I once heard a well-known Christian leader relate a story about a church member looking for advice during a struggle with his pastor. His frustration was born out of his pastor’s lack of vision. Exasperated, he declared, “Just put a target on the wall . . . any target on any wall!”
People need to experience purpose in their relationship with Christ and effective leaders must set goals that reflect their vision for the church in creating that purpose. I’m not saying that vision is as simple as filling in the blank. Vision isn’t an afterthought. A leader’s vision for the church is the most important tool he possesses in living out his call to ministry. A vision is something you get married to. It’s going to define you. It finishes statements like, “We are the church that . . . .” Vision is not building a building, a new worship style, or a new marketing strategy. Vision is revelatory! It’s a God-given conviction that gives purpose to the position of leadership.
A Matter of Relationship
The first time I went through the Experiencing God workbook and class, I had been in ministry for 15 years. I thought I was “doing it right.” If someone would have asked me what my vision was, I think I could have come up with a good answer. Aside from simple obedience, however, I don’t think any particular vision was driving me. But as I plowed through that workbook something very personal and powerful occurred. I began to realize that many Christians were going through their whole lives never understanding that they could have an intimate, personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
The words stuck inside my heart: intimate . . . personal . . . relationship . . . with Jesus Christ. I saw Christian people committed to going through the motions, professionally putting up a front, but missing out on deep change. That study began forming a vision for me
to break down every barrier standing between every person and that intimate, personal relationship with Jesus. I knew that couldn’t happen by doing business as usual. It required change.
I cast the vision before the elders of the church. I remember saying, “We have to do whatever it takes to help people find an intimate personal relationship with Jesus Christ.” Just the idea of the kind of potential changes that would need to take place in the church to remove those barriers was enough to give the elders pause. After a while, I realized that the necessary changes that needed to happen to make the vision a reality weren’t going to happen at that church. With this vision inside me, I wasn’t going to be able to honor God doing business as usual.
If a vision is revelatory, nothing will stop it. For me, it meant moving out of an 11-year ministry to a new location to give it a chance to happen. There are a lot of great things that have happened at the Crossing and every one of them has been driven by that vision. All I want is to help people discover an intimate, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Micropolitan wasn’t and isn’t the vision. Megachurch isn’t. Multisite isn’t. Missional isn’t. They are all just means or methods of achieving the vision God gave me. They are connected to the vision because they give form and function to it. They are the mechanisms that make the vision a reality. A vision is what sums us up.
Excerpted from Micropolitan Church
@_jerryharris /jerrydharris
About seven years ago, I learned that the weekly lesson material written for The Lookout would require a new scope and sequence, a strategy through which we would approach Bible study. In addition, I learned that the scope and sequence we had been using was overseen by the National Council of Churches, an organization that is not known for an accurate interpretation of Scripture. This led me to a process of creating our own scope and sequence, and with that, a complete six-year study through the entirety of God’s Word with material written by Dr. David Faust and Dr. Mark Scott.
Now, six years later, and having completed this massive undertaking, Christian Standard Media is offering something new and exciting to our readers. We’ve named this new series 1717 Studies: Your Word Is Truth. The name comes from Jesus’ words in John 17:17. All of our biblical studies written over these last six years are being compiled into fully downloadable files from each Bible book with applications and study questions for your small group, Sunday school class, discipleship group, and for personal study and reflection.
While this has cost us over $100,000 to produce, we are offering it to you at no charge, asking only that you might consider a tax-deductible contribution to Christian Standard Media. We will be releasing each book or group of books in the coming months.
Take a journey through the Bible with two of the most renowned and trusted scholars in our movement and discover what truths God will reveal to you as you spend time immersed in his Word! 1717 Studies: Your Word is Truth is available online at Christianstandard.com.
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Loving Christ’s Church
This issue of Christian Standard focuses on the church. It includes results and analyses from our annual church survey and offers insights into our present state and future hope.
Some years ago, as editor of The Lookout, I wrote an essay about the church, about why it’s important that we love the church and present it in a positive light to the world around us. I’ve adapted that essay for this editorial.
John, the apostle of love, wrote a series of letters to Christians, encouraging them to remain faithful to their calling in Christ. He instructed his readers to “love one another” (1 John 4:7, New International Version). He reminded them of Jesus’ command to “walk in love” (2 John 6). He commended his friend Gaius for his loving reputation (3 John 6).
I’d like to think also that John wanted believers to love each other because in doing so, they pointed a watching world to Christ by loving what he loves—his bride, the church.
You may hear people say, “I love Jesus, but I don’t love the church.” I can understand why someone might feel this way, but it doesn’t work like that. If you said to someone, “I really like you, but I think your mate is a jerk and I want nothing to do with them,” your expression of affection would mean little. When we love people, we want to love the things they love. It seems strange to think we could love Jesus without loving that which is most precious to him, the very thing “Christ loved . . . and gave himself up for” (Ephesians 5:25).
Many people who say they love Christ but not the church have personal reasons for spurning his bride, reasons that have made the church unattractive to them. They may have been hurt or misunderstood by the church. They may feel the church let them down in a time of need. They may see the church as irrelevant and ineffective. But no matter how weak— or unattractive—the church may appear in someone’s eyes, she remains the precious bride of her adoring husband, Jesus Christ. She is always beautiful to him.
He loved her when he died for her, he loves her as she makes her way through this world, and he will continue to love her as “the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband” (Revelation 21:2). Despite her flaws, the church is a beautiful bride—and worthy of our love— simply because she is loved by Christ. Professing our love for Jesus means professing our love for the church. Loving the church means loving the people who make up the church and loving the church as ordained by God and precious to his Son.
build up christ's church
What we say about the church matters. When people who claim to love Christ are quick to criticize his church, broadcasting its faults and weaknesses, offering play-by-play accounts of even the smallest quarrel or conflict, the world’s view of the church— and perhaps its hope of finding grace—is significantly diminished. That’s not to say we gloss over the church’s faults and pretend they don’t exist. Sin must be exposed, and failures must be admitted. Openly. But not every weakness within the church (or should I say within the lives of those who make up the church, those imperfect people who are striving to please God amid their imperfections) needs to be broadcast to the world.
On the positive side, speaking well of the church pleases the Lord who loves the church and presents the church as attractive to outsiders.
honor christ's church
The apostle Paul chastised believers in Corinth, “Do you despise the church of God by humiliating those who have nothing?” (1 Corinthians 11:22). Far from honoring the church, the selfish and condescending attitudes some Christians display toward other members of the body of Christ prove that they despise the church. We honor the church when we respect church members and church leaders.
protect christ's church
We protect the church by guarding against division.
Paul expressed his frustration with the Christians in Corinth with a rhetorical question: “Is Christ divided?” (1:13). The answer is “no,” and neither is his church. Sometimes those within the church are a greater threat to its welfare than those on the outside. The Bible commands unity (Ephesians 4:1-16), and we protect Christ’s church when we preserve it.
Another way we protect the church is by guarding against doctrinal error. Paul encouraged Timothy to “stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer” (1 Timothy 1:3). Later he challenged him, “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (4:16). Holding fast to the inspired Word of God shows our love for Christ and his church.
Satan doesn’t rest, and until the Lord returns, the church will face opposition from detractors on the outside. But as it is protected from within by those who belong to Christ, the church has added strength and resolve to withstand all the enemy’s advances.
serve christ's church
“Serve one another humbly in love” (Galatians 5:13), Paul wrote. When we put the needs of others in the body of Christ above our own, when we show respect and deference to others in the church, when we replace authority and prestige with a basin and towel, we demonstrate our love for Christ and the church he cherishes.
It requires devotion, humility, purity, and determination to love Christ consistently by loving his church. But when we consider what he has done for us, and what he has prepared for us, loving the church, Christ’s bride, becomes second nature—and pure joy.
@shawn.a.mcmullen
/shawn.a.mcmullen
e 2:effective elders
Elders Leading on a Mission
By David Wright
C aptains who fly a passenger jet or navigate a cruise ship have the responsibility of steering their vessel to a specific destination. Technology, like that of GPS and auto-pilot, helps keep them on course. Yet, there are times when a course correction is required by the captain and crew.
Similarly, every local church is on a mission, but when mission drift occurs, the church’s elders must make a course correction. Prior to his ascension, Jesus gave us his directive to “make disciples” (Matthew 28:18-20), reaching the lost and teaching the saved. We pursue the Great Commission in the power of the Great Companion. Jesus said, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Though some congregations succumb to mission drift, there are many untold stories of others where the elders are staying on course, enabling the local church to be strong salt and bright light to their community and beyond. In working with churches from Alaska to Florida and from Oregon to Massachusetts, and though often going unnoticed, e2 has a front row seat to see how congregations are taking ground for the kingdom. These churches share three things in common in their pursuit of the Great Commission.
Community Engagement
These congregations have developed strategies by which they connect relationally with their communities. For example, a number have become voting centers. Elders have seen the value of using their church campus to serve their community as a precinct. One church in particular welcomed thousands of voters this past November in the presidential election. As people waited for over two hours to cast their ballots, members of the church provided coffee and refreshments, and even saved their place when a restroom break became necessary. Golf-cart shuttles ferried older voters to and from their vehicles. This same church has rolled out the proverbial “red carpet” for the American Red Cross to stage regularly scheduled blood drives and has been a meeting place for special activities of the local police and fire departments. In such instances, churches are using their facilities to welcome people through a “side-door” event in which people are coming to a non-worship gathering. And when they do so, many individuals are heard saying, “I have never been here before, but I think I’ll come back. I have been made to feel so welcomed.” Surely, when we sow seeds of goodwill, they will spread and take root.
We have witnessed other churches welcome people to their campuses for fun gatherings. Through block parties, fall festivals, and spring flings, congregations are spending money to engage their communities. Church members invite their neighbors to come and enjoy a fun-filled day or evening. These parties have welcomed untold numbers of people to the church, many of whom are there for the first time. Good food and fun games are a welcome break from the rush of everyday life. These churches have discovered ways to connect with first-time guests and to make them feel welcome. As these churches work to engage their communities, many new people have begun attending their worship services.
Mission Outreach
We have witnessed mission-driven churches develop an outward focus among their people. As “salt of the earth,” elders have helped people see the need to get out of their “saltshakers” (i.e., church buildings) to serve the Lord on mission.
Most churches support mission organizations and missionaries, both globally and locally. These are excellent opportunities to reach people with the hope of Jesus Christ. We know of many churches that develop short-term mission trips as a part of their mission support, investing relationally and financially in their mission partners. Whether traveling to the other side of the globe or across town, churches are taking ground for the kingdom by serving as volunteers with people yet to be reached with the good news.
of Christ with them. Campus ministries, serving both domestic and international students, are a great onramp for developing God-honoring friendships with young men and women who have yet to know Jesus as their Savior and Lord.
Prayer Ministries
As we engage our partner churches, we discover that churches with great kingdom impact place a greater emphasis on prayer. In particular, the elders have devoted themselves to leading by example in the discipline of prayer (Acts 6:4). There is a difference between churches that pray and praying churches. A congregation that prevails in prayer opens itself to the indescribable power of God. It is good for individual Christians to pray, yet when many believers engage in prayer, God’s power is both felt and seen (Acts 4:23-31).
A new student minister in a church was introduced to a group of women who lived in a retirement community. He asked the ladies to pray for the growth and development of their congregation’s emerging student ministry. They promised to do so, and as they prayed, God poured out his power. The student ministry grew from less than 100 students
“ When we sow seeds of goodwill, they will spread and take root.
College Student Ministry
Several churches pursue the Great Commission by being present and active on college campuses. Student ministry enables us to develop connections with students from across the country and around the world. Untold numbers of international students attend American colleges and universities, and the vast majority are seldom (if ever) invited into an American family’s home. Working through oncampus ministries, people in local churches are opening their homes and their lives to engage students who are far from home. Often international students come to Christ, are discipled in the faith, and return to their native countries, taking the gospel
about the author
David Wright recently retired from serving at TCM International Institute and is serving elders through the ministry of e2: effective elders.
I Binged Joe Rogan
By Tyler McKenzie
On a recent trip to visit family we logged 20 hours of road travel. While my kids watched movies in the back, I grasped for my noise-canceling headphones. The adult mind wasn’t made for six hours of Curious George. I then proceeded to binge several episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience. It’s the most listened-to podcast on Spotify averaging 11 million listeners per episode.
I had never listened to an episode before. He never intrigued me. I don’t watch UFC. I didn’t like his comedy. It was aggressive, full of shallow “bro humor” and unfair potshots at religion. My lone fond memory of Rogan is as the host of Fear Factor. Everything I ever heard about the podcast came secondhand, but I was finding myself in more and more spiritual conversations inspired by it.
