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The American Church Has Got Talent, but What It Really Needs Is…

By
Mike Leake
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The American church has got talent, but let’s discover what it really needs.

There are a couple of heroes in the book of Acts that model for us what we need. This couple sat under the preaching of a dynamic speaker. But they realized he was missing something; namely, Jesus. (Or a full understanding of Christian baptism if you want to go that route.) So they took him under their wing. They loved him and taught him and then sent him back out.

The dynamic speaker was Apollos. And that precious couple was Priscilla and Aquila.

The American church has got talent but what we really need are more Priscillas and Aquilas. Think of all the Apolloses who are leading ministries. Great speakers. Knowledgeable. Passionate. Fervent. Gaining a following. Writing books. Headlining conferences. Missing something vital.

I’m reading an excellent book, The Mentoring Church, by Phil Newton. In the first chapter he outlines the goal of the mentoring relationship: being, doing, believing, teaching. He also outlines the method for doing this: doctrine, praxis and sending. Do you notice anything there? Doing is connected with praxis. Believing is connected with doctrine. And teaching is connected with sending. BUT there is nothing connected with being.

This isn’t an oversight on Newton’s part. He is correct. Being isn’t something you can teach in a seminary class or necessarily read in a book. It’s only crafted through…being. It’s forged in the context of a life lived out in the local church. You can’t fake it. You can’t test out of this one. It takes another person pouring the life of Christ into another person.

A New or Old Problem?

It is here, in my opinion, where the contemporary church is stumbling a bit. And I think it’s why we continue to see our leaders fall. Because being attaches to everything else and isn’t in its own category of attention it can be easily neglected, and often is neglected.

Connect this with our obsession with celebrity and you’ve got a ton of gifted people like Apollos who go on for quite a season without a Priscilla or Aquila in their lives. Something vital is missing. And because God is gracious and will relentlessly pursue us, it’s eventually going to come crashing down. The church might be fine with smoke and mirrors but our King isn’t.

This isn’t a new problem, though. We’ve been doing this for decades. So what we have now is Apollos training Apollos Jr. (or even a few generations further on down) for works of ministry. You won’t be shocked, then, to see that something vital continues to be left out of the training process. It’s a system that keeps going and keeps flopping but still perpetuates. One leader crashes and we figure we just need to go get a better leader, one who is crash proof. Then he crashes and burns too and we start over again. But maybe the problem is with the system.

A Way Forward

I would propose adding a couple of intentional steps in the stages of mentoring. I’m convinced that God always equips his local church. And one of the things he equips them with are Priscillas and Aquilas. So first, we need to pray that we would recognize folks with these gifts and be intentional about placing them in mentoring relationships.

Secondly, we should require solid biblical counseling for every person going into ministry. Biblical counseling isn’t just for those of us who are really messed up. It’s a process for helping people to think properly. It’s part of being. Every young pastor needs a relationship that falls into this category.

Thirdly, we absolutely must prioritize spiritual disciplines. And not spiritual disciplines as a necessary evil to keep you from wrecking your ministry. I tire of hearing things like, “We must pray so that…” No, we pray because that’s who we are. We read Scripture because that’s what disciples do. It’s part of our being. If we put this into the doing category we’re like the Titanic headed for an iceberg.

Jesus loves his church. He raises up Apolloses and Priscillas and Aquilas. But they need each other. Let’s not skip this precious step in our training.

This article originally appeared here.

Just Being Real: 5 Ways to Be Real Without Being Rude

By
Rusty George
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Ever heard this phrase? “Sorry, just being real.” It usually comes after a verbal punch in the gut. “TBH, that outfit does nothing for you…sorry, just keeping it real,” or, “That message you taught did nothing for me…just being honest.” Honesty is great…but can we try it with a bit of kindness as well?

We have a core value on our staff: We keep it real. But it’s easy for some of us to see this as a license for a full onslaught of criticism and then label it as “intended to be constructive.” I think we’ve all seen this in our families. One parent or sibling is overly honest under the guise of “just being real” while another is more calculated and quiet under the covering of “introverted.” How do we establish honesty with each other that builds the relationship rather than pushing it down or blowing it up?

5 Things to Keep It Real

1. Talk to the person rather than about the person

If you have a problem with someone or if you need information from someone or if you feel that someone is not being truthful, then go to THAT person. What we tend to do is go to everyone else and talk about what we think we know. What if we have misinformation? What if it gets back to them and you burn a bridge. If the person you are running down is part of a church…what if that person you are talking to decides to never return to church? Who does that help? In all of this, we have a clear process from Jesus: Go to the person first. A good way to think about this is, “I will only talk about problems or issues with those who can do something about it.” And if we are honest, most of the times we are sharing our “concerns” it’s with someone who has no ability to help the situation.

2. Share your heart before your opinion.

This may seem a bit tedious, but it matters. I’m amazed how many times I give my unsolicited opinion on something in a field I know nothing about. How many times have we critiqued or criticized a team, a coach, a business or a restaurant and yet we know nothing about what is really going on? Why did we criticize? Some of the time it’s petty, some of the time it’s selfish, but many times it’s because we care. So, let’s start with that.

Let’s say you have a child who is not responding to a teacher. Rather than just firing off an email about how the teacher is not doing a good job, maybe start with expressing your heart for the teacher to connect as well as possible with your child. Then, once you both have decided you agree on that, then begin to move into ideas that might be better for your child…and for the teacher.

3. Start with a question rather than a declaration.

Beginning a difficult confrontation with, “You let me down,” or, “This was done poorly,” immediately puts the other party on the defense. What if you began with, “How can we make our situation even better?” “How do you feel that went?” “What would you do differently next time?” These questions create an attitude of collaboration rather than condemnation.

4. Say, “What do you think?”

Let’s be honest. Most of the time the only opinion we are interested in is our own and how quickly we can share it. One of the most valuable things we can give people is a chance to share their opinion. Speaking our mind can be helpful, but allowing others to do the same builds a bridge and helps the relationship’s productivity, rather than causing the relationship to just end.

5. Agree on next steps.

Ever hear someone who comes out of a tough meeting say, “It went great!” And then the other party tells you, “It was awful.” That’s probably because the two people left the conversation with opposite assumptions of what just happened and what is next. Taking time at the end of the reality-check conversation to determine what was decided, what we know, and what will happen next time goes a long way to clarify what just happened. “I’ll do a better job communicating next time,” or, “You know I respect you, I just want us to communicate the best way possible. So next time I’ll talk to you first.” Taking care to say these can make the meeting end well for everyone involved.

Take a moment to share this post with your ministry team and work through it together with these questions:

  1. Am I too quiet or too loud when it comes to conflict?
  2. What’s it like to work with me?
  3. What can we do as a team to keep it real?

Let’s keep it real…without keeping it rude.

This article originally appeared here.

Archaeologists Share What the Upper Room Actually Looked Like

By
Megan Briggs
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The Cenacle is a site in Jerusalem believed by many to be the location where Jesus shared the Last Supper with his disciples just before his death. Now, archaeologists are using 3D laser imaging to get a more accurate picture of what that Upper Room looked like originally.

“We managed, in one of the…holiest places in Jerusalem, to use this technology and this is a breakthrough,” archaeologist Amit Re’em told Reuters.

The Cenacle is an upper room located in David’s Tomb Compound, near Jerusalem’s walled Old City. Poor lighting and modifications of the room over the centuries have masked the original appearance of the room.

While the structure itself has been modified over the centuries, archaeologists believe they have been successful at stripping away the modifications with the help of 3D imaging. What lies beneath is of great interest and “tells the story” of the Upper Room, according to Re’em, who works with the Israel Antiquities Authority.

What Do the Images Show?

The images revealed “obscure” artwork such as the symbols of the Agnus Dei, a lamb that represents Christ, and the Lion of Judah. According to Re’em, the images together are significant. “It delivers the message of the Last (Supper) Room, Christ as a Messiah, as victorious, as a victim—and the lion, the lion is a symbol of the Davidic dynasty. They combine together in this room,” Re’em told Reuters.

