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He Stayed for 40 Days

By
Nicholas Batzig
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

One of the great mysteries of Scripture is that which concerns the 40 days between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. What was Jesus doing on earth for 40 days after His resurrection? Why did He stay here? What was the purpose of the 40-day period? Does the Scripture answer any of these questions for us? Simply put, Scripture teaches us that Jesus remained with His disciples for 40 days after His resurrection in order to strengthen their faith in the truth about His Person and work, to give the instruction about the progression of church government, to equip them for the Apostolic ministry of preaching the Kingdom of God and to prepare them to fulfill the rest of the unfolding revelation of God in the New Testament Scriptures.

Between the Resurrection and the Ascension of Jesus

Reinhold Seeberg, in his Lehrbuch der Dogmengeschichte, coined the phrase, “The Gospel of the 40 Days.” In this work he drew attention to what he believed to be the meaning of the 40-day interval in the teaching ministry of Jesus to His apostles. William Childs Robinson, in his book Our Lord, digested several of Seeberg’s points when he suggested that the disciples were strengthened during that period in the following Christian truths:

“1. The conviction of the heavenly power and glory, or divine essence of Christ

2. The certitude of the necessity for salvation of the death and resurrection of Christ and the connection between the death and resurrection. This connection is elsewhere presented rather than defined.

3. The representation of the Spirit not only as the object of Divine gifts but also as Divine subject.

4. The triadic formula (which overtly and covertly peeps through manifold times in the apostolic literature) comes forward as a self-explanatory representation without anywhere being expounded.

5. The fact of baptism, which is connected with the name of Christ or of the Trinity and is everywhere valued as a means of salvation. Neither Jewish proselyte baptism, nor the baptism of John, nor the practice of Jesus explains this fact.

6. The common conviction that the Christian mission is to extend to the nations of the world.

7. That there was in the apostolic period a fixed teaching, which was valued as “the traditions,” “the word,” “the teaching,” “the Gospel, or “the command” of Christ and which, as well as the demonstration of the Deity of Christ, included in itself teachings on virtues, vices, ecclesiastical practices, eschatology, etc.”1

In addition to the work of Seeberg and Robinson, the Presbyterian members of the Westminster Assembly offered another suggestion about what Jesus was teaching His disciples during the 40 days after His resurrection. In the second chapter of their Jus Divinum Ministerii Evangelici the Presbyterian Assemblymen insisted that the Apostles must have received from Christ, during His 40-day post-resurrection appearances to them, some instruction concerning the precise form of church government which He wished His church to observe throughout future generations. They wrote:

“In the very front of the Acts it is said, that Christ after His resurrection (and before His ascension) gave commandments to the Apostles and spake of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God Acts 1:2,3, & etc. viz. of the politie of the church some say. Of the Kingdom of grace say others. Judicious Calvin interprets it partly of church government, saying, ‘Luke admonisheth us that Christ did not so depart out of the world, as to cast off all care of us. For by this doctrine he shows that he hath constituteth a perpetual government in His church. Therefore Luke signifies, that Christ departed not, before He had provided for their Church government.’”2

In his The Last Days According to Jesus, T.V. Moore–a 19th Century Presbyterian theologian–explained that the global mission of Christ to the nations was also at the heart of the teaching of Jesus during the forty days. He explained:

“There is hardly a leading doctrine in the Christian system that was not in some sense brought forward during these memorable interviews. There is hardly a phase of Christian experience that is not brought into review in the words spoken by our Lord during this remarkable period. It was, therefore, to the apostles a period of training, that fitted them eminently for the great work to which they were called in preaching the gospel to all nations. Like the 40 days that preceded the public ministry of the Lord, it was designed and adapted in an eminent degree to furnish preparation for the new manifestation of the kingdom then to be made.”3

The Church Today in Cultural Captivity

By
Sam Kim
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

There’s a controversial Instagram account that calls out megachurch pastors for wearing exorbitantly-priced designer sneakers. The account, @PreachersNSneakers, posts photos of celebrity preachers taken from their social media accounts or public appearances.

It then pairs up their “swag attire” with a price tag. One pastor can be seen wearing $6,000 Yeezys and $2,500 Hypebeast grail sneakers.

The Church Today in Cultural Captivity

Kate Bowler, a professor of the history of Christianity at Duke, writes about something similar in her New York Times op-ed about the prosperity gospel in America. Her story made me laugh out loud at first because of the irony, but saddened me a moment later because of the tragedy.

She writes, “No word of a lie: I once saw a megachurch pastor almost choke to death on his own fog machine.” The fact that Kate had to inform us she wasn’t exaggerating suggests that even she had a hard time believing what she was seeing. I guess it is a little difficult to believe that something so far-fetched could happen in a church. Or is it?

In the acclaimed novel The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, the character Bill asks another, “How did you go bankrupt?” Mike answers, “Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.”

How does a pastor end up wearing shoes that exceed the annual amount an average American contributes to their retirement? “Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.” This is the consummation of the unholy marriage between American consumerism and the church in America.

Christian apologist Os Guinness says that when we look at evangelicalism today, it is the world and the spirit of the age that are dominant, not the Word and Spirit. The church in the U.S. is strong numerically, but weak because it is worldly. The church in America is in the world and of the world; and as a result, it is in profound cultural captivity.

I saw this cultural captivity with blazing perspicacity few years ago when I read a Lausanne report of underground Chinese church leaders asking why megachurches and ‘missional’ churches in the West were not sending any missionaries and what could be learned from such shallow faith.

These questions haunted me. It was as if they were asking me directly and I had to repent in tears. The goal was always to make disciples; this is what Jesus commissioned in a time before Constantine in Rome and the Church Growth Movement, a time before the church’s ontological identity subtly shifted from being a place from which you were sent out to a place you sat down!

The churches have in many ways become episodic; we put on a good show and excel at drawing interest, but we lack life change and transformation. We’ve got cooler and more dapper, but not any deeper. We have pastors with Yeezys, smoke machines and TV shows, but far less power.

We should recall that the 120 in the Upper Room in Jerusalem brought an entire empire to its knees, and I highly doubt it was shoes. Perhaps the excess and superfluity of our present-day leaders’ clothing is a subconscious compensation for not being clothed with power from on high? If so, what can we do?

First, we must recalibrate our missiological aim.

The tragic story of the infamous rich young ruler found in the 10th chapter of Mark’s Gospel is a prophetic reminder to a church in profound cultural captivity. The narrative teaches us that the ultimate test of our discipleship is not sacrifice, but obedience. The former addresses the degree of our own sovereignty, while the latter addresses God’s claim on us.

The narrative in the gospel makes it clear that the young rich ruler wasn’t some kind of pagan investment banker using Tinder at the weekends. He was committed to his faith and was serious about inheriting eternal life. He had valued God’s law since he was a boy.

We only begin to see the fatal cracks in his discipleship when Jesus challenges the hold his wealth actually has on him. Perhaps it even surprised him when couldn’t lay down his mobility and follow Jesus.

It isn’t that he didn’t value the things of God; he just valued his possessions more. The only difference between G-O-D and G-O-O-D is one letter, but it distinguishes idolatry from worship and our sovereignty from his.

Keith Green, a thunderous prophetic voice in the late 1970s, captures this call to obedience powerfully in his song: “To obey is better than sacrifice”:

To obey is better than sacrifice
I don’t need your money
I want your life.

To obey is better than sacrifice
I want more than Sunday and Wednesday nights
Cause if you can’t come to Me every day
Then don’t bother coming at all.

Perhaps we aren’t sending many missionaries because, either explicitly or implicitly, our aim isn’t very high in the first place. If we truly desire to win the world to Christ, we must first raise the bar.

Second, we must surrender the sovereignty of the individual to the sovereignty of Christ.

Mission is not cultural engagement. If Jesus becomes just another option because it works for the moment, then we’re only contributing to this profound cultural captivity.

A few years ago I would have honestly jumped for joy if a 20-something investment banker or physician would have just tithed. I would have hailed their commitment to Christ and been pleased with myself for reaching the cultural elites within the city.

However, I’m deeply grateful to the underground Chinese leaders for helping me see the absurdity I had subtly come to embrace and moving me toward a radical reorientation toward the gospel.

Dutch Statesman Abraham Kuiper notes, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’”

If we only know a God who is compliant to our every whim, he cannot be the God who carried a cross to die on Calvary. He is instead an abstraction made by a church in profound captivity. The prerequisite to following Christ is a certain death. Death is the only antidote for the spirit of the age; the old rugged cross and the power from on high are inseparable.

