Vital Jan / Feb

4 GUIDELINES TO GET YOU THROUGH AN ELECTION YEAR pg60 RICH AND ROBYN WILKERSON THINK YOU’RE A LEADER pg48 THE ART OF DATING YOUR SPOUSE pg24 v i t a l m a g a z i n e

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c o m

V I TA L M A G A Z I N E . C O M

ISSUE _ 07 / JANUARY _ FEBRUARY 2016

HOW THE GLOBAL CHURCH IS UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO PROVIDE LONG-TERM RELIEF

First comes

‌then what?

Pre-Marriage More than a book, the Couple’s Kit is an experience! Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts by renowned counselors Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott and the accompanying workbooks will help you launch a love like never before. In After the Honeymoon,, Rod Loy shares 90 devotions that provide insight and wisdom based on biblical principles and his own 27-year marriage.

Marriage

The 5 Love Languages has transformed countless relationships. Be inspired

by Gary Chapman’s simple yet perceptive insights on relationships.

The Language of Love & Respect is changing the way couples treat each other.

Adopt this practical approach to addressing communication in marriage.

With honesty and humor, Kerry Clarensau leads women on a journey that reveals eight biblical secrets every wife needs to know. Pair with Secrets DVD for small group study.

Visit MyHealthyChurch.com/Marriage to see more marriage resources. Available in Spanish.

Family

Gary Smalley shares wisdom from years as a husband and father.

Find out how to build a home ďŹ lled with harmony and hope.

Find out how to incorporate every family member in the spiritual growth of your home at every stage of life.

Visit MyHealthyChurch.com/Family to see more family resources. Available in Spanish.

1.855.642.2011

MyHealthyChurch.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Show and Tell

p30

“One of the reasons it’s important we live our faith out loud is because the kids are watching what we do.”

p40 The Everyday Leader “This isn’t really new stuff we’re talking about. This is the life of Jesus.”

After Disaster A series of vignettes of believers extending intelligent, holistic and loving support in crises around the world

8 VITAL SIGNS 11 THE LEAD • Lasting Change in 2016

p48

12 PULSE

24 THINKING ABOUT

• World • Nation • Church

• Going Steady • Abortion, the Gospel

and the Church • More than a Day Off

Until Everyone Is F.R.E.E.

Michael and Denise Bartel are fighting human trafficking in the United States using one of God’s most powerful weapons: the Church

p24 Going Steady Why date night is so essential to your marriage

Reclaim the Wonder of Spiritual Growth How to move from distraction to discipline in 2016

p56

p64 30 AFTER DISASTER How the global Church is uniquely positioned to provide long-term relief

40 SHOW AND TELL Children’s ministry leaders weigh in on how parents and adults should model faith to the next generation

48 THE EVERYDAY LEADER Pastors Rich and Robyn Wilkerson on how servant leadership “equalizes the playing field”

54 MULTIPLIERS • Redeeming Stock

Photography • Serving “Cambodia Town” • Until Everyone Is F.R.E.E.

59 TEACHING • Vital Voices • 4 Questions to Get You

Through an Election Year • Parenting with

Personality • Reclaim the Wonder of

Spiritual Growth

73 MAKE IT COUNT 80 ONE MORE THING

Yo u r w o r l d f r o m a S p i r i t - e m p o w e r e d p e r s p e c t i v e

VITAL MAGAZINE

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VITAL SIGNS

8

“DO NOT WITHHOLD GOOD FROM THOSE TO WHOM IT IS DUE, w h e n i t i s y o u r p o w e r t o a c t ” ( P ro v. 3 : 2 7 ) .

R e a d m o re o n p a g e 3 0 a b o u t h o w c h u rc h e s a n d m i s s i o n a ri e s a re m e e t i n g t h e d i v e rs e n e e d s t h a t h a v e e m e rg e d f ro m t h e re f u g e e c ri s i s i n E u ro p e .

P h o t o c re d i t : C o n v o y o f H o p e E u ro p e

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愀氀猀漀 愀瘀愀椀氀愀戀氀攀 椀渀 匀瀀愀渀椀猀栀 吀䠀䔀䈀伀伀䬀䤀一匀䤀䐀䔀伀唀吀⸀䌀伀䴀

THE LEAD

LASTING CHANGE IN 2016

H

ere’s an anonymous parable to begin the New Year: Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody were members of a group.

There was an important job to do and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody would have done it, but Nobody did it.

Somebody got angry because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody would do it, but Nobody realized that Anybody wouldn’t do it.

It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

We live in an age that talks a lot. Talk radio, talk shows, Twitter, Facebook, 24/7 news channels.

We are drowning in words, our own and those of others.

Worse, the words are critical and angry.

Since 2016 is a presidential election year, we should expect partisans and ideologues on both sides of the aisle to hurl verbal grenades at those on the other side. The cutting reply, the gotcha quote, the clever putdown, the tone of righteous indignation — all these rhetorical tricks and more will be pulled out of the political hat this year, but none of them will leave our nation better off.

Please don’t misunderstand me: Words are important. So is political engagement. Like you, I have well-formed beliefs that shape the ways I think about politics and vote. I will engage thus in civil debates about candidates and issues with friends and neighbors, and I will vote on Election Day. You should too.

Doing so is one way of effecting change. (You can read more thoughts on this from Scott Leib on page 60.)

But lasting change requires more than political debates and lever-pulling in the polls.

These things, by themselves, can become ways Everybody blames Somebody because Nobody did what Anybody could’ve done. To quote Scripture, in other words, “faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:26).

If you make any resolution this year, then, resolve to find more ways to translate your words

into actions, ways that are personal and local. The question each of us must ask is, “What can I myself do to make the world a better place?”

As 2015 drew to an end, news media were filled with stories about terrorism, racial conflict, the depredations of the abortion industry and refugees fleeing war. Everybody, it seemed, had an opinion. And yet, I noticed, it was quite possible to talk endlessly about these stories without actually doing anything to make the world a better place.

This issue of Vital features stories that I hope will move you to action. In our cover story (page 30), Kristel Ortiz and Scott Harrup report on how Assemblies

of God World Missions and Convoy of Hope are partnering with the global Assemblies of God church network to provide relief to those affected by disaster, whether caused by nature or humans.

Shannon Polk reflects on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (page 28) and suggests ways Christians can use that day to serve and promote justice at the local level.

And Susan Jaramillo writes about how churches can turn pro-life convictions into concrete actions (page 26), bring hope and healing to women considering abortion and welcome their children in life.

Whichever cause God calls you to champion, make sure to do so in both word and deed. If Anybody can do it, you and I certainly can!

George Paul Wood is executive editor of Vital.

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PULSE WORLD

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KEEPING YOU CONNECTED TO THE HEARTBEAT OF THE WORLD

FOR THE LOVE OF LIBRARIES

F

ebruary is Library Lovers Month, and one organization has a mission to spread the love — all the way to Africa.

Africa’s Hope provides Bible schools there with resources to facilitate their students’ education. Recently, Africa’s Hope received 50,000 textual resources after the merger of two U.S. Assemblies of God schools, Central Bible College (CBC) and Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. The donations have already been shipped to Bible schools in Africa.

“We are convinced that Spirit-filled, biblically trained leaders are the hope of Africa,” says Dr. John Easter, Africa’s Hope director. “The Pentecostal church in Africa is experiencing a tremendous rate of growth. Our greatest challenge is to train enough leaders to pastor the newly planted churches; it is essential that we facilitate training centers with well-resourced libraries. There is great excitement in our African students when they experience full access to a comprehensive system of quality theological books and journals.”

13

PULSE : WORLD

A+ AIRPORTS

GLOBAL DISCONNECTION

If

for some reason you’re still using a dial-up Internet connection, trust us, it could be worse. More than half of the world doesn’t even have the opportunity to log on. It turns out approximately 57 percent of the population — or more than 4 billion people — doesn’t have Internet access. According to a report from a United Nations study on how connected cultures are around the world, only about five percent of the world’s approximately 7,100 languages are currently represented online. Although close to 300 million people gained Internet access in the last year, the U.N. is still working to close this overwhelming gap. The organization aims to have at least 60 percent of the world plugged in by the year 2020.

Each year, Sleeping in Airports rates the best — and worst — airports to spend the night in, both abroad and in the States. In the New York area, the airport scene is rough; Newark and JFK both made the bottom 10, in spots 5 and 9, respectively. Chicago didn’t do much better; Midway and O’Hare were both noted as restless spots. On the other hand, Singapore’s Changi Airport was rated highly. In North America, Vancouver’s airport, complete with a “giant aquarium in the international departures lounge and dozens of art and museum exhibits,” took home the top award, followed by the Tampa International Airport, which has been reported to be very clean and have fast, free Wi-Fi.

THE WORLD’S (SOMETIMES WEIRD) SPENDING HABITS • The U.S. spends more than the global average on health, recreation and restaurants and hotels.

• Those in Saudi Arabia spend 7.3 percent on home furnishings.

• South Koreans spend about 6.7 percent on education.

• The average Russian spends 8.3 percent of his or her income on alcohol and tobacco. (Source: Eurostat)

OPTIMISM IN AFRICA People in sub-Saharan Africa are looking up, Pew Research Center says. The African public is much more likely to believe their economy will improve than many wealthier nations. SubSaharans say their countries should be focusing on economic issues, but they have greater concerns at the moment: A median of 23 percent said education should be top priority, and in South Africa, residents believed it to be an even more pertinent issue than health care.

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Start Your New Year Right

New devotionals that will encourage you to pursue a deeper relationship with Jesus.

Available in Spanish

PRAYING WITH CONFIDENCE Start a new season of confidence in your prayer life with this 31-day prayer focused devotional.

Available in Spanish

A PILGRIM’S JOURNEY Explore the Bible in its real-world, historical context through this 30-day devotional based on Psalms.

THE POWER OF HOME 90-DAY DEVOTIONAL Strengthen your family as you grow closer to Jesus together.

BIBLE READING GUIDE Track your progress through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation by following this consecutive reading guide.

Visit MyHealthyChurch.com/Devotionals for more resources to start the new year right.

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MyHealthyChurch.com/ Devotionals

PULSE NATION

16

KEEPING YOU CONNECTED TO THE HEARTBEAT OF THE NATION

ASSIST AND EMPOWER

T

he Global Center for Women and Justice (GCWJ) at Vanguard University holds an annual Ensure Justice conference to engage private and public sectors in the fight against human trafficking.

At Ensure Justice in November 2015, attendees in Costa Mesa, California, heard from Shyima (pictured left) about how to identify trafficking. She knows from experience; the survivor advocate was rescued from being a child maid when she was just 12 years old.

“It is critical to study best practice, learn the language of our public servants to collaborate and challenge our churches to study the issues,” Sandra Morgan, director of GCWJ, says. She points to James 1:27 as a strategy for preventing human trafficking.

“First, assist the most vulnerable and empower them,” she says.

“Second, do not let greed and pornography enter your heart.”

For Human Trafficking Prevention Month, observed in January, GCWJ will host a prayer simulcast event on January 23, 2016.

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PULSE : NATION

THE DANGERS OF TEXTING AND DRIVING

VITAL GOALS

T

he beginning of the new year brings the opportunity to break old habits and gain a fresh start. Americans traditionally choose to focus on health goals as part of their New Year’s resolutions. Last year, Nielsen numbers show, 37 percent said they wanted to “stay fit and healthy” while 32 percent selected they wanted to lose weight. As for other resolutions?

Twenty-eight percent of Americans said they wanted to enjoy life to the fullest in 2015, and 25 percent hoped to decrease their unnecessary spending. Spending more time with family and friends, learning something new, traveling more and reading more also made many lists. What are your goals for the upcoming year? Share them with us on Twitter using the hashtag #VitalGoals.