Rogan’s audience is 80 percent men that are (+/-) 15 years my age. It feels like a month doesn’t pass without non-Christian friends referencing a Rogan interview. I’ve been friends with one guy for a decade. He is not a Christian but has taken to my preaching. He attends Northeast occasionally and loves to talk about spiritual topics. Most of our spiritual conversations revolve around the most recent thing he’s heard on Joe Rogan. We have discussed the spirituality of psychedelics, the theological implications of aliens, Christianity’s compatibility with science, transgender theory, and more!
If you are a Christian, you are a missionary on the mission field of wherever you are. I never want to be offtrend in my cultural awareness or dismissive of missional opportunities. It was John Stott who said, “We stand between the Word and the world, with the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other."
. . . So, I binged Rogan.
I had to figure out why some of my friends were obsessed. Upon reflection, there were more things I didn’t like than things I did, but I learned a ton. I could write 10,000 words, but I’ll only give you three insights.
Many men are hungry for long, raw, deep conversations.
In a day when what rules the internet are punchy soundbites that caricature the enemy and ignore the nuance, Rogan is not that. His episodes are 2.5 to 3 hours long with just the right doses of wandering randomness and structured interrogation. The wandering conversations humanize his guests (who are often celebrities, scientists, or public figures). The structure ensures they actually get to the issues the audience wants to hear. They can get surprisingly deep.
So many people are mourning that we don’t know how to have real conversations anymore. Rogan is creating
space for that. He is talking about interesting stuff in accessible rather than elitist ways. He’s not the only one doing this. When done well, it is a reprieve from the tired and anxiety-inducing format of news media and social media. News media has become polarized, sensationalized, and catastrophized. Social media feels similar except it adds a comments section which becomes a dumpster fire of human depravity, outrage, and hate.
Rogan is open-minded, but he isn’t impartial, filtered, polished, or efficient. I would contend that some of his ideas aren’t safe, but that’s the appeal. When my friends say, “I like how he keeps it real,” this is what is underneath it.
Many men are drawn to confident-bro-masculinity.
His audience is a diverse group of mostly men.
• 51% aged 18-34
• 37% aged 35-54
• 35% are Independent or “something else”
• 32% are Republican
• 27% are Democratic
• 21% are Hispanic or Latino
• His audience is evenly split between those with high school and post/secondary graduate degrees.
Why is he able to reach such a wide base of men? I believe it’s because men are drawn to his confident bro-masculinity. Joe is physically fit and an expert on mixed-martial-arts. He has a wide range of vices which include drinking, smoking, and psychedelics. He cusses. He is funny, winsome, and witty. He can hold his own in an argument on just about anything. And here’s the key: He says exactly what is on his mind without concern for political correctness or fear of repercussion. Yet, somehow while and after sparring with his guests, he seems pleasant and genuinely eager to understand their position.
I think this is who Joe Rogan is. It’s not an act, and men dig it. He is offering young men a vision of masculinity during a time when masculinity is labeled one thing by broader culture: Toxic. White men are told not to talk. Joe won’t shut up. All men are being told to “do better,” but there is no compelling vision given for what better is. The Joe Rogan Experience offers a vision. It isn’t an especially Christian vision, but it is clearly compelling.
Many men are spiritually curious.
If you do a deep dive on Rogan’s guests the past five years, the variety is dizzying. My favorite quality of Rogan is his enormous capacity for curiosity, but my least favorite
quality is how careless he stewards his mega-platform in the name of curiosity. One of the main criticisms he gets is that he gives too much airtime to people with dangerous ideas. I agree. He defends himself behind the guise of being a bastion for free speech. While I support free speech, we must steward our platforms with the common good in mind. Nonetheless, people keep tuning in. There is incredible tolerance (dare we call it interest?) for subversive, bizarre, forbidden, and unconventional ideas.
This is true today with spirituality. I see this in my own city. There is a rebound happening from secularization back to spirituality. Mark Matlock (See Faith for the Curious) and the Barna Group (See Rising Spiritual Openness in America) have documented this well. Only about 10 percent of the American population are naturalists. Only 19 percent are practicing Christians. The other 71 percent fall somewhere in the middle, the spiritually curious
My belief is that Rogan is emblematic of this larger movement of public figures becoming increasingly interested in spirituality (and in some cases converting to Christianity). The frontlines of Christian mission are becoming Joe-Rogan-look-alikes. The naturalistic arguments of the new atheists are dead. Rogan himself has pivoted away from those. Americans are waking up to our need for the transcendent if we are to have a basis for morality, justice, hope, meaning, and healthy community. If we are willing to be tolerant rather than puritanical, adventurous rather than prudish, and curious rather than defensive in our conversations, we will see more evangelistic fruit.
to summarize...
After binging Rogan, I’m not endorsing. I did learn about being a missionary today:
1. We need to reclaim the art of conversation.
2. We need to cast a vision for crossshaped masculinity.
3. We need to delight in curiosity and seize this opportunity.
At this writing, Rogan just released an interview with Christian apologist Wesley Huff. This was the first time he has
about the author
Tyler McKenzie serves as lead pastor at Northeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky.
horizons
Digging Deep
By Laura McKillip Wood
What did you do to make your skin so white?” the boy asked his teacher. Growing up in a village in Zimbabwe, seven-year-old Cainos Manyara had never seen a white person before his 22-year-old American missionary teacher came to his village. Through her teaching, Cainos eventually accepted Christ and committed his life to following Jesus.
“My father was born in 1884, and he had me when he was 86,” Cainos says. His father had five wives and 24 children. Growing up, his dad told Cainos the story about missionaries who came to Africa years before. Even though he learned that a man should have only one wife, Cainos’s dad did not understand what this meant. His culture taught that it was good for a man to have many wives, but later in his life he realized the benefit of having just one. He taught Cainos to honor God in his choice of one wife, but as a young man Cainos felt unsure about choosing someone.
One day he was praying about his future. He asked God to help him find a wife and felt God telling him to go to the dentist. Even though he did not have an appointment, he went. When he got there, a young woman was there trying to be seen by the dentist. Unfortunately, she did not have the money for the copay. Cainos heard God telling him to pay for her dental work because she was the woman he would marry. Six months later, Cainos and Sharon started dating; in three years, they were married. The two have now been married for 30 years and have three grown children and two grandchildren!
In the Beginning
Before he died, Cainos’s dad told him he believed Cainos would be a missionary who would go to America and then return to Zimbabwe to help his people. Years later, Cainos learned about a Bible college in Columbus, Ohio, and decided to apply. He was accepted and began the process of obtaining visas for himself, Sharon, and their children. He and Sharon’s visas were granted, but their children’s were not.
Cainos and Sharon had already agreed that they would not leave Zimbabwe if it meant leaving their children there. Cainos felt God was telling him to go back to the embassy and try again. He returned, only to be denied once more. However, as he was talking to the official, the ambassador walked into the office and said, “Give that kid whatever he wants.” His children got their visas, and the family was on its way to America!
Since Then
The Manyaras settled in Columbus, and Cainos began studying the Bible at Circleville University. He got his “
degree and found himself at a crossroads. Should he return to Zimbabwe or stay in the United States? He began to pray about it again and had a dream where the word “Omaha” was written in big letters on a mountain. He had never heard of Omaha but learned it was a city in Nebraska. He decided to visit.
Arriving in Omaha, he began driving around looking at neighborhoods and praying for a sign from God. He saw a brand-new house for sale and called the number on the sign. An older couple met him and showed him the house. They asked if he wanted to buy it. He said he did, but he did not have the money. He told them his story, and the woman shook his hand and said he could rent the house until he was able to buy it. He called his wife and told her they were moving to Omaha. Cainos started another degree at Grace University in Omaha. By the end of 10 years, he had a bachelor’s in business and a master’s in counseling. He purchased the house for the original price, and he began working as a therapist. Now Sharon is also working on a master’s in counseling, and they dream of having a therapy practice together.
Missionaries in America
Since arriving, Cainos has considered himself a missionary in America. “People are ready to listen to people from a different culture. I’m aware of that all the time,” Cainos says. He has a versatile and robust ministry. He is a licensed mental health therapist, works as a chaplain at Children’s Nebraska, the only children’s hospital in the state, and is a freelance speaker and preacher.
Missionaries in Zimbabwe
Cainos has also remembered his call to return to Zimbabwe to help his people. He and Sharon started a ministry called Greenation. Their work focuses on improving the lives of people in Zimbabwe through education, training, and community support. They empower people in communities, helping them become self-sustainable. A few generations ago, people in Zimbabwe moved from villages to cities to find work, but now jobs are hard to get. People are moving back to the villages but have no idea how to support themselves there. Greenation’s goal is to help them learn what they need to live good lives in the villages.
Recently, Cainos and his family returned to Zimbabwe to celebrate a huge milestone. Through the work of his ministry, his home village dug a well to provide water to the whole village. This was no small feat. The village had been unable to dig a well deep enough to reach water in its entire 300-year history! People from the village had to carry water from a river every day. Now they can have
their own clean water: a new life for the arid village.
This little boy from the village has followed God throughout his life. He has had a productive ministry, encouraging and loving people in America and supporting his own people back in Zimbabwe. A story of something that happened early in his ministry illustrates how his life has come full circle. As a young pastor in Ohio, he officiated a wedding. At the event, a little child looked at him and said, “What did you do to make your skin so black?” Cainos smiled, remembering himself at that age, questioning his teacher, and how far God had brought him since!
To learn more about Cainos and his ministry, visit thegreenation.org or email him at Cmanyara045@ gmail.com.
about the author
/laura.wood2
@woodlaura30
@woodlaura30
lauramckillipwood.com
lauramckillipwood@gmail.com
Laura McKillip Wood, former missionary to Ukraine, now serves as bereavement coordinator and palliative care chaplain at Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. She and her husband, Andrew, have three teenagers.
intentional
Forgive. Forgive. Forgive.
The Power of Spousal Forgiveness
By Osharye Hagood
F orgiveness is one of the most radical and transformative principles of Christian marriage. It’s at the heart of the gospel, embodied in Christ’s sacrifice, and essential for individual healing, relational restoration, and the strength of our unions. Yet, in a time when resentment is easily justified and grudges are often nurtured, the practice of forgiveness has become increasingly neglected—especially in marriages.
Rudy and I see this week after week as we counsel Christian couples. This neglect is not just a personal issue; it represents a deterioration of the image and idea of Christian marriage. Consider this an effort to sound the alarm. Forgive. Forgive. Forgive.
Spousal Forgiveness Matters
When we are wronged, the natural response is to hold onto the pain, seek justice, or even seek revenge. However, harboring unforgiveness does not just punish our spouses, it chains us to the pain they caused. Bitterness poisons our souls, leading to emotional and physical consequences. Holding onto resentment leads to stress, high blood pressure, and weakened immune function. But beyond the physiological effects, unforgiveness distances us from God.
Jesus said, “If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15, English Standard Version).
This is not only about divine reciprocity, it’s about the condition of our marriages. Unforgiveness becomes a burden both spouses carry, weighing us down with unresolved pain, bitterness, and a sense of selfrighteousness.
Forgiveness does not mean ignoring wrongdoing or excusing harmful behavior. Rather, it’s a conscious decision to free ourselves from being defined by what happened and it allows the Spirit to begin the healing process.
Forgiven Spouse, Harmonious House
In a house without forgiveness, a spouse who makes a mistake is condemned with no path to healing. Without the possibility of forgiveness, there’s no room for redemption or growth in our unions.
I know this firsthand. I want to share a true story that shaped my understanding of forgiveness. There was a time in my life when I hurt someone deeply because of my own selfishness. At the time, I didn’t fully grasp
how wrong I was. But when I finally saw my actions for what they were—self-centered, inconsiderate, and hurtful—I longed for their forgiveness. They had every right to withhold it, and I would have understood if they never gave it. Yet, they forgave me freely.
At that moment, it was as if a jail cell was suddenly opened and I was set free. Their willingness to forgive showed me the power of grace in a way I had never experienced before. I then committed myself to extending forgiveness to others—not just because it was the right thing to do, but because I had been the recipient of it. That friend’s forgiveness became a living testimony of Christ’s love and mercy.
When we forgive we create space for restoration and we leave the door open for God to work in our hearts. I am living proof of that. Had my friend refused to forgive me, I might have carried that guilt forever.
Rudy often says to young people, “I can tell you who you should marry.” When they ask, “Who?,” he says, “Marry the person you want to spend the rest of your life forgiving.”
Forgiveness is more than a gift to the one who hurt us; it’s a reflection of God’s grace, a chance for healing, and a path toward transformation. When we extend it, we mirror the mercy we received from Christ.
