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Iconic Church Stands to Lose Land in Border Barrier Construction

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

A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the U.S. government may survey land belonging to a church in the border city of Mission, Texas. The church says the move, which it fears may result in portions of a border wall being built on its property, is in violation of its religious freedom and “violates the sacred nature of the place.”

Siding with the government in his ruling, U.S. District Judge Randy Crane said he “can’t see that allowing a few people on to do some surveying works is a substantial burden. Certainly the government’s entitled to have some survey work done.”

The church in question, La Lomita Chapel, belongs to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brownsville, Texas, and is 170 years old. The diocese leases the land surveyors wish to have access to to the city of Mission as a park. Noting it would likely take only a few hours to complete their work, Crane ruled in the government’s favor to allow surveyors access.

However, for Bishop Daniel Flores and many other concerned church-goers, the surveying is just the first step in a process to build a border barrier on the property the church sits on.

La Lomita Isn’t the Only Property Affected

Other areas affected by the proposed wall include a butterfly refuge and the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park. These parks would be split by the wall. However, Congress has already ruled that the nearby Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge should not be affected by a wall.

A local cemetery may not be so lucky. Protestors gathered on Tuesday as equipment is being staged to begin work on a barrier. According to mrt.com, the butterfly sanctuary is threatening to sue if the government tries to take its land.

Indeed, several families are also considering their options in the Mission area. There are a lot of eminent domain cases pending once a plan is determined as far as where to build the barrier. Landowners along the border have received notices stating the government intends to declare access to their properties for the next 12 months.

However, the case of La Lomita church is a little more complicated than the cases of individual landowners. Earlier this year, four Democratic U.S. senators wrote about the potential of the church’s rights being violated by the border barrier. Addressing their concerns to Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, the senators argued “eminent domain should not be invoked in violation of any religious organization’s First Amendment right of free exercise of religion, Fifth Amendment right to just compensation for any public taking of private property, or the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.”

The Missionary History of La Lomita

The chapel has historical significance to the town of Mission. Originally built by a merchant, the chapel was given to Oblate priests in the late 1800s. Oblate missionaries, known as the “Calvary of Christ,” rode up and down the Rio Grande Valley visiting far-flung churches and performing priestly duties such as baptisms, weddings and funerals. In fact, the chapel, which predates the founding of the town, provided inspiration for the name Mission.

According to mrt.com, the border barrier project is progressing, protests or no. Construction is to begin soon on a levee upstream from La Lomita. As far as the chapel is concerned, surveying could start as early as next week or in six months, according to David Garza, the Diocese’s attorney.

So far, no mention has been made of taking any of the land surrounding the chapel, but that is on the forefront of everyone’s minds. Garza says:

If [the government] decided that they want to proceed forward and take the land then they would have specific dimensions of the land that they want to take. They would have to send an offer to take the land and at that time, if we refused, if the diocese refused, then that is when they would file the new suit to actually take it.

Those who attend the chapel hope and pray that doesn’t happen.

You’re So Depraved, You Probably Think This Church Is About You: How Total Depravity Upends Attractionalism

By
Alex Duke
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

The last time I wept during a church service I wasn’t even there. I was watching online.

One Sunday night while scrolling through Facebook, I stumbled across an invitation to a church’s live-stream. I’d often wondered, Hm, what do they do on Sundays? And so, sufficiently curious, I clicked and tuned in.

Thirty minutes later, I sat on my couch, weeping.

If this were a movie, the director would insert a *record-scratch* at this moment, and the protagonist would look into the camera and say something like, I bet you’re wondering how I got here.

Well, let me explain.

*****

This particular Sunday was Father’s Day, and a father-and-son duo preached a big-hearted sermon that exhorted dads to a higher standard.

As the service concluded, the church sought to honor several dads in the congregation who had witnessed the Lord redeem irredeemable situations. To do this, they ushered a train of families across the stage. Once they arrived center-stage, each member stopped and stared into the camera as one person—sometimes a child, sometimes a father—held up a poster-board that briefly described the background of brokenness: I was asleep at the wheel as a dad; our dad grew up in a home of abuse and divorce; I never had a spiritual conversation with my dad.

For a few lingering seconds, everyone’s eyes were riveted to the camera. Then, at precisely the right moment, the poster-board would flip around and the brokenness would yield to wholeness: I finally woke up and was baptized a few years ago; by adopting us through foster care, God has shown our dad how to be a father to the fatherless; I finally called to talk to my dad about Jesus…when he died a few months later, I know he went to heaven.

Story after story after story, this string of saints retold triumphs of God’s grace. I thought of David’s words in Psalm 30:

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

And so I sat there—on my couch, watching the service on Facebook—and I was weeping.

*****

What Pastors Need to Know About Dementia

By
Joni Wyatt
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Did you know that one in 10 people 65 years old or older have Alzheimer’s/dementia? Take a look at your congregation each Sunday, especially the aging portion of it, and consider how many of them might be struggling with this disease—usually without anyone but their direct caregivers being aware of it.

  • Pastor Tip for Navigating Dementia #1: Know the signs and symptoms of dementia/Alzheimer’s.

There will be noticeable changes in moods or behaviors, such as difficulty grooming, dressing or driving, as well as nonsensical conversation or repetition of phrases or words. Does your parishioner really know you or familiar folks around them? Listen carefully! They may never say your or others’ names, but treat everyone as friends, and you can be fooled to believe all is well.

Each person suffering from dementia requires increasingly constant and intensive care, often provided by one or more family members, who are themselves dealing with enormous pain and stress (emotional, physical, financial and spiritual), feeling helpless in the face of an invisible disease.

  • Pastor Tip for Navigating Dementia #2: Be aware of the caregiver’s actions.

Oftentimes, family and friends may be very reluctant to acknowledge what’s happening. They will do everything possible to cover/make excuses for unusual changes in their loved one.

This need is real. It’s growing. And pastors must be ready to respond to it.

The journey through dementia and the family of diseases it represents is unlike anything you could imagine unless you’ve experienced it. Alzheimer’s/dementia is a disease that affects the brain. It changes how information gets from one part of the brain to another. It affects how one views the world—it is a skewed view or not-quite-reality perception.

It begins slowly and subtly. You notice some lapses in your loved one’s cognition, but easily brush them aside, attributing them to the inevitability of advancing age. For instance, there was a time when my father was sure he saw an Australian dingo in his backyard in Kansas. Or, the time he “remembered” the frigid air of Mt. Everest as he climbed.

Kinda funny. He’s just getting older. That’s what we told ourselves.

The disease progresses. Everyday living becomes more difficult. Bills don’t get paid. The power company calls—the power is about to be turned off. That’s not Dad, he was meticulous with his money. Hm, I will have to help a bit; he’s just getting older. That’s what we told ourselves.

It continually progresses. More concerning events begin to happen. Poor choices are made. Dad put every gun he owned in the trunk of the car (to keep them safe) while driving to Minnesota. Worrisome. Why would he do that? We just need to explain to him why that’s not a good idea. He will understand. That’s what we told ourselves.

The downward spiral seems to accelerate. Dad would walk away and could disappear in an instant. He didn’t know where he was. This was truly frightening. There is something serious happening here. We knew we had to intervene.

It is extremely difficult to accept what is happening. It is extremely difficult to walk through. Every day brings new challenges. But, there are some things you can be sure of. In the midst of this difficult terrain, Jesus can so simply and beautifully remind us of His joy! Living every day with Him requires us to trust in His strength to carry us through!

“But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord; in you I take refuge…” (Ps.141:8, NIV)

You are not alone. God will be with you, especially in a time where others don’t necessarily understand what you’re dealing with.

Because, at the beginning, dementia can look perfectly “normal.” To look at someone suffering from it, especially in the early stages, you can’t distinguish the debilitating disease. They may still be well-groomed, clothed properly, and have eyes that focus and respond. Their appearance may conceal the disease lurking inside. Even after a diagnosis, it can be quite difficult to grasp the severity and gravity of the prognosis.