The University of Connecticut Medical School recently released a study that had some harrowing results.

Ninety-eight percent of those surveyed said they knew texting while driving was dangerous, yet almost 75 percent admitted to doing it anyway.

Safety advocates say America’s driving culture has to change — that the public perception of texting while driving should be as criminal as drunk driving. So what is the appeal? The study’s leader, David Greenfield, says, “The buzz of an incoming text message causes the release of dopamine in the brain, which generates excitement.”

THE FUTURE OF FREEDOM • 41 percent are concerned for the future of religious freedom.

• 34 percent of millennials say religious freedom is more at-risk today than 10 years ago.

• 77 percent of evangelicals agreed with this statement: “Religious freedom in the U.S. has grown worse in the past 10 years.”

(Source: Barna Group)

HOW OFTEN DOES PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL GET IT WRONG? Groundhog Day, a tradition developed by German immigrants in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, dates back to February 2, 1887. As you likely know, if the groundhog emerges and doesn’t see his shadow, spring is said to come early. But if the furry creature sees its shadow, he’s the bearer of bad news — six more weeks of winter.

If you don’t like Punxsutawney Phil’s prediction this Groundhog Day, don’t worry; according to Stormfax, the rodent is only correct 39 percent of the time.

18

INTRODUCING

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PULSE CHURCH

20

KEEPING YOU CONNECTED TO THE HEARTBEAT OF THE CHURCH

A CALL TO PRAY AND BELIEVE IN 2016

If

you’re like the majority of American Christians, you pray every day, studies show. In early 2016, you’ll have a chance to put this spiritual practice to work.

January 3–9, the Assemblies of God fellowship will set aside a week for unified prayer to believe for greater things. Leaders and constituents will gather all across the country to dedicate their year to the Lord.

“Many challenges to vision and mission lay ahead in 2016,” John Maempa, former director of the Office of Prayer and Spiritual Care for the AG, says. “A massive harvest of lost souls still needs to be reaped. Believers need to be discipled and mobilized to serve.

The poor and needy desperately need care. The Church must be an influencer for good and righteousness in an increasingly challenging culture. May 2016 be a time for appropriating Jesus’ words, ‘Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father’ ” (John 14:12).

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PULSE : CHURCH

CHURCH FIRES: A TRAGIC TREND

SEARCHING FOR CHURCH

It’s a disturbing fact that about half of church fires are linked to arson or bombings. Sacred places are a more common target than other locations, residential or nonresidential.

According to Pew Research Center, of “4,705 reported fire incidents at houses of worship between 1996 and 2015, 2,378, or 51 percent, had been ruled intentional as of July.” However, between 2010 and 2014, that percentage has dropped to 48, and church arsons have decreased overall, from 296 in 1996 to 29 in 2015.

H

ave you ever looked online for a church to attend locally? Have you had success? If your experience matches up with new data released by Grey Matter Research, you may not have found what you were searching for. According to the report, a user looking for a local church through a denomination’s website would only have a 32 percent chance of successfully finding enough information to attend. The study goes on to say that 20 percent of denominations don’t even offer a way to find an individual church though their main websites. But in most cases, the missing link in a church search is … well, a missing link. Half of all church listings had no web site included, and one out of five provided links was incorrect or broken.

GRACE IN NUMBERS

48%

According to Thrivent Financial, 38 percent of millennials see their church as a place to go for financial guidance. It seems they are getting wise advice: Forbes reports that 75 percent of millennials track their expenses carefully and 40 percent have increased their 401(k) contributions in the last year.

2011

2015

22

NAE SHIFT ON DEATH PENALTY The National Association of Evangelicals approved a resolution to rephrase its 1973 statement supporting the death penalty. The new resolution does not reverse its earlier position, but it acknowledges those who oppose capital punishment. In 2015, approximately 70 percent of white evangelical Protestants supported the death penalty, down from 77 percent who acknowledged it in 2011. Within the Assemblies of God, opinions on the punishment are mixed.

IT’S TIME TO INFLUENCE W E BEL I EV E T HAT T R U E , G O D LY LE ADE RS H I P DOE S N ’T COME FROM A T I T L E O R P O S I T I O N . I T STA RTS WI TH TH E H E ART OF A S E RVAN T AN D G ROW S I N TO A L I F E O F I MME AS URABLE I MPAC T. TH AT I S WH Y W E C R E AT E D I N FLUE N CE .

INFLUENCEMAGAZINE.COM

THINKING ABOUT

GOING STEADY

Why date night is so essential to your marriage ROD LOY

In

1986, I was 21 years old and serving on staff at my home church, Calvary Temple in Irving, Texas. I was also taking 20 credit hours at Southwestern Assemblies of God University. My life was busy with work and school — too busy for a serious relationship!

Then, I met Cindy Crawford (not the supermodel; my Cindy is better looking). I knew before our first date that I was going to marry her.

Unfortunately, Cindy needed some convincing.

Suddenly, I discovered I had more than enough time for dating. I was willing to do whatever it took to “woo” Cindy. I couldn’t wait to spend time with her. It didn’t matter what we were doing, as long as we were together.

Sound familiar? When you first fell in love, your future spouse was your number one priority. Nothing mattered more than being together. You couldn’t wait for your next date. Then, you got married. The demands of life and work pushed back in. There were bills to pay, careers to pursue and children to raise.

Spending time together was no longer top priority.

Gradually you began to drift apart.

I’ve heard that story many times. It’s too easy to focus on other things and neglect one of the most important things: your marriage. The solution?

Even though you are married, keep dating. And I’m not just talking about Valentine’s Day. Don’t wait for tension or a problem to schedule a date. Instead, view date night (or date day!) as a problem prevention strategy. Jesus was talking about money when He said, “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:21), but it is also good marriage insight. Spending purposeful time with your spouse sends a message: “You matter to me. I am setting aside work, projects and hobbies because you are my first priority. You have my heart.”

A regular date lets you escape life’s stress for a few hours. Don’t talk about bills or try to solve life’s biggest issues. Instead, just have fun being together.

Date night is a wonderful time to dream

24

together about the future. Dreaming isn’t just futile wishing, it can provide valuable direction for future decisions. Ask questions like: • If we could do anything, anywhere, to serve God and make a difference, what would we do?

• What’s our dream vacation? (Start saving for it!)

• What do we want our children to remember about us?

Date night is also a great opportunity to reminisce about the past.

Laugh at your favorite memories. Celebrate the struggles God has brought you through. Memories are an anchor for your marriage that remind you why you fell in love in the first place.

You might be thinking, “We can’t afford a consistent or special date night!” When I told Cindy I was writing this article, she offered this advice: “Sometimes, it’s intimidating to see social media posts of other couple’s extravagant dates. Don’t feel the need to compete! A date doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive. Sit and watch a favorite TV show together. Take a walk with your dog. Enjoy hot chocolate chip cookies. The important thing isn’t what you do, it’s that you are doing it together.”

If you’re looking for some other ideas, my book After the Honeymoon ends with 90 dates that cost less than $10. Lack of money is no excuse!

Not sure you have time to date your spouse? You simply have misplaced priorities. Don’t neglect your marriage! First Corinthians 10:12 says, “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall.” Take action today: Schedule a meal together, go for an early morning drive or pull up your calendars to pick a long weekend getaway.

This June, Cindy and I will celebrate our 29th anniversary. It’s been nearly three decades since I convinced her to marry me, and we still look forward to our time together today.

Every marriage inevitably establishes a routine, but you get to choose the habits that make up that routine. Let dating be one of them.

Rod Loy is senior pastor at First Assembly in North Little Rock, Arkansas. He has been in pastoral ministry for 29 years and his most recent book is After the Honeymoon (Influence Resources, 2015).

THINKING ABOUT

25

THINKING ABOUT

As Christians approach January 17, we know that human life at all stages — from conception through natural death — is sacred, created

by God, made in God’s image. In contrast, investigative videos by pro-life organizations such as the Center for Medical Progress and Live Action reveal the inhumane practices of Planned Parenthood and its partners. We recognize that not everyone shares our respect for the sanctity of all human life.

Indeed, I myself did not do so at one time and chose abortion. Through the grace of God, however, I have since experienced forgiveness. I now stand for the sanctity of life, encouraging other Christians to represent hope and healing.

Scripture Is Pro Life

ABORTION, THE GOSPEL AND THE CHURCH In January, Christians have an opportunity to affirm life and offer hope and healing SUSAN JARAMILLO

26

T

his year, Sanctity of Human Life Sunday falls on January 17.

President Ronald Reagan inaugurated this day (originally observed as National Sanctity of Human Life Day on January 22) in 1984 to remind the United States that the right to life is one of the “unalienable Rights” with which humans have been “endowed by their Creator,” in the immortal words of the Declaration of Independence.

Unfortunately, since the Supreme Court’s infamous Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, an estimated 55-plus million abortions have occurred, violating the right to life of unborn children in their mothers’ wombs.

As Christians, we look to Scripture for what it means to be pro-life.

Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Later in the Old Testament, David writes, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:13–14). In Isaiah 64:8, we read, “We are the clay. You are the potter. We are all the work of your hand.” In the New Testament, Luke tells us that Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, says that her child, John the Baptist, while still in her womb, recognized the voice of the Savior’s mother, Mary, and leaped for joy (Luke 1:39–44).

Being pro-life means recognizing life is a gift from God and celebrating it.

The Gospel and Our Guilt

The people who have been impacted by abortion are all around us — even sitting next to us in church. One-in-three women will have had an abortion by the time they are 45. According to Guttmacher Institute, 73 percent of these women report having a religious affiliation. In 2011, it is estimated that 1.06 million abortions were performed in the United States alone. These numbers are staggering.

Presented with the claim that abortion would fix our “problem,” I and many other women like me made the decision to have an abortion. Others had this decision forced upon them. Hoping abortion would be the answer to an unplanned pregnancy, we were unaware of how this experience would change our lives forever, affecting some of us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Some of us turned to substance abuse and other addictive behaviors, selfmutilation and suicide attempts to cope with and escape from our decision and our loss.

Some of us experienced depression, anxiety and other symptoms characteristic of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Like many other women who have had an abortion, I knew at the time when I was making the decision that what I was doing was wrong. I was taking a life. I believed I was committing a sin God would not forgive me for and I would be punished. After that experience, I believed I was not worthy to be loved by anyone.

Living in guilt and shame, many women and men who have been affected by abortion are hurting, not needing condemnation, but needing God’s grace and mercy, love and healing. Psalm 86:5 says, “For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.” First John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” One of the Scriptures that has become nearest and dearest to my heart is Psalm 40:1–3, “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and

heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.” The Bible offers hope and healing for women and men who have experienced abortion.

The Church’s Opportunity

So what can we do as the Church to show our respect for life and minister to those who have had or who are considering having an abortion?

We can read our Bible, pray and allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us to how we may become involved in promoting the sanctity of human life. We can start a post-abortion healing Bible study inside our church, providing a safe environment for women and men who have experienced abortion to receive forgiveness and God’s love and healing.

Pastors, I encourage you especially to be bold in speaking about things such as abortion, which are often not talked about in the church. According to LifeWay Research, more than four-in-ten women who have had an abortion were churchgoers at the time.

When we are willing to expose things hidden in darkness to the light, the truth sets free those who are being held captive.

For those of you who have been hurt by abortion, I encourage you to attend a post-abortion healing Bible study. There is hope and healing after experiencing abortion.