Forgiveness Matters for the Marital Union
Unforgiveness is a silent, deadly toxin in our marriages. It creates division, crystallizes distrust, and fosters environments where our spouses feel unwelcome or judged in their own homes. Paul warns in Ephesians 4:31-32, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
When forgiveness is absent, marriages fracture. Our unions are meant to represent Christ’s love for the church. When forgiveness is practiced, marriages become a living example of the gospel.
Unforgiveness: The Erosion of Christian Marriage
One of the alarming shifts in modern Christian culture is how easily unforgiveness is accepted in marriage. Instead of seeking reconciliation, many choose to ignore the heart of covenant. They may remain in the marriage legally, but they refuse to function in the true essence of marriage. Instead, they adopt cancel culture as a tool within the marriage, cutting off emotional intimacy, withholding grace, and allowing bitterness to take root. This erosion slowly dismantles the foundation
of the marriage, turning what should be a reflection of Christ’s love for the church into a battleground of selfrighteousness and silent resentment.
When we normalize unforgiveness, we contradict the very message of Christ. The cross is the ultimate symbol of forgiveness. Jesus himself, while suffering on the cross, prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34).
If Christ, in his moment of greatest suffering, could forgive his bride-to-be, then we, as his followers, must take forgiveness seriously.
Conclusion: A Call to Radical Forgiveness
Forgiveness is not weakness. It is not ignoring justice. It is not pretending everything is okay. It is a courageous act of obedience to God that sets spouses free, restores relationships, and strengthens Christian marriages.
We must reclaim the power of forgiveness, especially in our marriages. We must choose to live as Christ did— extending grace to our spouses even when they feel they don’t deserve it, remembering that we ourselves have been forgiven.
What can you forgive your spouse for today? It could be
about the authors
Rudy and Osharye Hagood have seven children and nine grandchildren so far. Osharye is a women’s minister who is also certified as both a life coach and a health coach. Rudy is a college professor with a background in social work. They love being married and love to bless both married and engaged couples.
@rudy.hagood
@rudy_hagood_
The Power of Preaching Comes from God
By Chris Philbeck
I have a confession to make as I write this column: I miss preaching. I’m almost a year into retirement, and I’m enjoying everything about it, but I miss preaching.
What’s been most surprising to me is that I miss the preparation that comes with preaching the most. I’m involved in a daily quiet time and I continue to read and study my Bible, but it’s not the same as digging into the Scriptures to prepare a message, something that became as important to me as the delivery itself.
It wasn’t that way in the beginning of my preaching. But as time went by, I could feel God refining my heart to the point where I began to understand the necessity of study on a whole new level. First, and most obvious, to give substance to the message. Second, to give substance to me. Let me explain that with a quote from H. B. Charles, Jr. “A passion to preach, without a burden to study, is a desire to perform.” That quote should be foundational for every preacher who stands before a congregation each week to deliver a message. This is especially true in the modern church where the weekly programming for the service can become more consumer driven than we might like to admit. The most significant compliment we can hear when preaching isn’t “What a great message!” It’s “What a great God!”
Paul gives us a model for preaching in 1 Corinthians 2:15 that can help with the temptation of performance.
And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power (New International Version).
To understand the significance of these words, we must first acknowledge what they are not saying. Paul isn’t rejecting persuasive preaching. If you’re familiar with Paul’s ministry in Acts, you know his sermon before Agrippa in Acts 26 is a remarkable example of persuasive preaching. What Paul is rejecting is the reliance on his ability to persuade through eloquence or wisdom (his own ability). And he was so committed to that approach with the Corinthians that he wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:2, “For I resolved (determined) to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” Paul isn’t arguing against making a message as compelling as possible; he’s simply
demonstrating his commitment not to do anything that gets in the way of the gospel or the convicting power of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:4-5).
It's my belief that there continues to be a place for 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 preaching today. Someone could argue that’s not true because the world is different today. I would counter by saying no matter how different the world is, God is the same. That means the power of the Spirit in preaching is the same.
Not long before I wrote this column, I watched a video clip of a pastor who was preaching a “Christmas at the Movies” series. He portrayed the character John McLain from the movie Die Hard, including lighting up a cigarette on stage, taking a couple of puffs, and saying, “Man! God bless America! Smoking in church! Oh, how good it is!” And while I’m not interested in criticizing other pastors, I can’t help but believe it would take at least some level of reliance on human wisdom or cleverness to lead someone to take a sermon illustration that far. I’m not against an “At the Movies” series in church. I did them in my church and I loved them. I understand the idea of thinking outside the box, hoping to attract people who don’t normally attend–especially during a time of year when unchurched people might be more open to attending. But we must remember this fundamental rule of outreach: What you win them with is what you win them to.
“The most significant compliment we can hear when preaching isn’t “What a great message!” It’s “What a great God!”
So, I go back to Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 and his resolve not to get in the way of the gospel or the power of the Spirit by overemphasizing himself. Paul knew it was not the wisdom of the world, however it’s demonstrated, that enables someone to fully understand the holiness of God, the sinfulness of man, and the simplicity of the gospel. And it’s not the wisdom of the world, or at least it shouldn’t be, that leads someone to embrace the gospel. It’s the clear and accurate presentation of Jesus from a humble but passionate heart. That makes me think of the Casting Crowns song, Nobody. I love the words of the chorus: “Cause I’m just a nobody, trying to tell everybody, all about somebody, who saved my soul.”
We need to let God control the message. And we do that by preaching with humility and complete dependence on the power of the Holy Spirit. At the end of the day, the power in preaching doesn’t come from the packaging or presentation. It comes from God.
about the author
Chris Philbeck is retired senior pastor of Mount Pleasant Christian Church In Greenwood, Indiana. He served in full-time ministry for more than four decades. @pastorphilbeck
2024 church report
MEGACHURCHES
2024
CONTINUED GROWTH
By Kent Fillinger
Twenty-one years!
That’s how long I’ve been tracking, analyzing, and reporting on the growth of our Restoration Movement churches for Christian Standard. The first “fast facts” appeared in a 2004 issue. Initially, only churches with an average worship attendance of over 1,000 were studied. In 2008, we included churches with an attendance of 500 or more and the following year we added churches with an attendance of over 250. Finally in 2017, the survey and report expanded to include churches of all sizes, which we continue today.
Since churches self-report based on goodwill and our shared church heritage, the number of churches involved has ebbed and flowed each year. This year, we saw a 17 percent decrease in the number of churches participating in our survey for a total of 261 churches.
This is a representative sample of our movement, and this report provides important historical data, current trends, and valuable insights. Hopefully, more churches of all sizes will participate next year so we can celebrate and recognize the work God is doing in and through our churches across the U.S. and Canada.
Quick Snapshot
The 261 churches surveyed welcomed an average of 305,563 people combined each weekend for worship inperson and online. In-person attendance accounted for an overall average of 76 percent of the total attendance with online comprising the remaining 24 percent. Megachurches had the smallest percentage of their total attendance in-person with 73 percent and very small churches had the largest percentage of in-person worshipers with 91 percent. Like 2023, just over threefourths of the churches (77 percent) reported any online attendance numbers for last year.
The highest percentage of these churches or campuses (28 percent) were in a small town or rural community (less than 10,000 population). Almost another one-fourth
(24 percent) were in a city of 10,000 to 49,999, or in an area where a city of that size served as a hub. The third most common place to find one of the surveyed church campuses was in an older suburb around a city with a population of over 50,000.
The oldest church in our survey this year was Countryside Church of Christ (Seaman, Ohio), which started in 1814. The newest church was Elevate Christian Church (Lexington, Kentucky) which launched in 2021. The average start date of the churches surveyed was 1940.
Growth Rates and Baptisms
The overall average growth rate was seven percent last year. Megachurches grew the fastest on average at 16 percent followed by large churches at 12 percent. The very small churches declined just barely (-0.02 percent).
Overall, 71 percent of the churches surveyed grew last year leaving 29 percent that declined in total attendance. Ninetyfour percent of the megachurches reported growth last year. Emerging megachurches followed closely with 89 percent growing. By comparison, only 39 percent of the very small churches grew.
The overall percentage of churches that grew last year exceeded the historical average, but my theory is that since COVID-19, churches that are struggling or declining in attendance are generally less willing to complete the survey. Therefore, this artificially inflates the percentage of growing churches in our survey.
The 261 churches in our survey baptized a total of 25,170 people. Almost three-fourths of the baptisms (74 percent) occurred at one of the 33 megachurches surveyed. Megachurches had the best baptism ratio (number of baptisms per 100 people in attendance) with 8.6 last year. The overall average baptism ratio in 2024 was 6.4, which
The Aftermath of COVID-19
A February 2025 Pew Research Center report titled, 5 Years Later: America Looks Back at the Impact of COVID-19, shared some interesting insights into the impact on religion and spiritual life that are worth noting as we track annual trends in our movement.
After multiple surveys from 2020 to October 2024, they revealed that just 10 percent of U.S. adults report that the COVID-19 pandemic had a lot of impact on their religious or spiritual lives, while 20 percent say the pandemic had a little impact. Seven out of 10 Americans (69 percent) say the pandemic had no impact at all on their religious or spiritual lives. Almost two-thirds of white Evangelicals (64 percent) said the COVID-19 pandemic had no impact at all on their religious or spiritual lives.
During the pandemic, I read many predictions from church experts and prognosticators that church life and practice would forever be altered by COVID-19. The Pew Research Center study noted that most U.S. adults say their religious participation habits have not changed. Eight out of 10 say either that they attend services in person about as often as they did before the pandemic (31 percent) or that they did not attend before the pandemic and still don’t (48 percent).
Eight out of 10 say either that they watch services virtually about as often as they did before the pandemic (18 percent) or that they didn’t watch services before the pandemic and still don’t (62 percent).
The Pew Research Center study found that there may be a small net decrease in in-person attendance: 13 percent of Americans say they attend in person less often than they did before the pandemic, while just seven percent say they now attend more often. But that difference is almost exactly offset by an increase in virtual participation: 13 percent of Americans say they watch services online more often than they did before the pandemic, while six percent say they now watch less often.
So, after much handwringing and concern in the spring of 2020, it’s encouraging to note that these survey findings paint a picture of remarkable stability in U.S. religious life during a time of widespread upheaval in how churches operated for that short season.
Our Aging Workforce
According to current estimates, around 10,000 Baby Boomers will turn 80 each day starting in 2025. By 2030, all Baby Boomers will be age 65 and older. Our former and current presidents of the U.S. rank as the two oldest in the history of the country and both finished or will finish their terms in their early 80s.
Only two of 261 lead ministers from this year’s survey were over the age of 80. In five years, 27 percent of the ministers surveyed will be over the age of 65. And 10 years from now, 44 percent of these current lead ministers (112 men) will be between the ages of 65 to 90 plus. Now, if all these men follow the lead of our highest elected official, many of them might still be leading churches a decade from now. But my guess is most of them will retire before 2035 and will need a successor to fill those pulpits.
The overall average age of the lead ministers surveyed this year edged up slightly from 52.6 in 2023 to 52.9 last year. The oldest was 85 and the youngest was only 27. The average lead minister has been serving at his current church since 2012. The large church ministers surveyed have been in their position the longest on average and the very small church ministers had the shortest tenure.
The Church on Missions
Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21, New International Version). After working more than eight years for a global mission organization in fundraising and development, I know firsthand how the affections of church’s hearts change when it comes to mission projects—and how the dollars invested shift accordingly.
In my November/December 2017 Metrics article I shared some statistics on churches’ involvement in global missions. Our annual church survey this year asked many of the same questions to gauge what changes have occurred since then.
Mission Projects
We asked churches to identify which types of global mission projects their church financially supported and
CHURCH PLANTING (85%)
CHILDREN IN CRISIS & CHURCH PLANTING (27%) DISCIPLESHIP (73%)
PLANTING (80%)
(77%)
PLANTING (64%)
PLANTING (64%)
PLANTING (58%)
(55%)
(76%)
(53%)
(39%) CHILDREN IN CRISIS (67%)
SPONSORSHIP (54%)
RESPONSE (67%)
RESPONSE (54%)
RESPONSE (48%)
RESPONSE (42%)
them 21 options to choose from ranging from Bible translation to clean water and sanitation.
Evangelism remained the top priority and focus for churches of all sizes with 82 percent of churches giving to such projects. Discipleship initiatives increased from 55 percent in 2017 to 61.9 percent this year and held a slight edge over church planting, which dropped from a first-place tie with evangelism in 2017 to third place overall this year (61.5 percent).
Disaster response projects surged into fourth place overall with over half of the churches (55 percent) contributing to such projects globally. And theological training for nationals remained in fifth place with 53 percent of churches supporting these efforts.
