A Guide to (un)Fruitful Ministry

March 3, 2019

“We needed that loss more than a win.” When I played high school basketball, I often heard a message like that after an unacceptable loss. The idea seemed to be that a team was prepared for future success by losing important games they should’ve won.

Somehow, the message didn’t resonate with me. I would think, “Why must we fail in order to succeed when we already know the steps that lead to failure?”

In the life of service to Christ and His church, Christians ought to find themselves asking similar questions. What is the path to fruitlessness in the Christian life? What are the known steps toward failure in ministry that we can avoid now, before we experience the tragic consequences?

Now, certainly failure and mistakes will come in the still-being-sanctified Christian experience. Nevertheless, some warning signs in Scripture are so clear as to guide us away from the initiation and realization of a life of unfruitful ministry.

One such set of warning signs is found in 2 Kings 4, through the narrative of Elisha’s servant Gehazi and his interactions with the Shunammite woman. What made Gehazi’s ministry so fruitless and graceless? How can we avoid his errors?

Fruitlessness begins with filtered expectations for grace.

“There’s not much to be done for an old lady like that!”

When Elisha asks Gehazi what gift could be given to the woman in response to her hospitality, this seems to be Gehazi’s response. Gehazi tells Elisha, “Well, she has no son, and her husband is old” (2 Kings 4:14). Gehazi looked at the woman’s family circumstances and decided she was a poor candidate for a gift from God.

Gehazi filters his expectations for grace.

Some of us wish we could bring a measure of divine judgment and slap Gehazi in the face. Others look at our own filtered expectations for grace and realize our need for a gracious slap as well.

What external circumstances in others’ lives filter your expectations for grace? Like Gehazi, do others’ family circumstances (married, single, children, etc.) somehow inform whether you expect grace to be poured out on them? Is there some other filter—IQ, education level, denominational background—that you prefer to use to gauge whether they are great candidates for the abounding grace of God?

Sadly, as we see in Gehazi, such a mentality begins the ministry of fruitlessness.

But this is not the spirit of Elisha (2 Kings 4:14-17), who longed to show the woman grace. Nor is it the spirit of the greater Elisha, Jesus. After all, it was Jesus, who still in the womb of Mary, gave joy to an old childless woman, Elizabeth, who then proclaimed her blessing on the Messiah (Luke 1:43-45).

Fruitlessness pushes away the weak as they plead for grace.

The story continues. The Shunammite woman has a boy, but then the boy dies. She hurries to find Elisha at Mount Carmel, grabs his feet and prepares to plead (2 Kings 4:27).

And then, ever-so-helpful Gehazi comes to push her away (2 Kings 4:27).

Why is Gehazi so rude in this moment of need? We don’t know for sure, but one clue may be found in the location of the woman’s plea: Mount Carmel. This mountain, a center-of-operation for Elijah (1 Kings 18) and Elisha (2 Kings 2:25) had been the site of Elijah’s (really, the LORD’s) rousing victory over Ahab and the Baals. Now, Elisha has the chance for another kind of rousing victory: ministering to an unnamed helpless woman.

It seems, though, that for Gehazi, this woman is too irrelevant, too much of a nobody, to garner the attention of the prophet of Mount Carmel. For us, the temptation could be framed like this: to see our faith, our family, or our church as too glorious of a place for ministering to the desperate.

Too often, people ask for deep and personal prayer requests at church and we get uncomfortable. Or, opportunities come to invite the weak, the desperate or the poor into our homes—and the excuses suddenly abound. And slowly, the desperate are pushed away.

But this is not the way of Elisha, who effectively pushes Gehazi away to speak to the woman (2 Kings 4:27). So too, the greater Elisha, when a woman touched his garment, stopped a driving crowd, just to show grace to a needy woman (Luke 8:43-48).

In fruitless ministry, we reap what we sow.

When helpless Gehazi is given a chance to revive the dead child (2 Kings 4:29-31), the outcome doesn’t surprise. Nothing happens.

For Gehazi, and for us, a graceless ministry leads to fruitlessness.

We may think we are setting expectations when we are instead filtering our expectations of grace. We may be attempting to exercise prudence in pushing away the helpless. In either situation, what may seem as wisdom is folly on the road to fruitlessness.

Thankfully, though, Gehazi’s fruitless ministry puts on display the great fruit of the grace-filled servant. Elisha visits the home of the dead child, prays to the LORD, and revives the boy (2 Kings 4:32-37). The greater Elisha does similarly when the unnamed woman from Nain comes weeping over her dead child (Luke 7:12-17).

The ministry that expects God’s grace and hears the cry of the weak becomes a ministry of fruitfulness. We have received such grace from our Savior. May we, unlike Gehazi, eagerly offer that grace to those around us.

This article originally appeared here.

Best Family Movies: The 6 Best Foreign Films for Family Movie Night

Max Power

March 1, 2019

The best family movies are wholesome films that family members of all ages can watch together.

I recently had a magical experience watching a subtitled foreign film with my three-year-old daughter. I was reading the subtitles aloud to her as she watched the visuals with me, and it felt like I was reading a living storybook to her.

A mere eight minutes into the film she was moved to tears by the young actors’ portrayal of a circumstance with which she clearly identified. Despite being choked up myself, I managed to read on through the film until it reached its beautiful conclusion.

“I want to watch it again!” she excitedly proclaimed and went on requesting to watch it again for days.

Many Americans cringe internally at the idea of watching a foreign-language film. A friend of mine once joked that he watched movies so that he didn’t have to read the book. So why on earth would he want to watch a movie that made him read subtitles?!

While America is producing more movies and shows for streaming than ever before, there is also a wealth of foreign-made media accessible to us via the Internet. Brave viewers undaunted by subtitles will be richly rewarded by the new worlds and cultures opened up in these best family movies.