For all of us, through our thoughts and actions, let us stand together, united as one body of believers, “one in heart and mind” (Acts 4:32), using our lives to affirm the sanctity of human life.

Susan Jaramillo is an ordained Assemblies of God minister, pro-life speaker and author.

MAKE IT COUNT Here are additional resources recommended by the author: To find local pregnancy centers, maternity homes or other similar resources in your area, visit youroptions. com, helpinyourarea. com, susanjaramillo.com/ resources. To participate in a 40 Days for Life prayer vigil near your home, visit 40daysforlife.com. To get involved with Students for Life, visit studentsforlife.org.

If you know someone who is hurting from abortion, Bible studies such as Her Choice to Heal by Sydna Masse (for women) and SaveOne

by Sheila Harper (for both women and men) provide spiritually based intervention that lead to healing. For information on pro-life issues, visit the National Right to Life at nrlc.org and personhood.com.

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THINKING ABOUT

MORE THAN A DAY OFF Commit to observe — and serve — on MLK Day SHANNON POLK

I

visited the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on October 16, 2011, the day of its dedication.

I cried in the sun as I thought about my grandmother. She lived through Jim Crow segregation in Mississippi in its worst days. Yet, she harbors no hate in her heart. I cried as I thought about my mother who lived through the civil rights movement and de facto segregation in Michigan. She taught me that real Christians love everyone regardless of color. I cried during the President’s speech as I watched white high school students sit next to black senior citizens and multigenerational families of every ethnicity imaginable, all celebrating the life of an American hero.

Was I proud to participate in that event? Definitely. Was I proud as a black woman? Of course. But what made me most proud was that every time I looked at the crowd I realized that the patchwork of Americans represented King’s dream. Standing side by side, we were, in the words of the children’s song, “Red and Yellow, Black and White,” every one of us “precious in God’s sight.” That day, we stood united to celebrate the life of a Christian martyr.

When I reflect upon the legacy of Dr. King, I can think of no other American who successfully unified a country to correct a systemic injustice without the privilege of political position or the benefit of economic wealth. Dr. King was a

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pastor, and he saw America as his congregation. His singular sermon was that every citizen of this country was made in God’s image and that you could not love God if you didn’t love your fellow countryman.

Although Christmas, Thanksgiving and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day are the only federal holidays that reference Christianity directly, there are still Christians who don’t recognize MLK Day. Some refuse to celebrate the day because of King’s moral shortcomings, and still others state that churches should honor Jesus and not people. To those critics I say, if we only celebrated heroes of the faith who were morally infallible, we could never discuss Abraham, David, Paul, Rahab or Mary Magdalene. Likewise, when we honor the men and women who serve God with such fervency that they are martyred for the faith, we honor the only God worthy of such a great sacrifice.

MLK Day is also a national day of service where millions of Americans volunteer throughout their local communities.

What better occasion to impact your cities for Christ than to highlight how Christ used one of His servants to live out Micah 6:8? Host a service project on MLK Day. (If you’re not sure where to begin, visit nationalservice.gov/mlkday for ideas.) Invite members of your congregation to volunteer at various nonprofits organizations in your area and host a reflection time after the service projects conclude. Discuss the needs that you observed and pray collectively to see if you are called to serve your community in new ways. If you’re in a position of influence or management, encourage your workplace to recognize this day of service. If you volunteer on MLK Day, you will have a great opportunity to be a living epistle to the nonbelievers in your city.

I visited the King memorial again last year. As I touched the marble wall, I read his quotes and cried. This time, I cried because justice is not rolling down like water. The unrest in places like Ferguson, Baltimore and Charleston are just some examples exposing the deep racial divides in our country.

Pew Research Center reports that 50 percent of Americans see racism as a “big problem” — up from 33 percent just five years ago. The solution to this division is found in Christ.

Perhaps, by using the federal holiday to highlight the life and sacrifice of one of God’s servants, we can once again show the world that with this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

Shannon Polk is a preacher, lawyer and philanthropist. She is currently completing a doctorate degree at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, focusing on women in leadership. Shannon and her family attend Riverside Tabernacle Assembly of God in Flint, Michigan.

THINKING ABOUT

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How the global Church is uniquely positioned to provide long-term relief KRISTEL ORTIZ AND SCOTT HARRUP

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itting on a crumbling stone wall, the Haitian woman flung an angry gesture and an insult at the photographer before jerking her apron over her head. She sat still, face covered and arms crossed defiantly.

Others around her reached for rocks to throw.

Reactions to having photos taken vary around the world and by individual, but this crowd was different. Bill Smith, an Assemblies of God missionary to Haiti accompanying the photographer, knows why.

“The Haitian people are tired,” he explains. “They have lived in crisis for decades. They are tired of journalists and photographers profiting from their suffering, and then leaving. They know someone somewhere is benefitting off their images, and they know that they are not those someones. Too often they have been given no dignity.”

Following a disaster, many outsiders are well-meaning. But when they look for dramatic stories and woeful images at the expense of substantive assistance, their “help” is limited at best. A concerned, yet uninformed public can also pose harm, rushing in to donate or volunteer when the need is raw, then failing (or forgetting) to be an ally invested in ongoing recovery.

Short-term, sensationalized intervention can have what one veteran worker in Asia calls the “yak dung effect.” During the brutally cold winters in northern Asia’s mountain villages, children sometimes shed their shoes to put their freezing feet into piles of fresh, hot yak dung. The result provides temporary warming, but once the waste cools, their feet are as cold as ever.

The world is full of suffering, and millions are in need of help long after their crises have been forgotten.

The world needs more than yak dung.

Where is the lasting warmth for areas chilled by tragedy? After the frenzy of $10 text donations, editorial slideshows of mass

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destruction and celebrity-led humanitarian trips, what does restoration look like?

Earthquakes, typhoons, pandemics, refugee crises — whatever the disaster, the global Church is uniquely positioned to offer longterm commitment to relief and recovery. And Christians far and near are called to play a part.

Through conversations with Assemblies of God World Missions (AGWM) and Convoy of Hope (COH) personnel, the next few pages present a series of vignettes from around the world of believers extending intelligent, holistic and loving support — in the short-term, long-term and for eternity.

Europe: Seeking Home One of the largest international crises in recent memory continues to unfold. North Africa and the Middle East’s widespread conflict and poverty have created a wave of immigration along numerous European borders.

An estimated 700,000 refugees entered Europe in 2015 by late October, compared to less than half that number in all of 2014.

Multitudes from many nations come with a diversity of needs, and AGWM and its primary relief partner, COH, are responding with diverse resources.

AG missionaries Larry and Melinda Henderson pastor Vienna Christian Center and are taking members from the church twice a week into Austria’s primary refugee camp located just 20 minutes from the church. A typical week’s visits involve distribution of shoes (many refugees only have flip flops, even as winter approaches), food and tracts in Farsi and Arabic.

At time of print, 85,000 refugees were expected to seek permanent asylum in Austria by the end of 2015, prompting the government to open up housing for several hundred just blocks from the Henderson’s church.

“We need God’s strength, favor and wisdom as we continue week to week ministry,” Larry says.

AG missionaries have helped local churches in Macedonia to rent buses and give free rides to refugees traveling on foot. The two-hour drive provides an opportunity to share the gospel while giving out water and other essentials. The coalition is also providing hundreds of food packets each day.

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“The quake put eternity right in front of people.”

Photo credit: AGWM

Similar projects serve migrants in need in Greece and Italy where the greatest proportion of refugees begin their European traverse to nations further inland.

“We went to eight camps in just one day recently,” says Rick Pasquale, AG missionary to Italy. “The needs are great. We need to get supplies ready for the winter for them.”

For several thousand, the end of the road has been the “Jungle,” an overcrowded camp in Calais, France, where they hope to eventually be allowed across the English Channel into the United Kingdom. During repeated visits to the camp, COH Europe

teams led by AG missionary Michael McNamee have provided thousands of rain ponchos to help protect from the wet and chilling conditions, as well as portable cooking stoves and cooking oil.

As a result, they have been allowed to construct a tent church as well as put up surrounding tents for housing.

“Please continue to pray for the refugees and migrants in the Jungle, and for the COH Europe team and their continued ministry among them,” McNamee says. “We have made a long-term commitment to this project, and are continuing to identify ways we can be involved.”

Haiti: “They Thought the World Was Ending.”

During nearly 30 years in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Bill and Dorothy Smith have experienced five hurricanes, a three-year embargo,

“Donors tend to move from one crisis to another as they respond to what they see on the news.”

— Mark Renfroe

political coups, daunting violence, unpredictable water and electrical services and the devastating magnitude-7.0 earthquake of January 2010.

“People had never seen or heard anything like it. They thought the world was ending,” Bill remembers soberly.

An estimated 316,000 Haitians lost their lives. For years afterward, bodies remained trapped under heaps of rubble and dust. The land reeked of death.

The world has largely forgotten Haiti’s quake, but three crosses still stand on a hill by the sea marking the mass grave where victims were laid to rest. The entire country still bears scars — yet out of the rubble the Church has risen.

“The quake put eternity right in front of people,” Dorothy states.

A 24-hour prayer group formed behind the Smiths’ home, and the whole area became a center for the work of the Holy Spirit. Church attendance around the island exploded; six years later, it is still growing. All AG churches destroyed in the quake have been rebuilt.

Many have grown large and are planting new churches.

The Smiths worked closely with COH to help distribute about 1 million pounds of food and relief supplies that COH shipped to Haiti.

“Convoy was already feeding 11,000 children a day in Haiti when the earthquake struck,” says Hal Donaldson, COH president and co-founder. “That ministry quickly transitioned into areawide relief.”

The solidarity of the church and the Smiths’ establishment of self-sustaining businesses and a micro-loan program proved key to easing Haiti from the early days of relief into the long years of rebuilding.

Nepal: A Solid Church in a Shaken Nation Five years later and nearly 9,000 miles from Haiti, another quake changed the face of a nation and challenged the strength and commitment of the Church.

In April 2015, a magnitude-7.8 earthquake killed more than 8,000 people in Nepal and injured at least 18,000. More than half a million homes were either damaged or utterly destroyed. A second quake in May 2015 killed

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more than 40 and injured another 1,100. Repeated aftershocks kept the nation on edge.

AGWM and COH quickly addressed three areas of relief and recovery: immediate provision of food and tarps, intermediate provision of food and shelter for 2,500 families and a long-term response focusing on rebuilding 100 churches severely damaged or destroyed among the 1,250 churches of the Nepal Assemblies of God. Many churches that escaped unscathed became relief centers in their communities. If funds remain available, at-risk children will be fed for the next two years.

“Believers in Nepal were among the injured and bereaved,” says one AG relief team member. “Yet, they are at the forefront of sharing their

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resources and the gospel with grieving members of their communities. God is using national church leaders and laypeople in villages to effectively reach out.”

The Philippines: A Grassroots Model of Recovery In November 2013, Typhoon Yolanda hurtled into the central Philippines, propelled by winds in excess of 200 mph. News reports called Yolanda the strongest typhoon ever recorded. Ten thousand lives were blotted out; entire cities, especially Tacloban, were overrun by tsunami-like waves.

“Our relief and recovery efforts continued for many months,” says Bill Snider, AGWM area director for Southeast Asia. “Through the close partnership of the missionary family and national churches, the AG was already present. With the assistance of Convoy of Hope, we quickly assessed damage, identified specific needs and developed a plan to bring relief to families who had lost everything.”

Within days, Philippine church leaders, missionaries and local pastors met to begin their response to the devastation. AGWM provided resources to buy packaged food for areas hardest hit, and AG churches in the U.S. funded the rebuilding of dozens of Philippine churches. Many of those rebuilt churches have since tripled or even quadrupled in attendance.

