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The Shortsightedness of Shortcuts—And Why It Pays to Dig Deep

By
Dan Reiland
-
teen pregnancy

With more than three decades in ministry now, I’m convinced there are no shortcuts in ministry that will help you in the long run.

Perhaps the temptation to cut corners comes from our time pressures, cool technology hacks and our drive to accomplish more. Fair enough.

I’ve even heard some leaders slide “cutting corners” into the category of working smarter not harder. Don’t believe it. We need to work smart and hard.

You might be tempted to cut corners just because you can. You are faster, smarter and more experienced than most others in the room—big mistake.

I was coaching a young student pastor who was a naturally gifted communicator, but he never prepared. He was that good. He taught from a few thoughts scratched on a 3×5 card. He winged-it every week, and in time it began to show. His wit and charisma would only carry his ministry so far, and in time it started to suffer. It was time to dig in, or his ministry would get stuck. (When the leader is stuck the ministry gets stuck.)

My challenge to him was about stewardship. God gave him talent, gifts and responsibility, but he was stewarding none of them very well. The issue wasn’t limited to just one talk or even to several years of student ministry. Shortcuts impact a whole life.

A friend of mine once said about the employees in his company, “There are two groups on our staff. In one group there are people that when faced with a technical problem they don’t know the answer to, they’ll stay up all night reading complex and detailed manuals until they figure it out. In the other group, they just come and ask for an answer. You can guess which group rises.“

The deeper you dig, learn, change and grow over many years, the greater the results.

Let’s take something more basic, but still very important. If you exercise once a week for 20 minutes is that good? Yes! 52 workouts a year is good. If you exercise three to four times a week for 30 minutes, is that better? You know the answer.

Now consider the benefit of exercising three to four times a week for a lifetime. Shortcuts never help you.

My friend and mentor John Maxwell has spent a lifetime in personal development, intentional study, working hard and paying the price. Today the results are extraordinary. His greatest joy is helping others succeed and he generously shares his wisdom with leaders who want to grow and make a difference.

The promise of compounding return is true. The more you invest, the greater the cumulative effect.

Sometimes a few more minutes in a conversation, or taking some time to figure something out yourself rather than Google it, or praying till you get an answer on a big decision will make a much bigger difference than you imagine in the moment.

When you refuse to take shortcuts, the reservoir of what you will have to offer others becomes deep and rich. It’s like a deep well of wisdom.

Sometimes more than a few extra minutes are required. There are things you’re working on that need many more hours. You can’t escape that if you want results you’ll be proud of.

What’s the secret? It’s about paying the price, but it’s so worth it. It’s the key to living without regret.

A practical help is to be laser focused. Do only the things you are required to do, and responsible for, then invest your time in what you do best. Figure out your lane and stay there for a long time.

My list is perhaps intuitive, but the brief content includes helpful practices and ideas.

5 paths where shortcuts don’t work, and practical insights that do work:

1) There are no shortcuts to meaningful relationships.

There is no substitute for time with relationships, but there is a path to increased depth and significance. When it comes to relationships, it’s not just about minutes; it’s about meaning.

Being present and engaged in the moment is a game changer. Connecting at a heart level in honest and meaningful conversation is essential. That mixed with joy, laughter and experiences together will deliver what your heart longs for.

2) There are no shortcuts to spiritual growth that transforms your relationship with God.

No preaching needed here, and no judgment either. Grace abounds. Again, don’t think in minutes, think lifestyle. Consider your lifetime and how you would approach things like prayer, scripture study and worship to be as close to God as you desire.

3) There are no shortcuts to investing in people with life-changing results.

When it comes to investing in people, love everyone, equip many and deeply develop a few. Choose wisely.

You cannot microwave the development of people, especially leaders. It requires intentionality and the long view.

The good news is that leadership development is not like a weekly program. It’s much more organic in approach. My mentors coach me a couple of times a year each. I spend the rest of the time practicing their wisdom.

I understand that developing leaders in your church requires some system and structure; however, I urge you to keep it simple.

4) There are no shortcuts to a career that makes a difference.

Let’s look at one example of dozens we could pick from.

Most of us in leadership give talks regularly. Perhaps you deliver a Sunday message nearly every week, I teach some form of a leadership lesson most weeks. We get busy, juggle many demands and get tempted to cut corners. Candidly, it’s better to say no to the opportunity or invite someone else to teach that week than to take a short cut and deliver poorly.

The important discipline on the weeks you don’t teach is to invest deeply somewhere else. Don’t use it to “catch-up” on little things that don’t matter. Make that time count. One of the best ways to invest that time is to work on your craft of communication that week, even if for just a couple of hours. Over a lifetime, the reward is huge.

5) There are no shortcuts to character that people respect.

Your integrity is a lifetime work. You can damage your character in one careless decision, but it takes a lifetime to build so that others respect it.

Traits within your character that enhance your influence such as generosity, humility and courage are the result of intentional deep development over the years. None come by accident. The good news is that they are not difficult if you set your mind to it.

So how does all this work? Do less. Go deeper, not wider. Going deep will lead to wide.

It’s not easy, I’m still working on it and will never get it all right, but I’ve done it long enough to know it works.

This article originally appeared here.

Why ‘Count It All Joy’ Doesn’t Mean You Can’t Grieve

By
Hannah Norton
-
teen pregnancy

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness (James 1:2–3).

Growing up in the church, I heard this passage oft quoted when someone was grieved or struggling. Unfortunately, it’s a common theme among believers that grief over heartache or suffering must be short-lived if we are to prove our trust in God. Many times, it’s assumed that if we don’t quickly get past our sorrow and “find joy” (aka: appear to be happy), we’re not trusting God. I believe James had much more in mind when he wrote this, and it’s easily missed when we don’t look deeper into the original context and instead throw this piece of Bible passage out as a trite “fix-all.”

Within church culture, it’s easy to adopt the mentality that when we encounter trials, it may be acceptable to shed a few tears. Then (if we are really mature), we pull up our “big girl pants” and push the feelings away under the titles of “trusting that God has a plan” and “He will work all things out for good.” Attempting to walk in obedience to this command, we make ourselves strong, push away our hurts, and ultimately deny God the glory He deserves for working His healing in our hearts.

I have been exposed to this process so repetitively that it has become ingrained in my mind and heart as a pattern to follow. Deep emotions are uncomfortable. They are uncomfortable to me and uncomfortable for others. If I’m really trusting God, then I can be happy. I won’t continue to grieve, right?

Ironically, I don’t believe James intended for us to get the idea that we have to be strong in ourselves and ignore the difficulty and pain. He goes on to say that we should allow steadfastness (or perseverance) have its full effect so we may be mature and complete and lacking nothing. This perseverance doesn’t mean (as many of us often think) pushing forward in our faith and pushing our emotions away.

In the Greek, “perseverance” is the word hupomone, meaning “to remain or endure under.” HELPS Word-studies goes on to explain that this is a God-empowered ability given to those who believe in Him to “‘remain (endure) under’ the challenges He allots in life.” Obviously, we are not being instructed to remove ourselves from the trial by our own efforts of trusting in God. Rather it is His strength working in us that gives us the perseverance and endurance to trust Him and to allow Him to strengthen us through the struggle.

Why Grief Exists

In 1 Peter 1, Peter echoes James’ sentiments. Peter begins by laying a foundational vision of the hope we have in Christ, the power and grace of His glory, and the promises in which we can rest assured. Then, he continues, comparable to James’ admonition to “count it all joy”: “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials” (1 Peter 1:6).

Hold on a second. Peter brings up the reality of the process, of the emotion in the midst of the trials. We have been grieved! This word “grieved” in the Greek is lupeo, which means to experience deep emotional pain, sorrow or intense sadness. (Ladies, it’s the same word that’s used to describe the pain of childbirth. How is that for a visual?)

But Peter doesn’t stop there. He continues that this grief (not our own efforts to count it all joy) exists so that the tested genuineness of our faith may bring Christ all the praise and the glory. And that’s our ultimate aim, right? As believers, we’re called to image and glorify Christ on this earth—not ourselves. I’ve found that if I put forth my own effort to trust God, apart from relying on Him, I deny the power of God in my life. In my pride, I believe I have what it takes to live the life of faith.

However, if I’m willing to patiently endure the process of sorrow (by the grace God supplies), walking through each phase with Him, I experience His comfort, His peace and His presence in ways that are never possible when I choose to “count it all joy” in my own strength and remove myself from feeling those deep emotions. Ultimately, He—not I—will get the glory when He brings me to the other side, full of inexpressible and glorious joy!

This concept goes against everything that has been ingrained in me for so long. Grief typically equals tears. And I don’t like tears so much—at least not my own. Tears are often translated as weakness in our Christian culture. I’m a strong person if I can hold myself together. Now, tears are OK for babies, for kids, but I am a grown-up. I shouldn’t cry, should I?

Tears Are Good

As I was processing through this concept, I came across the video “The Healing Power of Tears,” and it opened my eyes to why crying may be a positive and not a negative.

Why We Envy Bi-Vocational Pastors

By
Joe McKeever
-
teen pregnancy

“Because (Paul) was of the same trade, he stayed with (Aquila and Priscilla) and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers” (Acts 18:3).