The Cenacle Has Strong Significance in the Jewish and Christian Traditions

In addition to the disciples’ Passover meal with Jesus, the Cenacle is believed to be the location of many other significant events in the New Testament. It may even be the location the apostles used as a temporary residence in Jerusalem. It is traditionally thought to be one of the locations where the disciples saw Jesus after the resurrection, and the place where they gathered after Jesus ascended to heaven again. It could also be the place where Pentecost occurred, when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles and other believers in the form of tongues of fire.

Even before New Testament times, though, the location has held significance. Jewish tradition maintains it is the burial place of King David, hence the name David’s Tomb Compound.

The imaging project started in 2016 and is a joint effort between Israel’s Antiquities Authority and European research institutions. According to Ilya Berkovich, a historian who worked on the project, it opens “incredibly new horizons.”

To see some of the images captured by the archaeologists, check out this video made by Reuters. You can also see more images the team captured here.

South Korea Says ‘No’ to 66-Year-Old Ban on Abortion

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

The Constitutional Court of South Korea has found a law that makes abortion a criminal offense to be unconstitutional. The law has been on the books for 66 years and currently remains in effect, although the court has given Parliament until the end of 2020 to amend it. If not revised by that time, the law will be invalidated.  

“The ruling marks an important stride in strengthening gender equality and women’s right to make choices for themselves,” said civic group, People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, however, decried the ruling, saying, “Abortion is the crime of killing an innocent life during pregnancy.”

Clashing Views and a Double Standard

The Constitutional Court last ruled on the law in 2012, and at that time found the ban on abortion to be constitutional. But support for abortion is widespread among childbearing women in South Korea. An average of 125 women per hour receive an abortion, and last August, women in Seoul protested the abortion ban, calling for it to be repealed. Under the current law, abortion is punishable with up to two years in prison, but this penalty is rarely enforced. Between 2012 and 2017, only one person actually went to prison for being involved in an abortion, and the 79 others who were prosecuted were given fines or suspended prison sentences. In 2017, 49,700 abortions were administered, with almost 94 percent of them being illegal (the law makes exceptions for abortion in certain cases).

Even so, the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs (KIHSA), which conducts “systematic research and evaluation of national policies and programs related to health care, social welfare, social insurance and population,” says that the number of abortions among women of the same age has declined over past years. From 2005 to 2017, the number of abortions decreased from 342,000 to 49,700. KIHSA believes that the reason for this decline is that more women are using contraceptives and that there are fewer women of childbearing age. However, doctors say it is possible that the known estimates do not account for all of the abortions that are occurring in the country.

The Government’s Interest

The pro-abortion mindset that many South Korean women have could have been influenced in part by the attitude the government took toward abortion in the ’70s and ’80s. At that time, officials tolerated abortion because they wanted to limit the growth of the population. They actually told people, “Two children are one too many.” Now, however, the country has one of the lowest birth rates in the world. This means the government has a vested interest in encouraging women to have children and will even go so far at times as to call abortion, “unpatriotic.”

Nevertheless, various offices of the South Korean government have expressed different perspectives on the abortion ban. The Ministry of Justice has said that the ban protects “a fetus’s right to life,” while the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has criticized the law. The office of President Moon Jae-in has not commented on the court’s ruling at this time.

5 Ways to Prepare for Easter

By
Matt Morgan
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

With Easter just a few weeks away, every children’s ministry leader is planning and preparing for this special weekend. Every Sunday should be a celebration of Christ’s work, but this weekend provides so many added opportunities to reach children and families. Therefore, it’s worth taking some time to consider how we’re preparing for Easter in our children’s ministries.

Here are five ways you can prepare for Easter:

1. Plan for Guests’ Experience

Easter likely means an increase in guests who worship with you. To be best prepared, we need to plan for a guest experience that—from the moment they arrive at church—helps to engage them in worship, instead of distracting them from worship.

Consider these questions:

  • Where should we place greeters?
  • Who is the most trained volunteer to lead the child check-in procedures?
  • How can we provide enough ushers to help families find classrooms or seats in worship?
  • Is the signage around our church clear and up to date?
  • Is there anything additional we can do to make guests feel welcomed and wanted?

Once the guest child is in your children’s ministry, think about how to provide the best experience for them as well. Don’t plan a review game that immediately alienates them because they haven’t attended the previous four weeks. Take extra time to explain transitions and parts of the service so guest children know what to expect and stay engaged in the lesson.

I challenge you to carry a notebook this Sunday and take notes on how your guest experience might be improved in preparation for Easter Sunday.

2. Prepare for Follow-Up

The guest experience doesn’t stop after the closing prayer. It continues in the days and weeks that follow Easter. Prepare a follow-up that helps guests learn. Start by asking guests how they prefer to be contacted. Within the week, contact them using this method and give them more information about your church. Focus on helping them find the best way to take a next step that leads to deeper connection.

3. Pray (in and for) the Church

Take some time over the next two weeks to intentionally pray for the people who will attend services at your church. If you have rosters for children’s ministry, pray for kids by name and ask God to help them understand the life-saving power of the resurrection.

Schedule a prayer walk or sit in specific rooms to pray. Schedule a lunch-time prayer where children’s ministry volunteers can come and pray over their classroom and the ministry before Easter.

As much as we can plan and prepare for Easter weekend, our most effective tool is the prayer that begs God to do more than we can ask or imagine!

4. Prime Your Own Heart

As you prepare for Easter weekend, be sure you take some time to prime your own heart for worship and celebration of Christ’s resurrection. Read the Gospel account of Jesus’ final week and finish on Saturday night with the story of Jesus’ resurrection and appearance to the disciples in Luke 24. Let your heart be filled with the same burning joy that filled the disciples as they walked the Emmaus road with Him!

5. Preach the Gospel

As you prepare for Easter, don’t neglect to preach the Gospel. Resist the temptation to rely on gimmicks to entertain kids. Instead, focus on the powerful story of the resurrection to engage kids!

What better way to celebrate the resurrection than by showing why it was necessary in God’s redemptive plan. From Genesis to Revelation, show kids how the resurrection of Jesus restores all that was broken by sin. Celebrate that Jesus is alive and will return as reigning King to make all things new!

How are you preparing for Easter?

This article was originally posted here.

Your First Small Group Meeting: Top 10 Ideas

By
Mark Howell
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Your First Small Group Meeting: Top 10 Ideas

You know what they say. You only get one chance to make a great first impression. Maybe that’s why when a brand new group begins, its first small group meeting is so important!

We’ve learned to include the Top 10 Ideas for Your First Meeting in every New Host kit.

Here’s an example of our Top 10 Ideas for Your First Meeting. Feel free to use our list or even better, create your own!

Top 10 Ideas for Your First Meeting

1. Be sure to refer to the ABCs of a Great Start for Your Connection Group for important tips on making sure your group members come to the meeting.

2. Plenty of food goes a long way in making your first meeting a relaxed time together. But…make it easy for everyone to bring something. You might be tempted to supply it all, but don’t. Asking each person to bring something to the first meeting helps ensure turnout.

3. Encourage everyone to come a little early and plan on “grabbing a bite together.” There isn’t a one-size-fits-all prescription, but allow at least 30 minutes hangout and eat together time (i.e., if you’re meeting begins at 7:00 p.m., plan on hanging out until 7:30 p.m.).

4. It’s a good idea to have an icebreaker or two in your pocket for the hangout time. While it definitely helps to have a plate with food on it and a cup with something to drink in it, it’s still a little unnerving for many to have first conversations. Here are a few “while we’re eating questions”:

  • Where did you grow up?
  • Are you from this area?
  • If you could live anywhere, where would you live? Why?

5. Give everyone a five-minute warning that “we’re about to move into the living room and get started.” When you get settled, let everyone know that “we’re just going to use tonight as a way of getting to know each other a little better.”

6. This is a great time to ask a few “get-to-know-me” questions:

  • Would you describe yourself as more of an extrovert or an introvert? Give an example.
  • Would you describe yourself as a structured, “just settle it” kind of person? Or more of a play it by ear type?
  • Are you a hugger? Or a non-hugger?

7. How about a little more info:

What motivated you to sign up for this group?

What are you most hopeful you’ll gain as a result of being in the group?

What are you most afraid of (in terms of the group)?

