From Us to Them

YOUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS WILL PROPHESY 64

The shape of leadership

Loving like Jesus in a divided world

Fall 2021

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Issue 36 | Fall 2021

F E AT U R E S 40

Loving like Jesus in a divided world CHOCO DE JESÚS

48

Lead Yourself First Nine principles for becoming a more effective leader ROD LOY

56

The Innovative Church Christ’s message doesn’t change, but the Church’s methods should JEFFERY PORTMANN and JOHN DAVIDSON

Your Sons and Daughters Will Prophesy

64

Cultivating the gift of prophecy in the next generation CAROLYN TENNANT

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D E PA R T M E N T S

Plod On FROM THE

8 The benefit of walking is that it sets the most EDITOR sustainable pace | GEORGE P. WOOD

Seven Questions for the Church

FROM THE HEART 12 How Revelation 2–3 helps diagnose congregational OF THE GS | DOUG CLAY health

Guarding Your Heart in Leadership MAKE IT

COUNT 104 How to overcome the enemires that war within you | STEPHEN BLANDINO

A Grief Redeemed THIS IS

120 Finding grace in the midst of loss | ANGELIA CARPENTER MY STORY

LEADERSHIP

Bringing Hope to Urban America

Q&A 16 A conversation with MARCUS L. ARRINGTON

Being Comfortable in Your Own Skin God called you, so quit trying to be SELF 20 someone else | ANDY SMITH

Protecting PKs From Church Wounds

HOME 24 Three ways to make the PK experience a great one | CARLOS RAMOS and ROSA RAMOS

From Age to Z PRACTICE 28 How to lead a multigenerational team | MELISSA J. ALFARO

Ethically Sourced Sermons ETHICS 32 Borrowing ideas without compromising integrity | JOY E.A. QUALLS

• An Antidote to Discontent in Disconcerting Times REVIEWS • Do Miracles Really Happen?

36 • Plus three books on evangelism | GEORGE P. WOOD

Fall 2021

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M I N I S T RY

Every Nation and Tribe

PROFILE 74

Taking the gospel to America’s indigenous

people | CHRISTINA QUICK

Finding Jesus in the Old Testament

PREACHING 78 Three ways to see the gospel through the ancient text | ROBERT M. EBY

Not Just Any Song Will Do

WORSHIP 82 Six questions to ask when planning Sunday worship | HEIDI HEWUSE

Help for the Anxious Heart

COUNSELING 86 Moving toward greater peace | ERLENE JOHNSON

When the Home Breaks

KIDS 90

Ministering to children of divorce | BRIAN DOLLAR

Questioning the Faith

Three ways to help young people work through YOUTH 94 their doubts | TERRY PARKMAN

Cohabitation Comes to Church

What to do about unmarried couples living ADULTS 98 together | JESSICA MUMLEY

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FROM THE EDITOR

Plod On The benefit of walking is that it sets the most sustainable pace

By GEORGE P. WOOD

I

t is often said that ministry is a marathon, not a sprint. I appreciate the point of the metaphor, which is that pastors need a sustainable pace of service. Even so, I wonder whether the comparison is too fast.

The past 21 months of ministry haven’t felt like a sprint or a jog. If anything, they’ve been a long, hard slog. I blame the pandemic. We seem to be stuck in a “Groundhog Day” scenario where just when we think we’ve got COVID licked, the alarm clock goes off, and we’re starting yesterday all over.

My father has often joked that his favorite poem is titled, “Plod On.” The punchline is that the entire poem is just the title repeated in stanza after stanza.

Plod on. Plod on. Plod on. Plod on.

The mere thought of plodding is unappealing. We live in a right-now society where everything must happen quickly. The problem is that quicker doesn’t always mean better.

What’s the advantage of a fast car if you’re stuck in rush-hour traffic?

Who wants fast food if it tastes more fast than food?

How are quicker internet speeds helpful if the information superhighway is traffic-jammed with fake news?

Plodding seems unappealing, but it’s biblical.

Both the Old and New Testaments use verbs of walking as metaphors for the life of faith.

“Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?” asks Psalm 15:1. Answer: “The one whose walk is blameless” (verse 2). Interestingly, in Judaism, the Hebrew verb for walking, halakh, lends itself to the

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body of Jewish law that includes both biblical commandments and traditional interpretations — the Halakha.

Paul exhorts believers, “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). Similarly, “Walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us” (Ephesians 5:2).

The benefit of walking is that it sets the most sustainable pace. If you want to go fast, by all means, run. If you want to go far, walk. That truth is literal and — applied to life and ministry — spiritual, too.

Robert Frost wrote that “the best way out is always through.” That’s good advice at present. So, take a deep breath, adjust you pack, tie your shoes … and plod on!

If we “keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25), the Spirit will lead us where we need to be at just the right time.

GEORGE P. WOOD is executive editor of Influence magazine.

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FROM THE HEART OF THE GS

L

ike you, I’ve never been through a season like this. Bible college didn’t give me a playbook for how to lead a church, let alone an entire Fellowship, through a pandemic or in times of widespread social unrest. The Bible doesn’t give us a detailed plan, either.

However, Scripture does reveal the Lord’s heart for His Church. Throughout this season, I’ve been drawn to the letters Jesus sent to the seven churches via John. I see in them seven diagnostic questions Jesus asked — and continues to ask — about the health of His followers:

Questions for the Church How Revelation 2–3 helps diagnose congregational health

By DOUG CLAY

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Are we passionately in love with Christ and His Church? Ephesian Christians had many things going for them. They worked hard, upheld biblical doctrine and morality, and persevered in the face of hardship. But they were doing God’s work without God’s love.

“Yet I hold this against you,” Jesus said to them.

“You have forsaken the love you had at first” (Revelation 2:4).

Although Jesus didn’t define this lost love, He taught that the love of God and love of neighbor go hand in hand (Matthew 22:37–40; 1 John 4:7–12).

It seems love was lacking amid the hard work, orthodoxy, and perseverance of the Ephesians.

Christ’s primary concern is that we stay in love with Him and the people He entrusts us to serve.

Do we stand strong when tested?

Christians at Smyrna lived under difficult circumstances. “I know your afflictions and your poverty,” Jesus told them (Revelation 2:9).

Those afflictions were demonic in origin: “The devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days” (verse 10).

Christ’s letter to Smyrna reminds us that no Christian is immune to suffering, regardless of spiritual maturity or social status. Jesus did not promise to remove their difficulties. Instead, He

said, “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.”

If we serve and follow Christ merely for earthly benefits, hardship and persecution will derail us and potentially destroy us. To stand strong in times of testing, we need a heavenly focus.

Are we producing biblical disciples? Pergamum’s believers lived “where Satan has his throne” (Revelation 2:13).

Christians may inhabit the same city as the devil, but they can resist the pressure he exerts on them.

Jesus said, “You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city.”

Yet Pergamum tolerated the teaching of Balaam.

According to Numbers 31:16, Balaam enticed the people of Israel to practice immorality. We might say the Israelites wanted the benefits of salvation but didn’t count the cost of discipleship.

Pergamum reminds church leaders to live, lead and disciple biblically so we can avoid repeating this error.

Are we improving constantly?

Thyatira was a small military town at the junction of two valleys.

Jesus said to the Christians there, “I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first” (Revelation 2:19). Or, as the NLT interprets it, “I can see your constant improvement in all these things.”

What a great evaluation to hear from the Lord!

We should always want to improve as we serve Jesus and minister to others.

Interestingly, Thyatira was the smallest city but received the longest letter. Sometimes we dismiss the importance of smaller churches in smaller communities. I am the product of both.

For Jesus, a church’s size doesn’t indicate its

significance. He calls all churches — small and large — to improve constantly. To churches that do, He promises “authority over the nations” (verse 26).

Does our reputation match our reality? At Sardis, there was incongruity.

Jesus said, “I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead” (Revelation 3:1). The name of Christ was on the church door, but the fruit of Christ was absent from its members’ lives.

Verses 2–3 provide the remedy: “Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent.”

Sardis is a sobering reminder that every church is one generation away from becoming spiritu-

To be the Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered, Bible-engaged, missionally active Church God called us to be, we need to do what He commanded. ally dead. We cannot assume yesterday’s faith will be there tomorrow. We must cultivate it today, in ourselves and others.

The Assemblies of God has a wonderful legacy, but I never want to rely solely on our reputation or our organizational structure, educational institutions, and the like for our continued vitality.

To be the Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered, Bible-engaged, missionally active Church God called us to be, we need to do what He commanded.

Fall 2021

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Do we walk through doors God has opened? Philadelphia had been founded to spread Greek language and culture eastward. You might say it was a mission-sending church for the false gospel of Hellenism. It was an important, influential city.

By contrast, the Philadelphian church had “little strength” (Revelation 3:8). But Jesus told them, “I

Laodicea brought considerable resources to the table of ministry, but those resources weren’t good.

Jesus told them, “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked” (Revelation 3:17).

Verse 20 identifies what — or rather Who — was missing: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock,” Jesus said. “If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.”

We often use this text during altar calls as we invite nonbelievers to come to Christ. In context, however, Jesus said this to Christians.

The Laodiceans had locked Jesus out of His own church, and Jesus had to knock to get back in. Can you imagine that?

Like Laodicea, American Christians have material resources at their disposal. It’s tempting to use them solely for our own comfort. It’s also tempting to mistake material resources for spiritual power.

I never want material resources to replace Jesus at the table of ministry in our churches. Without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5). But with Christ, all things are possible (Mark 10:27).

I never want material resources to replace Jesus at the table of ministry in our churches. Without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5). But with Christ, all things are possible (Mark 10:27). have placed before you an open door that no one can shut.” They were weak, but He was strong.

Think of all the blessings contemporary believers possess that the church in Philadelphia didn’t. We have financial and technological resources to spread the gospel that were unavailable to Philadelphia.

These are doors God has opened for us. I want to be a Church that keeps walking through them, both in the U.S. and around the world.

Have we invited Jesus to the table?

Laodicea had a problem with its water supply. Hierapolis to the northeast was known for its hot sulfur water, providing refreshing baths for weary and hurting people. Colossae to the southeast was known for its cold water.

An aqueduct brought Laodicea water from a hot spring, but by the time the water reached the city, it was tepid.

The Laodicean church was like its water supply — neither hot nor cold. Just lukewarm. It offered nothing to refresh the spiritually weary or satisfy the spiritually thirsty.

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Until the Trumpet Sounds As I survey the difficulties Christians are experiencing here and around the world, I keep waiting to hear the trumpet sound. Until that happens, I want to answer these seven questions with a resounding “Yes!” Don’t you?

DOUG CLAY is general superintendent of the Assemblies of God (USA).

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LEADERSHIP | Q & A

Photography: Jasmine Whiting / Stylist: Timothy Boone, Jr.

Bringing Hope to Urban America A CONVERSATION WITH MARCUS L. ARRINGTON

A

fter nearly 18 years of working as an innercity school teacher and principal, Marcus L. Arrington, Ed.D, succeeded Walter Harvey in 2020 as senior pastor of Parklawn Assembly of God in Milwaukee. Arrington and his team are committed to reaching people with the gospel, as well as meeting physical needs by serving and advocating for the community. He is the author of three books, including When Hope Finds a Home: The Influence of Caring Adults in the Lives of Urban, African American Youth.

What are some challenges and needs in today’s inner cities?

Most are evident and commonly discussed, such

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as rampant poverty, violent crime, economic disparity, inadequate housing, poor healthcare, and low education. Much of it is cyclical, systemic and influenced by both overt and covert racial fault lines.

Further, many issues plaguing urban contexts are exacerbated by rigid bureaucracy led by individuals who are usually not close enough to the issues to fully understand the gravity and magnitude of the associated suffering.

As a former educator in a large public school system, I frequently came face-to-face with these harsh realities. And worse, I observed the evidence of the deleterious effects of the conflation of these issues in the faces and in the voices of the children I served.

Lawlessness is growing in urban settings.

Darkness is no longer in corners and crevices. It’s spreading widely and rapidly. The greatest issue is the need for the gospel of the Kingdom.

Why should suburban and rural churches pay attention to what is happening in the cities?

First and foremost, God is concerned about people in the cities. He wishes that none would perish (2 Peter 3:9) and wants all to know the truth (1 Timothy 2:3–4). Jesus came to offer abundant life (John 10:10).

Second, the affairs of cities impact suburban and rural areas. Paying attention to, and lending support in, urban environments could be preemptive in some ways.

Further, according to Titus 3:14, believers should “provide for urgent needs.” Urban centers are full of urgent needs. Suburban and rural ministries can lift the arms of urban ministries by helping them with projects, sharing resources, and perhaps even offering free training to help urban ministries provide opportunities for their leaders and members to build their capacity for greater impact.

How can urban churches build stronger connections with members of the community?

Prayer and fasting should precede any action. We need the Holy Spirit to guide us and make us aware of what God is saying about the communities we have the opportunity to strengthen and serve.

Next, I recommend doing your homework. This includes seeking out community leaders who are already engaged in community work and listening to residents. They know the history. They have the stories. They often have amazing ideas but lack resources for implementation.

Additionally, I recommend partnering with organizations or ministries who are already doing great work. Too often we try to reinvent the wheel. Or we assume that newfound zeal will produce new programs when the reality is someone may already be doing the work. They may simply need more funding or volunteers.

Schools are often great spaces for community

connection and aid because they function as hubs for neighborhoods. Ministries can adopt schools and begin to assist the school leader and his or her team in the fulfillment of their vision.

As justice issues gain increased national attention, how do church leaders navigate these conversations while keeping Jesus at the center?

These matters are so politicized, and politics are rooted in self-interest. So, there has to be an emptying of self and a willingness to engage discussions about matters that may not directly affect us.

The fact is the Church, the ekklesia, has to speak the mind of Christ. That’s how Jesus is kept at the center. I know it’s cliché, but what would Jesus do?

The Church, the ekklesia, has to speak the mind of Christ. That’s how Jesus is kept at the center.

A big misconception is that justice and Jesus are incompatible. Loving the Lord and loving people go hand in hand. Love manifests in actions. Jesus loved deeply, and His actions attested to His love.

Jesus met needs, whether natural or physical.

Further, the teaching of Jesus will prompt leaders to be concerned about social issues such as racism. When Jesus concluded the Parable of the Good Samaritan, He asked the religious leader which of the three men was a neighbor to the man who was attacked on the Jericho Road.

The man replied, “The one who had mercy on him” (Luke 10:37).

Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

How can pastors get people involved in serving the community and bringing about change?

Pastors should help their congregants understand that the only way to truly become relevant to the community is to get involved. Otherwise,

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We will benefit by or suffer from what goes on in the community.

So, the conversation needs different pronouns — not them and they, but us and we.

the church is just another building that neighbors avoid and ignore. Pastors should emphasize and celebrate the Great Commission because the gospel transforms lives and communities.

Pastors would also do well to consider Jeremiah 29:7: “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” We will benefit by or suffer from what goes on in the community. So, the conversation needs different pronouns — not them and they, but us and we.

Proverbs 11:11 states that “upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper” (NLT). Our faith overcomes the world (1 John 5:4). Therefore, pastors should celebrate the agency of the righteous. With God’s help, anything is possible.

What challenges should church leaders anticipate when attempting to mobilize congregations for stronger community engagement?

Leaders must anticipate the fear factor. Congregants will fear the unknown. The what-ifs ring loud. This can cause some to become paralyzed rather than being solution-minded.

Another challenge could be mindset. Some people prefer the old wine over the new (Luke 5:39).

Some members are content with an internal focus.

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New beginnings require new learning.

Lastly, a challenge may be winning the trust of the community. Lack of engagement breeds suspicion. Godly intentions notwithstanding, it may take a while, but the prospect of a transformed, healthy neighborhood is too good to bypass.

What Scriptures inspire you as you pursue restorative work in your urban context?

I think of Habakkuk, who cried out to God because of all the violence and corruption he witnessed in his context. After the first complaint, the Lord assures Habakkuk He’s working behind the scenes, despite the way things look: “For I am going to do something in your own days that you would not believe, even if you were told” (1:5).

After his second complaint, Habakkuk positions himself in his watchtower in anticipation. In response, the Lord tells Habakkuk to “write the vision.”

In many cases, where there is deep agony and frustration over suffering, there is also deep care and love.

I believe the Lord gives vision to those who cry out on behalf of their cities and are willing to wait for His revelation.

I also love Nehemiah, particularly Chapters 1 through 6. Nehemiah didn’t have to care or get involved, but he did. As a result, Jerusalem received new life.

LEADERSHIP | SELF

Being Comfortable in Your Own Skin God called you, so quit trying to be someone else

By ANDY SMITH

I

don’t think I’ve ever fit in.

I have always been a big guy. In fact, I was taller than my third-grade teacher and probably outweighed her. I stood out in other ways too. I was a mixed-race kid in a predominantly white community. Unlike my friends, I came from a family that received food stamps and government insurance.

Even though my last name is Smith, I got saved in a Hispanic church. I pastored a bilingual church before I was fully bilingual. I served as a missionary

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in a country where I was a foot taller and at least 100 pounds heavier than practically everyone.

Now I serve as the secretary-treasurer of an Assemblies of God Hispanic District — and my last name is still Smith.

I could go on, but the point is I know what it is like to feel out of place. If you are in ministry, you likely can identify at some level. Perhaps you once felt like an outsider as a new leader in an unfamiliar town. Maybe you’ve felt underqualified in your role, or intimidated by the success of others.

For whatever reason, you have been uncomfortable being you. You have felt like your best isn’t good enough. You may have even wondered whether God called the wrong person.

Perspective Change I clearly remember the day God helped me see the truth about His unique call for a unique me. After serving for several years as an associate pastor, I was elected to lead the church following the death of our pastor.

The late pastor had founded the church and led it for more than 30 years. He was bilingual, and I was not. He had years of experience in the community, and I did not. He was a recognized leader and a great preacher, and I was neither of those things. I felt inadequate for the task.

I went into the church sanctuary to pray and read my Bible. I turned to a familiar narrative in 1 Samuel 15, where Saul defeated the Amalekites but failed to obey all of God’s orders. I had read many times about Samuel confronting Saul and God ultimately rejecting Saul as king. But I noticed a detail I had somehow missed before.

In verse 17, Samuel said, “Although you may think little of yourself, are you not the leader of the tribes of Israel? The Most Lord has anointed you ministers king of Israel” (NLT).

That phrase, “you may recognize think little of yourself,” the power cut through my spirit like a knife. I always of stories, thought of Saul as a but do you pompous, arrogant jerk, but here Samuel reads recognize his mail and reveals the the power truth about the king’s inner condition. of your Saul was insecure. He story? was uncomfortable in his own skin. Saul was filling the position and going through the motions, but he was unsure about whether he really belonged. The disobedience, the monument Saul made of himself, and the stuff he kept instead of destroying were all attempts to mask the fact that he was scared and unsure of himself.

That hit close to home for me. I was living in that same spot, and I was miserable there. As much as that first part punched me in the gut, the rest of the verse dusted me off and helped me grow: “The Lord has anointed you … .”

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This served as a reminder that it was never about me. God didn’t call me to be someone I’m not. He called me to obedience.

I think God wanted to remind Saul of that too.

God knew Saul’s shortcomings before He called him, but He called Saul anyway. God knows what you and I are capable of and where we are likely to fall short — and He calls us in spite of those things.

Letting this truth sink in helped me realize God doesn’t want to make me like everyone else. He sees value in my story, and He wants to tell His story through mine.

It was God who anointed me. He chose me to use me for His glory.

If we could see our calling as God sees it, we would minister with a confidence that comes from knowing who we are in Him. Ephesians 2:10 says, “We are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good

God has anointed you to serve, even if you don’t feel like you have everything you need for the job.

