Rabu, 23 Maret 2016

University of Virginia Students to ‘Meet the dawn’ on Easter Sunday

University of Virginia Students to ‘Meet the dawn’ on Easter Sunday

By Bill Bray, ASSIST News Service Special Correspondent
Debra Yarde.JPG useCHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (ANS -- March 23, 2016) – In a surprise move by University officials, a student-led group is being allowed to “meet the dawn” on the historic grounds of the University of Virginia this Easter. A joint University and Community Easter sunrise service will be held at the University Amphitheater 7-8 a.m. on resurrection Sunday, March 27.
“This is what we have been praying for all year,” says Debra Yarde of the community-based Operation Esther Prayer Circle. “This gives all students of every nationality, race and ethnic background a chance to hear the Easter story along with their peers and the whole community.”
Yarde organizes the annual welcome for students from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) by African American churches. The students come each summer on a Mandela Fellowship grant from the U.S. State Department. She is with Overseas Students Mission.
small UVA amphitheaterDonuts and coffee will be served for early arrivals on Easter morning and in case of rain, the service will be moved to the UVA Chapel.
Student worship leaders for the event include Joe Jenkins, Peter Hartwig, Lauren Bennett and Katie Howell. Vince Croce will give a testimonial and George Morris, the UVA football program chaplain, will lead a homily. Morris is with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Community support for the event is being organized by Michael Guthrie, a local businessman and president of Roy Wheeler Realty. It includes many businesses, churches and members of the UVA Grounds Fellowship – a coalition of Christian ministries that serve the University that was founded by Thomas Jefferson. Contact Michael Guthrie for details, 434-951-5155.
Photo captions: 1) Debra Yarde. 2) UVA Amphitheater. (Photo: Dana Goldstein). 3) Bill Bray.
Bill BrayAbout the writer: Bill Bray, 68, is an author and Christian journalist who specializes in missions and student ministries. He contributes frequently to ASSIST News Service and welcomes interaction with our readers. He can be contacted at bray.william@gmail.com .
** You may republish this or any of our ANS stories with attribution to the ASSIST News Service (www.assistnews.net).

Batman v Superman movie: Superhero rumble

Batman v Superman movie: Superhero rumble

By Rusty Wright, Special to ASSIST News Service (ANS Movie Review)
Superman ANSsizeMOUNT HERMON, CA (ANS – March 23, 2016) – OK.  You're a comic book character.  The bad guys are closing in.  The time bomb is ticking, your best friend's become a maniacal intergalactic terrorist, and the IRS is auditing you.  You need a superhero – fast – but you can choose only one: Superman or Batman.  Who you gonna call?
Personally – unless there's Kryptonite involved – I'm partial to the Man of Steel.  Flying, super strength and X-Ray vision trump the Batmobille, bat-rope, and bat-signal for me.  But both stand for good, fight crime, and help the needy.  It's been that way all my life.
So, why are these two guys fighting each other?  Is it turf wars – Gotham vs. Metropolis?  Do they each have Lois Lane crushes?  
Bat vigilante?  Dangerous alien?
DianaandBruce ANSsizeWelcome to the backstory of how these two met and eventually teamed up.  Seems they didn't like each other much at first.  Clark Kent calls Batman a "bat vigilante" who "thinks he’s above the law."  Bruce Wayne labels the Daily Planet newspaper "hypocritical" for running Superman "puff pieces" when he's really a dangerous alien who could destroy humanity.
The feud devolves into what archvillain Lex Luthor gleefully calls "the greatest gladiator match in the history of the world: Son of Krypton vs. Bat of Gotham."
Warner Brothers' star-studded Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice features Henry Cavill (Superman/Clark Kent), Ben Affleck (Batman/Bruce Wayne), Amy Adams (Lois Lane), Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman/Diana Prince), Jesse Eisenberg (Luthor), Laurence Fishburne (Perry White), Holly Hunter (Senator Finch), and Jeremy Irons (Alfred, Bruce Wayne's butler).
Savior or false God?
As the tale unfolds, many revere the god-like Superman, seeing him as a modern-day savior.  But fuelled by Luthorian skullduggery, others agonize over just what their heroes should be like.  Some call Superman a "false God" and complain there's been too much emphasis on "what he can do" and not enough on "what he should do."  Some call him an "illegal alien."  Government hearings ensue.
LexandLois ANSsizeLois Lane reminds Superman that the "S" on his chest "means something."  His goodness is "all some people have.  It's all that gives them hope."  (The "S" is actually a Kryptonian symbol for hope.)
"Devils don't come from hell beneath us," opines the nefarious Luthor.  "They come from the sky."  "Man won't kill god," snarls the villain.  "The Devil will do it."  Batman declares war on Superman.  Maybe a strong, capable woman can help straighten things out.
Divine imagery
God, savior, hope, Devil, hell?  The biblical imagery is not surprising, given the Superman story's roots and recent film treatments, Superman Returns (2006) and Man of Steel (2013).
In the 1930s, the Great Depression, Fascism and Nazi menaces haunted the world. Two Cleveland teenagers, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, dreamed up a hero who would rescue the troubled, inspire hope, and set things right.  Their narrative included Jor-El, who – in hopes of saving his only son Kal-El – sent the baby to Earth in a rocket from the dying planet Krypton. 
Siegel and Shuster were Jewish. "El" is a Hebrew word for "God."  The biblical Moses' mother hid him in a basket in the Nile River to save his life.  Moses became the great liberator. 
The biblical God sent his only son, Jesus, to Earth as "the Savior…the Messiah, the Lord."  He would claim to be "the Light of the world" who has "overcome the world," offering both temporal peace and eternal life.  Kal-El became Superman, rescuing the downtrodden, spreading light and hope to humanity. 
SupermanandBatman ANSsizeThe list of parallels is long.  This film is filled with them, often stated by philosopher/theologian Lex Luthor.  I won’t spoil them for you.  They’re well worth watching for.
Pointing higher
Batman v Superman is an entertaining, complex character study that taps deep human desires for hope, safety, salvation and justice.  The plethora of loud fight/destruction scenes and ubiquitous shrouds of darkness were not my favorites, but the redemptive story points to things better and higher.  It reminds me in real life to stick with the real Light.
Rated PG-13 (USA) "for intense sequences of violence and action throughout, and some sensuality."
Copyright © 2016 Rusty Wright
Photo captions: 1) Superman (Henry Cavill). Photo: Clay Enos; © 2016 Warner Bros. et al. 2) Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) and Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck). Photo: Clay Enos; © 2016 Warner Bros. et al. 3) Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) and Lois Lane (Amy Adams). Photo: Courtesy Warner Bros. © 2016 Warner Bros. et al.) 4) Superman (Henry Cavill) confronts Batman (Ben Affleck). Photo: Clay Enos; © 2016 Warner Bros. et al. 5) Rusty Wright.
small Rusty Wright
Rusty Wright is an author and lecturer who has spoken on six continents.  He holds Bachelor of Science (psychology) and Master of Theology degrees from Duke and Oxford universities, respectively. www.RustyWright.com
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Selasa, 22 Maret 2016