Child sponsorship previously was the third most funded project, but it dropped to seventh place. Listed below is a breakdown of the top five global mission projects for each size category of churches with the percentage of churches supporting these efforts listed.
Mission Partnerships
The churches financial partnerships were broken into these categories:
• global-missions organizations or strategic projects
• international missionaries
• local or U.S.-focused ministries
These churches, on average, supported 21 total mission partners, which was an increase from 19 in 2017, broken down as follows: eight global-missions organizations or strategic projects, six international missionaries, and seven local or U.S.-focused ministries.
Megachurches supported an average of 31 missions agencies or projects; emerging megachurches, 28; large churches, 21; medium churches, 20; small churches, 14; and very small churches, 10.
Mission Emphasis
In 2017, 79 percent of the churches surveyed either agreed or strongly agreed that global missions is a critical part of their ministry and a part of their DNA. That percentage dropped to 71 percent in 2024. Interestingly, the larger the church the more likely global missions is a top priority. Eighty-one percent
of megachurches either agreed or strongly agreed that global missions is a critical part of their overall ministry while only 60 percent of very small churches said the same. The priority of global missions successively decreased with each church size category.
Less than half of the churches overall (42 percent) either agreed or strongly agreed that they plan to increase their emphasis on global missions this year. Emerging megachurches were the most likely to report a desire to increase their emphasis on global missions with 59 percent of these churches either agreeing or strongly agreeing. Small churches were the least likely to increase their global missions focus with less than a third (32 percent) agreeing or strongly agreeing.
Forty-two percent of the churches said they agreed or strongly agreed that they want to expand or revamp their global missions ministry, which was down from 55 percent in 2017. Small churches were the most likely to agree or strongly agree they wanted to expand or revamp their global missions and medium churches were the least likely (46 percent and 38 percent respectively).
Missions Giving
The average church invested 15.3 percent of last year's total budget in ministry beyond the walls of the church (i.e., from local community service to global missions), which was a slight increase from 14.7 percent in 2023. Very small churches gave the most to missions (17 percent) among those surveyed, while large churches gave the least (13 percent).
The increase in giving corresponds with 61 percent of the surveyed churches that said they increased their giving to missions in the last fiscal year. A little over one-third (35 percent) of churches said their outreach giving remained the same and four percent decreased the amount given to missions.
Missions Leadership
John Maxwell said, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” This adage holds true when it comes to churches and missions. Our survey this year asked churches to identify who was responsible for leading their missions ministry. Overall, the most common form of leadership was a missions team or committee followed by a volunteer leader. The responses for each church size category varies and the chart below shows the person or group most likely to lead the missions ministry at our churches today.
MEGACHURCHES
EMERGING MEGACHURCHES
FULL-TIME, PAID MISSIONS/OUTREACH MINISTER (53%)
FULL-TIME, PAID ASSOCIATE MINISTER WITH MULTIPLE MINISTRY RESPONSIBILITIES (47%)
LARGE MISSIONS COMMITTEE/TEAM (38%)
MEDIUM
MISSIONS COMMITTEE/TEAM (49%)
SMALL VOLUNTEER LEADER (40%)
VERY SMALL
FULL-TIME, PAID SENIOR MINISTER/ CHURCH ELDER(S)/MISSIONS COMMITTEE/TEAM (25% EACH)
Leaders can also help to recruit and mobilize others to serve. Much has been made in the last few years about the shrinking pipeline for preachers and ministers, but I’ve not heard much about what I’m assuming is a declining pool of international missionaries. Our survey asked churches to agree or disagree with the following statement: “Our church is trying to develop and send our members as missionaries.” If our churches aren’t raising the next generation of missionaries, then where else are they going to come from?
Overall, 38 percent of the churches surveyed said they agreed or strongly agreed that they were working to develop and send new missionaries. Forty-two percent neither agreed or disagreed and 20 percent said they disagreed or strongly disagreed that they were trying to mobilize missionaries. Megachurches and emerging megachurches led the way with just over half of these churches (53 percent for both) agreeing or strongly agreeing they were trying to develop and send missionaries. Large and very small churches were the least likely to agree with just one-fourth (25 percent) of each making such an effort.
Church Finances
In the July/August issue, I’ll examine the financial health of our churches.
Kent E. Fillinger serves as president of 3:STRANDS Consulting,
The Story of Racine Christian Church, Racine, Missouri
Racine is a small town of about 100 people in rural Missouri. Yet despite the town’s tiny size, the Racine Christian Church has grown to become a significant force drawing people to the Lord in their community and beyond. Reaching out and having a heart for unchurched people, after all, is in this church’s DNA. The congregation traces its history to the year 1921, when a small group held a six-week-long series of revival meetings. When the preacher extended the invitation to follow Christ, many attendees came forward and the Racine Christian Church was born.
GOD-SIZED VISION
Fast-forward in history to the year 1999 when members had what John St. Clair, the current preaching minister at Racine, describes as a “God-sized vision” for their church. These saints met together on Sunday nights to pray for their community, asking God for revivals and breakthroughs in the hearts of their friends and neighbors. They prayed for people to “show up.” In faith, they believed God would answer their prayers. That faith is what led them to buy 40 acres and begin a building program even before the church was half the size needed to fill their projected space. Led by this great vision of their elders, the members at Racine broke ground on a 1,000-person auditorium.
The completion of this ambitious project began a season of slow and steady growth. The prayer group members continued to ask Jesus to send people. The older members encouraged and emphasized the spiritual growth of the younger people who began to come to the church. They placed a special emphasis on young families. The small church grew into a large church.
The year of pandemic closures and lockdowns proved to be one of significant growth for Racine—a jump that pushed attendance to their current number. It seems those difficult days of fear, uncertainty, and loneliness created a hunger for church and for the Lord. St. Clair says, “God used us to draw people.” In the aftermath of the pandemic, Racine’s attendance increased by 200 souls, many of whom had been out of church for a season of time or had never been part of a church at all. Today the church has a membership of 1,800 and an average weekend attendance of 1,030.
LEADERSHIP CONSISTENCY
Perhaps one ingredient to Racine’s success has
been the blessing of consistent leadership through the years. John St. Clair has been serving as the preacher for more than 20 years. Before him, Gerald Griffin served for 20 years. As Griffin handed over the reins, he informed St. Clair that Racine is “a grace place.” This is a strength because such a place welcomes all kinds of people from all backgrounds and struggles. That attracts people who want to come and find grace.
On the other hand, being a “grace place” is also a weakness. St. Clair recalls Griffin’s advice that it's better to lean in on God’s grace than on legalism and to give people the grace that Jesus has shown us. We don’t deserve it, but it’s the mindset of the church from long before now.
In addition to consistency in preaching ministers, the church has had consistent and faithful elders. What a blessing it is for these long-term servants to witness God’s answer to their prayers and celebrate his goodness over the years.
JOY IN GENERATIONS
Racine is a joyful church where the “vibe” is family Roger Lieb, a former missionary to Africa and current chairman of the elders at Racine, says he was drawn to the church by the feel of home and family there. “My whole family,” Lieb explains, “felt that the people here were taking care of us; that we were at home in this place.”
St. Clair points to a mingling of the generations within the church which he believes keeps the congregation healthy. “We are an intergenerational church,” he says, and “emphasis on family is big.” The older saints pray, help, and encourage the younger families. They rejoice in their successes. Both young and old find purpose for their lives and the support that comes from living in a loving community with fellow believers.
The church has encouraged adult Bible classes and life groups, as well as weekend attendance, to help people find relationships. Currently Racine has 500 to 600 people gathering on Wednesday nights in the building and in surrounding homes. These midweek Bible studies are key to connecting people as members who are “doing life together.”
Their contemporary worship services are joy-filled hours where people celebrate their love for the Lord and encourage one another. The leadership has pushed strong preaching of the whole council of God. A lot of joy in the church makes people want to gather and there is a hunger among the members
We’ve simply believed the words of Jesus in Matthew 7 when he said,
‘If you ask me, I will do it.’
for more people to come.
BLESSING THE COMMUNITY
When new members are asked about how they got started with the congregation, the most common answer is that they saw Journey to Bethlehem. This yearly Christmas experience is a free event for the whole family. The community is invited to come to the church campus and walk through an interactive outdoor theater with real animals and a living nativity, as well as a live stage show. In addition to its teaching and outreach impact, Lieb reports this effort is a huge internal team builder for church members. More than 600 volunteers work and serve together as actors, guides, and backstage tech support. Racine saw their second highest attendance at this year’s event: more than 7,000 people experienced the Christmas story as they walked through the church’s campus over the course of three nights.
Another successful, though perhaps unexpected, outreach is the church’s affiliation with a local dance studio. On recital night, the church plays host to the young dancers and their families.
As a result, families whose children take dance classes feel welcome at Racine and often decide to join the church. This service to the children of the community is the second most common answer given to the question, “How did you come to be at our church?” The third most commonly given answer to the question is, “I was brought by a friend.”
Racine also hosts Celebrate Recovery, a national program for people with “hurts, habits, and hangups.” Here the church offers practical support through a biblical-based approach for addicts struggling with a variety of destructive habits. One couple in the church has taken the reins on this important service and it has started to grow. Many who start in the program get help for their lives and get scooped into the loving arms of this church as well.
The church has a mission statement: Love God and Love People, and they have a reputation in their community for doing just that. They host a
grief share, a car care ministry for widows and single moms, and other practical ministries. Even these smaller efforts help spread the word in the community that the church loves people and wants to help.
THE NEXT AUDACIOUS GOAL
As the leadership of the church considers the future, they are working with a mindset that looks forward to big things while remaining sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. “We don’t want to figure out God’s complete plans to the point that we seem to take too much into our own hands and out of his,” Lieb explains. With this delicate balance in mind, the question being asked at the next elders’ meeting is, “What is the next audacious goal? What is the next prayer that we are going to pray and watch what God will do?”
There are several ideas on the table, one of which is to use their large church resources to build up other congregations in their area. To explore this question, they recently gathered for dinner with leaders from six different congregations in the area to figure out how they could be of help. The Racine elders wonder, “How can we support our fellow Christians and what could happen if small church families had access to some of our large church resources?”
When asked to share all that is going on with this exciting congregation, John St. Clair was glad to “brag on Jesus.” He remains adamant that all the glory for their success belongs to God. He says, “Sometimes I feel like we are just along for the ride! We’ve simply believed the words of Jesus in Matthew 7 when he said, ‘If you ask me, I will do it.’"
Jennifer Holder is a freelance writer in Cincinnati, Ohio.
By Bruce Stoker
,
The news isn’t new: church attendance is in decline and has been for quite some time. A 2020 report from Lifeway Research showed that the average attendance for a worship service dropped 50 percent from 137 in 2000 to about 65 in 2020. Lifeway also reported a net decline in the number of churches, with about 3,000 Protestant churches being planted while about 4,500 churches closed.
Along with the decline in attendance came a decline in influence. A 2024 study from the Pew Research Center found that nearly 80 percent of American adults say that religion has a declining influence in everyday life and that nearly 50 percent of U.S. adults believe the decline is a bad thing. While the decline of religious influence does not necessarily mean Christian influence, the trend is worrisome, to say the least.
Rather than despairing, it seems better to take a closer look at the influence of smaller churches. Without pushing the limits of finding a “silver lining” in the data, as average church attendance declines, the number of smaller churches is increasing. This may reveal a blessing of dispersion versus sheer numeric attendance, just as Jesus’ parable of the sower described casting seed broadly across diverse areas with varied degrees of return (Matthew 13:3-9). The good news is that smaller churches are everywhere, from densely populated urban areas to the suburbs, to tiny communities at rural crossroads. With smaller churches distributed so widely across the country, they are positioned for greater influence than their size might suggest.
Take, for example, some of these smaller churches who are influencing their communities
and the kingdom in big ways.
“WE CAN DO THAT!”
Soldier (Kansas) Christian Church, a congregation of about 80 people that began in 1883, certainly has a big influence in its small community. Luke Schreiber grew up in Soldier, a city of 136 people about 50 miles north of Topeka and 100 miles northwest of Kansas City. He began serving the church as its youth minister in 2006 but expanded his ministry and leadership when their preacher passed away. Schreiber is the community pastor and has a passion for rural ministry.
The rural church in the Midwest thrives in their culture of hard work, so Schreiber and the folks at Soldier Christian Church influence their small community in a big way through service. In the past, the church had traveled for mission trips to Mexico, but Schreiber said they also did several “mission trips” where they just stayed at home. He said, “The youth group and people of the church would just stick around for a couple days and serve our town. We basically went door to door asking, ‘Hey, what can we do?’” They call it The Soldier Project. They have helped neighbors with household chores and maintenance and have served by building a fence around their community center and laying a new sidewalk on city property.
