘. Kanye jumped on the piano to perform half of the song that included the lyrics:

To the hustlers, killers, murderers, drug dealers even the strippers
(Jesus walks for them)
To the victims of welfare for we living in hell here hell yeah
(Jesus walks for them)
Now hear ye hear ye want to see Thee more clearly
I know He hear me when my feet get weary
Cause we’re the almost nearly extinct
We rappers are role models we rap we don’t think
I ain’t here to argue about his facial features
Or here to convert atheists into believers
I’m just trying to say the way school need teachers
The way Kathie Lee needed Regis that’s the way I need Jesus
So here go my single dog radio needs this
They said you can rap about anything except for Jesus
That means guns, sex, lies, video tape
But if I talk about God my record won’t get played
Huh?
Well let this take away from my spins
Which will probably take away from my ends
Then I hope this take away from my sins
And bring the day that I’m dreaming about
Next time I’m in the club everybody screaming out
God show me the way because the devil trying to break me down
(Jesus Walks with me, with me, with me)
The only thing that I pray is that me feet don’t fail me now

 

We Serve a Great God Worthy of Praise

Jason White rarely spoke outside of leading the singing, but when he did he encouraged everyone with his words and pointed people to Jesus Christ.

The love of God is needed and the love of God is unconditional and it’s a must, but there is no way we can have love for God and not love for each other.

We serve a great God worthy of praise.

We have been praying for you Dayton, we want to know how we can speak to you, and share the love of Christ with you all today.

Our mission and our drive is that we are sharing Christ, sharing the Gospel of Christ through music and through song.

The only call that we know that professes the name of Jesus is Christianity. Do we have any Christians, believers here today?

We are not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, and with Him we can do all things…all things are possible.

God Uses Christian Song to Lead Man to Confess Murder

communicating with the unchurched

In a surprising move, a man named Danny Dashay Holmes has pled guilty to a number of crimes, including first-degree murder, that he committed in Tennessee in December of 2016. What makes his confession unusual is Holmes says God used the Christian song, “Redeemed,” to lead him to confess his crimes, for which he will serve a life sentence.

“I’m 30 years old, and I’ve been fighting for nothing all my life,” said Holmes, according to the Daily News Journal (DNJ). “I’ve been fighting for gangs…I ain’t never fought for anything that made sense. But I knew the Lord was telling me to fight for him this time. I just knew he was stirring on my spirit.”

“Redeemed” in Prison

On December 16th, 2016, Holmes and three other suspects kidnapped a woman named Brittany Johnson and made her drive to the home of Cesar Lopez-Flores. There, Holmes killed Lopez-Flores, left Johnson, and fled the scene of the crime. He was arrested on December 27th

According to DNJ, the indictment against Holmes included “charges related to first-degree murder, kidnapping, robbery and criminal impersonation of law enforcement.” In a court statement last Friday, Holmes explained that he met God over a year ago in prison and that is why he decided to confess to the murder and his other crimes. “I knew the Lord was just on me, weighing on me over and over,” Holmes said. As he was already sensing that God wanted him to confess, he read these lyrics from the song, “Redeemed,” by the band Big Daddy Weave: “Then You look at this prisoner and say to me, ‘Son, stop fighting a fight that’s already been won.’” It was once he read those lyrics that Holmes made the decision to enter a guilty plea. 

Big Daddy Weave lead singer and guitarist Mike Weaver has said that “Redeemed” came from his personal struggle with self-worth. He was at a very low point in this struggle when the Holy Spirit spoke to him. Said Weaver, “I was an absolute broken heap on the floor of my garage as the God of the universe began to show me in my heart and in my mind how He sees me and share with me the way that He feels about me.” Weaver said his life changed that day and that God changed the way he saw humility. Rather than being self-deprecating, Weaver came to see true humility as agreeing with God’s perspective–and God’s perspective is that he is redeemed.

Holmes told the court he deserves his life sentence, calling it a “badge of honor.” During his time in prison, he has come to realize the gravity of what he did by killing Lopez-Flores, who had three daughters. Holmes also explained that he used to have an extravagant lifestyle, but now he plans to encourage young people in prison to turn to God and not to material wealth.

Holmes’ family was present as he read his 20-minute statement and cried while he did. At one point, he addressed his mother, saying, “Momma, you know I love you. But Momma, I promise you, your baby boy, he’s going to serve the Lord forever.”

Over 8,000 People Come to Christ at SoCal Harvest

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Greg Laurie has organized the SoCal Harvest for 30 years in a row now. This year, Laurie says over 100,000 people showed up at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, and 8,670 people made a profession of faith. 

“Hope has a name and it’s Jesus Christ, and he’s here to change your life tonight,” Laurie told the crowd. “I have hope tonight for the hopeless generation. I have hope tonight for the Millennials and Gen X…and Baby Boomers.”

This year’s event included music and speakers on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights (August 23-25). Musicians for King & Country, Jeremy Camp, Passion Worship, Phil Wickham, Chris Tomlin, Lecrae, and the Newsboys performed songs and led the group in worship. Besides Laurie, who is the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, speakers included Laurie’s son Jonathan, Pastor Levi Lusko, and former professional baseball player Darryl Strawberry. 