Hillsong’s Carl Lentz on Being a ‘Gay Welcoming’ Church

Hillsong’s Carl Lentz on Being a ‘Gay Welcoming’ Church

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What posture should the church take when it comes to LGBT visitors and seekers?
Hillsong Church’s Carl Lentz believes we should be ‘gay welcoming’ without compromising our convictions, according to a recent interview with Jonathan Merritt for Religion News Service. Lentz says, “Our beliefs on biblical marriage and sexual morality have never changed at Hillsong church. Yet we stay open and desperate in our pursuit of the whosoevers.” Read more here.
Hillsong’s grace-centered approach has many detractors, but it’s hard to deny the fact that their unique ‘welcoming’ culture is bringing more and more people to faith in Christ.
“What concerns me is that it seems like more people are concerned about our ‘method,’ despite the fact it’s working, than they are the young gay teens that are killing themselves, and the LGBT community at large that has found zero refuge in our ‘churches,'” Lentz says.
And this is the kicker. While we clamor to make a stand against the evils of homosexuality, real human beings in the LGBT community are dying without hope. Why? Because they see the church as the enemy–not a refuge.
Andy Stanley, the pastor of North Point Church in Alpharetta, Georgia, said something just as bold about welcoming LGBT teens during a talk at Catalyst West–pointing out that our churches should be the “safest place on the planet for students to talk about anything, including same-sex attraction.”
Stanley went on to drive the point home even more, “We just need to decide from now on in our churches when a Middle School kid comes out to his small group leader or a high school young lady comes out to her parents… we just need to decide, regardless of what you think about this topic — no more students are going to feel like they have to leave the local church because they’re same-sex attracted or because they’re gay. That ends with us.” 
Some leaders have voiced concern about the inclusive perspective Carl Lentz and Andy Stanley suggest–that it ignores the need to be set apart, but it’s an important issue to discuss together–and it’s a critical discussion every leader should have with their staff.
So should your church become ‘gay welcoming’ without being ‘gay affirming,’ and if so, what does it look like in everyday practice? 
Share your thoughts in the comment section below, but please keep it civil. Make sure your response is thoughtful and adds to the value of the conversation–no matter what side you take. 
Brian Orme

Brian Orme

Brian is a writer and editor from Ohio. He works with creative and innovative people to discover the top stories, resources and trends to equip and inspire the Church. More from Brian Orme or visit Brian at http://www.facebook.com/brian.orme1

5 Guaranteed Ways to Make Sure Visitors Never Come Back

 

5 Guaranteed Ways to Make Sure Visitors Never Come Back

One of my favorite verses in the entire Bible powerfully articulates the profound beauty of the gospel and how that message should impact the way we relationally live our lives with those around us. Paul writes:
“Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” (Romans 15:7 ESV)
Welcome others because Christ has welcomed you. Simple. To the point. And profoundly important for every church in every culture in every age. Regardless of whether you are in a mega-church, a small church, a missional community or any other ecclesiological expression … welcoming people is crucial if you want to grow.
Now some churches are really good at creating a welcoming culture. A welcoming church culture says, “We are so glad you are here,” and, “We want you to feel comfortable and valued.” It’s a culture that highly values making new people, those you call “guests” or “visitors,” feel like they are important and valued in the local church.
But some churches are very, very, very bad at creating an atmosphere where visitors feel “welcomed.” Instead of making you feel welcomed, you feel unwelcomed and, in some cases, an inconvenience!
The context in which I address here is the common local church that meets during the week in a specific location. If you are involved in a different expression of church, you’ll need to figure out how to apply. But here are my top five things you should do if you want to be unwelcoming.

(1) Make sure no one smiles. 

I recently read a study that proved smiling is actually good for your health. Did you know that smiles release antidepressants and are proven to be good for your health? You are healthier if you smile more. But not only are your smiles good for you, they are good for those around you! Studies prove that smiles are contagious! 
But the fact of the matter is that many people visiting your church for the first time may be pretty nervous and somewhat scared. Maybe they haven’t been in church for a long time. Maybe the last time they were in church was a terrible experience where they were treated poorly and/or felt judged. The greeters who are opening the door and not sharing a smile do nothing to calm some of those fears and anxiety. And the people from the “stage,” be they the music leaders, the preacher the or person giving the weekly announcements, could really help make people feel more welcome and comfortable if they don’t look like it’s such a pain to do what they are doing.
If you want to create a “culture of welcome,” encourage people to learn the art of smiling because it is a very easy, inexpensive (unless you had plastic surgery or botox) and powerful way to say, “Hey, I’m really glad you are here!”

(2) Ignore new people. 

It might sound crazy to you, but I’ve actually been to a number of churches that literally did not say a single thing to acknowledge any of the first time guests. “Maybe they knew there weren’t any new people,” you might say. Ah ha! If only I weren’t a new person that day! Plus, on a couple of these occasions, I myself met new people while visiting that church!
Listen, you need to acknowledge new people. If you don’t, it feels like we don’t matter. And that we’re not welcome. And that we aren’t valued in any way, shape or form.

(3) Make new people stand up and do a dance.

Speaking of acknowledging new people, there’s a huge difference between saying, “Hey, if this is your first time with us, we are delighted you’ve joined us,” and having new people stand up so that everyone in the church knows who they are. It’s one thing to let visitors know you are grateful they joined you and another thing altogether to have them come forward so that you can pray for them.
One of my friends once told me that when he visited a church, the pastor had all of the visitors stand up and then come forward so that he could “interview” them. He asked them why they came, where they were from, what they were looking for from the church, whether they were “saved” or not, etc. Listen, you might as well have those visitors stand up and come forward and perform an interpretative dance. 
The bottom line is that there’s a fine line between welcoming people and making people feel really uncomfortable.