Embrace Your Story Jennifer Aaker, a behavioral scientist and professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business, assigned students to give a one-minute speech on a topic. She then analyzed the results. About 1 in 10 speakers used a story as a part of their presentation; the others simply provided information. Afterward, 5% of audience members could recite a statistic they had heard, but 63% remembered the stories in great detail.

As pastor and author Craig Groeschel says, “Stories stick, but facts fade.”

Most ministers recognize the power of stories, but do you recognize the power of your story? Do you realize God called you and your story? Has it sunk in that you are your story?

God didn’t call just anyone to be the king of Israel.

He called Saul. If Saul had been able to grasp that reality, his story might have ended differently.

God didn’t call just anyone to serve where you minister. He called you. God called your past, present and future. He has anointed you to serve, even if you don’t feel like you have everything you need for the job. God intends for you to lean on Him as you fulfill your calling, and He is more than enough.

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works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

David, who followed Saul as king, understood what Saul did not: God uses those who are willing to be themselves and trust in Him. After all, “the battle is the Lord’s” (1 Samuel 17:47).

When we stop trying to wear someone else’s armor and simply go to the battlefield as we really are — trusting in His power rather than our own — miracles happen. That is when giants fall, and the called step into their anointing. That is when we let God use our story to tell His story. That is when we finally feel like we belong.

For reasons I cannot possibly understand, God called an oversized kid who never seemed to fit in to be a vessel for His anointing. He chose my story to tell His story. So if I try to be anyone other than myself, I’m missing out on the fullness of that anointing and diminishing what God can do through me.

Let God tell His story through you. As the adage goes, “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.”

ANDY SMITH, a former Assemblies of God missionary to Honduras, serves as secretary-treasurer of the Central District/Distrito Central Council of the Assemblies of God.

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O

w! Ow! Ow!” I (Carlos) cried as the church usher pulled my ear while returning me to my seat.

He scolded, “I’m telling your dad I caught you running around the church.”

I remember thinking bitterly that the only reason the other kids didn’t have a sore ear like me was because their dad wasn’t the pastor.

Thankfully, ear pulling is less common these days, but churches are still inflicting pain on the children of ministers.

In The Pastor’s Kid, Barnabas Piper, the son of evangelical leader John Piper, compares the experience to a pressure cooker.

“The ministry creates a pressure of expectation that is unlike any other,” he writes. Eventually, “the lid blows off and the hurt sprays everywhere.”

Over the years, we’ve talked with many pastors’ kids (PKs) who shared similar sentiments. The pain of ministry is real, and the wounds can be deep — for pastors and their families.

As parents, we want to protect our children from church wounds. And as pastors, we know how challenging that can be at times. Still, our kids can grow up happy, healthy, and whole. Here are three ways to make the PK experience a great one:

“

Accentuate the Positive “We have to go to church again?”

It’s the question of PKs everywhere.

It is important to help our children develop a healthy outlook of ministry. Despite the difficult seasons we may go through, we can help kids experience the joys of ministry.

A friend who grew up in a ministry home told us, “I saw that the first person the world turns to in a time of crisis is a pastor. The place the world turns to when there is nowhere else to turn is the Church.”

Loving God means loving people. The next time you visit a parishioner, prepare a sermon, or attend a prayer meeting, invite your children to join you.

Show them that ministry is about more than just church; it is serving, caring and showing compassion. Give them a chance to see why you do what you

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Protecting PKs From Church Wounds Three ways to make the PK experience a great one

By CARLOS RAMOS and ROSA RAMOS

do. Invite them to take part in a community food event, summer outreach for neighborhood kids, or school supply distribution.

Be careful what you say about the church around your children. Resist the urge to speak negatively or complain. Our kids are watching and listening, no matter their age.

I (Carlos) am thankful my parents did their best to give us a positive outlook toward ministry. As a child, I once saw my mother break down in tears after a harsh conversation with a parishioner. To this day, I remember how she responded when I asked why she was crying: “When people hurt you, continue to love and bless them.”

How we speak and react in such times will make a lasting impression on our children.

Prioritize Family When the church takes priority, PKs may feel overlooked and unimportant.

A child’s sense of identity and security depends on the presence and involvement of loving parents. Yet many pastors find it difficult to be present for their kids while devoting 50 hours or more per week to ministry. The office of pastoral ministry is unique, and the demands are many, but we must not neglect our home life.

Schedule time with each child. Set aside a family day each week. Attend athletic and school events.

Take family vacations. When kids know they are a priority, their sense of security grows.

Make the congregation aware of these priorities as well, asking them to respect the family time of

When people see your children as a priority and valuable part of your life, they will view them that way as well. church leaders. When people see your children as a priority and valuable part of your life, they will view them that way as well.

Publicly thank your spouse and children for their sacrifices. Suggest that the church include your family on Pastor Appreciation Day. Such gestures show

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children that the church values, honors and loves their family.

Let Them Be Kids Encourage your children to pursue their own growing relationship with Christ. Pray for them, be present in their lives, answer their faith questions, and let them see how much you love Jesus.

To expect pastors’ kids to act like miniature versions of their parents is unrealistic.

We must resist the urge to hold them to higher behavioral standards for fear of what people may think of us as leaders.

It is more beneficial to help children understand that we are not pastors or PKs first, but followers of Jesus. As such, our actions and behavior should reflect Him well.

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

Our kids need us to be that example for them.

In smaller churches especially, pastors’ kids often also feel pressure to join the worship band, serve as small group leaders, teach — you name it. When there is a need for help, the pastor’s family may seem like an obvious source of volunteers. But it is unfair to saddle our kids with such a heavy load. They need to receive ministry, not just give it.

We must also remember that while serving is good, it does not automatically translate into a relationship with God. A young person may seem like a model Christian — saying and doing all the right things — while secretly tiring of going through the motions, and perhaps even rejecting the faith one day.

Kids need the freedom to discover their gifts and find their own identities. People in the church often assume PKs will pursue vocational ministry.

However, all children want space to be kids, explore their interests, and discover God’s plan for their lives. Rather than pressuring them to enter full-time ministry, our job is to make sure they enter heaven.

The guidance of godly parents is an enduring blessing. Proverbs 1:8–9 says, “Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.”

Keep your children close, let them see you serving Jesus, and love them. They won’t mind sharing you so much if they feel secure about their place in your life.

We must be intentional in our actions, purposeful with our words, and aware of the young eyes that are watching.

The children God has given us are blessings — and our first ministry priority. We have the responsibility and privilege of protecting their hearts and pointing them to Jesus.

Our 8-year-old recently told us, “I wish the church wouldn’t see me as a pastor’s kid, but as someone who wants to learn more about God, just like them.”

We couldn’t have summed it up any better.

To expect pastors’ kids to act like miniature versions of their parents is unrealistic. We must resist the urge to hold them to higher behavioral standards for fear of what people may think of us as leaders.

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CARLOS RAMOS is lead pastor of Refuge Church (AG) in Fort Worth, Texas, and executive presbyter for the South Central Hispanic District of the Assemblies of God.

ROSA RAMOS is executive pastor over ministry development at Refuge Church and women’s ministries director for the South Central Hispanic District of the Assemblies of God. She and Carlos are the parents of four children.

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From Your Neighborhood to the Nations

LE ADE RSHIP | PR AC TICE

From Age to Z How to lead a multigenerational team

By MELISSA J. ALFARO

I

emailed her a week ago, I thought, as I tapped my fingers impatiently on my desk. Why hasn’t she responded? She knows our deadline is approaching.

I had requested feedback from a new staff member regarding a major project, but I had not heard back.

I had observed this young woman in the office, wireless headphones in her ears, sending texts and navigating social media. It seemed like an unusual way to work, but I had to admit she was completing ministry tasks quickly, competently and efficiently.

Finally, I picked up my smartphone and sent her a text. To my surprise, I received an articulate and insightful reply within minutes. It was apparent she had been busy with the project all along.

In that moment, I realized she had not missed it; I had missed it. I had misinterpreted her silence as disengagement. In reality, this young staff member, like many members of Generation Z, simply

THE SILENT GENERATION

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preferred texting rather than using email.

I don’t intend to promote stereotypes or make broad generalizations. However, understanding there are some generational differences in the way people process information, approach change, and communicate can make collaboration easier.

My colleague and I were working toward a common goal, but we were approaching it in different ways. I realized the need to learn how to lead a multigenerational team.

Five Generations Pew Research Center divides the population into five generations: • The Silent Generation (born from 1928–45) • Baby Boomers (1946–64) • Generation X (1965–80) • Millennials (1981–96) • Generation Z (born after 1996) Our churches include a range of generations, and ministry teams should reflect that reality. Generational diversity expands our reach, broadens our perspective, and increases our collective strength.

Of course, it also poses some challenges.

Five Questions Leading a multigenerational team effectively requires an intentional, strategic approach. That

BABY BOOMERS

GENERATION X

often begins with a discovery process. Here are five questions to consider when laying a foundation for greater inclusivity and collaboration: 1. What motivates the team? Each generation finds motivation in different values. Of course, there are also important shared values in any church.

Recognizing these motivations can help you leverage buy-in, especially when making big changes in your ministry.

For example, after 75 years of conducting Spanish and bilingual services, our church added an English-only service to reach young people who do not speak Spanish. Before presenting the idea to our multigenerational team, board and congregation, we identified the values we had in common, such as sharing the gospel with as many people as possible. We then linked the change to those shared values.

That insight influenced the way we strategized, communicated and promoted the launch of the new English service. We continued to reiterate the fact that we were all working toward a common goal.

That helped us foster teamwork, create buy-in, and motivate volunteers.

2. What are team members’ preferred communication styles? Each generation communicates differently. Older team members often prefer handwritten notes, phone calls, or in-person

MILLENNIALS

meetings. Many young people are more comfortable with texts and instant messages, social media, and Zoom calls.

Ask members how they prefer to communicate.

Share information and resources in multiple ways to make them more accessible to everyone. For example, mention the upcoming staff dinner during a meeting, but also follow up with an email or group text, post about it on an internal social media page, and place a flier on the office bulletin board.

When using technology to communicate, offer training and instruction for those team members who may not be very tech-savvy.

3. What helps people work more effectively?

Older team members may crave structure and traditional work environments. Young people often want more flexible work arrangements, such as the ability to telecommute or scale back hours.

The standard of excellence for a team can be the same, even as the working style varies from one team member to the next.

Three-quarters of our church’s staff members are female, and most are under the age of 40. We also represent three different generations.

We’ve had staff members adjust their schedules to attend college. Others have worked from home while caring for small children. We have been flexible in our leadership approach to allow

GENERATION Z

Our churches include a range of generations, and ministry teams should reflect that reality.

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people to find the best context for their maximum effectiveness.

For some, that may mean unconventional hours, alternate schedules, or remote work. We have one team meeting each week so we can come together to lay out the game plan. But how people carry out the plan may vary in their respective ministries.

As you lead a multigenerational team, be aware of what conditions help members of your team work more effectively.

4. How do team members contribute their ideas? There can be generational differences in the ways people share feedback. Older people who are accustomed to traditional power structures may keep their opinions to themselves and politely yield to supervisors. Young people tend to value equity and are often eager to share their thoughts, but they may nevertheless hold back in a stifling team culture.

A multigenerational team leader is careful to encourage diverse dialogue during meetings. In the absence of intentional management, some people usually dominate the conversation while others remain silent.

Define clear parameters for sharing ideas. Facilitate the discussion to keep the dialogue on track and give everyone a chance to speak. Utilize various methods for soliciting team feedback, such as surveys, a comment board, one-on-one conversations, and roundtable discussions.

Diversifying your approach makes room for the creativity and communication style of each generation. As people learn to relate to one another, cooperation and teamwork grows.

5. What kind of culture are we building? The unique generational qualities that set us apart can easily become stumbling blocks if we do not create the right environment for a multigenerational team.

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Diversifying your approach makes room for the creativity and communication style of each generation.

As you become more intentional, bring your team along with you to create a healthy multigenerational culture. Plan discussions and social events outside of the ministry setting. Make time for team members to get to know one another and talk about their experiences, perspectives and working styles.

Ask open-ended questions that encourage everyone to share (e.g., How do you approach change?

What is your preferred style of communication?

What helps you work more effectively? What motivates you in ministry?). Growing in understanding will help eliminate false assumptions and overcome stereotypes.

Model good listening skills. Show your team by example the importance of valuing, respecting and including every member Leading multigenerational teams can be challenging. But an intentional leader who develops the team and creates a healthy environment can leverage generational diversity for ministry that reaches every generation.

MELISSA J. ALFARO, Ph.D., is an Assemblies of God executive presbyter, representing ordained under-40 ministers.

She serves as pastor of El Tabernaculo in Houston, along with her husband, Jay.

LEADERSHIP | ETHICS

Ethically Sourced Sermons Borrowing ideas without compromising integrity

By JOY E.A.QUALLS

O

ur church’s lead pastor recently asked me midweek to preach the next Sunday service. I was happy to help, but as I dug into the Scriptures for that week, I felt lost.

How could I adequately address these important passages with so little preparation time?

I turned to several popular expository resources, hoping to find a ready-made outline. After all, these writers were theologians and respected voices in the

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Church. Perhaps I could borrow their anointing this once. But a check in my conscience kept me from it. I knew I needed to slow down, do the work, and trust the Spirit with the results.

We live in an age of unprecedented access to information. With a few clicks, preachers can find online commentaries, sermon illustrations, graphics, and even complete sermons. The challenge is knowing what belongs to whom — and how to use it ethically.

When ministries post content online in an open

source, the line between our message and theirs can grow even fuzzier. The temptation to take it and run with it is real. The pandemic further drained the already limited pools of time and energy from which preachers draw. This can lead to sloppy preparation — or even a slide into plagiarism.

However, freely using someone else’s work without attribution comes at a cost. Rather than improving the sermon, it taints both the message and the messenger.

The philosopher Aristotle identified three elements of persuasion: pathos (appeals to emotion), logos (appeals to logic), and ethos. The third element refers to the credibility of a communicator.

Ethos involves the speaker’s reputation, trustworthiness, and position, as well as the believability of the content.

This ancient principle resonates even today.

During a sermon, listeners consider the message and either accept or reject it. The Holy Spirit is the One who draws people to Christ, but the preacher has a responsibility to serve as a faithful gospel witness. Our desire is for the congregation to respond to God with repentance, worship and obedience. We certainly don’t want to create barriers that might get in the way of that process.

People are wary of manipulation. They don’t want to hear a slick sales pitch in church. They want a message that comes from the lived experience, spiritual insight, and extensive Bible study of someone who walks daily with God. We put our credibility on the line if our message does not come from these places. When we lose credibility, people will be hesitant to believe what we say. They may even interpret our words as manipulation rather than persuasion. Lost ethos is hard to regain.

Borrowing heavily from another person without giving proper credit can damage credibility.

Plagiarism is the practice of taking someone’s words or ideas and passing them off as our own. It happens too often in churches.

I recently had a conversation about this with a group of pastors. One of the leaders said, “We are not academics. Who cares if I use someone else’s ideas? It is not like anyone is going to be checking my work!”

My reply was this: “Two of the Ten Commandments address theft and deception. Plagiarism amounts to stealing and then lying about it.”

Even when an author makes his or her material available for use, it is disingenuous to represent that person’s sermon as our own. What does it say about our ethics and credibility if we brush off honesty as though it doesn’t matter?

Freely using someone else’s work without attribution comes at a cost. Rather than improving the sermon, it taints both the message and the messenger.

There are simple solutions to the ethical challenges of building ethos and avoiding plagiarism.

Here are four best practices to keep in mind: First, budget enough time for prayerful study and sermon development. The necessary preparation time will vary from one person to the next. It often changes as a preacher becomes more comfortable with the research and preparation process. However long it takes, don’t begrudge sermon preparation. Instead, embrace it as a sacred opportunity to meet with the Lord and hear from Him. Second, read well across a broad range of topics. Keep a running list of quotations, stories and illustrations with citations. Also consider how conversations, meetings and other elements of your schedule may provide insight into the message God is stirring in your heart.

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Third, avoid taking an entire message from outside sources. Listen to other preachers. Learn from books and commentaries. But don’t overlook the importance of asking the Lord what your congregation needs to hear.

It can be tempting simply to copy the sermon of a well-known preacher with a successful ministry. But repeating someone else’s message or making wholesale use of another ministry’s resources will not make you just like them. In fact, this practice frequently produces the opposite result.

It can create laziness, risk comparison from listeners who realize they have heard or seen this message before, and diminish your believability.

Fourth, cite your sources. It really is that simple. If you come across a brilliant commentary that provided the framework for your sermon, say so. If you use a slide from a prepared series, tell your congregation. I am not suggesting you should produce a complete bibliography. However, if you quote something or build upon a unique idea from someone’s book, acknowledge the source and name the author.

Sermon preparation and delivery require a lot of us. There is nothing wrong with responsibly using the tools that are available. With so many resources for preachers today, we don’t have to reinvent the wheel every week. Our congregations can benefit from information we glean from a variety of sources. However, it is vital for us to do work that is worthy of our calling. That includes being open and honest about where we find our ideas and what goes into our sermons.

Doing so does not compromise our credibility.

On the contrary, it reveals an attitude of humility

and transparency. It also serves as an invitation for people to join us in the work of learning from the entire body of Christ.

Paul told Timothy, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

There will be times when adequate preparation time is just not available, envy gets the best of us, or we feel insecure about who we are as preachers. However, we cannot allow those things to

It is vital for us to do work that is worthy of our calling.

That includes being open and honest about where we find our ideas and what goes into our sermons.

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become the norm. We must take the time to prepare, trusting our calling and the One who called us, and acknowledge those who help us with the task of preaching. This creates an environment for greater acceptance of the message and brings honor to God.

JOY E.A. QUALLS, Ph.D., is an associate dean and associate professor at Biola University in La Mirada, California.

Great Learners Make Great Leaders There is always more to learn, no matter how much experience you have.

Each person you interact with and each situation you encounter is an opportunity to learn something new. The leaders graduating from our master’s and doctoral programs are eager learners, and it makes them better at their work.

When you commit yourself to a graduate degree from Northwest University, you’re investing in a lifetime of people-oriented leadership.

Visit northwestu.edu/graduate to apply.

LE ADE RSHIP | REVIE WS

An Antidote to Discontent in Disconcerting Times

By GEORGE P. WOOD

M

any years ago, my mother gave me a sepia-toned lithograph of an 1896 William Strutt painting. It depicts a child leading a menagerie of animals, both predators and prey, with one hand clutching a palm branch and the other resting on a calf’s head. Strutt inscribed Isaiah 11:6 — “And a little child shall lead them” (KJV) — on the painting, which he titled “Peace.”

A lack of peace characterizes the present moment.

We see it in the acrimonious way organized factions debate controversial current events, social trends, and public policies. These debates negatively impact our personal relationships, dividing families and friends. Regrettably, even churches experience division. Christians may be united by faith, but too often, we are divided by politics as well.

The lack of peace outside of us operates in a vicious cycle with the lack of peace inside of us.

Disconcerting times lead to discontented people.

In turn, discontented people express themselves in ways that disconcert the times even more.

In such a moment, we Christians need to remember what peace is, understand why we don’t experience it, and commit to living peaceably both inside and out. This is the subject of Todd Hunter’s new book, Deep Peace: Finding Calm in a World of Conflict and Anxiety. Hunter is bishop of Churches for

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the Sake of Others, a diocese in the Anglican Church in North America.

Peace, writes Hunter, is “well-being in the widest sense of the word.” That well-being is personal, relational and social. In other words, and using the author’s prepositional phrases, peace should exist “within,” “with others,” and “for the sake of the world.”