SoCal Harvest and the Simple Gospel

SoCal Harvest events are known for giving a simple gospel message and inviting people to make a profession of faith. Laurie explained the need for the gospel this way: “The problem is you were separated from God by sin” and that’s why “there’s a hole in your heart.” He went on to explain how Jesus is the only one who can bring us back to God. “Only Jesus Christ was uniquely qualified to bridge the gap between holy, perfect God and unholy, imperfect humanity.” 

“Jesus came to pay a debt he did not owe because we owed a debt we could not pay,” Laurie said as he explained how Jesus died on the cross in our place. He asked those who wanted to profess their faith in Christ to “make a public stand to follow Jesus” by walking out on to the baseball field, behind the stage. The Passion worship band played “In Christ Alone” as people started making their way from the stands down to the field. Laurie continued to speak words of encouragement as people came down, saying “You don’t clean your life up then come to Christ. You come to Christ and he’ll clean your life up.” He also expressed the urgency of the need for people to come to Christ, asking them if they wanted to leave the stadium being for Christ or against him. “You might be one of the last ones to come, but hey—better late than never.” 

Partnering With Local Churches for Follow Up

SoCal Harvest partnered with over 100 local churches in the greater Los Angeles area to pull off the three-day event. Local churches donate money and volunteers to make the event possible, as well as organize groups of people to attend. 

The local churches really come into play after the event, too, in very important ways. When a person makes a profession of faith at SoCal Harvest, organizers of the event have a number of things set up to help that person walk out that decision. On their website, Harvest explains what happens after the initial profession:

Those making a profession of faith in Christ are paired up with a Decision Follow-Up Worker and receive a free Start! Bible. The Decision Follow-Up Worker prays and encourages the new believer. He or she also documents the person’s decision to follow Christ. The documentation is then given to a local church representative on the night of the crusade. Within 48 hours of the crusade, local churches mail letters and make phone calls to the new believers. To ensure the success of this step, Harvest Crusades utilizes mailings and other resources to encourage the local churches to follow up with all new believers. Harvest also has follow-up curriculum available for churches that haven’t yet developed their own.

SoCal Harvest says over 500,000 people have come to Christ through their events in the last 30 years and over 6 million people have attended. As far as Laurie is concerned, the more the merrier. “I want to take as many people with me to Heaven as I possibly can,” he said.

Ebola Deja Vu in Africa

communicating with the unchurched

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is experiencing an Ebola epidemic. My family lived in Zimbabwe in the 1980s when the world was first becoming aware of AIDS. Many Zimbabweans didn’t believe the disease was real. They thought AIDS was an invention of either a government that wanted to control their lives or of Western countries that wanted to control their sexual activity and reduce the birth rate. Only after thousands of deaths did people accept the reality of the disease. By then AIDS was out of control.

Fast forward to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2019. The second worst Ebola epidemic in history is taking place in the eastern part of the country. Recently, my husband led an orality and Bible storying seminar for Christian leaders just south of the worst-hit areas. He asked one of the men about Ebola, and the response was that it isn’t a real disease. Sadly, this response reflects the belief of 25 percent of the people in the parts of the DRC most affected by the disease. As was the case in Zimbabwe, this church leader believes the disease has been manufactured by political factions to reduce the population, which would then allow them to exploit the country’s vast mineral wealth.

Despite the efforts of faith leaders to convince their communities that Ebola is real and that there are ways to prevent its spread, the disease has claimed over 1,900 lives in the year since the current outbreak was declared on August 1, 2018. The World Health Organization (WHO) is reporting approximately twelve new cases of Ebola each day in the DRC. The Congolese government says only 50 percent of Ebola cases are being identified.

Download the Ebola fact sheet produced by the Baptist Mission of Uganda.

In mid-July, the Congolese city of Goma reported its first case of Ebola. Goma, with a population of two million, is situated near the borders of Rwanda and Uganda. Because the city is a major transportation hub in the area, there are very real concerns Ebola may become an international problem. Health-care workers in all three countries are being trained extensively, and their governments are cooperating effectively in efforts to contain the disease, but it is a serious and complicated issue, especially in the eastern DRC. In mid-August, cases were reported in a third province in the region.

Decades of political instability, mistrust of government, and preference of traditional remedies over what is offered at medical clinics have caused many people in the affected areas to refuse to seek treatment. Because so many people wait until they are extremely ill to go to a treatment center, and therefore they are likely to die there, the centers have become unfairly thought of as places of death instead of places of recovery. Many who accept the reality of Ebola haven’t had access to medical care because regional conflict and mistrust of health-care workers has led to numerous casualties and the destruction of treatment facilities. The BBC reports there have been over 198 attacks against Ebola treatment facilities and health-care workers this year.

Shortly after the death of the man who had Ebola in Goma, the WHO declared the situation a public health emergency of global concern. This is only the fifth time WHO has taken this action regarding any global health situation. It should help increase the amount of aid being directed to the Ebola epidemic. Already, stepped up production of a very effective vaccine is underway and the production of a second vaccine is in discussion. And in recent days, two drugs have been found to raise the survival rate to 90 percent in patients who receive the drugs when they still have low levels of the virus in their blood.