There is much to lament during the course of Alzheimer’s disease. The loss of memory, the decline in health, the changes in personality. But if you adjust your lenses a bit, you are able to find joy.

  • Pastor Tip for Navigating Dementia #3: Be ready to help when needed.

Connect with folks in the congregation on similar journeys and consider facilitating or establishing a support group. Have resources available to your community—and be willing to broach difficult subjects, such as power of attorney, health directives, living wills or trusts, Medicaid, and any legal ramifications of decisions.

It was hard to detect the disease in Dad. He looked “normal.” Generally, he acted “normal,” and mostly his conversations were “normal.” But to reconcile a life-threatening disease that wasn’t visible was excruciating. It “looked” like mental illness, and to anyone with pre-conceived stereotypes of mental illness, it can be a terrible blow. It’s easy to hide it and deal with the descent privately and painfully, choosing not to see or acknowledge it.

But it is infinitely better to recognize and address the disease—and remind yourself that even though how you interact with or relate to the sufferer may change, Jesus’ eternal love for them has not. Nor should yours.

The Zulu people of South Africa have a traditional greeting, given in two parts. When two people meet, they look intentionally, meaningfully into each other’s eyes:

The first person says, “Sikhona” (I am here to be seen).

Alzheimer’s says, “I desperately need you to recognize me.”

The second person replies, “Sawubona” (I see you).

Our response should be letting God empower us to say, “I recognize and will advocate on your behalf.”

  • Pastor Tip for Navigating Dementia #4: Treat Alzheimer sufferers and caregivers with utmost dignity.

No matter the current situation, this person has lived a full life and deserves to be treated accordingly. When visiting, talk of youth or earlier memories, as those often seem to be the last to go. Recognize that it’s extremely lonely and incredibly difficult for caregivers, and you must try to understand the unique stressors the situation causes.

How desperately the Alzheimer’s sufferer needs to be truly seen and the caregivers must be recognized and supported. With God’s strength and courage, you can look and genuinely “see” them as those loved by God and who we must continue to love and serve.

“Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law.” (Psalm 119:18, NIV)

Jesus can provide the conviction to see with His eyes and have the strength for what lies ahead. The Lord can help you to always “see” with your eyes and be unhindered by any physical trappings of this world or temporary suffering.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Cor. 1:3–4, CSB)

This article was excerpted from 43 Junctures with Jesus: Encouragement for Caregivers by Joni Wyatt.

Pastor Who Was Kidnapped in Myanmar Is Now Reported Dead

By
Jessica Lea
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abducted
Screengrab Youtube @GFA World

A pastor in Myanmar (formerly Burma) who was missing for two weeks has been reported dead. Five people kidnapped Pastor Tun Nu from his home at gunpoint on January 19. The kidnappers were part of a rebel army, and they abducted and killed several other people in addition to Pastor Tun.

“We are heartbroken to learn of Pastor Tun’s death, and we ask you to join us in praying for his wife, family and church at this time, that they may know God’s comfort, peace and strength,” said Dr. KP Yohannan, the founder and director of Gospel for Asia (GFA).

Gospel for Asia, founded in 1979, is dedicated to serving “the ‘least of these’ in Asia, often in places where no one else is serving, so they can experience the love of God for the first time.” Pastor Tun was a graduate of a seminary supported by GFA and was one of GFA’s field partners.

Faithful Service Amid Regional Unrest

Myanmar has been wracked by turmoil for years as it has struggled and failed to establish a stable democracy, but conflict in the region has recently escalated. The Rakhine state, where Pastor Tun served, has also become known for severe human rights violations against the Rohingya people group.

GFA says it did not receive any ransom requests after Pastor Tun’s kidnapping, although the leader of the rebel group supposedly wanted to question him. Neither local authorities nor the government were able to locate Pastor Tun in the weeks following his abduction. Notably, before Pastor Tun was reported dead, a local pastor anonymously stated that he believed there was not much hope Pastor Tun would be found. He said that no one outside the community had provided help for the search, and local people were too afraid to look.

Pastor Tun was 41 and had served in ministry for two decades. During that time, he founded multiple churches and led people to faith in Christ. GFA describes Pastor Tun as “an influential man in his community where he has been faithfully serving the Lord and ministering the love of God to families.”

In a video update about the kidnapping, Dr. Yohannan noted that this incident is the first time anything like it has occurred in the area. Besides the members of his congregation, Pastor Tun leaves behind a wife and three children. Churches supported by GFA have been caring for Pastor Tun’s family, both by taking up offerings for them and by visiting them.

It is unknown precisely what the kidnappers’ motives were, and it is unclear from reports how Pastor Tun and the other abductees were eventually discovered.

Dr. Yohannan observed that GFA tells all its workers to memorize Matthew 10, where Jesus sends out his disciples and warns them that they will face persecution: “All of the brothers and sisters on the field know that, as Jesus said, they go out as ‘sheep among wolves.’ Like Pastor Tun, they are willing to lay down their lives, if need be, to share God’s great love with those who have not yet heard the Good News.”

Church Systems: Guiding Your Church to Be More Systems Driven

By
Rich Birch
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Welcome to the unSeminary podcast. I’m so excited for today’s conversation with a genuine friend of the podcast, Lane Sebring. Lane is the executive director at OneLife Church in Tennessee and also runs a resource called The Preaching Donkey.

OneLife Church was planted in 2009 in Knoxville, Tennessee, has launched their third campus and is conceiving a fourth campus. Lane became part of OneLife when he arrived 15 months ago in 2017.

Forty-seven percent of all multisite churches don’t make it beyond three locations, but OneLife is on the verge of moving past that and working on a fourth campus; however that doesn’t happen without systems. We’re talking today with Lane about what it is he’s learning about systems development and how he’s helping to make that happen in OneLife to help the church step forward.

Guiding Your Church to Be More Systems Driven

  • Become systems dependent. When Lane arrived at OneLife, it had two campuses and was planning the third. What they found was that a lot of what they were doing was duplicating and not scaling. Because they were doing something at one campus they would just do it at another campus. But they began to feel pressure when the reality of the third campus set in. The Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast talked about the rule of three and 10, in that when you hit threeof the thing and 10 of the thing you have an exponential increase in complexity. The staff at OneLife asked what are things that needed to be done when going to three campuses or four or five? They decided to become systems dependent, not people dependent.

 

  • Make a list of everything done in the church. The OneLife staff began to compile a list of everything they did. The question asked was, “What do we do more than once in the same way?” It could be something that was done once a year or every week, but it was something that was done more than once in the same way and needed to be documented in a system. They asked across the staff, leadership team and volunteers to find out what were all the things they did, even things that were only existing in someone’s head and weren’t yet written on paper. This is not just activities, but welcoming people to the church, cleaning, setting up audio equipment, etc.

 

  • Not just duplicating, but multiplying. Once the list was made, it was prioritized based on needs. The immediate need was to make sure when they went from two campuses to three, they were not just duplicating but multiplying. They wanted to make sure the pastor at the new campus had everything he needed to hit the ground running. The way things were done at the other campuses would be on paper so he and his teams would have it to refer to and it would be simple and allow them to easily follow the system.

 

  • A system is simple. People are often afraid to hear the word “system,” but OneLife’s collection of systems is simple. For example, their generalized system for auditorium is on one page, so that any volunteer can take it and follow it for everything they need to know. It asks three questions: Who does it? When does it happen? How do we know we’re winning? From there, the page gives one-sentence job descriptions and talks about what to do and how to do it.

 

  • Focus on the campus. The central team at One Life is responsible for plans, standards, systems and resources, while the campuses are responsible for shepherding people and execution of plans and standards. So it was decided to focus on the campuses with areas such as kids’ ministry and first impressions. These parts of your church can provide a greater impact in helping people to return and so it’s important to put a lot of focus on these areas of your church.