Why is peace elusive? Fear, anger, aggression, and undue attachment to material possessions threaten our well-being. Peace eludes us when we experience pain and unanswered prayers, or when we act in self-centered ways.

Online activity, obsession with failure, and FOMO (fear of missing out) exacerbate our feelings of ill-being.

Hunter names these things “peace killers” and traces their source to “disordered desires.”

When we have such desires, we experience peace neither within nor with others. God’s kingdom, the one described in Isaiah 11:6, brings peace, but to experience that peace, our disordered desires must give way to a well-ordered heart.

“What comprises a heart at peace and one that lives in peace with others?” Hunter asks. “It is a heart oriented toward and animated and energized by the kingdom of God.” Living peaceably, then, requires heart work.

“The opposite of peace is not merely conflict or war,” Hunter says, “but also anxiety marked by a noisy mind and an irritated soul.” Hunter goes on to write, “Peace is core to Jesus’ person and central to his work in the church and the world.”

To experience the peace Jesus felt, then, we must become more like Him. As we become more like Christ, our relationships change. Hunter describes it as a movement “from xenophobia [fear of strangers] to xenophilia [love of strangers].” He defines xenophobia more precisely as “the tendency to see personal qualities of difference and then to fear or hate the variation.”

Xenophilia, on the other hand, is a neologism for the Greek word philoxenia, meaning “hospitality” (Hebrews 13:2).

The basic question is whether we cultivate “habits of heart” that lead us closer to or further from strangers — people whom God created and for whom Christ died.

Peace is not merely an experience that happens “within” and “with others,” however. It also has implications “for the sake of the world.” A heart oriented to the kingdom of God inevitably cares about the just ordering of society, because Jesus cares

about justice. Hunter writes about the society-wide dimension of peace but does not develop the theme in great detail. His primary focus is spiritual formation rather than social action.

I recommend Deep Peace as an antidote to discontent in disconcerting times. It is both wise and useful and — given the present moment — much needed.

Do Miracles Really Happen?

terms of both size (300 pages) and cost ($24.99).

It is not an abridgment of the two-volume work, however. Rather, it is an original work with new accounts of contemporary miracles not included in the academic study.

Keener organizes his material in seven parts.

Parts 1 and 7 deal with philosophical and theological issues. Parts 2–6 offer scores of documented, contemporary, eyewitness accounts of healings, resurrections, and nature miracles from around the world.

The healing miracles include cures of multiple sclerosis, cancer, blindness, disability, and skin diseases.

Keener scrupulously footnotes his sources, some of whom are known to him personally. Wherever possible, he includes the testimony of doctors and notes whether the miracle was instantaneous or took time, whether it was total or partial, and whether the patient remained symptom free over a long period of time.

One of the most striking accounts is the healing of Barbara Commiskey Snyder, who from age 15 to 31 suffered from multiple sclerosis. Prior to Snyder’s healing, she had been confined to her bed for four years, unable to care for herself at all. Then, on June 7, 1981 — Pentecost Sunday — Snyder heard

By GEORGE P. WOOD

N

o one denies that the Bible contains accounts of miracles. Furthermore, no one denies that people claim to experience or witness miracles even today. The question is whether putative miracles are supernatural works of God or merely anomalies that await a natural explanation.

In 2011, New Testament scholar Craig S. Keener published Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts. He offered a robust scholarly defense of two claims: (1) “eyewitnesses do offer miracle claims” and (2) “supernatural explanations … should be welcome on the scholarly table along with other explanations often discussed.” Unfortunately, the book’s size (1,200+ pages) and cost ($75) put it out of the reach of non-academic readers.

With Miracles Today, Keener offers an apologetic for miracles that is accessible to a larger audience in

Book Reviewed Todd Hunter, Deep Peace: Finding Calm in a World of Conflict and Anxiety (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2021).

Fall 2021

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an audible voice say, “My child: Get up and walk.”

And she did. Snyder’s doctor documented her case, and Keener interviewed her in 2015 — still free of MS 44 years later!

Keener does not deny that some apparent miracles have natural explanations, such as psychosomatic cures, spontaneous remission of cancers, and the like. (Nor does he deny that even miracle-believers face difficult questions, such as why God doesn’t heal in some cases.) However, accounts like Snyder’s — and many others in the book — strain the credibility of natural explanations for all of them.

Whether people accept or reject miracle claims, then, depends on the background assumptions they bring to these accounts.

Three Books on Evangelism

Book Reviewed Craig S. Keener, Miracles Today: The Supernatural Work of God in the Modern World (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2021).

GEORGE P. WOOD is executive editor of Influence magazine.

By INFLUENCE MAGAZINE

Change the Map

Contagious Faith

Mark Durene (AG World Missions)

Mark Mittelberg (Zondervan)

Change the Map aims to “stir readers’ hearts with concern and passion to reach Buddhist people with the gospel message.” Drawing on his church-planting experience in Thailand, veteran missionary Mark Durene helps readers understand what Buddhism teaches, how it shapes culture, and how best to disciple Buddhist people, focusing especially on prayer.

Longer online review: inf.mg/7wu

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Those with an open mind just might find Keener’s apologetic persuasive.

Fall 2021

“There are a variety of natural approaches we can take to reach people around us [with the gospel] — things we can say and do that fit our own Godgiven personalities,” writes Mark Mittelberg. Contagious Faith describes five evangelistic styles — friendship-building, selfless-serving, story-sharing, reason-giving, and truth-telling — and lists key skills for each.

Longer online review: inf.mg/7xh

Effective Intercultural Evangelism W. Jay Moon and W. Bud Simon (IVP)

Jay Moon and Bud Simon define intercultural evangelism as “the process of putting Christ at the center of someone’s worldview in order to initiate them into Christian discipleship through culturally relevant starting points.” Effective Intercultural Evangelism describes four worldviews — justice/guilt, shame/ honor, fear/power, and indifference/belonging with purpose — and outlines best evangelism practices for each worldview context.

Longer online review: inf.mg/7xe

By CHOCO DE JESÚS

Loving like Jesus in a divided world 40

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esus lived in a way that was remarkably approachable, vulnerable and appealing. But today, the mood of many Christians is shaped more by echo chambers than by the heart of God. In recent years, people increasingly have gotten their “news” from social media. However, social media isn’t designed to communicate hard facts.

Its goal is to grab attention for advertisers, and it seems nothing sells like fear and anger. Social media companies use sophisticated algorithms to track every click, predicting what people will “like” and providing videos and links that promise to keep them engaged.

In this environment, it’s much easier to label certain people as “them” and conclude that those who disagree with us are malevolent or foolish — or both.

We come to believe they are enemies who threaten our values and our way of life. We don’t openly attack them, but we keep our distance and find ways to keep from engaging in any meaningful way.

We insulate ourselves for protection from crime, gangs, and drugs. We insulate ourselves for comfort to be with people who look like us, talk like us, believe like us, and even eat like us.

It’s completely reasonable … and it’s terribly narrow.

University of California, Berkeley, sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild spent several summers in Louisiana researching the grievances of white, middle-class people. In her book Strangers in Their Own Land, she reports that both conservatives and liberals have their own “deep stories” — narratives about who they are and what’s valuable. These narratives don’t

actually have to be true, but they feel true to those who subscribe to them.

Hochschild spent most of her time focusing on conservatives, whose deep story was rooted in the classic American dream: If you work hard and play by the rules, you’ll have a better life.

Those she interviewed were angry and disillusioned because they thought others were cutting in line in front of them in pursuit of the American dream. They believed racial and ethnic minorities were getting special treatment and making more progress, and they concluded that wasn’t fair.

Many evangelical Christians share a sense of outrage that liberal court decisions and progressive laws are eroding their moral imperatives. This narrative combines political populism with spiritual resentment. The result is a siege mentality against the forces that seemingly oppose them.

I don’t believe this is the attitude we should have. We should be known for our love, not our anger, and for our compassion, not our fear. Love recognizes hard realities and chooses to move toward people with open hearts, open ears, and at least a temporarily closed mouth. We’ll have plenty of time to express our thoughts, but we can do so with more kindness and wisdom if we avoid speaking too soon.

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I’m not saying we should silently accept things that bother us. I’m not saying we should let others erode our values while we shrug our shoulders as if there’s nothing we can do. What I’m saying is that Jesus didn’t hate people who disagreed with Him. He spoke the truth to them, was incredibly patient with them, and sacrificed His life for them. Even though they opposed Him, He loved them anyway.

In 2012, I accompanied Rick Warren and several other pastors to an HIV/AIDS conference in Washington, D.C. About 25,000 people attended, including doctors and nurses, social workers, community activists, and many from the LGBTQ community.

In the foyer, vendors were selling condoms that glowed in the dark and all sorts of things I won’t mention.

We felt completely out of place. A gay man from Chicago heard I was at the conference. He tracked me down to invite me to lunch. As soon as we sat down, he looked at me with a sense of astonishment and asked, “Pastor, what in the world are you doing here?”

“I just want to be like Jesus and go to where the people are,” I replied.

“I’m here to love you.”

He looked confused, so I continued: “Look, your lifestyle doesn’t frighten me. We don’t have to agree for me to love you, and you don’t have to change for me to love you.”

We talked for two hours, and we parted as friends who understood

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each other better than before. Today, I see him occasionally, and I’m glad to connect each time. He invariably gives me a big hug because we have a bond based on unconditional love. He knows I don’t support gay activism, but he also knows I care about him, even if he never changes his lifestyle or his convictions.

In defense of Christian values, some of us use unchristian methods and words. Jesus was amazingly patient with clueless and impulsive disciples, and if we learn to love like Him, we’ll be patient enough to be a bridge between competing factions. Our demeanor should welcome interaction, understanding and trust so we can find workable solutions to seemingly intractable problems.

The currency of the kingdom of God isn’t prayer, Bible study, missions or service; it’s love.

A 2017 study by Pew Research Center showed the partisan divide over racial discrimination, immigration, welfare for the needy, and international diplomacy had risen rapidly over the previous 25 years. In fact, the gap on these issues was wider between people of different political

We should be known for our love, not our anger, and for our compassion, not our fear. persuasions than it was across other demographics, such as age, gender, race, education, and religious service attendance. The common term used to describe this polarization is tribalism. We’re intensely loyal to the tribe that believes and votes like us.

This loyalty often leads to the use of negative stereotypes and labels (hypocrites, selfish, cruel, stupid, etc.) to demean the other side. Sadly, many Christians engage in this behavior.

They feel completely justified in their fury, which makes them determined to dominate and defeat people who disagree with them instead of listening, having meaningful conversations, finding common ground, and building true friendships. We won’t be able to bridge the divide if we stand back and condemn, or if we leave.

As our three children were growing up, a time came when we needed more space. The suburbs looked attractive — a bigger house at a lower cost, far

less crime, a quieter environment, better schools, more convenient shopping, and great restaurants. A move to the suburbs sounded perfect.

But one night, I realized the convenience wasn’t worth the price. I couldn’t tell others to love like Jesus if we moved out of the neighborhood where we ministered. Jesus lived among the people and gave himself for others instead of looking for a place where He would be more comfortable.

I told my wife, Elizabeth, about my convictions, and she agreed. We bought a lot in Humboldt Park and built a house there. We wanted everyone to know we were committed to the people in our neighborhood. We wanted to show them they could trust God in Humboldt Park and thrive by loving Him, loving strangers, loving one another, and loving life.

HEART TRANSPLANT

I’ve seen a lot of people give in to bitterness and divisions, take sides, and despise people on the other side. I’ve also known a few people who, seeing the damage inflicted by fear and hate, tried to be kind. Their efforts were noble, but the effect seldom lasted long. We need more than determination; we need a heart transplant.

What is the sign of someone who has been given a new heart and is empowered by the Holy Spirit? It’s that he or she follows God’s laws.

What laws? To love God with all our hearts and our neighbors as ourselves.

A heart of stone is hard, angry and demanding, but a new heart is filled with God’s compassion for every person we encounter — including those who are far from Christ. Jesus didn’t

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distinguish between the deserving and the undeserving. He loved them all.

When your heart is filled with compassion, you will learn to love like Jesus loves. People will notice, and they’ll marvel at the greatness of God. Today, far too many people see Christians as angry conservatives who are more interested in winning political arguments than loving people. But when God gives you a new heart, people will be amazed.

In every interaction you have, God’s reputation is at stake, and your heart and actions display His character … or not. God spoke through the prophet: I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I am proved holy through you before their eyes (Ezekiel 36:23).

We sometimes have the wrong understanding of holiness. It’s not rigid adherence to strict rules. It’s far more than that! Holiness is the essence underlying all of God’s characteristics; it makes each part of His nature perfect and immeasurable. His love, wisdom, power, presence and judgment are far beyond anything we can imagine. Harsh, condemning attitudes and language profane the name of God, but when we have new hearts, people get a glimpse of God’s greatness and mercy.

When God’s people display hearts of stone, people can’t see His true nature. Our tender hearts, our positive attitudes, our gracious behavior,

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our love, our fight for justice for the oppressed — these are the things that make people thirsty for the God we follow.

In every interaction you have, G od’s reputation is at stake, and your heart and actions display His character ... or not.

EVEN THEM?

The currency of the kingdom of God isn’t prayer, Bible study, missions or service; it’s love. All the disciplines are means to put us in touch with the love of God so it overflows into the lives of those around us. Whom does God want us to love? Everyone. Our love should know no bounds.

In Jesus’ most famous sermon, He

What Jesus identified as the second greatest commandment tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves. corrected the teaching of the religious leaders about people who opposed them (Matthew 5:43–48.)

The Old Testament doesn’t tell people to hate their enemies. In fact, what Jesus identified as the second greatest commandment tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves (Leviticus 19:18; Mark 12:31). But in Jesus’ day, the religious leaders had added to the teaching of Scripture. That’s why Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said” (Matthew 5:43) instead of, “It is written.”

Does it seem radical, unwise and maybe insane to love our enemies?

We need to remember we were once God’s enemies (Romans 5:10), but God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to die the death we deserved so we could receive the honor He deserved. That’s the measure of God’s

love! When we love like that, we’re following the example of our Father in heaven. Jesus explained that God’s love knows no limits. He loves the just and the unjust. God blesses those who love Him and those who ignore Him or despise Him. The love we experience and extend to our enemies isn’t remotely like the usual way people talk about love. Most people love only those who love them.

What’s radical about that? Nothing.

Even pagans love that way. But we’re supposed to love even those who annoy us, ignore us, ridicule us, and wish to harm us.

Emotional conflict occurs not only in relationships with people across the political and economic divide but also in the family of God. Far too often, Christians harbor resentment toward other Christians. Instead of forgiving and loving, we gossip, withdraw or openly criticize others.

On the night Jesus was betrayed, He told His disciples, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34–35).

Was loving other believers a new concept? No, but it was new to love them “as I have loved you.” I’m sure the disciples gulped as they looked around at one another. Only hours before, they had argued about who would take the prime positions of

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power when Jesus was crowned king.

They were jealous and competitive.

Now Jesus was telling them to pour out the same compassion, attention and care on one another that He had lavished on them.

Today, Jesus wants us to love the people in our churches with that same lavish love — tenderly, strongly, actively and sacrificially. And again, Jesus reminds us that everybody is watching when He says, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” If you criticize, condemn and nitpick believers around you, everyone will know you aren’t one of His disciples.

Are you thinking of someone right now? (Perhaps you’re hoping no one is thinking about you!) In many ways, Christians are no different from people outside the family of God. Most of us are just as self-absorbed, just as distracted, and just as fearful and angry as those who never come to church. We’re not the salt of the earth that makes people thirsty for Jesus, and we’re not the light of the world that reveals the wonder of God’s love and forgiveness.

The divide is very real in our culture today. But God’s love is still here, under the surface, and it’s the love that heals wounds, builds bridges, and connects hearts. Division has become so common that love can feel weird and wrong at times. Some say we are against this and opposed to that; they say we want to control people and dominate the country. They say we do a lot more judging than loving.

We haven’t done a good job of representing the Father who blesses the just and the unjust, who loves every person, and who is amazingly patient

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We’re supposed to love even those who annoy us, ignore us, ridicule us, and wish to harm us. with those in disagreement with Him. We need to change the impression people have of Christians and our Christ. We can do better. We must do better. And it begins with us admitting our part in creating and extending the divide.

Can you imagine what difference we’d make if we all left church on Sunday so full of Jesus that we radiate His love to everyone we meet at work, at school, over the backyard fence, on the field, and in the stores?

Try to imagine it, and then start with the one person you’re responsible for: yourself.

Adapted from Love Them Anyway by Choco De Jesús. Copyright ©2021.

Used by permission of Charisma House. All rights reserved.

CHOCO DE JESÚS is general treasurer of the Assemblies of God USA.

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9 Nine

principles for becoming a more effective leader

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S

elf-leadership is for everyone.

From an early age, we begin to develop simple self-leadership skills. Even a potty-training toddler has to learn to self-identify moments of need and the corresponding correct actions.

As we grow, self-leadership becomes increasingly challenging. From time management to task management, from preparing a budget to following a budget, and from making goals to keeping goals, learning to lead oneself is a lifelong task. We have all conquered potty training, but few of us have fully mastered self-leadership.

The further you rise in leadership, the more responsibilities you add, and the more important self-leadership becomes. Leading a church is not easy — especially in the current climate of anger and division. But as tough as it is to lead others, the most difficult person you will ever lead is yourself.

Even seasoned leaders struggle at times to stay focused, get to the next leadership level, develop healthy relationships, and keep their emotions in check. These are all self-leadership issues.

Whether you are a staff member, a missionary, a lead pastor, or a district official, you must first lead yourself. Some call it an art. I just call it hard!

I am still learning to self-lead. I’m not an expert, but I have discovered nine helpful principles.

1. Make key attitude decisions in advance.

Consider scenarios you may encounter, and predetermine your response. For example, how will you respond when someone complains about your sermon? The next time you feel like raising your voice in anger at a staff member, what will you do instead?

How will you react if the board meeting vote doesn’t go your way?

Thinking through such situations in advance can help you make better decisions in the heat of the moment. Under pressure, you will revert to

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your default nature. To avoid that, make the right decisions ahead of time.

I don’t like conflict. My natural reaction when I encounter conflict is to withdraw. But that is not always a healthy way to lead. So I have decided not to run from tension.

A few months ago, I felt betrayed by a close friend and team member. My first instinct was to withdraw and withhold my time and attention from the offender. But because I had predetermined my reaction, I met with this person at the earliest opportunity. That way, I couldn’t change my mind and withdraw.

Similarly, I have predetermined what I will argue about in my marriage. When something trivial happens, I don’t fuss and complain. Why? I have already made the decision to let it go.

One of the key self-leadership passages in Scripture is Philippians 2:5–8: Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death — even death on a cross!

Self-leadership is about more than just living by your priorities.

It’s about living out the priorities Jesus has established for your life.

Jesus made His attitude decision in advance of the Cross. He was able to remain silent as He was insulted and beaten because He had already decided what His attitude would be — that of a humble, obedient servant.

2. Manage decisions you have already made.

After making decisions in advance, you have to actively manage those decisions.

For example, suppose you decide to get in shape by exercising five days a week. Managing that decision means sticking to the commitment even when you would rather do something else. Or if you decide to remain positive in all situations rather than defaulting to criticism, you may need to practice keeping your opinion to yourself until you have something positive to say.

Most people can make good decisions. The difference between ineffective and effective self-leaders is in the day-to-day management of those decisions.

Poor self-leaders ignore their principle-based boundaries and instead go with whatever feels right in the moment. This can lead to unhealthy relationships, poor financial decisions, and ministry missteps.

As Christians, our decision-making process is not only an act of the will, it is also a spiritual exercise. The apostle Paul wrote about taking “captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

Your thoughts may not always be right. But with the help of the Holy Spirit, you can take those thoughts captive and do the right thing, regardless of your emotions.

