Minggu, 29 September 2013

RAPE FOR PROFIT

Rape for Profit

Did you know that men all over our country are paying money to rape young girls?
Worse yet, if these men get caught, they won’t go away to prison. They might get a slap on the wrist and spend a night in jail. The young girl will probably get arrested as well.
You haven’t heard about this? It sounds bizarre?
That’s because you know about it under a different name: prostitution. Or as we like to call it here in the United States: “Hiring an escort.” Essentially, prostitution is rape for profit.
Most people seem to think that prostitution is not so bad because the girls are willing. But the tragic truth is that the vast majority of them are not willing.
These young girls are out on the streets because they are in bondage and in chains. They are there against their will. They are being coerced, forced, and threatened. Sometimes, a guy they thought was their boyfriend got them hooked on drugs so that they have to go “turn tricks” for him just to get more drugs.
No matter what, prostitution is a form of rape. But since people are selling these girls, it is rape for profit. It is allowing other men to rape girls in exchange for money.
Some people seem to think the girls want to do these things, but no girl wants to be a prostitute. (See some others posts on the topic of human trafficking here.)
My wife and I have been trying to champion the needs of these poor girls for several years now, and have been trying to raise awareness of their plight in our own small ways, but we watched a documentary last week week which reiterated our need to stand up and raise the call once again.

Rape for Profit

The movie is called Rape for Profit Here is a preview:
http://vimeo.com/rapeforprofitfilm
If you are unaware about this dire issue in our own country (and around the world), I strongly recommend you watch this movie. You can watch it on iTunes here: Rape for Profit.

The stories you hear and the things you hear in this documentary will break your heart for these poor young girls who are caught into the darkest and most evil web on earth. They truly are trapped in hell.
I strongly encourage you to watch the movie.
Also, think about getting involved with some of the organizations and ministries around the country that are seeking to help rescue these young girls and show them how precious and valuable they truly are. Two groups we support are Children’s Hope Chest in Colorado Springs, and The International Justice Mission in Washington D.C. I see that Jamie (the very worst missionary) recommends a few resources as well.
And hey! As I was just visiting the website of the International Justice Mission to get the link above, I noticed that if you donate to them in the month of September (ONLY THREE DAYS LEFT), your donation gets doubled!
How aware are you of this great problem in our country (and around the world)? How did you hear about it, and what do you think can be done about it? Let us know in the comment section.
To learn more about Human Trafficking and sex slavery, check out some of these posts:

Human Trafficking Posts

Selasa, 10 September 2013

Strip Church Training

We started a ministry a few years ago called Strip Church, in which we train women on how to reach those working in the sex industry in their city. Since 2011, we have held six different training conferences in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Sydney, and Dallas. This year, we’re coming to San Diego and Miami, and we want you to join us! When you attend a Strip Church Training, you will gain insights and experiences from leaders who have been doing effective ministry in the sex industry for years. The three-day training will include presentation and discussion, training manuals, a chance to meet other women committed to reaching this industry, hands-on experience during our gift bag assembly, and strip club outreach (outreach for one person per ministry only), and an invitation into our International Network.

Whether you’re a leader in your church, a former stripper, or a stay-at-home mom, you can make an impact in the lives of women in the industry. If you have a true sense that God loves these women, and you’re passionate about this type of ministry, we want to invite you to join us in San Diego or Miami. Click one of the dates below for more information or to sign up!

San Diego: September 20-22nd

Miami: October 11-13th

Kamis, 05 September 2013

3 Ways Christian Youth Challenge the Church

by Thom Schultz

Today’s Christian teenagers embody a number of encouraging values. But those same values tend to chafe today’s church.