Fervent Prayer Needed Now During Ebola Outbreak

Dr. Larry Pepper, an IMB medical doctor in neighboring Tanzania who ministered during an Ebola outbreak in Uganda several years ago, suggests some ways we can pray for those in areas affected by Ebola:

  • Pray for the safety and courage of health-care workers.
  • Pray for the sick to heal.
  • Pray for peace among the families who suffer from the stigma of being touched by Ebola in some way.
  • Pray against the lies and schemes of Satan regarding Ebola.
  • Pray for local churches to show Christ’s mercy in their communities through services like food distribution, material aid, and praying with and for health-care workers.

Local churches can also help families by caring for orphans and vulnerable children who are often stigmatized because of the effects of Ebola on their families. Churches can positively impact their communities by spreading truths about Ebola and demonstrating good relations with treatment centers. Two weeks ago Protestant churches in Goma provided hand washing stations at their facilities to promote a preventative measure as simple as this method of good hygiene.

Support Baptists in their Ebola prevention, education, and orphan care efforts.

Now a second man has died of Ebola in Goma, and his wife and one of his ten children have confirmed cases. Many of our friends and ministry partners pass through Goma on their way to other cities. A pastor friend who is there now says the people are afraid. Perhaps their fear signals they accept the reality of Ebola and will take precautions. Pray they do so before it is too late.

This article originally appeared here.

Read about Kent Brantly returning to Africa with the Ebola outbreak happening.

23 1/2 Themes for a Great Theme Night

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You’ve done backwards theme night, crazy hat night, silly sock night and double point night  for your kidmin… now what?

Here are 23 and a half themes for theme night to get those creative brain cells going.

1. Glowstick Theme Night – Play games with glow sticks (in the dark, of course, though do have some light for safety.) Kids stand on a predetermined line and toss their glow sticks into a bucket (line the top with glow sticks).  Or, you could play glow-stick “pick-up-sticks” or glow stick ring toss.  Large Group lesson could be on letting your light shine for Christ. Matthew 5:16

2. Riddles and Giggles Night – Everyone brings a joke to share. Large Group Lesson – a merry heart does us good. Proverbs 17:22

3. Pirate Theme Night – Kids dress as pirates. Play games with gold-covered chocolate coins or have a scavenger hunt. Large Group Lesson – The Bible doesn’t talk about pirates, but we do have an account of Paul’s shipwreck. We also have other verses that talk about treasure. Acts 27/28 or Proverbs 2:3-5

4. Dots and Stripes Night – Kids dress in polka dots or stripes. For every section said, kids get to “dot” their leader with a dot sticker. Large Group Lesson – Joseph and his coat of many colors. Explain that the big deal about the coat was it’s embroidery and the fact that it was longer—not short such as a shepherd’s coat. These were the types of coats given to privileged people who didn’t have to work. (Shorter shepherd’s coats allowed the shepherd to quickly climb over rocks and jump over streams.)  No wonder Joseph’s brothers were jealous. Genesis 37

5. Goofy Glasses Night – Kids wear goofy glasses. Give prizes for the goofiest. Large Group Lesson – Hebrews 12:2  Here we’re told to look to Jesus.

6. Dress Like Your Dad or Mom Night – Kids dress like a parent. Large Group Lesson – Ephesians 6:2 (To help kids get ideas, suggest they model a uniform if their parents wears a uniform to work, or if their parent is an Awana leader. Or they could carry a “tool” of their parents employment: a book if she’s a teacher, a stethoscope if she’s a doctor, etc.)

7. Nickel and Dime Night – Kids bring nickels and dimes for your local Awana missionary or another missionary your church supports. (Let leaders and kids know about this night several weeks beforehand so they can begin saving.)  Play games with the coins: tossing them into a bucket; seeing how many a kid can balance on the end of a spoon etc. Large Group Lesson could be about missions or you could ask your Awana misstionary to speak.

8. Mr. (or Mrs.) Potato Head Night – Children dress as potatoes. Provide material scraps, sequins, etc. and then give them categories. Dress your potato as: an Awana leader, a well-known person, a dog, etc. Give prizes for the most creative. Large Group Lesson – no, there are no potatoes in the Bible, however, you could talk about the variety of food God provides for us and talk about thankfulness for all the good things we have to eat.

9. Town Night – What’s happening in your town right now? Are you having a pumpkin festival, a winter festival, a cheese festival? Is the new mall opening? Is the high school basketball team heading for the state championship? Think of ways you can incorporate that into theme nights. Perhaps you could collect food for a community food bank as part of the theme.

10. Pastor Appreciation Night – Ask the children to write a note of appreciation to the pastor, collect them and give them to your pastor during Pastor Appreciation Week. If your kids don’t know your pastor (or even if they do), invite him to speak that night.

11. Ruler Theme Night – All clubbers bring a ruler. You could start the night to see which team has the longest amount of inches (represented by their rulers). This would be especially fun if some brought yardsticks or tape measures. Give a point for each inch represented. You could have competitions where the result needs to be measured such as throwing a ball or frisbee (or if inside, a cotton ball). Large Group Lesson could be about a ruler such as Solomon or David.  Or it could be about Colossians 3:15 on allowing the peace of God to rule in your heart.

