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Why I Take Abortion Seriously and So Should You

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

New York just enacted a terrifying new law with regard to late term abortions. According to Time Magazine, “The newly enacted Reproductive Health Act expands on what’s legal after 24 weeks, allowing a woman to get an abortion after 24 weeks if her health is threatened, not just her life, and if the fetus would be unable to survive outside the womb.”

Put simply, about-to-be-born babies in New York can be killed if the life or health of the mother is threatened in any way on any level. This pretty much offers a pass for any mom to have her baby’s life ended if her doctor feels like it could impact her physical or emotional health.

Why I Take Abortion Seriously and So Should You

Stop and think about this for a moment. Something as common as the threat of a mother suffering postpartum depression could be reason enough to abort a baby up to moments before birth.

This is a new level of low among abortion advocates. And it breaks my heart, as it should yours.

Abortion continues to be a horrific travesty that has ended tens of millions of lives in the United States. But before you accuse me of being “just another preacher with a political agenda,” I want to make something crystal clear. This is not primarily a political issue for me. It’s an issue of morality and justice. And, for me, it’s deeply personal.

Why? Because I was almost aborted.

After my mom found out that she was pregnant as a result of an affair she had with a married man, she drove from Denver to Boston to have an illegal abortion. This was before Roe V. Wade was put into law in 1973. My mom didn’t want her strict Baptist parents to find out that she had, once again, screwed up.

Mom had all sorts of relational scars. She had been married four times and lived a pretty wild life. Her getting pregnant by a married man was the latest embarrassing mistake in her life and she was determined to eliminate that mistake.

But thank God my aunt and uncle “ratted her out” to my grandparents. My grandpa and grandma got a hold of my mom and told her, “We know you’re pregnant. Come back to Denver and have that baby. We will help you take care of that baby.”

I was that baby.

By God’s grace, I not only survived but was given a new lease on life when I met my Heavenly Father on June 23, 1974. As a fatherless kid raised in a high poverty, high crime rate area, I finally had a Dad who would never leave me or forsake me. And that Father gave me a mission in life, to tell everyone I could about the hope that I found in Jesus.

In 1991 I started Dare 2 Share and since then have been privileged to reach, train and equip countless teens through Dare 2 Share events. Right now, I’m on tour with Winter Jam Tour and, in the span of just three months, we will be presenting the Gospel to hundreds of thousands of teenagers in 44 cities across America.

Over the last few decades we’ve seen suicides prevented, lives transformed and entire youth groups set on fire with a faith-sharing mission. And now it is all going global in a huge way. We have partners using our material in 90 percent of the countries in the world to reach the next generation for Jesus. And none of this would have been possible if my mom would have gone through with aborting me.

Abortion is the taking of a life that is absolutely helpless in what should be the safest place on the planet, a mother’s womb. I believe that abortion must be re-framed, not primarily as a political issue, but one of justice and morality.

The law enacted in New York may indeed backfire. Young people of all political persuasions may begin to view abortion through a new lens as a result of this terrifying law. I am praying that many begin to wonder about the rights of the unborn because of the sheer brashness of killing a baby so close to its birth.

And please don’t get me wrong. Abortion is not the unforgivable sin. The doctors and nurses who commit abortions and the moms who assent to them can be forgiven by God…just like my mom was.

When I was a teenager, I would consistently share the Gospel with my guilt-ridden mom. She would often tell me, “I’m too sinful to forgive.”

From the time I was little I remember my mom often just bursting into heart-wrenching tears when she looked at me. I’m convinced it was because she was reminded of the abortion that almost was. She thought that her scarred soul was too laden with sin for God ever to fully and finally forgive her.

But I’ll never forget the day I shared the Gospel with her at the kitchen table and she finally believed that she too could be forgiven. While smoking a cigarette she finally said “yes” to Jesus and her sins were nailed to his cross. For the first time I began to see joy, true joy, in her eyes. The guilt and shame of a lifetime of bad decisions begin to fall away from her strong but weary shoulders.

This same forgiveness is available to any mom who has had an abortion or any doctor or nurse who has performed one. As Colossians 2:13-14 reminds us, “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.”

If you have never put your faith in Jesus, do so right now. He died to secure your forgiveness. You will be “born again” into the family of God…never to be spiritually aborted (John 3:3). God becomes your Father forever.

If you’re a mom and considering an abortion or a young person wondering where you should stand on this issue, please consider my story. And also consider yours. You wouldn’t be around today if your mom had made the choice to have an abortion.

Don’t think of abortion as a political issue. Think of it as a personal one…because it is.

This article originally appeared here.

Amy Carmichael’s Secret to Fighting Discouragement

By
Eliza Thomas
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Discouragement can be a crippling form of soul sickness. It stalks those who serve in hard places and in unyielding spiritual environments. And lately, I’ve felt the dark creep of discontent that, if unchecked, can bleed into despair. Over the years, I’ve learned how dangerous it is to nurse feelings that can become poisonous to fruitful ministry.

Time with Scripture and in prayer is always part of the cure, but sometimes it also helps to hear from others who’ve been in these trenches and implicitly understand the difficulties and dynamics of missionary life. So, I pull a thin volume wrapped in a disintegrating book cover off the bookshelf by my bed—Gold by Moonlight by Amy Carmichael. First published in 1960, the insights in this book are just as relevant today as when they were written. This Christian classic speaks to anyone wrestling with discouragement, illness or painful circumstances.

Navigating an Avalanche of Grief

Amy Carmichael had more reason than I’ve ever had to feel discouraged. In 1895 when she was a young woman, Amy moved from her home in Ireland to South India. Once there, she served for 55 straight years without ever returning home. For the last 20 years of her life, she was bedridden with debilitating pain, the consequence of an accidental fall into an uncovered pit. During the long years of uninterrupted suffering following her injury, she continued to serve as a spiritual mother for the community she founded called the Dohnavur Fellowship, a haven for the most vulnerable members of society, in particular for children rescued from temple prostitution.

I’ve often wondered how Amy could maintain such supernatural joy in the face of “griefs which can come down like an avalanche over the soul.” Reading her writings has taught me that there were four main things that bolstered her spirit and her faith—saturation in Scripture, delight in the presence of God, the support of a Christian community, and the glorious beauty of the natural world.

Much attention is given in Christian circles to the critical role Scripture and fellowship play in sustaining ministry, and Amy affirmed the importance of both those things. But it’s her deep and abiding appreciation for beauty that enlivens her work and makes it so uplifting.

“His brow was crowned with thorns;
do we seek rosebuds for our crowning?”
—Amy Carmichael

Gold by Moonlight features reflections on a collection of black and white photographs printed in the early 20th century. They show shafts of light filtering through dark woods, shadowy ravines, sunlight illuminating mountain peaks, snow blanketing pine branches, the first flush of cherry blossoms in the spring. In all these images Amy discerns what she called “figures of the true,” or portraits of truth that dovetail with revelation found in the pages of Scripture.

“We shall feel sometimes like this battered pine, thrashed by the wind,” she observed, commenting on a photograph of a lone tree exposed to the elements. “We who follow the Crucified are not here to make a pleasant thing of life; we are called to suffering for the sake of a suffering, sinful world. The Lord forgive us our shameful evasions and hesitations. His brow was crowned with thorns; do we seek rosebuds for our crowning?”

The Darkest Ravine

Amy experienced the fellowship of Christ’s suffering not just in physical pain that she said “gnawed like a wolf,” but mostly in her encounters with dark spiritual forces and oppressive Hindu religious practices. In the region where she worked, girls as young as five could be “dedicated” to the gods. Once given into the care of the temple, they became objects of sexual abuse first by priests and then by worshipers. Amy created a refuge for children rescued from the torment of religious prostitution, a dangerous endeavor that often evoked the wrath of those who profited from the trade. She knew too well the “wrongs done to innocence that scorch the mind.”

She was able to face this “land of fear” that she saw figured in a photograph of a dark ravine by focusing on God’s promises. “I will not fear what flesh can do unto me,” she commented. “Always the expectation of God is that his child shall break through and live and endure as seeing the Invisible—‘My grace is sufficient for thee.’”

“If we’re revived by grace and filled with the Holy Spirit, we’re capable of bearing fruit in season and out of season, in fertile ground and in the desert, when life is easy and when it’s not.”

Amy’s spiritual response to the beauty of the natural world is perfectly in step with the psalmist’s cry, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims the work of his hands” (Ps. 19:1). Amy was a born naturalist because she understood that creation is a marvel that inspires worship of the Creator and that renews our minds for service in difficult spiritual landscapes. For those of us serving cross-culturally in places were sin has devastated so many lives, the experience of the beauty of nature can help lift our gaze from the ravages of wrong to the goodness of God.

Silver That Healed Discouragement

One dark night while feeling discouraged and “of no account” to God, Amy saw the moonlight bathing the grass and trees in silver. “It was only silver,” she said, “not like the glory of morning gold. ‘Offer thy silver,’ said a quiet voice. And peace came that moonlight night in offering just silver.” This moment of spiritual breakthrough found expression in a poem.