“We attribute this to three factors,” Snider says. “Local pastors stayed in the midst of complete destruction; Philippine church leaders, AG missionaries and Convoy of Hope worked together closely to provide relief

and assistance; and generous offerings of AG churches and individuals in the U.S. aided the rebuilding process.”

Randy Hurst, AGWM communications director, sheds more light on the value of their 17-year partnership with COH during events like Typhoon Yolanda. “Convoy brings to the table the ability to ship donated relief supplies more cost effectively than we can purchase them in-country. They also have relief specialists with the expertise to make assessments, and they work closely with our missionaries to efficiently and effectively respond to a crisis.”

In the Philippines, AGWM operated at a grassroots level to distribute aid and provide care for families and individuals allowed it to excel in ministering to the suffering. Missionaries and local pastors set an example by being present in the initial days of chaos and destruction, and then staying during the following weeks and months of relief and recovery.

“The goal in relief, rebuilding and recovery efforts must be to work closely with those most affected, to listen carefully to them and to empower them in their response to the needs of their area,” Snider concludes. “Churches are already present in communities when disasters strike, and pastors stay with their congregations throughout the process. We can feed the hungry and rebuild people’s lives physically, emotionally and spiritually. The impact is long-lasting.”

The Middle East: When the Church Cannot Be Seen In many of the world’s neediest places, the Church must remain invisible during its restorative work. So it is in the Middle East.

“Every country in the Arab world is Islamic and places strict regulations on what the visible Church can do,” states Mark Renfroe, AGWM area director for the Middle East and North Africa. “The above-ground Church is present only in seven of the 19 countries that make up the Arab world.”

Where the Church can visibly exist, crisis response creates credibility within diverse communities.

A missionary couple in Central Eurasia has seen their disaster relief work take center stage following a major earthquake in 2005, several

“The best compassion we can give should always point people to Christ, respect their dignity and leave them able to carry on the good works, without us.”

— Suzanne Hurst floods, a church bombing in 2013 and high volumes of internal displacement in 2014. Both Christians and Muslims work with their programs, which have impacted 200,000 lives, mostly women and children.

Their restoration work was born out of a moment in a bloodstained, bombed-out church building in 2002.

“God said to me, ‘I am going to restore worship in this place because I am the Restorer and I can fix anything,’” the husband remembers. “I told Him, ‘Lord, please just let me help You.’” In the current Middle East refugee crisis created by civil wars and internal unrest, missionaries and other believers must be virtually invisible. AG World Missions takes a multifaceted approach and always works closely with national churches. Funds from AGWM and resources from COH and COH Europe provide food, water, hygiene kits, clothing and emergency medicines for refugees across the Middle East. They also aid thousands of people caught in between aid programs.

Missionaries on the ground partner with local churches to host children’s programs, counseling and educational outreaches that meet vital social and mental health needs. There can be no open witness of Christ, but noncompulsory religious programs for refugees are allowed.

“Many families are separated, and children can’t attend school,” Renfroe says. “A generation has grown up without an education, and they will become fodder for extremists. Civil wars are long and require sustained relief efforts. Syrian refugees who left their homes more than five years ago still can’t return, but they aren’t welcome anywhere else. The same is true of Iraqi, Yemeni and Libyan refugees.”

Renfroe says relief work in these dangerous and challenging locations offers testimony of how local churches and missionaries can work together, even in sensitive environments. But such efforts are extremely hard to maintain.

“Donors tend to move from one crisis to another as they respond to what they see on the news,” he says. “However, those on the ground deal with challenges daily for a long time. Pray for extended financial support, a cessation to violence, strength for those hearing and seeing terrible things as they serve in areas of crisis and for

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open spiritual doors. We don’t simply want to meet material needs. We want to see millions come to Jesus.”

Missionaries in the Middle East are already seeing some answers to Renfroe’s prayers.

“We first came to your church for help,” one family confessed to a missionary. “Now we come for love.

No one else shows us love. We are hated for being a burden on society, but you love us. Our lives have been changed.”

West Africa: After the Outbreak One of the deadliest and most challenging relief efforts took place this past year in West Africa. By the time the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak was declared under control in autumn 2015, at least 11,312 people had died — five times the combined fatalities of all other recorded outbreaks. Nearly 28,500 cases were reported, well over 99 percent occurring in the neighboring nations of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Ebola’s lethality created unique challenges. Outsiders entering the region did so at the risk of their lives. But local Assemblies of God churches recognized their responsibility to reach out to their neighbors, and AG congregations across the United States supported an AGWM/ COH joint initiative to send desperately needed food and supplies to the region.

AG missionary Gaylord Brown serves in Liberia where nearly half of all fatalities occurred. “Besides the food, medical supplies and equipment, donated funds made sure all the commodities would be distributed across the region,” Brown says.

In the case of a pandemic, with no structural damage involved, there was no reconstruction component to the response. The long-term provision of food was most important

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in regions where farming and employment were hampered by loss of life and widespread quarantine. COH’s shipments through the year eventually brought about 4 million meals to feed communities across the region.

AG missionary Suzanne Hurst serves in Central Africa with her husband, Pat. She offers insight on responding to crises around the world.

“Jesus wants our Christian faith to be evident through acts of compassion; however, the right motive or a kind heart does not guarantee our acts of compassion will have positive results. Believe it or not, it is possible to do harm, while trying to help.

Whether we are saving lives after a natural disaster or trying to help a village have clean water, it’s important to plan a response that respects the dignity of the recipients and allows, when possible, for communities to be active participants rather than passive recipients.

“Obviously in a scenario where we are trying to save people from imminent harm or death, free aid and healthcare is given,” Hurst goes on. “But once the situation has stabilized, it’s important to quickly move to actions that empower individuals and communities, guiding them towards independence. The best compassion we can give should always point people to Christ, respect their dignity and leave them able to carry on the good works, without us.”

Northern Asia: Crisis and Opportunity The loss of life was staggering — more than 87,000 people killed. Just under 5 million people were left homeless. Although the magnitude-7.9 earthquake that struck Northern Asia in May 2008 was not a geological record-setter, it wreaked havoc in the region.

It also opened doors for followers of Christ to live out their faith in a new dimension.

“Churches in Northern Asia had not been involved in social work,” a Northern Asia team member says.

“But with the level of this catastrophe, the local authorities invited churches to help in communities across the province.”

One pastor with the officially sanctioned local church had already responded to the need by the time the Northern Asia team member arrived. The pastor used church funds to purchase drinking water, food and medical supplies.

“The pastor told me that every day when he went to his church, he discovered people had replenished the funds he had used the day before,” the Northern Asia representative says. “My wife and I were able to

“Please continue to pray for the refugees and migrants.” Photo credit: COH

come alongside this pastor and provide additional funds to grow his outreach.”

That partnership opened doors for personnel to visit the local church and encourage the pastor and congregation.

Besides relief work during the first months after the quake, the team was able to support the local church with continued assistance at a local government orphanage. The Northern Asia representative and his wife had been involved in orphanage care. They offered expertise and brought a visiting physical therapist from the U.S. to assist children with special needs.

“The region’s earthquake

demonstrated just how effective the local authorities are at disaster relief,” the representative says. “After a few months, the basic relief needs were met, and the local pastor now had longterm relationships with people who had never met a Christian or heard the gospel, and he continued to follow up.”

Two years later, an earthquake rocked the northern area of the region. This time, the death toll was about 3,000.

“The local church in that area was able to help the indigenous people affected by the quake,” says a Northern Asia team member who came onsite in the quake’s aftermath. “I helped raise funds for clothing and other supplies and to contribute toward building a clinic on land donated by a local

MAKE IT COUNT If you want to support AGWM and COH projects like those in this article, here are a few starting points recommended by these groups: • Assemblies of God World Missions responds to crises around the world, usually within days of an occurrence. You can learn more about the latest relief and recovery initiatives at crisisresponse.ag.org. Just click on the response button of your choice.

• You can volunteer for a crisis response team or local city outreach in the USA with Convoy of Hope at convoyofhope.org by clicking on the “Get Involved” button at the top of the page.

• Thirsty Africa (thirstyafrica. com) is helping provide water solutions for needy communities.

• Visit the “Assemblies of God World Missions” and “Convoy of Hope” Facebook and Twitter pages for prayer initiatives and other response opportunities.

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5 WAYS TO ENSURE YOUR SUPPORT IS MEANINGFUL From the Vital team If you’re not a trained missionary or relief worker, when news of a crisis finds you, you may have one of two responses: 1) You wrestle with a sense of helplessness, or 2) you rush to play a role in “rescue.” Channel these impulses carefully. Here are some guidelines to offer grounded, emotionally intelligent support: • Did you set up a reoccurring donation? Also set a calendar alert for the days that these monetary gifts are withdrawn from your account. This is your reminder to check in on the status of the crisis, the needs in the area and the impact of your donation.

• Think global, but consider starting local. Does your church have trusted relationships with missionaries, orphanages or other organizations doing meaningful work on the ground? This might be an intimate, immediately beneficial partnership you can monitor.

• Check your motives as you give money, resources or time in the wake of a disaster. Do you have an urge to promote your efforts? Why? Are you educated about the people affected and the area they live in? If you are considering visiting a region in crisis, are there others who might be better equipped to make a substantial impact? Have you read or heard an expert expressing a specific need or discouraging certain types of aid?

• Maybe you cannot or aren’t meant to be at the scene. Where can you be? Maybe you’re a communicator who can offer to help a missionary or organization craft their message.

Perhaps you can leverage your large social media following for credible causes. Your administrative skills could be used to organize resources, trips or funds.

• Pray. Pray that missionaries and relief workers would not suffer from compassion fatigue. Pray that God would be glorified in the conversations had and the physical needs met. Pray for unseen dangers, like the mental health struggles that inevitably follow tragedy. Pray that those with privilege and resources would stay mindful of the situation.

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Buddhist leader who appreciated what the church was doing.”

Again, connections with local families proved to be long-term for the church. The Northern Asia team member is helping the local church connect children with Christian host families. The local people want their children to have more education opportunities, and the families who host the children during their studies are ambassadors of the gospel.

“The people of Northern Asia are very hardworking and are not looking for charity or handouts,” explains the team member who assisted in earthquake relief. “But when we were able to meet very practical needs, at a very needy time, their hearts were clearly open. It took no effort to talk to them about God, because in a time of disaster people are looking for answers.

“Two words in the local language for ‘crisis’ and ‘opportunity’ have a similar root and create an interesting word play. God is using these crises in Northern Asia to create wonderful opportunities to communicate the love of Christ.”

A Faithful Network Even as this article was prepared, other disasters threatened around the world with varying degrees of loss and bereavement — Hurricane Patricia and an earthquake in Pakistan, to name only two. There is no off-season for catastrophe. The stories can be overwhelming, the numbers devastating.

Still, other numbers bring hope. For example, there are an estimated 2.2 billion Christians worldwide — including the 67 million Christ-followers represented by the Assemblies of God, who have the ability to channel support through more than 300,000 churches around the globe.

“Compassion ministry must always integrate with sharing the gospel and establishing the church,” says Greg Mundis, AGWM executive director.

“While giving medical care or food, AG missionaries and Convoy of Hope teams — as all like-minded believers committed to the Great Commission — attempt in some way to share the good news of Christ and connect people with a church.”

“We are so grateful for anything followers of Christ can do to enable our AG missionaries, national believers and Convoy of Hope to extend the compassion of Christ and, in many cases, share the gospel with nonbelievers and connect them with churches to receive spiritual ministry,” says Keith Boucher, COH senior vice president.