3. Live selflessly.

Philippians 2:3–4 says, “In humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Often, a lack of self-leadership flows from selfishness. I know the right thing to do, but I want to do something different. I know I shouldn’t lose my temper, but I am angry about what someone else did. I know I shouldn’t be critical, but I don’t agree with what others are doing. I know my reaction is wrong, but the situation just doesn’t seem fair.

Poor self-leadership focuses on “I” and “my.”

Leading myself well requires prioritizing the thoughts, feelings and needs of others. An others first, me last mentality must prevail.

Self-leadership is about more than just living by your priorities. It’s about living out the priorities Jesus has established for your life. It doesn’t matter what you want; what matters is what He wants.

What is the right thing to do, according to Scripture?

How can you put God and others first and follow the selfless example of Jesus?

4. Seek self-awareness.

I have a friend who is a high-level leader in his organization. He is competent and smart, but he has a reputation for using people instead of valuing them.

Sadly, my friend does not realize how his leadership style hurts those he leads.

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To lead yourself, you must develop recognition of what you are doing and how others are receiving it. Here are some key questions to consider: n What habits or tendencies do I fight?

n How do people perceive me?

n Am I currently growing?

n Do the people around me challenge

me to grow?

n When I make a mistake, what most

often causes it?

It is dangerous for a leader to be unaware of his or her own weaknesses. The effective self-leader looks for areas that need improving and invites others to point out flaws.

What you can’t see, you won’t change. What you don’t change will become a habit. Your habits will become your lifestyle. Leaders who fail to recognize personal deficiencies will ultimately develop unhealthy habits.

5. Stop when you are headed in the wrong direction.

When my son Parker was young, he had a tendency to make bad situations worse. I helped him learn to recognize when the situation was headed in the wrong direction. That way, if Parker couldn’t turn it around, he could at least stop the negative momentum.

Like Parker, many people go from bad to worse.

Instead of stopping, they stack bad decisions on top of bad decisions. The effective self-leader recognizes early when he or she is headed in the wrong direction and stops the behavior.

6. Develop and maintain healthy habits.

n Who is currently speaking into my

life?

n With what kind of people do I most

often struggle?

n Am I moving up the leadership lad-

der? Why or why not?

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Decisions lead to actions. Repeated actions become habits. An effective self-leader develops healthy habits and maintains them.

I don’t always want to work out. Some mornings, I am tired or lazy. But I have established the habit, based on a decision, flowing out of a priority. Every time I follow through, I am ingraining the habit in my mind and schedule.

You have habits. Everyone does. Why not form good ones? The great thing about habits is that you get to choose them.

Paul instructed the Thessalonians to develop healthy habits: Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish

you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:12–18).

This list includes a lot of good habits. Love, respect and honor leaders. Resolve conflict. Warn people who are making wrong choices. Offer encouragement. Help the needy. Practice patience and kindness. Choose joy. Pray. Express gratitude. Such habits are just as relevant for God’s people today as they were in Paul’s day.

with self-leadership is observing incongruent behavior in different contexts. A pastor who preaches against drinking but sips a margarita on vacation is a poor self-leader. A staff member who is respectful to authorities but mistreats those under his or her supervision is a poor self-leader. A teacher who encourages tithing but fails to practice it personally is a poor self-leader. A deacon whose words are pure in church but profane on the golf course is a poor self-leader.

If you can’t lead yourself effectively, why would others want to follow you? Good self-leaders act with the same integrity in every context. Their character and behavior are not situation based; they are decision based. That kind of leadership builds trust, respect and commitment in followers.

Paul said to the church in Corinth: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). If people follow your example, are they following the example of Jesus?

7. Do the right thing, regardless of the context.

I don’t just do right when I am with our district superintendent. I appreciate and follow his leadership. But I also lead myself in doing right when he’s not around. I strive to be the same person in church and at home, in public and in private.

A simple way to spot someone who is struggling

8. Do what is right even when it is difficult, expensive or inconvenient.

Anyone can do right when there is a reward. Anyone can do right when someone is watching. Anyone can do right when there is a mandate.

If you can’t lead yourself effectively, why would others want to follow you?

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In this season, effective self-leadership for me has often consisted of closing the screen of my laptop, closing my mouth, and choosing to love those with whom I disagree.

Effective self-leaders do right even when there is no immediate reward, when no one will know, when there is no requirement, and when it is expensive, inconvenient, uncomfortable or arduous.

They make the decision in advance, based on a principle.

9. Depend on God. Leading yourself is a difficult task. In fact, without the help of the Holy Spirit, it is an impossible task! Effective self-leaders acknowledge their weaknesses and tendency to fail. Rather than becoming spiritually proud, they stay humble, relying daily on the leading of the Holy Spirit and divine wisdom.

Proverbs 2:6–11 describes the benefits of depending on God: For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair — every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.

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The self-leadership journey is strenuous. Just when I think I have arrived, a new challenge pops up.

During this pandemic, I have had to practice self-restraint more than ever. I have a lot of opinions. A few of them might even be right. But I also know that sharing my opinions could create unnecessary hardship for my church and distractions for me as the leader.

I want to stridently declare what others should do. I want to argue about why my opinion is right.

I want to challenge some who still haven’t returned to church. I want to vent my anger and emotions on social media. But I know none of that will advance the Kingdom or build God’s Church.

In this season, effective self-leadership for me has often consisted of closing the screen of my laptop, closing my mouth, and choosing to love those with whom I disagree.

No one said self-leadership was easy! Self-leadership is a journey, a lifetime task. The effective self-leader is better equipped to lead others and to lead a healthy, life-giving organization.

ROD LOY is senior pastor of First Assembly of God in North Little Rock, Arkansas.

ut of Darkness…

Into His Wonderful Light

U N D E R S TA N D I N G T H E S P I R I T W O R L D For we are not struggling against human beings, but against the rulers, authorities and cosmic powers governing this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.

Out of Darkness ... Into His Wonderful Light

“This an

– Ephesians 6:12 CJB

THE BIBLE STUDY YOUR GROU

we are not struggling against man beings, but against the ers, authorities and cosmic wers governing this darkness, st the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.

“This is not a book of extremes, but a well-written Do angelic visits still What is demon p and biblically balanced approach to aoccur? complex bitterness?

A spirit of infirmity? Can a Christian subject.” from oppression? How can I he -Dr. Gaylan D. Claunch, Superintendent North Texas District Assemblies of God

– Ephesians 6:12 CJB For we are not struggling against human beings, but against the rulers, authorities and cosmic powers governing this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.

Ephesians 6:12, CJB

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Dr. Gaylan D. Claunch, Superintendent North Texas District Assemblies of God

THE BIBLE STUDY YOUR GROUP HAS BEEN WAITING FOR!!

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56

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THE INNOVATIVE CHURCH

By JEFFERY PORTMANN and JOHN DAVIDSON

Christ’s message doesn’t change, but the Church’s methods should

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T

wo years ago this fall many of us were making strategic plans for our churches’ ministries in 2020. Scheduling, budgeting, and staffing figured prominently in those plans as we focused on the goal of reaching more people for Jesus.

COVID came instead and ripped our plans to shreds. Lockdowns and quarantines prevented us from meeting in person. Out with the planned schedule! With limited or no in-person meetings, some congregations saw giving decline. Out with the planned budget! Without a stable budget, we took a hit financially and some staff members lost their jobs. Out with staffing plans!

Overnight, we scrambled to come up with Plan B for effective ministry under difficult conditions.

In-person meetings moved online. We passed the plate on smartphone apps. Volunteers found alternative ways to serve.

In short, we innovated.

Churches that were able to pivot quickly to Plan B thrived. Most churches moved more slowly and survived. Some never managed to make the necessary changes and closed their doors.

Innovating is necessary because our circumstances are always in flux. The past 21 months have offered a learning lab to pastors and other church leaders. What lessons in innovation do we need to carry into the future?

A Biblical Paradigm

The pandemic wasn’t the first time believers got creative about ministry. Church history is filled with examples of forward gospel movement made possible by innovation.

Your Bible itself is an example of two innovations: the translation of Scripture from its original languages into the vernacular and the use of printing presses to make affordable copies.

More importantly, the Bible is a record of the creative ways God’s people have carried out His redemptive mission in the world.

Take the Book of Acts, for example. Jesus told His followers, “You will receive power when the Holy

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Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (1:8). Each stage of geographic expansion required changes in the way the Church ministered to people.

Paul captured the gist of those changes when he wrote, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22).

For Paul and the early Christians, the message of the gospel never changed: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). The methods they used to communicate that message can and did change, however.

When the mission matters — and ours certainly does — we don’t quit. We can’t quit! Too much is at stake. Like the friends of the paralyzed man in Mark 2:1–12, we find a way forward. We innovate.

These men brought their friend to Jesus because they knew He could work miracles. But when they got to the house where Jesus was teaching, it was too crowded to get in. So, they carried the man on his mat onto the roof, created an opening, and lowered him down. Seeing the man, Jesus first forgave him, then healed him.

The primary meaning of this story is theological and spiritual. Theologically, Jesus has authority to forgive and power to heal (verse 10). Spiritually, we should put our faith in Him, just as the paralyzed man and his friends did (verse 5).

As we consider the effort the paralyzed man’s friends made to bring him to Jesus, however, we can also glean several lessons about innovation that apply to our ministry context.

First, the most important thing in all churchly innovation is access to Jesus. He alone has authority to forgive and heal. If our church’s ministries do not lead people into an encounter with Jesus, we are not helping them. Any ministry that impedes people’s access to Jesus must be changed.

Second, innovation often takes place at a point of need. Typically, what motivates people to come to Jesus is a felt need of some sort. In this man’s case, that felt need was healing. His friends’ innovations

The goal of your discipleship pathway should always be to meet people’s deepest needs through the gospel.

If there is a hurdle, remove it. centered on getting him to Jesus to meet this need.

The man had a deeper need for forgiveness, however. We don’t know whether the paralyzed man felt that need. Regardless, Jesus met both kinds of need.

Innovating in church should always lead to meeting needs. The goal of your discipleship pathway should always be to meet people’s deepest needs through the gospel. If there is a hurdle, remove it.

Third, innovation works best in partnership. The chance of one man getting his paralyzed friend to

Jesus was small. But with each additional person grabbing a corner of the mat, the possibility of healing came closer.

Church members are people we minister with, not just to. They should be active participants in ministry, not passive recipients of it. Our job as ministers is “to equip [God’s] people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Ephesians 4:12). We really do need one another!

A fourth lesson is that solving old problems sometimes creates new problems. When the crowd around the house blocked the friends’ access to Jesus, they took a novel approach. A mat-sized hole solved the problem of the paralyzed man’s access to Jesus, even as it created a roofing problem for the homeowner.

Your church is facing a problem, and you need a solution. We’d all like the cleanest and simplest way forward. But sometimes the best answer requires working harder and overcoming multiple obstacles.

Take livestreaming, for instance. While churches found free platforms for streaming their services online, many had to purchase new equipment, train volunteers, and assign someone the task of moderating discussion.

Fifth, innovation breeds opposition. When you shake up the status quo, there will be those who oppose you.

We see this in Jesus’ ministry. In fact, the teachers of the law thought He was blaspheming when Jesus claimed authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:6– 7). Later in the same chapter, these religious leaders went on to complain about Jesus’ habit of “eating with the sinners and tax collectors” (verse 16).

Was Jesus’ theology innovative? That God can forgive sins was not a new truth. On the other hand, that God is incarnate in Jesus, giving Him authority to forgive sins, was certainly news to the Pharisees.

Jesus’ choice of dinner companions more obviously qualifies as an innovation in ministry. He was violating a Pharisaic tradition concerning the kind of people one could have table fellowship with. Notice Jesus’ motivation was to give direct access to the people (“sinners”) who needed Him most (verse 17).

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When we face opposition to innovation, we should weigh the benefits against the costs. If we reach new people with the life-changing power of the gospel because of innovative ministry, it was definitely worth the cost of opposition.

Finally, we need to be wary of settling too soon.

Rewind to the beginning of the story, and it is apparent that it could have taken a very different turn if not for the persistence and faith of the man and his friends.

There were multiple points when the paralytic could have said, “This is too much. Just take me back home.” Or the friends could have said, “Well, we tried. Sorry, but it’s not going to happen for you.”

Whenever we bump up against problems, there’s a temptation to ignore the possibilities because they

It’s one of the many reasons to seek Him continually in prayer. We offer to God what we can’t fix on our own and He works, both in us and through us, for His glory and our benefit.

In the end, then, innovation is God’s creative power working through us.

Reactive Innovation

There are two different types of innovation. The first is reactive innovation. As the name implies, this kind of innovation occurs when we react to a problem or crisis we are in the midst of experiencing.

Reactive innovation is changing because we have to. This is where most of us have lived over the past 21 months.

The pandemic provided more than its fair share of bad news to churches. However, good news was

Too often we settle for what we have because the familiar, though not preferable, is all we know. seem so far out of reach. Too often we settle for what we have because the familiar, though not preferable, is all we know. We become resigned to the fact that this is just how things are.

We often hear, “It is what it is.” This perspective, while masquerading as contentment, is more often just self-defeat.

God sees where we are but wants to move us to where we need to be. He is able to do what we can’t.

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also abundant if we looked in the right direction.

For example, Nik Baumgart of The Grove Church (AG) in Marysville, Washington, was one of the first to institute a drive-in church concept. This creative idea soon spread across the country.

Some churches — such as Evangel Church (AG) in Scotch Plains, N.J., — suddenly became community hubs for distributing food to the newly unemployed.

We all learned something. Churches with no online presence before the pandemic became adept at livestreaming Sunday services and meeting virtually throughout the week. We shifted from large in-person gatherings to small-group watch parties in church members’ homes.

The crucial question with reactive innovation is what to do going forward. Should we remove the innovations as conditions return to “normal,” or should we retain them? To determine the next steps, we need to do four things: 1. Remember. You and your leadership team need to capture all the lessons you’ve learned in these extraordinary times. What changes did you make in response to the pandemic? Who made the decision? How were the changes carried out?

2. Assess. Reactive innovation can feel a bit like throwing things against a wall to see what sticks.

After listing all the innovations you made during the pandemic, consider what worked. Church members probably found the Sunday morning livestream helpful, for example, but did they really need the daily video devotion?

3. Retain. After identifying what worked, retain those things as an ongoing part of your ministry. We believe livestreaming is here to stay, as are giving apps and virtual small groups. Churches that didn’t have social media before the pandemic need to keep those new accounts active. Make these reactive innovations the “new normal” in your ministry.

4. Adapt. We do not know what crises we will face in the future. However, we do know that we will face crises. And when those occur, we will need to react innovatively in ministry. Have a process in place for worst-case scenarios, so that if something bad happens, your team will know how to respond.

Proactive Innovation

If reactive innovation is changing because you have to, proactive innovation is changing before you have to.

In Steering Through Chaos, Scott Wilson argues that the best time to make changes in the normal life cycle of a church is when you have upward

momentum, not when you’re experiencing a crisis or decline.

The problem is when a church is experiencing upward momentum, most church members don’t see any reason to change. From their point of view, the church is growing and things are going well.

So, why change? As the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

“If it ain’t broke” is not a good ministry philosophy, however. Why? Consider another saying from the world of business: “Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets.” A system may work but still not deliver the results you want.

If you want different results, you have to change the system.

The most noteworthy trend in American religion over the past five decades is the rise of the “nones.”

According to the General Social Survey, between 1972 and 2018, the share of Americans claiming no religious affiliation rose from 5.1% to 23.7%.

Much of this change represents movement away from mainline Protestantism and Catholicism, which shrank precipitously over that period. Even evangelical Christianity is declining, however. In 1972, evangelicals constituted 17% of the U.S. populace, rising to a high-water mark of 29.9% in 1993.

But since then, they’ve decreased to just 21.6%.

If every system is perfectly designed to get the results it receives, these numbers indicate American church systems need to change.

Again, the most important thing in all churchly innovation is access to Jesus. Church systems — worship, evangelism, discipleship, and compassion — exist to help people encounter Jesus at their point of need. Church leaders must keep asking two important questions.

First, who is currently missing from church? If you are in a small community, you might know their names. In a larger community, you might notice their demographic categories. Either way, make a thorough assessment of who in your community has not heard the gospel.

Second, what are effective access points for those outside the church? For many years,

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church-growth experts advocated an attractional model of ministry in which church members invite their neighbors to “come and see” what is happening at church on Sunday morning.

The problem with this model is that increasing numbers of people do not want to come to church on Sunday, but they may be willing to participate in the life of a church if given alternatives. These alternatives can include small groups, service opportunities, recovery ministries, and the like.

Your church should offer multiple forms of participation to capture as much interest from the community as possible.

After your church successfully implements proactive innovation, it will become clear to members that the change was beneficial. However, every methodology, system or program we’re using to reach the lost will eventually reach a point of waning effectiveness. When that happens, it’s time to change again.

Successful church leadership requires learning to proactively innovate to reach the lost and make disciples … on a regular basis.

The most important thing in all churchly innovation is access to Jesus.

Onward

The necessity of innovation — whether reactive or proactive — calls for leadership. John Maxwell says leaders see more than others see, and they see before others see. Getting out in front of others and calling for change is not easy, but that is the burden of ministry.

As Pentecostals, we don’t believe it’s a burden we carry alone, however. Instead, the Holy Spirit carries us. He sees both more and before even we do. If there’s anyone who is interested in expanding

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access to Christ, it’s the Spirit. That’s why we need to lean into Him as our power for witness (Acts 1:8).

The past two years have been difficult, but the problems we’re facing now are not our final chapter, just the most recent one. There is hurt and heartache, disappointment and discouragement, brokenness and barrenness. But there is also forgiveness and healing, hope and encouragement, fruitfulness and effectiveness.

May God give us through the Holy Spirit the power and creativity we need to make the changes we must so that many will come to Jesus in the coming year!

JEFFERY PORTMANN, D.Min., is director of Church Multiplication Network for the General Council of the Assemblies of God in Springfield, Missouri.

JOHN DAVIDSON, Ph.D., is director of leadership development for the General Council of the Assemblies of God in Springfield, Missouri.

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your sons and daughters

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will prophesy Cultivating the gift of prophecy in the next generation

By CAROLYN TENNANT

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I

was praying after a service with students at our Assemblies of God Bible school in Buenos Aires, Argentina, when the Lord gave me a prophetic word for a young man.

At the same time, a student ministering in music at the opposite end of the room began vocalizing a new song in the Spirit, prophesying the same words I was in the process of delivering. I later told the young worship leader, and he rejoiced, knowing the Spirit had truly used him. The young man said he was never quite sure before whether he was hearing from God, but now he would have more faith to step out.

Learning to recognize the voice of God is vital. After all, the essence of

prophecy is hearing from God and sharing that message properly. According to Revelation 19:10, “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Joel said that in the last days our sons and daughters would prophesy (Joel 2:28). I believe we must prepare the next generation to receive all that God has for them. Are we teaching them by example what authentic prophecy should look like?

A Case for Prophecy Young and old alike should welcome prophecy as life-giving. Prophecy makes room for God to speak, direct, prepare, build up, guide, confirm, admonish, and encourage the body of Christ. This powerfully fortifies the Church.

What congregation would want to go without these important aspects of health in the Spirit? Prophesy played a significant role in the apostolic Church. The apostle Paul instructed the Corinthians to “eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy” (1 Corinthians 14:1).

Prophecy remains crucial to the development and well-being of today’s churches. This important gift never ceased throughout the ages, and it will continue until we see our Lord face to face. God is still speaking, both through the Bible and through His people. He continues to use prophecy to lead His Church in these changing times.