 

  • Become a preaching ninja. Lane has been blogging for about five years now and has now released his second book. Become a Preaching Ninja: Sharpen Your Skills, Hone Your Craft, and Maximize Your Input as a Preacher was inspired when he started thinking about how there is so much emphasis in the church world on leadership, developing as a leader, and becoming a better leader. This can feel like preaching is secondary to leadership. Lane wrote this book to help people examine the areas where they can be masterful if they give it a little attention, and where God has wired them as a speaker.

This article originally appeared here.

3 Things to Do When You Are Waiting on God

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

As a church leader, your work is…interesting. And often you find yourself waiting on God.

You have feet in two different worlds:

  1. Administrative
  2. Spiritual

How you measure the effectiveness of your work in these areas couldn’t be further apart.

Think about it.

One part of your work is administrative.

You have to prepare for your worship service.

You have to organize events, arrange counseling sessions, and manage your volunteers and staff.

You also have to respond to emails, texts and calls, and make sure everything else is being taken care of.

Your administrative work is something you can measure.

You have projects to manage, deadlines to meet, and tasks to accomplish. For better or worse, with your administrative work, you can experience tangible results—the sense of checking off something from your to-do list.

But this isn’t the case at all for your spiritual work.

You preach the gospel.

You teach the Bible.

You help people to live and love like Jesus.

The spiritual side of your work isn’t like your administrative tasks. Sure, you can check off of your to-do list certain things like “Preach this Sunday,” “Meet with a church member,” or “Spend one hour praying for my community and church.”

But here’s the deal about your spiritual work:

You can’t control the results.

The more you do doesn’t necessarily result in more “accomplishments.”

You can’t force people to accept the gospel, apply a lesson from the Bible, or instantaneously live more like Jesus. In other words, the results of your spiritual work are in the hands of God—not yours.

Waiting on God to work in the life of your church can be challenging, and it’s easy to be discouraged. As you work, and work, and work with your people, you may not observe any tangible results (fruit) for months, years, or ever.

What do you do in the meantime?

There’s only one thing you can do, and that’s to wait.

Waiting on God isn’t the same thing as not doing anything.

It’s quite the opposite.

There are three core things you should do as you’re waiting on God, and I’d like to share them with you now.

#1 – Trust in God

Do you preach the gospel?

Do you teach or preach the Bible?

Do you help people work through their struggles?

Then lean in to hear these words from the Apostle Paul:

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Cor 15:58).

If you are doing God’s work, then your work is not in vain.

The work you do in your church is important in the kingdom of God.

Without someone sharing the gospel, how can anyone believe?

Without someone giving sacrificially, who will support the local church?

Without someone providing food, clothing and shelter, how will those in need be cared for?

While you wait on God, trust that he is working through you to accomplish his plans.

#2 – Continue to pray

God didn’t call you to serve his church alone.

He called you to participate in his work with him.

Practically speaking, there’s no way you can do your spiritual work without God’s strength. Serving the church without God would be like trying to drive a car without gas—it’s not going to work.

Without God’s help, you’ll experience moments of energy, positive momentum and seasons of flourishing. But eventually, you’ll get tired, hit a wall and burn out.

As a church leader, your primary problem won’t be stress—it will be a lack of strength. A lack of fuel to keep doing what you’re doing.

Your lack of strength isn’t physical, and it can’t be replenished by an extra cup of coffee or a four-pack of energy drinks.

The strength you need is spiritual. You can’t buy it online or from a convenience store. The only place—or better yet, Person—you can get spiritual strength from is God.

How do you draw strength from God?

One of the best ways to receive God’s strength is through prayer.

When you pray, you may not experience a booster shot of energy. But that’s not the point.

You’ll receive an inner strength and a renewed commitment to keep pressing on.

Here are several Bible verses about strength you can pray:

  • Nehemiah 8:10
  • Psalm 22:19
  • Psalm 28:7–8
  • Psalm 119:28
  • Isaiah 40:28–31
  • Ephesians 6:10
  • 2 Corinthians 12:9–10

#3 – Keep doing good work

There’s one thing you can’t stop doing while you’re waiting: working.

Now isn’t the time to stop preaching the gospel, sharing biblical truths, or spending time with your people. Ceasing from your work as a church leader would be like a farmer not doing two things:

  • Protecting their seeds
  • Preparing to reap a harvest.

While you wait, you have to protect the seeds you planted in the life of your people. As a church leader, you don’t labor alone. You’re up against spiritual forces. In the words of the Apostle Paul, you’re fighting “against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph 6:12).

The people in your church (members and visitors) are struggling with sin, facing temptations or simply navigating a difficult season. Neglecting your church at these crucial times can set your people up to be overtaken by whatever their facing.

Instead of sitting on your thumbs and watching the weeds grow, prepare to reap a harvest.

Continue to spend time with your people, know what’s going on in their lives, and most importantly of all, continue to share the gospel and point people to Jesus.

Working while you’re waiting isn’t probably what you want to hear.

So let me leave you with these encouraging words from Galatians 6:9:

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Waiting on God

Waiting on God isn’t easy.

If anything, waiting on God is slowly becoming a more significant challenge for people. Whether it’s streaming a video to watch, purchasing a product online, or standing in line at the grocery store, waiting for anything or anyone can be frustrating.

As you wait on God to accomplish his work, take a step back, hit the pause button, and reevaluate your expectations in light of what I just shared.

God is at work in your church.

He’s at work in your community.

And he’s working through you.

As you wait on God, remember to do these three things:

  1. Trust in God
  2. Continue to pray
  3. Keep doing good work

In time, you will enjoy the fruits of your labor.

This article originally appeared here.

Fire And Lice…In Your Church – Being Prepared for Emergencies at Church

By
Dema Kohen
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

So last Sunday in our church was a little … different.

There was smoke, bright flashing lights, and loud (read: deafening) noises.

No, it wasn’t our worship band (though a good guess). It was the fire alarm that went off just prior to second service.

In the last two years, we’ve had a few false alarms, but not this time.
The alarm was caused by smoke entering our lobby, and the source of that smoke turned out to be an air handler that we believe overheated.

What happened next?

Our security team cleared the building and insured everyone’s safety.
Our congregation exited calmly yet quickly (45 seconds to clear the entire church! That’s 800-900 people of all ages).

People were kind and understanding despite the cold. Parents were reunited with their children within 10 minutes. The fire department showed up fairly quickly and was able to blow out the smoke and verify the building was safe, allowing student ministry to meet Sunday night.

So the whole operation went smooth, but only because we were ready for it.

Throughout the entire process, both security and KidMin volunteers were very visible and appeared in total control which translated into peace and calm for the rest of the people.

Later that day, I had fun reading different parents’ Facebook posts about the morning.

 

I THINK THE COMMENT BELOW REVEALS THE “SECRET” OF WHY EVERYTHING WENT SO SMOOTHLY.

I thought I’d use this experience to share with you two key elements that helped us stay sharp and prepared.

1) Emergency Policies and Procedures. They are in our training manuals. Every new volunteer gets them and we go over them in the beginning of every school year and summer. This way everyone is in the know.

2) Classroom Cheat Sheet. See the picture below.

This IS our “secret sauce.”

We have this simple cheat sheet in every single classroom.

Policies and Procedures are great, but when emergency strikes and your brain goes into a “freeze” mode, you need something that is concise, clear, and right there!

That’s exactly what this cheat sheet is.

Putting it together—just a few bullet points per page—forced our team to really sift through all the options and lengthy sentences, eliminate everything that’s not absolutely necessary, and end up with short, laser-focused directions.

Having it in every classroom also allows us to encourage our volunteers to periodically go over different pages to make sure the plan of action is fresh in their mind. It only takes 30 seconds of their time before class to go over one of the flaps, but it’s these 30 seconds that can make a huge difference in the time of emergency.

If you would like an editable copy of our cheat sheet, it’s included in the Emergency Kit which you can download HERE.

Oh, and if you want to know how we deal with lice (because they do come to church, you know), head over HERE.