“I had a right to be supported by the churches,” said the Apostle Paul. “But I did not exercise that right, but supported myself” (I Corinthians 9).

Some churches pay their ministers enough to allow them to quit their “day jobs,” as we call them, and devote their full time to the service of the church and the work of the Kingdom.

Other churches cannot afford that privilege. And some churches and pastors choose the dual arrangement for reasons of their own.

I remember the day when my church began paying me full-time. It was like dying and going to Heaven, I thought. For the first three years of our marriage, while pastoring a small church and then attending seminary, I worked in the production office of a cast iron pipe factory, worked in the office of a trucking line, and worked in the office of a soft-drink bottling company. Suddenly, all that went away when a church called me as pastor and paid enough to live one.

I loved the idea of being able to serve the Lord and His church 24/7.

All around us, however, are ministers—pastors and other positions of leadership—who, for one reason or the other, hold down outside jobs and serve the church at night and on weekends. We call them bi-vocational. What we do not call them is”part-time.” Ask their families. They’ll often tell you the parent works two full-time jobs, with the income from the church being partial.

Here are some reasons many of us admire and perhaps envy (just a tad) the bi-vocational pastor…

One. They are practically immune to the tactics of church bosses who would strong-arm them with, “Do this or we’ll fire you!” I say “practically,” because a) no minister likes to be put in that position and b) not every bi-vocational minister can live on the income from the outside job.

Two. They have a certain freedom in not being dependent on the church paycheck. My first pastorate—I was fresh out of college, clueless about pastoring, and eager for some experience before heading to seminary—paid me $10 a week. But my tithe to the church was $12. The numbers seem ridiculous now, but that was 1961-62 when a person could live on $100 a week.

Three. Ministers who work in the secular world have opportunities for evangelism they would not have if they were confined to the church office for many hours a day.

Four. When the bi-vo pastor enters the pulpit, he brings a certain credibility to his preaching as a result of having to earn his living the same way everyone else does. (Granted, this is not an issue for most people. But it matters to some.)

Five. They may have better financial resources to fund their retirement.

Six. They may also have health insurance which a small church would be unable to fund. These days, the cost of health care for a church staff can be a massive burden on the church budget.

Seven. They are motivated to disciple people and train volunteers since the pastor will not always be available to the congregation.

Eight. The pastor is automatically forced/driven out of his office and into the community.

More reasons to come—in just a second. But we interrupt this flow of “reasons we envy bi-vo pastors” to make two important statements…

  1. There are serious negatives to being a bi-vocational pastor, among them these: The minister may not be available when a church family needs him; often he does not get the seminary training he wishes he had and feels he needs; he thinks of a hundred things he’d love to do in the church but does not have the time, energy or means. So, there are serious limitations.
  2. Also! In no way are we saying that a pastor holding down an outside job is superior to the church paying him full-time. Even though some denominations make a huge issue of their not paying their ministers, Scripture says they should. (See I Corinthians 9, Galatians 6:6 and I Timothy 5:17-18.)

Nine. One bi-vo pastor pointed out that “the opportunity to model Christlikeness to everyone, to disciple a few, and to witness to many” was a constant plus for him.

Ten. A pastor who is no longer bi-vo says he misses the daily inspiration for sermons that used to come at him fast and furiously in the “working world.”

Eleven. Another formerly bi-vo man said, “I got to see first-hand who what I preached on Sunday applied and worked out on Monday.”

Twelve. The bi-vo pastor finds that he is being watched every day by co-workers and others. “I was held to a higher standard as a result of being bi-vocational,” one pastor said.

When my teenage granddaughter told me she was preparing for a career as an artist with the Walt Disney people, I told her about a man I had met who worked for Disney/Pixar. He told me, “It sounds like more than it is. The work is often seasonal, depending on whether there’s a movie in the works. So, we have to have other ways to supplement our income.” So I wrote to Darilyn to say, “Plan on having a day job!”

Ministers are not the only ones who have to juggle jobs and assignments.

(One more thing: Pardon the pronouns please. In my part of the world, all our ministers are male. But I am aware many churches have women in leadership, so please use any of this you can with our blessing. Thank you.) 

This article originally appeared here.

‘Unplanned’ Overcomes Obstacles to Have Surprising Success at the Box Office

By
Jessica Lea
-
teen pregnancy

Unplanned, the new movie from faith-based production company Pure Flix, surprised many by opening in fifth place at the box office this past weekend and earning over $6 million dollars. The film tells the story of Abby Johnson, who worked for Planned Parenthood for eight years until seeing an abortion ultimately led her to become a pro-life advocate.

“It’s a little surreal, if I’m honest, to watch someone play out the worst version of yourself in a film,” Johnson told CBN News. “But it’s also just a good reminder that God can literally use anything from our past and use it for his glory and use it for his kingdom.”

Unplanned raked in twice the amount of money box office trackers expected it to gross in its opening weekend. It played in 1,059 theaters throughout the U.S. and did best in the southern and midwestern parts of the country. At this time, Unplanned has earned the second highest opening of any Pure Flix film, with God Is Not Dead 2 holding the top position. Although critics have given the film a splat on Rotten Tomatoes, it currently has a 94 percent audience approval rating.

Challenges Along the Way

One reason why some have not expected the film to be successful is the marketing difficulties it has faced. The MPAA gave the film an R-rating, which is the first R-rating Pure Flix has ever received and which led to speculation that the company’s conservative audience would be reluctant to see the movie. Another roadblock the company faced was the fact that every major television network except for Fox News refused to air a commercial promoting the film. The networks that commented on their reasoning said their decisions were due to its “sensitive nature.”

Even Christian radio network K-Love would not promote Unplanned, stating on its Facebook page, “We focus on positive and encouraging content that is safe for the whole family. We avoid promoting R-rated movies… We have been and continue to be pro-life and believe in the sanctity of life.” Johnson criticized the decision, saying that K-Love is being inconsistent because in the past it promoted The Passion of the Christ, an R-rated film. Something else of note that occurred over the weekend is that Twitter suspended the movie’s account. While some have accused Twitter of doing so out of bias, it is not clear whether that is the case or whether there was another reason, such as an algorithm glitch.

The Importance of Truth and Compassion

In a statement to ABC News, Planned Parenthood said that Unplanned portrays “falsehoods…distortions and incorrect depictions about healthcare.” Johnson counters that the movie is portraying the truth of what happens at Planned Parenthood. The point of the film is not to “demonize” the clinics or the people who work in them, but to show the reality of what abortion is.

She also acknowledges that the pro-life movement itself isn’t perfect: “There is right and wrong on both sides of this debate and that’s really a story that I wanted to tell.” Part of telling that story is also being willing to acknowledge her own flaws. Johnson says, “I’m being honest because if we aren’t honest about who we are and the flaws that we have, then there is really no credibility to the story that we are sharing… In the end, dialogue, conversation, compassion—that’s truly what wins people over.”

This review of the film from a pro-choice writer for the Central Florida Post illustrates the importance of empathy and constructive dialogue. Bridgette Bayley describes the movie as “a bloody, emotional spiritual roller coaster” and says she only went to see it because of her friend, who asked Bayley to be willing to challenge herself. Bayley says she agreed to go in light of the fact that she would want someone to do the same for her. She appreciated that the movie was empathetic in its portrayal of Planned Parenthood workers, and while she has not changed her pro-choice position after seeing Unplanned, Bayley does say the movie left her “completely distraught, questioning everything I had ever believed about what abortion really was.”

Johnson told ABC that this type of awareness is essentially what she hopes the film will accomplish: “If you’re going to support something, know what it is that you support… I think it’s time though for even people who are pro-choice to have honest conversations. Is there a problem inside of the abortion clinics that they claim to support? That’s a real conversation that needs to be taking place within the pro-choice community.”

More States Seek to Offer Bible Electives in Public Schools

By
Stephanie Martin
-
teen pregnancy

In what’s described as a “wave” of new Bible-related bills, several states are considering expansions to their public school curriculum.

Last week the Missouri House of Representatives passed House Bill 267, which would allow public schools to offer social studies electives about the Bible. Its sponsor, Republican Ben Baker, says the goal “is not to teach religious classes or worship practices…but to teach the Bible as literature and the history of its influence on the United States of America.”

According to the bill, a social studies teacher would “teach students the biblical content, characters and narratives of the Bible that are prerequisites to understanding contemporary society and culture.” Courses, for which students could earn credit, can’t “endorse or favor any particular religion.”

Because Missouri law already lets schools address religious texts in class, some opponents say the bill isn’t necessary. But Baker, a pastor and missionary, says it’s important to clarify that such electives are allowed. Students should have the opportunity “if they so choose, to study the most important book in the history of the world,” he says. The bill now heads to the Missouri Senate.

In Georgia, a proposal allowing schools to teach electives on the Old and New Testaments passed both state chambers but is undergoing revisions. Until now, public schools in that state offered courses on the Bible as “History and Literature.”

Language in the proposal requires that Bible electives be taught in an objective, non-proselytizing manner. Kevin Dowling, assistant superintendent for Lee County Schools, says students “would learn the history, the culture, the customs of the people at that time and the literature” without “any type of indoctrination.”