The Lordship of Christ is the Great Commission.

The sin of omission overtakes the Great Commission if the sovereignty of the individual is not fully surrendered to the sovereignty of Christ. Jesus said to make disciples, not crowds. The current crisis in the church is that we have great crowds, but few disciples.

This article originally appeared here.

Why I Created Our Own VBS Program (And Why YOU Can Get Creative Too!)

By
Julia Ball
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Kids Xperience, our church’s version of VBS, is starting in just 12 short days.
With the countdown ticking down to just a few days, I’m equal parts terrified and excited.

A lot of my nerves—beyond the usual “will we have enough supplies?” and “how many kids will actually show up?”—are coming from the fact that this year I’m doing something I’ve never done before—creating our own VBS program.

For the past three years in Children’s Ministry, I have eagerly awaited the release of VBS themes from Group, Lifeway and other publishers. I’ve scoured their catalogs, scopes and decorations—all in anticipation of making that decision—“Which program will we choose this year?”

This year though, as I browsed through the themes, nothing felt quite right. As much as I loved the decorations and music that accompanied some of the themes, I just didn’t feel settled about them. One day, while chatting with Andrew about it, he suggested creating our own VBS program. My initial reaction (whether it was visible or not…it probably was!) was “That is a crazy idea.”

With so much great programming right at my fingertips, why would I go through the work of creating our own?

The more I thought about it, though, the more I couldn’t get away from the idea.

What if we, little Calvary Kids in Clarenville, Newfoundland, created our own VBS program?

So, one day, I started to use my two best friends—Google and Pinterest—to see what I could discover. Amidst my searches (don’t ask me what I was searching for at this point!), I came across a free eight-week curriculum from the amazing people at Newspring Church titled “Star Voyager.”

As I read through the material and previewed some of the media, something about the theme started to click.

However, this wasn’t a VBS curriculum by any means. There were great media elements, but minimal activities—not enough to fill up our two-hour nightly slot. Not to mention, there were some things I loved about the curriculum, but some still didn’t click.

I couldn’t get away from that space theme though. It seemed like it just kept coming up for me, so one day I sat down to my computer and started to unpack what it would look like for us to do this theme. More Google searches, additional free resources and lots of amazing Pinterest ideas started to come together to create what would become our Kids Xperience program for this year.

I have to be honest, the closer we get, the more apprehensive I feel. How is this going to work? Did I miss something in compiling and creating this VBS?

While at times I do feel that level of apprehension, I (mostly) feel confident in my decision to create our own program. Here are a few reasons why:

This program is customized to our kids and context.
Through conversations with parents, volunteers and my planning team, we were able to take some of the elements we love MOST about the VBS programs we’ve done in the past along with some new ones and customize this program to our needs. We were able to incorporate some of the things that work well with our kids in our weekly context, and expand on them to make them bigger and better for Kids Xperience!

We were also able to customize it to our context. Sometimes, the weather doesn’t cooperate for outdoor games—so I was able to choose games that would work indoors or outdoors. In the past, science has been a huge hit with our kids—so we were able to create our very own science station for each night.

The message we’ll be communicating is what we are passionate about right now!
The message we’ve chosen to communicate to kids—that God’s promises are true and reliable—was one we felt was especially relevant to where we are right now, and what we want kids to know. The Bible stories we’ve chosen and points we’re communicating will provide a foundation for us to build on in our children’s ministry for the rest of the year.

I was able to let my creativity flow!
Sometimes, kids’ ministry can get pretty routine. Rushing from week to week, program to program, it’s easy to get caught up in just getting things done. Building on elements from NewSpring to create our own curriculum allowed me to let my creativity flow. I was able to dream big, partner with God, and use some of the unique giftings I have to create something I’m really proud of!

This journey of creating our own “Kids Xperience” has been an incredible one for me. I’m looking forward to continuing to use the God-given gift of creativity in our kids ministry this year.

If you’re a children’s ministry leader, let me challenge you:
How can YOU use creativity in your context?
How can YOU start thinking outside of the box for ministry?

This isn’t just connected to your summer programming, but to everyday life. I’m convinced children’s ministry is more enjoyable – at least it has been for me – when I’m using creativity to accomplish the task of discipling kids and drawing them deeper into their relationship with God. Whether that’s in the way you implement the amazing curriculum your church uses, creating your own events, or even in the way you connect with kids, get creative!

The sky’s the limit!

Looking for more creative ideas for kids ministry? Check out this book review on “Inspired” from Kidmin Nation where I got to write a chapter on being creative!

For some simple resources for kids’ ministry, check me out over at the Deeper Kidmin Marketplace!

This article originally appeared here.

World’s Longest Illustrated Bible Unfolded at National Mall

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

A unique Bible composed entirely of illustrations was unfolded around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., this weekend. More than 4,000 volunteers held what the Museum of the Bible dubs the longest Bible in the world around the Reflecting Pool to give passersby a look at this incredible piece of biblical artwork.

“It’s the world’s longest Bible—arguably, the world’s longest illustrated book,” Museum of the Bible CEO Ken McKenzie said of the Wiedmann Bible, which was on display on Saturday, June 1.

The Longest Fully Illustrated Bible in the World

This completely illustrated Bible is composed of 3,333 panels of illustrations organized into 19 leporellos (accordion-style books). The artist, Willy Wiedmann, used his own unique style of art called Polycon to bring the Bible to life. According to the Museum of the Bible, where the Wiedmann Bible is on display, Polycon was inspired by Wiedmann’s love of music as well as other artistic styles such as Surrealism, Dadaism, Cubism and Abstract Expressionism.

It took Wiedmann 16 years to complete the project. Wiedmann’s son, Martin, discovered four aluminum boxes containing the project while going through his father’s possessions after his father’s death in 2013. Martin told CBN he found out after the fact that his father had tried to publish his work in book format, but that no publisher was able to figure out how to take on the massive project, which physically takes up nearly a mile in length when it is unfolded. Since that time, a digital version of the work has been made available for purchase.

Although Wiedmann didn’t tell his family about the project while he was alive, Martin has done what his father wasn’t able to do by making the incredible work available to the public through the museum. An illustration-only version of the Bible could potentially bring the message of the Old and New Testaments to a sizable chunk of the world’s population who are illiterate. While at the National Mall for the unfolding this weekend, Martin told CBN there are over a billion illiterate people in the world, and his father’s work is “one way for them to engage with the Bible—through visuals.” McKenzie articulated Wiedmann’s belief that nearly a third of the world’s population needs to learn about the Bible in a form other than the written word. This motivation kept him working on the project for all those years.

What Does the Wiedmann Bible Look Like?

Because of its avant-garde style, some features of the Wiedmann Bible might take you by surprise. According to McKenzie, who was at the reflection pool unfolding of the Bible this weekend, Wiedmann didn’t want to depict God as either male or female, or with a face, and so he chose a triangle to represent the triune God. In some of the illustrations, a triangle is seen coming from the top of the page. You might wonder what Jesus looks like. He is depicted as having unwieldy blonde hair.

The unfolding event in Washington D.C. gave the museum the chance to show off the sheer physicality and artistic beauty of this incredible work of art. The Wiedmann Bible is a testament to the fact that God’s word transcends culture, time and even medium.

illustrated Bible

 

Pastors Emphasize Spiritual Battle in Virginia Beach Vigils

By
Jessica Lea
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In the wake of the shooting in Virginia Beach this past weekend, pastors are doing their best to help people grieve and process what happened. While their efforts naturally involve encouraging people to love and support one another, pastors are also exhorting congregants to remember they are always in a spiritual battle between good and evil.

“Tonight we pray for those families crushed in spirit,” said Pastor Archie Callahan at a vigil at Bridge Church on Saturday, according to USA Today. “We bear their burden in prayer.”

Processing a Nightmare

Various churches in Virginia Beach have already held vigils to honor the deceased and help the community heal, and more events are planned for this week. USA Today reports that one attendee of a vigil held by Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church said, “I was very upset. I couldn’t process what was happening.” But she expressed how meaningful it was to her to have a chance to support the victims and their families.  

The Sunday morning following the shooting, Pastor Brandon Shank of Lifehouse Virginia Beach Church encouraged members to pursue God and not to let the evil that had occurred define them. He said, “We are not a city of darkness and evil…God is running rampant around here.”

Pastor Shank also pointed to the bravery of the first responders as a reminder that Christians are to be the first responders in the spiritual war that surrounds us. Said the pastor, “The Bible tells us we struggle not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities of darkness… It is against the evil that is trying to take over people.”