Today’s Christian teenagers embody a number of encouraging values. But those same values tend to chafe today’s church.
Since launching Group Magazine almost 40 years ago, I’ve been an avid observer of adolescent values, beliefs and behaviors. Much has changed over the years. I reflected on some of these changes after spending time with hundreds of kids in recent weeks at Group’s mission trips around the country.
I saw three values on display that have also been reported recently in national media accounts of the Millennial mind. These three values represent a sea change from previous generations.
1. Shared Participation. This generation wants to get out and make a difference. And they want to do it cooperatively together with others. Their teamwork and eager servanthood while putting a roof on an elderly woman’s house in hundred-degree heat illustrate their appetite for putting their faith into action.
And, in things that really matter, they want to be a part of the conversation. They want to participate, rather than sit passively while an authority “communicates.” Today’s young people have grown up with interactive media. They prefer the web and mobile apps over television—because of the ability to actively participate.
These past weeks, I saw how the workcampers resonated and responded to opportunities to actively participate in the large group gatherings. Rather than simply listen to a talking head, they wanted to join the conversation, and step into active worship experiences that allowed them to explore and express their faith with all their senses.
2. Gray Comfort. Today’s kids have determined our world is not all black and white. Some things are gray. Mysterious. Unresolved. And they’re comfortable with that.
They reject a religion that presents itself as a mere list of rules. They’re tired of the war between science and Christianity. They’re suspicious of adult talkers who overconfidently exude pat answers for everything.
This year’s mission trip theme focused on questions—questions that Jesus asked. The kids ate it up. They loved the format that welcomed their questions and their doubts.
3. Full Acceptance. This generation is so past the concept of erecting barriers based on race, national origin, clothing choice, gender or sexual preference.
They embrace the notion of unconditional acceptance. That doesn’t mean they necessarily endorse a person’s every behavior. But they accept the person.
At one camp, I watched as an openly gay boy strode to the microphone to participate in an evening program. After he finished speaking, the crowd of teenagers cheered enthusiastically—just as they did with every other young speaker that night. While the older adults in the room may have caught themselves first reacting with thoughts of, “Wait a minute, I think that kid is gay,” the young people looked right past the veneer to love and respect the individual.
There’s a lot I admire about this generation. I believe they offer a bountiful hope for the future, for the future of the church. But much of the church will need to adjust to make a safe place for these young people. Is the church ready?
Are church leaders ready ...

to share the microphone, to encourage give-and-take, to allow God’s Spirit to work through a variety of worship experiences?
to resist spewing pat answers, to make a truly safe place for questions and doubts, to authentically admit that none of us has all the answers to life’s toughest questions?
to create a real welcoming environment, to remove the unspoken barriers, to understand and demonstrate the difference between acceptance and endorsement?

Thom Schultz is an eclectic author and the founder of Group Publishing and Lifetree Café. Holy Soup offers innovative approaches to ministry, and challenges the status quo of today’s church. More from Thom Schultz or visit Thom at holysoup.com/

Free Youth Lesson: "When the Shine Wears Off" by Kurt Johnston

"Want to help your teenagers keep moving forward when reality hits after a spiritual high?"

Free Youth Lesson

Download and share this lesson with your youth ministry.
From YouthMinistry.com, "We've all seen our students experience the let down after a big spiritual event like a camp, retreat, or missions trip. Want to help your teenagers keep moving forward when reality hits after a spiritual high? In this simple lesson, Kurt Johnston uses Moses as a launching pad for a great discussion on what to do when the 'Shine' wears off."

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Resource provided by YouthMinistry.com

10 Things I Do to Amp Up My Creativity

by Greg Stier

When working with teenagers, creativity is a must.