Praying for Our Children – More Than ‘Safe’

By
Erin Davis
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

I pen these words a few days after a bomber took out an 8-year-old as he waited for his dad to cross the finish line of the Boston marathon. There’s not a single day I drop my son off at preschool that I don’t think about Sandy Hook and have to fight the urge to do a U-turn in the school parking lot, bring him home, and lock all the doors. Then there are super viruses, bacterial infections and childhood cancers. It’s enough to make me want to say this desperate prayer all day, every day, “Jesus, keep my kids safe. Jesus, keep my kids safe. JESUS, PLEASE KEEP MY KIDS SAFE!”

But our kids aren’t growing up in a safe world. In fact, no child ever has.

It’s natural to want our children to be protected from harm, but lately I’ve been thinking that when we spend all our energy praying for our children to be safe, we are missing something big. We are asking God to be our children’s safety net. Is it possible that instead He wants to call them to something dangerous?

This is how Jesus taught us to pray:

“And [Jesus] said to them, ‘When you pray, say:

‘Father, hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.’” (Luke 11:2–4)

Jesus doesn’t teach us to avoid asking for needs to be met. “Daily bread” represents the essentials of life. Health and safety certainly qualify. But asking for those things wasn’t the essence of His prayer. His focus was on the Father’s will.

The words “your kingdom come” slay me when I think about praying for my children. I spend so much of my time praying for my kingdom. I am supposed to be praying for His.

With God’s kingdom in mind, is safe the most important thing for my kids to be? When I look hard at the life God calls us to as Christians, the answer is clearly no. The Christian life is not a safe life. It is a call to live counter-culturally and to willingly engage in battles that are big and costly.

Ephesians 6:12 offers this perspective:

“We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

We want our children to follow Christ, but that likely won’t lead to an easy, safe life. It means they will need to pick up their cross. It means they will need to lay down their lives. It means they will become warriors in battles against the “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” It means they won’t always be “safe.”

I have a friend who has often prayed this prayer for me:

“Jesus, make Erin and her family dangerous to the Enemy.”

Dangerous? It’s the opposite of safe. But the truth is, no matter how much we wish it wasn’t so, there is no guarantee of safety in this world. And while it may temporarily soothe our anxiety to beg the Lord to hide our kids from all threats of harm, there is a better prayer we can be praying:

“Lord, make my child dangerous to the Enemy.”

It’s a prayer that may not wrap us up in comfort like begging the Lord to keep our kids safe has a tendency to do. It is a bigger prayer with bigger implications than a safety net can ever offer. But decades from now, after I am long gone and my kids come to the end of their own lives, if I’m honest, I hope they won’t have played it safe. I hope they will have given everything they have to further God’s kingdom. I hope others will see they were a serious threat to those spiritual forces of evil. As their momma, prayer is a huge part of my job, so I’m resolved to pray for more than safety. Yes, I want them to be protected, but even more than that, I want them to be dangerous.

Will you join me in praying for God to make our kids a generation that is especially dangerous to the Enemy?

This article originally appeared here.

What the West Should Know About Churches in Africa

By
Chopo Mwanza
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A few months ago, I was talking with an American pastor who’s slowly becoming a dear friend. His church has sent and supports missions in Europe, South America and Africa. Upon hearing that I am from Africa, he wanted to hear my thoughts about missions in Africa—what his church should know about the state of the church on the continent.

The conversation prompted me to put my thoughts into writing. Two caveats are wise at this point. First, I’ll largely draw my thoughts from the Zambia, where I’m from; second, I’m speaking in general terms with the full knowledge that there are exceptions to every point that follows.

 

1. There are gospel-preaching churches in Africa.

There was a point in time when Africa was entirely unreached, no matter where you stepped. Thankfully, through the pioneering work of a legion of missionaries, the gospel has reached and spread in Africa. As a result, there are gospel-preaching churches throughout Africa today. Yes, cults proliferate, the prosperity gospel flourishes, liberal churches are growing, and animistic beliefs are ever rampant.

But that’s not the whole story. God has his people here in Africa who have not bowed their knees to Baal, those who faithfully believe and preach the true gospel. The 19th century version of paganism and total spiritual darkness is now two centuries behind us. The Lord has raised up African voices who herald his Word to the lost. He has built up solid, healthy churches in the midst of falsehood.

2. There are church-planting churches in Africa.

Furthermore, there are churches who are faithfully, sacrificially and cheerfully planting churches in places where the gospel hasn’t yet reached. These churches are passionate about missions; they send out missionaries. And while these statistics may not appear on many international missions sites, believe me, Western missionaries aren’t the only ones planting churches throughout Africa.

In some cases, these efforts are in partnership between African and Western missionaries. It’s worth noting that the majority of evangelical denominations have been here for over 100 years, and they’ve been faithfully proclaiming the gospel. Contrary to popular belief, the Lord is building his church in Africa. Yes, there’s still plenty of work to be done to reach the estimated 350 million unreached people on the continent, but it’s important to note there are churches in Africa obeying the Great Commission by planting churches.

3. The Western worldview is not equal to the biblical worldview.

In my interactions with Western missionaries, it seems that very few of them adjust well to their new culture. Because of this, most of them struggle with cross-cultural relationships and ministry. It’s not uncommon to find Western missionaries in Africa who live in a Western bubble. They’ve failed to learn the culture and develop meaningful relationships with the locals they minister to and work with.

Conversely, their African brethren will rarely be forthright with their Western counterparts. This invariably leads to all kinds of relational and ministerial problems. One unfortunate result is that Western missionaries fail to understand the culture and develop the tendency to label everything African as “evil.” At the same time, either consciously or unconsciously, these brothers and sisters brand everything Western as “biblical.”

The outcome of this misunderstanding is obvious. It’s what causes scores of ministries in the depths of Africa to look like and act as if they’re in the West. Sadly, this perpetuates and encourages the false notion that Christianity is a “white man’s religion.” However, Western missionaries who are humble enough to build transparent, diverse and healthy relationships display the power of the gospel before the watching world.

4. Western fights are not necessarily African fights.

In 2007, I met an African brother who asked me what my thoughts were on the King James Version debate. I responded by asking him if he worked with American missionaries. I was right!

It seems we that many of our American friends love a good fight and are more than eager to make a mountain out of an anthill. All you have to do is visit the blogosphere to find out what the latest fight is all about. Granted, this spirit isn’t always wrong. Some fights must be fought with vigor—no matter where you live.

However, many fights are simply contextual, and they should stay that way. It only breeds division and strife to make something an issue in a place where it’s a non-issue. Just because the “rumble in the jungle”[1] was a hit doesn’t mean every fight should be brought to Africa!

5. Mutual partnerships are healthy.

There’s a lot that the church in Africa can learn from our brethren in the West—and vice versa. Missions is God’s global work. It’s an agenda he has entrusted to the church universal. There is, therefore, great potential for healthy partnerships between churches locally and internationally, especially in church planting. We can learn a lot from the church at Philippi’s efforts to support the proclamation of the gospel (Phil. 1:5). I fear that too many of us are too happy to build little kingdoms for ourselves, such that we become sad and envious when others see God’s blessings. What better way to display God’s glory than mutual partnerships between churches from diverse backgrounds—all for the proclamation of the gospel?

CONCLUSION

Unity in diversity is beautiful and God-glorifying. However, it’s hard work. Similarly, cross-cultural ministry is both an opportunity and a challenge. But when it works, the power, wisdom and glory of God is displayed before the watching world.

Too often, we mess it up because we make ourselves and our desires the center of missions. But remember: Missions is God’s idea; it’s his work. So let us seize the opportunities that our diversity brings by joyfully, graciously and honestly working together through the challenges of cross-cultural missions.

[1] The 1974 boxing fight between Foreman and Ali held in DRC (formerly known as Zaire).

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on Chopo’s personal website.

This article originally appeared here.