Here are six of the best family movies I recommend to Christian families wishing to broaden their children’s horizons. Cultivating a vision and heart for mission in our kids begins by exposing them to people living in different countries and cultures. So, pop some corn, crowd onto the couch, kick your feet up, turn off the lights, and get ready for a virtual cross-cultural trip around the world.

These beautifully crafted films are more than an entertaining escape—they’re an invitation to discuss important truths with your kids about the gospel and the way it relates to people living in other cultures. We’ve divided the list into three groups: films appropriate for all ages including small children, films for young teens, and films for older teens.

Foreign Films: The Best Family Movies for All Ages

For best family movies, ’ll start with my favorite foreign film on the list (and it’s also the one that captivated my young daughter).

Children of Heaven (Iran, 1997)

Children of Heaven tells the simple story of young Ali who loses his little sister’s shoes and attempts to recover them. The film’s plot chronicles the children’s teamwork as they share a single pair of shoes, the moral dilemma they face when they find the shoes in the possession of another, and the older brother’s participation in a footrace to win the third-place prize of new sneakers. In my opinion, the brilliant child actors and thoroughly engrossing story make this a rare, perfect film.

Topics of Discussion
Parents can use Ali and his sister as models of a loving relationship between siblings. They can also discuss how the children try to help their poor father and ill mother. It may take a keen eye to catch the wonderful sign of hope at the end of the film. Talk through this and its implications for the children and their relationship with their father. An online lesson plan is also available from Portland State University.

Where to Watch
Children of Heaven is available on DVD and streaming via iTunes, Vudu, Google Play, Netflix and Amazon.

The Cave of the Yellow Dog (Mongolia, 2005)

Slice-of-life films can be some of the most compelling stories as they simply document people going about their daily lives. The pseudo-documentary The Cave of the Yellow Dog follows a young girl and her nomadic family as they care for their livestock and live in a yurt in the beautiful and remote landscape of Mongolia. The plot loosely revolves around a wild puppy the girl finds in a cave and adopts as a pet despite her father’s disapproval.

What Research Says About How Self-Centeredness Grows in Us

Eric Geiger

March 1, 2019

According to research, the more isolated you are the more self-centered you are. And the more self-centered you are, the more likely you are to live isolated. University of Chicago Professor John Cacioppo led a 10-year study on self-centeredness using a scale he called the “Chronic Self Focus Scale.” He concluded that focusing on yourself causes you to feel more isolated, which causes you to focus even more on yourself. A vicious cycle of self-centeredness and loneliness ensues. To put it plainly—a focus on ourselves grows when we are continually by ourselves.

Theologians throughout history would not be surprised by the results of the research. Augustine wrote that pride is the commencement of all sin—that all sin originates with a focus on ourselves and a desire to exalt ourselves. Pride causes us to run from community, not to community because community inevitably confronts us with our shortcomings.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote: “Sin demands to have a man by himself. It withdraws him from the community. The more isolated a person is, the more destructive will be the power of sin over him, and the more deeply he becomes involved in it, the more disastrous is his isolation. Sin wants to remain unknown. It shuns the light. In the darkness of the unexpressed it poisons the whole being of a person.”

As I reflected on Cacioppo’s conclusions, I thought about why groups in a church are so important for the spiritual health of the people in the church. If you are a church leader, you must prioritize groups in your church, so that people can more easily be in community. If you are a Christian, get in a group! Here are three reasons why:

When we are not in biblical community, there are no people to confront us about self-centeredness.

The more self-centered we are, the more senseless and stupid we are. When we are not in community with others, our foolishness grows. Community is always sanctifying, and not being in community is to invite self-centered foolishness to grow in our lives.

When we are in community, we see God working in others.

We are reminded that life is not about us, that God is doing great things in others, that there is much to learn from others. Being in community helps us take our eyes off ourselves as we grow in awe of God’s handiwork in others and as we seek to encourage and help others.

When we are in community, we are more likely to walk in humility.

Pride grows when we are isolated, and as it grows so does our distaste for community. But the reverse is also true; humility increases when we are in community. We see a bigger picture of our world, a bigger picture of God’s grace, and thus we are more likely to develop an accurate view of ourselves. As we focus on the Lord and others, humility and happiness increase.

This article on self-centeredness originally appeared here.

5 Ways to Move From Volunteer to Leader

Rusty George

March 1, 2019

Recently our church was honored with an award from a local news publication. We received the “best place to volunteer” award for the past year in our area. I was thrilled, honored, humbled and grateful.

But the more I thought about this, the more I realized the people who serve at our churches and campuses are so much more than volunteers, they are leaders. Which led me to this question: How does one move from a volunteer to a leader in whatever organization they may serve?

1. Have a purpose.

The reason so many of our volunteers enjoy their place of service is that they have a purpose for service. They see their role as being a difference maker and have found a place to thrive using their unique gifts and talents. If there is a purpose behind your work, there is a greater success than just completing a task.

2. Be prepared.

Yes, it is the motto of the Boy Scouts, but it is also what separates a volunteer from a leader. If all you do is show up and ask “What do you need me to do?” you might help, but you will miss the chance to see a vision realized. When you prepare, you are doing so expecting something great to happen as a result of your service. There is an investment to what you are about to do, rather than just the time you are about to give that day.

3. Make it better.

Leaders don’t settle for status quo. Leaders don’t walk by the trash on the floor thinking “that’s not my job.” They see every opportunity as a chance to develop a preferred reality. When you volunteer, find ways to make every area of your job better.

4. Ask questions.

Volunteers wait to be told what to do, leaders ask what to do, then they ask how they did, then they ask what they can do next—until they can begin to think like the one leading them.

5. ICNU

No, it’s not a word. It’s a sentence. “I see in you.” Once you lead and you learn, then you share. Leaders always have someone they have tapped on the shoulder and said, “I see in you the potential to do something great.” Most of us think that to lead means to do our job in such a way that we are indispensable. The reality is that leadership means to train someone up to do your job even better than you—and then give it away.