Members of Mount Olive Baptist Church also took the shooting as a reminder of the battle between light and darkness. The Washington Post reports that six members showed up at the municipal complex the day after the shooting to pray, having been encouraged to do so by their pastor. Said one, “Our pastor called for us to come out and pray on the grounds, because our colleagues and our neighborhoods and our city need God. And we want to be able to be that light in a dark world.”

What Happened

On Friday, May 31, which Mayor Bobby Dyer called the “most devastating day in the history of Virginia Beach,” DeWayne Craddock opened fire at a municipal building, killing 12 people and injuring four. Craddock, 40, worked for the city of Virginia Beach as a certified professional engineer. According to The Washington Post, he shot his first victim in the parking lot and then entered the building, where he fired at random on all three floors using legally purchased weapons. Police received the first call about the situation soon soon after 4 p.m. and arrived at the scene quickly because the police department is located near the municipal complex. After arriving, officers engaged in a gunfight with the shooter, who died soon after.

Craddock had been an employee with the Department of Public Utilities for 15 years and had reportedly exhibited no major signs of being upset or violent prior to his shooting rampage. While he had sent an email that morning announcing he was resigning, he did so of his own volition and was not facing disciplinary action.

Leaders in Agreement

The city’s leadership seems to agree that how the members of Virginia Beach define themselves following this tragedy will be significant. Said Mayor Dyer, “We will not be defined by this horror. Going forward we will define ourselves as a city of love and compassion for those neighbors that we lost.”

Trump Quietly Showed Up at David Platt’s Church and Asked for Prayer This Weekend

By
Stephanie Martin
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McLean Bible Church
Screengrab Youtube @WUSA9

When President Trump made an unannounced visit to McLean Bible Church in Vienna, Virginia, on Sunday, Pastor David Platt prayed what some are calling a “model prayer” for the chief executive. The pastor of the D.C.-area megachurch glorified God, proclaimed the gospel message, and asked for wisdom for Trump and other political leaders.

“My aim was in no way to endorse the president, his policies or his party, but to obey God’s command to pray for our president and other leaders to govern in the way [1 Timothy 2] portrays,” Platt wrote in a letter to his congregation.

Platt Was Suprised by the President’s Visit to McLean Bible Church

Platt acknowledged he was surprised by the President’s visit and indicated he was a little concerned about the message it would send to his parishioners to invite him on the stage. “I immediately thought about my longing to guard the integrity of the gospel in our church,” Platt explains. “I love that we have over 100 nations represented in our church family, including all kinds of people with varied personal histories and political opinions from varied socioeconomic situations,” he wrote. In the end, Platt took his cue from 1 Timothy 2:1-6, which instructs “supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all people,” even “kings and all who are in high positions.”

Trump’s brief visit to McLean followed a golf outing at his nearby club. The president removed his golf hat while walking on stage, and after Platt prayed for him, Trump waved, mouthed the words “thank you,” and left without comment.

Although a White House spokesperson said Trump came to the church to “visit with the pastor and pray for the victims and community of Virginia Beach,” neither Trump nor Platt mentioned last Friday’s mass shooting. Virginia Beach is about 200 miles from Vienna.

Platt: Pray for the President “continually”

Platt, who served for four years as president of the Southern Baptist Church’s International Missions Board, acknowledged the call to pray for Trump on June 2. But he said, “We don’t want to do that just on this Sunday. We want to do that continually, day in and day out.”

With a Bible in one hand and the other on Trump’s back, Platt prayed:

O God, we praise you as the one universal king over all. You are our leader and our Lord and we worship you. There is one God and one Savior—and it’s you, and your name is Jesus. And we exalt you, Jesus. We know we need your mercy. We need your grace. We need your help. We need your wisdom in our country. And so we stand right now on behalf of our president, and we pray for your grace and your mercy and your wisdom upon him.

God, we pray that he would know how much you love him—so much that you sent Jesus to die for his sins, our sins—so we pray that he would look to you. That he would trust in you, that he would lean on you. That he would govern and make decisions in ways that are good for justice, and good for righteousness, and good for equity, every good path.

Lord we pray, we pray, that you would give him all the grace he needs to govern in ways that we just saw in 1 Timothy 2 that lead to peaceful and quiet lives, godly and dignified in every way. God we pray for your blessing in that way upon his family. We pray that you would give them strength. We pray that you would give them clarity. Wisdom, wisdom, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Please, O God, give him wisdom and help him to lead our country alongside other leaders. We pray today for leaders in Congress. We pray for leaders in courts. We pray for leaders in national and state levels. Please, O God, help us to look to you, help us to trust in your Word, help us to seek your wisdom, and live in ways that reflect your love and your grace, your righteousness and your justice. We pray for your blessings on our president toward that end. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen.

Platt’s Prayer Unrelated to Graham’s Event

Evangelist Franklin Graham had declared June 2 as a “special day of prayer for the president,” saying no president in America’s history “has been attacked more than Donald Trump.” Graham emphasized the event was neither partisan nor an endorsement of the president. “It’s to just call on God give [Trump] wisdom,” he said, “because if he makes a good decision, it is good for all of us.”

More than 300 Christian leaders signed a statement supporting the event, but Platt wasn’t among them. Platt is a council member of The Gospel Coalition, “a fellowship of evangelical churches in the Reformed tradition deeply committed to renewing our faith in the gospel of Christ and to reforming our ministry practices to conform fully to the Scriptures.”

In an article on the coalition’s website, Joe Carter writes, “If President Trump was hoping on Sunday to hear a Franklin Graham-style condemnation of his enemies, he was at the wrong church—and chose the wrong pastor.”

In response to Graham’s call for prayer, Trump tweeted: “We will all stick together and WIN! Thank you Franklin.”

* Note: David Platt was featured on the cover of Outreach Magazine and McLean Bible Church has been in the Outreach 100 Fastest Growing Churches. Subscribe today and get the next Outreach 100 issue sent to your mailbox.

Leadership Lessons From Slaves

By
SharDavia Walker
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Their people’s pleas hung in the air as the cracking whips ripped open old wounds. Shiphrah and Puah could imagine the thick crimson streams rolling down their loved ones’ backs as they labored to build one of Pharaoh’s prized cities. Fear spread like a contagion through Israelite camps as the king of Egypt became increasingly agitated and ruthless toward God’s people.

The Israelites, as we find them in Exodus 1, are beaten down, anxious and exhausted. Their future looked bleak, and the prospect of freedom was growing dimmer. Every day. Surely they wondered, Who will save us?

God often provides redemption and relief to his people through his people. While Moses would eventually lead God’s people out of Egypt, two unlikely leaders preceded him. Shiphrah and Puah, two female slaves, allowed the fear of the Lord to rule in their hearts over the fear of man. Their story holds leadership lessons for the church today.

The Fear of God and the Fear of Our Flesh

The first lesson we can learn from Shiphrah and Puah is about fear. As a byproduct of the king’s own fear, Shiphrah and Puah are ordered to “observe them [the Hebrew women] as they deliver” (Exodus 1:16). The Hebrew girls were permitted to live, and the Hebrew boys were to be killed.

What enabled Shiphrah and Puah to defy the king of Egypt? Exodus 1:17 says they “feared the Lord.” That’s astonishing given how much there was to fear around them. The stakes for their civil disobedience were as high as it gets: Disobeying Pharaoh was a capital offense.

They weren’t exempt from the common emotions that accompany tense life situations. It wasn’t that there was nothing to fear, but their fear of the Egyptian king paled in comparison to the fear of their true King.

Leaders inevitably face situations that cause a spike in blood pressure. Congregants grumble about change, a wayward child wanders from the faith, people complain about leadership style, budgets miss the mark. When we’re in the thicket of moments like these, the concerns are very real and sometimes overpowering.

The fear of our flesh woos us to focus our thoughts on what we fear. Our hearts tempt us to ruminate on what we can’t control, and we begin to live in the “what ifs” of life. “What if my children never become Christians?” “What if all my congregants leave or stop giving?” “What if the men and women I lead don’t like me?”

Staying in this place too long can lead to sin. The king of Egypt’s fear that the Hebrews would continue to grow and threaten his power and kingdom led him to try to exterminate them (Exodus 1:8-10).

Ironically, he feared the wrong people and person. He would later see he should have feared the Lord and the two Hebrew midwives that God used to save his people. In attempting to control the Israelites by killing their sons, he overlooked the two female slaves who led to his fall.