The Sexual Abuse of Nuns Exists and Is Ongoing, Pope Admits

By
Jessica Lea
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In addition to its prolonged, continually unfolding scandal on the sexual abuse of minors, the Catholic Church now has another major controversy on its radar: the sexual abuse of nuns at the hands of priests. Earlier this week when answering a reporter’s question, Pope Francis spoke publicly about the situation for the first time:

It is true…there have been priests and even bishops who have done this. I think it is still going on because something does not stop just because you have become aware of it. We have been working on this for a long time.

Reports Through the Years

In July of 2018, the Associated Press released a report stating that nuns across the world have recently grown more willing to come forward with claims that priests sexually exploited them. In its report, the AP found cases of abuse in Africa, Europe, Asia and South America. The AP believes that the #MeToo movement has encouraged some nuns to break their silence. It appears the nuns coming forward are no longer willing to tolerate the church’s apathy toward the issue, despite evidence that has been around since the 1990s.

For example, a 1994 report by Sr. Maura O’Donohue focused on Africa and AIDS. Donohue found that priests there were turning to nuns in order to avoid being infected by AIDS via women who had not taken a vow of chastity. In some cases, when nuns became pregnant, the priests pressured them to have abortions. Sr. O’Donohue’s report was one of several that came out in the 1990s, and it’s unknown what the Vatican did with that information.

It is also unknown just how widespread this priestly abuse is or how long it has been going on. Around the time the AP released its information last summer, a group of nuns in Chile announced they had been abused by priests and that no one had done anything in response to that abuse.  

The Vatican did not comment last summer or explain what measures it had taken at the time to address the nuns’ allegations, although the Vatican has since launched an investigation into the nuns’ claims.

‘We Have to Do More’

On Tuesday, while not going into detail about how the Church is addressing this issue overall, Pope Francis noted that his predecessor, Pope Benedict, had been aware of it. One step Pope Benedict took was to dissolve a women’s religious order after sexual abuse became a problem there. (In his comments, Pope Francis used the words “sexual slavery” to describe that situation. The Vatican has since clarified that he was referring to manipulation and the abuse of power.)

The AP notes that multiple stories about priests abusing nuns have recently come to light and that these incidents have occurred on different continents. This suggests that this problem is hidden and widespread, rather than being something that has improved over the years.  

Said the Pope on Tuesday, “I can’t say ‘this does not happen in my house.’ It is true. Do we have to do more? Yes. Are we willing? Yes.”

Faith-Sharing Is Wrong, Say Half of Christian Millennials

By
Stephanie Martin
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Although many Christian young adults say they’re well-equipped to share their faith and are even “gifted” at it, almost half say it’s at least somewhat wrong to share personal religious beliefs with someone of another faith. That’s the finding of new research from the Barna Group titled “Reviving Evangelism.”

Two studies, conducted last May, gathered feedback from about 1,000 practicing Christians and 1,000 non-Christians or lapsed Christians. Almost all of the practicing Christians agree that “part of my faith means being a witness about Jesus” and that “the best thing that could ever happen to someone is for them to come to know Jesus.”

Among Christian Millennials (ages 20 to 34), almost three-quarters agree with the statements “when someone raises questions about faith, I know how to respond” and “I am gifted at sharing my faith with other people.” No other generational group in the study (Gen X, Boomers and Elders) feels as confident about their faith-sharing abilities.

Yet 47 percent of Christian Millennials agree “it is wrong to share one’s personal beliefs with someone of a different faith in hopes that they will one day share the same faith.” By comparison, only 27 percent of Gen Xers, 19 percent of Boomers, and 20 percent of Elders agree with that statement.

Why the Resistance to Evangelism?

Several factors are dampening Christians’ zeal for spreading the Gospel, the report notes. These include “the decline of religion in America, a spreading apathy toward spiritual matters, and a growing cultural suspicion of people of faith.”

For Millennials, a resistance to judge people plays a key role, according to Barna’s report. Forty percent of Christian Millennials agree that “if someone disagrees with you, it means that they’re judging you.” Only nine percent of Boomers feel that way.

“Cultivating deep, steady, resilient Christian conviction is difficult in a world of ‘you do you’ and ‘don’t criticize anyone’s life choices’ and emotivism, the feelings-first priority that our culture makes a way of life,” says David Kinnaman, Barna Group president. “As much as ever, evangelism isn’t just about saving the unsaved but reminding ourselves that this stuff matters, that the Bible is trustworthy, and that Jesus changes everything.”

What We Can Do

Because Christian Millennials show “enormous ambivalence” about faith-sharing, Kinnaman says, “We must persuade younger Christians that evangelism is an essential practice of following Jesus.” Accomplishing that could have a significant impact because Millennials indicate they know an average of four close friends or family members who follow a religion besides Christianity. By contrast, Boomers report knowing only one non-Christian.

A starting point for boosting people’s willingness to evangelize, Kinnaman says, is to “pass on resilient faith to Christian young people (this is also a form of evangelism), planning especially for the pivot point of the high school and college-age years.”

“The dropout problem is real, and it has a chilling effect on the overall evangelistic environment,” Kinnaman adds. “It is impossible to exactly trace the impact of lapsed Christians on non-Christians but sobering to consider the ‘de-evangelistic’ clout of those who leave the faith.”

David Fitch: How to Be a Church on Mission

By
Jason Daye
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David Fitch is the B. R. Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology at Northern Seminary Chicago, Illinois. He is also the founding pastor of Life on the Vine Christian Community, a missional church in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago. He coaches a network of church plants in the Christian and Missionary Alliance linked to Life on the Vine. He writes on the issues the local church must face in Mission including cultural engagement, leadership and theology and has lectured and presented on these topics at many seminaries, graduate schools, denominational gatherings and conferences. David and his wife, Rae Ann, have one son.

Key Questions for David Fitch

– You’ve been a church planter, pastor, and now a professor. What have you learned over the years about evangelism?

– What do you mean when you say “church on mission”? What would that kind of church look like?

Key Quotes from David Fitch

“The Presence of God…is literally from the first page to the last page of the entire Scriptures, it dominates the Scripture as the way God works in the world.”

“There was a time when I thought I had to do twenty hours of work to get a good sermon.”

“When I enter the pulpit I need to be present to what God’s doing in that congregation.”

“There’s so much pressure on pastors, especially in the way we think about church, the way we think about metrics…elder boards…and results.”

“I’m tempted to call [the emphasis the church is currently putting on impressive metrics] a cancer on what the church is to be because we end up focusing on some wrong things.”

“Instead of an institution people come to, [the church should be] a way of life cultivated in a place.”

“We make possible that presence to become visible in the lives of those who do not yet know him.”

“[When we gather at a meal] it’s not a question of whether Jesus will be there but whether he will be recognized.”

“We need to get off the idea that for anything to be a legit Christian activity we have to come to church to do it.”

Mentioned in the Show:

Northern Seminary
Peace of Christ Church in Westmont
Faithful Presence
Reta Finger’s Of Widows and Meals: Communal Meals in the Book of Acts
Seven Practices for the Church on Mission
Luke 24 – Emmaus Road
1 Corinthians 11
David on Twitter
David on Facebook

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3 Ways to Preach to Keep Attention

By
Rick Warren
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Preaching is tougher than ever these days. For one thing, we can’t assume that people come to our churches with a basic understanding of the Bible like they may have in the past.

But it’s also tougher because of all the media we interact with on a daily basis—from television to email to social media. It seems like someone is always trying to sell us something or convince us about a new idea.

Just open your email, and you’ll likely see a full selection of pitches asking you to buy anything from lunch to a new fishing pole to a vacation. Turn on the television, and the pitching from commercials continues.

Because of this, when unchurched people hear you preach, they assume you’re trying to sell them something. They believe you’re trying to sell them on religion.

That’s not your purpose, but your listeners often don’t know that.

Every week you’re preaching to people who are more skeptical than ever before.

You used to be able to turn up the volume when you had a weak point and keep people’s interest that way. But you can’t do that anymore. It won’t work.