During the COVID pandemic, the church partnered with the local restaurant—the only business in town—to develop its own meals program for elderly shut-ins. They continue to deliver a dozen meals each week. Schreiber said, “For a church of 80, we’re amazingly generous. We tithe 10 to 12 percent of our budget every year. So I remind the people in our church, ‘You guys have given back over $100,000 to the community over the last 10 years.’” He likened
their service to “the outworking of the Great Commission across time.”
Having started at Soldier Christian Church as the youth minister, Schreiber takes pride in the church’s passion for ministering to and with their youth. Their work has been intentional, even partnering with another Christian church from up the road. “We bring our youth groups together on Wednesday nights, maybe 40 to 45 kids at the moment,” Schreiber said, “but for our small towns, we’re pretty amazed by that.” He is also amazed that they usually have 20 adults working with the youth those nights. Schreiber believes that kids from small rural churches ought to have amazing youth ministry like bigger churches. “The truth is, we do because we have a lot of great intergenerational relationships. I feel like our ability to remain vibrant in that circle feeds back and forth. Our church is blessed by it, and our students are blessed by adults who care.”
Soldier Christian Church’s integration of service and intergenerational ministry began years ago but was expedited by the death of their senior minister and Schreiber’s transition into the community pastor role. He said, “I think some of it has been maturity on our part. A lot of these things are good, but how do we do better as a congregation in a wholistic way? It’s the realization that, ‘Hey, we have the capacity to do that right here!’”
“WE’D MISS YOU!”
Impact Christian Church is located in Merrillville, Indiana, a town of 35,000 people within the Chicago metropolitan area, only 40 miles from downtown. The church was planted by Steve Szoke who was diagnosed with cancer and died before the church’s first anniversary in 2007. At that time, Robert Szoke, Steve’s father,
became the pastor. Having worked for 17 years with Ignite Church Planting and having served with several churches in Illinois, Szoke is no stranger to urban ministry. “I’ve ministered in urban areas a lot!” said Szoke. With that experience and his son’s vision, Szoke has worked to make Impact Christian Church a vital part of their community.
This urban congregation of about 90 people is aptly named, influencing its diverse community for the kingdom through its diverse families— white, black, and Hispanic, nearly a third of whom are kids. Their influence begins with community-based conversation starters, like collecting and distributing 700 school backpacks full of $40 worth of supplies; participating in the local “Coats for Kids,” giving away 530 donated winter coats to families; distributing as many as 285 turkeys at Thanksgiving; and even working with Big Lots to secure nearly 300 mattresses for transitional housing. Szoke said, “We just touch the community and continue to build bridges to people. I know we have attracted people simply because the ‘Señor’ (Lord) is doing something.”
Through those outreach efforts, Szoke and his congregation are influencing the community for the kingdom. Because of these interactions, Szoke has been invited to pray at town council meetings. Council members have told him that if Impact and Szoke were not there with them and praying for them, “We’d miss you.” Impact’s ministry in the area, working with other organizations and churches, has led to conversations with leaders about how they might reach their neighborhoods. Szoke knows that these efforts are important for fulfilling the Great Commission through longterm investment in people and relationships: “Everything takes so much time!”
Still, the investment pays off in God’s timing. This past Christmas Eve, Szoke was able to baptize three members of one family. He has known the family for five years through outreach
connections, working together, and struggling through their circumstances together. This is the nature of their life and ministry. “Our name says what we do,” he said.
“KEEP FIRST THINGS FIRST!”
Markle (Indiana) Church of Christ, located in a town of about 1,100 people about 25 miles south of Ft. Wayne, has a generations-old reputation for kingdom influence in their community and around the world. Having been the lead minister since April 2022, Tim Peace appreciates the church’s nearly 150-year legacy and embraces the challenge of leading what he described as “a small-town church with a wide influence.” Even though Markle Church of Christ is not exactly a small church—about 340 people worship and serve there each week—Peace is proud of its family-rooted atmosphere, “While that could create a very insular congregation, and therefore a small one, it is a church that is very welcoming and passionate about reaching out beyond its walls.”
It is that passion that has kept Markle’s kingdom influence wide and strong. Peace serves on the church’s missions team along with several other leaders and volunteers as they support and participate with 37 different local and global missions and parachurch organizations. That work among so many people and groups requires a lot of financial support, so in September 2024, the church hosted its sixtieth annual Faith Promise campaign, garnering $237,600 in pledges to support what they had projected to be a $230,000 need. Markle’s faith promise success is less about the dollars pledged
than the willingness of many within the church family to do their part. In fact, this past year the missions team emphasized their call for more people to make pledges, regardless of how much they pledged to give. So where in previous years 40 to 50 families made pledges, in 2024 80 families made pledges.
Peace bragged on the church, “The willingness is always there,” he said. “You take that all day, every day because then you know that the people you’re shoulder to shoulder with are willing to go into the struggle, to keep first things first.” That “first thing” is making disciples. Having come from a previous ministry where they developed an environment for making disciples, Peace said that Markle Church of Christ drew him in with leaders and people who want to make disciples of Jesus. He said, “It’s really cool to see a church that’s open to wanting to grow and wanting to continue to thrive in the future but doesn’t lose its rootedness in what makes it uniquely a solid congregation.”
IT’S NOTHING NEW.
Smaller churches take more than their fair share of hits, both from within and from outside their walls, as if bigger churches don’t have problems. Maybe small churches are small for a reason; not
Bruce Stoker is a small church preacher working to make a kingdom sized influence in Athens, Ohio.
THE CHURCH IN
CARACAS
A MISSION OUTPOST WITH A MISSIONARY HEART
BY CHRIS DEWELT
The amazing story of the churches that were planted in and around Caracas, Venezuela, began with some young missionary recruits and interns back the late 80s and early 90s. In the early days, Eric and Chris Barry, Dave and Donna Linn, Brent Linn, and the Jim and Judy Dye family (who came from their work in the Dominican Republic) began a faithful labor that would soon take on a life of its own.
They had all been drawn to the bustling city of Caracas on the north side of South America. At that time, this international center of millions was only nominally religious with no more than three percent of the population having activity in any regular religious gatherings. The opportunity for gospel impact was great.
Filled with a passion for lost people and a desire to see a truly Venezuelan church network, these young leaders began to work. They followed a plan of evangelization (using many different forms), discipling new believers, church planting, and soon, handing the work over to the capable national leaders that God would provide. This has been, and is, the consistent strategy of the Caracas church network.
Right now, this same country is going through a very turbulent time socially and politically. Millions of people have left the country for more stable lives. However, in previous years, the country of Venezuela was much more conducive to mission work. Visas were not hard to come by, which facilitated the arrival of more new members to the growing team. Soon, Eric and Michelle Derry joined the work as did Kylan and Christie Kirkendall, Rebekah Hannum, and many others. Things were happening and the national church began to take off!
A GOAL OF 12 NEW CHURCHES IN THE CAPITAL – THEIR JERUSALEM
In partnership with Team Expansion, the work in Caracas soon grew far beyond the original vision. Today there is a sizable network of churches in
and around the capital, but it started small with vision and faith.
In 1990, the missionaries set a goal in accordance with their vision of church planting. After prayer and fasting, an ambitious target of 12 new churches planted in and around the capital area was agreed upon.
Following much arduous labor with both failures and triumphs, the goal of 12 churches was accomplished and even exceeded. Key names and faces that had joined in on this work of seed planting and harvest included the entire Dye family (John, Steve, Diana, and Carol), Jorge Navarette, German Orta, John Brice, Jorge Lugo, and many others.
Today there are more than 20 congregations in and around Caracas. The Lord has blessed the faithful work of Christian leaders, both foreign and national, whose vision for a thriving network has come to pass. The prayers that had been raised reflecting Jesus’ call to prayer for workers in the harvest (Matthew 9:38) are being answered and the results are visibly encouraging.
The missional effort of the foreign workers from the north and the fruitful work that they were doing was soon augmented and even eclipsed by the work of Venezuelan hands and voices. In accordance with good missions philosophy, those who had come to faith were maturing and moving into key leadership roles with the churches.
WORK WITH THE UNREACHED INCOUNTRY – THEIR JUDEA AND SAMARIA
In an organic manner, and following the divine commission given by our Lord Jesus in Acts 1:8, the mission work in Venezuela began moving concentrically out from its own Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and ultimately beyond that to include the nations of the earth. It should be noted that from the very beginning, the new churches, were taught to be self-led, self-correcting, self-
FILLED WITH A PASSION FOR LOST PEOPLE & A DESIRE TO SEE A TRULY VENEZUELAN CHURCH NETWORK
reproducing, and self-governing.
In an obvious parallel to the early church in Antioch that is described in the book of Acts, soon these recent followers of Jesus were sensing the prodding of the Holy Spirit to take the gospel to their own Judea and Samaria. This resulted in the on-going work with indigenous unreached people groups in the jungles and remote areas of the beautiful country of Venezuela.
It is a special privilege to hear the national workers speaking of one another with respect and gratitude. While gathering information for this article, one Venezuelan brother spoke of Diana Molina who has been working for many years among the Warao people, bringing them the words of life in the way of Bible translation and literacy materials. The villages of this people group are in the remote northeastern part of Venezuela in an area known as the Orinoco basin.
Fellow Venezuelan missionary, Victor Urdaneta, describes his co-worker Diana’s labors as well as the quality and commitment of our brothers and sisters that are hungry to share the love of Christ with those who have no Scriptures and little work among them.
Sister Diana, an exceptional woman, for the past decade, has been dedicated to translating the Scriptures from Spanish into the Warao language. Currently, she is training to become a Bible consultant with Wycliffe, has traveled to Israel, studies Hebrew, and since last year, has also been a trainee consultant for the Quechua people in Peru, traveling there two or three times a year.
Others saw the need among the unreached within the country. Deserving mention is the story of the Mazzarri family and their willingness to leave a comfortable life as a doctor and restaurant owners in the capital to go to the Warao. They
moved to the banks of the Orinoco River where for more than 15 years they have labored to establish an orphanage among the same unreached tribal people, even in the face of many challenges. They have done this by means of the financial and prayer support of the church network in Caracas.
The New Testament church did not stop with their work among people that were close at hand. Soon they were going to the far reaches of their known world. In a similar manner, it was not long before the young church that was full of passion for the Lord and his heart for the nation would be sending their own to the field.
THE VENEZUELAN CHURCH SENDS 17 MISSIONARIES TO THE NATIONS –THEIR “ENDS OF THE EARTH”
Leaders began to emerge from the new Latino Christians and soon some were “set aside” for ministry. Alfredo was a brother called to ministry from a secular occupation. As described by missionary David Linn, Alfredo was one of the first leaders in the national church, the first pastor to be ordained, and he, along with his wife, Tamara, were the first workers to be sent out to the mission field. They have seen many come to Christ through their faithful witness and mostly unseen work in North Africa.
Another couple, the Kirkendalls, joined the work in the early days. They began emphasizing the need to see unreached people come to know the Lord outside of Venezuela. Later others would continue this focus by introducing a training process using a course of study known as Kairos. This, along with other initiatives, served to build the missionary zeal among the Latino leaders and with the mission workers themselves.
Kylan describes this process by stating that as the national leaders moved forward in faith, other fellow countrymen and women came and joined them. “They wanted to hear about Venezuelans
THE WAY THE CHURCH IN CARACAS GREW HAS THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHURCH IN ACTS 13 .
doing the work, and Latinos became the supportsystem prayer warriors when decisions were made about going to the field.”
The way the church in Caracas grew has the characteristics of the church in Acts 13. The new believers were serious about their faith, and at the same time were listening closely for the Lord to lead and guide them into the paths that lay ahead. The result of their commitment to holiness and their fervent prayer and fasting was the birth of missions. The church prays, the Lord answers, and proven leaders are sent out to the field to take the gospel to those that have not heard.
In a manner similar to the church in Antioch, the church(es) of Caracas, moved by the Holy Spirit, sent workers out to places such as North Africa, Spain, Tenerife, South Asia, Peru, and other farflung places where they continue to work to this day. The names are many and include the Ayalas, Alfredo and Tamara, the Lugos, Stefanie, Victor, Heidi, and many more including Rebekkah Hannum, who went as a missionary to Venezuela but was then sent out by that very church to reach lost people in post-Christian Spain.
In a beautiful move of reciprocity, some Venezuelans have also come to plant churches among Spanish speakers here in the USA. Jorge Lugo speaks of Miguel Lara, a disciple of John Dye, who “is doing amazing work with the Hispanic church in Indiana.”