Christ followers today need to know how to flow in the Spirit to deliver and discern prophecy. They must learn to hear from God. Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).

As Satan is ramping up in these last days, a spiritual battle rages. God intends for prophecy to be one of the means by which He builds up the Church so we can fight the war.

First Corinthians 14:3 says, “The one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.” The NASB puts it this way: “The one who prophesies speaks to people for edification, exhortation, and consolation.”

Prophecies often affirm what we are already sensing or provide guidance that aligns with what God is saying elsewhere. A prophecy can encourage and spur us on. When we need comfort, God may give us a compassionate word that consoles and supports us.

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Sometimes people put emphasis on the edification part of this verse, insisting there should never be a negative or corrective prophecy. However, edification is not always positive. A message is edifying when it improves the mind or character. Certainly, reproval can lead to improvement.

When God points out problem areas, His assessment helps individuals and the congregation as a whole make adjustments. However, such prophecies should come from mature people who are loving, humble, and broken over sin and error.

The Spirit may also reveal what is to come so we can prepare, receive confirmation of God’s will, and experience encouragement. When a prophetic word from another believer lines up with Scripture and what we have been sensing from God, it can bring assurance that God is leading.

I once was traveling in another state and felt led to stop at an unfamiliar AG church. During the service, the Lord gave me a prophetic message for that place. I went up to the pastor after the altar call concluded and told him and the other leaders present what I felt God was saying. Tearing up, the pastor said I was the third visitor that week who had prophesied the same thing. I love it when God surprises us with such confirmation.

The Lord can speak to us in many ways, times and places. For example, the Spirit may provide a gift of prophecy during a church service, through the music segment of worship, in writing, through drama and art, in preaching and teaching, or through counseling.

It could happen at an altar, in the parking lot, in the boardroom, in a hospital waiting room, or even at the grocery store. God’s timing is not always what we might expect, but it is always perfect.

For this reason, we need to stay tuned in to God’s voice throughout the week, inside and outside of church. God can speak to us anywhere, but we must listen. God is looking for attentive hearts.

Prophecy makes room for God to speak, direct, prepare, build up, guide, confirm, admonish, and encourage the body of Christ.

Old Testament Prophecy The writer of Hebrews said, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways” (Hebrews 1:1). Prophets certainly played a significant role in Old Testament times.

In the Old Testament, the prophet’s assignment was twofold: to receive the divine message, and to deliver it

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faithfully. The three Hebrew terms for “prophet” reflect these responsibilities.

The Hebrew words chose or ro’eh indicated the prophets’ role of grasping God’s message as it was revealed to them. These words are often translated as “seer” (i.e., a person who sees what God wants to do or say).

Nabi is the most frequently used Hebrew word for prophet in the Old Testament. It describes prophets conveying their message through speech, in writing, or in other forms.

Each of these Hebraic terms underscores the prophetic role as the human side of God’s ongoing divine communication. The prophets heard and saw from God, and then they sensed when it was time to speak.

The Old Testament is replete with the words of well-known prophets, such as Ezekiel, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Zechariah. It also mentions many lesser-known prophets who nonetheless helped keep God’s people on the right track.

There were several Old Testament female prophets (nabia) as well, including Miriam, Huldah, Isaiah’s wife, and Deborah, who served as a prophet, judge, and military leader of Israel.

Old Testament prophets were instrumental in guiding both Judah and Israel. They spoke for God, warning of impending judgment for engaging in idolatry and violating His covenant. Leaders often sought the insight of prophets to determine direction at pivotal moments, such as times of war.

Prophets sometimes reprimanded people individually, like when Elijah faced off with King Ahab (1 Kings 18:18–19). They also dealt with justice issues (Amos 2:6–7; Micah 6:8). In everything the prophets followed what Peter described: “Prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).

Prophetic work is like an iceberg. Its roots are 90% hidden in prayer and 10% visible.

New Testament Prophecy The Spirit came upon prophets in the Old Testament. After the Day of Pentecost, prophecy was active in the Church as the Spirt came to reside in each believer, moving upon some to prophesy.

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Prophecy is the only gift of the Spirit named in every New Testament list of gifts. These include Romans 12:6–8, which explains that we have “different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us,” and then starts the list with prophesying; 1 Corinthians 12:7–10, which says all the gifts are for the common good; 1 Corinthians 12:27–31, which reminds us to desire the “greater gifts”; Ephesians 4:11, which lists prophets as one of the five gifts to the church; and 1 Peter 4:10–11, which refers to “one who speaks the very words of God.” Since prophecy is always included among the various gifts, it must be one we do not want to neglect.

Prophetic people are mentioned throughout the New Testament. In just the first two chapters of Luke’s Gospel, Elizabeth, Mary, Zechariah, Simeon, and Anna all speak prophetically about Jesus.

In the Early Church, prophetic activity was normative. Acts 11:27–28 tells of a man named Agabus who, after traveling from Jerusalem to Antioch with some other prophets, “stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world.” Luke notes that this indeed “happened during the reign of Claudius.” Agabus later prophesied that Paul would be bound in Jerusalem and handed over to the Gentiles (Acts 21:10–11).

Antioch also developed its own group of resident “prophets and teachers,” including Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen and Paul (Acts 13:1).

After the Jerusalem Council, those attending chose two prophets, Judas and Silas, to deliver their decision to the Gentiles (Acts 15:22,32). Following Paul’s third missionary journey, he stayed at the home of Philip the evangelist and father of “four unmarried daughters who prophesied” (Acts 21:9).

The biblical prophet’s calling was known to many. Prophets were recognized and acknowledged by their local church — or in the Old Testament, by their tribe — as chosen by God for the prophetic function.

Prophecy was woven into the life of the New Testament Church. Those who filled legitimate prophetic roles were not self-appointed. They were not out to fill conference halls or make a name for themselves. Prophecy usually occurred within the context of a local church or group of believers rather than independently. Christians didn’t prophesy to make money, nor did they promise a prophecy a day. Instead, they meekly recognized God’s Spirit as the source of all prophetic activity.

There were some false prophets, of course, in both the Old Testament and in the Early Church. We can find examples of true and false prophecy today as well. The question is, what can we do to promote healthy, authentic expressions of prophetic gifts in our churches?

Authentic Prophecy Today True prophecies emanate from certain kinds of people. Those who are used in prophecy should be connected to a local church where they are known and accountable. They should be humble and demonstrate integrity, holiness and servanthood. Robust discipleship is therefore essential to the proper working of prophecy.

Prophetic work is like an iceberg. Its roots are 90% hidden in prayer and 10% visible. In the secret place, the Lord shapes those He calls, helping them grow in their fear of the Lord, recognition of His voice, and willingness to do and say whatever He desires.

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Take note of who shows up for prayer meetings. I once organized a group of intercessors who met weekly. We regularly spent time quietly listening to the Lord. Then, as we shared our experiences, we often discovered God was prompting us as a group to pray and believe for the same things. Such opportunities to wait before God and listen for His voice should be a vital part of every church.

Authentic prophecy must come from those who have a relationship with God and hear His voice (Jeremiah 23:16–18). Their message cannot originate from anywhere other than God’s presence. It should never come from human wisdom, cultural pressure, political motives, or even from personal desires and emotions. Otherwise, false prophesies are likely to occur.

All the ministry gifts listed in Ephesians 4:11 can function informally and naturally. A pastor does not step up and announce, “Thus sayeth the Lord, I am now going to pastor you.” A teacher simply proceeds to teach, and an evangelist easily shares the good news. Similarly, the gift of prophecy doesn’t always have to be formal. A Christian can deliver a prophetic message unpretentiously by simply sharing insight from God with another person.

Prophecy may play a role not only in church services, but also in staff, board and committee meetings. It can guide the decision making, strategic planning, and administration of the church. Prophetic ministry may also shift direction for a church and bring a breakthrough of understanding.

We should seek to normalize prophecy in the church. More people must be willing to find time to hear from God and make themselves available so He can use them in the gift of prophecy. We need to mentor and encourage people to participate as the Spirit moves.

Teaching on Prophecy Many young adults I have met are hungry for teaching on how to use this gift of the Holy Spirit. They need to learn how, when and where to release a prophetic word. Without guidance, however, they often withdraw from the process. After all, they don’t want to make an error.

Church leaders must offer training, mentoring, and opportunities for people to step out in faith. They need to help believers grow not only in confidence, but also in wisdom.

For example, encouraging students in youth services to pray for one another and share what they believe the Lord is speaking to them creates space for young people to use their spiritual gifts.

Of course, we also need to teach people to be sensitive to God’s timing and direction. Paul said Christians should “be eager to prophesy,” but quickly added that “everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way” (1 Corinthians 14:39–40). After all, “God is not a God of disorder but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33).

When someone receives a word, it is not necessarily supposed to be belted out right then and there. Sometimes it is meant for a different time and place, or at least another moment in the service. God may even give insight that is not for sharing at all but only for intercession.

Testing Prophecy Wherever authentic, Spirit-led prophecy exists, Satan will also be active in trying to counterfeit and botch up the true gift. We need to become more astute in dealing with this.

Since ancient times, God’s people have had to contend with false prophets. But halting all prophecy has never been the solution. Stifling the Holy Spirit grieves the Lord.

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Paul told the Thessalonians, “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:19–22).

Likewise, 1 John 4:1 says, “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

In Matthew 7:15, Jesus said, “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”

False prophets are like wolves that slip in through deception to devour the sheep. We must detect and remove the threat before it’s too late. This is the explicit responsibility of church leaders. Pastors should seek to grow in discernment and be prepared to stop anything that is inappropriate or unbiblical.

The best way to deal with problems depends on the situation. Some well-meaning people prophesy in error because of a simple lack of spiritual maturity.

Others seek attention for themselves. Still others intentionally sow confusion and division.

This calls for wisdom and insight from the Holy Spirit.

I have interrupted what I discerned to be a false prophecy and told the person to stop speaking. In other cases, I have talked with people discretely to offer guidance. I have asked a few people to leave. I even had someone ushered from a service for an unhinged, disruptive outburst that was drawing more attention to the individual than to God. Matthew 7:16–18 provides an excellent litmus test for falsehood: “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or

Authentic prophecy must come from those who have a relationship with God and hear His voice. Their message cannot originate from anywhere other than God’s presence.

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figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.”

If the Spirit is working in someone’s life, that person will yield spiritual fruit that points to Jesus. Someone who claims spiritual authority but operates apart from the Holy Spirit produces bad fruit — a rotten, self-serving harvest that is disconnected from the heart, character and revelation of God. When someone delivers a prophecy, others are to “weigh carefully what is said” (1 Corinthians 14:29). To help our people distinguish between true and false prophecies, we need to promote Bible engagement. True prophecy always agrees with Scripture.

God will never contradict His Word, but He will exceed our expectations and surpass our understanding (Isaiah 55:8–9; Ephesians 3:20). Thus, even if a prophecy sounds impossible in the natural sense, that does not necessarily make it false. God is sovereign.

The gift of discernment is needed within the church body. Describing what will happen in the last days, Jesus said, “Many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people” (Matthew 24:10–11).

We should not be shocked when fraudulent messengers show up on the scene. Jesus has already warned us about them. To prepare, the Church must know the Word of God, the Spirit of God, and the voice of God. Leaders should deal with anything that is out of order, while also encouraging and embracing genuine prophesy. We need all the gifts of the Spirit operating in our churches. Prophesy cannot be waning at the very moment people desperately need to hear from God. As Pentecostals, we certainly hope it will never be as in Samuel’s day, when “the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions” (1 Samuel 3:1). What we need is Spirit-led prophecy, drawn from a deep well of listening to God.

When someone delivers a prophecy, others are to “weigh carefully what is said.”

CAROLYN TENNANT, PH.D., is professor emerita at North Central University, Minneapolis, and teaches as adjunct professor in the D.Min. program at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, Missouri. Tennant is the author of Catch the Wind of the Spirit: How the 5 Ministry Gifts Can Transform Your Church and co-author with Joseph Girdler, D.Min., superintendent of the Kentucky Ministry Network of the Assemblies of God, of Keys to the Apostolic and Prophetic: Embracing the Authentic — Avoiding the Bizarre.

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M I N I S T RY | P R O F I L E

1

Every Nation and Tribe Taking the gospel to America’s indigenous people

By CHRISTINA QUICK

B

rent Maracle’s Mohawk name, Sakoneseriiosta, means, “He makes the day good for them.”

Maracle received the moniker from elders of his Mohawk tribe. Each tribal name among the Mohawk is unique, and each member is responsible for making his or her name honorable.

“Whenever anyone calls me by my name, it

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reminds me of my responsibility and obligation,” Maracle says. “Jesus is the One who brings eternal life and makes the day good. I see my name as a reflection of my relationship with Jesus and the mission He has called me to continue.”

Maracle is the newly elected president and chief of the Assemblies of God Native American Fellowship (NAF). Officially recognized in 1996, the NAF serves 190 churches across 104 American Indian territories and Alaska Native villages in 27 states. It is the second-largest ministry to American Indians and Alaska Natives in North America. Yet many tribes remain unreached.

2

Clockwise, from left: 1) Alfred Flett (Ojibwe), Jarold Altaha (Apache), Chief Sakoneseriiosta Brent Maracle (Mohawk), and Anthony Skeet (Navajo) at the 2021 Native American Fellowship Convocation in Lumberton, North Carolina.

2) Melissa Old Shield (Seneca), Raelynn George (Seneca), Sakoneseriiosta Brent Maracle (Mohawk), Peter Gilchrest, and Jean Pierre distribute food boxes in Allegany, Seneca Nation territory.

3) Sakoneseriiosta Brent Maracle with father John E. Maracle and son Oneniotekowa Maracle, at Camp Agiutim Nune on Alaska’s Yukon River in 2012.

3 “We are still only scraping the surface,” Maracle says. “There are 574 federally recognized tribes.

Those tribes represent different languages, cultural backgrounds and practices, and nations and governance models.”

Taking the gospel to these diverse people groups presents significant challenges. After centuries of mistreatment and marginalization, many Native Americans are understandably wary of outsiders.

In some Native American territories, churches cannot own property. It can take years for a newcomer to learn the culture and language — and a lifetime to build relationships.

Few nonnative ministers are pursuing a call to American Indian territories. And even fewer indigenous people are doing so.

“Historically, Christianity has not done well in American Indian country,” Maracle says. “The purpose of the Native American Fellowship is to strengthen American Indian ministry leaders, to network our churches, and to encourage church planting in areas where there is no AG presence.

But there are complexities that stand in the way.”

Maracle is a fourth-generation Assemblies of God adherent on both sides of his family. His father, John E. Maracle, is a longtime U.S. missionary and the previous NAF leader.

Growing up on native lands, Brent Maracle developed a strong sense of identity as both a Mohawk and a follower of Christ, which he says was vital to his faith formation.

“I know our traditional songs, stories, social dances, the history of our people, and our governance models,” Maracle says. “The gospel wasn’t anglicized. I learned how to have a relationship with Jesus as a Mohawk. I was raised to believe that following Jesus made me a better Mohawk.”

Maracle had no interest in vocational ministry, however. After graduating from Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri, he attended Harvard University, earning a master’s degree in government.

Although he pursued a business career, Maracle also hoped he could one day use his influence and education to help his tribe navigate federal laws and perhaps reclaim lost territory.

Maracle was on an executive track with Fidelity Investments when he began sensing a call to ministry.

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“God spoke to me while I was on a train into Boston and said, ‘I’m calling you into ministry,’” he remembers. “That was a scary moment. I put it off because I didn’t know if it was true.”

A year later, Maracle took a step of obedience and started the AG credentialing process. He left the corporate world in 2012 and transitioned to a fulltime ministry position at Christ Revolution Church (AG) in Lexington, Massachusetts, where he still serves as lead pastor. He also ministers to American Indian territories across the U.S. “I wanted to give back to my people through my knowledge of law and policy development, but I’ve done more as a minister of the gospel,” Maracle says. “I learned from my parents and grandparents that if you do what God asks you to do, He will fulfill your desires. I believe doors will continue to open for the Native American Fellowship as people do what God calls them to do.”

In 2021, the NAF delivered more than 16,000 boxes of food to homes in eight American Indian territories within the Iroquois Confederacy, which includes the Mohawk Nation. Only two of those territories have a church.

Native Americans have suffered disproportionately during the pandemic. According to 2021 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Indian and Alaska Native people are at increased risk of becoming infected with COVID-19 and are more than twice as likely to die from the disease compared to the general population. As a result, some tribes have sought isolation.

“Most people from the outside weren’t even allowed to get out of their cars in these areas because of COVID,” Maracle says. “No other organizations were allowed to go in and distribute food, but we were. They didn’t just see us as Christians; they saw us as brothers, sisters and cousins. Because of that, we were able to share the gospel.”

Native Americans have been a part of the Assemblies of God throughout the Fellowship’s history. At the first General Council in Hot Springs, Arkansas,

in April 1914, two of the founding members were Cherokee natives from Oklahoma.

In 2020, 516 credentialed Assemblies of God ministers — or 1.4% of all AG USA ministers — self-identified as Native American. Maracle wants to see that number increase as more Native Americans respond to the gospel, hear the call to ministry, attend AG universities, and take the good news to every tribe.

“The vision is to continue to raise up native ministers, network native churches, and empower native ministry,” Maracle says. “The vision is to encourage our young people to know that they

In 2020, 516 credentialed Assemblies of God ministers — or 1.4% of all AG USA ministers — self-identified as Native American.

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don’t have to cease being Mohawk or Navajo or Apache or Sioux or any of the 574 American Indian nations.

“You don’t have to cease being who you are because of Jesus. Jesus will fulfill the substance of who you are. You can continue to speak your language, know your cultural ways, and participate among your people.”

In Revelation 7:9, the apostle John saw worshipers from “every nation, tribe, people and language.”

The Native American Fellowship is trusting God to bring the indigenous people of the U.S. — all 574 tribes — into that heavenly multitude.

CHRISTINA QUICK is assistant editor for Influence magazine.

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M I N I S T RY | P R E A C H I N G

Finding Jesus in the Old Testament

A Christ-centered perspective enables us to welcome the Old Testament back to the table without fear. Three complementary lenses can help us see the gospel message in any Old Testament passage: prophecy, typology, and the progressive history of redemption.

Three ways to see the gospel through the ancient text

Fulfillment of Prophecy A defining mark of Christian witness has always been the link between Israel’s prophets and the striking fulfilment of their words in Jesus. The New Testament authors have already interpreted many prophetic passages in light of Jesus, revealing God’s plan of redemption embodied in His Son. On our side of the Crucifixion, it is easy to recognize the hope-filled anticipation of the Savior in the suffering servant oracle of Isaiah 53. Who could miss the messianic reverberations as Nathan relates God’s promise to David about his everlasting throne

By ROBERT M. EBY

I

n nearly every family, there is someone who is awkward, occasionally entertaining, and never predictable. This person’s antics elicit uncomfortable glances between family members and bewildered silence from visiting outsiders.

What are we to do? Should we move the Christmas gathering without telling the weird relative, or ignore him or her and hope for the best?

Many of today’s sermons treat the Old Testament almost like an eccentric family member — present but frequently a source of discomfort and confusion. At some level, this is understandable.

After all, the Old Testament goes on and on about circumcision, relates breathtaking episodes of divine judgment, and tells of heroes who cavort with prostitutes, commit adultery, murder innocent victims, and walk naked through town prophesying.

Because of the awkwardness, some preachers opt to leave the Old Testament out of their gatherings.

Is this the only solution, or is there a way to connect the ancient text to the current age?

The answer lies in Jesus’ relationship to the Old Testament. These 39 books are not just a religious history of primitive forerunners. They represent the raw power of God confronting the hopelessness of humanity with the promise of a Savior.