Shiphrah and Puah turned from evil at great risk to their lives. Proverbs 16:6 says “one turns from evil by the fear of the Lord.” The way one obeys God, especially when we are living in the “what ifs” of life, is by fearing the Lord. We need a greater fear.

The Fear of God and the Command to “Fear Not”

The most frequent command in the Bible is to “fear not,” but what do we do as leaders when it seems like all we can do is fear? When we’re fixed on our problems, it produces fear and paranoia. It becomes hard to see beyond our circumstances and the stress that comes with leadership.

There’s another fear which produces wonder and awe in God. This fear leads to faith in God. When we see the command to “fear not,” it’s the command not to fear that which may be fearful. What could happen in our lives is scary, but there must be a refocusing and recalibrating of our fears.

The One Question We Would Have for Jesus

By
Joe McKeever
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him… And he questioned Him with many words… (Luke 23:8-9).

Someone asked Larry King, the legendary television interviewer, if he could sit across the table and interview one person in all of history, who would it be. “Jesus Christ,” said this man who is Jewish.

“And what would you ask him?”

“I would like to ask Him if He was indeed virgin-born. The answer to that question would define history for me.”

To be sure. That answer could change everything. As it has for many a person.

So with the resurrection. Answer that in the affirmative and everything else falls into place.

What Did People Ask Jesus in the Bible? 

Many people asked…

Throughout the Gospels, we find people asking one question of the Lord Jesus, then going their way. We have to wonder if through the years, as they reflected on their single moment with Destiny, this one touch with the Divine, they didn’t regret the shallowness or superficiality of their request. Here are some…

–The disciples of John asked why they had to fast, but Jesus’ disciples were not required to. Matthew 9:14.

–The tricksters asked Him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” that they might accuse Him. Matthew 12:10. It’s not a bad question, although they didn’t care for the Lord’s answer.

–His disciples said, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard (Jesus’ teachings about  hypocrisy)?” Matthew 15:12. We smile at the naivete of the disciples. Little did they know the Lord had every intention of offending these hypocrites.

–The Pharisees came, testing Him, and saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” Matthew 19:3.

–A young man came to Him and said, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” Matthew 19:16. Great question and a good discussion to follow. However, once again, the questioner did not care for the Lord’s answer.

–Peter said to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore, what shall we have?” Matthew 19:27. It was self-centered, but the Lord honored it with a serious answer.

Should a Church Show Individual Pastor and Staff Salaries in the Budget?

By
Thom Rainer
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This question comes to the Church Answers’ team and me a few times a month. It often evokes some pretty strong emotions. Can a church member (or, in some cases, guests) look at a church budget and know exactly what everyone on church staff earns?

Should a Church Show Individual Pastor and Staff Salaries in the Budget?

The tension is between transparency and misunderstanding. On the one hand, transparency is usually a good default posture. Especially in congregational polity, church members have final authority over major decisions. It just makes sense they should have visibility to pastor and staff salaries.

On the other hand, putting detailed staff salaries before all the church members can be a problem for the following reasons:

  • Many church members get confused over the term “packages.” For example, pastors with a “package” of $60,000 may only be making $45,000. The difference is the benefits, such as retirement and health insurance. The package is the total cost to the church. The salary (which sometimes includes housing) is what the pastor actually gets. Many church members view the package as the equivalent of a salary, but it definitely is not. In fact, most church members likely do not know their secular-equivalent package in their vocations. In other words, they do not know the costs of their benefits to their employer.
  • Visibility of specific salaries and benefits of pastors and church staff can create tensions among the staff. Can you imagine what it would be like if secular employers posted all the salaries of their employees each month?
  • Church members may view the specifics of staff salaries and compare them to their own compensation. That too can be a source of tension.

For these reasons, I lean toward not including specific compensation in a budget that is made available to church members on a regular basis. Depending on church polity, a possible approach to the transparency/misunderstanding tension would be:

  • Include total salaries in a single line on the budget.
  • Include total benefits in separate line items on the budget. These benefits could be segregated by their respective purpose: health insurance, retirement, etc.
  • Show expense reimbursements, such as automobile expenses, as separate items. They should not be included as either compensation or benefits.
  • Have a system in place where church members can view individual salaries by appointment, such as meeting with a member of the personnel committee, elders or specific group responsible for personnel issues.

To be clear, every church is different, and the polity of a church may be the determinative factor in how these matters are handled. Because we get similar questions quite often, we thought this approach might be helpful for some churches.

This issue usually generates some lively discussion. Let me hear from you.

This article originally appeared here.

C.S. Lewis Quotes on Relationships

By
Paul David Tripp
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We live in two juxtaposed realities when it comes to our relationships and these C.S. Lewis quotes highlight that.

Some of our deepest joys have been the result of people, while some of our most painful hurts have been the result of people. (Maybe even the same person!)

Which is your relational reality right now? Maybe you’re experiencing the best and worst of both simultaneously? Regardless of where you are, the biblical fact of the matter is that you were made for relationships.

Genesis 2:18 tells us that it is not good for man to be alone. (This statement has to do with God’s design for humanity.) He created us to be relational beings because he is a social God.

The Creator lives in a community within the Trinity as Father, Son and Spirit, and he made humanity in his likeness. We were meant to experience the joy of conflict-free horizontal community while vertically communing in the presence of the Triune God.

It didn’t take long for sin to ruin what God had intended. In Genesis 3, husband and wife engage in accusation and slander, and then a man murders his brother in Genesis 4. While we may not be convicted murderers, we have been living in conflict-ridden relationships ever since, and we do our fair share to contribute to that conflict every day!

Why are our relationships so conflicted? One of the biggest reasons is because we tend to worship and serve the creation rather than the Creator (Romans 1:25). The very thing God created to reveal his glory becomes the glory we chase.

I find the words of C.S. Lewis so helpful when applied to our relationships:

Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

How does this apply to your relationships? Ask yourself: Have you settled for finding satisfaction in horizontal relationships when they are meant to point you to vertical relational satisfaction found only with the Triune God?

The irony is that when we reverse the order and elevate creation above Creator, we destroy the relationships God intended—and would have enabled—us to enjoy.

Consider these additional C.S. Lewis quotes:

When I have learnt to love God better than my earthly dearest, I shall love my earthly dearest better than I do now. In so far as I learn to love my earthly dearest at the expense of God and instead of God, I shall be moving towards the state in which I shall not love my earthly dearest at all. When first things are put first, second things are not suppressed but increased.

This proper order will only be perfected and complete in heaven, but there is much we can enjoy now. The Bible promises that our relationships can be characterized by humility, gentleness, patience, edifying honesty, peace, forgiveness, compassion and love.

But first, we must confess that sometimes our desires are too weak and our loves are reversed. Then, we must ask the Creator for the grace to experience relationships as he intended!

Isn’t it wonderful that God’s grace makes this possible today?

God bless,

Paul Tripp

Reflection Questions About C.S. Lewis Quotes

1. What have been some of your greatest joys in life, experienced as the result of good relationships?

2. What have been some of your greatest sorrows in life, experienced as the result of bad relationships?

3. In what ways may your “desires be too weak” when it comes to your relationships? In what other ways in the Christian life are you “far too easily pleased”?

4. What is the “more” that God wants from us when it comes to our relationships? How does that apply to you specifically today?

5. Consider one relationship (preferably not your spouse or child). How will that relationship become more God-honoring when you put God first over that person?

1 C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1960), 3—4.
2 C.S. Lewis, Letters of C.S. Lewis (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1966), 248.

This article on C.S. Lewis quotes originally appeared on PaulTripp.com.

3 Ways to Get Your Kids Excited For Church

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

How do I get my kids excited for church?

How do I help my kids understand the importance of church? How do I help them feel involved and included in our church?

Because I very much love the local church and I love parenting, I thought I would throw out a few suggestions on how to get our kids excited for church.

Just about every Saturday night, Zach (my 9-year-old), lays out his clothes and has all his stuff ready for church the next morning. He loves our church and he loves being a part. Now, of course, there are mornings when all of my kids don’t want to go to church, but here are some ways I try to help my kids be excited about their church.

Disclaimer: Before I go any further, I also want to say that I really believe these apply to best if your local church has an outstanding kids and student ministry. If your church is not investing in kids and the kids’ environments are less to be desired, these could be a much harder sell.

Also, if your church is on the uber traditional side and your teenagers fall asleep, again, I don’t think these are the answers.

To be honest, I think the best answer is to find a new church. A church that’s alive, has a ton of energy, is growing, and invests in their kids and students! That may sound harsh or like I’m suggesting that leaving a church is an easy decision. It’s not. But, I really think you need to think it through.