Another instance saw one of the lead pastors of the original churches in Caracas hear the call to go to Peru. Pastor Luis and his family have been faithfully working for more than a decade with a network of churches in the capital city of Lima.
In spite of the many successes seen with the work in Venezuela, there have been some setbacks. The work has grown, but there have been seasons of adversity both from outside and from within the movement. Those that were interviewed for this article mentioned times of great challenges
at various levels. At the same time, those same voices were quick to underline the faithfulness of our heavenly Father to grant the wisdom and protection that is needed.
THE KEY
Having surveyed the workers from the field and having been on the field myself with the churches of Caracas, this scribe can say without reservation that this story is an amazing work of God. The same passion God expressed to the prophet Habakkuk, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14), is a reality in the Venezuelan church.
Ministering for the Lord in Spain, Victor Urdaneta offers both his testimony and his analysis of how these things have come to happen as he shared it with me:
We have learned from the founders of our church to carry a profound burden for the Great Commission. Personally, I left my business, home, and career in Caracas to answer God’s call to reach Muslims in southern Spain. God has taught us that he is everything, that he is worth it all, and we feel deeply honored to stand on the shoulders of those who, back in the 1980s, said “yes” to the call to go to Venezuela and fill Caracas with the gospel. I believe it is immeasurable how far God has expanded this work and how much more he will continue to do through it.
Praise the Lord for what he has done!
Please remember our brothers and sisters in your prayers as their homeland is suffering today.
Chris DeWelt is a former missionary to Chile, the retired president of College Press Publishing Company, and a retired professor of missions at Ozark Christian College.
I
n the challenging and rewarding work of ministry, it can be easy to focus your energy on serving others while neglecting essential aspects of your own life. For pastors and church staff, the demands of ministry pull in many directions. Whether it’s preaching, counseling, or managing the countless details that come with leading a church, your role is vital—but it can also be overwhelming.
Christian leaders have been entrusted with the sacred task of shepherding God’s people. Hebrews 13:17 reminds us of this weighty responsibility: “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you” (English Standard Version). Your work matters, not only to the congregation you serve but also to the broader kingdom of God. Yet, leading well in your workplace and ministry also means stewarding your personal and financial life with care and wisdom.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PERSONAL FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP
For many pastors and church staff, personal financial stewardship can feel like a secondary concern compared to the pressing needs of ministry. However, ensuring financial stability is an essential part of being able to serve well— not just today but for the long term.
My father, a faithful pastor for over 40 years, spent much of his ministry serving in small and midsized churches. Like many of his peers, he opted out of Social Security early in his career and trusted that God would provide for his needs. While he did his best to save and invest in a tax-sheltered retirement account, he lacked the resources and guidance that could have helped
him feel more secure. I know he often wondered, “Will it be enough?”
This story is not uncommon. Studies have shown the number one challenge pastors face in preparing for retirement is they don’t start early enough. The second issue is inadequate pay, which makes it difficult to save consistently. Finally, many pastors and ministry staff lack financial education and a concrete plan, leaving them to navigate their financial future like throwing darts blindfolded.
Biblical financial stewardship is not just about numbers; it’s about equipping you to live out your God-given purpose. Consider these four keys as you are saving and investing in a retirement plan.
Fees and Transparent Expenses. Prioritize keeping fees lower than the industry average, ensuring more of your money works for you.
Financial Planning Services. Whether you’re just starting or nearing retirement, focus on getting someone to provide personalized guidance tailored to your situation. Some ministries provide this service at no cost.
Minister’s Housing Allowance. The IRS designation allows retired ministers to claim this valuable tax benefit, maximizing your income during your working years and into and through retirement with a 403(b) 9 church plan.
Family Legal Documents. Make sure you have a will and other family legal documents. Without documents like a will, a living will, and a durable power of attorney, your financial affairs will be left up to the court system and probate. Make your wishes known and have these documents updated regularly.
Life’s demands can make it hard to prioritize saving for the future. But even small, consistent steps taken today can lead to significant
outcomes over time.
WHY YOUR ROLE MATTERS
As a pastor or ministry leader, you’re making an eternal impact. The late Eugene Peterson once described pastoral ministry as “a long obedience in the same direction.” Your years of faithful service often happen behind the scenes—visiting the sick, mentoring the young, and teaching God’s Word week after week. These acts of service might not always be visible, but they matter deeply.
However, your ability to continue making that impact depends on your personal well-being, including your financial health. When you neglect planning for your future, you may find yourself wrestling with uncertainty and stress— feelings that can undermine your ministry. To compound the issue, many pastors lack the confidence or ability to advocate for themselves when it comes to compensation and benefits. Conversely, when you take intentional steps to plan, you create space to serve with confidence and joy, knowing that your needs are being met.
PRACTICAL STEPS TO TAKE TODAY
Here are some practical steps you can take to make this area of your ministry a priority.
Start early (or start now). If you haven’t begun saving for retirement, now is the time. Even if you save only a small amount each month, consistency is key. Over time, those contributions will grow.
Seek wise counsel. Proverbs 15:22 reminds us, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” (New International Version). Partner with a financial advisor or a trusted organization like Servant Solutions to develop a clear plan for your financial future.
Take advantage of available resources. Many pastors are unaware of the tools and benefits available to them. For example, the minister’s housing allowance can significantly reduce your tax burden during retirement. Make sure you’re leveraging all the resources at your disposal.
Educate yourself and your family. Financial literacy benefits everyone. Take time to learn about budgeting, investing, and retirement planning. Involve your spouse or family in the process.
Trust God while acting wisely. Faith and stewardship
go hand in hand. While we trust God to provide for our needs, we are also called to manage the resources he’s entrusted to us with wisdom and care.
A HOPEFUL FUTURE
Retirement doesn’t mean the end of your call. In his book, Not Too Old, David Faust encourages those nearing retirement in a new, refreshing, and forward-thinking way.
Re-tired makes me think of a car that needs new tires, or at least the tires need some new tread. This is a helpful analogy, because being retired doesn’t mean you stop moving forward; it means getting ready for the next part of your journey. The happiest retirees are those who have re-tired by discovering some new tread so they can keep rolling along on their journey with the Lord.
Ministry continues as long as we have breath. Whether it’s mentoring young leaders, volunteering in your community, or supporting global missions, God’s purpose for your life doesn’t stop when you step away from full-time work.
By planning well today you can enter retirement with hope and confidence, ready to embrace the next chapter of your calling. Imagine the freedom of being able to focus on what truly matters— loving God, loving others, and making a kingdom impact—without the distraction of financial stress.
TAKE THE NEXT STEP
Perhaps this resonates with you but you’re thinking, “What do I need to do?” You’re not alone. Many servants of the church aren’t paying attention to retirement planning. I know people who consider it their ministry to help servants like you. A biblical financial advisor who has your best interests at heart and understands ministry finances can help you get started and
Mark Senseman is Director of Business Development for Servant Solutions in Anderson, Indiana. For over 75 years, Servant Solutions has been helping church staff and ordained ministers achieve greater financial security so ministry leaders can focus on their calling without the burden of financial
was my first semester enrolled in seminary. Seminary was a distance-learning, part-time thing for me; most days, I was busy teaching Bible, language arts, and speech at a Christian school. At one point during that first semester, I was transporting kids back from a speech competition when one of the students saw the book I had brought along sitting beside me in Systematic Theology.
Personally, I felt like it was admirable, if not downright cool, to be seen traveling with such a book, as it gave the impression of intelligence. It was the ultimate humble brag: “Yes, my pleasure reading happens to be an enormous theology book. I know, I know.”
the car. It was called Hard cover. Between 2 and 3 inches thick. enormous
The impression I had meant to convey apparently wasn’t working on this particular student because he saw the book and started . . . laughing. Not the laughter of, “Haha, it makes my heart merry that we are taught by such a wonderful teacher.” No, it was the laughter of ridicule. He followed it up by saying, “Who would read a book called
Theology?!” More laughter.
He wasn’t intimidated at all by the idea of theology. I was, mainly because I had a clue as to what it was. Most of us who are familiar with the term probably feel at least some intimidation when it comes to theology. After all, lots of “ologies” involve smart people, thick books, and lots of learning. And I would argue that theology—the study of God—is the biggest “ology” of
Yet I want to suggest that theology is intimidating the exact opposite reason we usually think
Comparing yourself with this fearsome, towering concept of the theologian doesn’t end very encouragingly. When you have a memory lapse and find yourself googling questions like, “Was it Elijah or Elisha who raised the boy from the dead?” you can feel intimidated by trying for something as ambitioussounding as “doing theology.”
Here’s the reason many Christians find themselves intimidated by theology: it’s because they don’t feel like theologians. To be a theologian, they think, is to be able to answer all the theological questions in profound ways that impress other intellectuals. To be a theologian involves mastery of foreign languages and cultures, as well as proficiency in dozens of theological topics, along with having studied what other theologians throughout history have said on these topics. Not to mention the pressure many theologians feel to have to come up with something new that other theologians haven’t discovered yet. The theological endeavor sounds intimidating.
The main reason people typically feel intimidated by theology could be summarized as this: “I’m no theologian.”
The main reason people typically feel intimidated theologian.”
Yet a better Here’s intimidated:
reason to be intimidated by theology is the exact opposite. Here’s the reason we should be We are all already doing theology.
The people in your church are already doing theology.
At some level, everyone does theology. After all, theology is thinking about God, reasoning about God, talking about God. From the kid who wonders whether their deceased dog will be in heaven to the atheist who reasons that, from all the suffering in the world, there can’t be a God in the first place, we reasoning about God. We’re all doing theology.
The people in your church are already doing theology. theology is thinking about God, reasoning about the the world, there can’t be a God in the first place, we are all
It may sound like an inspirational saying that but it’s intimidating. Over eight billion people doing
It may sound like an inspirational saying that “everyone’s a theologian,” but it’s downright intimidating. Over eight billion people doing theology? That’s a lot of people, many of whom can’t be doing it very well. parent passes theology along to their kids—for better or worse. feeds theology to their congregation—whether faithful to the Bible or not.
along to their kids—for better or worse. pastor comforter at a fun eral. songwriter. Facebook commenter. You’re doing theology.
The question is whether you’re teaching your people
The question is whether you’re teaching your people to do it well or poorly.
was, mainly because I had a clue as to what it was. least all. That’s intimidating. for the exact opposite reason we usually think Here’s the reason many Christians find themselves on these topics. Not to mention the pressure many yourself concept of the theologian doesn’t end very something
That’s intimidating. But it’s also motivating. It’s already doing theology. It’s an inescapable part of your life’s journey, your conscious thoughts, and your generational influence. leaders,
That’s intimidating. But it’s also motivating. It’s no use to put your palms out and say, “No, no. Theology’s for smart people.” You and they are already doing theology. It’s an inescapable part of your life’s journey, your conscious thoughts, and your generational influence.
So, if your people are already involved in doing theology—your staff, small group leaders, elders, parents, etc.—the question you need to wrestle with
We at RENEW.org are immensely grateful to many Bible colleges and universities within the Christian Church/Churches of Christ, and we will always point interested people to academic programs at these colleges. One type of partnership we are excited about is offering a Certificate in Theology (CIT) program through RENEW.org which, if the student wants to go on to get a full degree, can offer transfer credits to these colleges and universities.
What is our Certificate in Theology? Allow us to introduce Renew University, a robust and comprehensive online resource for churches which will offer dozens of free short course presentations, small group lessons, and great sermons. In addition, Renew University in 2025 will begin its CIT, a certificate which allows your church to raise up theologically trained leaders from within.
Imagine connecting future leaders for your church with an online program that lasts 18 months, offers great Christian teaching, and allows them to learn on their time, in their home or car, while working with a cohort and a mentor. Imagine raising up future staff, elders, and key volunteers from within who are theologically trained and aligned with your church’s theology.
RenewU’s CIT will charge a very modest tuition, which will give them access to all 12 courses, a mentor, a cohort, and a certificate upon completion.
Rowlie Hutton
serves as program coordinator
for Renew University. Rowlie spent over 35 years preaching in The Dakotas, Montana, and Nebraska. He is a graduate of Dakota Bible College and Montana State University-Northern. Rowlie and his wife, Suzette, have five children and eight grandchildren.
David Young University. For nearly 40 years, David served as the lead minister for several churches, with 26 of those years at the 3,000-member North Boulevard Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. David retired from his role as senior leader at the North Boulevard Church in order to fill the role of scholar-in-residence at RENEW.org. He holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Vanderbilt University.
serves as academic dean of Renew
We are aiming to launch the RenewU Certificate in Theology program in May 2025!
