Pastoring After Covid

ISSUE 33 / JAN_MAR 2021

KA R L VAT E R S / G E O F F a n d S H E R RY S U R R AT T / DA R R E L L G E D D E S

pastoring after covid

a sm a ll chur ch p erspective on w ha t co mes next

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 1

MAGAZINE

THE SHAPE OF LEADERSHIP

INFLUENCE MAGAZINE

S U B S C R I P T I O N S

1445 N. Boonville Avenue Springfield, MO 65802-1894

To subscribe, go to influencemagazine.com or call 1.855.642.2011. Individual one-year subscriptions are $17.

Bundle one-year subscriptions are $12 per subscription, for a minimum of six or more. International one-year subscriptions are $51, postage included. For additional subscription rates, contact subscribe@influencemagazine. com. Please send all other feedback, requests and questions to feedback@influencemagazine.com.

Influence magazine is published by the Assemblies of God Publisher: Douglas E. Clay Executive Editor: George P. Wood Managing Editor: Rick Knoth Senior Editor: John Davidson Assistant Editor: Christina Quick Designers: Steve Lopez and Prixel Creative Advertising Coordinator: Ron Kopczick

Copyright © 2021 by The General Council of the Assemblies of God, 1445 N. Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO 65802-1894.

Permission required for reprints. All rights reserved.

CONTRIBUTORS Paul R. Alexander, Melissa Alfaro, Stephen Blandino, Raymond Castro, Chris Colvin, John Davidson, Jill Fox, Darrell Geddes, Barbara L. Gilliam, Sheila Harper, Cameron Henderson, Donald A. Lichi, Jonathan Mussett, Rachel Pilcher, Jared Pingleton, Geoff and Sherry Surratt, Chrissy Toledo, Karl Vaters, Les Welk, Darnell K. Williams Sr., George P. Wood, Daniel Yang

S P E C I A L T H A N K S Donna L. Barrett, Malcolm Burleigh, Douglas E. Clay, Wilfredo De Jesús, Rick DuBose, Greg Mundis

All materials published herein including, but not limited to articles, photographs, images, and illustrations are protected by copyright and owned or controlled by Influence magazine of The General Council of the Assemblies of God. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan (www.zondervan.com). All rights reserved worldwide. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

E D I T O R I A L For info or queries, contact editor@influencemagazine.com.

ADVERTISING Display rates available upon request. Contact advertising@ influencemagazine.com. By accepting an advertisement, Influence does not endorse any advertiser or product. We reserve the right to reject advertisements not consistent with the magazine’s objectives.

Website: influencemagazine.com Twitter: @theinfluencemag Facebook: facebook.com/theinfluencemag

2 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence magazine (ISSN: 2470-6795) is published four times a year in January, April, July, and October by Influence Resources (1445 N. Boonville Avenue, Springfield, MO 65802-1894). Periodicals postage paid at Springfield, Missouri, and at other mailing offices. Printed in the U.S.A.

POSTMASTER Send address changes to Influence magazine: 1445 N. Boonville Avenue Springfield, MO 65802-1894

CONTENTS 8 From the Editor You Crown the Year With Your Bounty George P. Wood

p10

10 From the Heart of the GS Spirituality and Mission

14 Get Set LEADERS IMPACTING THE CHURCH AND CULTURE

Multiplication Through Delegation A conversation with Raymond Castro

18 Leadership TOOLS FOR PERSONAL AND CONGREGATIONAL GROWTH

• Self Dismantling Hurdles to Women in Leadership Melissa J. Alfaro

• Marriage & Family The Prodigal PK Chrissy Toledo

• Practice A Pipeline for Diverse Leadership Darnell K. Williams Sr.

• Development Personal Evangelism, Jesus Style Stephen Blandino

• Ethics The Ethics of Pastoring Online John Davidson

• Reviews Dealing With the Devil George P. Wood Recommended Reading for Leaders Influence Magazine Spirit-Filled Trailblazers An interview with Dean Merrill Perfect Time for Bible Engagement A pastor reviews the Bible Engagement Project

4 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

p18 p44

ISSUE_33/JAN_MAR 2021

44 Pastoring After COVID A small church perspective on what comes next Karl Vaters

54 Fix Your Gaze Four ways to overcome discouragement as a ministry couple Geoff and Sherry Surratt

p54 p62

62 Leading a Multiracial, Multiethnic, Multigenerational

Church A case study in ministry across racial and ethnic lines Darrell Geddes

70 Renters or Owners?

Five ways to develop an ownership culture at church Jill Fox

78 Church Ministry STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE MINISTRY

• Children Ready, (Re)set, Go! Five ways to reboot your KidMin in 2021 Rachel Pilcher

• Youth You Are What You Hear Are your students listening to culture or Christ?

Cameron Henderson

p70

• Adult Next-Generation Evangelists What motivates young adults to reach their peers for Christ?

Daniel Yang

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 5

CONTENTS

p90

90 The Suicide Crisis and the Church

• Introduction Les Welk

• Shepherds in the Valley Emerging from death’s shadow Jonathan Mussett

• Ministry to Suicidal People How to pastor those in crisis Jared Pingleton

• Caring for Those Who Care Guidelines for ministry leaders Donald A. Lichi and Barbara L. Gilliam

114 This Is My Story New Life After Abortion Sheila Harper

116 Assemblies of God College Guide 2021 • The Case for Pentecostal Higher Education Paul R. Alexander

• Assemblies of God Colleges and Universities

6 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

p114 p116

The Journey to ministry begins with SUM SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary (SUM) equips leaders by offering an affordable theological education combining academic instruction with practical hands-on ministry and personal mentorship.

Earn Your Degree With Our Flexible AnytimeAnywhere Program SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary is now offering a new way to earn your degree in ministry.

With our Anytime-Anywhere model, you can take your courses any day of the week, fully online while still receiving personal and academic mentoring.

The Journey to Chaplaincy Begins with an M.Div. If you are called to chaplaincy, SUM’s fully online Master of Divinity degree is the place to start. Professional chaplains in military, healthcare and correctional institutions are highly respected and well compensated as they provide the ministry of presence for those they serve. https://www.sum.edu/chaplaincy

SUM.EDU 916.306.1628

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 7

FROM THE EDITOR

Reflections on Leadership

You Crown the Year With Your Bounty G E O R G E P. W O O D

David identifies three reasons to praise the prayeranswering God.

George P. Wood is executive editor of Influence magazine.

8 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

he year 2020 will not be forgotten soon, but it also will not be missed.

Although it has been a frustrating time, its frustrations have fostered greater faith in God, who loves and cares for His people. That increased faith is what will and should be remembered.

Reflecting on 2020 and preparing for 2021, I have focused on Psalm 65:11, which says, “You crown the year with your bounty.” Psalm 65 comes as a relief after the 14 laments that immediately precede it. “Have mercy on me, O God” (51:1) gives way to “Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion” (65:1). Repeated requests for God to “hear” or “listen” to prayer (54:2; 55:1; 61:1; 64:1) result in a confident, “You who answer prayer” (65:2).

David identifies three reasons to praise the prayer-answering God in this psalm: First, forgiveness. “When we were overwhelmed by sins, you forgave us our transgressions” (verse 3). This verse captures the great truth of the gospel that though we are a sinful people, God is a forgiving God. He always answers the cry of genuine repentance.

Second, creation. David turns from the personal to the global when he speaks of God “who formed the mountains by your power” and “who stilled the roaring of the seas” (verses 5–7). These actions remind us that God created the world with stability and order. If we rest in God’s “awesome and righteous deeds”

T

(verse 5), we can remain calm amidst “the turmoil of the nations” (verse 7).

Third, providence. “The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it” (verse 9). In the dry Judean hills from which David reigned, water was a miracle, its presence or absence the difference between life and death. These verses remind us God is life’s source. Because of Him, “The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain.” His provision is yet another reason to “shout for joy and sing” (verse 13).

Because of Psalm 65, my prayer for life and ministry in 2021, both yours and mine, is this: Almighty God of love, may we grow in the grace of Your forgiveness, focus on Your steadiness in the midst of our chaos, and trust in ever-greater measure that You will provide for our needs. Amen!

In this way, we will end 2021 not with 2020’s exhausted, “We survived,” but with Psalm 65:11’s joyful, “You crown the year with your bounty.”

Beginning with this issue, Influence will publish on a quarterly rather than bimonthly schedule. This will allow us to provide you more leadership resources over the year on a more economic basis.

In our cover story, Karl Vaters gives guidance on how to pastor small churches after the pandemic. Geoff and Sherry Surratt offer hope to discouraged ministry couples. Darrell Geddes shares lessons he has learned about leading a multicultural church in a multicultural neighborhood. And Jill Fox shows what can happen when volunteers become “owners” of the church’s mission.

In a special section, members of the Assemblies of God Mental Health Committee offer pastoral and psychological advice about dealing with our nation’s suicide crisis.

Finally, along with our regular columns and profiles, make sure to check out the special advertising section for colleges and universities in the Assemblies of God Alliance for Higher Education.

MAKE IT THROUGH YOUR STRUGGLES AND

EXPERIENCE THE LORD THIS CHRISTMAS!

DROP THE BAGGAGE, PICK UP YOUR FREEDOM, FULFILL YOUR DESTINY!

LEAVE FEAR BEHIND, MOVE FORWARD IN FAITH, EMBRACE THE ADVENTURE!

RUNNING THE RACE YOU WERE BORN TO WIN!

CHRISTINE CAINE BOOKS MAKE PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFTS!

FROM THE HEART OF THE GS

Spirituality and Mission DOUG CLAY

These are bewildering times, but our God-given assignment remains clear.

he year 2020 did not turn out the way we expected. As a new decade dawned, preachers made hopeful puns about moving into a bright future with “20/20 vision.” What we encountered instead was a year of disorienting challenges. We faced a global pandemic, social and economic crises, political rancor, and crushing isolation. It was a year that altered the way we live, interact, and minister.

But what about 2021? Will our churches still have to pivot and change how we conduct services? Will our religious freedoms increasingly erode? Where should we focus our energy as we move into a new year?

What kind of vision should we cast for our people?

These are bewildering times, but our Godgiven assignment remains clear. I believe we need a renewed emphasis on two foundational essentials: spirituality and mission.

T

Spirituality

The men and women who pioneered the Assemblies of God desired — more than anything else — to be fully dedicated to Christ and His mission. In April 1914, they said: “We commit ourselves and the movement to Him for the greatest evangelism that the world has ever seen.” This resolution was profoundly personal; their primary commitment was not to the task but to the Lord himself.

In December of the same year, founding chairman E.N. Bell declared that focusing on the spiritual life should be “our first aim and supreme prayer.” He added, “Let us keep to the front deep spirituality in our souls and the power and anointing of God on our ministry.”

The Bible makes it clear this “deep spirituality” involves every aspect of our lives. When a scribe asked Jesus which commandment

10 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

was most important, Jesus responded by quoting from Deuteronomy 6: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30).

A few details stand out as I read this passage: • Jesus repeats the word all four times, conveying an encompassing love for God. God seeks our wholehearted devotion: “The eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth so that He may support those whose heart is completely His” (2 Chronicles 16:9, AMP). As Jesus taught in the parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl (Matthew 13:44–46),

His kingdom is worth everything — all we have!