Ok, disclaimer over.

3 Ways to Get Your Kids Excited For Church

1. Model being a part of the Church.

Mom and dads…If you’re not actively involved in your church, then there is absolutely no way that you can ask your kids to be excited and involved in church. Now, if your kids are teenagers and you just started being involved, honestly, it may be too late. But, that’s no reason to not get involved. And, its never too late to start.

Notice I didn’t say, just attend church. I really believe we need to be a part of the church. To be the church. That means we…

  • Pour into the church
  • Serve our church community
  • Tithe and model giving to the church
  • Worship
  • Pray for our church
  • Model serving at church
  • Be in a small group

2. Involve your kids in Church Leadership

I personally think one of the absolute best ways to get your kids excited for church is to involve them in serving. If you serve, bring them along. Serve side by side. If they’re too young, tell them what you’re doing. Ask them what they think about it. Tell them all about it. What’s great about it and what’s not so great. Tell them over and over and then over and over again why you believe in the local church.

If your kids are older, encourage them to serve and if that’s not enough, give them a push to serve.

In their youth group, with kids ministry, with worship, or whatever interests them.

For some reason, we push our kids incredibly hard with sports and drama and all the other after school activities. But, sometimes (again, just my personal opinion, we really lay off when it comes time to church. Why is that?

It’s not enough to just attend every now and then. It’s not enough to just attend.

We have to model being actively involved.

3. Ask them their opinions and dream together.

One of the things that my wife and I do a lot with our kids is to ask their opinions. We ask them about everything.

We have made it a habit over the years to constantly ask them questions and then to listen.

We spend a lot of time talking about church.

  • What they like?
  • What they think?
  • What could be better?
  • What they would do differently?

And, we spend a lot of time dreaming and praying together.

I know there is so much more, but I think these three will give you a huge help to get your kids excited for church.

Are We Making Disciples or Just Big Crowds?

By
Jared C. Wilson
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

I am convinced that too many evangelical churches in the United States are overly fixated on bigness, excitement and individualistic improvement, and that we don’t often realize it because we can often achieve a kind of success focusing on those things that give the impression we are on the right track.

I wrote a book this year called The Gospel-Driven Church which examines some of the ways church leaders gauge the relative fruitfulness of their ministries. In the book, I look back to the work of 18th-century American pastor-theologian Jonathan Edwards, whose own ministry was rewarded with a tremendous outpouring of blessing in the forms of growing attendance and spiritual excitement. Edwards was one of a few leading voices in the first Great Awakening, and he enjoyed the kind of success in his day many pastors dream of in ours.

But Edwards was very cautious about what he considered success. He wondered privately and wrote publicly about the kinds of things ministry leaders would be inclined to consider evidences of a “true move of the Spirit of God”—things like many professions of faith, growing church attendance, and even emotional experiences in worship—and in the end, Edwards concludes that these are at best “neutral signs.”

Yet evangelicals today continue to focus on them, sometimes to the detriment of real spiritual growth and fruitfulness. For instance, when we fixate on “decisions,” sometimes we put undue pressure through playing on people’s emotions or we are tempted to employ unbiblical methods to see increase in raised hands, repeated prayers or aisles walked. People coming to know Christ is always a good thing, of course, but a “decision” is just a first step on a journey to follow Jesus, and many churches fixating on decisions end up neglecting the whole “making disciples” thing to which Jesus calls us. Indeed, sometimes we declare those who make a decision a Christian without seeing any real fruit in their lives or signs of genuine repentance.

It’s very possible American churches need a radical reevaluation of their priorities. While we’ve been emphasizing initial decisions, numeric growth and “worship experiences,” we’ve likely been missing out on communicating what God ultimately values—which isn’t success so much as faithfulness. So how would we communicate the values of faithfulness to our congregations and to a watching world? A few ways:

1) You measure what you value.

If you only value “decisions,” you will stop short of full obedience to Christ’s Great Commission mandate to “make disciples” and “teach them everything” he’s commanded us. Likewise, if we only value increased numbers in our services and programs, we’ll simply count heads and not worry about what’s going on inside of them. By only measuring the easiest things, we communicate that our priorities are off-center from Christ’s.

But what if we were to shift our measurements to even deeper evaluations than simply counting hands and heads? What if we, for instance, measured the percentage of those making decisions and being baptized who are still actively participating in the church a year, two years, three years later? Wouldn’t this tell us more about our spiritual health? Wouldn’t this communicate that we cherish something deeper than merely “getting big”?

What if instead of simply counting how many people attend weekend services, we also counted to see how many who attend weekend services also participate in community groups or other “next level” experiences indicating pursuit of spiritual growth? Wouldn’t this communicate that we prioritize spiritual growth along with (or more than?) numeric growth?

2) You celebrate what you value.

Churches that care mostly about numbers or emotional experiences are always talking up numbers and emotional experiences. We can see it in their social media feeds that trumpet a weekly “catch,” and we can see and hear it from the weekend stage where feelings are rehearsed more than commitments.

In many church staff meetings or other leadership gatherings, more time is given to the upward trajectory of growth charts than to pastoral or relational milestones. We give the gold stars to those who increase attendance, not to those who persevere in faithfulness in the face of maintained growth or even decline. Why? Because our priorities reflect more the business world than the spiritual world.

What if we honored the least among us? What if we celebrated another week of God’s faithfulness to us, rather than our own accomplishments? What if in team meetings and from other church channels, we rehearsed the greatness of those among us who quietly, humbly plod along in faithful trust of Jesus, even if it means spending time with people who cannot offer us anything, even if it doesn’t have an immediate “return on investment”?

3) You repeat what you value.

The problem with tuning our hearts to numbers is that we will never reach our destination. A church fixated on attendance will never be content with whatever it has. How many is enough? The answer is “more.” Thus, the numbers-prioritized church is always dissatisfied with its current attendance and relentlessly scrutinizing any fluctuation in those numbers, putting itself in an endless cycle of number-crunching and repetition of superficial markers the Bible never says is our responsibility.

What would it say to our church and to the world if we fixated on the gospel of Jesus Christ? What if we really and truly trusted that the gospel message itself is power for transformation, that it really does change people, that it really can bear the weight of both winning the lost and maturing the found?

If we believed that the power was not in us but in God, we’d put the gospel message on repeat and retire our endless appeals for “more.”

This article originally appeared here.

The Difference Between Sunni and Shiite Muslims and Why It Matters

By
Madeline Arthington
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Lutherans and Baptists are basically the same.

Wrong, and both groups would likely agree on that point. Neither is it true that all Muslims are the same. Of the over 1.5 billion Muslims in the world, around 85 percent of them are a sect called Sunni and 15 percent of them are a sect called Shia.

The split is an ancient one—1,387 years old, to be precise. But even today, it threatens the stability of the entire Middle East and offers context to many headlines we see in world news.

So how did this world religion end up with two major sects? It all started when Muhammad, the prophet and founder of Islam, died.

The Dispute Over Muhammad’s Successor

When Muhammad died in AD 632, a great dispute arose over who would claim his position as the leader of the new religion. Islam was more than a private religion—it dictated social and political events. The successor to Muhammad would have powerful influence over society, government and trade.

Some people thought anyone with qualifications could take over. These were the followers of “the way” (sunna) of Muhammad, and they became known as Sunni Muslims. They insisted Muhammad’s father-in-law and friend Abu Bakr take control.

Others believed that only someone from Muhammad’s family would be the rightful leader. This camp favored Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, Ali ibn Abi Talib, and they became known as the shi’atu Ali (“party of Ali”), or Shiite Muslims.

In the end, the majority Sunni sect got their way and Abu Bakr became the first official successor, or caliph, to the prophet Muhammad. Even so, the Shiites did not recognize Abu Bakr as legitimate and held fast to their conviction about their allegiance to Muhammad’s descendants whom they called Āl al-Bayt, the “family of the house.”

The Shiite-favorite Ali had two sons named Hasan and Husayn. After Ali and his son Hasan’s deaths, Husayn took over as the spiritual leader of Shiite Islam until AD 680 when he was killed by Sunni Muslims during a battle in Karbala, Iraq. This battle and the death of Husayn is a bitter memory for Shiite Muslims. Even centuries later, this martyrdom and the issue of rightful leadership over Islam is still the heart of the Sunni-Shiite divide.

Similarities and Differences in Religious Practice

Both sects maintain the foundational beliefs and practices of Islam. They uphold the Qur’an as the revelation of Allah and hold to Islam’s Five Pillars: giving to the poor, fasting during the month of Ramadan, practicing daily ritual prayers, taking the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and professing that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet.