8. This is a great time to talk over the Group Expectations document. Nobody’s signing anything. Just a good way to get values and expectations on the table. Simply read over the values and reconfirm expectations.

9. Distribute copies of the study you will begin at your next meeting. Collect any payment that your group members have ready. Ask any who were unprepared to bring payment next time. (Important: If there is anyone in your group that cannot afford to pay, we have a way to help.)

10. Pray to close the meeting. Make it really simple. Ask, “Is there anything we can be praying about for you personally? There may be times when we pray for those who aren’t part of the group, but today, let’s keep prayer requests focused on just group members.” Write down any prayer requests. Close with a very simple prayer.

This article originally appeared here.

Adaptive Decision Making, Change and Leadership

By
Daniel Im
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Let’s pick up from where we left off in Part 1 of this series of articles on adaptive decision making, change and leadership. Be sure to start by reading Part 1 if you haven’t yet done so.

Over the last century, here’s the reason most churches and organizations have been able to scale and support the growth that they’ve experienced.

It’s because of the modern day “scientific management model,” which rests primarily upon two elements:

  1. “Absolutely rigid and inflexible standards throughout your establishment.”
  2. “That each employee of your establishment should receive every day clear-cut, definite instructions as to just what he is to do and how he is to do it, and these instructions should be exactly carried out, whether they are right or wrong.”[1]

I’m not saying that these two elements run the shop in every church and organization today. I’m just saying that they are the foundation that modern-day management theory—both inside and outside the church—has been built upon, and it doesn’t work anymore because…

  • You can’t just set it and forget it.
  • You can’t just keep your head down, do your work, and expect to succeed and hit your goals.
  • Your success isn’t wholly dependent on you.
  • If the only time you talk about development is the annual performance review, you won’t grow.
  • If the only time you connect with your volunteers and leaders is on Sunday or in formal training environments, they won’t feel connected.
  • If the only things you do are the things on your job description, your team won’t win.
  • In fact, if you’re not revisiting your job description multiple times a year, it will become outdated quick.
  • And if the only time you talk with your team members is during official team meetings, your team will move too slow.
  • And if you’re not changing your website every two to three years, watch out…irrelevancy is just around the corner.

IN HIS BOOK ACCELERATE, JOHN KOTTER, THE WELL-KNOWN CHANGE MANAGEMENT EXPERT, SAYS THAT THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONS: NETWORKS AND HIERARCHIES.

Here’s how he explains the difference and the progression that organizations make as they move from one to the other:

Virtually all successful organizations on earth go through a very similar life cycle. They begin with a network-like structure, sort of like a solar system with a sun, planets, moons and even satellites. Founders are at the center. Others are at various nodes working on different initiatives. Action is opportunity seeking and risk taking, all guided by a vision that people buy into. Energized individuals move quickly and with agility.

Over time, a successful organization evolves through a series of stages…into an enterprise that is structured as a hierarchy and is driven by well-known managerial processes: planning, budgeting, job defining, staffing, measuring, problem solving. With a well-structured hierarchy and with managerial processes that are driven with skill, this more mature organization can produce incredibly reliable and efficient results on a weekly, quarterly and annual basis.”[2]

There are benefits and frustrations to both.

When it comes to the church, networks seem like small churches, don’t they? Or church plants?

And don’t hierarchies seem like larger established churches? Or the megachurch?

However, one is not better than the other. Both are needed.

And today, in order to grow and multiply your church or organization, you actually need both—a dual operating system—where you have hierarchy on the one side and network on the other.

But in order to see this dual operating system functioning well within your church, you need to carefully think through how decisions are made.

Just consider modern day warfare.

Whereas before successful missions were led by armchair generals in cigar smoke filled rooms who made the strategic decisions for everyone on and off the field—and everyone had to do exactly as he said and commanded—today, successful missions are a result of real-time decisions made on the field by commanders and soldiers who know the intent and values of the general, even when they’re not with him.

A Counterintuitive View of Multiple Campuses and Sudden Pastoral Transitions

By
Eric Geiger
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Gosh, that is a long blog title. It almost reads like a dissertation title, so let me explain. One overwhelming argument against a church having multiple campuses or congregations is “what happens to those campuses if the celebrity pastor dies or blows up his life?”

By a church having multiple congregations or campuses, I am referring to the “multisite model,” where the church operates as one church yet is localized in different communities. Typically this means one governance, one name, one budget, one programming philosophy, one teaching team, etc. Often, but not always, video teaching is utilized at least some of the time. The “multisite approach” has grown significantly over the last 15 years.

When I served as executive and teaching pastor in Miami, I worked alongside our team to launch new campuses and transition our church to that approach of ministry. We saw the Lord do amazing things as ministry in the city was expanded, more people were reached with the gospel, and leaders were developed and deployed.

I realize there are other arguments, often theological, against a church having multiple campuses, but one of the most practical arguments has essentially been: “Multiple campuses extends a leader’s personality in an unsustainable way and builds a ministry around one communicator on a screen.”

And I want to ONLY address that practical argument today. If that view were accurate, one would expect that when a sudden and unexpected pastoral transition occurs that the “multisite campuses” would struggle more than the “main campus.” After all the argument supposes that the new campuses are built on attracting people to a celebrity leader who is now no longer there or a “brand” that has been tarnished.

But…

Without naming churches (and please don’t tweet at me), there is some early and limited evidence that the counterintuitive is occurring. It is not the “main campus” that is thriving in the midst of sudden change or chaos, but the “multisite” campuses. I have heard from numerous leaders, “actually and surprisingly, our multiple campuses have been more stable in the change than the original campus.” I have been asked why I think this is the case, and here is what I “think.” I am still thinking about this and am still listening and learning, but here are two reasons “multisite campuses” are better prepared for sudden pastoral transition than the “original campus.”

The original large church may tend to attract more “church consumers” than a multisite campus with video teaching.

Jesus did not call His people to make church consumers, but to make disciples. The goal of a church must not be people who consume our tightly produced religious goods and services but a people on mission to show and share the grace of Jesus. The church’s goal must not be consumption but deployment. If you believe that, you rightly get concerned about any approach to church ministry that helps keep church consumers as church consumers and fails to move them to more. Church consumers tend to bounce when a church goes through a tough time. Based on casual observation, it does not seem that a campus with a pastor on a screen attracts more “church consumers” than a large church with an incredible facility.

An outwardly focused congregation is significantly healthier than an inwardly focused one.

Every church should be focused on their surrounding community, and any church that believes and applies the gospel will be. However, when a “multi-site campus” is launched, it is typically launched with the missional goal of loving and serving a specific community. People who are united around a mission are better prepared to handle disappointments, change and pain.

Mission unites people. Can a single-site church unite people around mission? Absolutely. But often the only thing a “campus pastor” has is mission. The pastor continually hears: The facility is nicer at the “main campus.” The teaching is “live” at the “main campus.” The programming is better at the “main campus.” So continually uniting people around mission for a specific community seems to have served those multi-site congregations well.

Regardless of where you land on the multi-site approach to ministry, we can surely all agree that we are weary of seeing sudden pastoral transitions. And we can also agree that a church that has united people around mission is best prepared for a sudden transition.

This article originally appeared here.

Are You Organized for Control or Growth?

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

One of the pastors on our staff was overheard saying to another staffer, “One of the things that makes Meck so different is that it is not organized for control, but organized for growth.”

He gets it.

It’s a simple, but profound, idea.

When you are organized for control, then your decision making, systems, processes…they’re all about controlling things. The goal is to make sure everything is done a certain way, or that everything done is allowed. It’s more about the preservation of the status quo than it is the challenge of it.

When you are organized for growth, you are structured for rapid decision making, fluid thinking, the absence of sacred cows, the ability to think outside of the box. You are constantly asking: “How can we do this better? What would be even more effective?”

And leaders are free to follow the conclusions.

I cannot begin to tell you how frustrating it is to lead a seminar or conference, lay out some simple decision or action that would radically improve a church’s health or effectiveness, and have it be met by a chorus of leaders saying, “We can’t do that.” And nine times out of 10, it’s not because they don’t have the money, the volunteers, the facility or even the desire—it’s because they don’t have the freedom.

They are not organized for growth, but for control.