I cannot bring Thee praise like golden noon-light
Shining on earth’s green floor;
My song is more like silver of the moonlight:
But I adore.

The apostle Paul encourages us to set our minds on “whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable” (Phil. 4:8 NIV, emphasis added). Attentiveness to aesthetic beauty is an aspect of Christian experience that enables believers to stand firm even in the face of suffering. This cast of mind propels mission because it reminds us of the glorious hope of inhabiting a new heaven and a new earth where God reigns over a magnificent garden city (Rev. 21–22).

An Iris Blooming in Winter

This has been an unseasonably warm winter in the megacity where I live. Asphalt covers most of my environment, so focusing on natural beauty requires some creative searching. But in a small patch of clay near the cement wall where we park our car, a resilient patch of iris put down roots. In January, when these flowers should have been dormant for the winter, one of the bulbs put out a shoot that bloomed.

Observing the lush velvet purple of the petals, I could see in it what Amy Carmichael would have called “a figure of the true.” In Christ, we can become like an iris that blooms in January. If we’re revived by grace and filled with the Holy Spirit, we’re capable of bearing fruit in season and out of season, in fertile ground and in the desert, when life is easy and when it’s not. In Amy’s life, so much of the spiritual fruit she produced was born out of season. But in instances when grace manifests itself so clearly through dark seasons, God is most glorified.

All quotations are from Gold by Moonlight by Amy Carmichael.

This article originally appeared here.

The Mercy You Are Missing

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

We all want mercy.

We ask for mercy when the police officer pulls us over for going five miles over the speed limit. We want mercy when the bank is threatening foreclosure. We ask for mercy when we show up 15 minutes late to an important meeting. We all want mercy.

And for the most part, we like to think we give mercy.

We give money at church, we drop coins in the Salvation Army bucket, we give some cash to the guy on the corner of the street. So when we read Micah 6:8, “act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God,” we think, “love mercy, that’s the easy one”.

But what if we are missing a side to mercy that would be huge for us and for others?

In the Old Testament, the word hesed is used most often for two relational situations: those you know and those you don’t know.

  1. For those we don’t know.

These are people we come across and we have no apparent reason to be generous or merciful to them. There is no prior relationship between you and them, but you nevertheless act generously or mercifully by remaining faithful or committed to them.

It’s a $5 bill to the guy on the corner with a cardboard sign or you letting someone go in front of you at the grocery store. You don’t know them, they probably won’t ever repay you, but you give them this gift of mercy. Or in other words, you give them the same kind of mercy and grace God did for the children of Israel even if the people weren’t part of the nation of Israel.

In the Old Testament, even though God “knows” all, his covenant was only with the nation of Israel, yet you see him extending mercy to those who are not in this tribe; most notable is Rahab. Rahab lives in Jericho, a city that God has just instructed the Israelites to wipe out.

Jericho was an abomination to God and his people, and Rahab is not only a citizen of this place but also a prostitute (another character we did not have a flannel graph for in my Sunday school). Yet, when Joshua and Caleb come to town to scout out the city, she gives them safe passage and hides them until they can safely escape. So God grants her his mercy and spares her life when the Israelites stormed the city. Hesed—for people that are not part of our tribe.

This is the side of mercy we tend to extend easily. But what about the people we DO know?

“The refugee in Syria doesn’t benefit more if you conserve your kindness only for her and withhold it from your neighbor who’s going through a divorce.” –Brene Brown, Rising Strong

  1. For those we know.

These are our friends, our family, our coworkers, our crazy cousins and the brother-in-law of whom we do not speak. We know these people, we work with these people, we even like some of these people. And sometimes they are in need of help, encouragement, assistance or even forgiveness. Perhaps they have hurt us or betrayed us in some way. Maybe they owe us an apology for a car they totaled or a Christmas vacation they ruined.

Whatever the case, what if in spite of what they owe you, you don’t allow this to end the relationship, but rather grant them kind, faithful, recurring mercy. This is the type of generosity God has modeled for us.

In a sentence, to love mercy is to extend kindness and compassion to those we know and those we don’t—whether they deserve it or not. And most of the time, the person who receives the benefit—is us.

The book Justice. Mercy. Humility: A Simple Path to Following Jesus seeks to define how we can live that out.

This article originally appeared here.

A New Way to Train Volunteers

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

As ministry leaders, one of our biggest concerns is ensuring the people who serve with us are equipped and encouraged for their role in ministry. Busy schedules and low attendance to onsite training leaves many of us looking for a new way to train volunteers.

Our team recently had an on-site training scheduled, but as the date approached it was clear that we weren’t prepared and hadn’t done enough to advertise the event. Rather than scrapping the training altogether, we decided to record short videos to share the most important training content with our volunteers.

Wondering if it was worth the effort? Before I share from our experience, just look at these statistics on the value of video from a recent article about online marketing strategies:

  • 87 percent of online marketers use video content.
  • More video content is uploaded in 30 days than the major U.S. television networks have created in 30 years.
  • Over 500 million (half a BILLION) people are watching video on Facebook every day.
  • 45 percent of people watch more than an hour of Facebook or YouTube videos a week.
  • 82 percent of Twitter users watch video content on Twitter
  • YouTube has over a billion users, almost one-third of total Internet users.
  • More than 500 million hours of videos are watched on YouTube each day.

So, here’s how we planned our ‘Video Training Week’:

  • We had a brainstorm meeting to choose the content we felt was crucial to share with a volunteer if we had only five minutes with them.
  • We recorded videos that taught the content in under five minutes. Each video also linked to articles, books or other resources on the topic.
  • We scheduled two to three videos to be sent out daily over the course of a week. (We did give volunteers a heads up that this many emails would be coming.)
  • The videos were shared through a video email service (BombBomb.com), our Team Facebook groups (closed groups for volunteers only), and uploaded to videos to our Vimeo account.

The ‘Video Training Week’ may have been plan B, but the success of the week already has us thinking about how video can be a bigger part of our future training. Here are some of the stats from our videos:

  • Emails from Bombbomb.com had an 86 percent open rate and videos averaged 55 plays a day.
  • Videos posted to Facebook groups were played more than 225 times.
  • Vimeo links (sent out only at the end of the week as a recap) averaged 46 plays.
  • We also had countless comments from volunteers about the content, which means they were watching, listening and learning!

We still highly value the onsite training and will continue to host these events, but we will definitely continue to use video for training our volunteers throughout the year.

And you can too because video training is so easy. If you have a smartphone with a camera, you can record yourself sharing tips or thoughts for your volunteers. Share that video through an email link or on social media. Your videos will keep your volunteers equipped and encouraged for sharing the Gospel with kids of all ages!

Bonus Thoughts…
The article mentioned earlier also had another eye-opening stat on why video training may be an effective tool for your ministry:

  • Viewers retain 95 percent of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10 percent when reading it in text.
  • The 25-34 (Millennial) age group watches the most online videos and men spend 40 percent more time watching videos on the Internet than women.

I hear more and more ministry leaders asking about how to effectively reach men and Millennials for kids’ ministry. This research shows that video messages are very effective ways to connect with both groups. Just another reason to say ‘Cheese’ and start recording!

This article originally appeared here.

This Pro-Life Film Is Rated ‘R’ for All the Right Reasons

By
Stephanie Martin
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

After their upcoming movie about abortion received an R rating, its creators spoke about that decision’s irony. Unplanned, set to release March 29, follows the real-life journey of Abby Johnson, a Planned Parenthood clinic director who became a pro-life activist.

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) tagged the Pure Flix Entertainment film with an R due to “some disturbing/bloody images,” saying that would stand unless abortion scenes were changed or deleted. Pure Flix, known for movies such as God’s Not Dead and The Case for Christ, has never received an R rating and had been aiming for PG-13 with Unplanned. But the directors say they won’t make changes or challenge the designation. In fact, they contend that the unexpected rating proves the film’s point and may have positive consequences.

Rating Reveals the Violence of Abortion, Directors Say

Cary Solomon and Chuck Konzelman, who wrote and directed Unplanned, say the film “has no MPAA cautions for profanity, nudity, sex or violence…except for violence directly associated with the abortion process. Ironically, the MPAA seems to be indirectly endorsing the pro-life position: namely that abortion is an act of violence.”

“Even more ironically,” they add, “as a result of the MPAA’s decision to give us a ‘Restricted’ rating, many teenage women in this country who can legally obtain an actual abortion without parental permission will be prohibited from going to see our film containing simulated images of abortion, without obtaining parental permission.”

Because an R rating requires moviegoers under 17 to be accompanied by an adult, the directors say that label may be “all for the best.” They note, “As the wife of our lead film attorney put it: ‘This is a movie that every mother of a teenage girl needs to take her daughter by the hand and go see with her.’ So as far as we’re concerned, ‘R’ means ‘Recommended.’”