People don’t want you to preach at them. They want you to talk to them. That’s how you keep their attention.

Here are three ways to keep people listening to your sermon:

1. Be open about your struggles and weaknesses.

Don’t try to hide the pain you’ve experienced—or are experiencing right now. Be transparent.

It’s called confessional preaching, and it can increase your credibility. Your confessions will encourage others when they’re going through tough times.

I remember one time, as I preached on anger, I told the church, “You know, it bothers me that sometimes I say the most hurtful things to the people I love the most, such as my wife and kids. Does that bother anyone else?”

Now, I could have just told people that they should be nicer to the people closest to them. I could have made it a command, but that would have immediately put my listeners on the defensive.

When you start with a confession, people will follow along because they see you as someone like them. Your confession will help your message resonate with authenticity and authority.

One key to effective communication is the ability to drop your mask and share real emotions. People will catch your heart. You don’t get this when you yell at them. You get it when your preaching allows others to see what’s going on in your life.

2. Share how you’re making progress.

People grow best through models. Several times in the New Testament, Paul tells readers, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” I used to read that and think I could never do it. It sounded egotistical.

Paul wasn’t saying he was perfect. If you have to be perfect to be a model, we wouldn’t have any models in the world. Frankly, I’d rather have people following me than following someone who isn’t honestly trying to follow Jesus. And so now, I don’t apologize for trying to be a model for others.

We need to follow Jesus’ example in incarnational preaching—where the Word becomes flesh. The way we communicate has changed. Our message isn’t validated by the text alone. It’s validated by the messenger.

Most of the people you’re preaching to aren’t asking, “Is the Bible believable?” They’re asking, “Are you believable?” They want to know whether you have any credibility, because if you don’t, they won’t listen to you even if you’re holding up a Bible as you preach.

Our message, on a weekly basis, should be something like this: “Here’s how God got me through another week.”

If you’re not ready to model your message, you’re not ready to preach it.

3. Say it in an interesting way. 

I actually work hard on preaching in an interesting manner. The Bible says, “When wise people speak, they make knowledge attractive” (Proverbs 15:2 GNT). It’s foolish to bore people with the Bible.

Too many preachers get stressed out about the idea of entertaining people as they preach. Do you know what the definition of entertainment is? Capturing and holding the attention for a period of time. Do you want your preaching to do that? Of course you do—and you shouldn’t apologize for it! Making your sermons interesting doesn’t mean you have to do a song and dance; rather, it means you help people understand that the Bible is relevant to every little detail of their lives.

To the unchurched, dull preaching is unforgivable, and there is no reason for it. Our message is too important to deliver with a take-it-or-leave-it attitude.

The problem with a boring message is that your hearers won’t just think you’re boring. They’ll think God is boring.

How do you preach in a more interesting way? It’s not about your charisma. You can learn to do it. Start with these three practices.

– Vary your delivery. Nothing is more boring than a monotone preacher who gets stuck on one speed and volume and never comes up for air. Vary the speed and volume of your preaching to make your sermons more interesting.

– Don’t make a point without a picture. People love stories. Pull them from your life. Pull them from the people in your congregation. Pull them from the news.

– Make people laugh. Humor is good for people. It makes a painful truth more palatable. It creates positive emotions like joy and happiness. By the way, you don’t have to tell jokes to be funny. The best humor is usually found in real-life stories.

Every week you get the opportunity to preach God’s Word to people. It’s an extraordinary opportunity. Keeping people engaged in your sermon is how you can get God’s Word into the lives of your listeners, and God’s Word will transform their lives.

That’s certainly worth the effort.

This article originally appeared here.

4 Signs of a Self-Centered Team Member

By
Eric Geiger
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If you have been leading for any period of time you have learned the corrosive power of selfishness on a team. Instead of being committed to the mission of the ministry or organization, a selfish team member is obsessed with his or her own agenda. Selfish team members can’t bring unbiased wisdom to a discussion because they are constantly wondering “What is in it for me?” Selfish team members constantly direct energy away from the mission because they are consumed with their own goals. What are some indicators of selfishness?

The Scripture teaches that “love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking…” [I Corinthians 13:4-5].

Many scholars believe that the phase “not self-seeking” is the lynchpin for the other characteristics. That a person who is not self-seeking will display the other attributes of love. With that view in mind, here are fours signs of selfishness:

1. Impatience

Holy initiative and ambition is not the same as impatience. The former is about the mission; the latter is about the person’s agenda. A person who is selfless is patient because the person does not think everything is about them. In the same way, a selfish person is impatient. Everything is about them, all the time, and they believe everyone should drop everything for them.

2. Meanness

A person who is selfless is kind because the person wants others to be treated well and is not consumed with being treated well. A self-seeking person is mean to others, often out of insecurity, so that he or she will be elevated.

3. Envy

A selfless person does not envy because they are humble and don’t want what others have or think they deserve what others have. Someone who is self-centered cannot stand for others to be celebrated or to be promoted. People who are filled with envy will resist the challenge to develop others because they hate the idea of others surpassing them.

4. Boastful and Rude

A selfless person is not boastful and rude because they have no need to promote themselves. Selfless team members are secure in who God has declared them to be and don’t think about themselves continually or think of themselves as better than others. But those who are boastful and rude reveal that they are motivated for themselves.

It is, of course, much easier to look for self-centeredness in others. But Plato was correct, “the first and greatest victory is to conquer yourself.” If a leader is self-centered, the team is likely to follow. Leaders—we must first look to the planks in our own eyes before inspecting the specks in others.

This article originally appeared here.

Secrets to Superstar Small Group Leaders

By
Brandon Cox
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Secrets to Superstar Small Group Leaders

Some churches raise the bar when it comes to recruiting small group leaders. You need to be a member for X amount of time, well-versed in the church’s doctrinal statement, agree to a lifestyle covenant, etc. The more qualified the leader, the stronger the group will be…or so goes conventional wisdom. But is that really true?

My friend Ron Wilbur, one of Saddleback’s small groups pastors, once told me I’d probably make a terrible small group leader. It wasn’t that he was trying to discourage me. Ron taught me something valuable when he said, “Your tendency will be to teach and answer all the questions, and you’ll kill the discussion and short-circuit the relationship-building process.” Now that I lead a small group in my home, I have to agree with Ron. If I’m not careful and intentional, I’ll be the bottleneck that holds my group back from being a healthy micro-community.

So if we’re not looking for long-term members and Bible scholars, who make the best group hosts? Most commonly, new believers in Christ, but I would expand that criteria to include anyone with these key characteristics.

The Best Hosts Are Facilitators, Not Lecturers

I’m all for one-to-many communication, and I think preaching is getting sidelined a bit too much in our modern obsession with one-on-one discipleship. But a small group isn’t the arena for a lecture; it’s a conversation in a circle of chairs where everyone asks questions and everyone speaks up. Good hosts understand the power of leaving good questions unanswered and throwing them back into the ring.

The Best Hosts Include People Far From God

Rather than seeing a small group as a holy huddle or a gathering of the frozen chosen, great hosts remind themselves and their group that we have a common mission to accomplish—including everyone in God’s family so they can encounter Christ in an atmosphere where they are accepted by friends.

The Best Hosts Are Fellow Students, Not Experts

Small group leaders who facilitate growth in their groups don’t have all the answers and don’t try to appear to have all the answers. Instead, they are fellow discoverers who participate in the group’s journey into greater knowledge and spiritual depth. How then are we to protect groups from doctrinal errors spread by well-meaning new believers? We trust the pastors, to whom the assignment of guarding the flock was given, to mentor leaders to a more thorough knowledge of biblical truth.

What to Do When a Student Leader Goes Bad

By
Doug Franklin
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Student leaders can be our greatest joy in youth ministry. Seeing them take the lead and challenge other students to reach their potential can make us want to stay in youth ministry all our lives. BUT students who lead their peers down the wrong road and become distracting leaders can break our hearts. When students go down the wrong path and work against God’s purpose, we want to get as far from them as possible. At times, we would even love to see them leave the ministry.