Shiite Muslims complete all five daily ritual prayers but squeeze them into three sessions instead of five. When they prostrate for prayer, Shiite Muslims place their face on a clay tablet called a turbah. Many of these tablets are inscribed with the names of Husayn or others from the prophet’s family. For Shiite Muslims, revering the “family of the house” brings you closer to God. Shiites also hold to 10 obligatory acts beyond the basic Five Pillars.

The loss of Husayn and the leadership of Muhammad’s family cast an enduring hue of sadness over Shiite Muslims. They live in mourning, wearing black most of the year. One of the biggest Shiite holidays is the anniversary of Husayn’s death on the holiday named Ashura, the 10th day of the Islamic month of Muharram. On this day, Shiite Muslims in the Middle East and Asia parade in the street, chanting laments at the death of Husayn, wailing loudly and beating themselves. Some even flail themselves with chains and cut their own heads with swords.

Is Virtual Reality Church a Viable Option?

By
Haley Foster
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A pastor that goes by the name of D.J. Soto left his church due to what he felt was a lack of inclusivity. Soto then founded VR Church (short for Virtual Reality Church) in 2017. Now, his services see about 150 people each week, ranging from believers to atheists. Just recently, Soto baptized a well-known VR YouTuber in…you guessed it…virtual reality.

“I feel like I had an experience. Wow,” YouTuber Drumsy said after his virtual baptism.

How Does VR Church Work?

Soto uses AltSpaceVR—a virtual reality space where users can talk or interact with each other—to conduct his services. His very first service included a small number, around five people. “Everyone is invited here to VR Church, no matter where you are from in the world, even if you don’t believe in God,” Soto says.

Soto talks about how “atheists regularly came to listen to him preach about divine love, and they talked openly about their own faith.” He also explains how many of the people that attend his church online are curious about Christianity, or are home-bound for various reasons, or have been personally hurt by previous churches they have attended. Soto proclaims that VR Church is a safe space for people to have conversations about religion and they are encouraged to ask questions.

More recently, Drumsy and Syrmor posted videos of D.J. Soto baptizing them in virtual reality. [Heads up: These videos contain language some may find offensive].

For various reasons, this has sparked debate. In March of 2019, Andy Huette wrote an article explaining why we should not replace attending church with live-streams. He expresses that there are people who cannot attend church, whether it is for a job or for health reasons, and rely on live-streams. He then states that “church isn’t something you can get solely online.” In his article, Huette says that the word “church” describes the people, or a community. If we are absent, we are not investing in other people, or our family. Huette argues that we do not belong to a community if we are live-streaming, much less attending a virtual reality service.

How Did We Get Here?

In the late 1900s, the idea of “Virtual Reality” was born. Virtual reality is a computer-generated environment where users are able to freely explore and interact. In 2014, Facebook bought a headset, “Oculus Rift,” which was released in 2016. Ever since, virtual reality has taken off and has become extremely popular, especially among younger age groups.

Is virtual reality baptism the same thing as being baptized in person? The simple answer is no. It does, however, symbolize the same thing—cleansing our past self, repenting and living a life for God. While the actual act of baptism—submerging yourself under water—only happens in actual reality, who is to say that someone cannot have a genuine conversion experience in virtual reality?

Is virtual reality church a realistic alternative for church? Considering the Bible emphasizes the importance of fellowship and meeting with believers to do good works, maybe not. Although, how we define fellowship could be up for debate here. Is a virtual reality church a viable part of the future, with more and more everyday experiences moving online, potentially?. What we do know is that very real people are showing up to an online church, ready to listen to a sermon about God’s love, and quite possibly, being saved.

Former Pastor and Volunteers Help Vulnerable Women With Car Needs

By
Jessica Lea
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A former pastor is serving single mothers, widows and wives of deployed military by repairing their vehicles without charging for labor and even by donating vehicles to them. When he opened his shop, PC (“Pastor Chris”) Williams particularly wanted to help women because of how dealers and repair shops sometimes take advantage of women who are vulnerable.

“Sadly there are people who will prey upon just about anyone,” Williams told People magazine. “Also, car repairs are so expensive, and where I live, it’s rural. So if you don’t have a car, you can’t get a job. And if you don’t have a job, you can’t buy a car. It’s a cruel dilemma to be in.”

Service Born From Personal Experience

Williams lives in Conroe, Texas. His repair shop, God’s Garage, has been in operation since 2012 and depends entirely on donations and the help of volunteers. Williams told People that he actually hates working on cars, but “when I saw this need in my community, I decided the solution was to surround myself with guys who know more about fixing cars than I do.”

Williams knows firsthand what it’s like to struggle to make ends meet while not having a reliable vehicle. On the God’s Garage website, he shares, “As I got older, the things that I should have learned, I didn’t, as I found myself short on money and long on car troubles.” He used to pray to God every morning, asking that his car would start. Because of this experience, Williams says, “I told God that if I could make a difference for people in my situation, I would gladly help them.”

One night when he was driving home from church, Williams saw a woman and her daughter walking on the highway. It was dark, cold and raining heavily. He pulled over to give them a ride and realized he knew them from his church and taught the daughter in his class. They told him their car had been in the shop for months and they didn’t have the money to pay for repairs. Williams says, “At that moment, I knew I had to do whatever it took to make sure that this kind of thing didn’t keep happening without some intervention. I begged and borrowed money to build a shop to repair cars for single mothers, widows and wives of deployed military.”

‘No Greater Joy’

One single mom named Darlene used to send an Uber to pick her daughter up from practice. Every time, she prayed that God would bring her daughter safely back to her. When she received a car from God’s Garage, she exclaimed, “No more Uber!”

Another single mom said God’s Garage has helped when she found herself in need after she and her daughter were in a hit-and-run car crash. She bought a used car after the accident, but that car ended up requiring repairs she couldn’t afford. Because of God’s Garage, the repairs she needed only cost her $100 instead of thousands. She says, “This is not a hand out but a help back up. And that is exactly what my children and I needed. Thank you all!”

 

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Bridgette, a single mother with a full-time job that she loves. She and her daughter were victims of a hit and run crash that left her without transportation. She purchased a used car and soon began having trouble. Trouble that she couldn’t afford. The quotes she received to have her vehicle fixed were between $2,500-$3,000. Because of YOUR generous support and contributions to God’s Garage, Bridgette’s out-of-pocket expense was only $100! “This is not a hand out but a help back up. And that is exactly what my children and I needed. Thank you all!” – Bridgette, God’s Garage Client www.godsgarage.org #SingleMothers #Widows #WivesofDeployedMilitary #FreedomRides #DonateYourCar #theimpactofyourgiving

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One of the God’s Garage volunteers told People, “There’s no greater joy than seeing a mom finally be able to start her car up and drive it home. And when people donate their old cars and we fix them up and give them away, there’s a feeling that’s unbelievable. The people are so grateful—their emotion always brings tears of happiness.”

 

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Congratulations to Ms. Robin Reynolds on her new-to-her car! #HopeDrives #DonateYourCar

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Williams told People that God’s Garage is doing more than simply meeting a material need. It’s also providing “freedom and independence and restored dignity.”

While not many of us are able to supply others with working vehicles, anyone can do something to help another person. This is what Williams encourages all of us to do: “No matter what walk of life you’re in or what you do, help somebody. No matter your financial status, help somebody. There are so many things that you can do in your community just to reach out and make a difference in someone else’s life, and when you do, it makes a difference in your life too.”

If you would like to give a cash donation or donate a car, you can visit the God’s Garage website here.

6 Lessons on Creativity From Disney

By
Corinne Noble
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I am all about finding your creative place. I believe that the environment you are in at any given time has a huge effect on your creativity. Being in a creative place can spark new ideas, give inspiration, and refresh your mind and soul. With all that being said, over the last couple weeks, I spent some time in some of my favorite creative places, Disney World and Disneyland.

It was actually my first time ever visiting the Disney World Resort and it was magical! Not only was I inspired by being at Disney World and experiencing the environment, but I was even more inspired by Walt Disney himself. When we look around Disney, it’s easy to think about how awesome it is now, or what it would be like to have a multi-million dollar budget, but it wasn’t always that way. Disneyland and Disney World began as a creative idea, a crazy dream in one man’s mind. The creative sparks were happening so fast that I couldn’t even keep up with them. I got some tangible creative ideas from my visits, but I also picked up a few lessons on creativity along the way.