The apostle James wrote: “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?”

(James 2:15–16). God’s Word commands, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so” (Prov. 3:27).

What God has placed in our hands is not just for our benefit. Some of what we have is “due” to others who need it even more than we do. Jesus invites us, “Freely you have received, freely give” (Matt. 10:8). When we take these words to heart, our shared commitment can meet desperate needs in the wake of crisis.

Kristel Ortiz is a staff writer and Scott Harrup is the web and social media lead for Assemblies of God World Missions communications.

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SHOW AND TELL Children’s ministry leaders weigh in on how parents and adults should model faith to the next generation ALYCE YOUNGBLOOD

If

you grew up in church, think back on your earliest memories of the offering. Most likely, the pastor paused between the time of worship and the sermon to deliver a few brief thoughts on why God commanded a tithe. Perhaps a special song or performance began as ushers moved down the aisles, distributing buckets, baskets or shiny plates with cushioned interiors. Most of the adults dug into their pockets or attempted to quietly tear out checks.

Your eyes followed the container until it reached your row. Maybe your parents even let you have the honor of adding your family’s contribution to it.

Today, this scene looks a little different. If a child sits near you during service, they might not get a chance to observe the tithe and offering in action.

Instead, if a minister does address giving, he or she likely emphasizes setting up online transfers or visiting an Internet kiosk in the hallway. For even the most faithful tithers, giving has become a silent discipline, a routine rendered almost entirely digital over time.

Why publicly place a bill in a bin every week when you can personally press a button on a screen once a

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“One of the reasons why it’s important we live our faith out loud is because the kids are watching what we do.”

— Mark Entzminger

year? Either way, your sacrifice helps meet the needs of your church, community and compassion ministries.

Yet, there remains an argument for the modern Church to at least draw attention to the act of tithing — as well as the many other practices of the Christian life, from raising hands in worship to volunteering time in service.

Quite simply, the children are watching.

FROM THE DELIVERY ROOM TO THE SANCTUARY How does having children influence a parent’s interaction with the local church? Numbers for 2010 from Barna Group and Orange reflect that: • 50 percent of parents reported that having children did not affect their connection to a church • 20 percent of parents were already involved in church and became more active after having children • 17 percent of parents said having children prompted them to reconnect with church after a long period of nonattendance • 5 percent of parents became active in church for the first time after having children • 4 percent of parents decreased their church activity after having children

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Parents Are Role Models (Ready or Not) Research indicates that parents wield the greatest influence over a child’s faith. According to the National Study of Youth and Religion, 82 percent of adolescents with parents who demonstrated a verbal, active, committed faith remained religious in their young adult years. A Baylor University report underscored the role of parents in shaping faith, showing that transmission of religiosity is most likely when parents consistently attend church and attach importance to their beliefs.

“The statistics are overwhelmingly clear that if we do not lead our children intentionally, passionately, fervently to know God and love Him while they are in our homes, the likelihood of them giving their lives to Christ later in life is slim,” Dick Gruber, professor of children and family studies at the University of Valley Forge, says. He points to Barna Group research from 2004, which found that most American Christians (43 percent) decided to follow Jesus by the age of 13.

Even the boom of “nones” — the term for the growing share of Americans who identify as religiously unaffiliated — lends legitimacy to the concept of faith learned in the family.

Researcher Vern Bengtson has spent decades studying religious dynamics in the home. He told Christianity Today in 2013, “These kids [of nones] are not rebelling from their parents, but instead following their parents’ influence in having no religious affiliation. After all, a child’s lack of religion is often no less an example of intentional religious formation on the part of parents.”

Mothers and fathers face a great challenge: to take seriously the ways in which they model their faith to their children. This task is further complicated by the increasingly hushed, digital nature of our spiritual lives and the decreasingly religious context in which we live them.

Can adults help the next generation become mature Christians

who understand spiritual disciplines, show love and compassion to others and commit to attend and serve in the local church? It’s going to require a bit of show and tell. And, according to conversations with a number of children’s ministry experts, there are two primary classrooms in which this education takes place: the church and the home.

Modeling Faith at Church The simplest step in laying a foundation for a child’s spiritual formation could be to drop them off — as in, ensure they attend a children’s church.

Most churches have credible classes tailored to various age groups, providing not only quality childcare, but also an introduction to the Christian faith. A Barna report from 2009 states that, “When it comes to church engagement, those who attended Sunday school or other religious programs as children or as teens were much more likely than those without such experiences to attend church and to have an active faith as adults.”

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TO GRANDMOTHER’S CHURCH WE GO “Children’s children are a crown to the aged,” Proverbs says.

Modern grandparents aren’t just beaming with pride from a distance; they’re playing a direct role in the lives and faith of their grandchildren.

“Due to increased life expectancy, grandparents today can and want to have a greater religious influence in the lives of their grandchildren,” researcher Vern Bengtson told Christianity Today.

Studies indicate a lot of grandmas and grandpas will get their chance; AARP reports that 2.5 million grandparents are now sole caretakers of 4.5 million kids.

U.S. Census data from 2010 placed the number of kids being raised by grandparents at 4.9 million — nearly double that of 2000.

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“In a children’s service, [children] are able to connect and relate well to the content of the message and point because it is geared directly for them,” JP Cannon, children’s pastor of The Assembly in West Monroe, Louisiana, says.

“They have a sense of ownership and community in a service that is ‘theirs.’”

Ben Dailey, lead pastor of Calvary Church in Irving, Texas, seeks out passionate adults to train children during these formative years.

“We actively look for and involve parents, grandparents and students at all levels of involvement within our children’s ministry, whether that’s leading lessons, singing songs, teaching about giving or taking time to serve our community.”

On some level, your Sunday morning routine should connect with that of the children in your church. Many ministries align the curriculums of adults, youth and children with an overarching passage or theme. This unites the congregants and families, as well as the staff, according to Kayla Maedche, director of kids ministry at Evangel Assembly of God in Bismarck, North Dakota. “The senior and children’s pastor are working together toward a common goal, and also preventing silo ministries,” she says.

At the least, most churches mirror the format of services across all departments: worship, giving, preaching and prayer. “[This] can establish a pattern for the child and prevent the culture shock of promoting up to a service that looks and feels nothing like your children’s service,” Gruber says.

Post-service, children might return to their guardians with “homework” of some kind: reading lists, crafts, coloring pages or lesson recaps. It’s easy to let these papers accumulate in a car or backpack, but Victor Oliva, children’s

pastor of Church of All Nations in Boca Raton, Florida, encourages parents to see these resources as a catalyst for quality time.

“It gives the parent an opportunity to actually be that spiritual leader in their child’s life. It’s a tool that guides them to lead their child,” he says.

Dailey affirms this. “No one has more influence over the life of their child than [parents] do as the leaders of their home.

Knowing that the family is the first institution that God installed, we do our best to walk alongside them by resourcing parents with discussion topics that reinforce our weekend teachings.”

There will be times, especially as a child ages, that his or her participation in an adult service could be permitted, even necessary.

Whether because of the need for extra parental supervision, an increase in spiritual curiosity, a special merged service or an inconsistency in class scheduling, children and youth have much to learn in sharing a church experience with parents or adults.

“I love the idea of having children and adults worshipping together. I think that kids gain so much from being around the adult, interacting with the grown-ups. I also think it can bring some life into the service when the adults look at it through the appropriate lens,” Mark Entzminger, the senior director of children’s ministries for the Assemblies of God, U.S.A., says.

To pull these gatherings off without distracting adults or boring kids, Entzminger says churches should “create an environment where everyone realizes we’re together because we’re engaged in discipleship of the next generation, not just, ‘Hey I’m coming here as an adult to be fed.’ You have to teach the teenagers and adults, everybody that’s older than a child, that one of the reasons why it’s important we live our faith out loud is because the kids are watching what we do. I can’t just stand in service and not worship, not give, not participate and not get out my Bible, and then expect the child next to me to do that.”

Modeling Faith at Home So what about the other six days of the week? This is when parents’ approach to

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faith is most displayed and defined — in what they say, and in what they don’t say.

“The family is the most powerful discipleship ‘small group’ in the world, where spiritual growth happens in the context of relationships and where you will find authentic community every minute of every day,” Gruber says.

Many of the experts interviewed for this article suggested that Mom or Dad ask introspective questions about the whole of their lifestyle to explore its more subtle spiritual messaging: How do I talk about my boss in front of my kids? How do I respond to things that cause fear or pain?

When my kids see me on my computer or tablet, do they ever assume I’m reading the Bible? What do the hobbies and extracurricular activities of our household instill in our children? How often do I volunteer, serve or give selflessly of my time?

“Consistently do good. The painful reality is that too many parents would rather feel good than do good,” Gruber goes on. “Raising kids with clear moral boundaries can be an extremely lonely job.”

After considering what their daily behavior is showing, parents can move on to the aspects of their faith that require a little more telling. Take the example from this article’s introduction: The surge in online giving decreases the chances for children to organically witness the tithe and offering. The only way to express the gravity of giving to a kid is to prioritize talking about it. Entzminger shares a possible script: “Look, we support this number of missionaries! Here are the stories of what they’re sharing with us. I want you to know that whenever you make money, you need to make sure you set ten percent aside as a tithe, and then you give on top of that. By the way, this is how Mom and I do ours.”

Parents can similarly find a candid entrance into subjects like prayer habits,

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gifts of the Holy Spirit, Scripture study or missions. “People often think incorrectly that children are not capable of having deep spiritual relationships. This is not the case. If we can continue to model righteous behavior, children will rise to the occasion, no matter how high the bar is set or how deep the understanding is,” Maedche says. “Nowhere in the Bible does it say that the Great Commission is for ages 12 and up.”

Cannon encourages getting the conversation going both ways, by filling car rides, meals and bedtime with curious, focused questions designed to engage the child. “Keep digging and prodding until you draw out a topic to talk about. Commit to the conversation and find out about their day. Don’t feel the need to fix everything or overreact to problems. Help guide them through thinking about and viewing situations and problems as Jesus would.”

Parents and Pupils There’s one more phrase that Entzminger suggests parents deploy in their efforts to impart a holistic faith to their family: “I don’t know.”

“It’s OK to talk about a verse and not even necessarily to have all the answers,” Entzminger says. “I think it’s OK for kids to understand that parents don’t have it all figured out.”

Children are watching and listening to the adults in their lives, but at the end of the day, even the most faithful parent is human —inconsistent at best. Perhaps the best that mothers and fathers can do is to always point to a better example.

“Let the Holy Spirit guide you to develop your own unique approach,” Gruber says.

“The common factor in successful Christian parenting is reliance on God’s word for the development of your own philosophy of parenting.”

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The Everyday Leader Pastors Rich and Robyn Wilkerson tell Vital how servant leadership “equalizes the playing field” ALYCE YOUNGBLOOD

“S

ervant leadership.”

This phrase refers to a Christ-like blending of humility and authority and has achieved near-buzzword status in the Church. But Rich and Robyn Wilkerson hope to contribute something fresh to the ongoing conversation about servant leadership in their new book Inside Out (Salubris Resources).

The Wilkersons have been married for more than 40 years, and the bulk of that time has been spent in full-time ministry. As co-pastors of Miami’s Trinity Church and founders of Peacemakers, a social services organization, they’ve committed to a generous, relational approach to leading. There is something contagious about it; their congregation sees 4,000 weekly attendees, and their children have gone on to pastor in Miami, Harlem, San Diego and Tacoma.

As Rich and Robyn observed certain traits of servant leadership, they also saw that they applied beyond the pulpit and into the pew — to ministers as well as teachers, lawyers, entrepreneurs, nurses, students, volunteers. They articulated these principles for Inside Out in an effort to show people “how to meld leadership and servanthood into something

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powerful and significant.”