So, what to do when your student leader goes “bad”? (Meaning the student is influencing people in a negative manner.)

1. Run to them, not away from them.
The last thing they want is a relationship with you, but keeping them in relationship with you is the key to turning them around. Without relationship, you are lost and so are they. Meet with them, communicate with them, make it personal and caring, even if they tell you they want nothing to do with you. Stick by them; keep up the notes, texts and phone calls. Don’t let them get away.

2. Reach out to their gang.
Rogue leaders always have gangs. Show them attention, care for them, watch their games and go to their activities. Don’t be whom the rogue leader is calling you. Showing love will make the gang challenge the message of the rogue leader.

3. Be patient.
Students are a work in progress and often they are selfish and childish. They could also be acting out based on what is happening at home. Remember we are to be faithful in this season of their lives. We may not see a turn around in their school years, but God is at work and He will use your actions for His glory.

Easy Solution for Pastor With Too Much Email

By
Josh Weidmann
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I remember when email first came onto the scene. Wait, I can send this message and my friend will get it right away? It’s like writing letters, but without the lag-time!  

Fast forward to now, and there are few pastors, including myself, who don’t wrestle with how to manage email in a way that prevents it from controlling our lives.

Think about it, we can get in the rut of doing nothing but responding to hours of emails every day. It can rob us of our sermon prep time, our staff nurture time, and all around productivity. As fast as I return one email, two to three (literally) come in to replace it before I push “send”—often requiring some action on my part. Or, if they don’t “require” it, it is frequently “expected” due to the nature of being a pastor.

A few years ago I came across a website calling for a disciplined way of dealing with email. I took the challenge. The idea was simple: keep email replies to five sentences or less. Short replies are the way to keep up with the onslaught of emails we receive in a day. While some emails require many more than five sentences, the majority can be kept short-and-sweet to save time for both the sender and the receiver. I implemented this system for a while, but have since gotten away from it, only to find my previous email overwhelm quickly return, so I’m re-implementing this system into my life and encourage you to give it a try too!

I realize that sometimes short can seem impersonal and not pastoral. I try to be sensitive if the reply calls for a more personal (and longer) dialog. However, I know that if I stay in my email all day I will neglect my primary calling to be with people and to study my Bible well.

Here are some reasons I recommend short replies for most pastor emails:

1. Short emails allow you to give people the “bottom line” quickly. Most of the time people just need a quick piece of advice or an approval of some kind. To keep the momentum moving, get to the bottom line and allow you and the recipients to keep moving forward.

2. Short emails don’t feel overwhelming to read or write. When you see over 200 actionable emails in the inbox (which often happens in a week), you’ll be more able to sit and knock them out in an hour or so.

3. Short emails can help you get to “Inbox Zero” quickly. Personally, it is my goal to get a cleaned out inbox every day. That doesn’t mean that every email is replied to, but it is filed correctly (I have a “24 Hour Response” and a “25-72 Hour Response” folder that I use primarily). I strive to reply to emails I can handle in two minutes with five sentences or less, never filing them for a later reply. Click here if you need a free email verifier tool that can help you check your entire email list in bulk.

4. Short emails will keep you out of your inbox. You need to be out working on things proactively, not just responding to things reactively. If you keep the emails short, you will spend less time in your inbox and more time leading, shepherding and preparing to preach.

To uphold these ideas, you may have to free yourself from a few mental roadblocks, as I have had to do. Here are a couple of the mental roadblocks I faced when I finally accepted that “Five or Less” would be my new norm:

  • Your reply doesn’t have to match the length of the original email received. Sometimes I receive very long emails. I used to feel like my reply had to match the length of their original email. I don’t feel that way anymore. That was probably a people-pleasing expectation I put on myself. I’ve never had someone say, “Your reply was way shorter than my original email.” As long as they get what they were looking for, they are happy.
  • You can’t feel that “short” is harsh or mean. I make sure to say, “I am not trying to be terse, but efficient…” in my auto signature for “Five or Less” replies. I had to release the personal pressure to be fluffy and long for the sake of avoiding being sharp. I can be kind and quick at the same time (it is a good discipline and challenge). I was typing thousands of words of fluff just to say something I needed to say in a few sentences; this needed to stop.So here is what my email signature looks like for “Five or Less”:

Simple and to the point. Strive to keep moving and not let the urgent replace the important things in your daily life.

If you want to create a signature like this, you are welcome to link to this post or use http://five.sentenc.es

So here’s to getting out of our inboxes and using our time to lead, counsel, shepherd, sermon prep and pray for the people in our sphere of care.

This article originally appeared here.

 

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How We Fixed Our Sleepy and Unspiritual Members’ Meetings

By
Josh de Koning
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Sleepy. That’s the word that comes to mind when I used to think of members’ meetings. Now, I came by this impression honestly—having grown up in a rather typical and small Baptist church. The only members’ meetings I’d ever sat through involved tedious budget walk-throughs, informational updates from various committees, and, in the good months, the happy reception of new members. Even back then, I knew what we were trying to do was something that really should be, and could be, spiritual and God-centered and joyous—and yet, it seemed our implementation rarely lifted beyond the informational.

But about five years ago, I saw something quite different from other churches, and my expectations of a members’ meeting changed from “information about what we are doing” to “inspiration about what God has been doing and, we pray, will continue to do.”

I’ve tried to implement this shift in the church I pastor by being clear about at least these two things: what we’re trying to accomplish and how we organize our time.

WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH

As our elders prepare for a members’ meeting, we’re trying to accomplish four leadership objectives and four membership objectives—all woven together with worship and prayer.

The four leadership objectives 

1) Recognize and Anticipate God’s Work

We want to testify to the work God has done throughout the various ministries of our church. For example, we’ll talk about raising up new small group leaders, or equipping a new biblical counselor, or emboldening evangelistic efforts in a particular neighborhood.

We tell the story, and as we do so we clarify our ministry plans for the future. More than merely repeating information about activity, we want to paint a picture of future ministry so that people can see what we’re trusting God for. This will help our members participate, pray and prepare.

2) Elevate Godly Leadership

We want to use these meetings to expose our members to godly leadership, especially our elders. This is why we ask them—both vocational and non-vocational elders—to present the various agenda items.

We also want to recognize other leaders in our church, giving honor where honor is due and thanking God publicly for them.

3) Celebrate the Proclamation of God’s Word

We want to take time in each meeting to testify to the work God has done through the regular preaching of his Word. We’ll ask a brother or sister to share how they have grown through our most recent sermon series, so as to encourage the whole congregation. We’ll also give a brief overview of where our preaching is headed next. I’m always surprised how many people want to know, read ahead and do some supplemental study.

4) Address Financial Stewardship

We want finances to be a regular part of our meetings—not only for accountability and decision-making but also because finances provide a simplified snapshot of our needs, our priorities and God’s generosity. The money tells a story, and as leaders we need to tell it and help the church understand it.

The four membership objectives 

1) Affirm Our Commitments

At each meeting, an elder will read aloud our membership commitments and after each the congregation will affirm with a hearty “Amen!” It’s amazing how many productive conversations this provokes afterward with some who are just beginning to recognize the biblical truth and necessity of these commitments.

2) Fellowship With and Serve One Another

For each meeting, one of our small groups takes responsibility for providing snacks for the whole flock. We give them a budget, and they love creatively serving their brothers and sisters and using food as a springboard of fellowship.

3) Receive Members and Transfer Care

Every members’ meeting, our congregation receives new members who have attended our membership class, been baptized as believers, and met with an elder to discuss their profession of faith.

At the same time, we use these meetings to communicate with our members about those who have moved to another church. We inform people as to where brothers and sisters have moved, and the churches with which we are working to transfer their care.