Other States Seek to Add Bible Electives

On March 29, Arkansas lawmakers struck down a bill that would have required public schools to offer a Bible elective if at least 15 students requested one. A 2013 state law allows such electives but doesn’t require them.

Last year, Alabama, Iowa and West Virginia considered Bible literacy bills, but none passed. A new bill is now under consideration in Alabama, and similar bills have been introduced this year in Florida, Indiana, North Dakota, Virginia and West Virginia.

In January, President Trump tweeted: “Numerous states introducing Bible Literacy classes, giving students the option of studying the Bible. Starting to make a turn back? Great!”

What’s Behind the New Bills?

Several conservative Christian political groups, including the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation, launched “Project Blitz” to advance Bible literacy bills. A lengthy playbook contains talking points and sample legislation to help “fully protect religious liberty and the free exercise of our faith in the public square.”

According to Americans United for Separation of Church and State, at least 75 bills modeled on that playbook have been proposed in more than 20 states during Trump’s presidency. These include “In God We Trust” bills that require or allow public schools to display that phrase.

Research analyst Frederick Clarkson says he was astounded to find a “strategy manual hidden away on a website explaining at least what a section of the religious right are doing in the United States.” The playbook contains three categories of legislation, and Project Blitz steering member David Barton admits the purpose of some bills is to force opponents to “divide their resources.”

But Barton, founder of WallBuilders (a reference to grassroots work, not the border wall), says some bills are being mischaracterized. “Bible literacy is a good thing to have,” he says. Many schools don’t offer Bible electives because they think it’s illegal, he adds, but, “We are saying, ‘Well, yes, you can.’”

Seven Trends in the Way Churches Are Responding to Inactive Members

By
Thom Rainer
-
teen pregnancy

Allow me a bit of clarity here. I am using the phrase “inactive members” to refer to those church members who have not shown up for any church service or event in several months. For now, I am not referring to those members who show up occasionally or sporadically.

What are the trends among the churches in North America? For certain, it’s a big issue. For example, the Southern Baptist Convention has over 15 million members, but only about 6 million show up for a weekly worship service. How are churches responding to the reality that many members on the church roll could not be found by the U.S. Census Bureau or the FBI? Here are seven trends:

  1. The majority of churches do nothing. Many names on church membership rolls moved out of town years ago. Some have residency in graveyards. Some church members think moving someone off the membership rolls is tantamount to removing their salvation.
  2. A small but growing minority of churches ask members to recommit to membership annually. With that commitment comes the expectation that the members will actually show up for worship services, among other expectations.
  3. Few churches are actually intentional about connecting with inactive members. Those that are attempting to connect with inactive members report, for the most part, anemic responses. They thus become discouraged to pursue the task.
  4. A number of churches have dropped “inactive member” as a category of membership. They rightly see the phrase “inactive member” as an oxymoron. They understand fully Paul’s teaching of the one word “member” in 1 Corinthians 12. A member is someone who is functioning for the greater good of the body.
  5. A growing number of churches recognize legitimate reasons for not attending church worship services and minister to those members with intentionality. Those members would include people who are homebound, military personnel serving around the world, and those members whose vocations may cause them to relocate temporarily.
  6. A steadily growing trend is the utilization of a front-end membership class to set expectations about church membership. In a number of these classes, the prospective member hears clearly how he or she could be removed from the membership of the church.
  7. There is a direct correlation to the number of inactive members in a church and the need for revitalization. We are no longer surprised when we work with churches in dire need of revitalization. More times than not, the church has a membership roll four or five times greater than its attendance. The church did not take membership seriously, so the members did not take the church seriously.

For certain, there are churches that have more in attendance than members. These churches tend to be younger or replanted churches. But, for the greater majority of churches in North America, the majority of those on membership rolls are missing in action.

This article originally appeared here.

8 Reasons Why Pastors Need to Serve in the Church Nursery or Preschool One Sunday

By
Chuck Lawless
-
teen pregnancy

I’ve served as a pastor, and I fully understand our desire to preach every Sunday. Few of us want to give up our pulpit. At the same time, I think most of us don’t think much about taking a Sunday off to serve in the nursery or preschool department. I want to change that thinking. Here’s why:

  1. It’s good for you to spend time with the little ones. They need to see you as a friend, and giving them your time is one way to strengthen that relationship. I want them to feel comfortable coming to you when they begin to think about their own salvation years later.
  2. You need to know how the children’s area security system works. I trust that your church won’t allow you to serve with the little ones unless you, too, have completed a background check. Then, you need to see in action a system that protects children even as you teach them. If you don’t see such a system, you need to lead your church to make some changes.
  3. You need to model for your church’s parents the importance of serving in the nursery and preschool departments. Too many parents receive the benefits of childcare for their little ones, but they don’t give back by serving themselves. Perhaps seeing their pastor serve would encourage them to make a commitment.
  4. It’s the only way you’ll know how long it seems in the nursery and preschool when you preach a long sermon. Even the kindest, gentlest, sacrificial members get weary serving children when you extend the service too long. It’s also tiring for the little ones, who get worn out after a while.
  5. It will keep you humble. Change a few diapers. Try to teach a Bible story to 2-year-olds. Work to keep little ones happy and excited for over an hour. Recognize that your “listeners” aren’t going to say, “Good sermon” or, “A great word today!” Serve in a place where you won’t get much glory—and let God humble you.
  6. You’ll have more credibility when you ask for volunteers to serve in these areas. It’s one thing to plead for volunteers for a ministry you don’t know well, but it’s another thing completely to seek workers for a ministry where you’ve served. Your “pleadings” become much more real.
  7. You might get a chance to meet parents you’ve never met. If your church is large enough, it’s possible you don’t know well everyone who drops off a child in the nursery or preschool department. At least you’ll get an opportunity to have a quick conversation with them if you serve for one Sunday. Some of these parents might, in fact, be guests you need to meet.
  8. You might be reminded that the church goes on even if you’re not doing the preaching. In fact, it might go on really well despite the fact that you’re serving babies or preschoolers somewhere. Most of us continually need this reminder.

What other reasons would you add?

This article originally appeared here.

Did the Resurrection Really Happen?

By
Jeremy Zach
-
teen pregnancy

This may be a no-brainer for some youth workers, but I always found it helpful talking about the insane importance of the Resurrection during the Easter season. Personally, I don’t think any youth pastor can get bored talking about the Resurrection.

In youth group weeks leading up to Easter Sunday, I would talk about:

–  why the Resurrection is so central to the Christian faith

–  how the Resurrection sent a shockwave in and through history

–  the fact that the Resurrection really happened

Some of my (more) skeptical students would challenge with “rumors” that claimed the Resurrection was not REAL. So I decided to compile four of the “most common rumors” students heard about the Resurrection of Jesus.

Four Rumors Skeptical Students Need to Put to Rest:

(4) The story of Jesus’ Resurrection is a lie.

One must understand something about history, especially in the context of first century Jewish oral tradition. Many times, the historical records of certain major events like the Persian wars or the movement of Alexander the Great were given to us by only one source and it took a while to record it. Even though we have so few sources that were written a long time after the event, no one really doubts the truth claims made in the historical documents that talk about the Persian wars and Alexander the Great. We have four Gospels, the New Testament writings, and references by non-Christian historical sources like Josephus and Tacitus that claim Jesus was alive, died and rose again. It appears people are more likely to doubt the authenticity of Jesus’ historical Resurrection than Alexander the Great’s legitimacy. Also, many of the sources that talk about Jesus’ divine acts were written and documented less than 70 years post-Jesus’ Resurrection. By the way, this documentation is fast in comparison to other historical events. The cool thing is historians and theologians have more ancient documents on the life of Jesus than any other important historical event.

Bottom line, the resurrection account developed in a very short amount of time. There have been different elaborate lies that people have told about fantastic things happening in history that didn’t stand the test of time. It seems the persecuted Christians would have confessed their “secret” about Jesus because of the intense pressure that was put on them to tell the truth. But they didn’t. They told the truth  Jesus really resurrected. The Disciples carried their testimony to their death.

It’s not that plausible that Jesus’ Resurrection is a lie.

(3) The Gospels seem to be contradictory.

This is why youth pastors need to teach their students how to read the Bible for everything it is worth. Students need to know that when reading ancient written documents, aka the Bible, it can be very difficult to understand what one is reading without considering the appropriate context. If students are not careful when reading Scripture, they can possibly come to wrongful conclusions about Matthew, Mark, Luke and John because they didn’t have the tools and resources to properly understand Scripture. Students must know they are reading a first century document that requires proper reading of the text.

The Gospels are four accounts of one situation. And the beautiful thing is that the Gospels are wonderfully consistent in all of the main aspects of the story of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

For example, Jesus’ skeptic brother James along with the rest of Jesus’ brothers and sisters didn’t believe in Him. Now believing in your bro was very insulting in first century Jewish culture, especially if your bro was a Rabbi. So why would all the Gospel writers comment on the skepticism among Jesus’ brothers and sisters and make them look like fools? The Jewish historian Josephus later tells us James was stoned to death for belief in his brother.