And if they tried to get the permission needed by whatever authority is in place, they would be shut down because that “authority” is not trained, sensitized or inclined to make such decisions. If anything, they are vested in the status quo. So the ones best able to make decisions are not allowed to; the ones least qualified are. Or decision making is so radically democratized and shared, requiring so much time to act, that you lose the window of time to act!

I know there are a wide number of approaches to church government, from “elder rule” to a more congregationally based approach. Yet most forms of church government have three features that dominate their structure: committees, policies and majority rule.

None of these terms are found in the Bible, and all three can kill you.

For example, committees keep the people who are doing the ministry from making the decisions about the ministry. Authority and responsibility become separate from one another. An effective structure, on the other hand, lets the individuals who are the most intimately involved in a particular ministry and the best qualified make the day-in, day-out decisions regarding that ministry.

The problem with policies is what Philip Howard calls the death of common sense. A policy makes decisions and directs procedure independent of the situation. In many ways, this is considered to be the strength of a policy. The dilemma is that it removes judgment from the process.

For example, a few years ago the federal government bought hammers using a specification manual that was 33 pages long. Why not just trust people to go out and buy hammers? And if they can’t be trusted to do that, then get different people in the position.

Another problem with policies is that they can become an end unto themselves. Rather than the policies serving the organization, the organization begins to serve the policies. Pretty soon how things are done becomes far more important than what is done.

Here’s a great question for your church structure that I believe was first suggested to my thinking in something I read by (or heard from) George Barna: “Suppose your church had an opportunity to implement a ministry that had a high potential for positive impact, but needed to get started immediately. Could your church spring into action within hours or, at the most, a few days?”

Some of the most strategic decisions we’ve ever made had to be made within days, if not hours. And we were structured to be able to do it.

Now, about majority rule. Majority rule is rooted in American democracy and, as a result, has often been incorporated unthinkingly into the church. The first misgiving about majority rule is noted by Yale University Professor Marshall Edelson, who writes how an excess of consensus, or an over-enthusiasm for democratic principles, can render an organization impotent in terms of actually doing anything.

The second misgiving about majority rule (and one far more serious) is the Bible teaches that the church is a family.

In most family structures, the immature (children) outnumber, or at least equal, the mature (parents). In my family, there were two parents and four children. If we had voted on everything, we would have had ice cream for dinner every night, no bedtimes and lived at Disney World.

The church is a family and, therefore, should be understood to have differing levels of spiritual maturity present in the lives of its members. If every decision is made by the majority instead of the most spiritually mature, then there is a very strong chance that the majority could mislead the church.

This is precisely what happened with the Israelites. Moses sent 12 spies into the Promised Land in order to report back to the people whether it was everything God promised. All 12 agreed that the land was flowing with milk and honey, but the majority said that the land could not be taken. Only two, Caleb and Joshua, were convinced that God wanted them to possess the land.

The people went with the majority, and it kept them out of the Promised Land.

Here’s the key to good structure: Let leaders lead. I’m not talking about setting anyone up to be autocratic or dictatorial, and there should certainly be appropriate accountability. But don’t let that become a euphemism for control. A good structure releases the leadership gift mentioned in Romans 12 as fully as one would allow any other gift to be made manifest.

Yes, there will be some who might feel a loss of “control.”

But the church as a whole might begin to feel a sense of growth.

Sources

Philip Howard, The Death of Common Sense.

Allan Cox with Julie Liesse, Redefining Corporate Soul.

This article originally appeared here.

Seeing Death, Speaking Life: An Easter Meditation

By
Sarah Alexander
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If Jesus stood above our city, as he once stood above Jerusalem, he likely would observe the crowds from the perch of the pedestrian overpass stretching toward the Golden Horde bazaar. He would see the one-legged beggar asking for money at the traffic light and the young prostitute going to work in a side building. He would notice the wrinkled woman sitting on a plastic crate beside a cut-up pumpkin she is selling in hopes of buying a little bit of meat for dinner.

I imagine Jesus would let himself be carried along in the throng of shoppers down the steps into the muddy, spit-strewn alleyway between stalls. He would see the young, bearded man reading his Islamic prayer book while potential customers pass by. He might linger over the round flatbread, imprinted with stars and circles, fresh from the clay ovens. He would shake hands with the old men sitting in front of the cafe.

“Jesus knew in his pierced and torn flesh the cost of my sin and theirs. And he chose to love us.”

Jesus would recognize both the strands of beauty and the private pain tangled in this small knot of humanity.

Jesus Sees

He would see the young mom who had to leave her toddlers at home by themselves so she could work to put food on their table. He would want to comfort the widow who is trying to sell a pair of hand-knitted socks, an old plate, and her deceased husband’s used shoes. He would reach out and heal the open wound of the man sprawled on the sidewalk.

His eyes wouldn’t pass over the gypsy standing with her baby, asking for a handout. He would see her. He would talk to her.

Jesus Weeps

It would be like Jesus to weep over my city, just as he wept over Jerusalem. He would lament over the few who are seeking God but don’t know where to look beyond their own tradition. He would ache at the distance between their hearts and his.

He would long to gather up the women who still fry bread each week as an offering to their ancestors. He would rescue the men who are looking for solace in alcohol or a prostitute. He would call the little children to come to him, children who every day tiptoe through brokenness, hoping to not get cut.

Jesus would embrace those who cannot love themselves, much less their own families. He would weep over the stench of death that pervades this community.

Jesus Reigns

The prophet Isaiah foretold that Jesus would himself be a person despised and rejected, “like one from whom people hide their faces” (Isa. 53:3 NIV). This man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, would choose to not just see and ache for the crowds, but to walk among them and to let them march him to the cross.

As Scripture says, “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isa. 53:5 NIV).

In that most inhumane death, Jesus bought life for us, conquering evil once and for all. He made it possible for God to gather us up and pull us close to him.

My Prayer

As I imagine how Jesus might respond to those in my city who don’t know him, I think of my new acquaintance Zhanna, who sells sewing supplies near the entrance of the bazaar. She doesn’t understand the truth of the gospel yet. I’ve been praying for her, but I need God to give me words. And courage.

I need him to give me the eyes of Jesus to see people’s pain, and the feet of Jesus, to walk through their muck. I need the heart of Jesus, who weeps over the lostness.

“My prayer this Easter is that God would give me a sense of urgency and empower me with his Spirit to speak fearlessly.”

Jesus feels the destructiveness of rebellion so much more deeply than I ever could. He knows the strength and length of sin that threads through generations, and he comprehends the layer upon layer of pain in my community.

He knew in his pierced and torn flesh the cost of my sin and theirs. And he chose to love us.

That love compels us to go and to share his message of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:14)—the good news that God makes dead people come alive: the lonely, the beggars, the prostitutes, the despised, the ignored, the deceivers and the deceived. It compels us to go to people like me.

So my prayer this Easter is that God would give me a sense of urgency and empower me with his Spirit to speak fearlessly. Echoing the apostle Paul, I ask that “words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel…that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should” (Eph. 6:19–20 NIV).

Wherever you are in the world, may you know, too, that Jesus looks on you with love, weeps for your sin, and offers you a way out of the valley of death. He walked through that valley for us. And his resurrection is our hope and our message for the Golden Horde bazaar and every other sin-broken place, from here to the ends of the earth.

This article originally appeared here.

Why Aren’t Men Reading Christian Women Writers?

By
Tim Challies
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Why aren’t men reading women writers? Jen Pollock Michel recently asked the question and it’s rather a good one. Though she provided an early answer (which you can read here) she was clear that her foremost desire was to provoke discussion. Since I spend so much time thinking about Christian books, I thought I’d take a shot at an answer. This is certainly not the whole answer, but it may be a part of it.

I have often observed this about Christian publishing: Men write for men and women; women write for women. In other words, a substantial percentage of the books written by women are for women while a substantial percentage of the books written by men are for both men and women. There are exceptions, of course, but in general, women are far more likely than men to write books specifically for their own gender.