According to an MPAA spokesperson, the rating isn’t politically motivated but was determined by a board of about 10 people, “all of whom have children.” But director Solomon notes, “It was clear that any meaningful treatment of the issue (of abortion) was going to be objectionable.”

Subject Says Film Reveals “the truth”

Johnson, who’s previously been sued by Planned Parenthood, says, “We are pushing the boundaries…by showing America exactly what abortion is—and abortion is disturbing. It’s violent.” Noting that the 2004 film The Passion of the Christ also was rated R, Johnson says the label “isn’t going to slow this movie down.” She adds, “I believe people are ready for the truth.”

One scene in Unplanned that the MPAA objected to shows a doctor staring at a screen during an in-progress abortion. The person being portrayed, Dr. Anthony Levatino, calls the scene “very accurate.” He says, “It’s disturbing if you recognize it’s a human life.”

Director Konzelman says the film’s timing is “for such a time as this,” referring to recent late-term abortion legislation. “We couldn’t have foreseen the rapid developments that are suddenly coming to a head,” he says, “but we serve a God who could, and did.”

This Lady’s Birth Story Needs to Be Shared with Everyone

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

When adoptee Claire Culwell went to meet her birth mother, she had no idea what she was about to discover regarding the circumstances surrounding her birth.

“Nothing in my life could have ever prepared me for what she told me that day,” says Claire.

Claire and her sister were each adopted from separate birth mothers by Warren and Barbara Culwell, who were unable to have children naturally. The girls grew up knowing they were adopted and seeing adoption as normal, but at the age of 21, Claire decided to seek out her birth mother so she could thank her for giving her life.

Meeting Tonya

It was a joyful meeting overall between Claire and her birth mother, Tonya. But when Tonya read the card Claire gave her, with the words, “Thank you for choosing life for me. That’s the greatest gift I’ve ever received,” her hands started shaking. Crying, she took Claire aside to tell her how she was born.

Tonya was 13 when she became pregnant. When she told her mother, Tonya’s mom said that abortion was her only option. They were going to hide what had happened and, afterward, Tonya would go back to school like normal. Tonya says of being pregnant at age 13, “It’s horrible. You feel humiliated. You feel like you have no rights. I mean, you’re trapped.”

Tonya’s mom took to her to a clinic where Tonya had an abortion five months into her pregnancy. However, four weeks after the abortion, she could tell that something was wrong. One day, she and her best friend were changing in a locker room, and her friend looked at her and said, “You’re still pregnant.” So Tonya and her mother returned to the abortion clinic, where they found out the abortion had been successful…but that Tonya was still pregnant.

It turns out Tonya had been pregnant with twins and that only one baby was aborted when she initially visited the clinic. If the doctor had attempted to abort Claire at that point, it could have been fatal for Tonya. So Tonya went on bedrest and carried her surviving baby to term.

Claire was born two and a half months early, weighing a little over three pounds. Because of the abortion, both of her hips were dislocated, she was club-footed in both feet, and she had to be in a body cast for the first two years of her life. It was unclear to doctors whether she would ever see, walk, or have a “normal” functioning life–something, it turns out, that Claire has actually been able to have.

Tonya told Claire, “I’m telling you this, and I give you permission to share this with other people, because I never want another little girl to experience what I have.”

Instead of being angry or bitter, Claire told Tonya she forgave her for what she did. Claire says that before meeting Tonya, she took life for granted, but not any more. Now, she see life as a gift, and she wants people to understand that abortion has an impact far beyond just one decision.

‘A Ripple Effect’

Claire says, “If that abortion had been successful on my life, my daughter wouldn’t be here. And if my daughter wasn’t here, one day when she grows up and she becomes a mom, her kids wouldn’t have the opportunity to be here, and then her grandkids, and so on and so forth. There’s a domino effect, there’s a ripple effect.”

Claire and Tonya’s story is a timely one, considering the renewed vigor of the abortion debate in the U.S. and the passing of laws like the one in New York permitting late-term abortions up to the moment of birth. Hitting even closer to home for people like Claire and Tonya is the recent failure of Congress to pass a law that would protect infants who survive failed abortions.

And yet for those who make the choice to abort, there is also grace and forgiveness. On her website, Claire says, “I know healing is possible and I have been given the gift of surviving an abortion so that I can tell these men and women that they are forgiven.”

Why Pastors Need Mentors and How to Find One

By
Church Fuel
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

As a church leader, you will run up against limits in your life and ministry.

You’ll encounter a new problem.

You’ll come face-to-face with a unique situation.

And at times, you’ll just get stuck.

Over the years, you’ll fall into a routine, and after a while, you’ll feel as if you can’t break free from your circumstances.

One proven way you can continue to grow as a Christian, spouse, parent, friend and church leader is through mentoring. Not in the sense that you have to mentor someone. But in the sense that someone should mentor you.

Why Pastors Need a Mentor and How to Find One

Mentoring isn’t something reserved for “church members” or “new” pastors, and it’s not something church leaders should avoid. Mentoring can be an ongoing, beneficial activity as long as you’re open to someone speaking into your life.

Even though mentoring isn’t as common as it once was, in this post, I want to encourage you to consider pursuing being mentored.

To help you along, I’m going to cover:

Mentorship defined
Five common misconceptions about mentoring
Four steps to finding a mentor
Let’s get started!

Mentorship defined

“Mentoring” isn’t a new concept and it’s not difficult to grasp.

Here’s what you need to know:

A mentor is someone who intentionally helps someone else (mentee) grow personally, spiritually or professionally in a relational setting.

The idea of mentoring has been around for thousands of years.

You may not be able to find “mentoring” mentioned in the Bible. But you can spot several examples of mentors and mentees, including:

Jethro (mentor) and Moses (mentee)
Moses (mentor) and Joshua (mentee)
Eli (mentor) and Samuel (mentee)
Jesus (mentor) and his disciples (mentees)
Paul (mentor) and Timothy (mentee), Titus (mentee) and Barnabas (mentee)

If you spend time studying just these few examples, there are four essential ingredients you’ll discover about mentoring. A mentor should:

Follow Jesus
Teach
Set an example
Model

The first thing we discover about mentoring is that a mentor should follow Jesus. A mentor’s life should exemplify what it means to live and love like Jesus. His or her life should be marked by a love for the Bible, dependency upon God, and a desire to share his or her experience with you.

A mentor should also be able to teach you. He or she doesn’t necessarily need a Bible degree or even to serve as a pastor, elder or deacon of a church. What he or she teaches isn’t confined to the Bible alone.

At some point in your life, you’ll need to learn how to overcome a challenge, learn new skills or expand your leadership abilities. In every one of these scenarios, a good mentor can guide you through whatever you need to learn in that season.

One significant part of being a mentor is setting an example. Regardless of what you want to learn, it’s ideal that the mentor you approach has “been there and done that.” When a mentor has experience with whatever you’re going through, he or she will be able to apply his or her knowledge and experience to your situation.

What is more, mentoring isn’t just about transferring information—it’s about transformation. With this in mind, a mentor is someone who can give you tips and advice. A mentor is someone who’s willing to set an example for you to follow.

Consider how Jesus and Paul mentored people.

In general, Jesus’ call to every one of us is to deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow him (Matt 16:24). When it came to the 12 disciples, this is literally what they did. They physically followed Jesus, lived with him and learned from the example he set.

As for Paul, he was super clear about setting an example individuals and the church could follow. Check out these passages:

Acts 20:17–18
1 Corinthians 11:1
Philippians 4:9
2 Thessalonians 3:7

I’ll get into this more below. But be sure your mentor is someone who is setting a good example, which leads me to the next point.

Your mentor should be someone who models what a life dedicated to following Jesus looks like, brokenness and all.

A mentor is not a perfect example, they are a living example.

Just like you.

Now that we know what a mentor is, let’s go ahead and talk about some common misconceptions.

5 common misconceptions about mentoring

Before you find a mentor, you first have to know what you’re not looking for.

In other words, there are some common misconceptions about mentors you need to know before you consider who you should pursue.

Here are five common misconceptions:

Anyone will do
I need a paid coach
I have a teacher, so I don’t need a mentor
Age matters
A mentor has to be perfect

The first common misconception about mentoring is that you can reach out to anyone. On the surface, this sounds OK. For instance, after you watch a video, read a book or observe someone you admire, you may feel inspired to reach out to him or her for help, which makes perfect sense.

In this situation, you’ve experienced a benefit or were encouraged, and it’s natural to think that he or she will be willing and able to help you further apply the lesson you learned.

But remember, mentoring is more about transformation—not information. To really benefit from a mentor, you have to be in a position to not only hear what they have to say. You have to be able to model what they exemplify.

Instead of reaching out to a stranger, prayerfully consider finding a mentor among the people you know and naturally interact with during the normal ebbs and flows of your life.