According to J.P. Moreland, five weeks after Jesus was crucified, over 10, 000 Jews were following Him and claiming Him the initiator of THE WAY. These Jews literally abandoned their jobs, culture and lives to a mission that required them to spread a very specific and difficult message—aka—the Gospel. The WAY triumphed over MANY competing ideologies and eventually overwhelmed the entire Roman Empire. There’s no question the early Christian church started really soon after the death of Jesus and spread so quickly within a period of 20 years.

The Resurrection is so powerful, it convinces a skeptic to become a loyal and passionate follower of Jesus that will literally compel him to sacrifice his life to advance the Gospel.

(2) Modern people can no longer believe in “miracles” like the Resurrection.

Scientists are discovering that life is not as “black and white” as many logical minds would like to think. The universe is pretty complex, and astrophysicists are not exactly sure why the universe is the way it is. Students have to admit that miracles can happen outside of science. All science is not 100 percent accurate, which may imply there is an intelligent designer that had to intervene at some point during creation. Einstein concluded:

There are two ways to live: You can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.

A student cannot deny the possibility of miracles because he/she hasn’t experienced one. It is very difficult to demonstrate how a human person removed a very heavy stone (all by himself) that barracked the tomb. It would have taken several people to move the stone to open the tomb. Dallas Willard in his book Knowing Christ Today states:

The physical universe is not a closed system. Miracles are possible simply because of that fact.

(1) Jesus was never seen alive again.

There are many ancient sources, outside the New Testament, that (in my opinion) confirm the Apostles’ conviction that they encountered the resurrected Christ.

In the New Testament we have nine accounts that demonstrate Jesus’ physical appearances:

1.  To Mary Magdalene, in John 20:10-18

2.  To the other women, in Matthew 28:8-10

3.  To Cleopas and another disciple on the road to Emmaus, in Luke 24:13-32

4.  To 11 disciples and others, in Luke 24:33-49

5.  To 10 apostles and others, with Thomas absent, in John 20:19-23

6.  To Thomas and the other apostles, in John 20:26-30

7.  To seven apostles, in John 21:1-14

8.  To the disciples, in Matthew 28:16-20

9.  And He was with the apostles at the Mount of Olives before His ascension, in Luke 24:50-52 and Acts 1:4-9

________________________________

As a follower of Jesus, everything hangs on the Resurrection. If the Resurrection didn’t happen, then Christians would be in trouble. Following Jesus would be pointless. Teaching about the Resurrection to your students will shed light on the amazingness and profoundness of Jesus’ conquering death.

No More One Night Stands

By
Allen White
-
teen pregnancy

I must admit. I’ve never had a one night stand. But, I have offered them in a way over the years to the church.

Here’s what I’m getting at—church events are often one night stands, so to speak. These are conferences and seminars, retreats and even worship services. You get people all pumped up. You move people to a decision or commitment. People leave filled with hope only to run directly into real life. Decision is the first step to making a change, but change requires further steps to actually happen.

A classic example is the Promise Keepers movement in the 1990s. The dynamic of bringing tens of thousands of men together in a stadium was truly inspiring. Every man pledged to be a better husband, father, brother and son…and they really wanted to. I really wanted to. Before long, Promise Keepers inevitably became promise breakers. There were some exceptions. The issue centered around the lack of a plan. There was no next step for the men to take in order to keep those promises. This isn’t just my observation. This is the conclusion Randy Phillips, the former president of Promise Keepers, reached.

Should churches stop doing events?

Events are powerful. Women’s conferences, Men’s retreats, Marriage conferences, worship services—all of these things can be powerful catalysts for life change—but events alone do not produce transformation. Every dieter and debtor can attest to this.

Imagine the wife who has been longing for her marriage to improve. Her husband decides they should attend the church’s marriage conference. They have a great weekend. He aspires to be the godly husband she needs. She pledges to be the godly wife. The conference ends and things are different for a little while. Eventually, old patterns and routines begin to emerge. While they aspired for more, they are programmed for less. The marriage conference didn’t produce lasting change. In fact, it produced a great deal of frustration for both husband and wife.

To answer the question—if churches offer only standalone events with no next steps, then they should stop doing events. Decisions without deliberate steps lead to defeat.

Turn Wishful Thinking Into Willful Action

For every event a church plans, you must ask the question: What’s the next step? Decisions without steps and support lead to discouragement and failure. This is why so many people in your church are faking it—they don’t want anyone to know that they aren’t as together as they appear. They know what they’re supposed to be. They’re just not that good. None of us are, really.

You may not have any influence over what events are offered at your church, but you are not helpless. Look at every event, every retreat, every conference, and every service as an opportunity to offer a next step. What is your church promoting right now?

A financial series—Offer Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University.
A marriage conference—Does the speaker have a book or a study to start groups?
A parenting seminar—Start groups with parents at various stages.
A weekend service—Create a sermon discussion guide (maybe with a short video).

You get the picture.

If you are responsible for these events, then you can insist on a next step. If you’re not, then you could certainly recommend one, and even offer to run it.

Is your church offering spiritual one night stands? If you are not capitalizing on the decisions and momentum of an event to create groups for lasting change, then you are squandering a great opportunity (and frustrating your people). Aren’t you ready to see lasting change?

This article originally appeared here.

Church Finances: Why Giving Stays Strong While Attendance Drops in Churches

By
Sam Rainer
-
teen pregnancy

I’ve noticed a recent trend among churches. The evidence is more anecdotal, but I have no doubt the phenomenon is occurring on a national scale. While more than half of all churches are in some form of attendance decline, a segment of these declining churches experiences either stability in giving or an increase in giving at the same time people are leaving.

This phenomenon is even more amazing when considering general giving trends. Overall, charitable giving is on the rise in the United States, but churches are receiving a smaller portion. In 1987, religious organizations received 53 percent of all charitable donations. In 2014, religious organizations received only 32 percent of all charitable giving, a 30-year dramatic downward slide.

What’s happening in churches where giving remains strong while attendance drops?

The economy is good (for now). The latest bull market run is the longest in our nation’s history, though significant December declines gave everyone pause. We’ll see if it continues. Regardless, our nation’s economy is doing well, which benefits giving at churches. Some churches have committed members who are giving more even as their churches decline in attendance. But should the bears overtake the bulls in the markets, fewer churches will experience the phenomenon of increased giving during a season of decreased worship attendance.

Established churches can have older, institutional givers. The giving phenomenon is occurring at established churches with long-term members who are in the older generation of loyal, institutional givers. I have these givers in my church, and they are a key part of our financial stability. Even the ones that can no longer attend regularly make sure to mail their tithe every week. They don’t attend because of health, but they still give.

Attendance frequency is decreasing at the same time digital giving is increasing. The most common reason why worship attendance declines is attendance frequency. People who once came to church almost every week are now attending every other week. In fact, a weekly average attendance of 500 will become a weekly average attendance of 250 when people attend every other week as opposed to every week. Your church feels like it is half the size even though people are still coming (just not as much)!

At the same time, digital giving enables people to give even when they are gone. Some people who give through the offering plate do not make it up when they miss a Sunday (although I’m thankful for those who do!). However, those who have automatic deductions through digital giving typically do not miss a week of giving even when they miss a week of attendance—giving every week but not attending every week, same as those who are homebound but for different reasons.

Here is what it looks like in the real world. I recently helped a church that has experienced a 10 percent decline in attendance over the last several years but saw giving go up by almost 20 percent during the same timeframe. Where you can tell the most is in the per capita giving metric, which measures the amount each attendee gives each week. Their per capita giving over the last few years has risen sharply.

Weekly Per Capita Giving
2013 $32.70
2014 $37.50
2015 $38.20
2016 $38.49
2017 $42.12
2018 $45.25

On the surface, the above figure looks good. The numbers are going up! But scratch the surface and you’ll find it’s more a problem for the church than anything else. Strong giving is masking the underlying issue of an inward focus. Obviously, this trend comes with many other dangers, like how a church can become complacent since the money is there even when the people are not. I’ll have to explore these dangers in a future post. I realize a lot of churches would love to have a year in which giving goes up, but it’s not always a sign of a healthy church.

This article originally appeared here.

Why Not Having a Church Communicator Can Hurt Your Mission and Your Ministry

By
Aware3
-
teen pregnancy

Communication has become complex. There are dozens of channels and mediums through which we interact and share information. It’s true for churches, too: Layla from women’s group may love to communicate through Facebook, while Dave from study group doesn’t have a Facebook and prefers to text. How do you reach diverse audiences with differing communication preferences? Here [at] Aware3 ChMS, we suggest that you need a church communicator! Someone who sees the forest through the trees, has a creative soul, a knack for planning and most importantly, a love for Jesus Christ.

Defining the role of church communicator

It typically boils down to:

  • Communication strategy and content optimization
  • Project management
  • Brand management
  • Copywriting and design creation: content organization, layouts & other visual elements
  • Managing mobile, web, and social media platforms

A church communicator collaborates with church leadership, ministry departments, and other individuals to create a communication strategy and then champion that strategy. They audit the needs and inner workings of the church. Because they see the big picture, church communicators help prioritize, create, and place content.

Ensuring that the church’s brand rings true is an integral part of any communication strategy. Each church has [its] own unique way of spreading and articulating God’s message. It’s this unique voice, style, and overall experience that helps to attract and retain members to a specific church. Whether it’s shown through a logo, facebook post, or text message, church communicators consistently deliver communications that are authentic to the church and the church’s brand.