(4) Provide no signage and, under no circumstances, provide coffee. 

For the first nine years that I served Trinity Christian Fellowship as a pastor, we didn’t have any signs in our building. If you wanted to know where the restrooms, kitchen or children’s classrooms were, you had to either already know where they were or ask someone.
But about a year ago, we finally followed through on something we’d discussed many times. We ordered a bunch of nice signs and placed them throughout our building. Each sign would help visitors know where the sanctuary was located, the restrooms, the “cry room” (“lactate room” seemed weird), the kitchen, and all of the children’s classrooms. And I’ve had literally dozens of people tell me they really appreciate those signs because they know where different rooms are.
Again, if someone is visiting your church’s service for the first time, they don’t know where to go. They don’t know the insider language and location for your different ministries and where they meet. So if you want to keep them from feeling welcomed, avoid doing little things like this.
Oh, and one of the worst things you can do is not have coffee, especially if your worship gathering is in the morning. This is probably just a personal preference for me, but if you don’t have coffee, my body literally can’t go to your church.
OK, that’s a little extreme. But a smile, verbal acknowledgement, clear signage and a cup of coffee go a long way.

(5) Keep things as unfriendly as you can.

I’ve actually visited a fair amount of churches that sure seem unfriendly. In addition to no one saying, “Hey, we’re glad you came today,” or having the impression that my visit was valued in any way, shape or form, there have been churches that give me the vibe that they actually don’t want new visitors.
One time I visited a church and out of the 35 people in the auditorium, only one person spoke to my wife and I … and that was on our way out at the end of the service!
If you are a leader in the church, you need to do everything you can to set an example by being friendly to new people. And you should encourage the church through conversations, small groups and preaching to be more friendly. Sometimes congregations just need to be reminded about the initial feelings people have when they first visit a church.
Well … those are a few thoughts I have.
What would you add?

How Should Pastors Handle Church Problems?

How Should Pastors Handle Church Problems?

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Because the church is comprised of people, we will have problems to deal with periodically.
Every church has problems.
Because the church is comprised of people, we will have problems to deal with periodically. Therefore, I want to suggest these things to help you deal with problems when they arise in your church:

1. Be biblical.

Handle the problem in a biblical way.
Take a biblical approach to bringing resolution to the problem, which usually involves confronting the problem, not ignoring it.
Be careful listening to the voices of other people so much that you fail to listen to God’s voice through the Scripture. As a pastor, you are to always remind your leadership and staff of the biblical approach. If you do not, perhaps no one else will.

2. Exhibit leadership.

When a problem arises that affects the fellowship of the church, it has now become a problem for you.
As a pastor, you oversee the fellowship. No one else has been called to this leadership. You cannot will problems away or sweep them under the carpet; you have to be the one to lead through them biblically and strongly. Therefore, you must get to the root of the problem so you can lead through it biblically.

3. Gather your leadership.

When a problem rises up in the church, gather a team of leaders that can walk through it with you.
If you are in a smaller membership church, this means that you must gather your lay-leaders that can walk with you through the problem. You need their input, support, and prayer. They can also help bring balance to your perspective.
If you are in a larger membership church, certain members of your staff team can walk through the problem with you. Depending on the problem and the way your church is governed, you may also need to gather lay-leaders to walk with you. If nothing else, informing them can be helpful in the long term.

4. Bring your church along.

While this may be rare, there are times when specific church problems need to be brought before the church.
The level of the problem will determine whether your church needs to be informed publicly. Again, while this may be rare, there are times when we need to bring the church along. Usually, if it comes to this, others are already aware. How the issue is dealt with reflects on the integrity of the church.
Rather than mentioning specific problems, let me just say this: It is through these moments of crisis when leadership is often born. Always be biblical. Seek godly counsel. Be wise. Move slowly when needed. Move quickly if needed. This is why you need others around you as a leader.

5. Be prayerful.

As a pastor, depending on God is far wiser than depending on yourself.
While prayer cannot keep you problem free, God can use it to deliver you of many problems. Prayer moves the heart of God and the hearts of people. I have prayed away many problems. I have seen God step in and do miraculous things. I have been on the brink of having to deal with a problem, but then God delivered.
Prayer also changes our heart and view of the problem.
We become wiser when we pray. We become more compassionate when we pray. We become more courageous when we pray. As a pastor, one of the wisest things you can ever do is pray daily through challenges you are facing.
Pastor, God will see you through. Depend on Him.

3 Remedies to Fight Against Youth Ministry Loneliness

3 Remedies to Fight Against Youth Ministry Loneliness

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If you are a leader, there are times when you are going to feel lonely.
Youth ministry is lonely. Some of that comes with the leadership territory, and some of it is unhealthy. I’d love to reflect on both just a bit.
Leadership Lonely
This is part of the gig! If you are a leader, there are times when you are going to feel lonely. After you make a tough decision to let a volunteer go. After a big conflict with a parent. After a frustration with an elder over the church van. There’s a reason that the phrase “it’s lonely at the top” has stuck around in our vocabulary for so long. At times, if you are leading you will feel all alone.
Lack of Community Lonely
This is the one that is rough on youth workers. This is the one that challenges your call and increases the strength of temptation. This is the one that cuts tenure short and encourages brain games and dysfunction. Yes there is a reality of lonely leadership, but there is a painful loneliness that is different and far more painful. Sitting alone in the church basement office (been there). Being the only guy under 55 on staff at the church (been there). Serving in a church with a lack of people my age (been there). You drop in your situation here (probably been there too).
Couple suggested remedies to fight against loneliness:
1. Make your spouse your ministry partner—do ministry together. If that isn’t possible (hello four kids in my case), download the day together when you walk in the door. Partnership in ministry changes everything. If not your spouse, then someone you can trust, you can be close to appropriately, someone whom you can share ministry with.
2. Find a youth ministry mentor or find a solid network. If there isn’t a good youth worker network in your area, start one. And there’s got to be someone within an hour’s drive of you that has been in youth ministry for a little while—seek them out and start a Taco Bell meet up once a month. Chalupas and conversation = double win!
3. Watch the DYM Webshow. We hear it all the time, “It is like we’re doing youth ministry together with you,” or “See you in a week at our next staff meeting around the DYM table.” Join in on the fun; just might be the remedy for a little bit of community.
What else do you do to help fight loneliness?