If there is someone who may be able to help you, but you don’t know this person, see if you are connected with him or her through someone you know. Getting connected with someone through a personal relationship can make a world of difference in getting started on the right foot.

I just hinted at another common misconception about mentoring, and that’s confusing a mentor with a paid coach.

As a church leader, there are times when you can benefit from paying a coach to help you answer a question or overcome a problem. But a paid coach is not a mentor.

As I mentioned above, a mentor is someone who intentionally helps someone else in a relational setting.

A mentor isn’t someone you pay or someone who will serve as your church consultant.

A mentor is someone who’s invested in you as a person.

A mentor will be able to teach and guide you, and they’ll also be able to provide help in certain situations. But all of this is done through a relationship, and their focus is more holistic versus helping you with a task or project.

Confusing a mentor with a paid coach is similar to the next misconception: Confusing a mentor with a teacher. Said another way, a mentor is not someone who (necessarily) follows a strict course or curriculum. Basically, there’s not a specific 12-step program for mentees you need to take to graduate.

A mentor will be able to teach you, but not in the way a teacher or professor teaches. The lessons a mentor shares are from his or her experience and aimed toward transforming your life—not just teaching you a lesson. There’s a subtle, yet significant difference between the two.

When it comes to finding a mentor, you should find someone who’s several steps ahead of you. But they don’t necessarily have to be significantly older than you.

As you look for a mentor, your goal is to find someone who’s ahead of you in whatever area you’re trying to improve upon. In this scenario, a mentor may be significantly older than you are, they may be several years older, or they may be your age. A mentor’s age isn’t a prerequisite. You want to have your eyes more on his or her character, experience and wisdom.

The fifth common misconception about mentors is that they have to be perfect. I’m not talking about someone who lives a perfect life per se. Instead, I’m talking about treating a mentor like a vending machine who provides answers to your questions when you key in what you want.

A mentor isn’t someone whose role is to answer all of your questions and tell you what to do. Instead, a mentor is someone who can ask the right questions, provide guidance and help you discover the steps you need to take.

This is what Solomon was getting at in the Book of Proverbs:

“The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out” (Prov. 20:5).

Now that we’ve cleared up these misconceptions about mentors, let’s take a look at how you can find one.

Four steps to finding a mentor

Finding a mentor doesn’t have to be a Herculean task.

After you walk through the steps below, there’s a good chance you’ll identify several people who may be a mentor.

Before you go on this journey, hang tight.

There’s one point I’d like to stress:

Take your time.

Mentoring takes place in relationships.

Mentoring isn’t something you can force. It’s something that takes time, and you’ll need to exercise a great deal of patience and humility. This entire process is something that will happen organically over time.

Will you have meetings?

Yes.

There will be times when you meet with your mentor. But more often than not, your meetings will not be structured or occur more than once a month.

Does this have to be formal?

No.

Technically, you don’t have to approach someone and ask, “Hey, will you be my mentor?”

There’s nothing wrong at all with taking this approach, and at times, it’s a good idea. But at times, it can work out well just to ask someone to go to lunch, let them know you’ve observed them for some time, and that you’d like to learn more about how they do whatever it is you’d like to know or learn.

Mentoring is something that will naturally work out well for you and your mentor. So be prepared to let this process simmer on low—not on high like something you’re trying to boil.

Here we go!

Step 1: Figure out who (or what) you’re looking for

What are you looking for in a mentor?

There’s nothing wrong at all with having someone in your life who encourages you, challenges you and prays for you. Honestly, having many of these people in your life is a good thing.

Now, when it comes to finding a mentor, you’re not necessarily looking for a generalist. You’re in search of someone who can help you do one of two things:

Solve a problem
Grow in a specific area

In life, you will come up against different problems at different times. After reading books or seeking out advice, you may feel stuck and in need of help to overcome whatever you’re facing.

When this happens, don’t take it personally.

Remember, you’ve been created by God to be dependent upon him and in community with other people. One big part of your community is being in a relationship with people (mentors) who can speak into your life and help you to solve problems.

Do you need help in your church with a specific problem?

Having a difficult time breaking through a growth barrier?

Not sure about your next steps?

In any one of these situations, a mentor is someone who can help you figure out what you need to do.

Another common reason why someone pursues a mentor is because they’re interested in growing in a specific area of their life.

Whether it’s growing as a pastor, parent or marketer (or whatever field you work in), a mentor can help you to grow as an individual. He or she can ask questions, provide suggestions and even point you in the right direction.

What are you looking for in a mentor?

Answer this question before taking the next step.

Step 2: Be observant

Mentoring takes place in a relationship.

When you take the time to prayerfully consider the people in your life or open your eyes to potential mentors, you’ll be surprised at how many people come to mind.

As you consider the problem you need to solve or the area you need to grow in, does the Lord bring to mind anyone in particular? Write his or her name down to prayerfully consider whether they’re a potential mentor.

Step 3: Look to your denomination or network for support

Is your church affiliated with a denomination or network? If so, then there’s a good chance you’ve met a variety of peers who may be a good mentor during meetings or at other times.

Is your church non-denominational?

No sweat.

Depending upon the location of your church, look into joining a local meet up of pastors or starting one yourself to meet peers in similar situations.

Step 4: Attend conferences

Every year, there are many church conferences you can attend.

At these conferences, you have the opportunity to meet other church leaders, and I’m not talking about the speakers on stage either.

If you haven’t already, plan on attending a conference this year to recharge your batteries and network with peers. During this time, be observant to see if there’s someone you may be able to follow up with later to talk about life and ministry. You’ll be surprised at how many people may just say yes.

It’s time to find a mentor

Are you ready to find a mentor?

I hope so.

Don’t be discouraged if it takes longer than you think it should to find the right man or woman.

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a dozen times:

Mentoring is something that takes place in a relationship.

It’s organic, and it will naturally grow as you follow the steps above.

This article originally appeared here.

Hannah Anderson: What Discernment Is (and Is Not)

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

Hannah Anderson spends her days working beside her husband in rural ministry, caring for their three children, and scratching out odd moments to write. In those in-between moments, she contributes to a variety of Christian publications and is the author of All That Is Good, among other books. Hannah and her family live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

Key Questions for Hannah Anderson

– What observations have you made about women’s ministry in the U.S.?

– Talk to us about the ways we try to cope with all the information coming at us on a daily basis. How does this information overload affect our ability to discern between good and bad?

– How do most of us misunderstand discernment?

Key Quotes from Hannah Anderson

“A lot of [women’s ministry] started with traditional publishing. So that women who maybe couldn’t find a vocational route within the church could get picked up by publishers and could write books or Bible studies or do video Bible studies, and that was a way that they could facilitate and fulfill the calling God had placed on their life.”

“If ministry to women is happening primarily through publishing or social media or online presence, that means that a lot of times it’s not necessarily connected to a local church…which means there’s also not quite the same partnership, and some people would see that negatively, like there’s not accountability or guidance. But it also means that a lot of these women are out on their own and they’re left to make decisions about their ministry based on the whims of the marketplace and which way success takes them.”

“I think one thing women must have a strong sense of is if God opens up spaces online, or in the digital age, that doesn’t relieve us of our relationships in the local church. It doesn’t relieve us of serving there, it doesn’t relieve us of accountability there.”

“It’s not that this is unique to women. Men have to have this same type of commitment to local, in-real-life community. What makes it challenging, is when a woman is called to ministry and she looks around at her local infrastructure of her church she may or may not have spaces that she can move into.”

“If my book sales are dependent on convincing people to read it and to give me their hard-earned money for my writing, that’s naturally going to present some temptation to just give them what they want, not what they need.”

“Discipleship is about confronting and challenging us. It’s about putting the mirror of God’s Word in front of our face and saying ‘Yeah, maybe this area of your life needs to change.’”

“It’s not that we’re uniquely gullible or uniquely naive. It’s that we have access to more ideas, more content, more leaders, more voices, more information than anyone in history has ever had access to. And that means that we’re going to have to have wisdom to know what to listen to, which direction to go, what to take in, what to leave behind, how to discern what is really influencing us when we post, how to just clarify our own motives and how to be led by the Holy Spirit and not just be swept along by this torrent of information.”

“What discernment teaches us is not to go by labels, but to go by the goodness and character of God. When we’re practicing discernment, we’re developing the skill to know what is good and what is not good. To judge between those two things.”

“What we have to understand is that discernment is not a weapon we use against each other.”

“As a pastor, one of the last things you want to hear is a member come up to you and say ‘I believe I have the gift of discernment’ because so often that means ‘and now I’m going to tell you where you’re wrong.’”

“When you look at discernment in the Scripture, yes it is about identifying where something is going off from goodness, but it’s primarily about finding what is good and excellent.”

“The goal [of discernment] is to see goodness.”

“Am I using my insight or my clarity as a means of winning an argument or am I operating and discerning and judging as a means of healing and helping and bringing unity and peace to the body?”