12. Duct Tape Night – Children come with duct tape on their clothes (such as making a hat or bracelet from tape), or have duct tape available in various colors and design and allow the kids to be creative. Large Group Lesson – Proverbs 18:24: A true friend “sticks” closer than a brother.

13.  Time Capsule Theme Night – The first night of club gather together items for a time capsule. If you plan to open the capsule at the end of the year, you could have the children write down two or three goals and simply put those in the capsule. You could also have the kids guess the results of upcoming happenings of the year: How many nights will Awana be called because of snow? How will the local sports team do in the final rankings? Will Leader Katie have a boy or a girl? How many total verses will be said during the year? (Of course, then you do need to keep track.)

Or, you could do a longer capsule, one to be opened when most of the kids are graduating from high school. Include a current event update, goals the kids have, goals you have for your children’s ministry and anything else you would like to put in the capsule.

Large Group Lesson could be about redeeming the time. Ephesians 5:16

14. Souper Bowl Night – Bring soup for a soup kitchen or food pantry. Large Group Lesson on service (many verses you can choose from).

15. Campfire Night – If you’re located in an appropriate climate and have the ability to actually have a campfire, that’s great. Otherwise make one from logs, orange, brown, red crepe/tissue paper and a couple flashlights. Sing campfire choruses. Again, if you can, have s’mores. Large Group Lesson – John 21:9  Talk about the need to follow Christ.

16. King and Queen Night – Children can dress as kings or queens. (Younger girls will especially like this.) Large Group Lesson – Esther or any other Bible event that involves kings and queens.

17. Fashion Disaster Night (good for girls)  Children come dressed as mismatched as they can. Large Group Lesson – 1 Samuel 16:7

18. Cookie Night – Bake a giant cookie (or four giant cookies – one for each team). Count how many chocolate chips you put into the cookie. Each child gets one guess as to how many chips are in the cookie. The one who comes closest gets to take the cookie home (wrapped in plastic wrap) or he/she might choose to break it into pieces and share it with his/her team. Large Group Lesson could be on sharing.

19. Any Country Night – Choose a country to celebrate. This could be one where your church has missionaries or a home country of one of your leaders. Play games from that country, fix food from that country, talk about the culture and the land. Large Group Lesson – a missionary story about that country.

20. Messy Night – Kids wear dirty clothes. This is not only fun, but gives the game director the freedom to play messy games. Large Group Lesson could either be about Jeremiah 17:9 (the deceitful heart) or Isaiah 64:6 (our righteousnessnes are as filthy rags).

21. Obedience Night – Invite a Christian dog trainer to come to club and talk about training dogs. You could play games such as Simon Says. Large Group Lesson – on the importance of obeying God or obeying parents (Ephesians 6:1)

22. Cow Theme Night – Children dress in black and white. Play “Dead cow, sick cow” during Game Time. (A quick web search will provide the rules.) Large Group Lesson – Psalm 50:10 – He owns the cattle on a thousand hills.

23. Ant Night – Invite someone to talk to the group who knows about ants (perhaps they have an ant farm). Have ants on a log for a snack (peanut butter and raisins on celery). Large Group Lesson could be Proverbs 6:6; Proverbs 30:24

And now for the half …

24. Half Night – Halfway through the year have Half Night. Award small prizes to kids who memorize Scripture verses. During game time, kids run halfway around the circle. Have snack time where each clubber receives half a cookie. Large Group Lesson – You could do this one right after King and Queen Night and once again talk about Esther and how the king offered her anything up to half his kingdom.

For more great ideas for your children’s ministry, check out all our articles here. 

The Real Cultural Core Issue: Disconnection

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This post about disconnection was originally posted to my Facebook profile the day after the deadly mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio…

Two mass shootings in twenty four hours. We’re severely broken.

This morning, I’m starting a sermon series about the topic of parenting, family, and influencing the next generation.

In the next week, all kinds of opinions will be shared from both left and right about what legislation should or shouldn’t be passed.

But there’s a core issue…disconnection.

We’re disconnected. We’re divided.

There’s a coldness and a darkness, and on days like today, we feel its presence more because the darkness dominates the news cycle. But it’s there on the days between the acts of violence, festering and brewing.

In a world where God would have us cultivate deeper connections with him, with each other, with people of all ethnicities and backgrounds, we keep isolating, separating, and choosing fear and hate instead of love and compassion.

White supremacy and its sickening ideologies thrive in a culture of fear and anger. People are dying because they’re brown-skinned, or they’re of another religion, or they’re from a different country.

The world around us needs love and light. Withdrawal and isolation isn’t an option. Neither is a spirit of vengeance.

I believe that the church gets to address the core issue of relational connection and the redemption offered by Jesus, who came to rescue a very sin-sick world. You and I get to have a voice that fights against the darkness.

Our hearts break. We pray for the families and communities surrounding the victims. And we also get to share the great hope we have, both now and for eternity, in the redemptive, saving work of King Jesus.

And whether you follow Jesus or not, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that there’s a severe shortage of love, truth, grace, and righteousness around us.

Where do love, connection, truth, grace, and righteousness get cultivated? It starts in homes. In marriages. In families. It filters out to churches, schools, neighborhoods, and hopefully the halls of government, too.

We have to feel the hurt and pain. We have to see the darkness for what it is. And we have to answer it with love and light like never before!