• Each phrase includes the Greek preposition ex, meaning “out of.” In other words, we love God not just with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, but from our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength — out of their abundance and overflow.

• The original command from Deuteronomy 6:5 that Jesus quoted includes a threefold response — heart, soul, and strength. Jesus adds a fourth element: that we love God from our whole mind.

This instruction is especially critical today, when our minds are continually distracted by the influences in our

culture. As the apostle Paul said, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (Philippians 4:8, NLT).

• We can only love God with all our strength through wholehearted devotion to God and the empowerment of the Spirit: “For this purpose I also labor, striving according to His power which works mightily within me” (Colossians 1:29, NASB).

Before 2020, we took a lot for granted, including the faith and enthusiasm that come from corporate worship. When those things

The Bible makes it clear this “deep spirituality” involves every aspect of our lives.

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 11

Mission and spirituality don’t exist in isolation. They’re symbiotic.

disappeared for a time, we gained a greater appreciation for them. At the same time, the experience of solitary worship also worked for our spiritual good, allowing many of us to refocus on what matters most — our personal relationship with God and an intensified love for Him. In Philippians 3:14, Paul said, “I press on toward the goal to the win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” For Paul, the ultimate prize was not “amens,” retweets, or even packed church seats. He reveals his heart’s desire in verses 10–11: “I want to know Christ — yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.”

The NASB refers to the “fellowship of his sufferings.” We all want to experience the power of Christ’s resurrection. But it’s often in the fellowship of Jesus’ sufferings that we draw closer to Him and become more like Him. It’s in the difficult, desperate, lonely places that we reach the end of ourselves and discover more of Him. When Christ is all we have, we quickly realize Christ is more than enough.

Mission

Doug Clay is general superintendent of the General Council of the Assemblies of God in Springfield, Missouri.

12 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

Paul was well acquainted with suffering.

In fact, he wrote Philippians while imprisoned for preaching the gospel. It was a difficult time for the apostles and the Church.

Yet Paul rejoiced — enthusiastically reporting that what had happened to him had “actually served to advance the gospel” (Philippians 1:12).

Trouble will come, and circumstances will change (John 16:33). Yet our mission remains the same: making disciples of Christ (Matthew 28:19). The Great Commission is a mandate for the entire Church, but it starts with us as leaders.

Even in today’s individualistic culture, people tend to go where they’re led. Advertisers, fashion designers, politicians, and social media influencers understand this.

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

By modeling the kind of deep spirituality and commitment to mission Jesus taught, Paul led people to become disciples who make disciples. That’s what we need to be about in 2021 — and in all the years ahead as we await the return of our Lord.

The most missions-minded churches I know have missions-minded leaders. And there’s never been a better time to lead your church toward greater Kingdom impact. People are looking for clarity and purpose. Many are desperate for the kind of joy that transcends circumstances. We need to remind them week after week that Christ is our foundation and the hope of the world.

We need to return to the cross and remember the depth of God’s love for spiritually lost people. We need to seek a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit for renewed passion, boldness, and power to reach our communities and the ends of the earth. In these last days, we need to share with urgency and compassion the invitation of the Spirit and the Bride, encouraging all who thirst to, “Come!”

(Revelation 22:17).

Mission and spirituality don’t exist in isolation. They’re symbiotic. Spirituality gives us power to witness. Mission keeps us dependent on the Spirit.

Whatever the year ahead holds, one thing is certain: Jesus is already there. In moments of victory and in times of suffering, press on toward the goal to win the prize of a closer walk with Him. When attendance is up, and when the numbers are down, press on.

In storms and fair weather, on mountaintops and through valleys, keep the mission in view. Love Jesus with all your heart, proclaim Him with every breath, and lead others to do the same.

As we emerge from the pandemic in 2021, I pray that with deep spirituality and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, we will effectively fulfill our unchanging mission. May God help us all to view our ministry assignment in these days as a privileged opportunity.

Are you looking for honest, relevant materials for your student ministry?

The new series from Adult & Teen Challenge will challenge small group members to connect with God in a meaningful way. Intimacy with Purpose teaches healthy sexual and relational intimacy through a biblical perspective. Biblical addiction education and relapse prevention is covered in the Breaking Free curriculum. These studies can also be used for pastoral counseling sessions.

Searching Scripture requires that we get into the Word of God to search out what He has to say about the topic.

Talk it Out permits us to cover FAQs that students may have. It also gives voice to questions and provide responses.

store.teenchallengeusa.org

Action Plans challenge the reader to set their own objectives – to apply the concept and connect with the Lord.

GET SET

Leaders Impacting the Church and Culture

Multiplication Through Delegation A C O N V E R S AT I O N W I T H R AY M O N D C A S T R O C H R I S C O LV I N nstead of scaling back in 2020, Iglesia La Mision Assembly of God in Nyack, New York, stepped up — increasing service options, growing attendance, and onboarding new leaders to keep ministry going throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was far from easy. The state of New

I

14 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

York had some of the strictest and earliest lockdowns, so the church halted in-person services in March.

Tragically, four members of the congregation died from COVID-19. Many others struggled financially amid layoffs.

“This whole pandemic was a nightmare,” says Raymond Castro, the church’s senior

pastor. “Our people were starving for connection. We didn’t want to stay away, but we had to.”

Castro has always been a proponent of empowering others for ministry. He believes the pastor’s job is to equip church members for works of service, just as Ephesians 4:11–13 teaches: So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Facing the extraordinary challenges of ministry during a global pandemic, Castro knew empowering members was the only way to keep the work of the church going.

“From the get-go, I explained that we all had to step up to the plate,” Castro says. “I can’t do it alone, and I won’t do it alone.”

When services went fully online, the church saw a jump in attendance. Before the pandemic, weekend services had brought in 200 attendees on average. By comparison, online gatherings were attracting more than 5,000 viewers. Over the 2020 Easter weekend, there were 11,000 people engaged — an all-time record.

Iglesia La Mision also ramped up discipleship efforts during this time. The transition to online meetings was difficult for some, but group leaders chose to focus on the possibilities rather than complain about what they couldn’t do.

“We had a person overseeing discipleship, and they made sure people were connecting every week,” Castro says. “The new people who were connecting online got involved in discipleship that way.”

As people engaged in small group meetings via Zoom, leaders were intentional about spiritual growth. As a result, the church continued to grow spiritually and numerically even while the building was shuttered.

This focus on discipleship was not just a reaction to the problems of the pandemic.

It has been a hallmark of the church for years. The mission of making disciples remained unchanged, even when the methods were in flux. It served as a rallying point for moving forward through a season of crisis and upheaval.

In late June, New York began lifting restrictions on religious gatherings. Iglesia La Mision could finally open for socially distanced, in-person meetings. In keeping with safety guidelines, the church limited attendance to 50% capacity.

Castro was unsure how many congregants would show up for church or how many visitors to expect. He knew two services would accommodate the pre-pandemic

Top right (from left): Pastors Elser Valenzuela, Raymond Castro, Wilfredo Ruballos, Leonel Garcia, and Luis Crespo.

Above (from left): Leonel Garcia (associate), Raquel Mazariego (assistant to Raymond Castro), Kimberly Luna (public relations), Claudia Hernandez (finances), and Raymond Castro.

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 15

“I don’t really think of myself as the one-and-all. I give room for other people to develop their calling and gift mix.”

Chris Colvin specializes in sermon research for pastors and churches. He lives in Springfield, Missouri.

16 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

crowd. Nevertheless, Castro and his ministry team took a leap of faith and relaunched with five in-person services.

However, Castro knew he couldn’t manage such an ambitious schedule on his own. He would need help with preaching and running the services.

“If I preach five services, I’m going to overextend myself,” Castro says. “We had to come up with a plan.”

The strategy materialized quickly. Each service would take place at the same worship center, and a crew would clean and sanitize between meetings. A different minister would lead each service, with a fresh worship team and support staff. That way, if any one team came in contact with the virus, it would not necessarily affect the other four service times.

The biggest question was where to find ministers to lead each of the four extra services. Iglesia La Mision does not have a large staff of pastors, but it does have a development path for leaders, something the church has worked on for years.

As part of their focus on church planting, Iglesia La Mision leaders have steadily invested in the lives of members who demonstrate a call to full-time ministry. That investment is part of the discipleship process.

Ultimately, the goal is to help these members become ordained ministers and lead their own congregations. In the meantime, they serve as leaders in the congregation — with the title of “local ministers.” Their responsibilities may include preaching, leading worship, overseeing Communion, and doing pastoral visitation.

“They work in our church for five years, and then they are ready to do work in fulltime ministry if they want to,” Castro says.

“They are pastors in training.”

Castro felt these local ministers were the right people to lead the extra services. After all, they were already trained and respected by the members.

“I don’t really think of myself as the

one-and-all,” Castro says. “I give room for other people to develop their calling and gift mix. I think that’s helped them because they see that I’m not insecure.”

To avoid overflowing attendance at any one service, Castro asked congregants who planned to attend in person to select a specific service time and sign up for it. He also made sure there was space for visitors in each service.

Although the congregants did not know who was preaching at the various services, they attended and found a fit, as well as a place to serve. Castro says it had nothing to do with personality and everything to do with the presence of God and love for one another.

“Thank God we have great teams,” Castro says. “This is definitely a lot of hands and a lot of commitment.”

Castro says that through this trying time, the people of Iglesia La Mision experienced what it means to look to God rather than at their limitations and difficulties. And Castro believes God has honored their faith.

Leaders didn’t know exactly what to expect when the church reopened. They weren’t sure whether people would return for in-person gatherings, much less enough people to justify five services. However, since the relaunch, in-person attendance has doubled, with more than 400 now showing up for weekend services.

There are new people in the seats — and new people accepting Christ as Savior and beginning the discipleship journey.

In addition, online services are still attracting a steady stream of attendees.

Castro says none of this would have been possible without a commitment to equip and empower people to do the work of ministry.

“Pastors need to trust their people and know that God uses lay leaders,” Castro says. “A lot of times, we wait for the perfect associate or perfect worship team, when God has already given us people He himself prepared.”

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

LEADERSHIP SELF

Dismantling Hurdles to Women in Leadership ME LI SSA J . A LFA R O

Four ways to promote positive change

18 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

ill everyone who has the qualifying credential and who is eligible to serve in this leadership position please stand?”

The atmosphere was still as the chairman’s petition echoed through the District Council assembly. As I surveyed the room, I noticed the people who slowly began to rise were the ones who always stood.

Few women were standing, although many were well-qualified to fill this district position, including myself. To stand or not to stand? Wrestling within myself, I sat there listing every reason why I shouldn’t budge.

As a full-time pastor, a wife, and a new mom, I felt conflicted over what taking on another obligation might mean for my family.

I wondered, Can I balance all these responsibilities? Am I willing to pay the price?

It felt like I was choosing between two callings and purposes — those of my home and the ministry.

I also considered the culture of the organization. I would be working within an old system and confronting antiquated paradigms.

Was I willing to put in twice the work only to be heard half the time?

Socialization, uneven expectations for women compared to men, internal insecurities, and a lack of confidence all made my mental list of reasons why I shouldn’t stand up.

As the list continued to grow, I remained seated. In that moment, I saw it as self-preservation. But looking back on that experience, I now see it as self-sabotage. I forfeited my potential to lead and perpetuated a culture in which hurdles for women persist.