“If we don’t learn to see good outside of our own tribe, we are not discerning people–no matter how much bad we think we can see.”

Mentioned in the Show:

All That Is Good
Philippians 4:8
SometimesALight.com
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook

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Did God Really “Show Up”?

By
Daniel Henderson
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

I hear the phrase often and I suppose you do too. One recent social media post featured a video clip of thunderous amplified music, computerized lights whizzing through environmental smoke, people jumping up and down frantically, and masses of glitter falling from the ceiling. The tagline: “God really showed up!”

Let’s be clear. We all want biblical and life-changing experiences of the power of God. More importantly, God wants us to have extraordinary and Christ-honoring experiences of His power. But, the “worship effects” we try to create and often tout might be a far cry from what He has promised and desires to provide.

Did God Really Show Up?

“God showed up” is one of many modern phrases that has crept into evangelical vernacular, especially in reference to the work of the Holy Spirit. In Appendix 2 of my book, Transforming Presence: How the Holy Spirit Changes Everything From the Inside Out, I identify a variety of these ideas with recommended vocabulary more consistent with New Testament teaching. Words create worlds, and when we speak of the person and power of the Holy Spirit our ideas should reflect the very words He inspired about Himself in the Scriptures.

When God Showed Up

There are many references to God showing up in the Bible. Just a few might help us understand what a moment like this looked like.

  • In Exodus 33 when Moses desired evidence of the presence of God, the Lord placed Moses in the cleft of a rock and covered him with His hand lest Moses die by seeing God’s face.
  • In 2 Chronicles 7:1-3, when the glory of God filled the Old Testament temple, the priests fell with their faces on the ground in humble worship.
  • When Isaiah saw the holiness of the Lord, he declared, “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” (Isaiah 6:5).
  • At Pentecost, the Spirit was demonstrated in supernatural power to initiate the church and miracles occurred, all centered on the preaching of the gospel and salvation of the lost (Acts 2:1-13).
  • In Revelation 1:17, the resurrected and glorified Jesus appeared to John, causing John to fall at the Lord’s feet “as though dead.”

Very often in Scripture, when God really “showed up” people were undone by their sin, fell on their faces in fear, and cared only about the glory of Christ and His gospel. They did not jump around in some kind of orchestrated, worked up religious group frenzy. (I should note that I am not against emotion. To the contrary, I wrote an entire chapter in Transforming Presence about the importance of biblical emotion.)

How God Really Did Show Up

Every true Christian would embrace the truth that God manifested Himself to mankind in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ. Yet, for some this seems like ancient history, old news—even boring compared to the sizzle we can now create with our modern worship tools. Yet, the good news of God “showing up” and truly manifesting His glory in Jesus is the centerpiece of gospel worship and the power for real transformation.

  • “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)
  • “He is the image of the invisible God.” (Colossians 1:15)
  • “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” (Colossians 1:19)
  • “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” (Colossians 2:9)

Jesus made it clear that the Father desires gospel worship “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). Jesus clarified the real purpose of the Holy Spirit, who is the source of biblical worship (Ephesians 5:18-19), when He declared, “He will glorify me” (John 16:14).

I fear that all too often we are “worshiping our worship” through our obsession with the external stimulation of our modern machinery rather than worshiping the Savior who is relevant to every culture, reaches all generations, and powerfully transcends any “worship” stimuli we can invent. As Michael Horton noted, “Vagueness about the object of our praise inevitably leads to making our own praise the object. Praise therefore becomes an end in itself, and we are caught up in our own ‘worship experience’ rather than in the God whose character and acts are the only proper focus.”[i]

How God Wants to Show Up

Today, we have developed an idea of God’s “external presence,” via manmade atmospheric effects or as some kind of “force” we summon through our singing. This idea is nowhere taught in the New Testament. At the same time, we virtually ignore God’s indwelling presence which was paid for, promised and provided by the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Christ’s finished work on the cross brought us into the power of the new covenant. His blood has forgiven and cleansed our lives, indwelling us by His Spirit, making us the temple of holy glorious worship (1 Corinthians 6:19).

The verses are far too many to note in this devotional, but here are just a few (emphasis added):

  • “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” (2 Corinthians 4:6–7 [ESV])
  • “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11 [ESV])
  • “And there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:6–7)
  • “For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13)
  • “No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.” (1 John 4:12)

Too often we conclude that God “showed up” based on technological stimulation and superficial emotion. In truth, God has shown up and does show up in the beauty of the gospel, our passion for the glory of Jesus, our experience of the indwelling power of His Spirit, our manifestation of the Spirit’s gifts, and our Spirit-empowered demonstration of biblical love.

God does not want us to look for Him in the atmosphere of a building or the stimulation of a high-tech light show. Sure, these might be useful tools in certain contexts, but we cannot let the tools trump the truth.

Rather, He wants us to celebrate His Son and live in the reality of His glory indwelling us by the gift of His Spirit. He wants to “show up” as the Spirit produces real worship in and through us. He wants to “show up” as we manifest His life via the ministry of our gifts to one another. The invisible God wants to be made visible by the love of His Spirit demonstrated in our lives. Those are true, new covenant, “show up” moments.

If we are really convicted that we need God to “show up” in this broken world, we must remember that high tech programming and super-hyped events can easily become a cheap replacement for holy living via Spirit-filled, gospel-focused lives. Our world desperately needs God to “show up” in and through Spirit-controlled saints by the power of His resurrected life and for the sake of the gospel, not just so that the “already convinced” can enjoy a good worship vibe.

This article originally appeared here.

10 Internal Signs of a Leadership Ego Problem

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

Some churches have leaders with a leadership ego problem. After all, some people are openly arrogant. Even if they don’t always recognize it, others quickly see it in them. I hope, though, that church leaders would not be among that number. On the other hand, many of us struggle privately with ego. To help you determine if that’s the case for you, here are some signs honest, vulnerable pastors have shared with me over the years:

10 Internal Signs of a Leadership Ego Problem

  1. You get jealous when others have a bigger church than you do. The jealousy’s especially acute if you believe you’re more gifted than somebody else.
  2. You don’t usually talk about it, but you want others to know how hard you work for the gospel. This desire for affirmation is often also an expression of pride.
  3. You think about subtle ways to talk about your church when it has a high attendance. Even if you never say anything, you wish you could.
  4. You don’t understand why only big church pastors get invited to speak. This issue is a systemic issue in some denominations, but our own feelings about it sometimes reveal pride.
  5. You’re always watching for opportunities to move to a more prestigious ministry. You keep your ears to the ground even when you love the current church you’re leading.
  6. You internally judge everybody when they preach or teach. Honest, helpful critique is one thing; always finding something wrong with everyone else’s efforts is another matter. It’s pride.
  7. You fight against name-dropping. Assuming you know some well-known leaders, the fact that you battle against letting others know is also evidence of pride. You fight it because it’s real.
  8. You’re fairly certain that most other people aren’t as smart as you are. You probably don’t say it that openly, but you still think it.
  9. You talk yourself out of accountability and vulnerability. You know that both are important, but primarily for people who are just losing battles. They’re not for you.
  10. You don’t spend much time in personal, private prayer. Non-praying leaders are essentially saying, “I can handle all this on my own.” That’s ego.

What other signs might you add? Where do you see yourself in this list?

This article originally appeared here.

2 Things to Remember About Living by Faith in Our Hard-Working World

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

What does living by faith mean? We live in a world that values hard work, achievement and success. Most of us have experienced the pressure to perform. Have you ever:

…practiced and practiced more to earn the starting position on the team (because you’re easily replaceable)?
…studied hard enough to land at a reputable University (because how else will you land a good job)?
…worked long hours to pursue the raise or promotion (because your family needs it)?

This is how our physical world operates—we are conditioned to work hard to achieve results. And whether consciously or not, we sometimes carry this approach into our faith, to our own detriment.

But as Martin Luther rediscovered in the 16th century, there is great news for those of us who fall back into relying on our own efforts instead of on faith. Here’s how the CSB Everyday Study Bible explains living by faith in our hard-working world:

Whenever “faith” is set beside “works” it recalls the theological conflicts that shaped the Reformation of the 16th century. To this day these conflicts largely account for the division of the western church between Roman Catholic and Protestant. Martin Luther’s rediscovery of the gospel included a recovery of the apostle Paul’s insistence that “no one will be justified in his [God’s] sight by the works of the law” (Rm 3:20). Instead, “you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast” (Eph 2:8-9).

1. Trusting Christ, not our effort, is our only hope for righteousness.

The faith that saves, Luther realized from his study of the Bible, is not mere historical faith (Lat. fides), a bare belief that what the Bible declares as true is in fact true, a faith that, according to John Calvin, merely “flits in the brain” and saves no one. Of such faith James could say: “Even the demons believe—and they shudder” (Jms 2:19).