This article about disconnection originally appeared here.

Two Years After Church Massacre, Pastor Runs for Office

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Saying he wants to restore “civility and godliness” to Texas and stop its downward moral spiral, Pastor Frank Pomeroy announced on Sunday that he’s running for state senate. Pomeroy’s church, First Baptist Church Sutherland Springs, was the site of the November 2017 Texas church shooting that claimed 26 lives—including that of Pomeroy’s 14-year-old daughter, Annabelle.

Pomeroy, 53, has no political experience and hasn’t been vocal about politics, but he says the massacre at his church two years ago and in El Paso earlier this month put him on a “trajectory” to seek public office. “This is totally out of my wheelhouse,” he admits, “but I’m totally trusting the Lord to show me how to do the things I need to do.”

‘If Texas falls, the country falls’

Pomeroy filed paperwork for a senate run last week and formally announced his Republican candidacy for District 21 after worship yesterday. “If I can bring civility and godliness and help stymie the downward spiraling of the great state of Texas,” he says, “that’s what I’m choosing to try to do.” The pastor adds that “morality and integrity” are “disappearing rapidly”—especially within the Democratic Party—and that “if Texas falls, the country falls.”

After the massacre at his church, Pomeroy says, he began having more conversations about tough issues such as guns. And after the El Paso shooting, he was upset when some people politicized the tragedy. “There was so much salt poured into that wound, and the wound was tragic enough,” he says. “I feel like something needed to be brought to the conversation, like civility and real intelligent discourse.”

District 21, which extends hundreds of miles from Austin to the U.S.-Mexico border, is solidly Democratic. Pomeroy faces incumbent Democrat Judith Zaffirini, who’s been in office since 1987. After the pastor spoke Sunday about declining morals, Zaffirini said she was “very surprised to hear such a harsh comment coming from a pastor.” She knows Pomeroy as “a man of integrity,” she adds, and plans to engage with him “respectfully,” as she would with any challenger.

‘Faith sustained us,’ After Texas Church Shooting, says Pomeroy 

On Saturday, Pomeroy participated in a panel at a mental health conference in San Antonio, sharing how his congregation survived and thrived after the shooting. “The church was the center of the community in many ways,” he said. “And because of that, the entire community put faith beyond themselves. In the midst of that tragedy, that faith sustained us, and…that faith [is] helping us to grow.” Earlier this year, First Baptist dedicated a new building, declaring that “evil did not win.”

People who are hurting should hope in God, not in others, Pomeroy told conference attendees. “Without hope, there is no life.” The pastor requested continued prayers for all shooting survivors so they know they’re not alone.

His congregation’s goal, Pomeroy says, is to be there for other people. Victim advocate Katy Quinney, a responder in Sutherland Springs, says they’re succeeding. “They are the most faithful people I’ve ever met in my life,” she said Saturday. “That resonates from the inside of that church out into the entire community.”

Bethel Church on Homosexuality: Jesus Showed Us How to Disagree But Love

Changed
Screengrab Facebook @BethelChurch, Redding

Bethel Church in Redding, California is drawing criticism for a series of posts on social media highlighting a new ministry called the Changed Movement. The ministry is geared toward “Christians who are unfulfilled in identifying as LGBTQ+.” Some critics feel the church isn’t taking a clear enough stance on homosexuality while others fear they are edging toward conversion therapy territory.

“We believe God is on a mission to make Himself known. And He is using the most controversial, unlikely and provocative topics—homosexuality and gender identity—to do it,” Changed’s website reads. 

For the past few weeks, Bethel has been posting short testimonies of people who once identified as LGBTQ+ but have since left that lifestyle behind. One such testimony is from Daniel Delgado, who writes:

On a Sunday night in December, when I was 20 years old, I met Jesus in a very experiential way. I surrendered my life to him. I then began to attend a program that ministers to those with gender confusion. So many painful issues in my life were addressed there. Over time, I began to accept myself and be at home in my own skin, as a man. Seeing and knowing other men as human beings instead of sexualizing them has been a life-changing transformation. I am so thankful for the new life God has given me. Today, I enjoy life and get to point others to the hope I have found.

While that particular post drew some critical comments from people concerned that Bethel was giving a testimony about conversion therapy (which has been the topic of several legislative debates in California in particular as well as the broader country), the following post drew even more criticism for the church’s alleged ambiguous stance toward homosexuality. Some in the evangelical church argue one cannot fully know Christ while clinging to a homosexual lifestyle and that to tell someone anything other than this would be leading them astray. 

The slew of comments garnered by this post seem to encapsulate how the broader church in America is grappling with how to address homosexuality in the church. On a scale from affirming to rejecting, churches across the country are having to decide where they fall on the scale and how they will communicate this to their communities. Several denominations have experienced schism over this very topic. 

Responding to a comment on this post, Bethel Church said: “We believe you can love people and disagree with them simultaneously, and that Jesus modeled this for us well.” 

Bethel Attempts to Clarify

Ken Williams and Elizabeth Woning co-founded the Changed Movement. In a video posted to Facebook, Williams explains both he and Woning experienced suicidal feelings when they were living LGBTQ lifestyles. “I stopped having suicidal feelings after I found help and hope through church and through a counselor.” Williams says being accepted into a “safe space” in church happened for him in the late 1980s, but that now, in today’s culture, “it’s much easier now to find a safe space to go into LGBTQ than it is to leave there.” 