Volunteering is great, it is needed, but decide to take it to the next level with some added time and attention to detail and you’ll find the joy of servant leadership.

Good leaders + Good systems = Great results

This article originally appeared here.

Will Smith’s Son Teams Up With Church to Give Flint, MI, Clean Water

Jessica Lea

March 1, 2019

First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church of Flint, Michigan, is collaborating with actor Jaden Smith and the nonprofit Last Kilometer to provide clean water to the community through a device called the Water Box. The Water Box is essentially a glorified filtering system that can hook up to any water outlet and enable people to have drinkable water.

“It was very important to us at First Trinity and Jaden to make sure this whole process is very transparent to the community,” said Catrina Tillman, a spokesperson for the church and wife of Pastor Ezra Tillman. “We do onsite testing ourselves with handheld devices and we also send out water samples to an outside lab source that isn’t affiliated with Flint at all.”

Anyone who has followed the water crisis in Flint will understand how important transparency would be to residents and why many might not yet be ready to go back to drinking water provided by the city.

In an article giving a timeline of Flint’s water crisis, CNN reports that serious economic decline in Flint led to the state taking over the city’s finances in 2011. In 2014, officials decided to switch to the Flint River for the city’s water supply and did not add an anti-corrosion agent that a 2011 study found to be necessary to make the water safe to drink.

Over the next months, disaster ensued as residents noticed their water looked, tasted and smelled bad and there was evidence of lead and bacteria in it. There was also evidence of high levels of lead in children and that children were developing diseases due to drinking the water. Officials initially ignored or downplayed the problem. When they finally changed their tune and stopped using the Flint River for the city’s water in October of 2015, the lead pipes conveying the water were already damaged and lead continued to contaminate the water supply.

The aftermath of Flint’s public health crisis has included criminal charges against multiple officials, class action lawsuits, and the need for federal aid. As part of a state and federal government aid package, for a while citizens of Flint could pick up free bottled water at various distribution points throughout the city.

The demand for bottled water was so high that First Trinity also started distributing bottled water to the community, relying on donations from people all over the country. In April of 2018, the state announced it was going to stop handing out free water because the lead levels had been low enough for two years that the water was safe to drink. But citizens’ trust of their water supply and their government has been significantly damaged. It’s also worth noting that the state is still in the process of excavating and replacing the city’s pipes.

Helping Meet the Need

When the state stopped giving out water in 2018, First Trinity continued to provide it, expanding their hours to attempt to meet the city’s need. But while the members have handed out more than 5 million bottles of water over the past three years, the donations are not coming in like they used to. Enter the Water Box.

The Water Box can fill up to 10 gallons of water per minute. Four filters remove heavy metals and sediments, as well as any organisms that might be in the water. The Water Box is portable and can be hooked up to any water outlet so that whatever the condition of their water, people can use the device to have water that is safe to drink.

The church is mindful of the trust that has been broken and has promised to be as transparent as possible as it provides this resource. Not only are the members doing onsite testing and sending the samples to a lab outside of Flint but they will also post the results online so the public can see them.

The Water Boxes are not yet available, but are coming “in the very near future.” In the meantime, First Trinity will continue to pass out free water bottles for as long as possible. Tillman says, “This is such a blessing for us. We have always said here at First Trinity in a crisis you can still see Christ.”

Report Finds Hybels’ Accusers Credible, Elder Board Faulty, Church Faithful

Stephanie Martin

March 1, 2019

After a tumultuous year for Willow Creek Community Church that included the resignation of founding pastor Bill Hybels, an independent group has wrapped up its investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against him. Calling the allegations “credible,” a 17-page report recommends counseling for Hybels and an examination of several church policies.

On February 28, the church’s new elder board released findings from the Independent Advisory Group (IAG), a four-member panel with no connections to the church based in South Barrington, Illinois. Among the dozen conclusions is a statement that Hybels “verbally and emotionally intimidated both female and male employees.”

The credibility of the allegations, the IAG notes, is based on “the collective testimony and context of the allegations” and “would have been sufficient for Willow Creek Community Church to initiate disciplinary action if Bill Hybels had continued as pastor of the church.” The IAG, which has no legal authority, recommends that Willow Creek take no further action against Hybels because he is retired, giving the church no further “disciplinary jurisdiction or authority.”

Willow Creek’s Leaders Fell Short, Report Concludes

In April 2018, Hybels resigned ahead of schedule from the eight-campus megachurch he founded near Chicago in 1975. He cited “harmful accusations” and denied any wrongdoing. Willow Creek’s leaders initially defended the pastor, and accusers continued stepping forward. That led to the resignations of numerous other church leaders, as well as the elder board.

Willow Creek’s boards “were unable to provide effective oversight” of Hybels “over multiple decades,” according to the report. As the sexual misconduct scandal grew, it says, “church leadership was not prepared to handle the cascading events.”

Board members “expressed difficulty in holding Bill Hybels accountable,” the report states, but the IAG indicates it received reports that the pastor moderated his “abrupt, abrasive and dismissive approach to managing staff.”

The IAG report, funded by an anonymous donor, notes that while Hybels’ “power, influence and management style” led to the ministry’s growth and global impact, it also “caused dysfunction” in the abilities of the church and the Willow Creek Association Board (now the Global Leadership Network) to “consistently implement policies, manage personnel and handle an unexpected crisis.”

The IAG’s four members, who weren’t paid for their time or work, included Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals in Washington D.C.; Margaret Diddams, provost of Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois; Jo Anne Lyon, general superintendent emerita of The Wesleyan Church, Indianapolis; and Gary Walter, past president of the Evangelical Covenant Church in Chicago. They note their report is intended as a “summary of recurring themes,” not as a complete account of the extensive interviews they conducted.

The members indicate that “corporate culture issues were primarily related to the presence and leadership” of Hybels and “are not necessarily pervasive in the future of the church and association.” Although “mistakes and sins should not be denied or forgotten,” says the report, “neither should God’s blessing and the faithfulness of God’s people.”