No, the faith that saves the soul is trusting faith (Lat. fiducia), so that salvation comes by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. This trusting faith is the faith “in his [Christ’s] blood” (Rm 3:25) of which Paul spoke; faith that relies upon the death of Jesus Christ on the cross in the place of sinners. There Jesus bore the punishment of sinners upon himself so that now God promises to treat as righteous those who believe in his name.

Just as “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him for righteousness” (Rm 4:3), so now all who repent of their sins, abandon hope of being made right with God on the basis of their own good works, and trust only in the mercy of God offered in the death of Jesus Christ in their place, will be saved.

2. When we trust hard, we work hard.

Then what of good works? Have they no place in the Christian life? James anticipates and answers this question: “But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without works, and I will show you faith by my works” (Jms 2:18).

While God’s salvation is all of grace, including the faith that saves, which “is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works so that no one can boast” (Eph 2:8-9), Paul follows this assertion with a word about works: “For we are his [God’s] workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do” (Eph 2:10). So good works follow saving faith. Salvation is not gained through works but rather good works are the fruit of saving faith in Jesus Christ.

This article originally appeared here.

Disappointing Worship Services

By
Matthew Westerholm
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Disappointing Worship Services

Some of my favorite memories are times in worship when everything just works—the surroundings are inspiring, the people are welcoming and the sermon sends me out with a hope-filled outlook for my future.

But for every thrilling memory, I have 10 memories where things didn’t work quite right, and I departed from church disappointed. Perhaps the surrounding vibe didn’t reflect my preferences. Maybe the people were unfriendly. Or perhaps the sermon didn’t leave me feeling ready to conquer the world.

Many people on Sunday drive to church in dread, with a sense that church is going to disappoint. Sure enough, they drive home freshly disappointed. They wonder if a different worship service might be more fulfilling. And fear they are simply destined to be disappointed.

Recognizing Expectations

Consider disappointment like a math formula: Take your expectations for your morning, subtract what your morning was actually like, and the distance between those two is the disappointment you are feeling.

If you often feel Sunday-morning letdown, consider the expectations you have for your church. What do you expect from the environment? Do you expect it to be well-furnished and ornate with well-executed and culturally relevant music? Beware of ways that our consumer mindset pollutes our attitudes at church. The church is more like a dinner in, at home with family, than one out at an expensive restaurant.

What do you expect from the people at your church? Should they be extroverted, attentive and spiritually mature? Be careful not to use yourself as the standard you use to evaluate others. As the comedian George Carlin quipped regarding motorists, “Anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone driving faster than you is a maniac.” Expecting people to be like you is a very lonely proposition.

What do you expect for your future at the church? Do you expect your participation and gifts to be recognized? Do you expect your service and leadership to lead to greater opportunities? Beware of using a church to fulfill selfish ambition rather than going to a church where God can use you however he wills.

Resetting Expectations

I’ve often reset my own expectations with the apostle Paul’s words in Philippians 1. First, consider his disappointing surroundings. Paul encourages the believers, “What has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel” (Philippians 1:12).

Stuck in prison, Paul should be disappointed by his circumstances, but instead he encourages others. What did he expect?

Continue

3 Reasons You Should Preach Through Micah

By
Mark Livingston
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Political scandal is a daily affair. While many are prospering, there seems to be great inequality and heartache among the poor and disenfranchised. The darkness of sin seems rampant in our society, and for many, hope seems like a distant memory. Does this sound like what you may been reading, living or watching? It actually forms the backdrop to the Old Testament book of Micah. Several years ago, I had the joy of preaching this book to my congregation. What I found as I studied was that this prophet named Micah, who was so far removed from me personally, seemed to be so in tune with my world.

Above all, Micah is a book of hope. God shows himself to be a God kind enough to warn us, patient enough to plead with us, and gracious enough to redeem us. There are so many great reasons to preach this book to your congregation, but allow me to offer you three.

 

1. Micah encourages the normal and unknown pastor.

Micah begins: “The Word of the Lord that came to Micah of Moresheth (1:1).” Two questions strike me instantly, “Who is Micah?” and “Where is Moresheth?” While Micah was a common name (there are 14 Micahs in Scripture), this man is virtually unknown, and Moresheth was essentially a fork in the road. The prophet is mentioned only twice in the Bible, and even then, only nominally. Later in Jeremiah, we learn about the outcome of his ministry (Jeremiah 26:18–19). Essentially, this means you’re reading the sermons from a nobody, who was from nowhere. How is that encouraging? It helps us to see that God uses all kinds of people for his glory.

If you look at the era in which Micah preached, you find that a more well-known prophet: Isaiah. His book is full of powerful quotes (Isaiah 53) and famous stories (Isaiah 6). Isaiah was, for all we know, well-to-do. He was a prophet in the King’s court. At some point in Isaiah’s story, along comes a country boy named Micah. He’s unheard of, probably not well educated, and his message is unpopular. Though Micah is smaller on every level than his contemporary Isaiah, we learn that God used this man to bring revival.

There’s a lesson here for us pastors: Be ourselves. Regardless of where we’re from, who we are or what role we play in the kingdom, if we proclaim God’s truth then we have all the credentials we need. Micah’s strength comes from the statement, “The Word of the Lord that came to Micah (1:1)”—and that should always be our strength as well.

Pastors, have you ever felt as if you were a nobody from nowhere? Do you see the so called “famous” or “well-known” pastors and long to be in their shoes—or maybe just in the bigger church down the street? Thankfully, Micah the prophet should encourage us.

God doesn’t always use the well-known servants. It may be that a “nobody” is exactly who is needed at certain times and certain places. Some commentators have proposed that Micah was so powerful precisely because he was a nobody. He wasn’t caught up in the wealth and glamour that was so prevalent in his day. Instead, his lowly status may have helped his ministry. Be who God has called you to be and serve where God has sovereignly placed you.

2. Micah covers issues of justice, which modern-day Christians think a lot about.

When I first began preaching, I tiptoed around Old Testament books such as Micah. I sinfully and secretly feared that those minor prophets may not have much relevance for my congregation. But in the last 20 years, I’ve learned that all Scripture is extremely relevant (2 Timothy 3:16–17).

Some of Micah’s themes seem to be taken from our headlines. As your congregation wrestles with these issues, they’ll find encouragement and guidance.

For example, justice is a huge issue for Micah. He denounces those who oppress the poor (2:1–2), abuse their positions (3:1–3) and rob from the needy (6:9–11). Women and children are cherished, and the exploitation of the innocent is denounced (1:8–9).

Sending Video Prayers to Kids and Volunteers on Their Birthdays

By
Brandon Horst
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

One of the things we as pastors are uniquely positioned to do is pray for the kids and volunteers in our church.

If you think about it, other than kids’ parents, there probably are not a whole lot of adults specifically praying for kids.

And as far as your volunteers, you may be the only person intentionally praying for them on a consistent basis.

I’d never really thought about this until recently.

Over the past three years, I’ve texted little happy birthday videos to parents for them to share with their kids as well as to volunteers; I’ve even blogged about this idea.

It was a simple way to show parents, kids and volunteers I cared about them in a personalized way.

Then a few weeks ago as I was recording the videos for February, the Holy Spirit gently said, “Don’t just wish these kids and volunteers a Happy Birthday, also pray for them.”

It was one of those moments where I realized God was speaking something to me that I should have been doing all along.

I repented and then set about re-recording the videos with prayers.

Two things have been super cool about this: 1) I get to spend time asking God what He wants me to specifically pray over a kid or volunteer for the year ahead and 2) kids, parents and volunteers have shared how meaningful it is to them.

With that said, here’s the nuts and bolts of how to actually do this (if you have an Android phone or your church uses an online texting software that can schedule texts, it’s going to be about 10x easier).

Step 1: Get a birthday list of your kids and volunteers organized by date.

If you use an online church management system, this should be as simple as downloading and printing.

We use Church Community Builder and they have a report you can run for birthdays in a given month, which is what I do.

If you don’t have kids’ or volunteers’ birthdays written down anywhere, then begin by getting that information gathered.

Step 2: Ask Jesus if he has a specific word.

Before I record each happy birthday video, I’ll pause for a minute or two to ask what God wants me to pray.

Sometimes there will be something specific the Holy Spirit brings to my mind, and sometimes I’m led to pray more generally for continued maturity, thankfulness and/or blessing.

Step 3: Record the videos.

The videos we create are 20 seconds or less for the simple reason that 20 seconds is the longest I can send through my phone’s texting app.

I’ll start by wishing the kid or volunteer a happy birthday and then letting them know I want to pray over the next year.

If you have an Android phone, use the texting app Textra to record the videos.

Also include a short note with the video along the lines of: “I recorded a Happy Birthday prayer for [kid’s name].”

If your church has a group texting system they use, then copy and paste a share link from the video on your phone.

If you have an iPhone, there are two options: 1) Record and send the day of a kid’s or volunteer’s birthday or 2) choose one day out of the month to record and send all the videos, letting parents and volunteers know that your’re praying over them because they have a birthday in [blank] month.