Vital spoke more with Rich and Robyn about the book and how its message impacts every sphere of life. Here are some excerpts from that conversation: Vital: When did you begin to feel this burden for the topic of leadership, to the point that you wrote this book Inside Out? Rich: We had so many young leaders here in Miami, and we were teaching them what we felt was the healthy “DNA” that would pull people in one great direction for our mission, which is to win the lost, help the poor and teach the abundant life. In order to do that, we kind of had to get on the same page.

Consequently, in 2010 we started having

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monthly DNA meetings for our servant leaders, who are volunteers. It was in those meetings that we started teaching our DNA components. So when you come to Miami to our team five years later, we’re way down the road in that vision. It feels like everybody is on the same page. In this book, we teach 15 of our key DNA components. That’s what makes us happen here at Trinity.

How can people see their own leadership potential, whether or not they are ever in an industry or role typically associated with leading?

Robyn: Leadership is a lifestyle. It is a lifestyle for anyone who wants to succeed in relationships, whether that’s marketplace relationships, church ministry relationships, family relationships, community relationships. Servant leadership is being willing to start every conversations with these questions: How can I serve your needs? How can I serve the team or the family or the

business? How can I bring value to the undertaking of this enterprise? When a business leader or a medical professional or an academic person approaches their role as a calling and an opportunity to serve others, their world gets bigger and bigger and bigger, because everyone wants to be in relationship with the person who is invested in creating a success for them. It is the open door for a sales person or a business owner when they shift from saying “How can I get something from you?” Their whole world changes when they approach their business or their enterprise with the new idea, the Jesus idea: “How can I serve you and make your world better with the products we offer, with the services we offer? How can I take care of you?”

Rich: Let’s say you’re the general manager at a drugstore; don’t you want employees who are resilient?

Employees who are flexible? Don’t you want some of your employees to take new hires in and mentor them? See, all of these components were made for the marketplace. We test them in the Church. Servant leadership opens doors out there that you just can’t get open. It’s just a better approach to living.

This book is not about how to build your church.

This book is about how to build your life and the lives of others. It just works everywhere. These principles and these components, they become very attractive to other people.

How have you two learned to co-lead and coserve, in your marriage and your ministry?

Robyn: That’s an enormous question. I think the best answer is that everyone is born with aptitude.

We can be coached for performance, but aptitudes are God-given. In any partnership, marriage being the most intimate partnership on earth, when you honor the other person’s aptitudes and you allow them to play to their strengths, it creates a stronger team. My husband sets the moral climate, he sets the bar. He’s the leader. Our teams all look up to him for that. And I bring an aptitude for organization and management. But together, we’ve learned to kind of stay out of each other’s lanes. He doesn’t have to be part of everything I’m doing, I don’t have to be part of everything he’s doing, and I think that’s the key.

Rich: I’m not a very good administrator. I have the big picture; I raise funds, and I preach, and I cast vision. As long as I’m doing those three things, I’m really good, but if I try to get into her world, it messes things up.

I think we’ve done something here that isn’t very

“If you’re a healthy individual, growing is a byproduct of living a flourishing life.”

— Robyn Wilkerson popular, coauthoring a book as husband and wife. It’s just kind of different, but we knew that going in. It’s been her career with the servant leadership that has helped me form what I felt God wanted me to form. She lives it, she teaches it, and there’s usually a line at her door from employees and church members and people from outside wanting advice.

She’s a great coach.

In your lives, who stands out to you as a servant leader?

Rich: My dad. I could have just put “This is the life of John Wilkerson” [as the book title].

Robyn: My dad, Fulton Buntain, and his brother, Mark Buntain. I’m named for my auntie, who was a missionary for 50 years in Africa.

Rich’s family is David Wilkerson’s family. They founded Teen Challenge, and what a picture of going to people with the story of Jesus.

This isn’t really new stuff we’re talking about. This is the life of Jesus.

Your book encourages people to start where they are, but servant leadership also requires learning and growing. What has that looked like for you?

Robyn: Both of us went to graduate school in recent years. Rich here got his master’s degree from Southeastern University. I went to Assemblies of God Theological Seminary.

I guess we just decided we’re going to live until we die, meaning that living entities that are healthy grow. If

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you’re a healthy individual, growing is a byproduct of living a flourishing life. Growth is the only way that we can continue to experience the opportunities that God has planned for us. When we close our minds and say, “You know what, I’ve got this figured out” — or worse than that, “I’ve got those people figured out” — we actually are cutting ourselves off from the creative, God-destined opportunities. As God’s children with a little essence of Him in each of us, when we are creating, we are very God-like because God is the creator of all.

I really believe that growth here on earth is our responsibility and it is our pathway to our next possibility when it comes to prosperous living. Sometimes people get nervous when you use words like “prosperous,” but the way we define it is the Bible way: having all that I need, to do what God has called me to do.

You go to great lengths to refute any stereotypes of who qualifies as a leader. How is this message going to empower people who have been pushed to the side?

Robyn: In every part of our culture, there are people who are underestimated. I believe that a book like this equalizes the playing field. The Christian worldview is

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that every single person ever born, in the future and in the past, was God’s unique idea, and they were incredibly valuable to God. No matter what the culture says about another person, as a servant leader, you offer to serve everyone because they are intrinsically worth it, because God created them.

See, we get all mixed up. The worldly currency of communication is that if others think this person is honorable or worthy of respect, that makes them more valuable than somebody whom culture says is irrelevant. But the servant leader sees past that cultural misconception and sees that every human has value. They bring honor to every individual at every level.

Rich: Leadership is about taking responsibility for myself. If you look over the chapter titles — faithfulness, acceptance, loyalty, humility, integrity, compassion, encouragement, generosity, respect — all those are characteristics that the servant leader takes responsibility for and says, “In my world, in my environment, in my workplace, I bring loyalty. I bring humility.” In effect, the servant leader sets the agenda.

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Redeeming Stock Photography

Lightstock provides a “cheesy-free” image of the Christian life ANA PIERCE

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e’re only human; sometimes, poor design and media in a church can actually distract from the message.

That was the case for Lightstock founders and twin brothers Jon and Josh Bailey over a decade ago as they sat in a church service in Dallas, Texas. Their father was delivering a sermon about creation from a PowerPoint that was certainly not created in the image of God. So, they did what they do best: designed their own.

It turned out that the congregation loved it. “I’ll never forget my dad coming up to me after the service and saying, ‘I want you to make one of those for me every single week.’” Jon says. “So I did. It was fun to transform a sermon title into a simple art form. It was a creative way of expressing the heart behind the message. The idea caught on, and Graceway Media was born.” Graceway Media has since become a resource center for sermon titles and worship backgrounds, among other materials.

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Those who have worked in church media may have experienced the grueling effort of finding a decentlooking stock photo to describe challenging topics like “lust” or “miracles.” While running Graceway, the Baileys expressed their own concern for the overwhelming lack of stock images that would be relevant — and still look good — to a Christian audience.

On February 2, 2012, the Bailey brothers sold Graceway — and the next day, Lightstock was born.

Lightstock exists to enhance the message that its users are sharing with photography, videos and vectors reflective of a believer’s lifestyle. “I think everybody who uses Lightstock has a story, and they’re trying to share that story in a beautiful way,” Jon says. “Our goal is to help them elevate that story by creating an entire new category of photography: faith-focused and cheesy-free.”

The Bailey brothers create images and curate submissions, purchased by users via credits or subscriptions.

With each piece of art, they aim to mirror faith in the real world. “You’ve probably looked around enough stock photo sites and seen the fake pastor in a business suit, with a brand new Bible in his hands,” Jon says.

“Photos like these don’t match our Christian experience.

That’s not what we’re about. I think Christians should be craftsman, no matter what occupation they choose, but especially when it comes to media and design. We serve a good and beautiful God, and our work should reflect that.”

Serving “Cambodia Town” Sopheak and Amy Kheng are bringing the gospel to Cambodians in Southern California ANA PIERCE

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ital: What are your personal backgrounds in ministry, and how did you come together?

Amy: It was the tail end of the Pol Pot regime and genocide was ending in Cambodia when Sopheak was born.

In 1992, Sopheak’s family was introduced to Christ though the first Assemblies of God missionaries who entered the country after the war. Years later, as Sopheak was working to plant churches in the unreached areas of Cambodia, we met and eventually married.

I was an American Assemblies of God missionary at the time. Together, we moved to the States, so Sopheak could learn English and American culture for a couple of years.

During our time here, we saw a need and became deeply grieved by the state of the Cambodian community in the America.

Tell us more about the Cambodian population in America.

There are roughly 60,000 Cambodians in Southern California alone. Long Beach is home to “Cambodia Town” — the largest population of Cambodians outside of the country itself. There are no official Assemblies of God churches for those who speak the Cambodian language in California, yet there are over 300 Buddhist temples.

Sopheak is the only Cambodian AG pastor in California, and I am an AG U.S. Missionary. Together, we are the only ones who can speak the Khmer language. There are churches from other denominations, however, many of these [Christian] pastors also

lead in Buddhist temples and send a mixed message to those who desperately need the gospel.

What is a unique challenge you face in evangelizing to this community?

Most of our ministry is to people who have never been inside a church building. We have to hold services in house churches to help lower their fears of coming to learn about Christ. In almost every service we hold, 80 to 90 percent of those who attend have either just begun a relationship with Christ or are still preconversion. This makes it difficult to teach Bible stories to different ages that have never heard the message.

Are than any specific stories of transformation you’ve seen though this ministry?

Sokha came to California hoping to find a medical cure for her terminal disease. Instead, she found Jesus. Sokha stayed in our home for five weeks and eventually returned to Texas, eager to tell her relatives about Christ. Now, she and her husband have both been baptized. Sokha calls regularly. She and her husband struggle with English, so they have few friends and can’t attend church. Yet Sokha reads her Bible daily and tells us, “If God heals me, I will praise God. If God doesn’t heal me, I will praise God.” 55

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Until Everyone Is F.R.E.E.

Michael and Denise Bartel are fighting human trafficking in the United States using one of God’s most powerful weapons: the Church IAN RICHARDSON

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or many Americans, human trafficking seems like a distant problem in a distant place, something found in a red-light district in India or a brothel in

Thailand.

In the mid-1990s, Michael and Denise Bartel shared a similar perspective. While directing Chi Alpha and working with international students at Purdue University, the couple first became aware of the slavery issues abroad.

“It really became something we thought we needed to jump in with, but we didn’t know how to do that or where to do it,” Michael and Denise say. “There weren’t a whole lot of organizations out there at the time.”

In 2004, the Bartels began working with human trafficking victims as Assemblies of God missionary associates to southern Asia. A few years later, the birth of the couple’s second child brought them back to the States.

Their eyes opened to a need they hadn’t noticed before. Girls were being prostituted at American truck stops and hotels.

Young teenagers were vanishing in American cities and never being found.

“We moved back and saw the significant amount of vulnerable kids here in the United States who were being exploited,” Michael says.

“Looking back now, I can see moments in my life where this issue intersected with my life domestically, and I didn’t recognize it.”

The Bartels felt the call to connect the Church to this need. In 2007, they launched F.R.E.E. International, a U.S. Missions-approved nonprofit with a mission to find and reach U.S. victims of human trafficking, both

“Looking back now, I can see moments in my life where [human trafficking] intersected with my life domestically, and I didn’t recognize it.”

— Michael Bartel labor and sex, until exploitation no longer exists.