Consider Jen Wilkin, who is considered one of the most prominent authors in the Reformed space. She is a talented writer and skilled theologian. What has she written? Her breakout book was Women of the Word, which tells how to read, understand and interpret the Bible. There are many similar books, and perhaps the main distinguisher between hers and others is the audience. “How can we, as Christian women, keep our focus and sustain our passion when reading the Bible?” Because the audience was women, the cover and the marketing of the book were distinctly feminine. Not surprisingly, it was read mostly by women. After that came None Like Him, a book about the attributes of God. What distinguishes it from other books on the same subject? In part, the audience: The introduction is titled “On Becoming a God-Fearing Woman.” Like Women of the Word, it has a feminine cover and is marketed to a female audience. Her forthcoming In His Image, a book about the character of God, is equally feminine in its look and feel.

Gloria Furman is another noteworthy Christian author in the Reformed space. What has she written? Missional Motherhood, The Pastor’s Wife, Treasuring Christ When Your Hands Are Full, and so on. These are books for women. The audience is female, the covers are feminine, and the marketing clearly meant to appeal to women.

We could find many, many other examples. Of course, it makes sense that women would write about motherhood or other issues specific to women. It makes sense that these books would be feminine in appearance and marketed to their target audience. But books about the attributes and character of God do not need to be written by women for women, do they? Any man could benefit by reading None Like Him, but he probably won’t because he probably won’t buy it in the first place. The cover, the title, the marketing all show that this is a book for women. Many men will read books by women but not books for women.

Let me interrupt the flow of my article a little to state this: Some will answer Michel’s question with the words “complementarian theology.” There are probably some men out there who will not read any book by any woman. If that’s the case, I don’t think they rightly understand complementarian theology. And if that’s the case, I also don’t know any of them. The men I know are very willing to read books by women. But they aren’t likely to read books for women. (Also, a quick look at the bestseller lists will likely show that, even where complementarian theology plays little role, most of the books by women are also for women.)

Back to where I was going: We can easily find some counter-examples of women writing for women. Nancy Pearcey’s books are marketed equally to men and women and, I wager, read equally by both. The cover design and marketing copy are nicely “neutral.” Rosaria Butterfield’s Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert was devoured by men and women alike. Her book, too, is “neutral” in its packaging and marketing and, therefore, appealing to both men and women.

So I think there are a few questions behind Jen Pollock Michel’s question. They may go something like this:

Why aren’t men reading women writers? In part, because many women writers aren’t really giving them the chance. Many female authors are writing books for women, not for men and women. If a man wants to gain a female perspective on the attributes of God, he has to read a book for women on the attributes of God. And that’s difficult not only because the marketing is not making him aware of the book, but because it involves buying a feminine book with application specific to women.

Why are women writing books for women rather than men and women? I expect it’s because publishers are asking women to write books for women. They are not asking women to write books for men and women.

Why are publishers asking women to write books only directed for women, even when the topic applies equally to men and women? Ay, there’s the rub. I think this merits some further thought, and while we may lay the blame in many different places, I expect the most straightforward answer comes down to basic economics. Authors will sell more and publishers will earn more if they hire women to write books for women rather than books for men and women.

Why is that the case? I’m not ready to venture there quite yet…

This article originally appeared here.

You Can See a Snapshot of the Abortion Debate From This Senate Hearing

By
Jessica Lea
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On Tuesday, April 9, the Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimonies from pro-life and pro-choice advocates regarding the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, or Bill S. 160. Sponsored by Senator Lindsey Graham, the bill would ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy, with the exceptions of if an abortion is necessary to save a mother’s life or is the result of rape or incest. In their arguments in favor of the bill, pro-life advocates primarily focused on the pain that abortion causes to unborn children, while the bill’s opponents expressed their concern that it would harm women mentally, emotionally and physically.

“Abortion doesn’t spare a child from suffering, it causes suffering,” said abortion survivor Melissa Ohden. Dr. Valerie Peterson, on the other hand, defended the freedom to get an abortion, a decision that she said for her was “devastating” and “extremely agonizing.”

Melissa Ohden, founder of the The Abortion Survivors Network

In her testimony, Ohden elaborated on the fact that she is a survivor of a failed abortion and speculated about the pain she must have felt during the procedure. Ohden’s biological mother was forced to have a saline infusion abortion while around 31 weeks pregnant, but five days after the doctors attempted the abortion, Ohden was born on accident. Her medical records say, “A saline infusion for an abortion was done, but was unsuccessful.” The nurses debated whether or not to provide medical care to Ohden until one finally took her to the NICU, saying, “I couldn’t just leave her there to die!” In her testimony, Ohden expressed her gratitude for those who loved her and cared for her in the time that followed, including her adoptive parents, who were not dissuaded by news that she would likely have multiple disabilities.  

Said Ohden, “My life has been a set of many miracles, which includes being the mother of two daughters, and now even being united with my biological mother and many members of her family and my biological father’s… There should be no question that every child should be spared from the excruciating pain of an abortion procedure like I was subjected to.”

Dr. Valerie Peterson, Director of Partnership Development for Equal Opportunity Schools

Dr. Peterson opened her testimony stating that “women may need to make what are often difficult decisions about having an abortion later in their pregnancies. I worry about their health and safety if a federal law is passed that would ban abortion after 20 weeks.”

To illustrate her concern, Dr. Peterson shared why she terminated her third pregnancy. She gave birth to her first daughter while in high school and her second daughter while in college. She raised them while graduating both high school and college and working full-time while in college. In the summer of 2015, she became pregnant with her son and said that he was “very much wanted.” As she approached the 20 week mark, Dr. Peterson received news that her son’s brain had not developed properly and that there was no treatment.

The doctor said that only 3 percent of babies with that condition make it full-term and those that do die anyway, usually during the birthing process. Wanting to avoid the emotional pain of continuing to carry a baby she knew would die anyway, Dr. Peterson sought an abortion, but had difficulty getting one because of Texas’ abortion laws. She ended up paying to fly to Florida to have her abortion done there. Dr. Peterson said, “I sincerely hope that no one close to you that you love dearly will have to walk in the shoes that I had to ‘travail’ in during this journey.” She opposes Bill S. 160 out of concern for the “health and well-being” of women who don’t have the same opportunities she did.

Dr. Donna Harrison, Executive Director of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Dr. Harrison noted the graphic nature of abortion, particularly D&E (dilation and evacuation) abortions, where the baby is dismembered. “It is scientific fact that 20-week babies are very sensitive to pain,” she said. “They react the same way that you do. They withdraw from painful stimuli, they release stress hormones, their heart rate increases, and their breathing increases. These are measurable changes under pain.”

Dr. Harrison noted that many of the children (whom she referred to as the most vulnerable members of the population) who would be protected by the bill would be old enough to survive outside of the womb. This ability highlights that they are separate individuals from their mothers. She also observed that when doctors operate on unborn children, it is standard for them to administer anesthesia to a baby separately from his or her mother, another acknowledgement that the baby is an individual. Dr. Harrison argued that there is never a reason to perform an abortion after 20 weeks when a baby can survive outside the womb, noting that delivering the baby is safer for the mother than abortion is.

The Hon. Jen Jordan, State Senator for Georgia’s 6th Senate District

Sen. Jordan testified as a representative of a state where a law banning abortions after 20 weeks has already been in effect since 2012. She said that Bill S. 160 is basically the same as Georgia’s law and that such laws are unconstitutional. Among other critiques of Georgia’s law, Sen. Jordan argued that it fails to take into account the mental health of women, a failure she calls “problematic and cruel.” The result is that any woman who is, for example, suicidal and could benefit from medication will be denied that medication if it threatens the life of her unborn child. Sen. Jordan also said that Georgia’s restrictions on abortion are part of a wider problem in the state that women have of not being able to access reliable gynecological care. Sen. Jordan believes that laws like Bill S. 160 fundamentally infringe on women’s right to privacy. She said, “It is not for the government to insert itself in the most personal, private and wrenching decisions that women make every single day.”

Catherine Glenn Foster, President and CEO of Americans United for Life

Similar to Dr. Harrison, Ms. Foster pointed the committee to scientific evidence demonstrating that unborn children feel pain. She said that the bill under consideration “is based upon congressional findings that physiological and neurological developments in the preborn infant yield substantial medical evidence that an unborn child is capable of experiencing pain at least by 20 weeks after fertilization (22 weeks LMP), if not earlier.”