Finally, church communicators work to streamline processes and efforts, as well as to reduce “noise.” When we talk about noise, we’re referring to the bombardment of content and messages that members receive on a daily basis. Gobs of emails, notifications, and posts flood our brains and compete for our attention. Your church communicator can create quality, targeted content so that your messages aren’t getting lost in the shuffle. With so many events, social media groups, and calls to action happening, there’s likely overlap in the work that’s being done. As church communicators form and execute their strategy, this proper planning prevents wasted manpower, time, and resources.

So you’re saying church communicators are pretty darn important?

We sure are. When we take a deeper dive into this role, it’s easy to see why it’s such a crucial position. Church communicators can help in unexpected ways as well, like exposing blind spots and areas that need improvement. As the saying goes, “you don’t know what you don’t know.”

For example, church communicators often help churches prevent or eliminate ministry silos. Individual ministries and departments are wonderful parts of any church as they create opportunities to bond over shared characteristics and interests. However, if they become too autonomous, this can confuse members in a number of ways. Church communicators work diligently to impart a consistent vision and reliable processes in order to boost clarity, productivity, and morale — all of which break down ministry silos.

Creating the perfect toolkit for success

Now that we’ve defined the role of church communicator, it’s important to note they need the right resources and tools to power their efforts. Take a look at some of the best tips and tools for church communicators:

  1. Apps, calendars, features & more

These are what digital dreams are made of for church communicators. From church mobile apps to content calendars and texting features, these tools help communication folks succeed — and when they succeed, the church succeeds! Take this stat: 98 [percent] of texts are opened compared to 20 [percent] – 30 [percent] of emails. By simply putting a texting feature in their toolkit, churches can skyrocket giving, volunteering, and more.

  1. Insights + Analytics

In today’s world, you no longer have to guess what resonates and what does not. By using an intelligent app platform, teams can easily boost engagement. Insights enable church communicators to:

-Quickly see how many app downloads you have, how many times everyone who has downloaded your app clicked inside a feature, as well as feature usage broken down by percentage.

– Plus, with in-app member intelligence, church communicators can view what interests and chats each member opted-in to, view when a member has filled out a form as well as when and where they gave.

  1. Outside vendors + volunteers

Delegation happens at every level, and since this role can be quite extensive, sometimes you gotta call in the reinforcements. Whether it’s phoning in help from a photographer friend or sourcing an outside vendor for a fundraising event, people are the friendliest of resources.

  1. Education

Church communicators are curious people at heart so they often self-educate simply because they want to. Inspire your team by passing along informative articles, ebooks, videos, and more. Start with this ebook, “6 Tech Secrets Every Church Communicator Needs to Know”.

  1. Empowerment

Empowering your church communicator is huge. Give them the tools, resources, and freedom they need to see the communication strategy through.

  1. Prayer

We left the most powerful one for last. With such an important role to fill, church communicators need your prayers. Whatever your prayer may be, it’s the best gift you can give your church communicator.

To learn more about creating a digital toolkit for church success, visit us at aware3.com.

Are We Overhyping Our Easter Services?

By
Brian Orme
-

Easter Sunday is just a few days away and that means a huge push to invite friends, co-workers and family members to church.

You might’ve already seen the outrageous Easter promos on Facebook: helicopter egg drops, carnivals, live shows with animals, extravagant giveaways—we’re talking iPads and cars, people—and guarantees that this Sunday will be the “most awesome Sunday in the history of ________ church!”

In fact, I bumped into a few video promos from pastors that were so intensely over-the-top I think I had a mini panic attack.

It reminded me of the Starburst “Land of Intensity” commercial…

Now, I’m not against the idea of leveraging large events for the Kingdom—or being excited, for that matter—but I think there’s something important to discuss when it comes to over-the-top promos, crazy sermon titles and cirque du soleil Easter services.

Are we over-selling the wrong things?

These events might draw crowds, but it always fascinates me that Jesus wasn’t concerned about crowds—he seemed to avoid them. So I think it’s worth asking—would the Apostle Paul splurge for a $3,000 helicopter egg drop if the funds where there? Would Jesus retitle his sermons to attract more listeners if we reasoned with him? Would the early church exchange the power of authentic community for a chance to host a car giveaway, you know, to get more Gentiles in the game?

OK, maybe that’s not fair, but still, you get the point.

I think we have a ton of freedom to do outreach and ministry in a way that we believe is most effective. In no way am I trying to make a rule about how we should do church, or Easter Sunday, but I think we might be leaning too hard in the wrong direction at times.

When we push our church people to invite their co-workers and unsaved family members because it’s going to be “insanely awesome” I think we’re making a statement. We’re subtly whispering, “The Gospel isn’t good enough to get you here.”

The problem is—the resurrection doesn’t need help.

The three words, “He Is Risen,” don’t need a booster chair or a push from behind to be incredible—they can stand alone, all by themselves, as the three words that changed the world forever.

What if Easter became the Sunday that, instead of focusing on inviting people—it was focused on sending?

What if instead of asking our church people to bring their neighbors, we asked them to think deeply about cultivating relationships with the unsaved—to woo them with the goodness and the power of the Gospel—and sent them out?

What if instead of egg drops from Blackhawks, we showed the world the very power of God by loving deeply and loving well—in the name of Jesus.

Is that enough? What’s your take?

*Side note: if you have an over-the-top Easter service planned, I pray the Gospel expands and God uses it for His glory. I’m just asking some questions here.

Is Missionary Work Colonialism?

By
Craig Greenfield
-
teen pregnancy

You might be a missionary—someone called and sent to serve God cross-culturally—but chances are, you don’t like being called a missionary.

That’s because, in popular Western culture, missionaries are seen as pith helmet-wearing colonialists—forcing their culture and religion on people who don’t want it.

These concerns go back to the early church, where colonialism was condemned in the New Testament.

In Galatians, Paul gets CRAZY mad at some Jewish Christians for trying to force their Jewish culture of circumcision on a group of new believers from non-Jewish backgrounds.

Since then, Christian missionaries have often been guilty of bringing their cultural baggage with them.

European missionaries swept in with the settlers of England, Spain and Portugal as they conquered nations across the globe.

These people really did wear pith helmets, and encouraged local people to adopt Western clothing, practices and values, while stealing their land and resources. They systematically forced indigenous people to abandon their own cultures and languages.

Boo!

There’s a LOT of baggage. And I can understand why folks wouldn’t want to be associated with the missionary label.

On the other hand, it’s only fair to recognize the immense good that has been done by missionaries worldwide.

On a spiritual level, millions of lives have been transformed by the life and teachings of Jesus—thanks to the work of missionaries. And there is also strong evidence to suggest that ideas spread by missionaries have had a positive influence on societies, beyond the religious sphere.

Missionaries have been responsible for providing crucial services such as health care and the introduction of European medicine, saving millions of lives.

They were also on the forefront of introducing European political practices and ideals such as religious liberty, mass education, newspapers, voluntary organizations and liberal democracy.

There’s no doubt, the missionary enterprise has been a mixed bag. So, how do we move forward?

Here are three suggestions…

1. Take a posture of humility

As an African believer once complained, “You brought us the bread of life, but it came wrapped in plastic that you shoved down our throats!”

It’s easy to see in hindsight how missionaries came in with BOTH helpful and unhelpful ideas and practices. The beautiful and life-transforming teachings of Jesus were too often presented in culturally irrelevant or harmful ways.

For example, missionaries outlawed the use of incense in the Khmer church, though incense was traditionally a central part of worship in Cambodia. This has proven to be a big obstacle for people following Jesus in this country.

Mistakes have been made, and the appropriate response is lament and repentance—a posture of humility.

As I have written here, a good place to start is by educating ourselves on the local political context—and our own nation’s complicity in that history.

Secondly, rather than taking the posture of an expert, we take the posture of one who seeks to explore. Discover together with local people how the teachings of Jesus might be applied in this context. Ask questions, listen to advice and invite ideas.

Helpful hint: Christianity should look and feel familiar to local believers AND their neighbors.

2. Recognize that no culture is static

Across Asia, even developing countries like Bangladesh and Nepal have fast-growing access to the Internet (more than half the population). And in more developed nations like South Korea and Malaysia, the vast majority of people are actively engaged online.

The influence of popular culture through YouTube, TV, movies and music is much more obvious now than 20 years ago when I first came to Asia. This is the New Colonialism.

Non-Western cultures are being BOMBARDED from every direction by foreign cultures and ideas.

Values, clothing, culture and even language are all shifting rapidly. You should see the kids in my little Cambodian neighborhood singing ‘Despacito’ and watching the YouTube video on their parents’ cell phones.

So, the question is no longer how can we avoid outside influence on local cultures. That is happening anyway, with or without us.

Culture is not static. It is dynamic and ever-changing.

The space left by our disengagement will almost certainly be filled with YouTube, K-Pop and Justin Bieber. The New Colonialism will not stop. It will march forward regardless of whether Christians engage cross-culturally or not.