The internal hurdles women face often

“W

arise from external hurdles society or systems have placed before them. We need to remove these hurdles if Pentecostal women are to step into the leadership roles God has opened for them. Here are four ways to start:

1. Model the Change

A disconnect often exists between our beliefs and practices. We preach, “Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. … Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days” (Joel 2:28–29; Acts 2:16–18). Yet we don’t always promote gender inclusivity in church leadership.

We need to highlight biblical stories of women leading confidently. We need to talk about the valuable contributions of women

— and not just on Mother’s Day. We need to inspire women and girls to see themselves as potential church leaders and instill in men the value and possibility of women in leadership.

We also need to model what we preach by providing opportunities for women to step into leadership positions. In the local church, perhaps that means promoting a female youth pastor to an executive pastor position or planting a church with a woman in the lead pastor role.

At a district/network level, it could mean opening up a position for a female executive presbyter. To truly create an inclusive culture, we must be willing to model the change we wish to see at every level of leadership.

2. Promote Partnerships

Throughout the Bible, we can find examples of God-honoring partnerships between men and women. Consider Moses and Miriam (Exodus 15:20), Deborah and Barak (Judges 4–5), Paul and Priscilla (Romans 16:3–4).

Yet women in our churches who are pursuing God’s call to ministry often have little support and limited access to mentoring from male leaders. We should be intentional about promoting partnerships between men and women that develop and empower females.

Shawn Andrews is an author and CEO dedicated to closing the leadership gender gap. She wrote, “We can overcome structural barriers with mentors and sponsors, but it’s important to understand the difference

To truly create an inclusive culture, we must be willing to model the change we wish to see at every level of leadership.

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 19

Male ministers can help facilitate change by empowering women to lead.

between the two. A mentor is a person who helps guide and advise someone to grow in their current position. A sponsor is a person who serves as someone’s advocate to help her move toward her next position.”

First, women need male mentors who will create spaces for them to gain firsthand experience, invite them into networking circles, and invest in their success.

Second, women need male mentors who will acclimate them once they step into leadership roles — coaching them, walking them through their new placements, and showing them how to lead in predominately male organizations.

Finally, women need male sponsors who will stretch their character and leadership skills — not just helping them arrive at leadership positions, but also equipping them for the long haul.

3. Level the Playing Field

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

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

20 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

A 2014 report from Pew Research Center said, “About four-in-ten Americans point to a double standard for women seeking to climb to the highest levels of either politics or business, where they have to do more than their male counterparts to prove themselves.”

Help level the playing field by clearly defining the expectations of leadership positions. Women are not merely making a decision to step up based on their qualifications, but they are also considering how a leadership role would fit into their family and life context.

Reevaluate social networking and traveling protocols. Sometimes, much of the dialogue that plays out in board meetings takes place first on the golf course or over lunch. This puts female colleagues who are not included at a disadvantage.

In addition, it is often easier for a man to get on an airplane or rush to an evening dinner after a long board meeting. Women are more likely to have childcare considerations.

Invite women leaders to join your team for lunch. Use family friendly venues, and host social networking events that would

not exclude women from participating.

When it comes to meetings, provide advance notice and consider the hybrid option of both in-person and virtual participation to accommodate the entire team.

4. Shatter the Stereotypes

We need to move past the stereotypes other women and the Church in general have about females in ministry. When I stepped into my first pastoral role, there was an unspoken expectation I would play the piano, lead worship, serve as a Sunday School teacher, lead the women’s ministry, or work in administration.

If hurdles persist long enough, people begin to accept them and adapt to them. We must be willing to do the hard work of overcoming hurdles in our congregations. Women need to see other females — single and married, young and old, with and without children — leading churches and ministries.

Just as it is important for women to create partnerships with male mentors, it is equally important for women to partner with one another. We need to see women across geographical, ethnic, and generational lines unite to coach, mentor, and encourage one another.

Through networking, women in ministry can share their experiences, triumphs, and struggles, and provide one another with understanding as together they step over hurdles and into leadership positions.

Male ministers can help facilitate change by empowering women to lead. They should seek to include women at every level of leadership, and train other male ministers to do the same.

Pastors should identify two or three emerging female leaders they can mentor or sponsor. Churches should examine their current systems and structures to see whether they are hindering or promoting women in leadership.

Together, we can dismantle hurdles and build bridges that reflect a healthy biblical image of men and women accomplishing God’s purposes.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

Xx

LEADERSHIP MARRIAGE & FAMILY

The Prodigal PK CHR I SSY TOLE DO

Hope and help for ministry families navigating a dark season

22 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

ne of the most difficult seasons in the lives of many ministers is when their children turn their backs on God. As a teenager, I was that wayward pastor’s daughter.

My childhood was filled with all the blessings of belonging to a family who sincerely loved Jesus and loved people. As the oldest daughter of Jim and Carol Cymbala, pastors of the Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York City, I loved my life and wouldn’t have changed anything about it. Everyone who knew me considered me a well-behaved girl. No one would have seen my crisis coming.

But as I entered adolescence, something took root inside me and began to grow. Satan

O

sowed seeds of doubt and rebellion in my young heart.

When I turned 18, with no significant warning, I became the daughter my parents didn’t know anymore.

It started with my expulsion from Bible college. Then my parents discovered I had been concealing a pregnancy.

Our home went from being a place filled with joy and peace to a place of tears and desperate pleading, as my mom and dad tried everything possible to get through to me. I had become a compulsive liar, squirming under any sense of truth.

I remember my dad saying, “You’re not the first girl in the church who’s gotten pregnant.

Your pregnancy is not the problem. The problem is, you won’t let us help you. We can’t help you when you lie to us.”

My parents didn’t have the luxury of taking a sabbatical during those years. Their

church had grown to include four powerful Sunday services, a world-renowned choir, and a packed weekly prayer gathering that was touching the world. Their ministry responsibilities were only getting greater.

Sunday after Sunday, Dad sat in his office crying, wondering where I was and whether I was OK, right before stepping into the pulpit to preach.

The 150-voice choir came each week to practice with their director, my mom. They anticipated rehearsals filled with energy and joy — the kind they were used to.

People fought through New York City after work to get to the prayer meeting each Tuesday night, many of them facing heart-wrenching personal circumstances. They came desperate for someone to lead them to the throne of grace.

My parents had to leave their feelings outside before walking into the church. Many who came week after week weren’t aware of

the pain they were enduring.

But God knew. At a Tuesday night prayer meeting in January, with more than 1,000 people gathered, someone handed my dad a note that read, “Tonight is Chrissy’s night.” Dad knew he was supposed to share it with the people, and when he did, the church began to cry out to God. They lifted up my name with such intensity that a participant later described it as a “labor room” of prayer.

Meanwhile, I was at home, getting my daughter settled into her crib. While lying in bed that night, I saw a shadowy form enter the room. Then I saw a second figure, one that was beautiful and bright. It felt like a dream, but I knew I was very much awake.

The dark figure pointed at me and spoke to the luminous figure, saying, “I have her life.”

The dark figure’s next words were chilling.

“And now, she’s mine too,” it said, gesturing toward my child.

When I turned 18, with no significant warning, I became the daughter my parents didn’t know anymore.

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 23

God wants to use your faith and tenacity in prayer — not only to give birth to a breakthrough in your child’s life, but also to infuse faith in others to trust in the power of God.

I woke up the next morning knowing something had changed. It felt as though the heavy, oppressive weight I had lived under for years had lifted from me while I slept. I felt light and joyful. My first inclination was to pray — something I hadn’t done in a long time.

My prayer was humble and sincere as I cried out to God. I asked Him to come and change me and help me turn from the way I had been living. Little did I know a breakthrough had already happened the night before when God’s people were praying for me. I believe a spiritual battle took place — and Jesus set me free.

My story has become a testimony to many that God answers prayer. Today, I’m a wife, and a mother of three married children, all of whom are serving the Lord. God has even blessed me with grandchildren. The Lord has been incredibly merciful and faithful over the years, as I have served Him alongside my husband in ministry.

My husband, Al, and I have witnessed many redemptive miracles like the one I experienced. We’ve learned that prayer is the lifeline of our church, Chicago Tabernacle (AG). Many come carrying the great burdens of lost loved ones, believing God for breakthroughs in the lives of a spouse, child or grandchild.

Over the years, Christian leaders have asked me, “How do I navigate this dark season of having a broken heart while doing ministry? How do I stand before people in the midst of shame and condemnation that comes with having a wayward child?”

Here are two things I tell them:

Gain Perspective Chrissy Toledo is a writer, speaker and pastor’s wife. She and her husband, Al, pioneered and lead an inner-city church, Chicago Tabernacle (AG). Chrissy’s full testimony is captured in her book, Girl in the Song.

24 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

It’s important to remember that your kids are people too, and they have to resist the enemy just like every other Christian does.

Our kids aren’t immune to the attacks and suggestions that come from the kingdom of darkness. Your child is on his or her own faith journey.

Realizing you are not responsible for your children’s decisions frees you to trust God to do what only He can do. Let yourself off the hook. Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy,

but Jesus came to give us life to the fullest (John 10:10).

Choose to reject the guilt trip that Satan tries to take you on. Then put the responsibility for your child’s deliverance into the hands of our mighty God. Then you’ll begin to pray with new confidence (Hebrews 11:1).

Seek God

There was a time when one of our children was straying from the faith and listening to the wrong voices. One day, while I was reading the Bible and praying, the Lord spoke to my heart and said, “If you worry, then I’m not faithful.”

For Al and me, that word became an anchor and the war cry of our hearts. It helped us resist condemnation and fearful thoughts.

And I can testify with great joy that this child is serving the Lord today.

Every situation is different. If you have a wayward child, ask God to lead, guide and strengthen you. He will give wisdom to those who ask (James 1:5).

There’s no shame in being in a battle.

In fact, your faith in a difficult season can increase the power of your ministry. My parents chose not to give in to discouragement, and their resolve was an inspiration to many.

God wants to use your faith and tenacity in prayer — not only to give birth to a breakthrough in your child’s life, but also to infuse faith in others to trust in the power of God. When God’s people cried out to Him to rescue me, God had it in His heart to do even more. It reminds me of the words of the apostle Paul in Ephesians 3:20–21: Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!

Regardless of what is happening in your child’s life, rejoice before you see the miracle. This kind of faith is precious to God. He will respond, and do even greater things than you ask.

LEADERSHIP PRACTICE

A Pipeline for Diverse Leadership DARNELL K. WILLIAMS SR.

How churches can build an inclusive team 26 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

he winds of change are blowing around us. During the past year, we’ve experienced racial unrest, political division, financial uncertainty, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

T

The events of 2020 will continue to shape our world in the new year and beyond. But there are other changes happening as well — developments that are far less noisy but no less impactful. Among them are the racial and ethnic shift our nation is making toward a majority-less society.

In 2019, 40% of Americans identified as a race or ethnicity other than “white alone, not Hispanic or Latino,” according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That share will increase to more than 50% by 2044, the Census Bureau

projects. Our nation is experiencing an increase in diversity that will continue to climb.

This trend is reflected in the Assemblies of God USA, with non-white adherents making up 44% of our Fellowship.