Foster offered several arguments for why the bill is constitutional, noting that no other laws banning abortion after 20 weeks because of fetal pain have been challenged before the Supreme Court. She argued that abortion advocates realize such challenges would not be sustainable.

Suspected Church Arsonist Involved in Black Metal

By
Stephanie Martin
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A white man whose father works in law enforcement has been arrested for allegedly burning down three historically black churches in Louisiana. Holden Matthews, 21, faces state charges, according to the fire marshal, and could face federal charges if investigators determine the crimes were hate-related.

Within a 10-day span, late-night fires in rural St. Landry Parish destroyed three Baptist churches that were each more than 100 years old. The buildings were empty at the time, and no one was injured.

St. Landry Sheriff Bobby Guidroz says Matthews is the son of a deputy. “Holden’s father is an employee of mine, a fine man,” Guidroz says. “He was shocked and hurt as any father would be… He was in terrible shape.”

“Black Metal” May Have Played a Role

A motive hasn’t been confirmed, but officials point to possible clues. “Black metal” music (also known as Satanic metal) is a major theme of a Facebook page reportedly belonging to Matthews. Some bands espouse neo-Nazi beliefs, and a sub-genre of black metal was linked to church arsons in Norway in the early 1990s.

In Louisiana, church members and officials say they’re trying not to jump to conclusions. “We need to let them investigate, let the evidence come out,” says Earnest Hines, a deacon and 40-year member at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Opelousas.

“I don’t know what was in [the suspect’s] heart, but I can say it cannot be justified or rationalized,” says Governor John Bel Edwards. “These were evil acts. But let me be clear about this, hate is not a Louisiana value.”

The NAACP called the church fires “domestic terrorism” and “a reflection of the emboldened racial rhetoric and tension spreading across the country.”

Local Churches Had Been on Edge

Pastors and church members had taken extra precautions since the fires began on March 26. The Rev. Dwight Brown, whose church is in the affected area but didn’t want it named, says he slept in the building two nights last week. “I could not sleep in my bed knowing the church I was pastor of for 15 years could be burned down,” he says. Brown, who worked in law enforcement for 30 years before becoming a pastor, also removed the church sign, installed cameras and left lights on inside the building. Members had been walking by the church to check on it, as well.

“I was afraid my church was going to be targeted,” says Brown. “It’s 130 years of history. I couldn’t take that chance.” Other pastors reportedly have been sleeping in cars outside their churches.

Although the fire marshal declared the community is now safe, residents remain cautious. “I would like to know whether [the suspect] was working alone or not,” says Harry Richard, pastor of Greater Union, the second church that burned. He’s also been thinking of other black congregations that have suffered various attacks, as well as the big-picture implications. “I think that God is speaking to this nation and telling us that it’s time to come together,” he says.

Plastic Wrap Bible Fun

By
Courtney Kirk
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This past Sunday went fantastic in my children’s Bible classes with some Bible fun. Why? Because they had FUN! Our lesson was about Jesus being tempted in the wilderness; but you can use this activity for ANY lesson.

Remember the game at Christmas everyone was playing where tons of mini gifts were wrapped in a ball of cellophane? It was passed around a circle for everyone to unwrap the cellophane until they came to a prize that they kept and then passed the ball on. It continued until all the prizes, or gifts, were unwrapped and claimed.

I simply used this idea for a Bible lesson and the kids had a blast. I had my lesson and divided it into sections. Then I selected toys and candy prizes. If the toy related to the lesson I used it as it was. For instance, I had a prayer rock for turning rocks into bread. For other parts of the lesson that I did not have a toy for, I printed a picture that related and glued it to candy (and gum). Then, as the kids unwrapped, we would stop at each item and tell that part of the story. We made it through the entire ball of cellophane with excitement and anticipation…what was coming up next! (Just remember to wrap your items up backward so the last item is wrapped first.)

 

 

 

 

 

This article originally appeared here.

Find over 100 Bible games for kids here.

Living in a (Nominal) Religious Context

By
Ed Stetzer
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The fastest shrinking category in American religion is still the largest category—people who self-identify as Christian, but whose religion is not a central part of their lives. We call these people nominal Christians.

However, this largest category is also the fastest shrinking.

To be blunt: nominalism is dying.

While this may not be good for a culture increasing in secularization, in some ways, it is a good thing for the church. Churches will have more of an opportunity to distinguish themselves from the host culture. Lives empowered by Christ should look different and now they increasingly will.

In spite of the decline of nominalism, there are pockets throughout North American that still have a heavy presence of nominalism. The Bible Belt, pardon the bad metaphor, supports some of these pockets.

Here are some dangers, difficulties, and directives of living in a nominal religious context.

Many American Southerners still possess a religious terminology that expresses they were saved at the age of 8, baptized at the age of 10, and are on the membership roll at the Crooked Creek Pentecostal Church or the Sugar Creek Methodist Church. Many of these individuals based their salvation on being moral, decent, and upstanding citizens, who love their families, their country, and even their God.

Living in such a nominal religious context presents some dangers, difficulties, and directives for believers who are passionately committed to king Jesus.

Dangers of Living in a Nominal Religious Context

The dangers of living in a nominal religious context aren’t the same as living in a zealous violent religious context like regions in the Middle East. Living in those areas can cost one their life. Living in a nominal religious context may not put one’s life in danger, but if not careful it can endanger a believer in other ways that are just as costly—just on a different scale.

There’s the danger of embracing a comfortable Christianity.

One thing about nominal “Christians” is that their faith doesn’t cost them anything. Their faith or belief is like a trinket or badge they wear. It doesn’t prompt them to give up guilty pleasures, to give generously of their time, talents, or treasures to the Lord or His church, or to vulnerably share their faith with someone else.

If not careful, passionate believers can allow such comfort to influence them so that they too become comfortable.

There’s the danger of domesticating the gospel. Lesslie Newbigin was one who landed on this idea when he came home from forty years of faithful mission work in India. Upon his return, he saw that the church, and thus the gospel, had been imprisoned by the cultural milieu. As a result, the gospel had been domesticated, stripped of its transformational glory.

Today, in many nominal contexts, something similar has transpired. The Bible has been turned into a self-help informational book rather than the divinely inspired book written by God for our transformation and His glory. Jesus has been relegated to a Captain America type of savior who came and died to save us from hell rather than a King who came to save us in order to reign in and through us.

Difficulties of Living in a Nominal Religious Context

Beside dangers to sound Christian theology and practice in a nominal religious context, there are difficulties to living in such a context.

Evangelism

There will be an evangelistic difficulty.

Because nominals are moral, they think they behave rightly; because they are theistic and biblical, they think they believe rightly; because they are Christian by name, they think they belong rightly; and because their life is fairly simply, they feel as though they are blessedrightly.

In short, they base their salvation on what they do and experience, not what Christ did. Sharing the gospel with people who already think they “have it” will prove to be difficult.

Relational

There can be relational difficulty.

When trying to call nominals towards a deeper understanding of Scripture and the gospel, they may become easily offended and agitated. They may feel as though they are being judged or attacked. As a result, relational strain and marginalization occurs. More specifically, friendships can dissolve. People leave or becoming angrier at the church.

Revitalization

In some places there will be revitalization difficulty. In churches where nominals may be present and in positions of leadership, there will be a stronghold of spiritual lethargy, gospel indifference, and missional paralysis. Leading and navigating change and transformation will be slow, methodical, intentional, messy, and possibly even intense.

Directives for Living in a Nominal Religious Context

The situation is not hopeless because there is power in the gospel. These directives, empowered by the gospel of Jesus Christ, will serve as antibodies that will ward off the virus of nominal, or weak, Christianity.

We must be gospel centered. The gospel should be the sun around which the planets of our lives orbit. Everything we do—personally, emotionally, relationally, maritally, parentally, socially, culturally, vocationally, etc.—should revolve around the good news that Jesus Christ has saved us, redeemed us, and made us a part of His glorious kingdom. Being gospel-centered means that we constantly ask ourselves the following question: Is my life bringing glory to King Jesus?