3. Engage respectfully as outsiders

In this context of globalization, the answer is not to withdraw from the world out of fear or guilt. The answer is humble service, thoughtful engagement and prayerful community-building.

And ironically these are the very things that missionaries have offered when they are at their best. Yes, missionaries have too often been guilty of advancing colonialism. But by God’s grace, it doesn’t have to be that way.

John Perkins suggests that three types of people are needed to see real transformation in a community:

Firstly, and most importantly, are the “Remainers.” These are local people that have chosen to stay and be part of the solution to the problems surrounding them. They will be central to God’s work. These are the insiders.

Then, the “Returners” who were born and raised in the community and left for a better life, to study or to work. They are no longer trapped by the poverty of their neighborhood, yet they choose to return. Moses was a returner. As were Nehemiah, Naomi and Ezra.

Finally, “Relocators” are those people who were not born in the neighborhood but move in, sometimes cross-culturally, to tie their well-being to that of their neighbors. Another term for these outsiders is “missionary.” Ruth, Daniel, Joseph, Esther and the Apostle Paul were all outsiders, relocators, used by God in another cultural context.

To be an outsider, a relocator or a missionary, is a valid role. It is a biblical role. And it is a role that God has used since ancient times. Our tendency to mess it up doesn’t negate that.

In fact, when we relocate cross-culturally we are following in the footsteps of Jesus, who left the most exclusive gated community in the universe and came to live amongst us—embracing the culture of the time and walking alongside us with love.

Today, we still need folks who are willing to support efforts to share the love of Jesus with people unconditionally, especially those cast aside by the machinery of the New Colonialism.

We still need folks to support efforts to learn, document and preserve the God-given languages of ethnic minorities that are dying out because of globalization.

We still need folks to walk in the ways of the Prince of Peace, to support efforts to fight injustice and promote non-violence, bringing a Jesus-shaped vision of care for the underdog.

We still need folks to support efforts to create jobs that will offer dignity to the poor, instead of the exploitative jobs offered by global corporations like Apple.

We need outsiders and relocators who will swallow their pride and offer themselves as part of the solution, coming alongside local people.

I honestly don’t care what you call yourselves: social entrepreneurs, humanitarians, aid workers, activists, abolitionists, enthusiasts or weirdos.

Heck, call yourself a missionary for all I care.

But don’t disengage.

The needs are simply too great.

This article originally appeared here.

Do You Regret Having Children?

By
Jen Oshman
-
teen pregnancy

A recent article in the New York Post highlights a Facebook group titled “I Regret Having Children.” The online group is a place for moms to share their regret without shame  The comments range from the typical grumblings that I think most parents utter when they’re tired to very strong lament and ideation of leaving one’s children behind in pursuit of the life she lost:

It’s not me. I miss my old life so much I just feel like walking out and leaving my husband and son.

I’m desperately sad. I love my children very much but I preferred life before and I want it back.

I’m just a frazzled mess all the time with no confidence. I wake up and cry knowing it’s just another day of dealing with crying arguing whiny children.

Since having them I’ve become increasingly bitter, depressed and angry. 

All parents at one time or another have looked longingly back at the days before they had kids and marveled at the freedom and productivity they once possessed.  When tending to a fussy baby in the middle of the night, it’s normal to realize that your pre-parent life was a lot easier. But what leads to regret year after year? What causes some moms to never stop wishing their children away? And how can we help?

Based on my years in women’s ministry, the many hours my husband and I have spent counseling couples, and—let me be honest—hard looks into my own selfish heart, I can see four primary reasons today’s parents live with regret:

1.  Seeking fulfillment in the wrong place

Regret is not unique to parenthood. People regret taking jobs, getting married and even going into ministry. When we seek ultimate fulfillment in temporary roles and things, we are disappointed. While these things may indeed provide good gifts, they will never fully satisfy our hearts.

It is in God alone that we find deep, lasting fulfillment. Scripture tells us that, “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11) and, “Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst’” (John 6:35). The New City Catechism reminds us that God is our creator and he made us to “know him, love him, live with him and glorify him. And it is right that we who were created by God should live to his glory.”

In our consumer-driven culture we are persuaded daily that joy will come when we get married, get the new car, move into the bigger house, have a baby, and carry the latest designer baby bag. Our flesh wants cheap satisfaction in the things of this world—but if we seek ultimate fulfillment in any role other than being created by God for his glory, we will be disappointed and have regret.

2.  The idol of autonomy

At this moment in human history, it could be argued that the right to self-determination is the highest value of western civilization. Our quest for autonomy is insatiable. We have laws and cultural norms that deem any boundaries or hindrance on one’s human freedom to be outdated and oppressive. This cultural mood of “I can be who I want to be and no one can tell me otherwise” leaks into all of our relationships, including parenting. These messages so permeate our surroundings that when anything hinders our freedom we cry foul. And so it is with children.

3.  Imbalanced societal views of career and roles inside the home

As a woman and mom of four daughters, I see messages daily that say a woman’s worth is equal to her ability to be as male as possible. Alastair Roberts rightly says, “Our culture perceives the ‘potential’ of women largely in terms of their liberation from their nature, rather than in their flourishing within the inherent directionality and order of that nature.”  Women are considered oppressed if they bear children and mother them. Our society seeks to liberate us, giving us the choice to do away with our babies, so that we may thrive in a successful career outside the home. Women’s liberation is actually the “manning” of women, as Roberts says. And so, the natural role of mother is devalued and women feel this when they stay home to parent. We feel less successful, less important, less useful, less than all the other roles society tells us to pursue.

4.  Lack of community

A final contributing factor to women (and men) regretting having children is that we live in isolation. It is common knowledge that communal living is largely missing from western society and it is to our detriment. A Psychology Today article confirms, “One of the most destructive problems is the breakdown of community, and it is this breakdown that has often led to the breakdown of persons. Though we may put many around us, we are alone. Relationships have become superficial, there is no longer concern for the other, and we are pressed by societal and financial pressures to focus on our own survival.”

Moms who regret having children walk through their disappointment alone. We no longer chat with each other over the fence or on the front porch. We isolate ourselves in our homes and apartments and suffer alone—often medicating our pain with drugs and alcohol. Moms don’t have friends with whom they can share their authentic discouragement. We use social media to put our best foot forward and don’t lean on our neighbors when we need help. Alone, our regret festers.

How can we respond? 

1.  Renew our minds

As we experience regret and disappointment we must first renew our own minds. Dissatisfaction is not unique to moms—it is shared by all of us who live in a fallen world. We must fight for joy, rehearsing to ourselves the truth about the source of our joy and the purpose of our lives. Right thinking does not come naturally. Rather we must “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2). When marriage, jobs, material possessions, people and even parenting do not deliver the on the promises we thought they would, it’s crucial that we recall that God “satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things” (Psalm 107:9). He will help us. He will fill us. He will meet us in our regret.

2.  Create community

Reaching out to others and creating community right where we are will not only minister to our own souls, but to others as well. The Apostle Paul knew this and therefore instructs us to “seek to show hospitality” (Romans 12:13). Building bridges, bearing one another’s burdens, sharing meals and finding the commonalities between us works wonders in the human heart. The Psychology Today article referenced above says, “So if we are to truly be alive, to truly move beyond surviving to thriving, if we are to truly be human beings rather than alienated beings or drugged zombies, then we are going to need to return to the sense of community, to lay aside the barriers, and to be able to realize our common humanity.”

If you are a Christian mom, I strongly encourage you to be on the lookout for other moms who seem to be alone. Pay attention to the other women at the park, or in the gymnastics waiting room, or in the elementary school pickup line. I think it’s safe to say that we often appear to have it all together, while inwardly we’d all love to share our joys and sorrows with a friend. I’ve lived back in the States now for 18 months and I can truly say that all of my new friendships began with a shy smile and a warm hello. As humans we long for connection.

Lastly, consider starting a women’s Bible study in your home. This may seem too high a calling or perhaps out of left field. But after leading women’s Bible studies almost every single week for the last 17 years, I can tell you that there’s no better venue for meeting both the felt needs and the spiritual needs of women in your community. The necessary ingredients are easier to come by than you may think: a space to gather, a place for the kids to play while the moms talk, some coffee and a snack, a DVD player and TV to show a Bible lesson provided by a gifted Bible teacher, and an empathetic and welcoming hostess.

As of this moment in American society, it is still acceptable for a Christian woman to invite a non-Christian woman to Bible study. Having recently lived in an atheist country, I know firsthand that’s not the case around the world. However, right now in the States, one girlfriend can still invite another to come read the Bible with her and some other ladies and it’s likely to go very well. What I have seen time and time again is a believing woman invite a non-believing woman to Bible study and the new attendee is met with warmth and encouragement and new friends who “get” her station in life. This welcoming atmosphere is unlike any other she has experienced and she soon wakes up to her spiritual depravity. One thing leads to another and this new friend meets Jesus, refocuses her longings and energies, and finds true joy where she once had deep pain. I’ve seen it happen so many times.

May we take advantage of this moment in our culture and “walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time” (Colossians 4:5). Women who regret having children need not persist in their isolation and despair. We have the antidote and we have the calling and the privilege to share it.

This article originally appeared here.