How do we capitalize on this moment with proactive initiatives that glorify the Lord? As an African American leading a diverse congregation, I recognize the opportunity before us. But it’s not just an opportunity for some of us. It’s an opportunity for the entire Church to pursue Christ’s vision of preaching the good news to all nations (Mark 13:10).

Granted, not all communities are seeing the impact of this shift. But those of us who are in a diverse setting have a responsibility to serve and represent all our neighbors.

We need to create systems for raising up, retaining, and releasing ethnically and racially diverse leaders in the local church.

We need to recognize those with leadership capacity and give them places to serve.

I can attest to the life-giving power of this.

Others in leadership have affirmed my calling and value by creating space for me to be seen and heard, and by investing in my learning and growth.

Some leaders struggle with the tension of intentionality versus tokenism. They fear being more inclusive means creating a quota system that is all about box checking. But that mindset suggests diversity and competence are mutually exclusive, which is certainly not the case.

When Brooklyn Dodgers President and General Manager Branch Rickey desegregated Major League Baseball, he chose to bring in Jack “Jackie” Roosevelt Robinson.

Robinson was black and a great player. He helped the Dodgers capture six pennants and win the 1955 World Series. In 1962, Robinson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Recruiting diverse leadership is a matter of promoting biblical justice and identifying quality people who might not get a chance to lead unless you open the door for them.

Here are four ways to create a diverse leadership pipeline in your church:

1. Reflection

Reflection can be a powerful process. A great place to begin is with the question, “Why?” Why am I motivated to raise up diverse leaders? Am I upholding a biblical value, or am I just giving a nod to environmental pressures? Am I responding to cultural trends or Kingdom priorities? Is this a fleeting moment of conviction or a challenge toward a new mission?

Reflection brings clarity and releases passion for the journey ahead. I went through this process with the last staff pastor position we filled. As I reflected on the ideal candidate, I considered who was missing from our team in terms of diversity.

I recognized that a younger leader would add value. I saw we also could benefit from someone white or Hispanic. This process proved invaluable because it opened my heart to gaps I might not have previously considered.

Others in leadership have affirmed my calling and value by creating space for me to be seen and heard, and by investing in my learning and growth.

2. Vision

As you formulate a vision of investing in diverse leaders, begin to dream, with pen on paper, about the future. A clear vision can shape values, define where to invest your energy, and keep you on task during times of testing.

Our church developed a written statement that captures our vision for diversity. It speaks to how we fulfill the five attributes of the New Testament Church: worship, fellowship, discipleship, service and outreach.

We cast a vision around the value of our multiethnic identity as a local congregation in this declaration: We dream of a place where the love of Christ is made known within the local church and the greater community. A place where people, regardless of their gender, race, income, ethnicity, or age, can be a part of the Lord’s work that is happening at One Church, Lima.

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 27

I took a moment to process these emotions with him and shared why this move was a good thing. Acknowledging what he was feeling and talking together about the new place God was taking us helped him deal with the transition.

Similarly, increasing your church’s commitment to diversity may make some people uncomfortable. Work through those issues with love and grace, take steps toward creating a more inclusive culture, and move forward together.

Today’s church leaders need to model an awareness of our times. And those who can formulate a plan of action should do so.

4. Development Keeping this statement before our congregation has helped maintain our vision for diversity vibrant and fresh.

3. Culture

Darnell K. Williams Sr., D.Min., is lead pastor of One Church (formerly New Life Church International) in Lima, Ohio, and an Assemblies of God executive presbyter.

28 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

We can do all the right things, for all the right reasons, with all the right motives, and still not make a lasting difference. That’s where culture comes in.

The reality is, sometimes vision and culture collide. If we take a strong vision and immerse it in an unhealthy culture, that culture will stifle and suffocate the vision. As author Sam Chand says, “Culture eats vision for lunch.”

If the culture cannot sustain the vision, then go to work on the culture. The folks we lead may not struggle with change as much as they struggle with the transitions the change brings. Help people deal with the emotional, financial, psychological and relational impact of the change so they can manage the new reality.

We recently built a new facility, and while most congregants were excited about it, I noticed some were struggling with the idea.

One young man in his 20s said about the former facility, “Pastor, I love this building! I love the memories and relationships I built in youth ministry. I’m away at college, and part of coming home is coming to worship in this building. I don’t know how I’ll handle never worshipping here again.”

In Multiplying Missional Leaders, Mike Breen suggests four steps for developing leaders: recruiting, training, deploying, and reviewing.

Recruiting involves finding and onboarding qualified candidates for leadership. Build relationships with influencers who can help you identify diverse leaders. Your network could include local pastors, ministers from other areas, educators, and marketplace leaders.

Training means taking the time to provide new leaders with the necessary tools to be successful. Follow this with an ongoing investment in their personal growth.

Deploying leaders is all about releasing them to serve and giving them grace to make mistakes.

Reviewing is a matter of following up on progress at regular intervals. Continued engagement, involvement and communication can go a long way toward helping your diverse leaders feel safe and valued.

In Scripture, the tribe of Issachar “understood the times and knew what Israel should do” (1 Chronicles 12:32). Likewise, today’s church leaders need to model an awareness of our times. And those who can formulate a plan of action should do so.

God calls us to recognize where the Lord is working and join in with Him. May we seek to lead our churches to become what Jesus envisioned in Mark 11:17: “a house of prayer for all nations.”

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Personal Evangelism, Jesus Style ST E P H E N BLA N DI N O

Ten lessons from the Gospels

30 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

uring World War II, Desmond Doss joined the military and trained as a medic. But what set Doss apart was his refusal to carry a weapon. It was a personal religious conviction, and despite the ridicule he received from other soldiers, Doss wouldn’t waiver in his stance.

That conviction was tested in April 1945, when Doss and his fellow soldiers fought the Battle of Okinawa. To win, they would have to

D

gain a Japanese stronghold on top of Hacksaw Ridge, a 400-foot cliff.

The fighting grew fierce. The bodies of the fallen were strewn across the field. Many soldiers were badly wounded. Ignoring his battalion order to retreat, Doss courageously ran into the kill zone — without a weapon. He carried a soldier to the edge of the cliff, and with a makeshift rope gurney, lowered him to safety.

Over the next 12 hours, Doss kept returning to rescue more soldiers. When the battle was

over, he had saved 75 men. Doss received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his actions, When someone later asked Doss how he found the strength to continue this 12-hour mission, his answer was simple but profound.

Each time, Doss prayed, “Lord, just help me get one more.”

As church leaders, we are engaged in the mission of Jesus to save the spiritually lost.

We are also responsible for equipping other leaders to do the same. Simply put, we have a responsibility to model the way and inspire the way. We must model personal evangelism, and we must inspire and equip others to do the same.

Here are 10 essential elements for effective evangelism: 1. The Spirit: Walk in His power. After 40 days of fasting and praying in the wilderness, “Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit” (Luke 4:14). At that moment, Jesus began His ministry.

Similarly, Jesus told His disciples, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

We must help our congregations understand the Holy Spirit as an indispensable partner in the fulfillment of the Great Commission.

2. Compassion: Be moved by the need. The spirit of evangelism requires a spirit of compassion. If you don’t see the need, you won’t be moved to do anything about it. Matthew 9:36 says that when Jesus saw the crowds, “he had compassion on them.”

We too should model compassion to the lost and hurting, and prioritize compassionate ministry through our churches.

3. Prayer: Focus on the spiritually lost.

Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9:37–38).

Our prayers are often confined to personal needs and the church’s biggest challenges.

These words of Jesus remind us to pray for

those who are spiritually lost, and to focus on the gospel mission.

4. Opportunity: Move past the barriers.

Jesus wasn’t afraid to reach people others saw as unreachable. That’s exactly what He did in John 4. Jesus went through Samaria, a region Jews normally avoided. And He spoke to a Samaritan woman, which was culturally forbidden.

Where others saw barriers and cultural divides, Jesus saw an opportunity to share the gospel. We can follow Jesus’ example by taking the good news to people and places others overlook.

5. Connection: Do unto others. Too often in evangelism we focus on correcting people rather than connecting with them. Jesus addressed the tendency to correct when He said, “Do not judge” (Matthew 7:1). Then Jesus gave us the ultimate key to connecting: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12).

The Golden Rule set the tone for connecting with people. It’s also the foundational principle for sharing the gospel with credibility.

Let’s emphasize connecting with lost people over correcting them, and encourage our church members to do the same.

6. Salt: Become a preserver. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth” (Matthew 5:13).

Salt preserves, adds flavor, and creates thirst.

Each quality should mark our lives as leaders.

We are preservers in society when helping prevent moral decay. We add flavor to our world by meeting needs, solving problems, and demonstrating Christ’s love. And we create thirst for righteousness in others when our lives reflect the peace, hope and joy of the Lord.

God calls us to be salt in this world, and to equip our congregations to do the same.

7. Light: Share hope. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14).

Light isn’t something you keep to yourself.

Neither is the gospel. Our job isn’t to change hearts, but to share the light of God’s truth.

Where others saw barriers and cultural divides, Jesus saw an opportunity to share the gospel.

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 31

Life-changing moments often come in the form of interruptions.

Don’t overlook the chance to point people to the truth of the gospel.

Stephen Blandino is lead pastor of 7 City Church in Fort Worth, Texas (7CityChurch.com). He is the author of several books, including Do Good Works, Creating Your Church’s Culture, and GO! Starting a Personal Growth Revolution.

32 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

We should pray regularly for people who don’t know Christ and invest in genuine relationships with them. As we do, they may become curious about our faith and engage in spiritual conversations. When this happens, it’s a great opportunity to invite people to church or to follow Jesus.

God is looking for leaders who are willing to move beyond the walls of the church to be light to hurting people in dark places.

8. House: Find your platform. After Jesus described His followers as “salt” and “light,” He said, “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house” (Matthew 5:15).

Your “house” might be your job, community, kids’ soccer team, or the school board.

God has called you to be salt and light in your “house”— in the place and with the people where He has given you influence.

Ministry leaders have the privilege of helping people identify their “house” where God has given them influence so they can be on mission with Jesus.

9. Interruptions: Make them count. Interruptions can be opportunities for the gospel to show up in unexpected places at unexpected times. Jesus paid attention to these “divine interruptions,” such as when a synagogue leader named Jairus interrupted Him with a request to come to his house and heal his daughter (Mark 5:23).

As Jesus went with Jairus, another interruption occurred when a woman who had been suffering from a physical condition for 12 years touched Jesus and experienced healing. Jesus stopped, waited for the woman to identify herself, and then spoke words of life to her (Mark 5:30–34).

Afterward, Jesus continued with Jairus to heal his daughter. Jesus wasn’t aggravated by these interruptions; instead, He turned them into ministry moments.

Life-changing moments often come in the form of interruptions. Don’t overlook the chance to point people to the truth of the gospel.

10. Willingness: Embrace the journey.

Jesus said to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). The word “go” is better interpreted as “in your going.” In other words, “go” is not a destination, but rather an evangelism posture.

In your going — whether you’re going to work, school, the grocery store, or a business meeting — be about the mission of Jesus.

The Great Commission is for all believers.

We must communicate the urgency of this evangelistic call to the people we lead.

These 10 principles will help leaders in your church embrace and cultivate a habit of personal evangelism. Furthermore, these principles will equip leaders to be on mission with Jesus as they present the hope of the gospel to a hurting world.