Based near Las Vegas, Nevada, today the organization partners with local, state and national government officials, nonprofit organizations and local churches in more than 20 states across the country. Through its programs, F.R.E.E. International mobilizes people of faith to combat trafficking through prevention, rescue and restoration in their communities.

“The Church is God’s chosen agency to reach the world,” the Bartels say. “We don’t run out there saying, ‘Give us money, we’ll go do the work, and then pat us on the back,’ we go out there and work strategically with the local church to apply those resources.”

At the organization’s core are the four programs that spell the acronym F.R.E.E.: Find, Restore, Embrace and Empower. Each program includes several ministries and partnerships.

“Find” identifies victims of human trafficking through relationships with local law enforcement, government and social services. “Find” also includes prevention efforts, like school assemblies, that educate children and teens before they become vulnerable.

“Restore” emphasizes not only rescuing victims of human trafficking but also putting them on the track to healing. “Embrace” then

provides for their immediate needs, and “Empower” helps them build their futures through finding scholarships for college, locating jobs and housing and connecting to a local church.

Over the years, the organization has developed close relationships with the FBI and social services. It has partnered with Miami University School of Law to begin the first human trafficking-specific legal fellowship in the United States. Twice, Michael has spoken in front of the National Association of Attorneys General.

Since 2010, F.R.E.E. International has also collaborated with the Klass Kids Foundation and Global Child Rescue to plan Super Bowl outreaches. In its first year, these partners mobilized the college and career group at First Assembly of God in Fort Myers, Florida, for a three-day recovery effort. Miami Vice credited the group that year with reaching three precinctsworth of missing kids, and seven trafficking victims were recovered through that effort.

When the Super Bowl comes to San Francisco on February 7, F.R.E.E. International and its partners will have already conducted school assemblies and educated hospitality workers about the warning signs of trafficking. They will also be mobilizing volunteers in the faith community to search for missing children and provide direct outreach.

Michael says he is excited about the difference F.R.E.E. International is making.

“We lead where we need to lead, we serve where we need to serve, and in all that, we see the effectiveness of setting the table for those who are part of the faith community for effectiveness. God has just given us great favor.”

MAKE IT COUNT In September 2015, F.R.E.E. International and Speed the Light announced a partnership to purchase two mobile units to take into at-risk communities and administer medical, legal and other necessary care on the scene.

Speed the Light is raising approximately $300,000 for the project. To contribute, visit speedthelight. org, click on the “Donate” tab and, after choosing a donation amount, type “Speed the Light Free International Project” in the comment box.

To find more ways to contribute or get involved with F.R.E.E. International, visit freeinternational. org/opt-in

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VITAL VOICES

In

each issue of Vital, we ask some thought leaders, ministers and creatives throughout the Church the questions you may want to ask, if you could take them out to coffee. From small talk to big ideas, here’s what they had to say.

Susanna Foth Aughtmon Author, speaker, blogger at tiredsupergirl.com What is your most unique family tradition?

Celebrating. We try to do it as much as we can. Good grades, book contracts, basketball championships, the first day of summer — those sweet moments of joy in life can come few and far between. So when they come along, they need to be accompanied by cake and ice cream.

Preferably chocolate.

Paul Hurckman

JJ Vasquez

Elyse Murphy

Executive director, Venture Expeditions

Youth pastor, Iglesia el Calvario, Assistant professor, Southeastern University

Author, Confessions of a Church Kid

What is your favorite story from the Bible?

My favorite kind of stories are the ones where you think you know who the good characters and bad characters are, and then as the story plays out, you realize all the characters are dynamic and changing.

The rich young ruler (Mark 10:17–27) is often villainized as a guy who loves money so much that he chooses riches over Jesus. I read about a guy who is approaching Jesus and is asking to see more of the Kingdom.

Jesus reveals a Kingdom where we are generous, live simply and follow with reckless abandon.

Any tips and advice on making time for devotionals and spiritual disciplines?

Establish a routine. It’s hard to start, but once it gets going, it’s hard to stop.

What’s your morning routine?

Breakfast, prayer, reading, reflection.

What’s the ideal Valentine’s Date?

Fun fact: I have never been on a date on Valentine’s Day! But I would think something involving puppies and Disneyland and sunsets and picnics and cuddles … Simple, ya know? (Perhaps this is why I haven’t had a Valentine’s Day date yet.)

What is the best relationship wisdom you’ve learned?

You’re saying yes to dinner, not to forever.

Calm down.

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ngry exchanges in the break room.

Heated discussions around the dinner table.

Obnoxious postings on social media. Divisive conversations in the church foyer. Nothing brings out the worst in us and strains the best of friendships like an election year.

The growing potential for significant factions has become an important concern within the body of Christ, as differing views on vital issues continue to grow both inside and outside the church. In 2014, researchers from Columbia University identified five current generations of presidential voters, each holding deeply entrenched, varied opinions and beliefs influenced by national events unique to their generation’s formative years. As another presidential election year commences, all followers of Jesus must allow God’s Word to shed fresh light on how to handle the challenging aspects of political involvement.

4 QUESTIONS TO GET YOU THROUGH AN ELECTION YEAR How to balance Kingdom allegiance with political engagement SCOTT LEIB

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Political Engagement or Disengagement?

Christians have historically come to different conclusions regarding their political engagement. Some advocate that people of faith should avoid politics, looking to Jesus’ statement to Pilate when he said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). They conclude that Jesus both taught and modeled that His followers should disengage from politics. The more challenging the political climate, the more attractive this view can become to the Christian. However, Jesus made this statement after His arrest during a conversation with Pilate, who was seeking to clarify who Jesus was and what to do with Him. Thus, Jesus’ statement was speaking to the distinctive nature of His Kingdom rather than to the boundaries of its impact.

TEACHING

Many of Jesus’ statements, in fact, call His followers to influence culture.

Two of Christ’s most vivid metaphors describe His followers as “salt” and “light” (Matt. 5:13–16). He expects us to penetrate and influence all of society. As Christians living in a democratic society, engaging in the political realm is one way we can significantly impact and see transformation in our culture.

Dual Citizenship As a pastor of a church right outside the Washington, DC, Beltway, our congregation is particularly impacted by the divisive nature of national politics. I seek to equip our congregants to face this challenge by helping them understand the uniqueness of their identity as Christ followers.

The Apostle Paul proclaimed to the Philippians, “our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20). As citizens of their earthly nation of origin and citizens of the eternal Kingdom of God, every Christian holds dual-citizenship status. This status forms the basis for the fundamental biblical truth that should inform our political involvement: We must fulfill the obligations of our earthly citizenship in light of the values and purposes of our heavenly citizenship.

While we navigate the challenges of dual citizenship, it’s important to recognize as subjects of God’s Kingdom that the obligations of all other affiliations must remain a distant second on our priority list. Our earthly citizenship is temporal; our heavenly citizenship is eternal. Our earthly citizenship can help create just laws to regulate civil society more effectively; however, our heavenly citizenship holds the answers to the deepest issues of the human heart.

As we head to the first Tuesday in November, we can keep ourselves on track by regularly asking ourselves the following questions.

How does my political action affect the mission of God? In a reference to politics, Paul encourages activism through prayer “for kings and all those in authority” (1 Tim. 2:1-3). He then gives the purpose for the command: “that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” Paul is concerned for the peaceful welfare of the community, ultimately desiring for King Jesus to take His rightful place on the throne of human hearts.

When it comes to political activism, Kingdom concerns should always hold priority. When I enter the voting booth, I should reflect the values of Christ. My advocacy on every issue should spring forth from a biblical view of

the world. As a citizen of heaven, I need to pray for the nation in which I temporarily reside, with the purposes of God at the forefront of my mind.

Does my spirit reflect the Spirit of Christ?

The comments that Christians and non-Christians alike post on social media during the political season always astound me. Peter admonishes us to “show proper respect to everyone … fear God, honor the emperor” (1 Pet. 2:17).

We should be respectful in our discussion with others, rather than immediately questioning someone’s motives if they don’t agree with our politics. This is where brothers and sisters in Christ need to hold each other accountable.

I can be right on the issues, but if my spirit is wrong, the greater cause of Christ suffers.

Have I critiqued the issues with biblical truth?

The Bible has much to say about issues such as social justice, the stewardship of creation, the sanctity of human life and massive debt. Christians often allow a political ideology to form their views without a thoughtful critique of Scripture on the issues. When it comes to solving the massive, complicated problems of our post-modern society, party platforms are insufficient. The timeless truths revealed to us by the One who created life itself serve as the only lasting remedy for what ails the culture. The political process needs biblically literate Christians who can speak to the issues with both truth and grace.

Am I keeping the right perspective?

As followers of Jesus, we must fulfill the responsibilities of our earthly citizenship while at the same time carefully managing our expectations. Often we expect too much from the political process. We mistakenly believe that a certain party being in power or the election of the right candidate will solve the problems of the nation. As Christians we should know where the ultimate power lies. Activities that fulfill civic duties should never take precedence over the prayerful intercessions of the citizens of Heaven.

Peter Kusmic, who lived through communist oppression in Eastern Europe, strongly warns, “It is always a betrayal of the Gospel when Christian faith is reduced, in reality or by perception, to a politico-ideological force.”

Keeping that in mind this year, proceed to engage in lively debate, passionately articulate your beliefs and enjoy the fervor that comes with a presidential election. Remember, however, the future prospects of Jesus’ Kingdom do not rise or fall on the outcomes of this year’s political elections.

Scott Leib is the lead pastor of Chapel Springs Church, an Assemblies of God congregation in Northern Virginia.

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PARENTING WITH PERSONALITY A mother of five shares tips for stewarding the natures of children ALICIA GILLIGAN

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recently considered fostering a family of kittens. A stray mother cat and her feline family had made their home under a neighbor’s shrubs. A well-worn path formed through manicured grass as all of us neighbors discussed “Who can take the kitties?” Area shelters were at capacity. I spoke to my husband, as well as our vet, about possibly taking them in.

Apparently, these adorable critters would need more than “oohhs and aahhs,” food and a litter box. In addition to proper feeding and vet exams, each kitten would need an hour of “socialization” a day to get them used to human care. According to the vet, if a kitten is not socialized properly in the first 8 to 12 weeks, their disposition is set. Set. They may remain fearful — even aggressive — toward humans for life. It sounded like I would need to be part-veterinarian/part-cat whisperer! Major reconsideration took place on my part.

“This is a huge commitment!” I thought.

“It’s like mothering! What if I mess them up and don’t do it right?”

What parent hasn’t had those same fears and concerns regarding raising their own children? Our hearts are met with equal parts joy and uncertainty when our children are placed in our arms. The long months — sometimes years — of anticipation, the Pinterest-themed showers, the euphoria and sometimes trauma of birth or adoption, the welcome banners in the yard, the picturetaking relatives … all of it stops. Most parents will admit to arriving home with their newly expanded family, closing the door and thinking, “What now? It’s all on us?”

When it comes to being entrusted with the task of developing a whole person — from infancy to adulthood, physically, emotionally, spiritually — parents need to be signed on for life. Parenting will require our constant supervision, and every ounce of courage and faith we can muster. It’s a wild ride, with its white-knuckle drops and freak-out twist and turns. And yet, our expectation is that we will all arrive — safe, slightly disheveled, gasping with laughter and saying, “That was FANTASTIC! Let’s do it again!”

I am a mother of five. Obviously, we found a way to overcome the fear of childbirth, terrible twos, first days of school, cleaning up throw-up, never-ending piles of laundry, the “joys” of middle-school and adolescent insecurity, endless check-ups, growth spurts, mood swings and acne, driving lessons, SATs, hours in the bleachers, dozens of summer camps, graduations, goodbyes, weddings — and now grandchildren.