Recommendations Include Counseling, Victim Hotline

The IAG, which convened last August, recommends that Willow Creek “design and make available a reconciliation process to provide hope and healing for broken relationships.” It also suggests the church “provide financial assistance for counseling” for people who were “directly harmed by their interactions with Bill Hybels.” Another suggestion is a “third-party off-site hotline to report misconduct,” as well as ongoing follow-up by elders into any reports that are made.

The IAG recommends that Hybels “independently seek counsel for addressing the issues raised” in the report. He also should return “any possible financial resources (apart from personal retirement benefits or income)” received after his retirement agreement with the church ends next year.

Willow Creek, the report notes, should continue its efforts to support women in leadership. The church also should establish written guidelines about appropriate conduct, biblical processes for dealing with “perceived and real sins,” and “biblical discipline and restoration of church leaders.”

Should Religious Belief Inform the Public Square

Russell Moore

February 28, 2019

In a New York Times op-ed, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo defended his support for a new state law removing the most basic restrictions on late-term abortions because, though he is a Roman Catholic, his religion “cannot demand favoritism as I execute my public duties.” Cuomo writes: “My Roman Catholic values are my personal values. The decisions I choose to make in my life, or in counseling my daughters, are based on my personal moral and religious beliefs.” Citing the First Amendment’s separation of church from state, Cuomo asserts that the country “cannot function if religious beliefs are dictating policy to elected officials,” and that only by “separating constitutional duties from religious beliefs can we have a country that allows all people the ability to pursue their own theological and moral principles in a nation true to its founding premise of religious freedom.” Setting aside the question of abortion for a moment, is Gov. Cuomo right, that we should separate religious conviction from questions of public policy?

Should Religious Belief Inform the Public Square

SPHERES OF RESPONSIBILITY

The reason I ask this apart from the context of abortion (though I’ll get to that) is because Cuomo’s basic structure appears often these days, on issues ranging from abortion and marriage, from some on the left, to racial justice and compassion for immigrants and refugees, from some on the right. In a Christian context, when a person speaks of the image of God and the formation by God of persons as persons within the womb, some will say, “Don’t impose your religion on me.” And, if one speaks of the Bible’s witness to care about the vulnerable, the imperiled, the stranger, the orphan and the widow, some will say, “That applies to individuals but not the government.” Some have even tried to appeal to an uninformed view of Martin Luther’s concept of “two kingdoms” to act as though questions such as the personal character of leaders or the treatment of migrant children apply only to the church but not at all to the state. Apart from the specifics of policy, what are we to make of this?

On the one hand, those who make such claims are right, in a sense. The spheres of responsibility of the church and the state are quite distinct in the Bible. The state has the power of the sword, to punish civil evildoers (Rom. 13:1-7), while the church does not (Matt. 26:51-56). Jesus gives the church, but not to the state, the mandate to discipline Christians in matters of doctrine and practice (1 Cor. 5:1-13). The American project of statecraft, with some notable errors now and then, has attempted to recognize these different spheres of responsibility. One cannot settle a question of public policy in a state made up of both believers and unbelievers with, “But the Bible says,” or the Koran, or the I-Ching or the teachings of Dalai Lama. That’s a theocracy, and it is not just un-American but, more importantly, counter-Christian.

But in most of these debates, whatever the framing of politicians and their apologists, that’s not at question. The debate is not over whether church and state should be separate, nor is it over whether personal religious beliefs should settle any argument in the public square.

No one has suggested that abortion should be limited or outlawed simply because Psalm 139 says so. Nor has anyone contended that policies mistreating migrant families should be undone simply because Leviticus and Deuteronomy or James say so. The question is whether both a person’s religious beliefs and public responsibilities both have moral components, requiring consciences that are accountable to something, or Someone, more than just one’s power.

Think of this is terms of your job. Say you are a financial planner. Does the Bible tell you what your fees should be, or how much you should be investing your client’s money in mutual funds as opposed to elsewhere? No. If your church tells you where you should be investing, has your church overstepped its bounds? To say the least. But is it a violation of the separation of your church from your business if you learned through your church how to have honesty and to work hard for your employers (1 Thess. 4:11), to see your clients as those worthy of fair treatment and respect (Lk. 3:12-14).

Suppose your firm asks that you launder funds and extort money from clients? Could you say, “Well, that’s my life in my job, not my life as a Christian and a member of the church”? No. You should have a conscience shaped by God’s command that you must not steal. If your church discovers that you are a thief, they should discipline you. That doesn’t mean the church is now in the financial planning industry. When you go before a judge, he or she won’t quote the Decalogue, but will appeal instead to human law, which agrees with the Bible on that point, and which is rooted in the “law written on the heart” (Rom. 2:15). The law doesn’t have an interest in whether you are forgiven by God for your covetousness; they have no access to that spiritual realm. But they have an interest in your not defrauding others.

Likewise, a church cannot and should not set up the bus routes or the driver pay schedule for the public school system. But if the church is in a neighborhood where bus-drivers show up for work drunk and run over innocent children, the church should call such evil what it is. And those who are disciples of Christ would have a responsibility to have consciences awake enough to see their duties as public officials to protect the innocent. Such is not theocracy.

RELIGION IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE

On the issues of abortion and infanticide, those who approach the issue as Catholics or evangelicals or Orthodox Jews or Muslims or what have you are not asking to have their views imposed on the state. They are pointing to the public responsibilities of the state to protect the innocent, and they are saying that they are concerned about these matters not just as citizens but also as citizens shaped by convictions rooted in sources deeper than the state. A woman might well be especially motivated, as the widow of a cancer victim, to speak out on behalf of cancer funding. That doesn’t mean she is imposing her family history on everyone else. It means she is advocating for something that is in everyone’s interest; her family history explains why she cares so strongly about it.