Lesson 1: Take a risk

Creative ideas often involve a level of risk. More than likely, you are trying entirely new, or at the very least, something new to you. That’s risky. Disney was no stranger to risk. To make his dream a reality, he financed everything he had and even took a loan out of his own life insurance policy. He truly believed in the idea while many others didn’t. Most importantly, he didn’t let the risks stop him from pursuing his dream. Disney inspires me to dream bigger, and he embraced that himself, when he said “it’s kinda fun to do the impossible.”

Lesson 2: Be willing to fail

Risk is often accompanied by failure. Disney definitely experienced a lot of failure before he was able to see his dreams come to reality. He started a company that failed and even lost the rights to his first big cartoon character. If he had let those failures stop him, he never would have created the Walt Disney company or Mickey Mouse. Failure is a part of the creativity process. When a creative idea flops, brush the dust off of it, and try something different. Don’t be tempted to give up.

Lesson 3: Give it some time

Big, creative ideas take time! Disney didn’t come up with the idea for Disneyland and complete the construction overnight. He began early sketches of his ideas for Disneyland in 1932, and Disneyland wasn’t opened until 1955. That’s over 20 years of dreaming and planning before he saw his dream come true. We often want our ideas to happen right now, but big ideas take time. You might just need to start small and grow your idea with time. I have had ideas sit on a list for three to five years before I used them. Don’t give up on a dream because it can’t happen today! Write it down and keep dreaming.

Lesson 4: Find your inspiration

I love being inspired by other people’s ideas! There are already a lot of creative people doing incredible things, and Disney knew that. He didn’t invent cartoons, he looked at the cartoons people were already creating and knew he could put his own spin on them to make them better. Find the people, places and websites that inspire you. Don’t just copy and imitate what they’ve done, put your own spin on it, make it your own, and make it work for your culture and your kids.

Lesson 5: Make the most of it

Last weekend we planned a super last minute trip to Disneyland because Disney World just wasn’t enough! However, as we got closer to the weekend it was becoming clear that the weather was going to be anything but sunny. There was heavy rain (like, flood-the-park rain), and wind gusts up to 50 mph in the forecast! We had two choices: spend the whole time complaining about the weather, or make the most of it! We chose to do the latter, showed up early, and ended up practically having the park to ourselves. The rain didn’t end up coming until around 11 o’clock which gave us four wonderful hours in the park with no lines and no rain! We made the most of the situation we were given.

We have the same kind of choices to make in our ministries when we come up with a creative idea. We may not have the budget or the items we need to accomplish the idea. We can either make the most of what we do have, or we can choose to complain about it and give up on the idea. When I don’t have the resources I need to make something happen, I just have to be more resourceful! When I am found lacking in resources or budget, I am always full of creative ideas to make it happen.

Lesson 6: Commit it to prayer

As I watched the Once Upon a Time projection show and the fireworks in front of the castle in the Magic Kingdom, I heard the voice-over say “you are in charge of making your own once-upon-a-time.” While that is inspirational and empowering, it’s not completely true and I’m so thankful for that. We are not alone in creating our once-upon-a-time dream. We have something better than a star to wish on, we have a God we can call on anytime! We need to always take every creative idea to God in prayer and give Him the glory and the credit when our creative ideas succeed. Prayer is the best way to ensure that we are continuing to lean on God’s power to create instead of our own.

I’m heading to California Adventure this Saturday for even more Disney inspiration!

What about you? Where is your creative place? If you haven’t found it yet, get out there and find it! 

This article originally appeared here.

Why We’re Ending Our Multi-Site Approach

By
James Emery White
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Mecklenburg Community Church is closing all of its satellite campuses and ending the multi-site approach to growth we have embraced for nearly a decade. The sites are not being spun off into independent churches, but simply being consolidated back into our original campus through the planned expansion of weekend services and future building efforts.

The multi-site model is not complicated to understand. The goal, at least for us, was never to simply make it more convenient for current Meckers to attend. The goal was to break down geographic barriers that might inhibit extending an invitation to an unchurched person. And I am sure that the multi-site approach can and still does work for many churches.

But we’re now going to chart a different course.

It is not because our sites were failing; they weren’t. Most were growing.

It is not because the church as a whole is in decline. In fact, Meck continues to grow robustly and is now in one of its most accelerated seasons of numerical growth. We recently experienced the largest-attended slate of Christmas services in our history, the largest Easter weekend attendance in our history, and saw more than 400 people baptized in the last year.

So why are we ending our multi-site approach?

It is because we practice what we preach when it comes to strategic church leadership. Namely, that methods must be ruthlessly evaluated in light of missional effectiveness. This not only means asking if they are still “working,” but how well they are working. And perhaps most importantly, how their degree of effectiveness compares to the potential effectiveness of other possible investments. If a method is found wanting, or there is a better method to pursue, then no matter what that method is, no matter what the outside optics might be, no matter how much time and money and effort has been invested to that point, there can be no sacred cows.

We have decided that it is time for the multi-site approach, for us, to end and to have those resources and efforts be more strategically invested. And in so doing, we honor the hard work and prayers of those who helped launch our sites and worked tirelessly to serve their effort—those people are heroes. What they have done over the last several years mattered and was, to our thinking, the most strategic investment we (they) could have made. Marriages have been restored, families strengthened and eternities altered.

But it’s time to move to a different approach.

Here’s why:

It’s Dated
This will sound odd to many, as all things “multi-site” seems to be one of the newer approaches to church growth. But it’s not, at least in the fast-paced nature of our modern world. The multi-site approach came on to the scene in the late ’90s and early 2000s. The earliest books outlining the approach were written in 2005 and released in 2006 (e.g., The Multi-Site Revolution by Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon and Warren Bird). A two-decade-old approach is not exactly cutting edge.

But more to the point is that the entire multi-site way of thinking predated the greatest shift our culture may have ever experienced to date—namely, the Internet in our pocket. Lest we forget, the first iPhone wasn’t released until 2007. That very same year Facebook left the campus and entered the wider world, Twitter was spun off, Google bought YouTube and launched Android, Amazon released the Kindle, and the Internet crossed one billion users worldwide—the tipping point to it becoming the fabric of our world. No wonder New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman once wrote, “What the h*** happened in 2007?” And all of this after—after, mind you—the multi-site approach was conceived and began to spread.

Which brings us to the next point.

The Power of an Apology

By
Greg Atkinson
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Would you like to strengthen your relationships at work? Would you like to strengthen your marriage? I have a few key concepts and phrases to share with you that can do just that.

At my church, we like to say, “No perfect people allowed.” If we know that nobody is perfect (except Christ), why is it that we act as if we’re perfect? Why is it so stinking hard to admit when we’re wrong?

I would venture to guess it’s due to pride. Most people struggle with pride at some point in their lives. Sometimes we don’t want to give our spouse the satisfaction of hearing they were right and we were wrong. Pride.

Sometimes at work, we act like we have it all together and we are incapable of making an error. God help us. Some pastors are the worst at this—they steamroll over their staff and volunteers and act like they are always without fault.

The reality is you’re not fooling anybody; you’re just upsetting a lot of people and ruining relationships.

When you don’t own up to a mistake, a loss of temper, a bad email, a smart remark, etc., you damage the relationship and over time this damage becomes irreparable.

You’re not Superman or Superwoman. You are not invincible. You are not perfect. You make mistakes. You’re a sinner saved by grace—never forget that! You need grace and mercy. Your employees, employer and spouse need grace and mercy. Make sense? I thought so.

How to Apologize in 7 Phrases

So, quickly, let me suggest how you can repair your marriage, win friends and increase your stock at work. Here are seven phrases that can save you:

1 and 2: “I’m sorry” and  “I apologize.”

Use whichever you feel seems most authentic and sounds like yourself. For me, I prefer, “I apologize.” I just said that to someone today and it saved a relationship. It’s freeing. It’s therapeutic. It’s the Christ-like and right thing to do. When you hurt someone, apologize. Word of advice, speak from the heart and face to face. Let them hear the tone of your voice and see the sincerity in your eyes.  

  1. “My bad.”

If you spout out some answer that you really haven’t thought through all the way and you suddenly realize you’re way off, just say, “My bad.” Own up to it. Note: “My bad” is good for casual, informal and small offenses. Don’t make a big mistake and try to say, “My bad.” Not smart. Use this phrase sparingly. Also note: This phrase can be abused and come to mean nothing if you really offend someone and try saying, “My bad.” Watch out!

  1. “I messed up.”