Jesus himself characterized the Scriptures this way (Luke 24:44; John 5:39). Preaching the entire Old Testament compels us to see Jesus on every page. He is there. The preacher’s task is to find Him.

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Preaching the entire Old Testament compels us to see Jesus on every page.

He is there. The preacher’s task is to find Him.

(2 Samuel 7:13), especially after Nebuchadnezzar saw to it that there was no earthly dynasty?

Opportunities abound for preachers to demonstrate the unmistakable providence of God by proclaiming Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy.

Realization of Testimony Not every passage in the Old Testament is a forward-looking prophecy. However, typology is another trusted approach that unlocks the Christcentered nature of the Old Testament in some texts.

In every instance of typology, there are two elements. The first is the type, which is an Old Testament person, event, object or system. The second is the New Testament reality it underscores.

In other words, elements of Old Testament history foreshadow the person, life and ministry of Jesus. For example, Hebrews 7 makes clear that Melchizedek is a type of Christ, the greatest high

priest. And in Hebrews 9, it is apparent that the sacrificial offerings of the first covenant anticipate what Jesus accomplished on the cross as the mediator of a new covenant.

Similarly, Jonah spent three days in the great fish, foreshadowing Jesus spending three days in the grave (Matthew 12:39–41). Typology takes seriously the historical nature of the Old Testament but also sees it as a divinely guided pattern that testifies of Jesus.

For all the biblical and historical significance of typology, it has a dysfunctional interpretive cousin, allegorization. Where typology values historical setting, allegorization wrenches text from its context and contorts it to serve the interpreter’s agenda.

It is typology to see something of Jesus in David’s willingness to stand in the place of the entire Israelite nation before the fearsome giant to fulfill God’s covenant promises to Israel. Even though others

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perceived David as weak and unfit, his faith and obedience made the victory of one a victory for all.

This is a foreshadowing of Jesus taking our place and conquering our great foe.

Allegorization, on the other hand, might assign a name to each of the stones David placed in his bag before engaging the battle. A sermon titled “The Five Stones of Spiritual Warfare: Prayer, Worship, Fasting, Thanksgiving and Courage” might be encouraging, but it would fail to show how the story relates to Jesus in any meaningful sense.

A primary difference between typology and allegorization is that the former recognizes the history and context of the Old Testament type, where the latter detaches it as a poorly employed proof text.

Focus of History Of course, some passages seem more Christ-centered than others. What do we do, for instance, with the annals of the kings of Judah or with Achan’s sin at Ai? A helpful theological concept is the progressively revealed plan of redemption.

Every story, psalm, prophecy, genealogy or promise is located somewhere on the grand plotline of redemption.

The Bible is a continuous and cohesive narrative that never veers far from the central story. That is, God created all things good, including humanity.

Sin twisted this goodness. History is the ongoing conflict between the redemptive plan of God and the devastating expansion of sin’s effects until the dramatic reversal of the Cross. Now humanity and creation move toward the completion of the victory Jesus already won.

God did not reveal the fullness of every part of His plan in one moment. Rather, He met people where they were and led them, one step at a time, toward His plan to make right what was wrong. Every addition to the story points a little more directly to Jesus.

Christ-centered preaching demonstrates how every development deepened humanity’s understanding of God’s grace, righteousness, love, faithfulness and holiness. This is not about manipulating the Scripture or using it out of context. It is

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about recognizing the signposts along the path to redemption that led to God’s plan in Christ.

Rather than distancing themselves from the challenges of the Old Testament, preachers have an amazing opportunity to connect its ancient stories, prophecies and poems to the current work of Jesus in our world. Good interpretive lenses (e.g., prophecy, typology, and progressive revelation) and sincere dependence on the guidance of the Holy Spirit yield a nearly limitless source of connection to contemporary listeners.

The Old Testament becomes difficult to preach when we view it primarily as a rulebook, a manual for success, or a textbook for social etiquette. But when we see it as a Spirit-inspired invitation to encounter Jesus, it is life-giving.

In Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism, author Timothy Keller sums it up well: “Every time you expound a Bible text, you are not finished unless you demonstrate how it shows us that we cannot save ourselves and that only Jesus can. That means we must preach Christ from every text, which is the same as saying we must preach the gospel every time and not just settle for general inspiration or moralizing.”

By welcoming the Old Testament back to the table, preachers may find that it is Jesus who is joining them.

When we see the Old Testament as a Spiritinspired invitation to encounter Jesus, it is life-giving.

ROBERT M. EBY, Ph.D., is director of the Cordas C. Burnett Preaching Center and associate professor of biblical exposition and preaching at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri.

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Not Just Any Song Will Do Six questions to ask when planning Sunday worship

By HEIDI HEWUSE

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ecently, I attended a worship service at another church while on vacation. The worship team led a beautiful song that was new to me. I found myself weeping in the presence of the Lord and singing with all my might, with both hands raised.

I couldn’t wait to return to my church and introduce this song. Imagine my disappointment when our worship team tried it out, and it did not have the same energy. We got bogged down in the arrangement details. Our instrumentation didn’t match the other church’s. It just wasn’t working.

I convinced myself it would be better when the Holy Spirit began to move during worship.

But after singing it with the congregation three times — and falling flat on each attempt — I had to accept that the song was not a good choice for us.

When planning a worship service, it is tempting to reach for whatever songs are new, trendy, or personally appealing. Some might even argue that choosing popular songs is necessary to be relevant in today’s culture. However, a song’s popularity is not an indication that it will connect with every congregation or fit the atmosphere of every service.

Song selection should take into account the message of the song, demographic makeup and personality of the congregation, and the skills and experience of the worship team. Selections should also fit how the Holy Spirit is moving. After all, music that appropriately expresses what God is doing in the hearts of those present is always relevant — even if it isn’t the latest tune.

Here are six questions to ask when evaluating a worship song: 1. Is it theologically correct? Throughout history, church music has taught theology to the

next generation. Our memories soak up the lyrics through repetitive rhythms and melodies. We need to make sure the lyrics the congregation is committing to memory are based on solid biblical truth.

2. Does it exalt God and point to who He is?

Numerous worship songs ask the Lord to come and meet us or express our desire for Him to take care of our needs. The focus of these songs is more on us than Him. While such lyrics have their place, I find the greatest moments in corporate worship happen while we are exalting Jesus and declaring who He is.

Of course, God’s presence is always with us because He is omnipresent. God’s manifest presence has to do with our growing awareness that He is with us. The more we exalt Him, the more we will sense His nearness. And as individuals respond, their worship will testify to those around them that God is in their midst.

The priority in leading worship is exalting Jesus in such a way the entire congregation will know and sense that God is with them.

Songs that focus on Jesus and proclaim who He is increase our awareness of His presence more than songs focusing on us and our feelings. As faith rises, so will the expectation that God will work miracles and meet needs — not because we are worthy, but because He is good.

3. Does the entire worship team connect with it? If the team isn’t excited about the song, it will not lead with passion and energy. The musicians and singers are partners in the ministry of worship.

Rather than just directing them, pray with them, listen to their input, and include them in the process.

4. Does it reinforce what God is doing and saying? God has a specific assignment for your church within the local community. We should be mindful of this uniqueness when choosing the

Music that appropriately expresses what God is doing in the hearts of those present is always relevant — even if it isn’t the latest tune.

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songs we give the congregation to express their worship. As worship leaders, we need to take into account how the Holy Spirit is leading our churches and communities.

In addition, ask God to give you and your team original songs. Even if the idea of writing an entire song intimidates you, ask the Lord for phrases to sing in moments of free worship. Psalm 96:1 says, “Sing to the Lord a new song.” Expressions of worship written specifically for your congregation may connect with people on a deeper level.

5. Does it fit the congregation? Get to know your congregation well. What mix of demographics is in the room? Consider ages, financial situations, family structures, races and ethnicities, nationalities, past religious experiences, and musical tastes.

Know congregants’ histories and make an effort to connect with their memories of God’s faithfulness.

Music is a powerful trigger for nostalgia and memory. When you incorporate that old hymn, the older lady in the back row responds not only because it’s her favorite song, but also because it was the song that was being played as she received the Lord as her Savior and at other important moments in her life. It’s the anthem of God’s faithfulness to her.

Some of those praise choruses from the 1980s and ’90s immediately take me back to a place of surrender at the altar as a kid. Ending the song service with just the chorus of an older song can lead to powerful moments of worship. Some songs are lifelong anthems that elicit deep emotions in members of the congregation.

6. Is it practical? It is important to consider the instrumentation, skills and resources of your team.

Sometimes the energy of a song on the original

recording comes from instrumental or vocal parts that are not easily reproducible with available personnel. Some teams use performance tracks to cover essential missing parts. Or it may be possible to come up with a new arrangement of the song that better fits your team.

We should also consider whether it is easy to learn and sing for the congregation. If a song has difficult rhythms, too many words, or elaborate melodies, it may be hard for the congregation to learn quickly or remember.

This could lead to a lack of participation, which takes away from our purpose as worship leaders.

We may really like a song and want to perform it, but if it isn’t within the practical boundaries of skill, instrumentation, resources, and timing, it could become distracting and frustrating.

Although the act of worship can be a spontaneous and unplanned event, when selecting songs for a service, a leader can use discernment in a variety of valuable ways. When you thoughtfully consider the congregation’s makeup and the ability of the worship team, song choice can reflect how the Holy Spirit is moving within your church and bring glory to the One who most deserves all honor and praise.

Expressions of worship written specifically for your congregation may connect with people on a deeper level.

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HEIDI HEWUSE is the worship pastor and media director at First Assembly of God in Lexington, Kentucky, where her husband, Travis, is the senior pastor.

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Help for the Anxious Heart Moving toward greater peace

By ERLENE JOHNSON

S

ix years ago, I received a cancer diagnosis.

The stressful diagnostic process included several tests, including an MRI. I prayed throughout the procedure and tried to manage my thoughts. But when the MRI was over, I suddenly felt as though I had no control over my own body.

I couldn’t stand up, I couldn’t think clearly, and I could barely talk. I didn’t know what was happening to me.

Concerned staff members had me lie down on a gurney in the hallway outside the room and discussed sending me to the emergency room. After a while, however, I sat up and finally managed to walk on my own. I had just experienced a panic attack.

What Is Anxiety?

In simple terms, anxiety is a sense of uneasiness, apprehension, or distress over a real or perceived threat. Everyone experiences anxiety at times.

But for some, these relentless feelings interfere with daily life and may even become debilitating.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 3 in 10 U.S. adults will experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their lives.

These conditions include generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder (recurrent panic attacks), and phobia-related disorders (such as social anxiety).

Even when it doesn’t reach the level of a clinical disorder, anxiety can feel overwhelming at times — especially during crises. In a 2020 survey by the American Psychological Association, 78% of adult respondents said the pandemic was a “significant source of stress” for them.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in the summer of 2020 that the share of U.S. adults experiencing anxiety symptoms had increased considerably compared to the same period in 2019.

What Causes It? Anxiety is a complex problem with a variety of causes. It’s often difficult to ascertain the cause with certainty. Some anxiety arises from physiological

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issues and needs to be treated as the medical condition it is. Anxiety may be driven by a biochemical imbalance, which can be diagnosed by a medical professional.

For others, anxiety may have a spiritual root, from unconfessed sin (Psalm 32:1–5), difficulty trusting God (Philippians 4:6–7), condemnation (Romans 8:1–2), a weak or faulty theology, or other spiritual concerns.

As pastors, we have the power of the Spirit and the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) to help us discern the cause of a parishioner’s anxiety and minister to their spiritual and emotional needs.

We are called to explain “spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words” (1 Corinthians 2:13).

However, since anxiety can arise from various causes, we also need to know when to treat anxiety as a spiritual issue and when to refer to a medical professional or qualified counselor.

Sometimes anxiety is the product of unhealthy thinking patterns, such as insecurity, irrational fear, perfectionism, or distorted perceptions of reality. As negative messages play over and over in the mind, they create ruts in neural pathways. What started out as one destructive thought can become a harmful pattern. Anxiety can be self-perpetuating. As it escalates, it may lead to new worries and fears.

Trauma, including unresolved grief, adverse childhood experiences, or other stressful events, can cause severe anxiety.

The Greek word merimna — often translated as “worries” (Matthew 13:22) or “anxiety” (1 Peter 5:7)

in the New Testament — suggests a state of being distracted or pulled in different directions. This is an accurate description of what anxiety can do to a person’s mental or emotional state.

What Can You Do? Anxiety is exhausting, and an anxious lifestyle can become toxic. We can’t just wish anxiety out of our lives or talk someone else out of it.

Everyone experiences anxiety at times. But for some, these feelings interfere with daily life and may even become debilitating.

While it’s normal to have some anxiety, if constant anxiety is the norm, it’s time for some changes.

Here are nine suggestions to help manage anxiety: 1. Grow in self-awareness. Pay attention to emotions and physical reactions to them. Many people notice the physical effects of anxiety — such as a headache, upset stomach, or tight muscles — before they are aware of the psychological issue triggering these responses.

2. Change the internal dialogue. Take steps to identify harmful thinking patterns and replace

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them with healthier ones. Negative self-talk colors a person’s attitude and outlook. When thinking gets distorted, it’s time to realign thoughts with the truth of God’s Word and what He says.

3. Practice self-care. Schedule time off, observe a weekly day of sabbath rest, and take vacations.

Find a hobby. Exercise, eat a nutritious and balanced diet, and get sufficient sleep.

4. Give and receive grace. People will never beat anxiety by beating up on themselves. We all need grace — from God, from others, and even from ourselves. God describes himself as “compassionate and gracious” (Exodus 34:6), not harsh and critical.

The gospel is good news for the anxious.

5. Develop healthy coping skills. Try deep breathing, time outdoors, or other calming activities.

6. Build a support network. A network of friends, family, mentors, pastors, and counselors can offer perspective, encouragement and support.

7. Pray. Consider a prayer like Psalm 139:23–24, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” To paraphrase, “God, You know my anxiety. You know my pain and sorrow. Lead me in Your way.”

8. Meditate on Scripture. When my husband and I left the mission field, we didn’t know where our next paycheck was coming from. When anxiety would rise, I meditated on Matthew 6:25–34.

“Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself” (verse 34). I found a photo of a vast field of flowers and made it my computer background to remind me to release my worry to God, who provides for us with even more care and attention than He gives the flowers.

9. Seek treatment. There is no shame in seeing

God wants to replace fear and anxiety with His peace and joy.

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a doctor or Christian counselor for anxiety, or in taking medication when prescribed. Don’t hesitate to seek help from, or refer parishioners to, qualified professionals.

Members of your congregation are most certainly experiencing anxiety. Besides offering the above advice to those you are counseling, here are some tools to help others: • Use a distress scale. Using a scale from 1–10, with 1 being low and 10 being the highest level of distress, ask the person to identify his or her level of anguish.

• Help the person identify and deal with stressors. Some stressors can be removed, creating a lighter load. If it is not possible to remove the stressors, help the person learn new ways of handling the stress by reframing or changing thinking patterns.

• Help the person recognize unhealthy ways of thinking. Getting to the root of the anxious thoughts is important. Often, an outside perspective can help the person understand his or her thinking patterns.

• Offer a listening ear. The power of presence is healing. Allow the person to express hurts.

Using active listening, paraphrase back what you are hearing.

It is possible not only to manage anxiety, but also to overcome it. God wants to replace fear and anxiety with His peace and joy. There is hope.

The testimony of Psalm 94:18–19 can become our story as well: “When I said, ‘My foot is slipping,’ your unfailing love, LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”

ERLENE JOHNSON, a former Assemblies of God World Missions missionary to Russia, serves as a pastoral counselor and administrator at Ministry Resources International. She lives in Woodinville, Washington.

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When the Home Breaks Ministering to children of divorce

By BRIAN DOLLAR

D

ivorce.

That word strikes fear into the hearts of both adults and children. Divorce alters the course of a family forever. No matter the circumstances, divorce hurts.

I’ve worked with kids for nearly 30 years, and I have seen how the news of divorce shatters a child’s world. Virtually everything that was stable and dependable vanishes in an instant.

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There may have been major issues in the parents’ relationship for years, or one of them may have been suddenly shocked to discover a history of infidelity.

Whether the process of making this decision was long or short, it devastates everyone involved.

About half of first marriages in the U.S. end in divorce, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Pew Research Center reports that the U.S. has the world’s highest rate of single parenthood, with nearly a quarter of children under the age of 18 living in single-parent households.

Divorce is not God’s plan. His desire is for marriages to thrive and last (Matthew 19:6). For that matter, I don’t think divorce is anyone’s plan.

Nobody gets married thinking, I can’t wait to divorce this person one day. But sadly, divorce happens. When it does, kids need the support of a loving faith community.

Unfortunately, many churches are not prepared to deal with the emotional and spiritual toll divorce

move. Others leave because of shame. Regardless of the reason, too many people end up completely disconnecting from the body of Christ during one of the most critical seasons of their lives.

James 1:27 says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

Single parents and their children have many of the same emotional and spiritual needs as widows and orphans. In fact, the process of healing from a divorce mirrors the stages of grieving the death of a loved one.

Ministering to hurting people must be a priority for church leaders. Lack of confidence or training is not an acceptable excuse for ignoring the distress families of divorce are experiencing. Church leaders must become educated and prepared to offer hope and healing.

takes on children and families. Rather than stepping in to provide care, church leaders who feel unequipped to minister to families of divorce may hesitate to get involved. Not knowing what to say or do, they do nothing at all. As a result, families slip through the cracks and disappear from church life.

At the very moment they need the church the most, the church is essentially absent.

Many families end up leaving their churches during or after a divorce. Some leave because of a

Lack of confidence or training is not an acceptable excuse for ignoring the distress families of divorce are experiencing.

Divorce and Kids I’ve seen the pain of divorce in the faces of children.

They are often confused, resentful, discouraged, and even depressed. The emotional turmoil can take a toll on every part of children’s lives, from their academic performances to their physical health.

Some common results of divorce include the following: Stress rises. No matter what age children are when parents announce the breakup of their home, kids are never emotionally prepared for the shock.

Stress shows up in many ways — relationally, emotionally and physically.

Feelings of stability decline. Divorce shakes a child’s sense of security. People are relational by design, and the home is the first and foremost place of rest, comfort and security. When that is disrupted, children naturally question the validity and reliability of everything and everyone. In addition, many kids must divide their time between the homes of their parents, which makes it difficult to ever feel settled.

Trust erodes. When their security crumbles, children may put up walls and refuse to trust anyone,

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even the most stable, loving people in their lives.

They may also trust too much, putting their faith in untrustworthy people in the hope someone will make them feel safe again.

Behavior changes in negative ways. In the wake of divorce, even normally responsible and compliant children may begin to wonder, What’s the use? They may suddenly neglect homework, chores and hygiene. They may lash out verbally at authority figures or refuse to obey classroom rules.

How to Help Here are four ways your children’s ministry can help kids whose parents are going through a divorce: 1. Remind them it’s not their fault. They don’t always voice their feelings of guilt, but children frequently blame themselves for the breakup. Even young kids have a sense of justice that leads them to believe someone is at fault. However, because children often aren’t mature enough to assign responsibility appropriately, they take it upon themselves.

Communicate in clear terms that divorce is an adult decision and has nothing to do with anything they did. Isolina Ricci, author of Mom’s House, Dad’s House for Kids, offers a suggestion on how to word the explanation: “Sometimes things happen with mommies and daddies. We’re really sorry that it happened, but it’s not anything you’ve done.”

2. Plan lessons with children of divorce in mind.

In cases of shared custody, children often miss church every other weekend. If you teach a series, it may be difficult for children to keep up. Build in recaps of the previous week’s lesson so kids who missed can stay on the learning journey. Spend more than one week promoting special events so shared-custody children don’t miss the announcement.