Each of these elements will help you model personal evangelism as a leader. But we’ve taken it a step further. In this issue’s edition of Make It Count, we’ve turned these principles into 10 leadership lessons you can use to equip the leaders in your congregation and cultivate a stronger evangelism culture. Find these downloadable lessons (in English and Spanish) at influencemagazine.com/Downloads.

SPEED OF UNITY

ROB KETTERLING FOREWORD BY JOHN MAXWELL

SPEED OF AGREEMENT

Finding agreement allows teams to work toward goals together, but this speed isn't fast enough.

SPEED OF VISION

Vision creates focus, which accelerates a team but also causes tension. This speed is fast, but comes at a cost.

SPEED OF UNITY

The highest speed!

The vision is known and trust is abundant. At this speed, nothing is impossible!

ORDER YOUR COPY TODAY:

SPEEDOFUNITY.COM

d s d t s a l d e , n

s w

LEADERSHIP ETHICS

The Ethics of Pastoring Online J OH N DAVI DSON

Technology is a wonderful tool, but we should not embrace it uncritically.

34 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

mid COVID-19 restrictions, most pastors became televangelists. We took our preaching and teaching online in some form or fashion in an attempt to keep communicating the gospel and connecting with the people of our churches.

Pastors quickly reported high online viewership, often much higher than their

A

pre-COVID attendance. I celebrate that many people tuned in, heard the message, and responded by putting their faith in Jesus.

Despite the difficulties of the pandemic, many will look back on this season as the time Jesus radically transformed their lives. And for that, all of heaven celebrates.

On the other hand, we also know COVID accelerated the trends of people shifting from in-person to online church attendance and visiting multiple churches online.

We used to call people who frequently attended different churches “church hoppers.� The idea and the phrase carried negative connotations in church circles. But

now, it seems virtual church hopping, and virtual attendance in general, are becoming commonplace.

Early in the pandemic, a Barna Group survey of practicing Christians who had attended church at least once a month found the following: • 35% were still only attending their preCOVID church (in person or online) • 32% stopped attending completely (both in person and online) in the weeks following the pandemic outbreak • 14% switched churches • 18% began attending multiple churches online Two-thirds of regular churchgoers radically changed their attendance patterns during the pandemic. That’s a really big deal, and it’s impossible at this point to know the long-term implications of this shift. But it does raise a few ethical questions ministers need to answer.

These questions strike at the very heart of what it means to be a pastor.

1. Is pastoring a church the same as simply streaming sermons online? To answer this, we need to answer another question: What is a pastor? Biblically, a pastor is a shepherd to the people of the local church and community.

First Peter 5:2–3 says, “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them — not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”

Likewise, Paul told church elders in Acts 20:28, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.”

Shepherding in these passages implies more than just feeding the flock; it also encompasses all other activity required to sustain, protect, and care for them. We must consider whether we can do these things adequately with an online audience.

2. Is simply watching a church’s online

service the same as being a part of that congregation? To answer this, we need to think about what it really means to be part of a church. Some critical components include being in covenant relationship with others, serving, tithing, and having someone to call in a crisis or pray with during times of illness.

Membership in a local body of believers is an ambiguous concept when there’s no personal connection, and when that congregation is not truly local.

3. Should you attempt to pastor viewers who attend another church? The increase in practicing Christians who now attend multiple churches online should cause us to ask what responsibility we have to them and their other pastors.

We need to start by defining our online audience. That means knowing as much as possible about who is logging on — where they live, their spiritual background, and whether they’re new to faith, new to church attendance in general, or simply new to our church.

Additionally, we need to discern whether these individuals consider themselves part of our church online or just casual viewers who actually attend and participate with a different church.

Knowing who is watching informs how we interact with them. We should encourage those who attend another church to be faithful to their local body.

The pastor, in biblical terminology, is a keeper of the flock. The very language and metaphor assume boundaries. Just as one shepherd does not ordinarily tend another’s flock, one pastor should not tend another’s congregation.

You cannot control who watches your service online. But you can take action with things you can control. You can control what you say, the culture you create, and the expectations you set. When you encourage believers to be faithful to their local church, you honor congregations and pastors and promote unity in the Church.

4. What responsibilities do the church body and the church attender have to one another?

The increase in practicing Christians who now attend multiple churches online should cause us to ask what responsibility we have to them and their other pastors.

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 35

Xx

It is possible for the breadth of our ministry reach to outgrow our ability to provide spiritual care.

John Davidson, Ph.D., is director of leadership development for The General Council of the Assemblies of God in Springfield, Missouri.

36 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

Pastors should help people understand what a church is supposed to be. That includes talking about and modeling the church community’s responsibility to them and their responsibility to the church community.

The way we do church should never send a message that contradicts Scripture. And we should not promote models of ministry that compromise the long-term effectiveness of the Church.

Our discipleship — online and in person — should include teaching about church and individual responsibilities.

The local church has a responsibility to offer congregants care, biblical teaching, spiritual leadership, prayer, edification, discipleship, and opportunities for worship, fellowship, and participation in church ordinances.

Congregants have a responsibility to pray and care for one another, give tithes and offerings, serve, support and love their spiritual leaders, and bring people to Jesus and integrate them into the church family.

These are not unimportant issues. Yet they can get fuzzy at best, or totally lost at worst, in a situation where people attend online and are only loosely connected to a local church.

Conclusion

Nearly a full year removed from the onset of

the COVID-19 pandemic, pastors are still asking, “Where is my congregation? Who is my congregation? Will my people come back? Have they, or will they, start attending another church online or in person?

Will they continue to attend my church, but only online? Or will they stop attending church altogether?”

Technology gives us the ability to scale up the communication and presentation of the gospel message quickly, but we have more work to do to see how — or whether — technology can allow us to scale up the other equally important aspects of church.

As pastors, we must be aware that it is possible for the breadth of our ministry reach to outgrow our ability to provide spiritual care. It is possible for our charisma, growth strategies, evangelism strengths, and, yes, technology, to carry our message to audiences who do not have access to our discipleship processes.

Technology is a wonderful tool, but we should not embrace it uncritically. Ministers have an ethical responsibility to be aware of the potential ripple effects of its usage, take steps to mitigate the negative side effects while leveraging the benefits, and faithfully execute the biblical mandate to shepherd God’s flock.

REVIEWS

Selected Book Reviews

Dealing With the Devil G E O R G E P. W O O D n The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis wrote, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.”

Gary Tyra carefully avoids both errors in The Dark Side of Discipleship. He offers a realistic but not sensationalistic perspective on how Christians should “deal with the devil” as they pursue “spiritual, moral, and missional faithfulness” to Jesus Christ.

Tyra is professor of biblical and practical theology at Vanguard University of Southern California and an ordained Assemblies of God minister.

I

Books reviewed by

George P. Wood, executive editor of Influence magazine.

38 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

He divides The Dark Side into four parts: Part One examines “the devil’s reality, origin, nature, and deal (what he’s about).” In conversation with contemporary scholarship, Tyra affirms the traditional view that the devil is a fallen angel. Citing Scripture, he shows that the devil’s “primary goal is to keep human beings from entering into, and then enduring in, a restored, intimate, interactive, life-story-shaping, fruit-bearing relationship with their creator.”

In Part Two, Tyra identifies four strategies the devil uses to achieve his goal: seduction, deception, alienation, and temptation. The devil directs these strategies against “the four cardinal components of the Christian life”: worship, nurture (i.e., teaching), community, and mission, respectively.

Tyra’s emphasis on missional faithfulness is especially helpful. Too often, church discipleship efforts are inward-focused, but following Jesus requires an outward focus, too.

After all, as Tyra summarizes the matter, Jesus’ mission was twofold: “revelation and redemption.” He came to show humanity “who God truly is and what he’s really about.”

More than knowledge, however, Christ came to effect a restored relationship between “fallen, sinful humankind (and all creation) to its Creator.”

Christ now sends the Church into the world with this redemptive message. A failure of mission, then, reflects a failure of discipleship. To follow Jesus, disciples must follow Him to the lost whom He came to save.

In Part Three, Tyra outlines seven “spiritual warfare moves” to resist the devil’s strategies. Spiritual warfare is a hot topic in Pentecostal and charismatic circles these days. Unfortunately, some spiritual warriors exhibit the excessive interest Lewis described — going well beyond biblical revelation and into the region of human imagination. By contrast, Tyra hews closely to key biblical texts, especially Ephesians 6:10–20, highlighting their “pneumatologically real” aspects.

Pneumatological realism — which Tyra

RECOMMENDED READING FOR LEADERS

By Influence Magazine explores at length in a previous book, Getting Real — “insists that, rather than conceive of the Holy Spirit as a philosophical concept or impersonal force that is simply presumed to be at work in believers’ lives, he can and should be known and interacted with in ways that are personal, phenomenal, and life-story-shaping.”

For Tyra, Christians deal with the devil most effectively by drawing ever closer to Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Finally, in Part Four, Tyra turns to an apologetic question: Given the devil’s destructive goals, why does an all-knowing, all-powerful, completely good God allow him to operate?

Philosophers refer to questions such as this as “the problem of evil.”

Interacting with open-theist theologians particularly, Tyra advances “a biblically informed theodicy that retains the emphasis [open theists] place on the relational nature of God, but doesn’t require a revised understanding of his foreknowledge.” Moreover, he believes this theodicy “encourages an enthusiastic participation in what the Bible portrays as God’s defeat of Satan.”

That defeat is God’s final word about the dark side of discipleship. In this life, we cultivate what Tyra calls a “lifestyle spirituality” of spiritual, moral, and missional faithfulness to Christ through an ongoing experience of the Holy Spirit. All the while, whatever difficulties we encounter, we retain hope because we believe the truth of Paul’s words: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Romans 16:20).

I recommend The Dark Side of Discipleship to church leaders and church members. It offers a faithful, Pentecostal perspective on a controversial topic. Reflection questions at the end of each chapter make it ideal for use by small groups and book clubs.

BOOK REVIEWED Gary Tyra, The Dark Side of Discipleship: Why and How the New Testament Encourages Christians to Deal with the Devil (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2020).

WIN THE DAY Mark Batterson (Multnomah) “Almost anybody can accomplish anything if they work at it long enough, hard enough, and smart enough,” writes Mark Batterson. In Win the Day, he identifies seven “daily habits” that will help readers “stress less and accomplish more.” Written with Batterson’s trademark combination of biblical insight, historical and scientific anecdotes, and practical application, this book will get your 2021 off to a good start. Today is the best time to start planning and working for a new year that will be better than the old one.

HARNESSING THE POWER OF TENSION Samuel R. Chand (Whitaker House) Sam Chand argues that “tension is both inevitable and, at least in many cases, desirable in life and leadership.”

If this argument seems counterintuitive to you, Harnessing the Power of Tension is a must read. Rather than avoiding tension, Chand counsels leaders to lean into it and experience the synergy that results from balancing competing interests and concerns. Leaning into tension doesn’t mean allowing destructive conflict, however. Properly managed, tension leads to greater creativity, teamwork and productivity, whether in the home, marketplace or church.

FUTURE CHURCH Will Mancini and Cory Hartman (Baker Books) “Faking disciples” is “the primary problem of every church today,” write Will Mancini and Cory Hartman.

Too many church members are “overprogrammed and underdiscipled.”