Things You Might Not Know About the Single Mamas in Your Church

Things You Might Not Know About the Single Mamas in Your Church

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Moms may feel the need to keep it all together for their kids, but there are a few things you should know about the single ladies in your church.
As I’ve walked through my “new normal”, I have become increasingly burdened by the lack of conversation in children’s ministry world about the situations so many of our families are in.  We don’t talk much about single parents in the church.  That could be a whole new blog post, but the reality is we just don’t.  Over the past year, our church has tried to be more intentional, specifically in the area of ministering to single moms.  I have learned so much from spending time with and sharing stories with other ladies who are walking similar paths as mine.  The greatest thing I have learned is that we as the Church (big, universal church, not just mine) and we as a children’s ministry community must do better to understand and serve these families.
Here are just a few of the insights of what single mamas deal with that I have learned that I think may help you and your church as well…
1.  Shame – Single moms have no reason to be ashamed of where they are in life, but there’s something about church… something about how most of us put on the happy church mask of “we’ve got it altogether” that is intimidating to the single mom.  Single mamas can’t even pretend that we have it altogether.  Even though they should not feel this way and no matter how they got to the situation they are currently in, many single moms carry some level of embarrassment that their family does not look like it is “supposed to”.  Sometimes the church can add to that with inconsiderate or judgmental statements from church members.  But often it is simply a shame that single moms just feel and put on themselves.
2.  They are tired.  Most single moms are working and raising littles.  Many of them have the weight of every decision, every homework assignment, every ball practice, every field trip permission slip, every attempt at healthy meals, every dentist appointment, every discipline issue, etc…. on their shoulders and that doesn’t even include their own career and personal lives.  They do a large majority of this alone and it is exhausting.
3.  They are fighting lonely.  Everyone needs community, but especially single mamas.  Marriage has some level of built-in community.  Someone who you at least share space with and who you can talk to about anything, anytime.  The greatest thing your church can do for single moms is to create a space for them to connect with each other and with others within the church.
4.  Holidays are hard. All of them.  Even the kinda dumb ones.  Because holidays are meant to be shared and as much as we love sharing them with our littles, moms miss having an adult to share them with.  I was very surprised to learn how hard Mother’s Day was.  I expected Father’s Day to be worse,but not so much.  Lots of times single moms just don’t show up to church on holidays because it is just easier that way.
5.  Single moms want to be involved, but need much grace.  They might be late.  Sometimes they may seem inconsistent because they have to stay home with sick kids or have to be mama first.  This does not mean they are less committed.  It just means they are doing everything that they can do.
6.  They want the very, very best for their kids.  I would guess that the number one anxiety for single moms is worrying if their kids will be ok.  Single moms see the gaps in their kids’ lives and stress much about how they can’t fill all of them alone. Single moms need churches to step in and help through mentorships or even just friendships.
7.  Sometimes single parents feel overlooked in the church. We just don’t talk about single parents.  In the church, of course, we want to set the high example of Biblical marriage.  Sometimes I think we are afraid that we will seem to be advocating divorce if we address single parents.  This is so not the case.  We are simply recognizing the reality of many people in our church body.  Look for ways to just acknowledge that the single parents in your church exist, whether through a mention in a sermon or a prayer time or whatever.
Of course, this list is not exhaustive.  What do you see as needs of single moms or dads in your church or children’s ministry?

Porn: The Subtle Anesthesia

Porn: The Subtle Anesthesia

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“Let us cling to the One who gives to each of us life, and life to the fullest.”
I cannot count the number of worship services I’ve stood through unmoved. Others around me would be weeping, dancing or shouting their passionate cries to the Lord while I stood in the midst of it wishing I felt something.
Anything.
The Catechism states that the chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, but most of the time, if I’m honest, there has been little to no enjoyment of Him. In fact, in the midst of my addiction to pornography, there was often no enjoyment of anything at all.
I’ve been thinking about this post for a while, and how exactly I want to say this. Because what I have found to be one of the absolute worst effects of porn is that it numbs me to reality. To the good and the bad. It files down the sharpened points of agony when suffering comes into my life, but it also curtails the heights of joy when there is reason to rejoice.
I feel like men and women turn to porn because something is lacking in their lives. They want to escape the bad and painful bits, but end up escaping the good too.
Sometimes it would be so that I could not enjoy sunsets
or hikes in the mountains
or board games with friends
or sitting by the sea
or any of the small things that simply enrich our lives
because my mind was elsewhere.
It was as if the volume was turned down on reality.
It’s similar to the way C.S. Lewis described grief:
“At other times it feels like being mildly drunk or concussed. There is a sort of invisible blanket between the world and me. I find it hard to take in what anyone says. Or perhaps, hard to want to take it in. It is so uninteresting.”
I didn’t cry for seven years.
Not because I resisted it by any means. The tears just never came. My wells were empty. My emotions had evaporated.
I even wonder, in the throes of my addiction, if a family member or dear friend were to die, if I would have cried. Or if I’d be the one at the funeral, sitting stoically silent, my face dry as the western plains.
Addiction is that powerful.
Even a ‘non-chemical’ addiction such as pornography has the ability to rewire our brains to the extent that we don’t feel. (And of course, any learned person knows that there are plenty of neuro-chemicals involved in a pornography addiction.)
In David’s great psalm of repentance after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba, Psalm 51, he continually calls for God to return and awaken emotion within him. He prays, “Let me hear joy and gladness. … Restore to me the joy of your salvation.” Part of repentance is returning to a delight in the Lord; it is also mourning the places we have grieved Him.
When I look at the person of Jesus, I see the polar opposite of numbness. I see someone who was entirely alive to His emotions, the full spectrum. I see a man who wept at the passing of his dear friend. In the Christian world, I often hear the verse thrown around as a bit of trivia: Do you know the shortest verse in the Bible? 
Jesus wept.
Do we ever take time to think about the implications of these two words?
God wept.
God … cries.
If we are to be like Jesus, then we are to be alive to our emotions.
Seeking to escape the hard times and numb the pain is not what God wants in us. The enemy may lure us in with the promise of a pain-free life, but what ends up happening is reality becomes dimmed.
To be like God is to embrace the reality around us with the emotions He has wired into us, not to escape it. I picture Jesus on the mountain, crying out to the Father for guidance. I see Him in the temple courts, fiery with rage at injustice. And there He is in the garden, nervous and terrified of the suffering He is about to go through.
And as He hangs on the cross, shattered and dying, He is offered a drink to ease the pain. This cocktail was designed to reduce the agony of those suffering torture, so they could slip into death with some amount of comfort.
But He turned it down.
Jesus refused to partake in anything that would reduce His experience, the good and the bad, in life and in death.
Saint Irenaeus said that “the glory of God is man fully alive.”
Jesus was fully alive. From the moment he emerged from Mary’s womb til’ the blood dripped from His toes onto the dirt beneath the cross, I see a man who embraced every ounce of His life, and continues to from His place on high.
To embrace pornography is to escape life.
So let us cling to Jesus. Let us cling to the One who gives to each of us life, and life to the fullest.