Step 4: Schedule the videos to send (only for Android or Church Texting System).

For Android, you can also schedule the text in Textra.

For a Church Texting System, you would have to check with whoever administers it.

I normally schedule the texts to send at 7:30 a.m. if it’s a school day; otherwise, I’ll do 9:00 a.m.

iPhones do not allow texts to be scheduled.

Application: What would be the best system to think through in experimenting with this: Android, Group Church Texting, iPhone (batch send on one day)?

Share: Was this post helpful? Send it to one other person who you believe would benefit.

This article originally appeared here.

Church Management Software Relationship Status – It’s Complicated

By
Jonathan Smith
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

If you were able to post a relationship status for your church and your church management software it would probably be “It’s Complicated.” More often than not, it isn’t “In Love” or “Happily Ever After.” What is it that makes Church Management Software (ChMS) such a complex issue in churches?

A lot of the complication comes from within a church or ministry. Departments within ministries often operate as independent silos, creating tension when a ChMS solution is implemented and tries to integrate data together with procedures ministry wide. Church politics lead to churches using multiple management systems, or to constantly-changing software platforms.

Changing platforms further complicates the relationship status. An immense amount of resources must be invested in making a ChMS change. During this process, these resources are not being invested in the ministry itself but rather in the process to do ministry. This creates a real drain on ministry effectiveness in the short term (or every time you switch ChMS providers).

Another complicating factor comes from the users of the software. Users who are not well trained often want to change — not because they need to change but because they have not been trained in the capabilities of the software they currently use. This creates a vicious cycle of resource drain going from ChMS to ChMS. This cycle can only be broken by properly investing in training for staff. As staff turns over, the goal should not be to replace the ChMS with whatever the new staffer is used to, but rather to invest in training the new staffer to be successful and effective with the exiting tools.

While there is no doubt politics in churches plays a role in the complicated status between ministries and ChMS, there is also the changing ChMS landscape itself. Church software is no longer by the church for the church. ChMS has become an industry of its own. Not an industry of non-profits serving non-profits, but rather for-profits profiting from non-profits. To be clear, I’m not saying ChMS providers should give their products away. They need a business model to be able to support their users and continue investment in updates, development, and quality control.

The complication comes as the industry loses its heart for the ministries they serve. Does your ChMS provider have a heart for the lost in your town? Do they care about how their products and services affect your ability to grow the eternal Kingdom or is your ministry a sales figure?

Instead of focusing on making changes, try focusing on what your current system can do. Find a ministry partner who will help you succeed and make it your goal not to change providers. If you have to change (for whatever reason) make it your goal to make this the last change. Keep the focus on ministry, not complicating ministry with spending time on figuring out how to do ministry.

 

Jonathan Smith is the Director of Technology at Faith Ministries in Lafayette, IN. You can reach Jonathan at jsmith@faithlafayette.org and follow him on Twitter @JonathanESmith.

This article was published in MinistryTech Magazine. Subscribe for free.

It’s Official: UMC Votes for Traditional Marriage, No Gay Clergy

By
Megan Briggs
-
United Methodist Church homosexuality
Adobe Stock

In the final day of the United Methodist Church’s Special Session of the General Conference, the denomination voted to take an official stance on homosexuality. After decades of ambiguity, the UMC’s General Conference has voted to hold a traditional approach to marriage and ordaining clergy. Moving forward, the UMC will not allow same-sex weddings, nor will it ordain LGBTQ+ clergy.

“We do not want to force any church to leave the denomination,” Beth Ann Cook told a raucous crowd after the final vote was settled.

Despite the bishops’ attempt to address the elephant in the room graciously, the backlash from those opposed to the Traditional Plan made it clear that this vote will cause many churches (particularly in the U.S.) and LGBTQ+ clergy members to leave the denomination.

While most delegates from the Central Conference of the UMC, which represents churches in Africa, Europe and Asia, rejoiced over the decision, the general feeling of the delegates from the U.S. was one of dismay.

United Methodist Church Homosexuality Question Settled

A motion to substitute the One Church Plan for the Traditional Plan was defeated early in the day by a vote of 449 against and 374 in favor. Later, less than two hours before the General Conference was scheduled to adjourn, delegates voted on and passed the Traditional Plan by a vote of 438 for and 384 against.

The Judicial Council of the Church deemed several components of the Traditional Plan unconstitutional. While the day was intended to be spent making adjustments to the plan to make it constitutional, the amendments, motions and discussions brought forward by the delegates digressed into impassioned speeches for and against the Traditional Plan. According to United Methodist News, the Judicial Council will address the parts deemed unconstitutional at its next scheduled meeting April 23-25 in Evanston, Illinois.

The moderators of the discussion had a monumental job in keeping delegates on task and following the rules of conferencing. Over 35,000 people tuned in to the general conference via livestream, speaking to the gravity of the vote.

The Traditional Plan is favored by those in the church who wish to maintain a traditional view of marriage as being between one man and one woman. It also tightens restrictions on homosexuals who wish to serve as clergy members. Others that leaned toward allowing the church to perform same-sex weddings and ordaining openly homosexual clergy were in favor of the One Church Plan, which would allow individual churches to decide where they land on the issue of homosexual marriage and LGBTQ+ clergy.

Major Arguments for the One Church Plan

Those in favor of the One Church Plan, such as Reverend Thomas Berlin, admonished delegates from the Central Conference to vote for the plan because it would not require them to change their practices but it would allow churches in the U.S. to be inclusive of LGBTQ+ people. Berlin called the Traditional Plan a “virus” that would make the American church “sick.”

Several young people gathered around a microphone with delegate Shayla Jordan about halfway through the day. Jordan gave the case for the One Church Plan, saying the majority of young people in the UMC supported it. She appealed to the older generations to think about the young people who would leave the church over a decision for the Traditional Plan. Jordan said there was a petition with over 15,000 signatures of young people who support the One Church Plan.

Reverend Adam Hamilton accused the more conservative Wesleyan Covenant Association (WCA) of trying to push centrists and progressives out of the UMC. Hamilton said he was tired of hearing people say, “The Bible says it. I believe it,” without considering that some people who revere and study Scripture as much as they do interpret it differently. He also pointed out what he believes is hypocrisy in circles such as the WCA who read the passages of Paul which instruct women to keep silent, to submit, to not wear jewelry, etc. and disregard those instructions due to their cultural context, yet don’t do the same when Paul talks about same-sex acts in the New Testament.

Hamilton then made a remark about the fact that the conference spent the better part of a day discussing pensions for clergy members when the Bible speaks repeatedly about not “laying up for oneself treasures on the earth.” Delegate Emanuel Cleaver made a similar statement when he said the conference was overlooking so many more pressing issues such as lack of women in leadership and lack of representation by African Americans in the denomination. “If we’re going to get biblical, let’s get real biblical,” Cleaver said. He argued that while the Bible only mentions homosexuality a handful of times, it spends much more time addressing issues of injustice and poverty.

Pastor in South Africa Claims He Raised a Man from the Dead

By
Jessica Lea
-
Screengrab Youtube @BBMTV1

Pastor Alph Lukau, who leads Alleluia Ministries International in Johannesburg, South Africa, has claimed that he performed a miracle by restoring a man to life during a church service on February 24. Lukau is now under investigation from the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities (CRL Rights Commission).

“There are no such things as miracles. They are made up to try to get money from the hopelessness of our people,” said the CRL Rights Commission as reported by the BBC.

The police have opened a case to investigate the circumstances surrounding the “resurrection,” and at least one of the funeral companies involved is suing Lukau.

You can watch a video of the three hour long service that occurred last Sunday here. The part that concerns the alleged resurrection starts around 1:54:00, which is when the hearse arrives. A woman who appears to be a leader in the church tells Lukau that there is a family that is about to take a corpse to Zimbabwe. She says that as the hearse drove over the church door, someone saw the fingers of the corpse “beginning to move.” (It’s not clear how this would have been possible, since the “corpse” was in a covered coffin.)

Lukau steps outside to meet with the family, and a few minutes later in the video, he and people claiming to be the man’s family and landlord stand around the opened coffin, surrounded by the congregation. A woman who says she is the “dead” man’s landlord says with emotion,

“He got sick. He got sicker and sicker and then he started coughing a lot on Friday. Then we took him to the hospital. And then the doctor said cause he’s got no papers, they can’t help him, until we send him to the surgery doctor. That is where he died in my hands.” She breaks down sobbing.

A man who says he is the man’s brother tells Lukau that the body has been in the mortuary. The whole time that Lukau is speaking to the brother and landlord, the man in the coffin’s mouth and chest are moving and his eyes are open. He is clearly breathing, something Lukau seems to point out, although it’s unclear if that’s what he meant.