Instead, they need to become “emotionally attached to a sense of purpose beyond place, personalities, people, and programs,” a purpose shaped by the gospel itself. To help local congregations do that, Future Church articulates “seven laws of organized disciple making for real church growth.” This is a thought-provoking book to read as your church leadership team begins planning for 2021.

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 39

Spirit-Filled Trailblazers An interview with Dean Merrill Dean Merrill is the author, co-author, or editor of more than 30 books. His newest is 50 Pentecostal and Charismatic Leaders Every Christian Should Know (Chosen Books), forthcoming in March. Merrill recently talked with Influence Executive Editor George P. Wood about the lessons learned from these Spirit-filled trailblazers.

“‘These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come’ (1 Corinthians 10:11).

The same can be said about our more recent spiritual trailblazers.”

WOOD: Why should pastors read biographies?

MERRILL: Don’t think only of big, thick, 350page biographies. For many people in my book, those full-scale treatments haven’t been written yet, and may never be. But I did a page count of how much of the Book that God wrote (the Bible) is narrative/biographical, and it came to 41%. God apparently thought such material was worthwhile to teach us about courage, priorities, sin, the value of wise counsel, what prayer actually accomplishes, and other topics.

“These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come” (1 Corinthians 10:11). The same can be said about our more recent spiritual trailblazers.

The past year was difficult. What do your sketches teach about suffering and hope?

Read about John G. Lake’s wife collapsing (probably of malnutrition) within 10 months of arriving on the mission field; Dennis Bennett getting railroaded out of his elite Episcopal church soon after he told of his Spirit baptism; Jack Hayford wishing he could leave his tiny, struggling Foursquare congregation in Van Nuys, California, but hearing the Spirit say, “Stay”; and Reinhard Bonnke

40 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

having to shut down a campaign in northern Nigeria when hostile Muslims started burning Christian churches. The point: Spirit-commissioned work has never been a cakewalk.

Racial justice is an important topic.

What light does Pentecostal history shed on this?

We got off to a terrific start at the Azusa Street Mission, notwithstanding the Jim Crow laws of that era. At the mission, all races sought the Spirit’s empowerment shoulder to shoulder. Visitors from the South and elsewhere were amazed. To quote eyewitness

Frank Bartleman’s famous line, “The color line was washed away in the Blood.”

Unfortunately, it didn’t last. By the 1920s, the heirs of Azusa Street were gradually segregating into separate fellowships. Some tried to excuse this on doctrinal grounds, but that doesn’t really tell the whole story. The chasm persisted all the way until the “Memphis Miracle” of 1994, which spawned the new multiracial Pentecostal /Charismatic Churches of North America. That’s a great story in my book, too.

What role have women played in Pentecostalism? What challenges did they face?

My very first profile is on Maria Woodworth-Etter. God used her mightily in healing campaigns. She was present at the historic 1914 organizing council (Hot Springs, Arkansas) of the Assemblies of God — although she wrote that some of the men in charge were careful not to give her “too much authority.” Nevertheless, a later AG historian (Carl Brumback) honored [Etter] by writing, “She looked just like your grandmother, but … exercised tremendous spiritual authority over sin, disease, and demons.”

My book of 50 profiles highlights 13 women — some for their solo ministries (Aimee Semple McPherson, Agnes Sanford, Kathryn Kuhlman), and others for what they did — or are still doing — alongside their husbands (Freda Lindsay, Judith MacNutt, Julie Ma, etc.).

Some say Pentecostalism came from “the wrong side of the tracks.” How has that shaped Pentecostalism?

It’s true. First Corinthians 1 says not many converts in Corinth were influential, not many of noble birth. “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise” (verse 27).

I remember as a teenager growing up in an AG church how on Sunday nights we’d sometimes add a verse to the song, “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus,” grinning as we belted out,

“Though they call me a ‘holy roller,’ I won’t turn back, I won’t turn back.”

But in these more recent years, many of us have gotten more upscale, more polished, more “respectable.” The danger now for us Pentecostals is sacrificing our distinctives in order to keep membership in what I call “the evangelical club.”

“The danger now for us Pentecostals is sacrificing our distinctives in order to keep membership in what I call ‘the evangelical club.’ ”

How should we assess the flaws of our spiritual heroes?

Jamie Buckingham had a great line on this.

(His moral failure early in his pastoral ministry just about torpedoed him, leading only later to his “second career” in Christian writing.) He wrote in a 1980 book, “Perfection still eludes me. I am still vulnerable. But most important, I am no longer satisfied with my imperfection. Nor, thank God, am I intimidated by it. I have reached the point of recognizing that God uses imperfect, immoral, dishonest people. In fact, that’s all there are these days. All the holy men seem to have gone off and died. There’s no one left but us sinners to carry on the ministry.”

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 41

Perfect Time for Bible Engagement HEADRICK HUNKIN

A pastor reviews the Bible Engagement Project

Headrick Hunkin is senior pastor of Lighthouse Outreach Center (AG) in Waipahu, Hawaii.

42 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

pandemic turned out to be the perfect time to launch Bible Engagement Project at my church, Lighthouse Outreach Center (Assembly of God) in Waipahu, Hawaii. This curriculum became a powerful resource for our people as we transitioned ministry online in 2020.

Since last August, I have encouraged my congregants to use the app-based curriculum for family devotions at home. The app has lessons for all ages. Families can come together whenever it is convenient to have devotions.

Some of our families have told me the app helped them discover things they never knew about the Bible. Others have commented on how relevant the Bible lessons are to their everyday lives. They’re seeing biblical truths unfolding in current events.

I am a firm believer in the transformative power of family. The Church of today is birthed in the family, and that’s where we need the Holy Spirit to guide and direct us more than ever.

I invest in family discipleship for our ministerial team, too. In fact, I reminded our leaders to pastor their families while we were

A

meeting online. Bible Engagement Project made that task easier.

From the outset, I have instituted this in my own family as well, and I can attest firsthand to the power of family devotions in my multigenerational setting. Instead of just teaching my family from behind a pulpit, I’m now sitting at my dining room table, leading them through the weekly devotions.

We have a wide range of ages in our family. Children, teenagers and adults all show interest in the lessons, asking questions that lead to great discussions and teaching opportunities.

There is simply nothing like studying the Bible as a family. Bible Engagement Project has helped usher in moments in which we encounter the presence of God together.

What initially motivated me to subscribe were the statistics from Barna Group about the lack of biblical literacy among Christians, including those in our own Fellowship. This AG-commissioned study found that fewer than one-quarter of practicing Christians display high levels of Bible engagement.

The curriculum Bible Engagement Project offers has been a blessing — not only to Lighthouse Outreach Center, but also to me personally. It has challenged and encouraged me to spend more time in Scripture and in God’s presence. I truly believe that is where we will find the answers to the problems we face today.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

p a s to r ing a ft e r c o vi d a

44 | Influence

small church perspective on what comes next

JAN-MAR 2021

Four principles to help the entire congregation — pastors, team leaders and church members — get ready for the next season of ministry.

KA RL VAT E RS

A

s a third-generation Assemblies of God pastor, I’ve had a lifetime of wonderful experiences in church services.

This past year, I had another big one. It happened during our first Sunday service back in our church building after the pandemic had caused us to go online-only for six Sundays.

It’s a moment I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

Where I live, in California, the initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic happened quickly. One Sunday we were having in-person church as usual. We’d heard just enough about this strange new virus that we made a lighthearted reference to greeting one another with fist bumps and air hugs instead of handshakes and real hugs.

Then everything changed. Within a couple of days, church buildings, restaurants, sports stadiums, theaters, concert halls, and more closed. Most office buildings went silent as everyone but emergency personnel were required to work from home.

Like thousands of other churches, we had just a couple of days to figure out how to put our Sunday service online. For churches that already had a livestream option, this was challenging but doable. For smaller churches like ours that didn’t previously offer online services, the task felt insurmountable.

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 45

the past few months have been a constant reminder of two simultaneous truths: we don’t know what’s coming next. god does.

Thankfully, we have a few amazing volunteers who figured it out quickly. They designed a high-quality and wonderfully intimate online worship service by recording everything in advance. Then we watched it from our homes on Sunday morning via YouTube premieres, along with the rest of the congregation.

Finally, California opened up enough that we could gather again inside our church building, following standards of distancing, masking and cleaning.

That first morning back at Cornerstone Christian Fellowship (AG), the sense of joy and fellowship was overwhelming. As the band started to lead us in worship, I nearly broke down in tears. My reaction shocked me.

At first, I tried to stop it. Then I gave in to the moment.

Here we were, for the first time in almost two months, sitting in our church building with people we know and love, singing songs of worship to Jesus. I didn’t realize how much I needed it until I had to go without it.

The in-person meetings lasted just two Sundays before everything shut down again. Coronavirus cases in California had spiked, and no one was allowed to gather indoors in groups of more than 10 people.

Technically, we knew what to do this time. But emotionally, the second time we had to close the building was harder than the first. It was obvious now these changes would not be for just a few weeks. They would last months, maybe even years.

At our video-conference staff meeting that week, we acknowledged our way forward had changed. What

46 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

hadn’t changed, however, was our determination to move forward. Whatever the future held, we were together, we were relying on Jesus, and the mission would not be hindered.

The Small Church In A Pandemic

During this season, our church has been led with grace, wisdom and inspiration by our lead pastors, Gary and Ami Garcia. I’m now the teaching pastor at Cornerstone, but for 25 years, I served as the lead pastor, and Gary was my youth pastor.

If this pandemic had hit us three years ago, it would have been me leading the church through this once-in-alifetime series of crises. Instead, my wife, Shelley, and I have been honored to participate with our church leadership team as they have led us through some of the hardest pastoral decisions we’ve ever faced.

In addition to my pastoral position at Cornerstone, I have spent the past eight years writing and speaking about the value of small church ministry. In that time, I’ve connected with thousands of my fellow small church pastors and lay leaders. They are some of the most dedicated, godly, passionate and wise people I’ve ever met.

With so much of our church leadership advice coming from the perspective of larger ministries, we need to acknowledge that there are some major differences in the way small churches function. That is true in almost every aspect of church leadership, and those differences have been heightened by the pandemic.

Small churches have faced different challenges with regard to technology, finances, facilities … you name it.

And most have responded well to the necessary changes.

Now that the initial changes are behind us, it’s time to look at the next phase. How do we prepare our churches to come out of pandemic mode?

The Post-Pandemic Church

The past few months have been a constant reminder of two simultaneous truths: We don’t know what’s coming next. God does.

Going into the pandemic was like flipping off a light switch. One Sunday, we were having church services as usual, and the next Sunday, we weren’t.

But coming out of the pandemic isn’t like flipping the switch back on. It’s more like going through physical therapy — a long, slow process of retraining ourselves to use muscles that may have atrophied and are being called upon to do activities they’ve never done before.

This will be hard. And it will take time. But we will stay on mission.

Under the leading of the Holy Spirit, the possibilities ahead are greater than the challenges. In my conversations with more than 100 pastors over the past few months, I’ve discovered trends that are both challenging and hopeful.

Through this process, I’ve identified four principles we need to keep in mind as we anticipate a recovery and a new season of dynamic ministry. In short, our churches need to adapt, rest, acknowledge, and connect. These principles can help the entire congregation — pastors, team leaders and church members — get ready for whatever comes next.