To find out how you or someone in your church can sign up for the forthcoming Certificate in Theology, contact rowlie@renew.org.
sign up for the forthcoming Certificate in Theology,
is editorial director for RENEW.org and professorat-large of philosophy, Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri.
THE SOLOMON FOUNDATION NAMES CEO SUCCESSOR
Founding CEO Doug Crozier and The Solomon Foundation Board of Directors are very pleased to announce the appointment of Josh Means, their choice of successor to Doug as its new CEO.
Josh comes from a highly effective banking background as well as a deeply rooted fourth-generation family of faith. He graduated from Southern Nazarene University with a bachelor’s degree in business and organizational leadership. He continued his education at Southern Methodist University in the graduate school of banking. Most recently, he has served Equity Bank as CEO-Community Markets, leading community banking across Missouri, Oklahoma, and Southeast Kansas. Before that, he was vice president of The Wesleyan Investment Foundation, growing total assets from 740 million to 1.2 billion in four years. He has been on the board of Christian Financial Resources (a sister Restoration Movement fund) for the last seven years and served one year as chairman.
At home, Josh is married to Erin, a dentist with a practice in Sedalia, Missouri, and their five children, Caleb (20), Callie (19), Carly (18), Ieastyn (15), and Giovanni (2). Josh’s goal for TSF is to continue to build on the incredible foundation and work that Doug has accomplished while pushing the envelope of growth and unity while maintaining an unwavering faith in Christ and his Word.
As Josh steps into this role over the next several months, Doug will continue on as CEO Emeritus, continuing his work of building and developing his key relationships with churches and investors for years to come. This is critical since Doug has been the driving force in “the secret sauce” of relationship building and protecting those relationships, driving the success of TSF since its birth on December 7th, 2010. From that moment until now, TSF has been the fastest growing church extension fund in the nation with more than 1.25 billion dollars in total assets today. The TSF family today has over 7,300 investors and over 11,000 accounts. It is the largest fund in the Restoration Movement and the third largest fund in the US, extending loans to over 800 of our churches and parachurch organizations. But the best bottom-line number is the more than 110,000 baptisms that have been performed in the new facilities of TSF ministry partner churches. These churches have a combined attendance of more than 225,000 people in worship every Sunday
THE SOLOMON FOUNDATION IS BUILT UPON FIVE CORE VALUES:
TO HONOR GOD IN ALL THAT WE DO.
TO POINT PEOPLE TO OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.
TO PROVIDE OUR INVESTORS A GREAT RETURN ON THEIR INVESTMENTS.
TO HELP CHURCHES GET TO THE NEXT STEP ON THEIR INVESTMENTS.
TO HAVE FUN
We look forward to an exciting future at TSF with Josh Means at the helm, looking to the strong foundation of our faith and our core values to grow the kingdom of Christ while growing the investments of our faith-filled family!
I love the principles of the Restoration Movement. I was raised in one of our churches, educated at one of our schools, and lead one of our churches.
But the most compelling principle to me has always been our commitment to live in the tension between truth and unity. Perhaps it’s time to call for a restoration of that ideal in our movement, because I believe we are out of balance.
From what I read in the New Testament, unity was an undeniable essential for the earliest church. Here are four principles that I hope will move us in the right direction:
Humility
The calling card of the humblest people I know is a willingness to listen. Listening generates empathy and understanding, the key ingredients for peaceful disagreement. It’s saying to your counterpart, “You talk first.” Through listening, we earn the right to be heard. Listening is acknowledging that no one has all the answers.
I’m not suggesting humble people are passive or lack confidence. In fact, passivity often is just
a different form of pride. The student who fears raising his hand to answer a question is just as prideful as the one who always raises his hand. Both are self-absorbed. Both care too much about how their peers see them. Humility isn’t about having high self-esteem or low self-esteem. Humility is having no self-esteem, but rather esteeming Christ alone. If you esteem the One who gave his life for his enemies, you will certainly be willing to listen to your fellow Christians.
Accommodation
By its very nature, unity demands joining with people whose views differ from yours, and yes, that is possible to do. It requires making a calculated decision to prioritize common ground over personal opinion, mission over method, Jesus over generational difference. It’s much like the accommodation Paul described in 1 Corinthians 9:22 when he said, “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some” (English Standard Version). It’s the kind of unity James articulated in his letter to Gentile Christians when he asked them to “abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled” (Acts 15:29), so they might be in
fellowship with Jewish Christians.
Truth
Unity is not uniformity, but it can cultivate it when we lead with humble listening and accommodation. The trick here is sharing the truth in love. We need both in equal measure. Love without truth isn’t love at all. It’s enablement. Truth without love will never be heard because it’s self-righteous. But when we balance both truth and love, suddenly we find ourselves on common ground with a common goal. Suddenly we find ourselves fighting like family rather than enemies.
more accurately, the Divided—States of America. Perhaps this is our greatest evangelistic tool. I can’t help but think in a country so clearly divided along political lines, in a day when families and marriages are failing more than ever, in a culture where racial tensions are high, in a time when the old have lost hope in the young and the young have lost respect for the old . . . I can’t help but think we have an opportunity. We have an opportunity to shine the countercultural light of unity and give the watching world a glimpse of the presence of God and reconciling power of the gospel.
Cross-Shaped Love
These first three principles all point to the final one.
This is the cruciform love Jesus selflessly embodied and which we bear when we choose to carry our own cross.
How irresistible would it be to see all races, colors, and cultures worshiping together? How strange would it be to see Democrats and Republicans praying together? How aweinspiring might it be to see a community where the young heed the wisdom of the old and the old encourage the young? Would people not notice if our marriages never dissolved? Would they not wonder about a group that is “one”?
I don’t know if you have ever experienced that sort of radical, selfless, cruciform love in your life, but I did, and its effects were supernatural. I think cross-shaped love either repels others or transforms them. You either run from that love and resent it because it’s just so strange, or you can’t help but reciprocate it.
God will bless unity. Jesus told us this much in John 17:21: “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me” (New Living Translation). Jesus said our unity should be so different that it seems divine. It should be so irregular, it’s irresistible.
Our Trinitarian God is One because of his commitment to unity. His essence could not be love without his commitment to selfless unity. And so, let it be with us! We know we cannot always be right, but we can unite. We know we cannot always win, but we can be one. And oneness will evoke wonder in this divided day.
Perhaps this is the greatest apologetic the American church today has to offer in the United—or, maybe
We at The Solomon Foundation, couldn’t agree more with Tyler’s words as we strive to be a catalyst to drive the mission of reaching a lost world for Christ by being committed to unity in the natural tension with the truth of the Word of God. We do that by empowering churches in our movement to get to the next level by leveraging the unity of our investors to provide the funds while at the same time giving a great return on investment. We believe that this honors God
As news of Dr. Alan Ahlgrim’s unexpected passing on the evening of Tuesday, February 11, reached the attention of those who knew him, reflections of his life, ministry, and service to Christ have been numerous and heartwarming. Ahlgrim’s legacy as a Christian leader and a mentor to pastors will be missed by many.
Ahlgrim, 77, studied at Milligan College, graduating with the B.A. in Bible and History in 1969. While at Milligan, he met his wife Linda, whom he married in 1969. Additional academic studies for Ahlgrim included the M.Div. degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (1972) and the D.Min. degree from Fuller Seminary (1985).
In a 2007 interview with Christian Standard, Ahlgrim explained that he went to seminary with the goal of entering a counseling ministry, but soon discovered that he was not well suited to be a counselor. “I had no expectation of becoming a pastor,” he said. “To my surprise,” he further noted, “I was able to connect well in my preaching.” That connection through preaching, he further stated, “was, and still is, a great surprise to me.”
Although he had never been trained in church planting, Ahlgrim was a long-time advocate of the need for church planting. He started the Dutch Fork Christian Church near Columbia, South Carolina, but is most widely recognized as the founding minister of Rocky Mountain Christian Church in Longmont, Colorado. Ahlgrim served as lead minister of Rocky Mountain Christian Church from 1983 until his retirement in 2013.
Following his retirement from the pulpit, Ahlgrim spent nine years (2013-2022) as the Director of Pastoral Care and Leadership Development with the Blessing Ranch of Livermore, Colorado. He went on to found and serve with Covenant Connections Soul Care Groups, where he continued to serve as an administrator.
In addition to serving on the boards of The Christian Missionary Society, Standard Publishing, and Church Planters of the Rockies, Ahlgrim served as president of the 2007 North American Christian Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. He also wrote the highly acclaimed book, Soul Strength: Rhythms for Thriving
Ahlgrim is survived by his wife of 56 years, three married children, and six grandchildren. His memorial services were held February 25 at Rocky Mountain
Cam wrote the following tribute.
I met Alan Ahlgrim at church camp when I was 15 years old. He has literally been invested in my “heart work” ever since. He has been an amazing encourager and instructor in ministry and life . . . and sometimes a confrontational force in my life. He always had time for me. We’ve tried to talk every week for the last 40 years . . . . it would be impossible to quantify the impact and blessing our relationship and his investment in my life has had on my ministry at Compassion Christian Church. It is true that some of our fruit grows on other people’s tree. The fruit of Alan’s integrity, giftedness, and yieldedness to Jesus have been growing on my tree for a long, long time.
Today, I’m trying to imagine a world without Alan Ahlgrim’s joy, laughter, insight, teaching, and example. He has been like a Magi for me in many ways. I have loved and admired and enjoyed our friendship. . . I can’t wait to hear that laugh in Heaven. As they say, soon, but not yet. I will continue to take what I learned from this Samurai Master of the sword of the Spirit and invest it in others . . . like he did.
Please pray for his dear Linda and his family as they grieve through the valley of the shadow of death. Thank God, because of the love so many of us have for Alan . . . they will not walk alone.
I love Alan Ahlgrim . . . his leadership and mentoring was a gift from God to me. He will be remembered, and though he is in Heaven, his impact for Jesus will remain
Christian Church.
Cam Huxford served as lead pastor of Compassion Christian Church, Savannah, Georgia, for 40 years. Upon hearing of Alan’s death,
INTERACT - IN PRINT
‘OUR
UNITY IS TO BE WITH THE BODY OF CHRIST’
‘ALL
Bruce Webster Our tribalism has always bothered me. . . . Our unity is to be with the body of Christ, not just with our “denomination.” The body of Christ may include a lot of people we would exclude. [“Leveraging the Power of Our Unity: An Updated Director of Christian Churches and Churches of Christ,” by Shawn McMullen, January/February 2025, p. 74].
OF THIS REQUIRES EXCELLENT COMMUNICATION’
Charles All of this requires an EXCELLENT communication effort, people desire to be kingdom builders, but feel PUT OUT, LEFT OUT, and IGNORED, when sudden changes occur and the explanation is “we don’t do that anymore, or that’s just your preference, or that’s a tradition, or that’s non-biblical.” I can’t wait for the 30-somethings to become 60-somethings! [“Thoughts on Leadership,” by Jerry Harris, January/February 2025, p. 2]
‘THANK YOU’
Dr. Frank Weller Thank you, Justin, for showcasing how our colleges are working to fill the ministry pipeline! [“Focusing on the Future: How Our Colleges and Universities Are Developing the Next Generation of Leaders,” by Justin Horey, January/February 2025, p. 64]
Douglas Lay One method not mentioned is the consolidation of the colleges. Besides Johnson, Ozark and Central are under 800, with other schools even smaller. Instead of waiting until schools are forced to close due to financial problems, choose half a dozen regional schools to stay open, sell the facilities of the other schools, and share the proceeds with these regional schools. This has already been happening for 3-4 decades but not voluntarily.
‘VERY WELL DONE’
Derrell Brame Very well done, Tom! I attended one of the early retreats. It was a great experience and yes, I have encouraged others to take advantage of the opportunity! I appreciated every aspect of the retreat. [“A Time of Refreshing,” by Tom Ellsworth, January/February 2025, p. 42]
‘INSIGHTFUL PIECE’
Gene Habecker This is an excellent, insightful piece, and exactly the kind of emphasis needed in leadership studies and practice. [“Leading Like Jesus,” by David Timms, January/February 2025, p. 36].
‘VERY GOOD ADVICE’
Allen Burnham Very good advice. [“Preach With the Wisdom God Provides,” by Chris Philbeck, January/ February 2025, p. 26]
‘AM I RIGHT NOW IN THE CENTER OF HIS WILL?’
Michael Bratten Retiring “in place” requires so many factors to line up, with attitude being one of the larger ones. . . . The main question I found myself asking, regardless of the time or role, is “Am I right now in the center of his will for my life?” And if the answer is no, I must trust in the Lord to lead me to the next chapter. [“Where Do We Go From Here?,” by Kent Fillinger, January/February 2025, p. 30]
INTERACT - IN PRINT
‘IN-DEPTH REPORT’
Debbie Mitchell Thank you for this in-depth report. Anything we can do corporately to help people see the need for ministerial staff, and then use these non-traditional ways of educating them is great! [“Training Programs Continue to Take a Non-Traditional Approach to Preparing Ministry Leaders for the Local Church,” by Ginny McCabe, January/February 2025, p. 68].