Holding his microphone, Lukau proclaims to the congregants, “He died since Friday!” and “He was in a mortuary.” Lukau repeats Jesus’ name several times, then asks for the man’s name, which is Eliot. Bending over the “corpse,” Lukau addresses Eliot by name, repeating it several times. He then tells the people around him to lift their hands. He hands over his microphone, places his hands on Eliot, and calls out, “Rise up!” Immediately, the man sits up with his mouth gaping as the people start to yell and cheer.

Church attendees help Eliot out of the coffin and Lukau calls out, “The coffin is empty!” A woman declares, “This is a miracle! Jesus!”

People Aren’t Buying It

According to the BBC, the funeral parlors that provided their services, such as the hearse and the coffin, have been quick to distance themselves from the “miracle” and at least one is taking legal action against Pastor Lukau.

“The funeral parlours herein were used individually and separately through various forms of misrepresentations to suit a particular outcome which at the time was unknown to the funeral parlours,” said Prince Mafu, speaking on behalf of Kings and Queens Funeral Services. The other companies involved were Kingdom Blue and Black Phoenix. All three say they were manipulated, and at least two of the companies deny ever having seen the body of the man who was supposedly dead.

People on social media, particularly Twitter, have been quick to point out other problems with the alleged miracle. For one, the “body” was sweating when the coffin was opened. One Twitter user says she used to work at a funeral parlor and that “the mouth gets stitched and sealed, the eyes get glued and there’s a special lotion for the face. That dead guy looks like he walked out a spa.” Another took a screenshot of the video and pointed out what appears to be a cell phone in the man’s pocket. In true Twitter fashion, the incident quickly became a joke, turning into the #ResurrectionChallenge.

Material Blessings: A Running Theme

Lukau has been the subject of controversy in the past, although apparently has not been investigated by the CRL Rights Commission until now.

In 2016, he held a gala for single and divorced women so they could receive prayer and find husbands. The gala cost anywhere between R450 and R5000, which is currently about $32 and $360 U.S. dollars, respectively. The next Sunday, Lukau’s church held a mass wedding for the women who attended the gala. Lukau has also claimed to heal various diseases and illnesses.

A cursory glance of Pastor Lukau’s Facebook page shows many pictures of him and many posts assuring material blessings. One post says, “Today God will break physical and spiritual barriers standing in the way of your financial miracles. Just as God remembered Hannah and Sarah, He is remembering you for great financial favour this month in Jesus name.”

Another promises, “This season, Almighty God will open one great door that will lead you to many other great doors of breakthroughs and unlimited success. The Lord God will send u a financial blessing that will write off all your debts and make u a lender to nations.” The comments on this post are full of people saying “Amen” and “I receive it in Jesus name.”

In the days that have followed this controversy, Alleluia Ministries International has said that the man was not dead when he arrived at the service, but that Lukau “completed a miracle that God had already started.”

Ten Biblical Truths on Disciplining Children

By
John Piper
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Two years ago, I must have struck a nerve with the article “Parents, Require Obedience of Your Children.” It has proved to be one of our most visited resources.

In view of that, I thought it might be helpful to go behind that article and give a deeper, wider biblical basis for rearing and disciplining children. My guess is that most of us parent by intuition and tradition. That’s not all bad. Parenting is an art, not a science. And artists do not consult manuals as they paint.

But our human intuitions and traditions should be shaped by God’s revelation. So think of this article as a short lesson about some things God has revealed in the Bible that give foundation and guidance for our parenting.

We’ll start with the very basics about disciplining children.

1. Marriage between one man and one woman for life is God’s plan for the procreation and rearing of children.

The lifelong covenant of marriage between a man and a woman is God’s original idea for the human race. It is modeled on, and rooted in, God’s eternal plan to redeem a bride for his Son—the church.

A man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)

From the beginning of creation, “God made them male and female.” “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. (Mark 10.6–9″>Mark 10:6–9)

“A man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:31–32)

2. The covenant union of marriage was the way God planned to fill the earth with human beings who would reflect his glory by their faith and creative productivity.

God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:28)

3. Children were not to be conceived outside of the covenant of marriage. For that reason—and others—sexual relations were denied to the unmarried, and adultery was forbidden to the married.

Flee from sexual fornication. (1 Corinthians 6:18)

You shall not commit adultery. (Romans 13:9)

Why Listening Is So Powerful in Small Group Ministry

By
Shawn Stoever
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Why Listening Is So Powerful in Small Group Ministry

In a world full of talking, tweeting, posting and opinionating, the power of listening may have never been more in need. People seem to have a built-in desire to be heard, and they are willing to do whatever it takes to let their thoughts and feelings be known to anyone and everyone around them. Talk, vent, explode, shout to just make sure your voice is audible above the crowd.

And then there is God. In a time when it seems His voice is so needed, in a time when we plead for Him to speak, in a time when we would love to read a blog from God Almighty himself, God is silent. Quiet. Seemingly mute. And if we are not careful, we can equate the silence with absence or apathy. But God is not gone or uncaring, He is active and engaged…just not in the way we would do it. Instead of speaking, He is listening.

  • God heard the boy (Genesis 21:17)
  • God heard their groaning (Exodus 2:24)
  • God heard them (many times in the Psalms)

And Jesus was no different; he listened over and over again. So, what if there is an example in that for us? In a world of noise, what if the real power lies in being quiet and listening. It turns out that there really is power in listening, being quiet and attentive, seeking to understand, and showing care and compassion.

Sometimes we get so busy trying to do things and fix things that we fail to slow down and listen. Mary was commended by Jesus for sitting still and listening, while Martha was admonished for belittling the power of listening and elevating her service.

Great leaders are great listeners. Emulate our Lord and Savior and spend some time listening to those around you who are hurting and lonely. Make listening a hallmark of your Community Group.

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. James 1:19 (NIV)

This article originally appeared here.

14-Point Leadership Check Up: Mistakes That Will Hurt Your Leadership

By
Dan Reiland
-
thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Take this leadership check up for yourself.

I just completed my annual physical.

Going through the process of a thorough check-up from head to toe is not much fun, but it’s a smart thing to do. My doctor is excellent and very thorough. He starts with my vital signs, does extensive bloodwork, and then checks for things that might indicate a health issue.

It’s a good idea to do the same thing as a leader. It’s best to focus on the positive things that will strengthen your leadership, but it’s also smart to check your habits against a list of things that could hurt you over the long-haul.

Leadership isn’t easy, but it’s one of the most rewarding endeavors imaginable. Leadership is more art than science, more fluid than structured, and more messy than clean. Therefore, any help we can get for a quick leadership check up is helpful.

That’s what I’ve written for you here. I could probably list 25 things, but these 14 are at the top and a good place to start.

  • Which ones are you doing well?
  • Which ones need improvement?
  • How about the leaders you coach?

You can take them through this as a developmental tool. Let them evaluate themselves, and then you ask questions that lead to offering insights and ideas to help them get better.

14-Point Leadership Check Up

(These things will hurt your leadership if you do them repeatedly over time.)

1) Thinking small

Negative thoughts, feeling hand-cuffed or unempowered, and avoiding risk are all forms of small thinking. There are so many competing agendas, voices that must be heard, and seemingly non-negotiable expectations that when mixed with limited resources and finite energy it’s easy to fall prey to small thinking.

I sometimes catch myself praying big but then leading small, that only happens when I think small. The same can be true for you. Pray big, think big, lead large.

  • In what area or circumstance are you most tempted to think small?

2) Jumping to conclusions

Fast is the new norm, and too fast can get you in trouble. There is always another side to the story. Always. Take time to get the facts. Sometimes just (literally) counting to five before you say something, or press send, can keep you out of hot water. In other situations, a few days may be required.

If someone pushes your buttons, don’t over-react. Instead, when you feel your amperage rising, intentionally power down a notch. It’s much easier to respond with wisdom when your foot is not in your mouth.

  • Do you consistently take the time to hear the other side of the story?
  • Can you resist speaking or reacting too quickly?
  • Do you find yourself interrupting others when they are talking?

3) Resisting change

You know that resisting change is a poor use of your time and energy both personally and professionally. If you don’t change, you can’t grow. And if you don’t innovate your ministries to keep up with the changes in culture, your ministry will get stuck.

  • What’s the last personal change you made and successfully adapted to?
  • What was your most recent change in how you operate a particular ministry?

4) Avoiding risk

It is possible to avoid risk, but you can’t lead and escape risk at the same time. It’s impossible to cast vision and make progress without taking some risks. It might be a big project or a tough conversation. You don’t need to take a foolish blind leap of faith, but you’ll never fully know the future; therefore, risk is required. Pray, trust God, plan and lead!

  • Is there any risk you are avoiding?
  • What is the current risk you’re taking?

5) Starting but not finishing

I’ll let you in on a little secret, not finishing what you start frustrates the people you work with and lead. Being a self-starter and taking the initiative is good, but not if you don’t finish. If you do this often enough it can start to reflect on your character.

If you have too many unfinished projects, it’s better to prioritize them and let your team know which ones you are going to kill so that you can finish the most important ones.

  • What important unfinished project do you need to finish?
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