We must be mission-oriented. We are not only saved from our sin and ourselves, but are saved to and for a mission. Being in Christ means that we are His means of advancing His mission in the world. Thus, we enact a posture towards the world for the glory of God. As a result, we come to live a life on mission—intentionally using how we live, where we go, what we do, and what we say as a means to share and show the good news of Jesus with the world.

We must be church-minded. The church isn’t a place we attend but a people we belong to. When Christ saved us, He made us a part of His family. Christ cares about His family—their transformation into His image as well as their participation in His mission. If Christ cares for His family, we should too. If Jesus is committed to His family—in that He will never leave nor forsake them—we should be too.

Nominalism doesn’t save. It’s the equivalent of those in the New Testament who not only wouldn’t enter the kingdom of God themselves, but got in the way of others who wanted to enter.

Nominalism can kill. But, Jesus, as Peter reminds us, “has the words of life,” and He is the better way.

This article originally appeared here.

How to Select Your ‘Life Verse’

By
Joe McKeever
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“Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).  

Your life verse is not just a cute, catchy line that looks good on a bumper sticker.

Your life verse understands you. It sums up a lot about your life. It has your number.

Your life verse knows your deep, dark secrets.

When you were young, you were still finding out who you were and had yet to encounter life’s bruises and hurts. You could not have found a verse that “fit” since you didn’t know “what size you were,” to stay with the metaphor. But by this time, you have lived enough to carry scars from disappointments and battles. You have failed and sometimes failed big time. You have hurt and cried and cried out to God. And now you are ready to find your life verse.

Your life verse won’t necessarily make you happy. It may be a reminder of the scars you wear and a few you have inflicted.

Here’s mine.

Job 4:4. The odd thing is that I remember it in a way that I cannot find in any version of the Scripture. The way I recall it is:

Your words have stood men on their feet. 

The NKJV reads: “Your words have upheld him who is stumbling; You have strengthened the feeble knees.” Most translations have a variation of that. But still. I like it to say “your words have stood men on their feet.”

I know about such words. I also know about the destructive power of words.

I have been knocked off my feet by harsh words. I have knocked a few people off their feet by some poorly chosen words of my own. And I have been the recipient of good words that raised me from the deck of self-pity and stood me erect and returned me to the battle.

The Allure of Buddhism

By
James Emery White
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I’ve come to a cultural conclusion: While Hinduism dominates our theology, Buddhism dominates our practice.

Why Buddhism Is True, by Robert Wright, became a best seller in 2017. Four in 10 American adults now say they meditate at least weekly. Major companies like Google, Apple and General Mills have adopted Buddhist meditation programs for their employees.

Which means Buddhism will win the popular mind. There’s an old Latin tag, lex orandi, lex credendi. It literally reads “the law of praying, the law of believing.” The idea is that what is prayed paves the way for what may or will be believed.

Hinduism marks the philosophy of everything from The Matrix to Star Wars. But Buddhism is what we increasingly practice. Or, more to the point, pray.

So why Buddhism?

In an article for the Atlantic Monthly, Olga Khazan writes about why so many Americans are turning to Buddhism. Short answer? Mental health. And, to be sure, mental health is the new holy grail of our inner world. She writes that it’s not about “spiritual enlightenment or a faith community, but rather hoping for a quick boost of cognitive healing.” People have run out of options. “Mental health disorders are up in Western societies, and the answer doesn’t seem to be church attendance, which is down. There’s always therapy, but it’s so expensive. My meditation class was $12.”

So why Buddhism? Khazan is worth quoting here at length:

The ancient religion, some find, helps them manage the slings and arrows and subtweets of modern life. Many people are stressed out by the constant drama of the current administration, and work hours have overwhelmed the day. There’s something newly appealing about a practice that instructs you to just sit…

What’s different—and perhaps reassuring—about Buddhism is that it’s an existing religion practiced by half a billion people. Because relatively few Caucasian Americans grew up Buddhist, they generally don’t associate any familial baggage with it like some do with, say, the Christianity or Judaism of their childhoods. 

Much like “cafeteria Catholics” ignore parts of the religion that don’t resonate with them, some Westerners focus on only certain elements of Buddhist philosophy and don’t endorse, say, Buddhism’s view of reincarnation or worship of the Buddha. Call them “buffet Buddhists.”

Taken out of their Buddhist context, practices like meditation “become like a dry sponge,” McMahan said, “soaking up whatever values are around.” 

Yes. And that is the appeal of Buddhism. It gives us the easy appeal of spirituality without the accountability.

The Tibetan mountaintop monasteries, the shaved heads, the flowing robes, the exotic locations, the meditation…it all seems to hold the promise of the experience of the spiritual. Yet you don’t have to join anything, or really believe in anything.

This Year’s Final Four Was All About Redemption

By
Stephanie Martin
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Redemption was a key theme at the conclusion of the 2019 NCAA men’s basketball tournament, with Virginia bouncing back from last year’s shocking defeat to claim its first title. But for many players and coaches who were in the national spotlight during the Final Four, off-the-court redemption matters much more.

Both the Virginia Cavaliers and the team they defeated in overtime, the Texas Tech Red Raiders, made headlines for being vocal about their Christian faith.

Faith Is the ‘heartbeat’ of Texas Tech 

After defeating Michigan State in a Final Four semi-final Saturday, the Red Raiders knelt for prayer in their locker room. Although CBS cut away from the scene, the team’s statement was clear. “I know nationally [prayer is] not accepted and not the norm,” says chaplain Corbin Young. But “it was no shock to me, knowing the identity of this team. That’s the heartbeat of who they are. Faith plays a huge part in the core values of this team.”

It’s been “a beautiful thing” to see Texas Tech come together and grow spiritually this year, Young says. Some players set up a weekly Bible study; others told reporters about reading Scripture daily and quoted verses during interviews.

Young, who texts team members daily, offered encouragement after Monday’s loss. “It’s so amazing that God’s love is not based on our performance,” says the chaplain. “His love doesn’t change, win or lose the national championship.” Young also reminded the young men that the sport isn’t their identity. “Basketball is just what they do, it’s not who they are,” he says.

Texas Tech senior forward Norense Odiase says “having a good relationship with Christ, it just fuels me, and it keeps me going.” As a pastor’s kid, Odiase “grew up in a household where God is the center of everything that we do.” Part of his family’s faith practice, he says, involves getting up at 5 a.m. to start the day with prayer. Odiase’s faith also has helped him cope with the death of two cousins in a car accident this spring.

Jarrett Culver, another Red Raider who’s the son of a pastor, says faith is key in his life and success. “Before games, I’m praying and reading my Bible. It’s a routine now,” he says. “I feel like God is with me on the court, and he protects me. It’s big for me.”

Texas Tech player Matt Mooney received kudos for being gracious after Monday’s disappointing loss. In an emotional post-game interview, he said, “Throughout sports, my faith has been tested a lot. There’s more to life than the game of basketball. There’s an eternity. At some point, the ball will stop bouncing.” Mooney, who says the Holy Spirit told him to transfer to Texas Tech, put Joshua 1:9 on his sneakers for inspiration during the tournament. “I know that God never leaves my side,” he says.

Virginia’s Coach Uses 5 Biblical Pillars

Tony Bennett, who’s led the University of Virginia Cavaliers to five NCAA tournaments in his nine years at the helm, calls Jesus “the greatest truth I know.” The coach once said, “I have great things in my life—my love for my wife, my love for my family, my love for coaching, my love for basketball. Those are wonderful things, but when you line them up in comparison to Christ and the relationship you have with him, with what he’s done for you and with what he’s given you, they don’t compare.”

After Monday’s victory, Bennett’s first words were, “Thank you. I’m humbled, Lord.” Amid the celebrations, he urged his players to remain humble too. “Don’t let this change you,” he told them.

In a 2014 interview, Bennett said, “If my life is just about winning championships—if it’s just about being the best—then I’m running the wrong race.” The coach, who became a Christian as a teenager at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes camp, leads his team according to five biblical pillars: humility, passion, unity, servanthood and thankfulness. “It’s not just lip service. We really believe in them,” Bennett says. “Whether you’re a believer or not, those are significant for a team.”

Last March, after Virginia became the first number-one seed to lose to a number 16 seed, Bennett quoted Psalm 30:5, “Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” This year, after earning the school’s first championship, he played the song “Hills and Valleys” by Christian artist Tauren Wells. The shocking 2018 loss “will always be part of our story,” Bennett says, “but this is a new year.”