Free Youth Series: “Unreligious”

Free Youth Series: “Unreligious”

Youth Series - Unreligious
What if being religious isn’t the way to go, but instead it’s all about having a relationship with God?

Free Youth Series

Download this 3-week series to share in your youth ministry.
From Open.church, “Are you religious? What if being religious isn’t the way to go, but instead it’s all about having a relationship with God? When we start to look at things from that perspective, it opens up a whole new world in our lives. Join us as we discover what it looks like to be Un-Religious. Since the video teaching for this unit is theologically heavy, we recommend doing a short wrap-up following the video to help students understand some of the tougher concepts.”
This series package includes:
  • Leader guides
  • Message videos
  • Intro/Wrap ups


Get Download Now

Resource provided by Open.church

How to Improve Your Middle School Ministry Communication

How to Improve Your Middle School Ministry Communication

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Use these tips to make sure your message is being heard by your students.
With my firstborn child entering sixth grade, his excitement level for starting middle school youth group at our church has been off the charts. He actually quit his basketball team (his choice) with three games left to go in order to participate on Wednesday nights. I know not every kid is as excited about starting youth group, but I applaud our church for making it fun, engaging and age-level appropriate.
That said, when our youth pastor pulled me aside one Sunday and asked for help with better communication to parents, I got to work writing so that other youth pastors might also benefit. Since I’m a parent and not a youth pastor, I’m going to write this article from my perspective.

1) Be Organized

Being organized is easier said than done. For parents, it is a herculean task if you have one kid or more than one kid (I have four, trust me, it is a full-time job juggling our schedule). If you as a youth worker can be organized and think ahead to envision what you will need from parents in terms of volunteers, trips, resources, funds, etc., we will love you. Having a schedule of events—both regular youth group meeting times during the week, special Sunday mornings, parties and other special events—is extremely important. Adding events the week-of is “no bueno” and will at minimum tick off parents who already have to juggle to get their kids to mid-week youth group.
If you can plan in advance enough to give a schedule out mid-summer or toward the end of summer as parents are planning out their fall schedules, they will love you even more. Last minute additions and changes to events are stressful for parents, so better to plan ahead and stick to what is already planned.

2) Communicate the Lesson

Have you ever tried to pull information out of an 11-year-old boy? It’s no picnic in the park, let me tell you. It helps us parents if you can give us a heads-up or follow-up email with what your lesson was on during youth group and Sunday mornings. I know this might be a lot to ask and you may be putting your talks together last minute, but it will help us parents reinforce what you are teaching them at church if we can re-read the Bible verses with them, or harness those “teachable moments” to drive home the lesson when life throws them a curve ball. You could even go the extra mile and create a short video to email out and engage both the parents and the kids by talking through one key point and posing a question for kids to discuss with their parents.
I realize that middle school is supposed to be the zone for “letting your children off at the curb” both literally and metaphorically, but please allow us parents to support what you’re teaching them by keeping us in the loop with how you’re engaging with them at church.

Now on to tactical ways to communicate:

Because legally, kids under 13 are not supposed to sign up for their own email accounts, Facebook accounts or other social media accounts, this poses a slight problem/risk with communication for middle school ministry. There’s a reason this age group is called  “tweens.” The are in-between being a child and being an adult.
That said, the primary audience with which you need to communicate is still the parents, or caregivers.

1) Email

Email is still one of the best ways to communicate with us parents—especially if you have more than a few words to say. If your church uses church management software, then first talk to your database administrator to find out how to get all your parents into one email list that you can then email efficiently from this software (without all of us seeing each other’s email addresses in the “to” column). Don’t create your own email group—it will be out-of-date when people update their email addresses in the master church database. It’s easier to use one central church database to avoid nasty data silos.
Set up a day (maybe once a week, every-other week or once a month) and communicate/remind parents about upcoming themes of talks, events, trips, parties, costs. Keep the information simple, bullet point when you can, don’t write a sermon here. Using video is an awesome way to connect (see point two above). Here’s a great tool for video email that even syncs with many church management solutions on the market. Asking for feedback or checking in with parents to see if there are any specific concerns related to ministry is always a nice touch.

2) Text Message

What did we ever do without text messaging? I can hardly remember. Sending text messages is a great way to remind parents about special upcoming events. Text the day before or the morning of a special event. Again, check your church management software to see if it has built-in texting services, or check out one of the many stand-alone messaging providers.

3) Social Media

If your church already updates its social media channels on a daily or weekly basis, check in with this person to find out how best you can submit updates to be included on the church-wide Facebook page, or ask to create your own Pinterest board just for your portion of ministry within the church. If your church doesn’t already use a social media management tool such as Hootsuite or Buffer, it might be a great time to put your heads together and tackle social media as a team. With multiple users allowed, a handful of people can see updates that everyone else has scheduled—all in one place.
Some churches opt to have separate Facebook Fan Pages for youth ministry so that they can get a little bit crazy and engage with kids on their level—this is fine—just keep it at their level and make sure those ridiculous photos of nose hair are not going to make us parents throw up. Remember, most likely our kids will be viewing your page through our account.
If you’d like help with each of the seven biggie social networks out their to evaluate if any or all of these fit into your communication needs, free free to download any of our free ebooks: Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Google+.
For additional help with youth ministry communication, check out these incredibly helpful articles from other passionate youth workers around the web:

What communication tools is your youth ministry department using successfully to keep parents (and kids) in the loop?  

Original article appeared here.