If you make a mistake and it comes to your attention, be quick to say, “I messed up.” When you take ownership of your mistakes, you take the venom out of your attacker’s darts.

  1. “I blew it.”

If you really mess up and you may get in serious trouble, the worst thing you can do is deny it. That will get you fired or divorced. If you blew it, say, “I blew it.” And I’d follow that up with an apology from the heart. Repentance is attractive. It’s hard to stay mad at someone that genuinely repents and asks for forgiveness.

  1. “I was wrong.”

Remember, you’re not always 100 percent right. When you’re not, say, “I was wrong.” And for an added benefit on your part, add, “And you were right.” I am not talking about manipulating people here. I’m talking about being real, genuine and authentic. This is a character issue, friends.

  1. “Please forgive me.”

Lastly, always ask for forgiveness when appropriate. If you accidentally spill coffee on someone’s shoe, you don’t need to beg for forgiveness. However, you also don’t need to ignore it or say, “Hey, watch where you’re going,” or, “That was your fault.”

When you have hurt someone and they are feeling seriously wronged by you, it is entirely appropriate to ask for forgiveness. Again, you are not to manipulate people. If they don’t forgive, move on—you’ve done your part. If they forgive you, graciously receive it and then move forward in your relationship.

One final piece of advice (and I’m talking to myself here): You don’t outgrow these phrases. This is how to live as a person of integrity and character. If you were 99 years old, I’d still share this article with you. These are habits to carry on for life. God bless you as you grow in grace.

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” – Romans 12:18 (NIV)

This article originally appeared here.

Pastor, ‘I’m Busy’ Is a Sad Excuse. Here’s Why

By
Lizzie Burke
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

The one thing we want the most—strong relationships—demands us to give what we do not have—time. And not just the multi-tasking type of time where we text in our laps while nodding intermittently to show the human on the other end of the video conference that we’re also a human, not a mannequin. Strong relationships require the “Do Not Disturb” mode on our phones, sustained eye contact, meaningful conversations and maybe even a great meal.

Relationships are the foundation of gospel movements. Gospel movements are collaborative efforts of the citywide church to work for the peace and prosperity of their city. Developing the relational girth between pastors and ministry leaders in our cities that is able to carry the weight of collaboration in a complex world takes that secret ingredient we all seem to lack: time.

Here’s the million dollar question: How do we foster stronger relationships between pastors when getting them to simply show up seems like an insurmountable hurdle?

3 Things to Counter the “I’m Busy” Excuse

Here’s the million dollar idea: Create connection points pastors can’t afford to miss.

Reconsider the Frequency

This means we may not need to meet as frequently. One idea is to reconsider what an effective meeting rhythm is for the pastors in your area. Regular meeting rhythms are essential, but developing strong relationships does not mean scheduling more meetings, but facilitating the right kind of meetings. What if pastors met together once a year rather than once a quarter? Or once a month rather than once a week? We have found that quality over quantity makes the greatest impact on depth of relationships.

Put in the Pre-Work

Whatever meeting rhythm you determine, the gathering can be effective in cultivating deeper relationships if:

  1. The invitees are intentionally selected.
  2. The agenda is thoughtfully crafted.
  3. Next steps are communicated before the meeting ends.

The goal is to shape pastors’ gatherings in such a way that pastors do not want to miss out. This goal is not achieved without thoughtful reflection and strategy around who’s coming, what we’re going to do, and what we’re going to do next.

Prioritize the Purpose Above Everything

This means we need to be hyper-vigilant about when and why we ask pastors/leaders to gather. (It is also critical to ask: “Who is the best person to call the pastors together? Is it me?”). Too often the success of pastors’ gatherings relies solely on the number of pastors who show up. What if the determinant of success was whether pastors developed more meaningful relationships with one another because of the gathering? Getting more busy pastors into the same room does not always equal building deeper relationships between busy pastors. It takes an intentional host to create connections pastors can’t afford to miss.

You may still be wondering, “I know building relationships take time, but is there any way to speed up the process?” One pastor in Chicago responded to this question by saying, “All meaningful things take time, but I’ve seen pastors develop trust faster during concentrated times away from the distractions of everyday life.”

How To Choose A Killer Facebook Cover Photo For Your Church

By
Bryan Haley
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Facebook presents multiple opportunities for your church to visually express yourself to newcomers. Obviously, you can post video or photos as part of your regular social strategy. You can also feature your church’s brand in your profile image. But no visual is as foundational to your church’s Facebook presence as your cover photo, video, or slideshow. Your Facebook cover photo, video, or slideshow is the largest amount of visual real estate you have on Facebook. It also offers you a major opportunity to be creative about how you present yourself to the world. But before you put on your graphic design hat and dive in, it’s important to think about who sees your cover photo.

After liking your Page, very few (and I mean very few) of your current Facebook followers will ever come back to your Page. Most of their interaction with your Facebook content will happen in their news feed. The people who actually come to your Page are people that are new to you on Facebook: potential followers. This audience will primarily be comprised of current church members looking to connect with you online or potential or recent visitors who have either looked you up on Facebook or clicked on your website’s Facebook link. It is important to keep this audience in mind when choosing a Facebook image or creating a video or slideshow.

What message do you want to communicate to this audience? And how might you visually express that message? For inspiration, here are a few tips and examples from churches that are using their cover photo well.

1. SHOW YOUR CHURCH IN ACTION. GIVE PEOPLE A GLIMPSE OF WHO YOU ARE.

The Rock Church uses their cover photo to give a glimpse of what happens during their services.

The Bridge Church utilizes a slideshow as their cover, displaying a variety of images of people in action.

2. USE AN IMAGE THAT INVITES PEOPLE INTO YOUR CHURCH’S STORY.

The Church at Clayton Crossings keeps their cover photo simple — with a compelling message for the new visitor.

 

Journey Church capitalizes on their available space to share their message to potential guests.

 

3. GIVE A SAMPLE OF WHO YOU ARE, OR WHAT YOUR CHURCH IS ABOUT.

Freshwater Church uses their cover photo to display people from their church as well as their regular service times. This can be a simple way to let potential visitors know vital information. It’s worth noting because the text is right aligned with the image (and the logo left aligned), both get cut off on mobile devices.

 

Middlebranch uses their cover photo to display people from the congregation as well as their tagline.

 

4. HIGHLIGHT A SERMON SERIES OR UPCOMING EVENT.

Redemption Church highlights their upcoming sermon series. In my (somewhat random) search of church Pages, this seems to be a pretty popular trend. However, [as] I mentioned above, updating your cover photo with each sermon series might be more work than it’s worth, as people don’t visit your Page too often. And if they’re not already connected to your church, when they visit your Page, is the sermon series the most important thing they need to know?

 

First Baptist Church uses a video for their cover. This particular video is a quick, 30-second clip advertising an upcoming missions-related event at their church.

 

5. DON’T JUST USE BUILDING PICTURES.

Holy Redeemer uses their church building as the profile picture instead of a logo or marque, and their cover photo displays elements from the inside of their church, rather than showing images of people. It helps give the visitor an idea of what they can expect at this church.

 

Lots of churches show their building as their cover photo, probably because it’s easy. People visiting your Page don’t care to look at your building, they want to know more about who you are. If you must use an image of your building, Lee Street does this pretty well. They use an image of their building in the midst of the surrounding neighborhood. Shared with the profile picture, this shows they are very neighborhood-oriented.

 

In addition to choosing the right image, you may want to think about these things to make your cover photo (or slideshow or video) cohesive with the rest of your Page.

  • Add a description to your cover photo when you upload the image and include a link that’s consistent with the call-to-action button on your Page
  • Keep in mind cover photos display differently on mobile than they do on desktops. Don’t overload your images with text, and try to keep the content of the image toward the center — less is more when it comes to content on your cover photos

So now that we’ve gone through some examples, what do you think?  What works for you? Are there any other churches, including yours, that are using their cover photo space well?

(P.S. If you’re looking for more help with your church’s Facebook Page make sure to check out Church Juice’s free ebook Facebook for Churches.)

 

This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

BRYAN HALEY

Bryan joined the ReFrame Media team in 2017 with a passion to help churches reach people with the gospel using effective church communications. As producer for Church Juice, Bryan helps congregations energize their church communications by overseeing the Church Juice blog, publishing in-depth ebook resources, and developing training on topics like marketing, branding, social media, internal communications, and website development.

Bryan brings years of communication and outreach experience gained both in full-time church ministry and the field of church website design. Bryan and his wife, Denae, enjoy Michigan summers, Detroit sports, and family time.

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