The Bible doesn’t tell us whether the best politically wise approach to abortion is to start with a pain-capable bill or with a partial-birth abortion ban. But the Bible does tell us why we should not be complicit in rendering vulnerable innocent children non-persons based on their lack of power. Likewise, the Bible doesn’t tell us what the number of immigrants ought to be in any given year, what border technologies should be used, or what the restitution measures ought to be for those who’ve broken the law, but the Bible does tell us how we are to think of immigrants themselves. That means mistreatment of people, and that racist blood-and-soil nativism, as we see around the world and all over the Internet, is not just.
We carry out our callings in separate spheres. My calling as father is different from my calling as disciple. I can’t ground you for disobeying me (unless you’re my son reading this). My calling as citizen is different from my calling as church member (I don’t care if my pastor understands how to deal with regime change in Syria). But, as a Christian, though I don’t confuse any of these spheres, I am accountable for whether I acted justly or wickedly in any of them. And so are you.

There are two kingdoms, yes. But there’s one Lord.

This article originally appeared here.

Practice the Pause

Chelsea Crockett

February 28, 2019

“When in doubt, pause.

When angry, pause.

When tired, pause.

When stressed, pause.

And when you pause, pray.”

Practice the Pause

I saw this short quote when I was scrolling through Instagram the other day. I almost scrolled passed it, but then the caption stuck out at me: “practice the pause.”

Practicing the pause is something I often forget to do. I react too quick, I jump to conclusions, I panic before knowledge of the whole situation… Any of these sound familiar?

Practicing the pause makes a world of a difference. It allows us to take the time to stay calm, relax and talk to God. When we do this, we truly live out Psalm 46:10, which is, “Be still and know that I am God.”

When in doubt, pause. When we begin to lose faith, immediately get into communication with God. Pray for reassurance, pray for peace, pray for security…and all of these things will come to you. God never wants us to doubt his power over our lives. He has a perfect plan that is always for our good, whether we believe it at the time or not.

When angry, pause. This one is probably the most important. When we’re angry, it’s easy for us to quickly react without thinking. Take a deep breath, stop and give yourself a chance to calm down. We should never react or make spur of the moment decisions when we’re mad. We should be clear-headed, calm and controlled when we deal with tough situations or people.

When tired, pause. Let’s face it, we all get a little tired sometimes and could use a couple pauses throughout our day. Take a break from what you’re doing and spend a few minutes with God when you’re feeling overwhelmed, worn out or beaten down. These few minutes with him can make the world of a difference.

When stressed, pause. If you let stress and anxiety take over your thoughts, it can fully consume you. When I become stressed or worried, I pause and immediately start counting my blessings. You can even write them down in a journal or in the notes section of your phone. This always helps change my mind from thoughts of worry to thoughts of praise.

Matthew 11:28-30 says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

In the midst of life’s pauses, remember this verse. God promises that if you come to him, you will find rest no matter the circumstances you’re in. What an amazing feeling of comfort he can provide us with through a simple passage!

Rest in God today and take advantage of your pauses. They will change the way you deal with doubt, anger, stress and so much more!

This article originally appeared here.

Senior Adults…The Next Generation Needs You

Dale Hudson

February 28, 2019

When we think about senior adults who attend church, here are a few things to remember. These are general statements, but you will find them true in many churches and I’m sure you can resonate with them.

Senior adults who attend church are faithful. You can count on them being consistent.

Senior adults normally love the music style they grew up with in church.

Senior adults are more conservative than younger generations.

Senior adults give consistently. Their tithes are usually a big part of a church budget.

Senior adults know their Bible. They have decades of reading and studying the Word of God.

Senior adults bring wisdom and discernment to the table. This comes from simply doing life and learning along the way.

Senior adults are often the spiritual leaders in their family.

Senior adults can bring so much to the table. It’s important to listen to them and love them.

A healthy family is comprised of all generations. Babies. Children. Pre-teens. Middle-schoolers. High-schoolers. Young adults. Parents. Grandparents.

And so a healthy children’s ministry is made up of all these generations as well.

That being said, when you get family together, you will have different tastes of music, different ways of doing church, different ideas, philosophies and different values.

Senior adults have two choices. They can try to preserve the way they have always done church and are comfortable with. Or they can set aside their preferences so they can more effectively pass on the baton of faith to the generations coming behind them.

I have seen this lived out. One of the churches I served at was growing and thriving. I found out one of the big reasons why. Several years ago, they had come to the point where they realized they needed to transition the church to a more modern, relevant format. It was a critical time when the senior adults had to decide if they were going to preserve the past or move forward. Were they going to set aside some of their preferences so the next generation would feel connected?

Soon after, the chairman of the church elder board was sitting on the front row in the worship service. The music was loud and it wasn’t his style of music. As he was looking around, especially at his grandchildren, he whispered to the pastor, “This is not my style of music and it is loud to me. But I’m looking over at my kids and grandkids and they are engaged and are worshiping. I’m going to lay aside my preferences so I can effectively pass the baton to them.”

If you are reading this and you are a senior adult, turn and look behind you. The next generation needs you to speak into their lives and invest in them spiritually. They are counting on you to pass them the faith baton.

If you are a younger generation, honor the senior adults in your church. Cherish their faithfulness and wisdom. Learn from them. And reach across the aisle and help them see why change is a key part of a successful faith baton hand-off.

If you are a senior adult, are you willing to set aside some of your preferences so your church can see the faith continue to thrive in the years to come? Will you leave a legacy for the generations behind you?

This article originally appeared here.

How to Create a Youth Ministry Scorecard

Scott Talley

February 28, 2019

How to Create a Youth Ministry Scorecard

Student ministry changes lives forever.

After serving in student ministry for the last 14+ years, I can confidently say that student ministry has drastically changed. From the way students interact and engage with their understanding of spiritual matters, it is different.