Bob Stacy Thanks, Ginny. Good to read all of this concerning ministry training. . . . I believe more and more such programs are in our future.
Michael Bratten I applaud those who have the “forward thinking,” the kind that reaches today’s world with the truth and passion for the salvation of the lost. My generation used the tools/methods they thought best, and this one is doing the same. May God richly bless your efforts!
Cynthia Winter Praise God that the ministry of Christian colleges continues to carry on in different ways.
WHAT YOU MISSED…
If you do not receive Christian Standard’s weekly e-newsletter, you missed the following news articles in November and December 2024.
David Faust’s weekly column, “Consider This …” | https://christianstandard.com/category/news/
“A Raccoon, a Mayor, and a Rural Revival,” by John Hampton | December 30 - https://christianstandard.com/2024/12/araccoon-a-mayor-and-a-rural-revival/
“I Binged Joe Rogan this Week,” by Tyler McKenzie | January 7 - https://christianstandard.com/2025/01/i-binged-joe-rogan-this-week/
“TCM’s Faithful Leadership: An Enduring Focus in a Changing Mission,” by Megan E. Herring | January 14 - https:// christianstandard.com/2025/01/tcms-faithful-leadership-an-enduring-focus-in-a-changing-mission/
“Looking Forward to ICOM 2025,” by Denford Chizanga | January 21 - https://christianstandard.com/2025/01/looking-forwardto-icom-2025/
“Abundant Opportunities for Fellowship, Worship, and Learning,” by Rick Cherok | January 28 - https://christianstandard. com/2025/01/abundant-opportunities-for-fellowship-worship-and-learning/
“Nebraska Nonprofit Aims to Call, Create, and Care for Local Pastors,” by Chris Moon | February 4 - https://christianstandard. com/2025/01/abundant-opportunities-for-fellowship-worship-and-learning/
“Keeping Up With Forty-Five Executive Orders,” by Tyler McKenzie | February 11 - https://christianstandard.com/2025/02/ keeping-up-with-forty-five-executive-orders/
“Remembering Alan Ahlgrim (1947-2025),” by Rick Cherok | February 14 - https://christianstandard.com/2025/02/rememberingalan-ahlgrim-1947-2025/
“Point University Names Eighth President,” by Rick Cherok | February 18 - https://christianstandard.com/2025/02/pointuniversity-names-eighth-president/
INTERACT - ONLINE
‘HOPE FOR SMALLER TOWN CHURCHES’
Rick Shonkwiler John, thank you for telling us a story that needs telling! Hope for smaller town churches. Hope for politically divided communities. Hope for churches to walk boldly into the future. All because of the consistent communication of the life-giving gospel of Jesus! [“A Raccoon, a Mayor, and a Rural Revival,” by John Hampton, December 30, 2024, https://christianstandard.com/2024/12/a-raccoon-a-mayor-and-a-rural-revival/]
‘PRAY AND HOPE’
Joanne Bennett Let’s pray and hope! [“I Binged Joe Rogan This Week …,” by Tyler McKenzie, January 7, 2025, https://christianstandard.com/2025/01/i-binged-joe-rogan-this-week/]
Robb Tuttle I would encourage you to check out Hillsdale College, or Prager University for some good intellectual thoughts about the culture as well.
‘MAY THE LORD BLESS THE TCMI TEAM’
George Shaaban I learned about TCMI through a friend. I finished my course in the year 2023 and graduated in the year 2024. . . . May the Lord bless the TCMI team [“TCM’s Faithful Leadership: An Enduring Focus in a Changing Mission,” by Megan E. Herring, January 14, 2025, https://christianstandard.com/2025/01/tcms-faithfulleadership-an-enduring-focus-in-a-changing-mission/]
Meego Remmel President Tony Twist has been a great blessing to and through TCM all these years all around the world . . . I am who I am—and TCM is what it is today—because of Tony’s personal example and influence. May he continue to be blessed, guided, and used for the glory of God and his kingdom serving for the best in his world.
Daniel Mwendwa I am very grateful to God, to Dr. Twist, and to TCM International Institute for a work well done. My prayer is that God will continue to elevate the mission of TCMI and grant long enjoyable life to Dr. Twist.
‘A MUST READ’
Gary L. Baker Great article. A must read for all those entering the ministry. For all those young preachers. I Love It! [“Don’t Forget About Pastoral Care,” by David Faust, January 20, 2025, https://christianstandard.com/2025/01/ dont-forget-about-pastoral-care/]
Diana Murphy A high-tech world needs a high-touch church.” I love it! People are more important than things or technology. Let’s also remember to care for our pastors. They need our prayers and support. Thanks for a great article.
‘PRAYING’
Frank Williams Praying for ICOM 2025. [“Looking Forward to ICOM 2025,” by Denford Chizanga, January 21, 2025, https://christianstandard.com/2025/01/looking-forward-to-icom-2025/]
‘IMPORTANT TOPIC’
Alan R. Zimmerman Such an important topic. I’m glad you are addressing it. We all need help in this area. [“Lord, Teach Us to Pray,” by David Faust, January 27, 2025, https://christianstandard.com/2025/01/lord-teachus-to-pray/]
INTERACT - ONLINE
‘AMEN’
Daniel Kauff man Very well done, Amen. [“We Need This to Survive,” by Doug Redford, January 6, 2025, https://christianstandard.com/2025/01/we-need-this-to-survive/]
'STEP INTO THE CHURCH’S 5TH AND 6TH GRADE ROOMS'
Jim E. Montgomery
Back in the good old days . . . all the preachers in central Indiana showed up at the church camp for any age’s weeks. . . . How many local preachers still work the church camps? [“Nebraska Nonprofit Aims to Call, Create, and Care for Local Pastors,” by Chris Moon, February 4, 2025, https:// christianstandard.com/2025/02/nebraska-nonprofit-aims-to-call-create-and-care-for-local-pastors/]
‘MORE SERMONS’
Gail Wilson We certainly don’t elevate mercy in today’s political climate. Perhaps more sermons should be preached on this prayer and on the Beatitudes. [“The Disciples’ Prayer,” by David Faust, February 3, 2025, https://christianstandard.com/2025/02/the-disciples-prayer/]
‘I HAVE FELT MANY OF THE THINGS YOU HAVE FELT’
Jason Thomas Great article and thoughts on this subject. I have felt many of the things you have felt. [“Keeping Up With Forty-Five Executive Orders,” by Tyler McKenzie, February 11, 2025, https:// christianstandard.com/2025/02/keeping-up-with-forty-five-executive-orders/]
Robb Tuttle It’s not all that hard to keep up. There are dozens of long-standing organizations of Christian integrity that summarize and keep us informed. Hillsdale College, Jame Dobson family talk, Prager University, the Heritage Foundation just to name a few. I am still alarmed at the ignorance of Christians, that half won’t vote, and preachers who won’t take a stand.
‘ALAN WAS ONE OF THE BEST’
Chad Goucher Alan was one of the best and will be missed by all who knew him. Always loved his phone calls, encouragement, and support. He was a pastor to so many pastors. Will miss you, buddy! [“Remembering Alan Ahlgrim (1947-2025),” by Rick Cherok, February 14, 2025, https://christianstandard. com/2025/02/remembering-alan-ahlgrim-1947-2025/].
Alta Nighbert I was a classmate of Linda and Alan’s at Milligan. Heaven gained a special saint.
For space, length, readability, relevance, and civility, comments sent to Interact may remain unpublished or be edited. We do read them all and prayerfully take them to heart. If we publish your comment, we will try to honestly reproduce your thoughts with those considerations in mind. Where we disagree, let’s continue to keep P.H. Welshimer’s words in mind to “disagree without being disagreeable.”
by david faust
Unbeknownst to Me
“I have worked really hard for a long time, but mostly no one notices—or seems to care.”
Can you relate to that statement? Those words, candidly shared by a veteran church leader, were spoken matter-of-factly, not with bitterness or excessive selfpity. Others who serve faithfully without much public recognition could say the same thing. Who else feels that way at times?
• The preacher who has devoted his life to a smalltown flock and has much wisdom to share, but never gets invited to speak to large gatherings.
• The jail minister who visits prisoners week after week.
• The moms and dads who forego bigger salaries to spend more time with their kids.
• The minister in a city who labors without fanfare among the poor.
• The cross-cultural worker whose mission field stays below the radar for security reasons.
• The medical care provider overwhelmed by the never-ending line of patients who come to her clinic every morning.
• The Bible college professor who earns a salary far below what faculty members at a state university make.
• The hard-working church staffer who remains in the shadow of the congregation’s more prominent leaders.
• The caregivers who spend their days looking after a spouse with dementia or a child with special needs.
I read a description of the wedding feast in Cana where Jesus changed water into wine, and the writer suggested that the bride and groom “probably had no
idea there was even a problem. Jesus just took care of it.” The writer mused, “I wonder how many problems in my life he’s taken care of, unbeknownst to me.”
The Lord takes care of a lot of things “unbeknownst to me.” He often acts anonymously, without drawing attention to himself. And some of God’s most impactful servants do the same. They serve behind the scenes, in ways unheralded by the world.
Revising Our Assumptions
Too often, we evaluate a person’s contributions—our own and those of others—based on faulty assumptions. Popular culture says, “Put yourself first.” Jesus says, “Seek first the kingdom of God.” Conventional wisdom says, “Seek the limelight so others will recognize and reward you.” Jesus says, “Let your light shine so others will glorify God.”
Why try to impress the crowd with what we wear, what we drive, and where we live? We can trust the Father to provide what we need. It’s tempting to pursue grandsounding titles and to be impressed by flashy on-stage performances. But Jesus says, “The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted” (Matthew 23:11-12, New International Version).
Blacksmiths and Pomegranate Makers
In Old Testament times, Israel’s blacksmiths didn’t serve on the front lines, but they played an important role as they pounded iron on anvils and perspired beside hot forges. Farmers, lumber suppliers, and builders depended on blacksmiths to sharpen their plows, axes, and shovels. And in those days of hand-to-hand combat, soldiers relied on them to sharpen their swords and spears.
This helps us understand the crisis described in 1 Samuel 13:19, which says, “Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel.” Somehow Israel’s clever rivals, the Philistines, managed to eliminate the blacksmith’s trade in Israel. Apparently, the blacksmiths were either killed, captured, or forced to stop practicing their craft. The results were disastrous. Where did the Israelites go to get their tools sharpened? To their archenemies! “So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plow points, mattocks, axes and sickles sharpened” (v. 20). Humiliated Israelites had to swallow their pride every time they sought the services of a Philistine blacksmith. To make
matters worse, the Philistines gouged the Israelites by charging exorbitant prices. “The price was two-thirds of a shekel for sharpening plow points and mattocks, and a third of a shekel for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads” (v. 21).
As a result, “on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them” (v. 22). Without the blacksmiths, Israel’s army was virtually unarmed. The only two swords in the whole land belonged to the king and his son! No wonder Saul’s army was intimidated by Goliath. The army of Israel was practically weaponless, all because there were no blacksmiths. These unheralded servants worked behind the scenes in sweaty, dusty, out-of-the way shops, but God’s army couldn’t fight without them.
Here's another example. According to 1 Kings 7:1522, when Solomon’s temple was built in Jerusalem, workers erected two enormous bronze pillars, each about 27 feet high and 18 feet in circumference. Atop the pillars stood bronze capitals, artfully shaped like lilies, measuring another seven and a half feet in height. Altogether, the pillars and their capitals towered over 34 feet above the ground—about the height of a three-story building today.
Artisans decorated the tops of the capitals with 200 beautiful pomegranates arranged in neat rows. Those ornamental pomegranates were positioned so high in the air that no one standing on the ground could fully view the craftsmen’s work. Only God could see the fruit of their labor, but his opinion and approval mattered most.
It’s possible that for part of your life—or even most of your life—God may call you to be a “blacksmith” or a “pomegranate maker.” If you do unglamorous jobs behind the scenes but your motivation is to glorify God, if there are times when you feel over-worked and under-appreciated, don’t be discouraged.
Even when your efforts are unbeknownst to others, the Lord knows. “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them” (Hebrews 6:10).
Dave Faust serves as contributing editor of Christian Standard. He has written a weekly lesson application for our Bible study material for several years. Previously, he was editor of The Lookout magazine. Dave presently serves as senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana.