3. Start a recovery program for children of divorce. The wounds of divorce run deep. Healing takes time, and it won’t happen properly on its own. Consider offering a class, such as Divorce Care 4 Kids (DC4K.org), a 13-week course that teaches children how to process and share the feelings and disappointments associated with divorce.

4. Point kids to their consistent Heavenly

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Father. The collapse of stability can be difficult for children to understand. Holidays are different.

Weekends are different. Daily life may never be the same. These changes affect many of their closest relationships. It can also affect their faith.

Children need to hear that — amid the inconsistency of schedules, routines and visits — they have

Ministering to families affected by divorce can feel overwhelming and intimidating, but your church truly can be a place of acceptance and stability to families walking this difficult path. a consistent Heavenly Father who is with them wherever they go. He “does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17). God will always be there for them, and He will always hear them when they pray to Him. Ministering to families affected by divorce can feel overwhelming and intimidating, but your church truly can be a place of acceptance and stability to families walking this difficult path. As you point children to their Heavenly Father, reminding them that His love for them never changes, you can help begin the process of healing and restoration.

BRIAN DOLLAR is associate pastor at First Assembly of God in North Little Rock, Arkansas. He is the founder of High Voltage Kids Ministry Resources and the author of several books, including Talk Now and Later: How to Lead Kids Through Life’s Tough Topics.

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Questioning the Faith Three ways to help young people work through their doubts

By TERRY PARKMAN

C

hristian teens and young adults are more confused about their faith than ever — and they’re looking for answers.”

That statement at a recent event for NextGen leaders got my attention. As I reflected on this and talked with other ministers and young adults in attendance, it became apparent why so many are confused. It isn’t competing religious ideologies.

Rather, as one person after another articulated, it is the disparity between the teaching of Scripture and the behavior of many church leaders.

One young woman confided that it was difficult to talk about her doubts in church. She said leaders dismissed her questions as spiritually immature and shamed her for expressing her feelings.

A lack of support in church may help explain why young people are increasingly turning to online communities that openly discuss doubt — and taking the first tentative steps toward deconstructing their faith. Talk of deconstruction is everywhere today, occupying digital spaces where many seek information about faith, church, and Christianity from people who refer to themselves as “exvangelicals.”

Deconstruction is a process of questioning and reevaluating beliefs. It often begins with a disorienting crisis — such as the moral failure of a trusted minister. Suddenly, a lifetime of questions and doubts come calling, and there are no easy answers.

Some who talk about deconstruction are ready to leave the faith. Others sincerely hope to work through their doubts and rediscover what it means to follow Christ.

“

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It is important that we as church leaders respond with grace when someone approaches us with questions, regardless of which camp we think he or she is in. Such moments are opportunities to reconcile people to Christ and His Church.

Jesus did not condemn the spiritually conflicted

For many, the deconstruction movement is a chance to rationalize an abandonment of faith by picking and choosing the parts of Scripture and the Church with which they are most disillusioned.

man who pleaded, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). This is a model prayer for anyone who is struggling with doubt. Jesus wants to help us overcome unbelief.

Our faith questions can become catalysts for personal growth. When we prayerfully examine

preconceived ideas in light of Scripture, the Holy Spirit can use our questions to bring us into greater alignment with Christ and His purpose for our lives.

Sometimes Christians need to ask questions and challenge the status quo. Consider those in various times and places who called out racism and oppression in the Church. The biblical prophets and Jesus himself made radical critiques of the religious leaders in their day, bringing correction to abusive religious practices.

Similarly, many of the reformers spent their lives working to get the Scriptures in the hands of common people so they could read and learn the Word for themselves. The reformers persisted despite intense opposition from corrupt religious leaders who desired to silence them.

Of course, for many young people today, the deconstruction movement is a chance to rationalize an abandonment of faith by picking and choosing the parts of Scripture and the Church with which they are most disillusioned. This leads to a lukewarm pseudo-theological/philosophical soup of belief some may laud as enlightenment. In reality, it is a watering down of biblical belief at best, or syncretism at worst.

A healthy questioning process seeks to discover God’s truth. An unhealthy approach assumes God’s Word is in error. Leaders of the next generation have the opportunity to speak to the doubts and fears of both seekers and skeptics as we engage young people in healthy spiritual conversations.

Young people don’t need us to dismiss them, shame them, or try to win a debate with them. They do need someone to listen to their questions and concerns and walk alongside to help them discover God’s answers.

Jude 22 says, “Be merciful to those who doubt.”

The Message puts it this way: “Go easy on those who hesitate in the faith. Go after those who take the wrong way. Be tender with sinners, but not soft on sin” (verses 22–23).

If there is a deconstructing, there must be a reconstructing of faith according to the Word of God.

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As people dismantle unhelpful elements of Church culture and religiosity, it’s vital that we help them reassemble their faith around the person, words and life of Jesus.

Here are three ways to help young people work through their doubts and rebuild their faith on the unshakable foundation of Jesus Christ: 1. Welcome the hard questions. I’m grateful the Bible invites us to ask questions and God is not afraid of our doubts. We don’t always need to offer immediate answers to people’s questions. This is a journey that requires a guide. That’s why the Holy Spirit is there. John 16:13 says, “When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” Our task is to help people connect with the ultimate Guide.

2. Remind doubters that people aren’t perfect, but the Word of God is. The deconstruction movement consists of imperfect people who feel hurt, angry, disappointed or disillusioned — often in response to encounters with other imperfect people.

They need to hear that God’s truth will never let them down. Even in the midst of imperfect situations, the Bible is our unfailing source of help and hope.

Psalm 19:7–10 says, “The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The

commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb.”

3. Assure young people the Bible holds the answers to their most pressing questions. We won’t find answers to faith questions in deconstruction, but we will find them in Scripture. The Bible is the perfect tool for reconstructing faith, discovering God’s will, and finding sure footing in a world of uncertainties. Help those who are wrestling with doubts find themselves in the Word of God as they search for answers.

Paul said, “All Scripture is Godbreathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

Whether people are searching, deconstructing or rediscovering faith, they don’t have to become shipwrecked on an island of doubts. They can fall upon Jesus and allow His Holy Spirit to lead them through the storm to a vibrant and rich life in Christ.

As Charles Spurgeon said, “I thank God for every storm that wrecked me upon the Rock of Christ Jesus.”

We won’t find the answers to faith questions in deconstruction, but we will find them in Scripture.

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TERRY PARKMAN is the NextGen pastor at River Valley Church (AG) in Minneapolis.

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Cohabitation Comes to Church What to do about unmarried couples living together

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By JESSICA MUMLEY

I

n my role as a Chi Alpha campus missionary, I get to watch our college students graduate, throw their caps in the air, and embrace the brave new world of adulting with new jobs, new housemates, and new churches. There is nothing like watching them take the baton of

faith and run the race as Christ followers.

However, I’ve also noticed a concerning trend.

A surprising number of unmarried couples who attend church and profess Christian faith are nevertheless choosing to move in together.

A 2016 Barna Group report found that 41% of practicing Christian adults in the United States viewed cohabitation as a “good idea.” And today’s young adults are more accepting of such living arrangements than older generations.

In a 2020 Gallup Poll, just 29% of U.S. adults under 35 years of age said it is “very important for couples to marry if they plan to spend the rest of their lives together,” compared to 40% of 35- to 54-year-olds and 43% of respondents 55 or older.

Can we stem the tide of unbiblical attitudes toward cohabitation? I believe there are three things every church leader can do.

arrangements aren’t solely about sex or an overt desire to rebel against God. In fact, they often have more to do with practical concerns, such as money, or emotional needs, such as loneliness.

None of that justifies unbiblical behavior, of course, but it does provide valuable insight for ministry.

Lead With “Yes” Too often, church conversations regarding single adulthood are all about what not to do: “No premarital sex, no cohabitation, no sexual impurity of any kind.”

The problem is, no has never had the transformative power of yes. Our churches must be a space rich with yeses. At its core, Christianity is not about merely refraining from bad behavior. It’s about saying “yes” to Jesus and allowing Him to change us from the inside out, since we can’t save ourselves. It’s about saying “yes” to God’s message, Seek Understanding God’s family, and God’s mission in the world.

A 2019 report from Pew Research Center explored the reasons why Americans cohabitate. Among Are we inviting the single adults in our congreunengaged cohabiters who said they would likely gations to say “yes”? Do they feel seen, supported marry someday, more than half and utilized? Does every cited their own finances (56%) or Christian have a place to their partner’s finances (53%) as serve?

Too often, church a reason for putting off nuptials.

Do those who have not conversations Other reasons included commade a decision for Christ mitment hesitancy on the part have a place in the commuregarding single of their partner (47%) or themnity? Are believers walking adulthood are selves (44%); a desire to get furalongside them — loving ther along in their career before them and pointing them to all about what not marriage (44%); and uncertainty Jesus through their words to do. over whether their partner is the and examples? right person for them (39%).

Let’s lead with yes. For To minister effectively to every “no” we issue — and cohabitating people in our churches and point certainly we must teach the commands of God — them to a better way, we should seek to underlet’s provide compelling reasons and abundant stand their needs and perspectives. This means opportunities to say “yes” to Jesus. building personal relationships and trust.

Have them over for dinner, invest in their lives, Celebrate Singles and ask about their stories. If we take the time Church culture often emphasizes pairing to the to listen to what’s motivating people’s choices, neglect of singleness. we will likely discover that most cohabitation I recently threw my sister-in-law a shower

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of sorts. She appreciated the gesture — and the humor. She’s neither a bride-to-be nor an expectant mother. She is in her early 30s, single, and happily living on her own. She just started her own business and is making her solo apartment a cozy home. To mark this milestone, we created a registry, and her friends and family showered her with gifts.

Culturally, there are few categories — either inside or outside the church — for marking such milestones for single adults. We are accustomed to honoring marriage and childbearing. It seems those who pair off and have babies get the benefits: the tax credits, the showers, the meal trains, and the small-group church experiences designed to support couples.

I sometimes wonder whether churches are missing important opportunities to recognize, honor, value and support single people.

The Bible regards singleness as highly as it does marriage. Jesus himself was single. Early Church leaders included single people (e.g., Paul) married people (e.g., Peter), and ministry couples (e.g., Aquila and Priscilla).

Churches that fail to acknowledge and include unpaired members may miss out on their gifts and inadvertently communicate there is something wrong with being single and celibate.

Outside of their faith communities, single people face intense pressure from the secular culture, which tells them they need to find a partner and engage in sexual activity to have a fulfilling life.

Churches can counter that message with the truth of Scripture that Jesus is enough.

We must teach a clear sexual ethic in our churches, but we also need to make some important cultural shifts in our communities. We need to honor our single adults, celebrate their gifts, and empower them to lead.

This means intentionally inviting singles to our decision-making tables. It means going beyond brides and babies and ritualizing the transitions and milestones of single people as well. It means inviting them to join our families for a picnic or a holiday celebration — or better yet, inviting singles to live with families from the church — not just because single people need families, but because families also need single people.

Language begets culture, so adjusting our language can go a long way. Churches can emphasize spiritual family trees, encourage spiritual parenting, and tell stories of single people leaving a spiritual legacy for the next generation.

In the programs we promote, the stories we tell, and the application points in our sermons, we can regularly highlight some of the diverse types of living arrangements represented in the family of God. Examples might include a single homeowner, a resident of an apartment community, a single adult with a platonic roommate, a recent college graduate living with parents, or a single caregiver for an elderly family member.

What if churches equally elevated marriage and singleness and abandoned the pressure to pair off?

I believe it could broaden the viable, meaningful options single people have for fulfillment and flourishing in the community of faith.

Let’s make our churches attentive, hospitable, and honoring places for single adults so they can discover God’s best for their lives and experience the joy of being a part of His family.

Church culture often emphasizes pairing to the neglect of singleness.

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JESSICA MUMLEY lives in Bellingham, Washington, and serves Chi Alpha Campus Ministries on the Pacific Northwest Regional XA team.

Curriculum for kids ministry and small groups

Everything you need to engage all ages with the Bible—all in one subscription.

Download sample lessons for all ages at BibleEngagementProject.com Fall 2021

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MAKE IT COUNT

A 10-Week Study For Leadership Teams

What Is Make It Count?

M

ake It Count is a leadership development resource for use individually or with staff, volunteers, or board members.

Each installment is also available online as a downloadable PDF, along with interactive pages for group member use. The underlined words and phrases in the following text correspond to fill-in-theblank sections on team member pages. Access these free resources at influencemagazine. com/Downloads.

These lessons are written by Stephen Blandino, lead pastor of 7 City Church in Fort Worth, Texas, and the author of several books.

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I N T RO D U C T I O N

Guarding Your Heart in Leadership

By STEPHEN BLANDINO

L

eadership is an emotional minefield. One day you feel on top of the world, and the next you feel like throwing in the towel. It’s a constant tug-of-war between faith and fear, humility and pride, offense and forgiveness, and guilt and grace.

Add to the emotions of leadership the various vices that aim to take us out — things like pride, cynicism and insecurities. All of these converge as enemies of the heart, and they have the power to undermine our life and leadership.

The question is, how do you overcome these enemies that war within you? This edition of Make It Count explores 10 common issues of the heart, and how leaders can successfully guard their hearts against each one.

1. Insecurity: Leading When You Feel Unqualified. We all experience some measure of insecurity, but when we find ourselves lacking, Christ is our source of security.

2. Jealousy: Leading When Others Are Succeeding. King Saul kept a jealous eye on David after the young man’s victory over Goliath. As leaders, we may be tempted to respond the same way when others succeed. Instead, we should give thanks and celebrate.

3. Anger: Leading When You’re Mad. Sometimes people do things that spark a flame of anger inside us. However, the apostle Paul gives us a recipe to defeat our anger by being kind, compassionate and forgiving.

4. Pride: Leading When You Want the Credit.

Jesus repeatedly warned of the dangers from pride. To defeat this deadly sin, we have to practice the Golden Rule, ask more questions, share the credit, and get in the trenches.

5. Burnout: Leading When You’re Exhausted.

Leadership is relentless, and burnout is a very real culprit that’s taken out countless leaders.

Thankfully, there are practical steps we can take to live and lead at a sustainable pace.

6. Offense: Leading When You’re Wounded.

Leadership is not for the faint of heart, and if we don’t protect our hearts, we’ll personalize the wounds that come our way. We have to simultaneously develop soft hearts and thick skin.

7. Cynicism: Leading When You’ve Lost Hope.

Cynicism can quickly settle in when we become jaded by the pain of leadership. The key is to remain hopeful in the midst of hardship so we can finish well in life and in leadership.

8. Guilt: Leading When You Need Grace. Leaders live under a microscope. Everyone has an opinion about what we do wrong and how we could do better. Thankfully, God invites us to lead out of grace rather than guilt.

9. Fear: Leading When You’re Scared. Fear and leadership go hand in hand, because leaders chart the way into new territory. Like Joshua, we can trust in God’s promises rather than letting fear paralyze us.

10. Worry: Leading When You’re Uncertain.

Leaders dwell in the land of uncertainty.

There is always something to worry about, but worship helps us reframe our perspective.

As you discuss these 10 lessons with your team, you’ll learn how to navigate common challenges and guard your heart in the process.

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GUARDING YOUR HEART IN LEADERSHIP

Insecurity: Leading When You Feel Unqualified

Assess

When has insecurity gotten the best of you as a leader?

Insights and Ideas

W

e all experience some measure of insecurity in leadership and in ministry. Moses certainly did when God commissioned him to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery.

Moses asked, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

(Exodus 3:11).

Moses’ insecurities led to feelings of inadequacy, inferiority and insignificance. And the same can happen to us today. Insecurity can creep into any area of life. Common signs of insecurity include defensiveness, micromanagement, the inability to receive feedback, a lack of healthy confidence, and an unwillingness to share the credit or develop other leaders.

There is no age limit to insecurity. In fact, insecurity often increases as we experience more success and greater levels of responsibility.

How can you guard your heart against insecurity? Here are three ways: 1. Anchor your identity in Christ. Insecurities often stem from self-worth issues. Remember, on your best day and on your worst day, God loves you the same. Before Jesus ever performed a single miracle, His Heavenly Father said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). God loves you and is pleased with you, regardless of what kind of success you have in leadership.

2. Avoid the comparison trap. Comparison often leads to one of two extremes: jealousy or pride. When we compare ourselves to others and feel bad about who we’re not, it’s easy to become jealous. And when we compare ourselves to others and feel superior, we slip into pride. Both foster deeper levels of insecurity. Avoid the comparison trap so you can avoid the cycle of insecurity that breeds jealousy and pride.

3. Be a learner. One of the best ways to defeat insecurity is to learn from the people who make you feel insecure. Embrace a teachable spirit, and glean wisdom and insight from people who are experiencing success in ministry. Rather than lamenting about who you’re not, learn from who they are. You’ll be amazed at how this reduces your insecurity. It may even spark a new friendship.

Again, we all deal with insecurity. The questions is, are you willing to address it before it begins to grow in your heart?

Reflect and Discuss

1. In what areas of leadership or ministry are you most prone to feel insecure?

2. Which of the three tips above speaks most to you?

3. What other strategies have you found helpful in conquering insecurity?

Apply

At the root of insecurity is an identity issue. Make a list of Scriptures that address your identity in Christ. Turn these Scriptures into a daily declaration to remind yourself of where your identity is found and who you are in Christ.

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GUARDING YOUR HEART IN LEADERSHIP

Jealousy: Leading When Others Are Succeeding

Team Review

What Scriptures did you include in your daily declaration to help you overcome insecurities?

Assess

How might jealousy show itself in a leader’s life?

Insights and Ideas

H

ow often have you scrolled through your favorite social media platform only to find yourself becoming jealous of what you see? Somebody’s perfect vacation reminds you of your imperfect life. A pastor’s booming congregation reminds you of your struggle to break from an attendance plateau. Someone else’s success reminds you of your own shortcoming.

We see an example of this with Saul and David. First Samuel 18:6–7 says, “When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres.

As they danced, they sang: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.’”

How did Saul respond? According to verses 8–9, “Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. ‘They have credited David with tens of thousands,’ he thought, ‘but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?’ And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.” The New Living Translation says Saul kept a “jealous eye” on David.

How can you guard your heart against jealousy? Start with two strategies: 1. Express gratitude. Saul compared himself with David, and the result was a jealous spirit.

Author Craig Groeschel says, “Comparison makes us resent God’s goodness in other people’s lives and ignore God’s goodness in our own lives.” The antidote to jealousy is gratitude.

2. Celebrate others. When the apostle Paul was in prison, he learned that others were preaching the gospel with impure motives. How did Paul respond? He said, “But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice” (Philippians 1:18). Paul celebrated the success of others, even when their motives were misdirected.

Don’t just tolerate the success of others; celebrate it. Someone once said, “Stop being jealous of people in their winning season. You don’t know what they lost in their losing season.”

Reflect and Discuss

1. Share an example of when jealousy settled in your heart as a leader.

2. How does gratitude uproot jealousy?

3. Whose win can you celebrate right now?

Apply

Start a gratitude journal for the next 30 days by writing down two things you are thankful for each day. Then take a few minutes each week to celebrate God’s goodness in the lives of others by calling them or sending texts or emails.

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GUARDING YOUR HEART IN LEADERSHIP

Anger: Leading When You’re Mad

Team Review

What difference has keeping a gratitude journal made in your struggle with jealousy?

Assess

When have you struggled with anger as a leader?

Insights and Ideas

M

ark Twain once said, “Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.” When we store anger in our hearts, it begins to overshadow everything we say and do.