Woning says they are trying to create a safe space at Bethel to show people that “Jesus has hope for you.” The group shares testimonies, Woning explains, not to convince people they need to change, but to show that “when you experience the love of Jesus, there’s dramatic impact.” 

Sharing part of his own experience in counseling, Williams explains he experienced God’s “unjudgmental love” that embraces a person with grace before that person takes steps to change his or her lifestyle. Williams says Changed doesn’t use the approach of telling someone what to do, rather they want people to “encounter the same loving Jesus that we did.” 

Woning says the change in her lifestyle was the “serendipitous outcome” of asking Jesus for wholeness and freedom. It wasn’t, she insists, “because I disciplined myself into a certain feeling or a certain belief.” 

Williams and Woning say they “know hundreds” of people who have left an LGBTQ lifestyle behind. They also know “a lot” of people who have not left the lifestyle behind—even people who have come to Bethel for help. Woning says she knows people who have engaged in Bethel’s Sozo ministry, which is an intercessory prayer style developed by the church. They’ve also “soaked” in worship for 72-hours straight and not gotten any help. As a result, these people feel “absolutely rejected by God, absolutely hopeless.” These are the people Williams and Woning say they are trying to help through the Changed community. 

“You’ll never know unconditional love unless you share your condition,” Williams says as he advocates for a “safe space” where people are free to admit they struggle with same-sex attraction. “We come alongside [people who are same-sex attracted] relationally instead of with our directives.” 

‘I Saw a Refugee Crisis’–What Iranian Christians Are Facing Once They Leave

communicating with the unchurched

Editor’s note: This article contains a graphic image of a man who was beaten. We feel it is worth including in order to illustrate Christian persecution in Iran and the European refugee crisis. 


“I saw a refugee crisis going on in the world, and I couldn’t not go.”

 A little over a year ago, Eric Demeter was working in business when he realized God was calling him back to ministry. While he at first pursued that calling by working for a corporate ministry, he realized something was missing. “I knew my heart and my passion was working with people. Put me with the people, put me with the needy…boots on the ground, that’s Eric,” he said in an interview with ChurchLeaders. 

European Refugee Crisis: Working with Iranian Refugees in Greece

Eric already had quite a bit of experience leading missions teams around the world and had been through Athens a couple of times on short-term trips. He knew there were many people who were not Christians in the area: “I saw tens of thousands of people going through Athens, which is a hub, and I wanted to share about Jesus, so what better place to go?” Throughout the past year, he has been working with Iranian refugees in Greece, sharing the gospel, teaching English and Bible classes, and simply living life with people. 

Because of his work, Eric has had an up-close look at the persecution Christians are facing both in Iran and in Greece, and he wants to get the word out to the church about what our Iranian brothers and sisters are going through. “Part of my job is just sharing their stories,” he says, “that we have brothers and sisters in need around the world who need our support, need our help, need our prayers. And the persecution doesn’t stop once they come to Greece. You would think that once they come to Greece everything is fine, but it’s actually not.” 

What Christians Are Facing in Iran 

Iran, which is ruled by Islamic law, was listed ninth in Open Doors’ World Watch List 2019, which ranks the top 50 countries in the world where Christians face the worst persecution. “Christians in Iran are not allowed to share their faith,” says Eric. They are not allowed to gather publicly or to baptize other Iranians. If they do, he says, “They can get threatened, they can get interrogated, they can get put in prison and they can be tortured.” 

He has heard a lot of stories about Iranians running for their lives. Some of the people he has met in Greece left Iran, not because they had been persecuted, but because they didn’t want to live under the oppression of the regime. “Many of them have become Christians after coming to Greece,” he says. 

One of Eric’s friends, whom we’ll call Izad, was imprisoned twice for sharing his faith. While in prison, he shared a 12-square-foot cell with 14 people. Every day, the only food he received was one piece of bread and one potato, which he had to share with three other people. He lost over 100 pounds in less than 90 days. 

Izad was also hung from the ceiling and beaten. His sister-in-law took the picture below right after he was released the second time.  

european refugee crisis

The Iranian government told him if they caught him sharing his faith again, he would die. 

Eric says he asked him, “Was Jesus worth it?” 

“Yes,” Izad responded. “I will experience trouble again for Jesus.” 

More Trouble in Greece

You might think that once Christians escape from Iran, they are free from being persecuted for their faith. This, however, is not the case. Eric says that when Iranian refugees come to Greece, they end up in refugee camps, where the culture is the same as the one they just left: It is majority Muslim and Christians are still persecuted. 

6 Things the Church Should Learn From Chick-Fil-A

communicating with the unchurched

Upon graduating college, Chick-fil-A was not the place I envisioned myself landing. Endless amounts of chicken and the growing infatuation for chicken (plus two pickles) sandwiches seemed less than the bright future anticipated. Thankfully, it was the exact job God planted me in to grow my love for people, not poultry. And there are a few lessons the church should and could learn from Chick-fil-A.