Students’ mindsets have evolved with our culture. The time of students coming to a Youth Pastor’s office during the week has passed. Events, programs and coming to hang in the church with the Youth Pastor no longer attract or grow ministries.

What grows a student ministry? A Student Pastor who is real, relational and willing to leave the office to hang out with students. Students want pastors in their world.

Over the past few years, I have studied some churches in America—various churches that vary in size, culture and location. There was a common theme throughout my research. While many churches have a clear vision and mission, not many of them actually track or measure their progress.

INTRODUCING THE YOUTH MINISTRY SCORECARD.

What is a scorecard? A student ministry scorecard focuses on the precise development of a vision, mission and quantifiable objectives to track progress against those goals. The scorecard focuses on ways to move the ministry toward the vision and mission while maintaining the operational and relational health.

After talking with the staff at my church and volunteers within the student ministry in 2015, we realized we needed a new approach focused on quality. This led to Elevate’s student ministry scorecard.

After talking with different pastors and leaders, I came across a book called MAKE IT LAST by Jeff Lovingood. Lovingood created a scorecard with five different categories, or groups. We used the same structure:

Coming to worship – reaching students to come worship, whether churched or unchurched.
Connect in fellowship – focusing on developing Titus 2 relationships and having events for students to grow together.
Grow in discipleship – helping students own their faith and also begin to disciple peers.
Serve others in ministry – having students take ownership of their faith, but also to start serving others around them.
Go reach the world – helping students to become missionaries where they live currently and where they go daily.

NOW, WHAT?

Creating a scorecard for Elevate was uncharted territory that presented its challenges. However, it was a project worth investing in because we now have a standard tool among church leaders and volunteers, as well as something students and parents can embrace. I highly recommend every Youth Pastor take time to consider how they are communicating their ministry strategy and measuring performance against those objectives.

This article originally appeared here.

The Southern Baptist Convention’s Major Problem

Wade Burleson

February 28, 2019

In 1840, five years before the creation of the Southern Baptist Convention, Baptists from across America met in New York City and listened to an Address to Southern Baptists by Elon Galusha, a lawyer by education and a Baptist minister by vocation.

Mr. Galusha appealed to the Baptist ministers of the American South to give up the institution of slavery. The Southerners who listened to Mr. Galusha would five years later break away from the loose association of American Baptists called The Triennial Convention and form the Southern Baptist Convention (1845).

It’s obvious Southern Baptists didn’t accept what Mr. Galusha said in his address by their reaction to it. Here are the highlights of Galusha’s appeal given to Southern Baptists on Saturday, April 18, 1840, at the McDougal Street Baptist House of Worship in New York City:

“It is our firm conviction that the whole system of American slavery, in theory and practice, is a violation of the instincts of nature—a perversion of the first principles of justice—and a positive transgression of the revealed will of God.”

“We believe that God only has the right to take away the health, the wife, the children or the life of men guilty of no social crime. When man, single or associated, uses his power for such ends through slavery of another, he appears to us to arrogate to himself the prerogative of the Almighty, and to assume a responsibility under which an archangel would stagger.”

“We behold, in all Scriptures, a virtual and total condemnation of American slavery.”

“American Calvinistic Baptists have been hitherto regarded by the Christian world as responsible for the sins of Baptist Slaveholders, and the sufferings of one hundred thousand slaves.”

“And if we fail, as many do, to testify our abhorrence of a system that allows a fellow-Christian to sell his brother, or his brother’s wife or child, or to dissolve the marriage tie at pleasure, we see not how to escape the merited contempt of mankind, the reproaches of conscience, or the displeasure of God.”

“Finally—if you should (which Heaven avert!) remain deaf to the voice of warning and entreaty—If you still cling to the power-maintained privilege of living on unpaid toil, and of claiming as property the image of God, which Jesus bought with His precious blood—we solemnly declare, as we fear the Lord, that we cannot and we dare not recognize you as consistent brethren in Christ.

“We deplore your condition; we pray for your deliverance.”

Five years later in Augusta, Georgia, Southern Baptists dissolved their alliance with Baptists who held to Mr. Galusha’s convictions about slavery and formed the Southern Baptist Convention, a Convention which supported their pastors, missionaries and leaders being slave-holders and deemed the institution of slavery as “God-ordained.”

America fought a Civil War from 1861-1865. The North and the South fought, often brother against brother, for the future of the Union called the United States of America.

After the South lost, Northern Baptists sought to reconcile with their Southern Baptist brothers. In May of 1888, 23 years after the end of the Civil War, the Southern Baptist Convention held its annual meeting in Richmond, Virginia. A few days later, Northern Baptists chose to meet in Washington, D.C., just outside Richmond, in order to “perfect a more perfect union” with the “brethren from the South.” In other words, Northern Baptists wanted to reunite with Southern Baptists.

The union attempt utterly failed, with great satisfaction of leading ministers of the Southern Baptist Convention. Six months later, in November 1888, the Baptist Congress met at Richmond, Virginia, to take another step toward reconciliation of all Baptists in America. Even though it was the Southern Baptists who broke from Northern Baptists over the issue of slavery, the Northern Baptists continually sought reconciliation “like our Lord did, the aggrieved going to the offender.”

This final attempt at Baptist union was met with “stern rebuff at the hands of Southern brethren.” What was the cause of the rebuff? According to the Richmond Herold, the newspaper which reported on the Baptist Congress, the Southern Baptist rebuff of Baptist reunification “could be traced to its source. Far behind all the trivial and petty differences will be found the insurmountable—the Negro.”

Fast forward one hundred years.

In 1988, I was a young Southern Baptist pastor in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Southern Baptist Associational Missionary who supervised Southern Baptist Churches was known for a statement he would make for the “standards” he expected in the Tulsa County churches he led. I quote:

“No slacks, no tracs, no blacks.”

The Tulsa Baptist Associational Southern Baptist Missionary believed that women should wear dresses; music in churches should be live, not recorded; and attendees in Southern Baptist churches should not be African-American. It was my observation that SBC had not changed much in 100 years.