4 Signs Your Youth Ministry Might Be Headed for Trouble

4 Signs Your Youth Ministry Might Be Headed for Trouble

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And what you can do about it!
Every year I have the awesome privilege of connecting face-to-face with thousands of youth leaders across the country. During this time I have had several gut-level conversations with youth leaders and have noticed a pattern in the majority of youth ministries that are headed for trouble. There are at least four clear warning signs.
But, in addition to sharing these warning signs with you, I want to suggest an immediate corrective action that will help you to begin moving in the right direction. So, without further adieu, here are the four warning signs:
Warning Sign #1: It’s internally obsessed, not outwardly focused.
Youth ministries that tend to be all about what’s happening inside the four walls of the youth room become spiritually inbred and culturally impotent. True disicpleship entails sending teens on mission every single day to their friends, classmates and teammates and not just teaching them God’s Word—because it’s during these Gospel conversations where many teenagers begin to truly know and own their faith.
Think of it this way, if you pour milk into a sponge and don’t squeeze it out, the milk will sour. In the same way, if our teenagers take in the milk of the Word (1 Peter 2:2) but never pour it out to their peers, they too will spoil.
Corrective Action: Train your teenagers to share their faith and get them doing it right away. Check out Shine for a simple, effective and fun training resource.
Warning Sign #2: It’s built on human strategy, not divine wisdom.
“For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom …”  1 Corinthians 1:25
Far too many youth ministry programs are built on a human tradition rather than on divine wisdom. Blaring music, goofy games and superficial sermonettes tend to dominate the youth ministry landscape. While it’s great to have fun, there is often not enough focus on prayer, the Word, deep fellowship and relational evangelism (along with a game of dodgeball from time to time!).
Youth leaders are inundated with curriculum and programmatic choices. It’s tempting to choose what may seem to keep our teens entertained and in their seats for the next four to six weeks rather than what they really need to hear and experience.
Meanwhile the greatest youth ministry book of all time (the Bible) and the greatest opportunity to gain divine wisdom (prayer) lay covered in proverbial dust in the corner of our youth rooms.
Corrective Action: Read the book of Acts and ask yourself what were the elements that kept the early church excited and thriving and how can you begin to apply those elements in your youth ministry culture?
Warning Sign #3: It’s about attendance, not percentage.
Bigger is not always better. Jesus proved this true when he dispelled the gawking crowds and settled for his youth group of 12 or so in John 6:60-69. For Jesus, it was about percentages, not attendance.
It  was about two primary percentage numbers:
First, it was about the percentage of commitment in his followers’ hearts. Jesus demanded 100 percent commitment. Sure joining “Team Jesus” was free, but getting on the starting squad required everything. If you don’t believe that, re-read Luke 14:25-35. In the same way we should judge part of our success as youth leaders by how many of our students are all in for Christ and His Cause.
Second, it was about the percentage of new disciples plugged into our youth ministries as a result of the Gospel being advanced. This is true not just of Jesus and his fishy band of disciples (Jesus reached Andrew, Andrew reached Peter, and so on), but of the early church as well. In Acts 2:47 God “added to their number daily those who were being saved.” The early church grew, not due to transfer growth, but explosive new conversion growth.
How is your youth ministry doing in these two areas? What would you guess your percentages to be when it comes to full commitment and new conversion growth? If both numbers are low then your youth ministry may be headed for trouble.
Corrective Action: Beef up your teenagers’ commitment to THE Cause by taking them on a mission trip, evangelistic outreach or a deeper level training event like Lead THE Cause.
Warning Sign #4: It’s personality led, not value driven.
“I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us.” 3 John 1:9
What was true of the early church (a dynamic leader wanting to be the center of attention, decision-making and everything) is also true of modern youth ministry. Bake a youth ministry with the main ingredient being a youth leader’s winsome personality, then, when the sizzle fades, you’ll find out there was no steak after all. But if you make and bake your ministry with biblical ingredients, then whatever you cook will taste good (although it will give the Devil indigestion!).
With this as a backdrop, there are two primary types of youth leaders I’ve met. There are the flexers and the grinders. The flexers, like body builders posing, flex their sense of humor, vast ministry experience and winsome personalities to get a crowd of teenagers. This brand of ministry can seem to work for a while, but, in the end, it will crumble when the leader leaves or falls.
The second type of youth leader I’ve met are the grinders. They are the ones who grind the values of God’s Word deeply into their lives and into their programs day in and day out. They may not be the flashiest or the funniest, but they are often the most fruitful. Why? Because they’ve made their youth ministries about Jesus and his values, not themselves and their personalities.
Corrective Action: Take the Gospel Advancing diagnostic to see which of the seven values you are strongest and weakest in when it comes to your youth ministry. Then choose from the menu one best practice/resource you can use in both your strongest and weakest area.
What are some other warning signs of a youth ministry headed for trouble and what are some corrective actions a youth leader can take to avoid it?

Senin, 21 Maret 2016

10 Conversations I Wish Someone Had With Me as a Teenager

10 Conversations I Wish Someone Had With Me as a Teenager

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“Parents and grandparents, have the conversations with your teens. Someday, they’ll be glad you did.”
Today I write on behalf of teenagers. Frankly, I’m glad I’m not one today for many reasons—not the least of which is I would not want to face the temptations teens face today. I do remember my teen years, though, and I still think about some of the times when I desperately wanted guidance and encouragement back then. Here are some of the conversations I wish someone had shared with me:
  1. “You’re not the only one struggling as a teenage Christian.” I was certain I was. Surely nobody was battling temptations like I was. At least, nobody was talking about it. That was part of the problem.
  2. “Let’s talk about pornography and lust.” I cannot say strongly enough how I wish a Christian man had cared for me enough to initiate that conversation. Fathers, waiting until you catch your teen in this habit is an abdication of your responsibility.
  3. “I’ll show you how to read the Bible and pray every day.” I wanted to do it because my pastor told me I needed to do it. Nobody taught me, though, so I struggled trying to be obedient. No teenager should have to learn these disciplines on his or her own.
  4. “God forgives you, but you’ll probably remember your sinful choices the rest of your life.” Had I known 40 years ago that I’d still occasionally hurt over my past sin today, I think I would’ve made some different choices then.
  5. “Be ready for God to change your plans.” As a teen, I knew exactly what I was going to do when I grew up: teach high school English. God had other plans.
  6. “Let me help you learn your theology well because you’ll be challenged often.” High school classmates respected me, but they disputed my beliefs. College professors in a public institution questioned my faith. I’m sure the battles are worse for teens now.
  7. “Date only believers.” My experience is that more often than not, the nonbeliever influences the believer more than the other way around.
  8. “Don’t be a jerk.” I was at times, especially when I thought I was better or smarter than others. I wish someone had confronted me in my arrogance then so perhaps I wouldn’t deal as much with arrogance now.
  9. “Even teenagers die.” That’s morbid, I realize. None of us knew that fact, though, until a classmate died—and no one talked us through our questions.
  10. “The choices you make today can come back to haunt you.” That’s probably even more the case today. Facebook posts, tweets and other social media options reveal a teen’s foolishness to others, including college recruiters and future employers.
Parents and grandparents, have the conversations with your teens. Someday, they’ll be glad you did.  