Pastors

Adapt. When the pandemic began, every pastor I know had to adapt to a new reality very quickly. Most of us did so by kicking up our pace a notch. We had to find creative, new ways to do church services — and quickly!

But that time is behind us now. It’s been obvious for months this is no longer a sprint but a marathon. No one runs a marathon at a sprinting speed. The pace of a marathon is slower. The strategy includes taking on water and nutrition, and sometimes stopping to rest. So, my first piece of advice for pastors right now is very simple: Slow down.

Just like we figured out how to pick up our pace when all this started, we need to adapt again — this time to a slower pace so we can recover emotionally, spiritually and physically.

If you haven’t adapted from sprint pace to marathon pace, do it now. It’s the only way to finish well.

Rest. Most pastors aren’t good at resting. And it’s killing us. Sometimes literally.

Rest does not distract from effectiveness in ministry.

It’s an essential element of ministry, especially over the long haul.

Pastor, take a nap. If you don’t choose to take a break with an occasional nap and a regular day off, your body will force you to take a break through illness or burnout. We’re all dealing with the effects of a pandemic, lockdowns, politics, social upheaval, and more. This creates trauma, and no one is immune to it. Trauma demands rest.

This is one of the many reasons the Lord gave us the Sabbath — not as a suggestion, but as a commandment.

It’s a day for both worship and rest. Pastors tend to

worship well, but many of us don’t rest well. As such, our Sabbaths are incomplete.

Sabbath is about worship and rest. Those who worship but don’t rest are dishonoring the Sabbath as much as those who rest but don’t worship.

Acknowledge. Pastors must also acknowledge our own areas of weakness if we have any hope of helping others deal with theirs. It is not a failure or a lack of faith to acknowledge we are hurting.

Being a pastor does not mean we don’t have mental and emotional baggage. Based on my decades of pastoral ministry experience, including the past decade of working with other pastors, I believe nothing causes more problems for pastors than refusing to acknowledge the trauma we experience.

Neglecting emotional health can lead to chronic stress and anxiety, physical or mental illness, and moral failure.

Faith doesn’t deny difficulty. Faith overcomes difficulty.

But we can’t defeat what we don’t first acknowledge.

Connect. There are too many pastors trying to grind through the trials of ministry alone. We tell our congregations they need healthy relationships with other believers to maintain a strong Christian walk and witness. Then we go home and isolate ourselves from having those relationships in our own lives.

Pastor, find some friends, and ask them for help.

Now, more than ever, we need one another. Find another pastor you can trust. Call your presbyter or district office.

if you haven’t adapted from sprint pace to marathon pace, do it now. it’s the only way to finish well.

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 47

we need to pastor our leaders kindly and graciously, helping them stay connected in their spiritual, family and social lives.

If you need someone more anonymous, do what I did years ago when facing burnout and on the verge of succumbing to temptation: I called 800-867-4011, the AG HelpLine number from the back of my minister’s Fellowship card, and talked with a counselor at Emerge Counseling Ministries. The call was free, the conversation was helpful, and the prayer and advice I received set me on a path toward emotional and spiritual healing.

We need our fellow members in the body of Christ.

You won’t make it through the next few years of challenging pastoral ministry if you don’t get help for the journey.

Leadership Teams

Adapt. One of the most frustrating trends I’ve seen over the past few months is the failure of some pastors and churches — especially small churches — to bring in new volunteers.

When the crisis hit, we went into emergency mode to adapt to the new reality. Because the needs were more obvious than usual, many pastors got calls from normally passive church members asking how they could help.

Yet a number of pastors told me they had no idea what to do with these new volunteers because they didn’t have a team to put them on. So the offers of help died down and the pastors stayed in burnout mode, trying to do everything.

Too many churches are operating under an unbiblical model of leadership in which the pastoral staff does virtually all the ministry in the church instead of building

48 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

a team of leaders through biblical discipleship. Then we complain we’re overworked.

We need to adapt to a more biblical team-based leadership style.

As we move into the post-pandemic recovery phase and beyond, it’s important to follow the model Jesus used with His disciples. It’s also what the apostle Paul and his ministry partners did, and what the entire New Testament instructs us to do as leaders. We see it most notably in what I’ve come to call the Pastoral Prime Mandate in Ephesians 4:11–12.

In that passage, Paul says Christ gave the Church a ministry team of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, not primarily to do the ministry for the Church, but “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (NRSV, emphasis added).

Our calling is to promote and participate in a teambased leadership model under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. God calls us to be a team of ministers training the next team of ministers.

Rest. Your church’s best workers may be burning themselves out. Helpers and workers often have a harder time slowing down than keeping busy. They may even be pushing themselves to exhaustion because they see their pastor modeling such busyness.

This is another reason why it’s essential for pastors to rest — and let our church leaders to know we’re resting.

Don’t burn out your best people. Check up on your workers. Thank them regularly. Create purposeful breaks so they can step aside and receive ministry, not just give it.

This can be especially difficult in smaller churches, since finding a willing person can be hard enough to begin with. But that’s all the more reason to protect the few workers you have. You can’t afford to lose any of them.

At times, this may mean shutting down an entire ministry for a week or more if you can’t find someone else to step in. Better to lose the ministry for a period of time than to lose it permanently, along with the valuable person who is overseeing it.

Acknowledge. This pandemic presents unprecedented challenges for everyone on your church leadership team — including you. The constant need to learn, adapt and respond to crises can be overwhelming to even the most competent leader and strongest Christian. Sometimes the team members who seem the least affected may be hiding their true emotions because they’re not used to feeling so helpless.

In my years of working with ministers, I’ve noticed

as people start returning to the church building, they won’t be looking for change as much as they’ll need stability.

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 49

when coming out of this challenging season, don’t aim to come back to the normal busyness of a full church schedule. stay simple for as long as possible.

50 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

a tendency among many lead pastors to be kind, loving shepherds with most members of the congregation, but turn into crack-the-whip CEOs with staff and volunteer leaders. This tendency is likely to increase as we face the months, and even years, of recovery ahead.

Pastor, your church leaders may need your pastoral presence more than your leadership skills right now.

If church staff members and volunteers feel like they need to hide their vulnerability from the lead pastor, your leadership team is broken. If they feel free to acknowledge their weaknesses and ask for help, the team will become stronger — and the congregation will be healthier.

Connect. If your congregation is anything like the one I serve, your staff members and key leaders have been working extra hard over the past several months. If you’ve had to isolate physically, you may have been conducting your leadership meetings online. I’m grateful for the technology that allows us to do that.

However, we must also recognize that while the computer screen feels like a window, it also creates a wall between us.

One of the primary tasks of the lead pastor is to facilitate healthy relationships. We need to pastor our leaders kindly and graciously, helping them stay connected in their spiritual, family and social lives.

Make it a regular habit to ask your leaders, “How is your walk with the Lord lately? How are your relationships?

Is there anything I can do to help you reconnect, heal any divisions, or restore anything that might be broken?”

Church Members

Adapt. Churches across the country have had to trim down ministries to the bare essentials over the past several months. In the process, many have discovered their members were more adaptable than they realized.

Some programs went dormant because the facilities were closed, or because the usual participants were in high-risk groups. Now that we’re starting to return to something closer to normal, it may be tempting to rush back into all those programs. But that might mean missing an opportunity that may never happen again.

One of the hardest and most-needed changes for many churches is the simplification of ministry schedules.

Small churches in particular have a tendency to take on too much. If you’re pastoring a church that’s had an overly busy schedule, take stock of what’s most important.

Look at all the ministries and programs you’ve had to stop doing or had to trim back over the past few months,

we must also recognize that while the computer screen feels like a window, it also creates a wall between us. and ask this simple but vital question: If we hadn’t been doing this program or ministry before the pandemic hit, would we start doing it now? If the answer is “no,” don’t restart it.

When coming out of this challenging season, don’t aim to come back to the normal busyness of a full church schedule. Stay simple for as long as possible. Better to pour more of your time, energy and gifts into doing one or two essential ministries well than to reinstate a full slate of programs and do them with mediocrity.

Determine to glean valuable lessons from this hard season. There will never be a better time to help your congregants adapt to a simpler but more effective church schedule.

Rest. For a few decades now, most of our church leadership teaching has been about how to bring change to a passive church — how to motivate a congregation that’s stuck. It’s become our default ministry mode to create an environment where innovation, creativity and change happen on a regular basis.

But now, change isn’t something we have to create. It’s happening all around us at a record pace. As people start returning to the church building, they won’t be looking for change as much as they’ll need stability. It’s important to give them opportunities to reestablish relationships and renew familiar forms of worship.

Now isn’t a time to bring change as much as it’s a time to navigate change wisely.

This is one of the lessons that hit me hard in my return to in-person worship. It’s another reason not to rush back into our overly programmed ministry lives. We need to allow more time than usual for people to slow down, worship, give, fellowship and rest in the presence of God, among His people.

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 51

the churches that have survived, thrived and been a blessing to others during this crisis all have one thing in common more than any other: unity around christ and his mission.

Acknowledge. Have you noticed how quickly people can get angry lately? Or collapse into tears? Or get that frightened, deer-in-the-headlights look? In many cases, the trigger for these emotional responses is as surprising and mysterious to them as it is to the people around them.

We can help people deal with the root causes of these reactions, and then guide them toward hope, health and healing through Christ and His Church.

We need to acknowledge what causes great distress in one person may not bother the person next to them at all — even when the issue is truly disturbing and important.

This is because they’re not in the same place emotionally, and people deal with grief and stress differently.

Don’t confuse emotional passion with eternal truth.

Just because someone feels something strongly doesn’t mean they value it deeply. On the other hand, a lack of reaction doesn’t mean it isn’t affecting someone.

Often, an emotional outburst is the result of that tiny, proverbial straw breaking the camel’s back. As we work through the effects of a traumatic time, don’t expect people’s reactions to be reasonable, balanced, or even equivalent to the problem that sparked it. Our emotional triggers don’t necessarily match our value system.

Connect. We are hopefully coming to a season of recovery from one of the most tumultuous eras of life and ministry most of us have ever experienced. For a while, it seemed like major news events were happening in our communities every week, if not every day — and all of them were bad.

But, of all the horrible things we’ve witnessed, none has broken my heart more than watching Christians become more divided instead of more united. And there’s no question it breaks God’s heart, too.

52 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

On the other hand, the churches that have survived, thrived and been a blessing to others during this crisis all have one thing in common more than any other: unity around Christ and His mission.

There may be people in your church who disagree on politics, mask wearing and more. They may be from different generations, ethnic groups, races and backgrounds. But when people see us coming together, loving one another, and serving our neighbors despite our differences, they will want to know why.

The answer is Jesus. When we disagree on everything else, we should be able to stay united as followers of Christ. That is where the Church should always shine the brightest.

Now more than ever, we who are in church leadership positions must help our congregations emphasize the mission above all else.

As God’s people gather again, whether in-person, online, or in a hybrid arrangement, the answers to our current problems are no different than the answers to every other problem we’ve ever faced: Worship Jesus.

Love people. Disciple believers. Reach lost and hurting people with the good news of Christ and Him crucified.

And invite the Holy Spirit to move among us and bring the healing only He can provide.

Karl Vaters is the teaching pastor at Cornerstone Christian Fellowship (AG) in Fountain Valley, California.