While my time with CFA recently ended, what I gained from the company never will. Forgetting the times I spilt three gallons of sweet tea on the floor and had to remake 150 homemade biscuits…

I’ll pass along the valuable lessons during the past 13 months that we can learn from Chick-fil-A.

1. Learn from Chick-fil-A: It’s my pleasure! Or is it?

Chick-fil-A is known for having the most caring team members around, workers who take pride and pleasure in what they do. While working at my most recent restaurant, many guests posed the question, “Why is everyone here so nice?!”

Here’s the secret: The hiring process for Chick-fil-A is brutal and hard to get through. Operators only hire the cream of the crop in group interviews and stacks of applications. If it’s not going to be their pleasure serving others, then Chick-fil-A is not the company for them. In the words of a former operator, “the paycheck is not the reason they should be applying at this company.”

When considering if a ministry/church volunteer position is for you or someone else, take a close look at the reason why. If serving others isn’t the top reason, it’s not a good fit for the church.

2. Learn from Chick-fil-A: Stop stocking Polynesian.

The first faces of a Chick-fil-A restaurant are the front counter crew. If someone on the frontline isn’t taking an order, their first trained reaction is to clean and their second is to stock.

Know what America’s favorite dipping sauce is? Most guess Chick-fil-A sauce, but it’s surprisingly Polynesian sauce. With a high demand for the beloved, tangy sweet-and-sour sauce, many on the frontline find themselves keeping occupied and being on task by stocking Polynesian when the lines get low.

Unfortunately, if all eyes stay too long on the task, the guests are ignored.

Where are our eyes in the presence of guests? Is it on the church budget, the worship team set up, the attendance … or on the needs of those we have a moment with? There’s a difference in completing a task and actually doing our job.

3. Learn from Chick-fil-A: Treat potential leaders like icebergs.

Ten months into my Chick-fil-A venture, I was transferred from a marketing director to a manager. Initially, I fought the change; while being a leader comes natural for me, running a restaurant does not.

Thankfully, my operator and Chick-fil-A as a whole view leaders as icebergs.

The part of an iceberg above the surface makes up only a rough 10 percent of the icy mass. Ninety percent cannot be seen, for the majority of an iceberg is below the water. If people are like icebergs, the 10 percent most look at represents skills and learned habits—like putting together an ice cream machine and counting registers. Those things can be learned! The larger 90 percent represents the conditions of the heart—humility, character, honesty, integrity, etc.

In the church, how often do we base people’s stature and positions on learned skills, aka the 10 percent? Character and persistence will be what takes a vision farther after volunteers burn out on their own competence and craft.

15 Prayers for Kids in School

communicating with the unchurched

You guys, it’s August 1 and school is literally around the corner. For some of you it’s starting momentarily. And we need prayers for kids in school especially now. I always have mixed feelings about seeing kids go back to school. My hope is they go back to school after a summer of diving deep into Jesus. As someone who spends her summers helping kids encounter and experience God in a way that changes them forever I so badly want them to stick with Jesus all year long. I spend a lot of time praying for these little ones. I know that school can be very tough emotionally and spiritually for so many kids (hence my mixed emotions).

Here are some specific prayers for kids in school from Scripture that I pray for kids throughout the year but especially as they go back to school.

“Jesus, may their roots go down deep into the soil of your marvelous love and please give them the power to understand how long, how wide, how deep, and how high your love for them truly is.” (Ephesians 3:17-18)

“God, help them to remember and really grasp that they are fearfully and wonderfully made, with no mistakes!” (Psalm 139:14)

“Holy Spirit, empower them to see and add value to those who are lonely, left behind, bullied, or forgotten. May they show love to everyone they encounter.” (John 13:34

“God, help them to have be strong and courageous, especially when it’s extra hard.” Joshua 1:9

“Jesus, protect their eyes from things they don’t need to see, their ears from harmful messages, and their hearts from lies that may seek to take root. Help them to dwell only on what is from you.” Philippians 4:8

“God, remind them that you always hear them and are always with them” Psalm 18:6

“Father, when they feel lonely or confused remind them that you are writing their story and you know them by name.” Isaiah 43:1

And here are some prayers for kids in school I pray that are just “Miss Mel” specific.

“Jesus, encourage their heart today. Remind them that weird isn’t bad, it’s unique and you delight in unique.”

“God, may they know deep in their heart that they are worthwhile because they are created in your image.”

“Father, remind them that they have the power to choose their words and their actions.”

“God, may kindness and compassion ooze out of them.”

“Jesus, help them to remember that even though they may not always feel you, you are always with them and you never forget them.”

“God, remind them that even though they won’t always make the right choices you will never stop loving them.”

“Holy Spirit, remind them that with your help they can do hard things and love hard people.”

“God, help them to laugh today. Bring them bits and pieces of joy throughout their day that remind them they are loved by you.”

However you word them, your prayers matter. Before the age of 12 kids are deciding what they believe. They’re hearing, seeing, and doing things that will ultimately shape who they become. When we pray for them we get to be on the frontlines on the battlefield with them. Don’t become weary in your fervent prayers, they matter! Let’s commit to intentionally praying for our littles this school year.

This article about prayers for kids in school originally appeared here.