Kamis, 17 Maret 2016

Free Series Graphic: “Blended”

Free Series Graphic: “Blended”

SG - Blended
Download this high-resolution graphic to support a sermon series about how good things can go wrong.

Free Series Graphic

Download this high-resolution graphic to support a sermon series about how good things can go wrong.
This series graphic is available as an “Editable Photoshop File – 1920×1080; 300dpi; .psd.”


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Resource provided by CCV Resources

The Reality for Youth Groups That Changes Everything

The Reality for Youth Groups That Changes Everything

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A lesson from the Ethiopian eunuch shows how students can be empowered to serve in church.
I was challenged by a sermon given this past weekend by a retired Methodist bishop, based on the biblical story of the Ethiopian eunuch. And it got me thinking about the message and the message our youth ministries should embrace and project.
You probably know the story: the Ethiopian eunuch was rich, powerful and elite (traveling by chariot was the equivalent of today’s private-jet-and-limo set). He was, after all, in charge of the Ethiopian queen’s treasury. Clearly, he was also a very smart man—as we first encounter him as he’s reading Isaiah (not his native language!) in the back of a chariot.
Philip, after hearing from an angel that he’s supposed to head down to Gaza from Jerusalem, camps out alongside a road. And there he encounters the eunuch who is heading home from Jerusalem (the direction is important—and it’s fascinating that the angel didn’t direct Philip to the eunuch when they were both in Jerusalem).
Deuteronomy 23:1 says, “No one who has been emasculated by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the Lord.” (The junior high boy in me likes the old KVJ version, though—“He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord.”)
The eunuch went to Jerusalem to worship; but would have been prevented from doing so.
After Philip explains the prophetic passage the eunuch is reading, about Jesus, the eunuch asks an important question: “Here’s some water—what would prevent me from being baptized?” Of course, Phil baptizes him, and we have one of the most important conversion stories of the New Testament.
There are (and have been) a hundred ways this passage can be projected to our current day. But I’m a youth worker, and I began thinking about how PREVENTED teenagers are today—maybe more than at any time in human history. They’re:
• In massive, culturally-endorsed isolation
• Kept from the world of adults
• Viewed as incapable and broken
• Infantilized: treated as children
To those who are prevented, the gospel says, “NOTHING PREVENTS YOU.” You are welcome as an equal.
Our youth ministries should not exist as well-meaning holding tanks, waiting for maturity and adulthood.
Our youth ministries should not isolate teenagers from the world of adults.
Our youth ministries should not treat teenagers as children, incapable and broken.
Our ministries, instead, should be loudspeakers and labs of a “Nothing Prevents You” reality. 

11 Ways to Find Volunteers

11 Ways to Find Volunteers

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A strategy to grow your volunteer staff.
A little over a year ago, I was asked to speak at a church. I remember perusing the church bulletin and seeing this:
WANTED: VOLUNTEERS!
We DESPERATELY need volunteers to help with our children’s and youth ministries. No experience needed, just a willingness to sacrifice your time and money.
If interested, contact …
As I read that ad, I literally burst out laughing. My first thought was, Who in their right mind would respond to this?
So if this is not the proper manner, how should we go about recruiting volunteers? Let me offer some simple steps.
1. Pray. Far too often we skip this step, and yet it is the most important step we take. We need to seek God’s guidance before we start this task and allow him to guide us to the right people.
2. Know your needs. What exactly do you need the volunteers to do? Create a list of the roles and responsibilities you need for all areas of the youth ministry. Regularly refer to this list to make sure all your needs are covered.
3. Create and keep a list of potential volunteers. When you’re facing a crisis, that usually isn’t the best time to start thinking about volunteers. Create a list ahead of time of potential staff you are looking at to fill future needs. Use the church staff, current volunteers and even your students to suggest names for this list.
4. Try to recruit a diverse team. The makeup of the volunteers should, in some way, be reflective of the makeup of the church. Look at issues such as race, age, sex, personal interests, etc. Too often we recruit only young adults, believing they will best be able to relate to adolescents. However, my experience has shown that having a mixture of young adults, middle adults and even senior adults is desirable because each brings wisdom and life experience to the task.
5. Keep the congregation abreast of youth ministries. I operated on a simple principle: A bulletin or newsletter never left the church office without some mention of the youth ministry in it. I regularly asked the pastor for time in the service to recognize a teen or volunteer or to share with the congregation something positive that was occurring in our youth ministry. Then, when I had to go to them with a need, the response was always much more immediate because they were attuned to the good things the youth ministry was doing.
6. Get to know them and observe their character. This is more than just a job interview; you’re asking people to work with teenagers’ souls. Therefore, we need to make sure we are recruiting people who sincerely love God and are willing to follow your local church’s and/or denomination’s ethos for behavior.
7. Meet with the potential volunteers and share the vision for the youth ministry. Spend some time interviewing them and allow them to ask lots of questions. You want to make sure that they have as many of their questions as possible answered before they are working with the ministry so you don’t end up with a mess later. You also need to ask lots of questions in order to make sure this person is the one you want. Provide an information packet that details the overall vision and plan for the youth ministry and how the job you are recruiting them for fits into that vision.
8. Ask them to fill out an application to volunteer and agree to a criminal background check. This is becoming an ever more important issue as churches routinely face lawsuits from families whose children were abused in some way by volunteers who hadn’t been properly vetted by the local church. Make sure you are following the policy for your local church or denomination on this because each state has different requirements.
9. Provide a job description. Nothing frustrates volunteers more than not knowing what they are supposed to be doing. Make it explicit, and give them a time frame. You can always “re-up” them at the end of that time period, but they need to know that they aren’t committing to this for the rest of their lives!
10. Invite new volunteers to fill short-term, helping roles. This helps them get to know the kids well and discover whether this ministry is for them. Consider it a trying-out process for both you and them.
11. Train them! Give them the tools necessary to help them succeed. Pair them with experienced volunteers. Hold regular training sessions for all your volunteers. Suggest (or even provide) reading material for them. Encourage, challenge and support them.
This list is not new. Variations of it have been at the core of good volunteer recruiting and training for centuries. The key is actually thinking far enough ahead to know what needs you have, the type of people required to meet the need and the best way to recruit them to the mission. Using this list can be a major step forward in that process. 