The writer of the country song “Take This Job And Shove It,” David Allan Coe, once made this observation.

“It is not the beauty of a building you should look at; it’s the construction of the foundation that will stand the test of time.”

The foundation of the SBC was built on the corrupt soil of authoritarian racist theology.

Joseph Solomon: Stop Saying ‘God Told Me to Marry You’

Jessica Lea

February 28, 2019

Does God make a practice of revealing to people who their future husband or wife will be? YouTuber Joseph Solomon says no.

“I know I’m going to get so much pushback,” says Solomon in the beginning of his video. “Listen, I get it…the girl is beautiful.” Or maybe a girl has a dream about a guy one night and takes that to be a word from the Lord. “I’m not saying that God doesn’t use dreams at all any more,” Solomon says. “I’m just saying the Bible doesn’t lead us to believe that that’s the primary way that we discern His will.”

What’s far more likely in these scenarios is that the people in question found someone interesting and let their natural attraction lead them to believe that God was giving them a special revelation.

What Does God’s Word Say?

Gary Thomas concurs that God does not specifically tell people whom they are supposed to marry. First and foremost, nothing in Scripture says that there is just one person God wants us to marry, nor does the Bible indicate that God is going to divinely reveal who a person’s future spouse will be. In fact, God’s word gives us the freedom to remain single if we choose. Our view on this matters, says Thomas, because “we have to own up to our choices—why we made them and how to be responsible in the face of them.” Then we can avoid blaming God for something He didn’t do.

The idea that God will bring “the one” we’re supposed to marry to us is often influenced by certain truths, like the fact that God is sovereign over our lives and that we should be eager to obey Him. Besides, who is there better to pick a spouse for us than God Himself? But Scripture mainly presents marriage as an area of life where we need to have good judgment. And while we often focus a great deal on how well we’re matched with a particular person before marriage, God’s word is far more concerned with how well we love that person after marriage.

Apart from the important question of how the Bible presents marriage, Solomon has a few other objections to people who say that God told them to marry someone else. One is simply that if you’re interested in someone, then someone else probably is as well–and if you both think God is telling you marry that person, you can’t both be right.

Another problem Solomon raises is that if the person you like hears that you think God has divinely matched the two of you, but isn’t interested, it can be incredibly awkward. “It’s one thing to say ‘I like this person,’” says Solomon. “It’s an entirely different thing to bring the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob into the mix.” More than just being awkward, saying that your interest is a revelation from the Lord can make the other person feel like they’re disobeying God if he or she does not return your feelings.

Solomon’s third objection is that by incorrectly telling someone that God wants you to marry each other, you end up lying about God. Really, this is a danger any time Christians say God told them something that is not clearly specified in scripture. “Tread carefully with the ‘God told me’ rhetoric,” says Solomon.

Finally, by being foolish in this area, Christians can really get hurt when their false expectations don’t come to pass. “If you feel like God is leading you a certain way,” says Solomon, “then trust Him and wait.” But keep your belief private. If you do end up marrying that person, then you can share how God led you. If the relationship doesn’t work out, then you can learn from the experience and grow in your understanding of how God speaks to you.

After all, Solomon points out, more than anything else, God wants us to grow to be more like Him: “God’s biggest plan for you…is God!”

This Is How Tradition Prevailed at the UMC Conference

Megan Briggs

February 28, 2019

As delegates, bishops and all those who watched from home recover from the United Methodist Church’s Special Session of the General Conference in St. Louis, which concluded Tuesday, the question of what lies ahead looms large. Many are surprised by the outcome of the vote on the denomination’s official stance on homosexuality. While polls indicated two-thirds of the clergy and delegates from the U.S. were in favor of the more progressive One Church Plan, the Traditional Plan won out. The reason why this happened has to do with the delegates coming from countries outside the U.S.

As a statement released by the Wesleyan Covenant Association explains, the UMC is growing fastest overseas, in “Africa, the Philippines and parts of Eurasia, where there is clear commitment to the historic teachings and practices of the church universal.” For this reason, 43 percent of the over 800 delegates came from outside the U.S. The majority of these delegates were in favor of the Traditional Plan.

Traditionalists Rejoice

“We are gratified that the church reaffirmed its historic teachings on the definition of marriage, its sexual ethics and its standards for the ordination of clergy,” said WCA president, Rev. Keith Boyette.

Conservatives in the U.S., such as those belonging to the WCA, joined with delegates in the UMC’s Central Conference, which represents Eurasia, Asia and Africa, to glean a majority vote for the Traditional Plan. The Traditional Plan does not allow for the ordination of “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” and penalizes clergy that perform same-sex weddings. Under the Traditional Plan, clergy who perform such ceremonies will face a minimum one-year suspension without pay for the first wedding, and permanent removal from ministry for the second.

Dr. Jerry P. Kulah, Dean of Gbarnga School of Theology, United Methodist University in Liberia, spoke at the Reform and Renewal Coalition Breakfast on Saturday, February 23, 2019. Kulah emphasized the fact that the UMC is not solely represented by the U.S. and that Methodists in Africa do not need “to hear a progressive U.S. bishop lecture us about our need to ‘grow up’” when it comes to sexual ethics.

While some argue that believers in places like Africa have not had to wrestle with the issue of homosexuality to the extent that the U.S. has, Kulah does not believe this is the case. “We Africans, whether we have liked it or not, have had to engage in this debate for many years now. We stand with the global church, not a culturally liberal, church elite, in the U.S.”

What About Those in Support of the One Church Plan?

According to a statement from Michigan Bishop David Bard, “research indicated approximately 2/3rds of delegates representing U.S. churches voted for more inclusive plans.” A study by Pew Research indicates that 51 percent of United Methodists said homosexuality should be accepted in 2007, and 60 percent said so in 2014.