The apostle Paul warns of anger’s danger in Ephesians 4:26–27. “‘In your anger do not sin’: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” The Greek word for foothold means “location.” Paul was saying, “When the sun sets on your anger, you’re giving the enemy a new location in your life.” It’s like inviting the enemy into a guest room in your heart.

In verse 31, Paul continues, “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” Two kinds of animosity are evident in this text: 1. Stewing. Bitterness and malice can be like an internal smoldering. Hurt simmers under the surface and warps perspectives and attitudes.

2. Spewing. When these feelings spill over, the eruption may spew on others in the form of rage, brawling and slander. Proverbs 29:11 says, “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.”

What should you do instead? Paul says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

Notice three action steps to guard your heart against anger: • Be kind. Kindness involves putting others first. This makes sense considering that much of our anger comes from not getting our way.

• Be compassionate. Compassionate people have empathy toward others. As John Maxwell says, “Instead of putting others in their place, we must put ourselves in their place.”

• Forgive. To defeat anger, we have to forgive. When we try to hold onto anger, it holds onto our hearts. Forgiveness releases us from anger’s fury.

Reflect and Discuss

1. Are you more of a “stewer” or a “spewer” when it comes to anger?

2. What does it look like to put others first when you’re angry?

3. How can you practice forgiveness?

Apply

Do a prayerful audit of your heart. What makes you angry? What specific actions could you take to extend kindness and forgiveness to those with whom you are angry?

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GUARDING YOUR HEART IN LEADERSHIP

Pride: Leading When You Want the Credit

Team Review

What steps have you taken to prevent anger from controlling your heart and negatively impacting your leadership?

Assess

What impact have you seen pride make in a leader’s life?

Insights and Ideas

I

n Luke 18, Jesus describes a Pharisee and a tax collector who went to the temple to pray. The Pharisee prayed, “God, I thank you that I am not like other people — robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get” (Luke 18:11–12). Not only did the Pharisee declare himself superior to others, but he also reminded God of his spirituality. The Pharisee’s heart was full of pride.

The tax collector, on the other hand, prayed, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (verse 13).

His posture of humility attracted the mercy of God. Jesus concluded the story with these words: “For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (verse 14).

There’s an important lesson in this story: We have a role, and God has a role. Our role is to humble ourselves, and God’s role is to exalt us. When we switch roles we experience problems.

How do we guard our hearts against pride when we find ourselves longing for the credit and praise? Here are four keys: 1. Practice the Golden Rule. Jesus said, “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12). People want to be treated with dignity and respect (as do you), but the Pharisee’s prayer expressed the exact opposite toward the tax collector. We cultivate humility when we elevate the value of others rather than looking down on them.

2. Ask more questions. The more we talk, the more arrogant we tend to sound. Proverbs 10:19 says, “Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues.” We all like to talk about ourselves, but by choosing to ask more questions, our humility creates curiosity about others.

3. Share the credit. Pride loves to attract attention and take all the credit. Instead, freely give credit to those who did the work. Acknowledge their hard work and express gratitude for their commitment, selfless service, and spirit of excellence.

4. Get in the trenches. When we serve alongside team members rather than ruling over them, we demonstrate humility. Leadership should be more about serving than pursuing perks, power and privilege. Jesus said, “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:26).

Reflect and Discuss

1. Why do leaders often struggle with pride?

2. How does the story of the Pharisee and the tax collector speak to you?

3. Which of the four keys to cultivating humility do you find most challenging?

Apply

Pick at least one of the four keys to cultivating humility to focus on for the next 30 days. Think about practical ways to express this quality, and ask God to help you grow in humility.

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GUARDING YOUR HEART IN LEADERSHIP

Burnout: Leading When You’re Exhausted

Team Review

What steps have you taken toward cultivating humility?

Assess

How do you know when you’re in danger of burning out?

Insights and Ideas

O

ne of the earliest examples of burnout can be found in Exodus 18:17–18 when Moses’ father-in-law, Jethro, came to him and said, “What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.”

Moses was burning the candle at both ends, and it was driving him into an unsustainable pattern.

The same can happen today. If you find yourself constantly drained, cynical, anxious, apathetic or moody, you may be on the verge of emotional burnout. To guard your heart against burnout, start with these five strategies: 1. Develop an inner circle. You cannot beat burnout alone. Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” Your inner circle should include family, friends, coaches and a counselor. These key relationships will feed you spiritually, emotionally and relationally.

2. Create a sustainable rhythm. If you’re teetering on the brink of burnout, take a hard look at your schedule. How many nights per week are you out? When do your days start and end?

Are you taking a sabbath? Create an ideal schedule that creates a healthy rhythm between work, family, friends, rest and personal time.

3. Prioritize and delegate. Identify your highest priorities, and then delegate other tasks. That’s what Moses had to do. He boiled down his priorities to leading, teaching, modeling the way, and selecting leaders. He delegated everything else.

4. Find healthy distractions. Healthy distractions are hobbies and habits that fill your tank.

Healthy distractions can include things like exercise, reading, gardening, hiking, or any number of life-giving activities. Without healthy distractions, you can slip into unhealthy habits and even addictions.

5. Cultivate spiritual intimacy. Finally, feed your spirit. Protect your time with God, and cultivate intimacy with Him through prayer, Bible study, journaling, worship, and unhurried devotion.

You can’t do your job effectively unless you are healthy. Take steps now to move toward greater health before you burn out.

Reflect and Discuss

1. What about our culture contributes to leaders burning out?

2. When have you struggled with feeling burned out? How did you deal with it?

3. Which of the five strategies above do you most need to implement in your life?

Apply

On a scale from 1 to 10, how close are you to burnout right now? Do a careful assessment of the five areas listed above, and put together a plan to become healthy again. Things won’t change overnight, but with these tips, you can move closer to a place of health.

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GUARDING YOUR HEART IN LEADERSHIP

Offense: Leading When You’re Wounded

Team Review

What steps have you taken to beat burnout and create a sustainable rhythm?

Assess

What’s one of the biggest offenses you’ve ever experienced?

Insights and Ideas

I

n Matthew 5:21–22, Jesus talked about the danger of anger. He said, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”

We’ve already talked about the emotion of anger, but this passage reveals a progression in anger, and the starting place is often an offense. When we are offended, our hearts give way to wounding that can lead to deeper emotional issues. That’s why we have to guard our hearts against offense. Here’s how: 1. Don’t seek revenge. Revenge is an overreaction to offense. Leviticus 19:18 says, “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.”

2. Be gracious. In Colossians 4:6, Paul wrote, “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” A gracious response keeps the offense from turning into a full-on battle.

3. Deal with offense biblically. Jesus said, “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’” (Matthew 18:15–16). Start by going to the person privately. If that doesn’t work, bring someone else into the conversation.

4. Look for the kernel of truth. Sometimes there is an element of truth in the thing that has offended you. Look for the truth, and then let it stimulate your growth.

5. Forgive. Colossians 3:13 says, “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Following the example of Jesus means letting go of grievances and extending forgiveness to those who hurt or offend you.

If we don’t guard our hearts as leaders, we’ll personalize the wounds that come our way. We need both soft hearts and thick skin.

Reflect and Discuss

1. How do you typically respond when you feel offended?

2. How do you protect your heart from offense while still trusting people?

3. Which of the five strategies for dealing with offense most speaks to you?

Apply

What offense are you currently carrying that is putting down roots in your heart? Whom do you need to forgive? Proactively take steps to deal with that offense today so your heart doesn’t become jaded or hardened.

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GUARDING YOUR HEART IN LEADERSHIP

Cynicism: Leading When You’ve Lost Hope

Team Review

What has God done in your heart in the area of releasing offenses?

Assess

What does a cynical leader sound like?

Insights and Ideas

M

ost people enter leadership with lots of optimism and hopeful ambition. They expect to flourish in their roles and lead the way to positive changes. But after years of leading, many slip into a pattern of cynicism. They no longer believe things will change. When passionate leaders with bold visions encounter criticism and harsh realities, hope often fades.

This isn’t the way God wants us to lead. As followers of Jesus, we should be the most hopeful people. Cynicism has no place in our hearts, and yet this deadly emotion can undermine our attitudes in the present and our vision for the future.

Philip told Nathanael, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote — Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph” (John 1:45).

Nathanael’s response was cynical: “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?”

Philip simply responded, “Come and see” (verse 46).

Nathanael had his doubts about Nazareth. Perhaps he was cynical about the coming of the Messiah, too. After all, how long had the Jews waited for this promise to be fulfilled? Had Nathanael lost all hope?

That’s what cynicism does to the spirit. It snuffs out hope. It looks at life through the lens of criticism and doubt.

Here are three ways to guard your heart against cynicism: 1. Dwell on the God of hope. We lose hope when we focus on disappointments instead of on God. Jeremiah 29:11 says God’s plans are to “give you hope and a future.”

2. Cultivate curiosity. When leaders grow stagnant or settle on a plateau, they lose their curiosity. Without curiosity, we stop growing. Without curiosity, we settle for yesterday’s answers to tomorrow’s problems. Without curiosity, we become cynical of anything new.

3. Dream again. The rocky terrain of leadership can cause us to lose sight of the horizon and give up on our dreams. Pull away for a day or two to dream again. Don’t let cynicism silence the visions God’s Spirit wants to birth in you.

Reflect and Discuss

1. What symptoms of cynicism have you observed in leaders?

2. In what way have you become cynical in your life and leadership?

3. Which of the three steps above do you most need to take today to keep cynicism from settling in your heart?

Apply

Do a “hope audit” on your life. On a scale from 1 to 10, rate these three areas: your hope in God, your level of curiosity, and your dream for the future. Then pull away for a day to be with God, spark your personal growth, and dream again.

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MAKE IT COUNT

8

GUARDING YOUR HEART IN LEADERSHIP

Guilt: Leading When You Need Grace

Team Review

How did your day alone with God diminish the spirit of cynicism and spark fresh hope for the future?

Assess

How does perfectionism lead to guilt?

Insights and Ideas

L

eaders live under a microscope. Everyone has an opinion about what we do wrong and how we could do better. The pressure often leads to an unhealthy drive to do more, be more, and accomplish more. It’s an exhausting race in pursuit of something that is ultimately unattainable.

But we don’t have to live and lead with a guilt-ridden heart. How do we break free from this crippling emotion? How do we guard our hearts against guilt and step into grace instead? Start with three steps: 1. Identity: Lead from a place of grace. When people remind us of our leadership gaps, it’s easy to live out of guilt and shame. But Romans 8:1 says, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” We are forgiven, and when we live from that reality, we can lead from a place of grace.

2. Boundary: Establish clear parameters. There’s nothing wrong with having a standard of excellence and desiring to give your very best. But when excellence crosses the line into perfectionism, we create unnecessary stress. That’s why it’s important to create clear boundaries when it comes to time management, deadlines, and expectations. The right boundaries keep you from the habits and hang-ups that often bring guilt and shame.

3. Vocabulary: Speak a new narrative. Each of us has an inner narrative. It’s what we tell ourselves when we mess up. It’s the storyline we believe when we trip up. But if our vocabulary is out of sync with what God says about us, we’ll live under the cloud of guilt and feel a constant sense of disappointment. Change your vocabulary. Stop listening to what your inner critic says, and start reminding yourself of the truth in God’s Word.

It’s not always easy to walk in grace. Our past, and the people around us, sometimes remind us of our flaws and failures. In those moments, we can let Hebrews 4:16 center us: “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

Reflect and Discuss

1. How has guilt threatened to undermine your leadership?

2. How can we create a more grace-filled culture with our team?

3. Which of the three steps above offered a new perspective to help you lead without the cloud of guilt?

Apply

Put into practice the three steps described in this lesson. Remind yourself that you are forgiven, and seek God’s grace and mercy in your time of need. Set clear boundaries so you don’t try to live up to an unrealistic, guilt-inducing standard. And create a list of Scriptures that remind you of who you are in Christ.

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9

GUARDING YOUR HEART IN LEADERSHIP

Fear: Leading When You’re Scared

Team Review

How has your mindset changed since taking steps to reduce guilt?

Assess

When are you most afraid in leadership?

Insights and Ideas

F

ear is a crippling emotion. When it captures our hearts, it silences our dreams. When it becomes our lens for leading, it becomes a lid on our leadership. It reminds us of our past, haunts us in the present, and holds the future hostage.

Joshua no doubt dealt with fear. After Moses died, Joshua took up the mantle to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. He must have wondered, After having a leader like Moses, will the people follow me? If the people wouldn’t enter the Promised Land 40 years ago, will their children make the same mistake?

But God silenced Joshua’s fears with words that infuse the heart with courage: “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them” (Joshua 1:6). So, how do we build on this truth, silence the emotion of fear, and develop a courageous heart? Start by focusing on three P’s: 1. Purpose: Hold onto your promise. When God told Joshua to be strong and courageous, He gave him a reason: “because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.” The lesson is clear: Purpose gives you the power to face your greatest fears. When you hold onto the promise God has given you, it gives you a reason to keep staring down fear as you put one foot in front of the other.

2. Presence: Remember God is here and there. Pursuing a bold vision can feel like you’re standing on the edge of a diving board looking down into dense fog. In such times, you have to remember that the same God who is nudging you to jump is waiting for you in the water below. He’s here and there. God is with you, and He is waiting for you. He is omnipresent.

3. People: Surround yourself with belief. When God calls you to step out in faith and courage, there will be plenty of naysayers. That’s why you have to surround yourself with belief. In other words, look for people of courage to stand by you and walk with you.

Fear is a powerful emotion, but with God’s help, we can defeat it and walk fully into His plan.

Reflect and Discuss

1. When has fear stopped you in your tracks as a leader?

2. What inspires you about the story of Joshua?

3. In what area do you need more courage today?

Apply

What do you need more of as you face your fears in leadership? Do you need a clearer, more compelling purpose? Are you spending enough time in God’s presence? Are you surrounding yourself with people who believe in you? Take steps to shore up any areas of weakness.

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10

GUARDING YOUR HEART IN LEADERSHIP

Worry: Leading When You’re Uncertain

Team Review

What step did you take to become more courageous in the face of fear?

Assess

What do you most worry about as a leader?

Insights and Ideas

W

e all face uncertainty in life — and with that comes worry and anxiety.

There’s no single cure. Relief may come through praying, reading God’s Word, spending time with friends and family, and even seeking professional counseling.

We can also lean into the helpful perspective of Philippians 4:4–7: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

When you give thanks, God’s peace stands guard over your heart and mind. But notice the first thing Paul says to do: rejoice. In other words, worship is one way to keep worry from overtaking you. What difference does worship make?

1. Worship changes our perspective. When we worry, we tend to adopt a high view of our problems and a low view of our God. The size of our worry distracts us from the size of our God. To break this cycle, it helps to focus on something bigger than our worry. In other words, rather than enlarging our view of the problem, we need to enlarge our view of God. 2. Worship disarms our worry. Worship robs worry of its weightiness. Isaiah 61:3 reminds us that God gives us a “garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” Praise breaks the heaviness, and when we develop a habit of worship, the weightiness of worry begins to lift.

If the emotion of worry is keeping you up at night, choose to worship. And if you find worry paralyzing your ability to lead effectively, seek out a counselor to walk with you in the journey.

Reflect and Discuss

1. How does worry undermine a leader’s effectiveness?

2. What difference does worship make in your day-to-day life?

3. How do Paul’s words inspire you, especially when you consider he was in prison when he wrote them?

Apply

Set aside some time to worship together as a team. Start by presenting your worries to the Lord in prayer, and then shift your focus entirely to worshipping the Lord. Afterward, reflect on the difference it has made.

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Redemption Wins

(Continued from Page 128 )

I paused. What did that really mean?

As I let Jesus speak to me about His redemption, my focus began to change.

In fact, it forever transformed the way I perceive the work Jesus did on the cross for me.

The Lord reminded me that when I had accepted Him as my Savior, it was a beautiful exchange. I gave Jesus my shame, my sin, my mess. He willingly took it all, and in return, He gave me a new life, forgiveness, the hope of heaven, and so much more.

Similarly, I learned to give Jesus my grief daily. It was too much for me to carry. In exchange, He gave me peace that transcends understanding (Philippians 4:7). Oh, how I needed that!

First Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

I never knew from one day to the next what aspect of grief would hit me. But as it came, I released it to Jesus. Some struggles returned again and again.

Each time, Jesus lovingly and patiently received them from me. And every time, without fail, He gave me something better in return: His hope, contentment, and joy.

This has given me an expectation in prayer I never had before. I’ve even started applying the principle to other areas of my life, such as my finances, my relationships and my ministry. When I simply say, “Lord, would You redeem … ,” I know I can give my worry to Him and trust Him to give me something better.

Of course, that doesn’t relieve me of all responsibility. On the contrary, Jesus sometimes lets me know it is my attitude that needs redeeming. He meets me where I am and leads me onward.

Psalm 130:7 says, “Put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.”

I sensed Jesus saying, “Give Me your grief. Let Me redeem it.”

In 2012, I had a dream of Buck in heaven. He looked down at me and shouted in his excitable manner, “Mom, hurry! Hurry up and come! It’s awesome! You’re gonna love it!”

I have reminded myself many times that Buck is in my past, but he’s also in my future. One day, Jesus will redeem us from this world of sin, pain, and grief, and we will be together forever.

ANGELIA CARPENTER and her husband, Thomas, are Assemblies of God World Missions missionaries with CompassionLink, ministering to people with disabilities. Angelia is the former Arkansas District women’s ministries director and author of Sweet to Trust: Lessons I’ve Learned From the Life of My Son (available on CompassionLink.org).

The Carpenters reside in Republic, Missouri.

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T H I S I S M Y S T O RY

A Grief Redeemed Finding grace in the midst of loss

By ANGELIA CARPENTER

O

n Oct. 20, 2011, I did something I had never done before. I normally dropped off my son, Buck, at the door of his school. But on this day, I decided I wanted to give him one more hug, so I parked the car and got out.

Buck was in the third grade and big for his age, but he wasn’t embarrassed to hug me in public.

“I love you, son,” I said. “Go be a winner!”

My mother-in-law, Nelma, would pick up Buck after school. Buck’s three younger cousins had come to town, and Nelma wanted them to have an opportunity to play together. Buck was always happy to see his cousins and spend time at his grandma’s house.

But as they were exiting the interstate that afternoon, the brakes on Nelma’s car unexpectedly went out.

She shouted to the kids, “Hang on! We’re going to wreck!”

She couldn’t avoid running the red light and entering the intersection.

Buck was sitting behind Nelma, and the driver’s side of the car took the brunt of the impact in the resulting three-car collision. Everyone else involved survived, but Buck and Nelma went to heaven that day.

I was already well acquainted with grief. My only brother had died just 10 months earlier. But this was a new kind of sorrow.

This was our baby boy, the son we had asked God to send us. I was so thankful for that last hug, but I was struggling to make sense of the loss.

In my quiet times, I prayed a phrase from 2 Corinthians 4:8: “Lord, I’m ‘perplexed, but not in despair.’ I don’t understand, but I know You are a good Heavenly Father. I know You love our family. I know Your nature. You didn’t take our son to crush us, but You allowed it for a purpose. I may never understand in this life, so I need You to help me make it through. Yes, Lord, I’m perplexed, but I’ve come too far to give up now — especially since I know where my son is.”

In my state of brokenness, it helped to say these things out loud. Jesus knew Buck Carpenter my heart already, so it was freeing to vocalize my pain.

“Lord, I’m overwhelmed,” I confessed one day. “I walk by Buck’s room and hear him calling to me. Everywhere I go, everything reminds me of him. My child wasn’t supposed to die before me.”

(Continued on Page 127) In that moment, I sensed Jesus saying, “Give Me your grief. Let Me redeem it.”

I was so thankful for that last hug, but I was struggling to make sense of the loss.

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