My Dog's Guide To Discipleship And Obedience

My Dog's Guide To Discipleship And Obedience

By Alex Absalom — www.dandelionresourcing.com

Meet Molly! She is our 3 years old chocolate Labrador.

Molly's world is centered on a busy, noisy family — Hannah and myself, our 3 teenage sons, an assorted range of their pimply friends, increasing numbers of well-groomed long-haired girls, along with neighbors, members of our missional community, people from church, and other waifs and strays.

She loves to go out — on walks, in the car, even joining me on occasions in the church office, where she diligently supervises any member of staff who is eating their lunch.
She adores meeting people. In fact, Molly has never met someone who isn't her friend. Every person has a face that needs licking and a bottom that deserves sniffing.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

What Millennials REALLY Want

Jeremy Smith: 10 Mobile Safeguards for Youth
Read Now

10 Mobile Safeguards for Youth

Selasa, 08 Maret 2016

GO INDONESIA



GO INDONESIA

Tuhan mengamanatkan bagi setiap orang percaya untuk “PERGI DAN MENJADIKAN SEMUA BANGSA MURIDNYA”. Kita mengenal perintah ini sebagai Amanat Agung,

Mat 28:19  Karena itu pergilah, jadikanlah semua bangsa murid-Ku dan baptislah mereka dalam nama Bapa dan Anak dan Roh Kudus,
Mat 28:20  dan ajarlah mereka melakukan segala sesuatu yang telah Kuperintahkan kepadamu. Dan ketahuilah, Aku menyertai kamu senantiasa sampai kepada akhir zaman."

Namun sayangnya bagi kebanyakan orang Kristen hal ini hanya sebatas pengetahuan atau ayat hafalan saja. Ingatlah bahwa Tuhan tidak terkesan pada banyaknya pengetahuan kita akan Alkitab maupun banyaknya ayat yang kita hafal. Sebab IA menghendaki ketaatan kita. Ingat Iblis merupakan malaikat Tuhan sebelum jatuh dalam dosa dan ia mengetahui setiap firmanNya tetapi ia tetap memberontak. Begitu pula para ahli Taurat pada zaman Tuhan Yesus, mereka memiliki pengetahuan akan Tuhan tetapi tidak mengenal Tuhan Yesus saat IA datang dan ada dimuka bumi. Tuhan bukan saja ingin kita mempelajari kebenaran..... Mengetahui kebenaran ...... Tetapi terlebih lagi IA menghendaki ketaatan kita untuk hidup dalam kebenaran.

Perintah ini diberikan oleh Tuhan dan Raja atas hidup kita. Salah satu barometer kita sebagai anak dan murid Tuhan adalah ketaatan kita terhadap setiap perintahNya. Dan ini merupakan Amanat Agung...... Amanat terakhir sebelum Tuhan Yesus terangkat ke surga. Bila kita sungguh-sungguh beriman dan mengasihiNya, kita juga akan serius menanggapi panggilan ini.

Menuntaskan amanat ini bukan hanya tugas beberapa orang saja..... Bukan hanya tugas pendeta atau mereka yang memiliki jabatan penginjil TETAPI ini merupakan perintah Tuhan bagi setiap orang percaya. Kami mengajak setiap anak Tuhan untuk secara giat mencari wajahNya dan menemukan tujuan hidup kita selama hidup di dunia ini. Tujuan hidup itu akan selaras dengan amanat agungNya. Menjadi terang dan garam dunia, sebab Kristus (Terang Dunia) itu tinggal di dalam kita.

Terlibatlah dalam kelompok kecil pemuridan, dimana kau bisa belajar dan bertumbuh di dalam Tuhan, berakar kuat di dalam DIA dan menghasilkan buah kebenaran. Membawa pemulihan bagi orang-orang di sekitar kita..... Membawa dampak di lingkungan kita tinggal bahkan berkat bagi kota..... Bangsa..... Bahkan lebih jauh lagi bagi bangsa-bangsa. Tetapi langkah kecil itu harus diambil....... Jadilah murid Kristus yang belajar untuk mentaati setiap perintah Tuhan melalui kuat kuasa kasih karuniaNya yang datang daripada Roh Kudus. Roh Kudus akan membawa kita dalam pengenalan akan Kristus secara lebih dalam dan memberikan kemampuan untuk mentaati perintah-perintahNya.

1Yo 2:6  Barangsiapa mengatakan, bahwa ia ada di dalam Dia, ia wajib hidup sama seperti Kristus telah hidup.

Bila anda belum menemukan kelompok pemuridan atau di gereja Anda belum ada pemuridan, mari kami mengajak anda sekalian untuk belajar bersama-sama dengan kami untuk menanggapi panggilan Tuhan ini menuntaskan Amanat Agung. Mari semua teman-teman yang memiliki hati untuk bertumbuh bersama dalam Tuhan, mari kita rapatkan barisan dan mengerjakan panggilan kita di dalam tubuh Kristus.

Ini merupakan saatnya bagi setiap anak Tuhan tersadar dan bangkit sebagai murid Kristus...... Terutama sebagai bangsa Indonesia..... Ini merupakan saatnya bagi bangsa kita untuk bangkit dan terlibat aktif dalam melaksanakan amanat agung Tuhan kita, masih ada ratusan suku terabaikan di Indonesia. Mereka belum mengenal Kristus, ini saatnya kita bertindak merebut mereka dari kuasa kegelapan. Jangan biarkan seorang pun binasa, mari kita menjadi saksiNya dan memuridkan mereka. GO INDONESIA...... GO.....GO.....GO. Ayo bangkit murid-murid Kristus di bumi INDONESIA....... GO INDONESIA..... GO INDONESIA.