The Ministry of Property Management – Atlanta Housing

By
Bob Lupton
-
teen pregnancy

The tenements of 1865 London were the hidden scandal of a boisterous, industrializing England. The shadows of belching smoke stacks concealed the dumping ground of the dregs of English society. The foul stench of overflowing sewers and uncollected garbage permeated the air. The tenements—catch-basins of the disenfranchised, stalking ground of predators who fed on their misfortunes—were owned by unscrupulous slumlords who squeezed profits out of every square inch of putrid floor space.

Octavia Hill was an impressionable adolescent when she first encountered the tenements. The daughter of privilege, though not of great wealth, Octavia was invited to accompany certain Christian ladies of social standing who ventured into these dark streets with soup, clothing and genteel smiles. It was the children that initially captured her attention, the unkempt urchins who snatched and hoarded bread crusts like starving animals. On subsequent visits, Octavia would learn the names of several of the children and would follow them through the squalor to the dark, unpainted rooms their families called home. She would meet mothers too weakened by tuberculosis to provide even minimal care for their children. She would meet unemployed fathers stupefying themselves with rotgut to numb the pain of uselessness. By the time Octavia had reached her 20s, she was seized by a burning passion to find a cure for these awful conditions.

Octavia, a young woman ahead of her time, approached a wealthy capitalist who owned one of the tenements with a bold business proposition. She offered to become the property manager and reinvest all earnings from the houses for sale in hattiesburg ms back into the property for a year. In exchange, she guaranteed a competitive rate of return and improvements to the property in the years to come. The capitalist agreed to the deal, and Octavia became the resident manager of the tenement. She quickly set to work, rallying her tenants to take action by fixing clogged sewers, clearing away garbage, repairing leaky roofs, replacing broken windows, and cleaning dirty walls.

She collected rents in person, using these weekly visits as an opportunity to learn how each family fared. She instituted standards of appropriate conduct and enlisted the help of mothers and children to decorate the halls and plant flowers in the courtyard. She provided part-time maintenance work to the unemployed menfolk, taking care to offer this as temporary rent assistance rather than a substitute for permanent employment. Using her civic connections, she persuaded officials to increase police protection, street lighting, health care and other services. In one year’s time, Octavia Hill had transformed a dangerous slum into an attractive apartment building. And to the delight of the landowner, she turned a respectable profit in year two.

Modern-day Atlanta can hardly be compared to Dickens’ London. But there is at least one similarity. Slumlords. The cheapest housing where our impoverished citizens live is largely owned by absentee landlords who care little about residents’ quality of life. And like Octavia Hill’s tenements, doors get broken down, windows get shattered, drains get plugged, roofs spring leaks. There is little incentive to do maintenance so long as tenants keep up their rent payments (however erratic). Frequent evictions take care of the complainers. There are always more renters waiting to fill a vacancy. Decent housing for the poor seems to be a perennial challenge.

But in at least one inner-city Atlanta community, something is being done about the problem. FCS has been buying up dilapidated properties in South Atlanta, restoring them to top condition, and renting them to families who need an affordable, quality place to live. A team of well-qualified construction, maintenance and management professionals ensure that standards remain high. They are applying Octavia Hill’s operating principles, ones that dramatically changed London’s rental housing landscape. If there is one distinguishing non-negotiable that Octavia held to, it was the requirement to become neighbors among those they served. It just so happens that this is one of FCS’s guiding principles as well.

Perhaps the time has come to inspire a fresh generation of capable, compassionate, business-minded visionaries to take on our city’s enormous challenge of providing quality, affordable housing for our most vulnerable citizens. If young Octavia Hill could do it, why not us?

This article originally appeared here.

APU’s LGBTQ Ban Lift Was All a Big ‘Misunderstanding’

By
Megan Briggs
-
teen pregnancy

Editor’s Note: ChurchLeaders published three articles prior to this one on the topic of Azusa Pacific University’s recent changes to their Undergraduate Student Handbook. David Bixby, APU’s Executive Vice President, reached out to our team to give us more information in this unfolding story. The following article is our attempt to report as best and accurately as we can the “other side” of the story, thus giving a better and more complete picture of what happened.

 

Last fall, Azusa Pacific University (APU), an accredited Christian college in California, made headlines for “lifting their LGBTQ ban.” The supposed shift in direction came about due to changes in wording in the University’s Undergraduate Student Handbook. However, school officials say the change in wording was never intended to lift any such “ban” and that media outlets, and even some respected evangelical leaders, were quick to report and comment without knowing the full story.

“We lost our grip on the narrative back in September, and the narrative became that we removed the portion of [our student handbook addressing] same-sex romanticized relationships,” APU’s Executive Vice President David Bixby told ChurchLeaders.

Some Background on APU’s Student Handbook Changes

In response to the media’s reporting in September which took the school by surprise, Bixby said “the board wanted to be clear that we have not changed our values on human sexuality” so they reinstated the original wording pertaining to same-sex relationships.

At that time, Bixby says the board directed him to gather “stakeholders” of APU such as faculty, staff, students, trustees and alumni, to revise the handbook for undergraduate students, which hadn’t been revised in “decades.” This process took about five months—completed in March—and saw the removal (for the second time) of the language singling out LGBTQ romanticized relationships. Another round of newspaper reports ensued.

Bixby says the motivation to remove the language addressing same-sex romanticized relationships came from a desire to look at sexuality from a “30,000-foot view” and remove any “item by item by item” language listing behaviors considered inconsistent with God’s standards. Homosexual behavior wasn’t the only thing listed in the original handbook, which also mentioned bestiality and pornography. “We figured if we anchored on marriage…that would be a clear indicator of where APU stood on any type of relationship outside the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman.”

Pointing us to the Statement on Human Sexuality that the revised student handbook refers to (accessible on APU’s site), Bixby said the university’s stance is very clear. A portion of this statement reads:

We hold that the full behavioral expression of sexuality is to take place within the context of a marriage covenant between a man and a woman and that individuals remain celibate outside of the bond of marriage. Therefore, we seek to cultivate a community in which sexuality is embraced as God-given and good and where biblical standards of sexual behavior are upheld.

Bixby maintains that no such “lift” in the ban on LGBTQ relationships was intended by changing the language of the handbook. “It would be so inconsistent of us to have a strong marriage covenant as described by Scripture and then allow same-sex romanticized relationships on campus,” he says.

Do LGBTQ Students Attend APU?

The University evaluated students’ application essays several years ago to determine what percentage of students are Christian. At that time, the University determined 98 percent of students “had some level of faith in Christ.” Bixby explains, “because we’re open enrollment, we attract all kinds of students, but most of the students who come to APU are Christians.”

Bixby says that because of this open enrollment, they “want to come alongside students who are LGBTQ and love them and care for them in a discipleship environment.” However, he acknowledges that the University has “a different perspective, for sure, and wants to come alongside all students as far as what Scripture says and point them to Christ and appropriate sexual stewardship.”

While Bixby says “there are students who identify as LGBTQ on campus,” he would be shocked to see same-sex romanticized relationships openly displayed at the school. “If we saw a same-sex couple holding hands on campus, we would have a kind, gentle, truthful conversation with them and share with them that that kind of behavior is not consistent with our community values,” Bixby says. He also maintains that because APU has such a relational atmosphere, if faculty were made aware of a heterosexual couple engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior, they would have a similar conversation.

Greg Laurie: Pray for a Millennial Jesus Movement

By
Stephanie Martin
-
teen pregnancy

At the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) convention this week in Anaheim, California, filmmakers from the new Kingdom Studios announced a faith-based venture with distributor Lionsgate. Speaking at an NRB keynote address, director Jon Erwin said Kingdom Studios will release two Christian movies in theaters annually, with the goal of telling “stories that strategically [bring] people to the Gospel.”

One of the first films Kingdom Studios will release is Jesus Revolution, about America’s spiritual awakening in the early 1970s. Erwin told NRB attendees he was inspired by what happened during the period between two notable Time magazine covers: “Is God Dead?” in 1966 and “The Jesus Revolution” in 1971. He became obsessed with the Jesus Movement and how it “rescued a generation,” and he decided to tell that story through the life of Greg Laurie.

A Teen in ‘search mode’ Finds a Family in Jesus Movement

Laurie, senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, grew up near the movement’s epicenter in Southern California. The cards were stacked against him, says Laurie, now 66. He had no father and an alcoholic mother who married and divorced seven times. Laurie grew up fast, he says, but his life changed in high school when he accepted an invitation to attend Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa.

“It was like liquid love,” Laurie says of that “immersive” spiritual experience. Contemporary Christian worship and music were “born before our very eyes,” he adds. “It was a work of the Holy Spirit.” Laurie was baptized at age 17 and found the father figure he’d been longing for, amid a group of believers who were “sold out for Jesus.”

Laurie, who’s producing the Jesus Revolution film and wrote a book of the same name, says he wants moviegoers to understand what that movement was like. He also believes America needs—and can experience—a similar revival today.

America Is Due for Another Revival, Laurie Says

“Our country was going the wrong way fast” in the late ’60s, Laurie says, with drugs, the sexual revolution, broken families and toxic political divisions. In many ways, he notes, America is in the same situation today, with people searching for answers and seeking unity and healing.