Were we perfect parents? Perfect only in our imperfections.

Were they perfect kids? How could they be? They grew up with us!

Was our home filled with love? Always.

Are we pleased with the results? Absolutely.

Would we do some things differently? Of course.

Would we do it all again? You bet!

I’d like to share a few things I have learned in my 30 years of mothering, courtesy of the five amazing people who taught me how to mother, and the husband with whom I stood shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, sometimes nose to nose, through it all. I am by no means an expert on child development, but I have the kind of “street cred” that comes from raising a large family in this crazy world, and in ministry. Yes, we are a pastor’s family and there was prayer, a lot of prayer, without which we never would have made it!

1. Children are not born as a blank slate. They aren’t even a paint-by-number set. A baby will quickly display its temperament, and while it can be influenced, it can’t be changed. The challenge for parents is to figure out how your child perceives and responds to the world around him or her, and then arrive at the best way to work with your child’s innate disposition to bring about the desired behavior. Most of you, as you read this paragraph, are either laughing or crying right now. (I told you prayer would be a necessity.)

In Psalm 139, we read of the sacred, creative work that takes place in the womb. I have found this passage of Scripture to be a must-read on the days when I felt completely at a loss in my parenting skills. It should encourage us to know that our Father God takes creation and development of human beings personally, watching over each detail. In parenting, we become a part of that formation process, and we can have confidence and expect His guidance as we are entrusted with the raising of our children. We do not have to create the path for our children. We serve as loving stewards — nourishing, developing, preparing and guiding them toward the “days that were appointed” for them.

2. Cookie-cutter parenting is for gingerbread people. You will need flexibility, patience and innovation,

We do not have to create the path for our children.

We serve as loving stewards. especially if you have multiple children. As the different personalities under your roof take shape, pay close attention to the varied learning styles, the natural inclinations. Some may be outgoing, others shy. My two daughters were completely different in that respect.

One craved privacy, taking “Do Not Disturb” signs from hotels to take home to her room, while the other would often be found in the laps of strangers at airports, asking if they had any gum! And this was when they were each three years old! I have raised writers, musicians, athletes, videographers, teachers and yes, even a pastor. Make room for and celebrate the differences in your children, the embroidered color. They are works of art.

3. Define the nonnegotiables and explore everything else. In a family setting you will need to set boundaries and nonnegotiables: obedience, manners, honesty, work ethic, etc. If we cater to and spoil our children, we do neither them nor society a favor.

Beyond that, you should feel free to discover and engage your child’s strengths. Develop their passions. Expose them to greatness in the arts, athletics and travel, if possible. Encourage them to step out of their comfort zone and take on challenges that might not come easily to them. If socialization is important to a cat with a three-month window for development, imagine how much the more for a young man or woman with Godgiven talents and destiny!

I love Proverbs 22:6: “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” Don’t allow fear or insecurity to cause you to doubt your ability to successfully parent your children, nor doubt their ability to find and follow God’s path for their life. Remember, their days were planned for them before they had lived one. God saw this day! You and I are a God-ordained part of our children’s development team; together, we are doing sacred work.

Alicia Gilligan and her husband, Tim, are founding senior pastors of Meadowbrook Church in Ocala, Florida. She leads their women’s ministry and loves time with her five children and two grandchildren.

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TEACHING

dinner. Soon, the sun was setting — and his Bible was still sitting — and Distracted noticed neither.

Distracted’s story might be a simple fable. But you have been there too. You have the desire to do what is good, and yet you find yourself distracted by all the noise that surrounds you. At some point, when the quiet finds you, you wonder: “What happened to the wonder in my life?”

What if 2016 could look brilliantly different? What if 2016 was the year, you decided to reclaim the wonder?

RECLAIM THE WONDER OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH How to move from distraction to discipline in 2016 JORDAN VALE

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In

a neighborhood near you lived a man — let’s call him Distracted.

Distracted wanted to take some time to read his Bible on his porch on a beautiful sunny day. But then … well, you know.

Before grabbing his Bible, he decided to check Facebook on his phone one more time. Fortyfive minutes later, Distracted had browsed many pages, but not one of them in his Bible. He then realized the dog needed to be let out.

And there were emails to respond to. Oh, and he still had to cook

Being Fully Human I’m referring to the wonder of living life fully human. I believe to live fully human is to live in devotion to God — Father, Son and Spirit — being aware of His presence in your present. Spiritual growth is a multilayered experience, because the more you discover about God and His goodness, the more you discover about yourself and the way He has created you. God’s intent was not just to save you, but also to free you, through Christ, to be the person that He birthed in His divine imagination. You and I, and all of humanity, are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:14).

Deep in your soul is a seed of the man or woman God has called you to be — someone both wonderful and full of wonder.

God has given us the gift of spiritual disciplines to nurture that seed. At times these gifts can feel like burdens, because they take time, energy and exertion — as

The path to a healthy soul, to an awakened wonder, is the same: through discipline. does anything worth doing. If we want a healthy marriage, a healthy body, a healthy fill-in-the-blank, it requires effort. The path to a healthy soul, to an awakened wonder, is the same: through discipline.

Why Are You Distracted?

Still, there are obstacles that stand in our way. As a pastor and educator, I have seen that one of the greatest distractions from spiritual growth is the constant desire to know what is going on, perhaps best exemplified by a preoccupation with whatever screen is close by. Another obstacle is the hectic schedule people often feel they must maintain, making them miss out on the moments when God is speaking.

But perhaps the bigger, timeless question isn’t what is distracting you, but why are you distracted?

I think it’s that most of us have sought the keys to our identity — to our humanity — in the wrong places: in the amount of likes we get on Instagram, in declaring “I am busy” as a sign of success, in the completed to-do list.

These things aren’t inherently wrong. But what if before checking your phone, filling every empty space on your calendar or fighting to get your inbox down to the

mythical zero, you stopped and said this simple prayer: “God, make me aware of your wonder.”

Getting Still Only in centering yourself, assuming a posture of intentionality, can you be still enough to hear God and experience wonder. Here are a few things that might help you do so in 2016: • One of the healthiest, wonder-filled things you can do is journal as you read through the Bible. There is a website called lifejournal.cc which teaches you how to S.O.A.P. (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer) the Word.

• Begin this year by taking prayer walks around your neighborhood or city, asking the Holy Spirit to help you see your world differently.

• The Christian faith is not a solo adventure; rather, we are saved into a family. Being a part of a loving small group is a great way to foster the wonder in yourself and those around you.

• There are many other great disciplines. Dallas Willard wrote a classic book called The Spirit of the Disciplines in which he unfolds many of the ways we can connect to God. Allow 2016 to be the year that you recenter yourself to receive from God. Your Creator is calling you to awaken to wonder; you just need to put away the distractions.

Jordan Vale is a staff pastor at Meadowbrook Church in Ocala, Florida, and directs Meadowbrook College, an extension of Southeastern University.

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A pattern for discipleship, inspired by Acts 2:42-47

Follow along with Vital over the next few pages to find big thoughts and next steps related to this issue.

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MAKE IT COUNT

CONNECT In

“Going Steady” (page 24), pastor Rod Loy reminds us of the importance of staying connected with our spouses. Life often carries us away, and before we realize it, we’ve become disconnected from the person who used to be our top priority. Loy challenges us with a solution: Keep

NOTES

74

the connection alive through purposeful date nights. In other words, continue to date your spouse even after you say, “I do.”

Loy suggest not only scheduling regular dates, but also using those dates as an opportunity to reminisce about the past, discuss the future and escape the normal day-to-day pressures and stressors that come our way.

1

What are some creative date night or date day ideas that you and your spouse could enjoy together?

2

Start a discussion: Talk to your spouse about what habits you can each reinforce in order to stay connected on a daily basis. Make a list of your ideas.

3

What actions, words or circumstances make you feel most connected to your spouse? Ask your spouse the same question!

MAKE IT COUNT

GROW “R

eclaim the Wonder of Spiritual Growth” (page 64) lovingly confronts our all-too-common choice to be distracted from spiritual growth. Jordan Vale’s question is not so much about what distracts us, but why we get distracted in the first place.

Anything worth doing takes discipline and it is through the discipline of setting aside time

NOTES

and getting still before the Lord that we will find growth in abundance. While the things we use as mechanisms of distractions may not be inherently wrong or bad, our choice to be distracted can keep us from experiencing a deeper knowledge and understanding of God, and therefore a deeper understanding of who He created us to be.

1

What are some of the spiritual goals, tasks or opportunities from which you sometimes get distracted?

2

When distraction tempts you to set one of these goals or tasks aside, what can you do to return your focus to God in that moment?

3

Be still before God and ask Him how to assume a posture of intentionality in your life.

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MAKE IT COUNT

SERVE P

astors Rich and Robyn Wilkerson teach their congregation the importance of being both a servant and a leader. In “The Everyday Leader” (page 48), we gain some insight into their hearts and purpose behind teaching this generation — and the next — the value of servant leadership. Jesus is the ultimate example of a servant leader,

NOTES

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approaching people with humility, honor and a desire to serve their needs. As Rich reminds us, leadership is about taking responsibility for oneself, living out the core values and principles of the Kingdom in every situation. Whether we are in business, ministry, healthcare or beyond, our approach toward others should always be with a heart of service.

1

What does servant leadership look like practically in your area of influence, whether at work, at home or at church?

2

Like Jesus, we serve others because God created them and they are intrinsically worth it. How does this change your approach to both serving and leading?

3

First Peter 2:17 tells us, “Honor all people.” How is servant leadership a demonstration of honor to those around you? Who is deserving of your honor?

MAKE IT COUNT

GO “S

erving Cambodia Town” (page 55) is an inspiring glimpse into the lives of Sopheak and Amy Kheng, U.S. missionaries to the Cambodian population in America. The Khengs beautifully serve a population that has very little access to Christian community or opportunity to attend services in their native language. Originally feeling called to plant churches in unreached areas of Cambodia,

NOTES

Sopheak and Amy spent some time in the States and came to recognize deep need within the Cambodian population there. Their method became one of reaching people where they are at, starting house churches where individuals could come learn about Christ without the intimidation of being in church. Despite the challenges, the Khengs are seeing people come to Christ as their lives are transformed.

1

What things can you specifically pray over the Cambodian population and the Khengs and their ministry?

2

In what ways does Sopheak and Amy’s story inspire you to “go” and spread the gospel?

3

What needs in your community is the Lord making you aware of?

What small step can you take toward serving that need today?

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MAKE IT COUNT

WORSHIP P

roverbs 22:6 instructs us, “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” In the article “Show and Tell” (page 40), we are reminded that training a child requires we be a living example, that we not simply tell, but also show them the way they should go. From lifting hands in worship

NOTES

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and reading the Bible to giving a tithe, spiritual actions matter because “the children are watching,” this article reminds us. So how will we respond?

Parents and adults are spiritual role models, both at church and in the home. What will we choose to show the next generation about a life of worshipping God?

1

Colossians 6:17 reminds us that worship is not just something we participate in on Sunday mornings. Do your children consistently see a life lived in worship to God?

2

What does it look like to disciple your children within your home?

What practices and conversations can you initiate?

3

Beyond your own family, how can you be a role model to young people in your church community as you participate in faith?

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ONE MORE THING

“And God Saw That It Was Good�

Whatever their opinions on Genesis 1, a majority of nonreligious Americans (46 percent) see evidence of a creator behind the organization of the universe. Furthermore, according to a LifeWay Research survey, a third of nonreligious respondents felt that human morality also points to a creator who determines right from wrong.

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