4) Address Discipline and/or Crisis Care

At every members’ meeting, we discuss our Member Care List, even if no one is on it. The Member Care List includes anyone who has entered the public/congregational stage of church discipline, or is experiencing a severe crisis that requires congregational involvement. Obviously, we prefer no one to be on that list, but we discuss it every meeting as an opportunity to teach the church about church discipline and caring for one another in times of need. After all, the best time to teach about church discipline is well before you need to actually do church discipline!

HOW WE ORGANIZE OUR TIME 

So those are the objectives we seek to accomplish. But our format for doing so is organized much more around time, that is, looking at the past and looking to the future. And all of it is woven together with worship and prayer.

A typical members’ meeting might look like this:

  • Informal time of fellowship as people gather (Objective: Fellowship With and Serve One Another)
  • Gathering song
  • Welcome by senior pastor
  • Explain evening agenda
  • Receiving of new members and congregational confirmation of commitments (Objective: Receive Members and Affirm Our Commitments)
  • Worship through singing

Looking to the past – Praising God for what He has done…

  • Elder 1 – Church plants report – (Objective: Recognize God’s Work)
  • Elder 2 – Small groups and discipleship report – (Objective: Recognize God’s Work and Elevate Godly Leadership)
  • Elder 3 – Financial Report (Objective Recognize God’s Work and Address Financial Stewardship)
  • Senior Pastor – Story of Scripture at Work and Q&A (Objective: Celebrate the Proclamation of God’s Word)
  • Staff Elder – Ministry expansions and biblical counseling ministry report (Objective: Recognize God’s Work)
  • Prayer – Since we’ve been looking at the past for the first half of our meeting, it seems appropriate to thank God for his generous goodness to us in both resources and fruitfulness
  • Worship through singing

Looking to the future – Plans we are trusting God for…

  • Elder 4 – Transferring care and member care list (Objective: Transfer Care, Address Discipline and/or Crisis Care, and Anticipate God’s Work)
  • Staff Elder – Plans for core seminars (Objective: Anticipate God’s Work)
  • Elder 5 – Other important future plans (Objective: Anticipate God’s Work)
  • Q&A with senior pastor
  • Senior Pastor – Announce upcoming sermon series (Objective: Celebrate the Proclamation of God’s Word and Anticipate God’s Work)
  • Prayer – Since we’ve been looking to the future for this second half of our meeting, it seems appropriate to ask God to bless the work of our hands and grant us fruitfulness as we trust him
  • Worship through singing
  • If we have an updated member directory, we’ll hand it out as the congregation is dismissed to go back to snacks and leave for the evening (Objective: Fellowship With and Serve One Another)

That’s it, nothing fancy. But a big shift happened when we stopped asking “What do people need to know?” and started asking “By God’s grace, what do we want this church to invest in and to celebrate?”

This article originally appeared here.

February 2019 Issue

By
Chris Evans
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

 

You face daunting technological challenges to equip and resource your church with the best and most affordable media solutions in this digital age. MinistryTech Magazine provides you with insights into the best church software, social media tools, giving management tools, and worship resources to enable your church to advance the gospel of Jesus in these techy times.

 

Click Below to Read Now

MinistryTech Magazine is dedicated to providing resources and information for those who are responsible for keeping their churches updated with the best technology. If you serve as an Administrative / Executive Pastor, Business Administrator, Communications Director, or in any other church media or technology job, you’ll find must-have ministry technology resources and connections to a community of church leaders for greater Kingdom impact worldwide.

Church leaders from every denomination find ideas, encouragement, inspiration, technological resources, and support they are looking for in MinistryTech Magazine and at MinistryTech.com. Join thousands of church leaders who look to us for resources and encouragement for church tech

Basic Tech Tools For Church Marketing

By
Yvon Prehn
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thank you notes for children’s ministry volunteers

Church marketing has come a long way from being a somewhat questionable activity to a necessity in churches wanting to both reach their communities and involve their members in activities that will help them grow as followers of Jesus.

To help us do that better, following are two must-have categories of marketing I’ll be sharing to help you do a better job in 2019:

  • Useful Software Tools
  • What You Definitely Need to Know

You need the first two areas because you can have the greatest tools money can buy, but if you don’t use them wisely, you’ve wasted your money. Software tools are necessary also because of the diversity and volume of what’s needed today for effective church marketing requires above all else tools that will save time and that’s my focus for what I’m recommending.

Tools for marketing creation in the church

Buffer.com, Hootsuite.com or similar services—these services will get out your social media message on a consistent basis. So many things that come from the church are reminders, boring to produce, but if people rely on them, they are essential. Sit down with your calendar, plan, create, load them up into these systems and let them do the work until next week or month.

Snappa.com—The easiest way to create social media and online graphics ever for use in any and all church marketing efforts. Better than Canva (which is wonderful), Snappa has become my go-to program for all the images, banners, ads, social media I do. On a recent church project for some reason I didn’t understand and don’t even want to know, the person organizing it kept asking me for various versions of a ministry logo in a variety of strange size[s] and in less than [two] minutes later a new Snappa version was on its way to her. Snappa kept me from getting really irritated to feeling like I quickly conquered a challenge.

I did four short videos starting with a review of Snappa; then comparing Snappa to PicMonkey, and on creating social media verses with it; and how to do quick and easy digital sidebar ads. Check them out — they are of course free, but short and clear.

Snappa will make any marketing program easier and faster.

Animoto.com—Video is an important part of any church marketing program, and Animoto is the easiest way to create a great video collage (with text, motion, music) that I’ve ever used. It’s the quickest, easiest way to put together pictures from mission trips or to motivate people to be involved in a church program. There are lots of imitators, but after testing many of them, I always go back to Animoto. Don’t steal videos for ministry — create your own with Animoto!

 

Things you may not have thought of

 

Local networks—When many of the mammoth social networks are under fire for everything from violating privacy, to election manipulation, to mental stress, along comes www.Nextdoor.com. (Read here the latest message from the CEO — it’s a good explanation.

If you aren’t familiar with it, it is organized by local neighborhoods and neighbors ask for advice, recommendations, complain, encourage, and generally share the things neighbors share. I find I’m checking more than any other social media channel these days.

They also have a “Groups” section, where people can start an interest area. I think there are lots of possibilities there. I’ll write more in the future as I figure this out.

T-shirts—These are huge. People literally wear their heart on their sleeve with them, because t-shirts are made for every interest, affinity, team, belief, or cause. Do an online search for “t-shirts for a cause” and check out the many examples that come up for inspiration. If you do one for a mission trip, service project, something your church believes in and they are well-designed, your people will wear them and they are great conversation starters with friends outside the church.

Sponsor a community event or service project —Many sports, 5K Runs, parades, and similar events are all sponsored by businesses, local or national. They don’t do this out of the kindness of their hearts, but because they generate huge publicity and goodwill for the sponsoring organization, in addition to having the sponsor’s name on t-shirts and publicity. Find out what your church might sponsor or hold your own event for the community and be the sole sponsor.

In the midst of the fires here in California last year, a local group (Upper Ojai Relief) not only got local news coverage for the great work they did but were even on the national news. Looking at their website to pass on the information, brings up a very important closing issue:

Put someone in charge of marketing

All the above ideas may be useful, but especially when your church is involved in emergency or compassionate response, someone, in addition to communicating on all church channels, needs to be feeding stories to the media and updating social media. I am especially aware of this as we have had fires again this year. I’ve been involved a little in helping survivors and I know the Upper Ojai group is once again doing extraordinary things and they need money to continue doing their work. However, there isn’t anything about what they are currently doing on their website or social media. Because of that, I fear they are [missing] out on much-needed funding and volunteers.

I’m sure in their case and as so often happens in the church we are so busy doing ministry, we feel we don’t have time to tell people about the ministry — but if we don’t we may miss great opportunities to raise up the name of Jesus and what his people are doing in the community. To correct that you may want to get a volunteer (or volunteers) who have media background to take pictures, write short stories or press releases and update media.

We have the greatest story to tell — let’s use every marketing tool and idea available to do it!

 

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