Many U.S. pastors are posting letters to their social media pages and sending emails to congregants assuring them their churches will remain inclusive of LGBTQ+ members and seekers. However, the road may be rocky ahead. While nothing in the Traditional Plan prohibits welcoming LGBTQ+ members, it is very clear that clergy may not be practicing homosexuals. This will inevitably create problems for more progressive conferences that have ordained such people already.

For instance, Karen Oliveto became the first lesbian to become a UMC bishop in 2016. While it was determined that Oliveto’s status as openly gay technically meant she was in violation of the UMC’s Book of Discipline, she remains in her position of Bishop of the Mountain Sky Area, which includes Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana and parts of Idaho. For now, Oliveto’s job is safe, but tenuous at best. Speaking to the Billings Gazette, Oliveto said traditionalists “have voted to shrink the ‘big tent theology’ that has been a historic cornerstone of our tradition.”

Since the Judicial Committee of the UMC deemed certain parts of the Traditional Plan unconstitutional, that body will be reviewing the plan at an upcoming meeting in May. For this reason, Oliveto says the UMC’s trajectory concerning homosexuality “is yet to be written.”

Pastor Adam Hamilton, who leads Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, the UMC’s largest congregation in the U.S., was a very outspoken advocate of the One Church Plan. Speaking to reporters, Hamilton said he fears the vote sends the message that “LGBTQ persons are second class in the church.”

Hamilton will be addressing the decision with his congregation this weekend and deciding in the coming months whether his church will stay with the UMC or not. According to the Washington Post, Hamilton plans on gathering Methodist leaders from across the country to discuss more options in May.

The Future of the UMC

While the UMC is growing overseas and will likely continue to grow overseas, leaders in the U.S. fear this most recent decision will stifle growth among American youth.

A statement from the Association of United Methodist Theological Schools, which represents 13 seminaries across the United States warned “if the Traditional Plan passes, we will very soon lose an entire generation of leadership here in the United States.” This is due to the fact that younger generations favor inclusivity in church. In fact, Rev. Thomas Wolfe, president and CEO of Iliff School of Theology (a UMC seminary), says 30 percent of the school’s students identify as LGBTQ+.

The UMC stands to lose many colleges and universities in the U.S. as well, not just seminaries. “According to the recent statement by the National Association of Schools and Colleges of the United Methodist Church, many if not most of our colleges and universities and seminaries will separate from the UMC,” the statement says.

As far as the Central Conference of the UMC is concerned, though, the Traditional Plan will allow them to continue ministering and engaging in missions around the world. Unfortunately, it appears the plan may cause a big division along national lines in this global denomination.

Children Among 44 Arrested in Latest Injustice Against Chinese Church

Jessica Lea

February 28, 2019

In the latest of many injustices that authorities have committed against the members of Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, China, 44 people were arrested and detained by police on Sunday, February 24.

“Today, brothers and sisters are still being taken from their homes. New situations are developing at the time of the writing of this letter. Multiple families are being threatened and their homes searched,” wrote the church in an update on February 25. You can read that update here, as well as detailed accounts of the persecution church members have been experiencing since the beginning of December.

When members of the church gathered in different homes to worship last Sunday, police arrested people at two of the homes, confiscating their phones. Those arrested included pregnant women and the elderly, as well as 11 children, one as young as two months old. At the station, a police officer hit one couple in the face, and some of the people, including children, slept on the floor and had nothing to eat. While some of the church members were released that day or early the next morning, officials placed 11 people in administrative detention.

Increasing Religious Persecution

Early Rain is one of the few Protestant churches that have remained unregistered with the government while still meeting openly instead of underground. Even though China’s constitution supposedly protects religious rights, religious persecution in China has recently been increasing, according to human rights organization China Aid. Three thousand Christians were arrested in China in 2017, and that number surpassed 10,000 in 2018.

In September of 2018, officials warned Early Rain that the church needed to register with the government. On December 9, 2018, authorities arrested around 100 church members, including the church’s pastor, Wang Yi. Some members were released soon afterward, but others, including Pastor Wang Yi and his wife, Jiang Rong, remain imprisoned at this time. And just because church members are not in prison does not mean they are escaping suffering.

Pastor Wang’s mother, who is in her 70s, was recently beaten by police while trying to withdraw money from an ATM. When a bank security guard tried to protect her, the police threatened him, and the officers continued beating her. In one of their updates, the church writes, “In [the authorities’] eyes, laws are clearly just decorations they can play around with.” The wife and children of elder Su Bingsen are undergoing a different kind of harassment: being repeatedly forced out of whatever residence they are currently living in.

These are just some of the numerous persecutions church members have been experiencing over the past months. Some members are even having heart attacks and anxiety attacks due to the stress they are under.

Heavenly Joy

Through it all, the church has been steadfast in praising God, praying for their persecutors, and praying for strength in the face of these trials. As the church gives updates on the latest abuse the members are facing, these accounts are interspersed with various scriptures that encourage and strengthen the afflicted believers. The church writes,

“Even though we are struggling with the unbearable weight of harassments, surveillance, threats and humiliation, as soon as we remember that this is a way of being imprisoned with those in prison, heavenly joy rises up within us.”

Why I Take Abortion Seriously and So Should You

Greg Stier

February 27, 2019

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

Eliza Thomas

February 27, 2019

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

Rusty George

February 27, 2019

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.

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

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

Matt Morgan

February 27, 2019

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

Stephanie Martin

February 27, 2019

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

Jessica Lea

February 27, 2019

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.”

Fruitlessness begins with filtered expectations for grace.

Fruitlessness pushes away the weak as they plead for grace.

In fruitless ministry, we reap what we sow.

Foreign Films: The Best Family Movies for All Ages

Children of Heaven (Iran, 1997)

The Cave of the Yellow Dog (Mongolia, 2005)

When we are not in biblical community, there are no people to confront us about self-centeredness.

When we are in community, we see God working in others.

When we are in community, we are more likely to walk in humility.

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