We need to pray that Millennials and Generation Z experience their own Jesus Revolution, Laurie says, because they tend to be lonely, feel disconnected and have high suicide rates. Revolution is cyclical in nature, Laurie adds, and America has a pattern of a new spiritual awakening occurring every half a century. That means we’re due for one again.

“We overly mystify the word revival,” Laurie says, noting it’s simply a restoration, or a return to something’s original condition. In the case of Christianity, he says, it’s a return to conditions of the early church, when the Holy Spirit worked through a band of disciples—without social media or mass communication—to “turn their world upside down.”

Laurie, who launched Harvest Crusades in 1990 to conduct large-scale evangelism, says, “I believe the fame of revival spreads the flame of revival.” He says he likes this definition of awakening and revival: “When God gets so sick and tired of being misrepresented he shows up himself.”

No release date has been set for Jesus Revolution, which initially received funding through a Kickstarter campaign.

SBC Seeks to Strengthen Female Leaders by Launching New Network

By
Jessica Lea
-
teen pregnancy

On March 25, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) launched the Women’s Leadership Network (WLN). The WLN arose out of a desire to increase collaboration among female leaders in the SBC.

“We find ourselves in the midst of multiple pivotal, transforming moments in the life of our denomination in regard to women,” reads the About statement on the WLN website. “Conditions are rising for a monumental shift in the way women are valued, treated and welcomed into places of service, impact and leadership as it comes to the collaborative effort of pursuing Great Commission work in our denomination.”

The page’s authors observe that women have played key roles throughout history in fulfilling the Great Commission. Noting the level of training available to modern women, the authors say they want to “create environments that cultivate supportive relationships, multi-generational mentoring and robust personal development.” The ultimate purpose is for the women in the SBC to more effectively use their knowledge and gifts to share the gospel and build God’s kingdom.   

Kathy Litton, who is on the WLN’s steering committee, told the Biblical Recorder, “Previously we have had no environment to network with each other across the domains in which we lead and serve. We want to change that.”

How Did the WLN Begin?

In a statement to ChurchLeaders, Jacki C. King, who is also on the WLN’s steering committee, said that after the 2018 SBC Annual Meeting, a group of women began discussing the need for female leaders to better network with each other, to have more opportunities to be mentored, and to cultivate their gifts. In late Fall 2018, the women formed the steering committee in order to plan what the WLN would look like. King says the WLN came about organically out of a recognized need and not as the result of one particular event: “The events of 2018 sparked many conversations that concerned SBC women, but the desire to engage at multiple levels has been present for some time.”

The WLN is complementarian and holds to the SBC’s statement of faith. Regarding the SBC’s policy of not allowing women to be ordained as pastors or serve as elders, King says that there is nothing wrong with having a conversation about women’s roles in the church, but that having that discussion is not one of the WLN’s goals. Rather, “Connecting and strengthening women leaders is our number one mission… Rather than conversations on what women can or can’t do, this is primarily an effort to champion the gifts and perspectives women bring not only to the local church and our denomination, but also to our workplaces and communities.”

WLN will seek to champion women by offering “virtual interactions and in-person events” to women who are members of the denomination (there is no formal process to join the network). On the website there is a blog and podcast where the WLN will share news that concerns SBC women and highlight stories of female leaders throughout the denomination. Women can also subscribe to the WLN’s email list and join its Facebook group. Also, the network’s first annual meeting will be held on June 11 in Birmingham, Alabama. As it works to foster relationships, the WLN does not have numerical goals in mind or plan to track how many women become involved in formal ministry roles.

In a statement on the WLN website, SBC president J.D. Greear said,

In Christ’s service, every brother and sister finds unimaginable grace, inestimable value, and eternal purpose. Women are indispensable partners in God’s mission, and I am praying for a new era in the SBC, one in which all people—male and female—would exercise their God-given gifts for that mission. The SBC Women’s Leadership Network is one more step along the way, and I’m excited to see where it takes us.

EGG-A-PALOOZA Easter Egg Hunt

By
Kenny Conley
-
teen pregnancy

I’ve been reading about all the Easter Egg hunts happening around the kidmin world lately. I love the creative and innovative approach to the age old egg hunt. From tossing eggs from helicopters or indoor scavenger hunts—the event is alive and well. Whether you’re doing a hunt or thinking about doing a hunt (if you are just thinking about doing a hunt right now, it’s probably too late), it’s important to think about why you’re doing an Easter Egg Hunt.

Four years ago, my church started an Easter Egg Hunt. We call it Egg-A-Palooza.

Egg-A-Palooza was born to meet a very specific need. Easter is one of our highest attended weekends and we were challenged with the task to make more room for people during our Sunday services. For several years, we had offered Saturday services that simply weren’t filling up where Sunday morning was standing room only. We decided that the best way to provide more seats on Sunday morning was to give people a compelling reason to show up on Saturday.

I remember the meeting clearly. We were brainstorming ideas and then someone looked at me and said, “We could do an egg hunt.” I think my initial response was, “Do you mean YOU can do an egg hunt or WE can do an egg hunt?” For me, it was important to communicate that simply pulling off Sunday services was HUGE. It was a TON of work. Being tasked to pull off a family event in addition to several huge weekend services was not going to be an easy task. However, if our church saw Egg-A-Palooza as a strategic event where everyone had ownership, then this became a very do-able opportunity.

In a few days, we’ll be holding our fourth Egg-A-Palooza and the service immediately following the event is our biggest service of the weekend (for families).

If you’re doing an Easter Egg hunt, or thinking of doing one, it’s important to ask the question “why?”

  • Are we doing an egg hunt because it’s fun?
  • Are we doing an egg hunt to serve our community?
  • Are we doing an egg hunt for outreach purposes?
  • Are we doing an egg hunt because…we’ve always done an egg hunt?

You should know why you’re doing it. Leverage that reason. Events have a way of becoming beasts that take on a personality of their own. They get bigger and morph into things beyond their original purpose. When you truly understand why you’re doing it, define the wins for this event.

  • Because of this hunt, we want to see _____ number of people attend that we can invite to Easter.
  • Because of this event, we want to see the following service to be _____ in attendance.
  • Because of this egg hunt, we want to see _____ number of people come to faith.

If you go into your egg hunt with a reason in mind and specific wins hoped for, you’re far more likely to have a successful event—because you know what success is. This will also keep your Egg Hunt from just becoming that thing you do every year because you’ve done it for so many years.

What about you? Are you doing an egg hunt? What’s the reason and what’s the win?

This article originally appeared here.

Prayer Strategy for Ministry

By
Dave Butts
-
teen pregnancy

Do you ever look at prayer as a “quick fix” to a difficult situation? There is so much more to prayer!

All too often we look at prayer as a “quick fix” to a difficult situation. Have you ever said, “I’ve tried everything else—I might as well pray! Often we only have “time” to offer a few quick prayers hoping to bring God into the situation so that everything will be fine. Sometimes this proves to be the case (although probably more because of God’s great love for us than from the power of our prayers).

If you are involved in a work of God, and hopefully we are all active in a ministry of some sort, you need to look at prayer not as a quick petition, but rather as part of the long-term strategy for accomplishing the work that God has called you to. It involves a commitment to pray and work until you see completion. An illustration from the sports realm might be helpful. Many would liken prayer to a series of sprints, while instead, we would be better served to see prayer as a long-distance runner would view the course before him.

Nehemiah saw prayer this way. In Nehemiah 1, we see that he had a difficult task ahead of him. After hearing a report of the poor condition of Jerusalem and its inhabitants he believed that God called him to travel to Jerusalem and take the lead in seeing the walls of the city rebuilt. As you look at this story, please note how prayer is an integral part of this mighty work of God…not as a quick fix, but as a continued dependence upon God for help and direction.

As an important government official in Babylon, Nehemiah received word of the demoralized Jewish remnant in Jerusalem and the sad condition of Jerusalem’s walls. His response was to weep and pray: “For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven” (Neh. 1:4). Out of this time of mourning comes this powerful prayer, recorded in Neh 1:5-11, “O Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’

They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”

Nehemiah’s prayer was not an act of devotion wedged into an already busy schedule. He stopped what he was doing and gave himself fully to God in prayer. The task ahead was too daunting for anyone but God Himself. Nehemiah’s example reflects some important issues in prayer that we should follow when interceding:

RESPONDING IN OBEDIENCE
(Nehemiah 2:12). Although it is not mentioned in the passage from the first chapter of Nehemiah, we learn later on that God had placed the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls upon Nehemiah’s heart (“I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem”). Nehemiah simply was aware of what God desired to accomplish, and made himself available to be used in a powerful way to fulfill God’s plan.

HAVING AN ATTITUDE OF WORSHIP
(Nehemiah 1:5). Nehemiah did not enter lightly into God’s presence. He reverently acknowledged the awesomeness of the God of heaven, asking for His divine attention.

PERSISTING IN PRAYER
(Nehemiah 1:6). Nehemiah refers to the fact that he is praying day and night for this particular issue.

PRAYING IN HUMILITY
(Nehemiah 1:6-7). He approached God with humility, confessing his sin and the sin of his people. He repentantly accepted God’s judgment upon them as right and just…no excuses…no whining! He simply humbled himself before God and stated his case.

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