When working with teenagers, creativity is a must. If you’re not somewhat creative, then your sermon, talk or lesson can be responded to with rolled eyes, heavy sighs and texting fingers.
I’ve seen this first-hand as the leader of Dare 2 Share. We travel the nation and equip tens of thousands of teenagers to share their faith. Creativity at our conferences and in our curriculum is a non-negotiable. If the content is not communicated in a creative enough way, then teens will tune out (and sometimes walk out!).
I thank God that he has surrounded me with creative people at Dare 2 Share. They work hard to market and produce captivating events and curriculum that are theologically sound, culturally relevant and wonderfully creative.
If all of this talk of creativity sounds a little unspiritual, just realize that the first defining characteristic of God is his creativity: “In the beginning God created ... ” So when we are creative, we reflect our Creator in a very elemental way.
With all this as a backdrop, here are 10 quick things I do to amp up my creativity:
1. Prayer walks. I get some of my best ideas at the tail end of my prayer walks.
2. Writing retreats. Just finished two days in the mountains brainstorming and writing dramas for our conferences.
3. Watching movies. A good movie can spur some creative juices and trigger great ideas.
4. Working out. If I feel in a creative funk, a round of Insanity or P90X can help shake it … or just taking a long walk!
5. Drinking coffee. And all God’s children said?
6. Arguing. Yes, brainstorming and arguing over ideas (in a good way) can help trigger creativity.
7. Taking a long shower. I don’t know why, but this works for me.
8. Surrounding myself with creative people. I thank God for my team at Dare 2 Share!
9. Engaging points of view that differ from mine. This means that evangelism can sharpen your creativity!
10. Creating stuff consistently. I’m always creating stuff (new book, new conference tour, new curriculum, new blogpost, etc.). The more you create the more creative you get.
What are some of the things you do to amp up your creativity?

Used with permission from Dare 2 Share Ministries. Dare 2 Share Ministries is committed to mobilizing teenagers to relationally and relentlessly reach their generation for Christ. Dare 2 Share’s youth evangelism training conferences, curriculum and books motivate and equip teenagers to share the gospel with their friends. More from Greg Stier or visit Greg at www.dare2share.org

The Role of a Campus Pastor at a Multi-Site Church

by Greg Atkinson
in Leadership · Missions
— 30 Aug, 2013

This past week I was contacted by a minister that was getting ready to start his new role of Campus Pastor at a multisite church in 2014. He asked me to share with him what my week looked like, my responsibilities and explain the role of the Campus Pastor. Believe it or not, this is something I do often and will be doing more in the future as a resource and partner on my friend Scott Williams’ new website: campuspastor.tv.
Basically, I told this future Campus Pastor that it all comes down to people. I spend my time with, for, helping, serving, leading, training and equipping people. How is this different from a Senior Pastor? I guess I would say it’s the amount of extra time I have for investing in personal relationships. A good portion of a Senior Pastor’s week is locked away in a study preparing a sermon for Sunday. That’s the hard reality of his job. I don’t have that pressure. What I do have is time. Time for people.
I counsel, I shepherd, I lead, I invest, I build teams, I work on strategy, vision, policies and structure. Last night, for example, we held a cookout and LifeGroup Huddle (that’s what we call it) for our LifeGroup leaders. This was a chance for the leaders of our campus’ LifeGroups to socialize, eat, share ideas and insight and for me to inspire, direct and vision cast. My friend,Jim Tomberlin, told me a long time ago that a Campus Pastor has to be able to talk in front of groups of all sizes and that he must be the Champion for small groups at that campus.
Now, mind you, I have a lay leader that I invest in who oversees our LifeGroups, but I still must champion, cheer, support and promote them to our congregation. So yesterday, I took time out of my day to work on a 5 minute talk to give our LifeGroup leaders last night. I talked about how much I loved them, treasured them, supported them, what God was up to in our church, our discipleship philosophy, where we’re headed and stated again why we do LifeGroups and how crucial they are to our mission as a church.
What else does a Campus Pastor do? A lot. It will probably be put down in a future eBook, but for now, I’ll just say:

I lead my staff. I meet with each of them and invest in them and keep a pulse on what each of our ministries is up to. Paid staff that I meet with are my Admin, my Worship Pastor, my Kids Pastor and my Student Pastor.
I lead lay leaders. I have weekly meetings with key lay leaders in our church. Some are thinkers and strategy people. Some are passionate about evangelism. Some are passionate about discipleship. Some are passionate about serving and outreach. I collaborate with and invest in each of them.
I do several community meetings. Since I’m not preparing for a sermon, I have plenty of time to get out into the community and leave the office. I try to live on mission, form relationships with people in the community (restaurants, coffee shops, etc.). I do a Community Coalition luncheon once a month. I do an Ambassador for the Chamber of Commerce meeting once a month. I do a Marketing Committee meeting with the Chamber of Commerce once a month. I go to ribbon cuttings and Open Houses with the Chamber. I get my face and our church’s name out in the community. I meet with the Police Chief, the Fire Chief, the Mayor. You get the picture.
I do counseling and appointments with church members as they come up. I have set aside three days in my week that have openings for appointments. Sometimes I disciple guys one on one at various hours, including late into the night.
I oversee the Benevolence ministry for our campus. In the past month, I’ve paid 4 electric bills and 2 mortgage payments. Nobody really knows we do this for people – just me and the ones who write and sign the check.
I prepare for Sunday. I think through my Welcome and what I’m going to say, what I’m going to highlight (this is another discussion). I think through my response after reading or watching the video of the message/sermon. I pray about the direction I’m going to go as I lead the response after the message. If I’m going to have a call to respond to the Gospel or just lead our people in prayer. I think about the close of our service and what announcement needs to be mentioned (NOTE: we don’t do announcements at the beginning of our service or during the Welcome). I meet with our Worship Pastor and collaborate and plan out the Sunday experience – where we’re headed, what the mood will be like and what point we’re trying to drive home.
I work on policies and procedures for our campus, as we are rapidly growing and need to lay infrastructure to keep up and maintain balance and order.
I work on random projects. Right now I’m working on multiple projects including what’s called our Carthage influencer project (an evangelism and outreach strategy), building usage policies and fees, our Volunteer of the Week (we just started highlighting a volunteer/servant each week. We got this idea from Elevation Church/Steven Furtick), a 90 Day Giving Challenge (this is something we’re doing in September to go along with a financial sermon series), and our annual Back to School project where we bless and thank our teachers and principals at all the schools in our city and let them know we’re praying for them as they start the school year. We also give them a gift from the church. There are several random projects like this as they come up throughout the year.
I work on my messages that I preach as they come up. I have the freedom to preach as much as I would like at my campus. I choose to preach every other month. Right now, I’m working on two September financial messages – one for Sunday morning/guests and one for our quarterly Night of Worship, where I will challenge our core.
This week I’m working on baptism follow-up with at least 18 adults. We have a river baptism next Sunday and I’m meeting with each of the baptism candidates this week and next week (that takes a lot of time).
I lead our campus’ assimilation strategy and process. This means each week my Admin goes through our Communication Cards and lets me know who signed up to serve, who wants to talk with the pastor, who was a first-time guest, who was a second-time guest, who signed up for a LifeGroup and who needs prayer.
I then send a handwritten note and a gift card to all first-time guests. I also send a “Welcome” email. I’m trying to call each of them, too, as time allows and as they answer – usually I end up leaving a message.
I send a form letter to all second time guests and they get a different gift card. (The above to two items on assimilation we got from my friend Nelson Searcy’s book Fusion: Turning First-Time Guests into Fully-Engaged Members of Your Church.)
I lead a weekly staff meeting on Wednesday with my paid staff and key lay leaders. I prep for this and develop a meeting agenda on Tuesday.
I meet weekly with our church’s Senior Leadership Team (each Thursday afternoon). This is a team of 4 men in the entire Forest Park Church that oversee the church and talk about vision, strategy and direction of the church as a whole.
I oversee most of my campus’ online presence and strategy (the use of Twitter, Facebook, advertising/marketing, etc.) and all local marketing (signs, billboards, banners, mailers, newspaper, etc.).
I’m sure I’m forgetting other stuff, but bottom-line, I stay busy.

Thankfully, I have a lot of freedom at my campus, which is a good fit for me. I submit to our Lead Pastor and his vision and our church’s DNA, but there are things that are different or unique about our campus and I think that’s cool. There’s no one size fits all for multisite and if you’re a Campus Pastor at a multisite church that teaches live instead of utilizes video, then a lot of what I just said would be different for you, too.
I’m always up for helping, coaching, consulting and training leaders, pastors and you know I have a heart for Campus Pastors. If I can help in any way, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. Keep pressing on and know what you do matters! It’s all about investing in people. Love on them!
*** For more resources, check out Jim Tomberlin’s multisite must-read list HERE. And don’t hesitate to give Jim a call. He’s a great resource.
*** To see the welcome video for my campus and how we introduce ourselves to website vistors, go HERE. Enjoy!