The coach, who prays regularly for his players, says, “It’s my hope that they’ll be able to find the truth in their lives that has really transformed my life.” But he also tries to respect their individual journeys.

Other Final Four Players Also Glorify God

The Auburn Tigers made it to the Final Four for the first time this year, losing to Bennett’s Virginia team by one point Saturday. But team members praised God amid the defeat. “My sole purpose on the earth is to glorify God,” says forward Thomas Collier. Being a Christian means you “want to work as hard as you possibly can for the Lord,” he says, but “that doesn’t mean God will bless you with a win.” What’s important to remember, Collier adds, is that “God will have a perfect plan for you.”

Michigan State, which lost to Texas Tech Saturday, also has vocal Christians on its roster. Sophomore guard Joshua Langford relied on his faith to deal with an injury this year while supporting his teammates. “It’s allowed me to have a good foundation,” he says of his faith. “I’ve just been trying to figure out what else God has placed inside of me.” Langford, who credits God with healing him from a life-threatening illness at age 12, told USA Today as a high school senior, “We are here for something more important than basketball, and that’s Christ.”

This IG Profile Is Calling Out Pastors and Fueling Discussion

By
Megan Briggs
-
Chad Veach
Screengrab Instagram @PreachersNSneakers

A new Instagram account is generating a lot of discussion about pastors, finances and stewardship. The account, PreachersNSneakers, started as a joke and was created by an anonymous self-described evangelical Christian who also dabbles in buying and reselling sneakers. Joke or not, the account featuring images of high profile pastors wearing expensive name brand shoes and other accessories has a lot of Christians talking.

“I’m not trying to cause a division…I just think that if you’re in church you should know how your pastor is spending the money,” the creator of the account told Fashionista.com.

What Prompted All This Attention on Pastors’ Footwear?

The creator, who Fashionista refers to by the pseudonym Tyler Jones, claims he started the account a few weeks ago mainly as a joke. While looking up a song by Elevation Worship, Jones noticed the worship leader was wearing a pair of Yeezy 750s, which Jones says resell for around $800. Familiar with the average church-workers salary (Jones’ wife works at a church), he was shocked by what he was seeing. A little more digging led him to Elevation’s lead pastor, Steven Furtick, who has also been known to don flashy shoes.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

The dude @stevenfurtick legit wearing my favorite pair of SBB Jordan 1’s. Tithe-to-Drip ratio ANOTHER LEVEL

A post shared by PreachersNSneakers (@preachersnsneakers) on


Jones says he isn’t necessarily trying to call particular pastors out on their clothing choices or spending habits. “All I do is find pictures, look up the things that they’re wearing and then put out the current market price and let you decide what you feel about that, you know?” Jones says. Jones uses a site called StockX which tracks what the market is willing to pay for a new pair of particular shoes. 

The response to Jones’ account has been impressive. In just about three weeks, he’s garnered over 111,000 followers and scores of comments which range from vitriolic to praise for his efforts.

I’ve had hundreds of pastors and people in ministry message me like, ‘Thank you, keep doing what you’re doing. It’s prompting a discussion around what leadership and stewardship look like within the church.’ I also have this whole other component of the secular, questioning or atheist community that are messaging me like, ‘Dude, this is hilarious. It’s crazy the money that these preachers make.’

Somebody called me a hypocrite today and said that I was causing disunity within the church. But I’ve been pretty intentional to leave it relatively open-ended. It can be read passive-aggressively or it can be read like, ‘Oh this dude’s just gassing this pastor up for having a sweet outfit.’ I had a Dallas-based pastor reach out to me and ask to be featured on the page yesterday.

Who Has Been Featured on PreachersNSneakers?

Pictures of Chad Veach, pastor of Zoe Church in Los Angeles, show up on PreachersNSneakers more than pictures of any other pastor. One of Jones’ early posts featuring Veach actually caused a stir that led to Veach changing his Instagram handle. Jones had tagged Veach in the post, who commented: “Wanna know what’s crazy? I legit did not pay for one thing i am wearing. Is that wild to you? that’s wild to me… Thanks for the shout out tho. You’re a blessing.” Shortly afterward, Veach deleted his comment and changed his account handle.

This post prompted the comment “There’s a lot of money in the God business.” Another comment on a similar post featuring Veach reads “Chad taught me how to read the Bible when I was 14. Your account in [sic] attention hungry – sad vibes.”

Other pastors to grace the account are Judah Smith, Carl Lentz, Rich Wilkerson Jr., John Gray, Mike Todd, Erwin McManus, Robert Madu, Levi Lusko, Ron Carpenter, Keion Henderson, Nathan Finochio, David Crank and Jimmy Rollins. There are even a couple of worship leaders sited on the account. 

The wives of famous pastors show up too, including Chelsea Smith, Natalie Todd and Julia Veach.

As much as he defers judgment on these pastors, in the phone interview with Fashionista, Jones does indicate he believes these pastors have some explaining to do. Personally, he says he would “be a little irritated” if his pastor wore expensive shoes. On the other hand, he doesn’t think one should base a decision on where to attend church solely on what the pastor is wearing.

Suicide Related Visits to ER Double Among Youth

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

A new study from JAMA Pediatrics has found that the number of children under the age of 18 who visited emergency departments (ED) between 2007 and 2015 for suicide attempts (SA) or suicidal ideation (SI) doubled during that time period.

“The numbers are very alarming,” says lead study author Dr. Brett Burstein. Dr. Burstein is a pediatric emergency room physician at Montreal Children’s Hospital of McGill University Health Centre. He is concerned that these numbers are only going to grow: “We are seeing an acceleration of this issue, and I worry that we have not yet seen the peak.”

Survey Details

The researchers conducted a “repeated cross-sectional analysis” of a nationally representative sample provided by the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) ED database. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collects this information on a yearly basis. The report’s authors evaluated 30,000 pediatric visits to 300 randomly chosen emergency departments.

Between 2007 and 2015, the number of youth from age five to younger than 18 who were diagnosed with SA/SI increased from 580,000 to 1.12 million. It’s worth noting there was no statistically “significant change” in the overall number of emergency room visits during this time frame. When looking at all pediatric visits to emergency rooms between 2007 and 2015, the percentage that occurred related to SA/SI grew from 2.17 percent to 3.50 percent. What’s more, “NHAMCS population-level estimates highlight the magnitude of this trend (7.3 million pediatric SA/SI visits over nine years).”

One benefit of getting information from the NHAMCS is that the organization looks at hospitals as well as research centers, giving a more comprehensive picture of what is occurring in society: “In this broader setting, NHAMCS data suggest more at-risk young children than described among pediatric hospitals alone.”

The authors note that the increase in SA/SI related emergency room visits coincided with a doubling in SA/SI related visits to tertiary children’s hospitals during the same time period. It is also noteworthy that there was an earlier, separate NHAMCS study conducted from 1993 to 2008 that found that suicide-related emergency room visits doubled in all age categories during that time.

Why Might This Be Happening?

The researchers point out their study did not try to evaluate the causes for why increasing numbers of youth are visualizing and/or attempting suicide, although they say there are probably multiple reasons.

Dr. Gene Beresin (who did not participate in the study) is the executive director of The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He says depression and suicide have been “rising significantly” and speculates that one reason why is the pressure kids feel to perform in school and in their future careers. Also, suicide rates have risen in all age groups, meaning that parents and guardians are increasingly anxious and could be passing this stress on their kids. Other factors could be the challenges that have come with the Internet and social media, such as cyberbullying, which often goes unnoticed.

Exacerbating the problem is the lack of psychiatrists to meet children’s needs. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reports that there are fewer than 17 psychiatrists for every 100,000 kids. Also, the various societal systems set up to help kids often do not communicate with each other about young people’s needs, leaving youth without adequate care. In fact, another JAMA study that came out earlier this year found that half of all children who struggle with mental health issues do not receive treatment.

The JAMA report on SA/SI concludes, “Findings suggest a critical need to augment community mental health resources, ED physician preparedness, and post–emergency department risk reduction initiatives to decrease the burden of suicide among children.”

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