God Isn’t Trying To Make You Behave Better

communicating with the unchurched

One of the notions a lot of us hold somewhat unconsciously is that God’s commands are mainly about getting us to behave better. We think God has set up some rules and he’ll reward us if we follow them.

I run into this all the time in the training and coaching we do at Gravity Leadership, and in discipling leaders locally through the church plant I co-pastor:

  • “I should know better…”
  • “I know God wants me to be better at this…”
  • “I’m trying hard to do what God wants…”

We imagine God’s commands are an expression of his desire to control us. Some arbitrary rules God has set up for his own mysterious benefit.

Arbitrary rules or best practices?

But what if God’s commands aren’t about getting you to behave better? What if God isn’t trying to control us at all?

What if God’s commands are actually given to us for our flourishing? What if they’re not arbitrary rules but more like “best practices” for being human? What if he’s actually trying to help us become truly human?

This thought is captured well by St. Theophan the Recluse, an Orthodox monk who wrote a series of letters to a woman coming to faith in 19th century Russia:

I think many people do not live as they should, because they think that rules about the worthwhile life are outwardly imposed, and not springing from man’s very nature, and therefore not needed.

Moral performance or mutual participation?

So, for example, I noticed awhile back that every time I read the word “righteousness” in the Bible, that I assumed it basically meant “doing a good job at following God’s arbitrary rules.” I assumed living a righteous life in God’s kingdom was mainly about about moral performance, measuring up, getting it right, behaving better.

But I’m learning that righteousness is less about moral performance for God and more about mutual participation with God.

Here’s what I mean. Take Psalm 15, for example. The Psalmist begins,

Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?

Then we hear the answer:

The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart…

Righteousness as moral performance

One way to interpret this passage is to assume that righteousness is about moral performance. It sounds like this:

The righteous person performed in an exemplary way, and his reward is that he gets to dwell in the Lord’s sacred tent, on the holy mountain. God noted his moral performance and said, “Great job! As a reward, you can hang out in here with me!”

Righteousness as mutual participation

But there’s another way to interpret why the righteous person is hanging out in God’s sacred tent. This is the mutual participation interpretation:

The righteous person trusted that God’s way was good, and so she began living into it (speaking the truth, etc). She found as she did so that God was there with her, empowering her to continue to live abundantly.

The more she practiced this new way of life, the more her life could be characterized as a with-God life. The natural result was a life on God’s holy mountain, hanging out in the Lord’s sacred tent.

Dwelling in God’s sacred tent isn’t a reward for good behavior, it’s just the natural result of choosing to flow with grace in God’s kingdom. It’s just what happens when you “practice righteousness.” It’s a natural result, not a reward.

In fact, that’s why God urges us to practice righteousness! Not because he is capricious and controlling, but because he knows that our life will flourish with him and others when we live in this way.

Righteousness is good, but not because God arbitrarily decided it was, or because God finds pleasure in controlling people, but because it’s the best way to bring human flourishing to ourselves and others!

In other words, God isn’t trying to get us to behave better, he’s proclaiming the good news of what we were truly made for, and inviting us to live into it! Speaking the truth, walking in the light, living righteously with our neighbors, etc, are all just best practices for being human.

Training in righteousness

It’s like physical training. If I want to get in shape or lose weight, I engage in practices that will help me advance toward this goal: I go to the gym regularly, I get plenty of sleep, I eat healthy, nutritious food. But why? Do I think the gym gods will reward my performance with a more in-shape body? Of course not.

Losing weight and feeling better aren’t a reward for my good performance, it’s just my body’s natural response to my new practice. It’s a natural result of a certain kind of life, not a “reward.” It’s just what happens.

This is the dynamic in 2 Peter 1:3-11. God’s power gives us everything we need for a godly life, so he urges us to make every effort to add to our faith: goodness, knowledge, self-control, etc. And why?

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ… if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Being effective and productive, never stumbling, receiving a rich welcome in the kingdom… all natural results of the kind of life that “adds to your faith,” not rewards for good behavior.

In other words, the “righteousness” we are called to practice in this passage is a way for us to mutually participate with God in his kingdom, not a moral performance we complete apart from God and hope he’s pleased.

People who join with God and live the life he shares with us get certain “results” as simple byproducts of living a certain kind of life, because how can we not? We’re sharing in the very life of God!

We’ll never die, because God won’t die. We’ll never stumble, because God is sure-footed. We’ll never be shaken, because God is never shaken. We lack nothing, because God lacks nothing. And we are drawing our very life from our communion with him.

Our flourishing is always a byproduct of our mutual participation, never a reward for our moral performance.

Repentance is just stepping back into the flow

The good news, then, is that God isn’t trying to get you to behave better. At least not for the reasons you might think. He’s simply inviting you to experience life with him in his kingdom, where you’ll never be shaken, never stumble, where you’ll receive a rich welcome.

And any time we notice we’re not experiencing those things, all it means is that we’ve momentarily stepped outside the flow of the kingdom. All we need to do is simply step back in. That’s repentance, just stepping back in to life in the kingdom.

There is no reconnection fee. No lengthy explanation needed. No penance required. God is not frustrated or flustered by it in the least. He is simply there in his sacred tent, waiting for us to step back into the abundant life he offers, warmly welcoming us when we do so.

This article about God isn’t trying to get you to behave better originally appeared here.

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