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

F o u r

w a y s

F I X YO U R GAZE t o

o v e r c o m e

d i s c o u r a g e m e n t

a s

a

m i n i s t r y

G E O F F a n d S H E R RY S U R R AT T

54 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

c o u p l e

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 55

D

o you remember how excited everyone was for 2020? It was not only a new year, but also a new decade.

Our family was certainly looking forward to the new year. We knew 2020 had to be better than the previous two years.

In 2018, a hurricane forced our daughter to alter her dream wedding plans from a lovely outdoor venue in South Carolina to a more intimate storefront wedding space in Atlanta.

During October 2019, our youngest grandson was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck multiple times, and doctors were unable to get a heartbeat for seven minutes. We spent nearly every day for a month in the neonatal ICU, desperate for a miracle. When the baby finally came home at Thanksgiving, we were sure the worst was behind us, and a better decade was about to begin.

And then 2020 arrived. Each of us has a list of challenges we navigated this past year. Among other things, we faced fear, loss, and shutdowns in the midst of a pandemic; a summer of riots and racial tension; and a divisive election season.

As pastors, we encountered a unique set of difficulties. We dealt with a steady flow of complaints about

I f

y o u

f i n d

the things we did, or didn’t do, amid the pandemic — all while helping kids with online school, taking care of parents, and keeping a church alive that couldn’t even meet on Sundays.

Just thinking about it is exhausting. No wonder we’re tired. That’s the word we hear more than any other as we talk with pastoral couples across the country. We are all just so tired.

We’re tired of trying to come up with answers where there are none. We’re tired of balancing ministry and marriage when both demand and deserve more of our time. We’re tired of tending sheep who always seem to be biting us or running away.

If you don’t feel all this turmoil pulling at the seams of your marriage, you may not be paying attention.

For many of us, communication and intimacy have become challenging. We don’t know how to answer the fear and discouragement we hear in our spouse’s voice, and we struggle to quiet our own soul in a sea of uncertainty.

Yet we can take comfort in the apostle Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 4:8–9: We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed (NLT).

Although Paul was single, this is an apt description

y o u r s e l f

s e p a r a t e d

i s o l a t e d

f r o m

t h o s e

l a u g h S a t a n 56 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

i s

a n d

s e t t i n g

of the life of a pastoral couple this past year: pressed, perplexed, and hunted down. That would look great on one of those big wooden signs we have hanging in our kitchen.

Later in the same chapter, Paul says this: That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! (verses 16–17, NLT).

Paul didn’t give up, and neither will we. Things are crazy. Our relationships are challenging. We don’t know what the future will be. But we are not giving up.

We are not giving up on our marriage, no matter how much we may struggle. We are not giving up on our people, no matter how exasperating they may be. We are not giving up on our churches, no matter how unrecognizable they may have become. And we are not giving up on ministry, no matter how appealing the idea of swapping it for a green apron at Starbucks may seem at times.

So, how do we stay in the game? Paul provides the perspective we need in the final verse of 2 Corinthians 4: So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever (verse 18, NLT).

o n

a

w i t h

Paul challenges us to stop staring at circumstances and focus instead on what is life giving. We need to “fix our gaze” — to move our eyes from the temporary to the eternal, from visible to the invisible, from the circumstances to the possibilities.

Here are four ways we fix our gaze to keep God’s priorities in focus:

1. Look In

The first questions we like to ask when we are going through challenging times are, “What is God working on in us? What does He want to accomplish in our lives through this storm?”

In every challenging conversation, disappointing circumstance, and frustrated goal, God is at work, molding us into His image. When we can find His purpose in the mess, it helps change our perspective.

I (Sherry) have a friend who helps me pay attention to what God is up to. She often uses the word “notice,” prompting me to take note of my thoughts and emotions, especially when I’m dealing with a difficult person.

My friend points out that emotions are just one of the ways God speaks to us, and that if we’ll slow down and listen, we can learn something about what God is doing in our hearts.

I need to ask, Why did that person or situation make me angry or fearful? What could God want me to notice about my heart or my motives? How might He want to

M I N I S T R Y w h o m

y o u

I S L A N D,

c a n

c r y, y o u

u p .

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 57

A l t h o u g h f o r

2 0 2 0

w a s

d i f f i c u l t

e v e r y o n e, w e

a l s o

s h o u l d

r e c o g n i z e

t h e

O P P O R T U N I T I E S i n

f r o n t

change me? While such introspection is often hard, it helps reveal God’s love for me. My friend reminds me that God’s purpose is not to condemn me, but to help me become my best self in Him. For me (Geoff ), it is helpful to list the areas of my life that feel overwhelming and discouraging, and then spend time asking God to show me what He is doing in each place.

This is not an easy process. It normally begins with my list of grievances, a dedicated time of feeling sorry for myself, and finally a quiet period of listening as God

58 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

o f

u s.

speaks to my soul. I have to return to this exercise again and again to know God is at work. Eventually, gratitude for God’s mercy begins to break through.

What is God up to in your life right now? Is there a trusted friend who can help you process this season? Are you spending extended time with God, straining to hear His voice through the storm?

God is up to something. He has a plan for your marriage and ministry. Consider this question: What is God doing?

2. Look Around

One of the biggest challenges of 2020 was isolation from many of the people who bring us life. We love hanging out with couples who are in ministry, who aren’t

overly impressed with themselves, and who love to laugh.

As soon as restrictions began to lift, we reached out to one of those couples and asked them to come over for dinner as soon as they felt comfortable. They responded, “How about tomorrow night?”

One of the most life-giving times over the past year was sitting for hours with our friends, swapping stories of doing ministry during a shutdown, comparing notes on parenting adult children, and laughing until we cried. It breathed life into the soul of our marriage.

Jesus had His disciples, but they were usually arguing among themselves, demanding something from Him, or completely missing the point. (They sound a lot like the people we lead, don’t they?) That may be why Jesus also sought out friends like Mary, Martha and Lazarus. There was something life giving for Jesus in hanging out in their home.

Every ministry couple needs the kind of friends they can be themselves around — ideally, people who don’t

attend our church, who don’t rely on us for a paycheck, and who don’t have authority over us.

We need friends who can relate to the pressure and pain of ministry, and who know how to laugh and have fun. Such friends are like the release valve on a pressure cooker; they help regulate the pressure so things don’t erupt.

But why do we sometimes resist this? I (Sherry) have often noticed this tendency in myself. When I’m feeling the most discouraged, isolated and lonely, I think, I really shouldn’t infect others with my sad-sack mood. I should wait until I am better company.

If you find yourself isolated on a ministry island, separated from those with whom you can laugh and cry, Satan is setting you up. God warns us we have a very real enemy who would love to shipwreck us. Ephesians 6:12 tells us this: For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places (NLT).

Don’t buy into Satan’s schemes. If you don’t have life-giving couples to spend time with, put finding one at the top of your to-do list.

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 59

Reach out to other ministry couples in your area, regardless of their tribe, and see if they’d be willing to have a meal together.

You won’t necessarily click with the first couple you reach out to, but don’t give up. Friendship is too important.

Consider this question: Who is life giving?

3. Look Out

Between Mark’s accounts of the sending of the Twelve and the feeding of the five thousand, the Gospel writer records this easily overlooked moment in Jesus’ ministry: Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.” He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone (Mark 6:31–32, NLT).

Jesus recognized the need to withdraw from the crowds and take a break from the demands of ministry.

In the middle of the most important mission the world has ever seen, Jesus took time to just hang out. Apparently, Jesus felt getting away from ministry to relax was important.

We try to get away every year for our anniversary, but last year it looked like it just wasn’t going to happen. Traveling was prohibited in many locations, and the restrictions were so tight in others it seemed impossible.

However, we are so convinced of the importance of getting away, we found a safe way to make it happen. Some people might not understand, but those few days refilled our tanks at just the right time. Months later, we still reminisce about how that time together rekindled our love and renewed our spirits.

Our hearts crave the unscheduled moments, the time to hang out and talk, and the time and space to reconnect and feel like ourselves again.

What refills your tanks? Is it time in the mountains? A trip to the beach? A house on the lake? If you are worried that everything will collapse while you are gone, get over yourself. Even God takes a day off.

Consider this question: What fills you up?

4. Look Ahead

Although 2020 was difficult for everyone, we should also recognize the opportunities in front of us. As pastors, we get to rewrite what the church will look like now, and see what God might be doing next.

What new online ministry ideas have you been

60 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

considering? What technology have you learned to use that inspires you to envision fresh possibilities? We are all artists sitting before a big, blank canvas, holding every color imaginable on our palette.

We love to schedule “dream dates” where we each spend time alone with God and then bring our honest, heartfelt dreams to each other. We like to frame it like this: If nothing were impossible, and God showed up, what could the next five years look like?

We love this question because, of course, nothing is impossible with God, and He always shows up when we invite Him. We have experienced firsthand how these dream dates refresh our souls, reminding us of what God has done in the past when we felt pressed from all sides.

In addition, we are reminded that we don’t serve a puny God who barely has enough for us to get by. In Ephesians 3:20, Paul describes Him as One who is “able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think” (NLT).

Infinitely more than we could even dream. This is the God we serve. Whatever audacious dream we have for our ministry or our marriage, God is already way ahead of us. He is not tied up in knots over the budget or agonizing over how many people will return to the pews, or what decision my adult child will make next. God is calling us — and you — to dream big.

Consider this question: What could be next?

Fixing Our Gaze

Paul tells us to “fix our gaze.” Where do you need to fix your gaze? Where are you focused on the wrong things, the wrong circumstances, the wrong people? The reality is, churches grow and shrink, challenges come and go, members get happy and get mad, but your relationships with God and with your spouse are forever.

Let’s agree together that our hope is in God’s promises, not in the crazy circumstances we see before us. It’s time to fix our eyes on Jesus and the dreams He has for our ministry and for our families.

Geoff and Sherry Surratt are the founders of MinistryTogether. Their mission is to partner with pastors for relational health, organizational growth, and Kingdom impact. They live in Parker, Colorado.

DIGITAL BIBLE STUDY resources at your ngertips.

BibleEngagementProject.com

62 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 63

hile developing an urban ministries curriculum in the early 1990s as a faculty member at North Central University in Minneapolis, I became aware that the combined population of racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. would outnumber the white population for the first time in the 21st century.

Growth in diversity, which for years has been concentrated in the nation’s large cities, is now expanding into suburban and rural areas as well.

According to “The Browning of America,” a report by William Frey of the Milken Institute, demographic patterns suggest seven states — Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Nevada and New Jersey — will be “majority minority” by 2030. A number of others will be at least 40% minority.

“We are in the midst of an epic transition,” says sociologist Stephen Klineberg, director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University in Houston. “The United States throughout all of its history was an amalgam of European nationalities and is now becoming a microcosm of the world.”

The “browning of America” is affecting everything from political strategies to education initiatives. And it will affect the way we plant and pastor churches. We must seize this missional opportunity by viewing our communities through a multicultural lens, developing multicultural competencies, and embracing the inevitable changes that are taking place all around us.

In 2021, the Assemblies of God church I lead, Christ Church International (CCI), is celebrating 100 years of existence on the corner of 13th and Lake in Minneapolis.

Formally known as the Gospel Tabernacle — or “The Tab” — it was influential in the early days of the Pentecostal movement in the upper Midwest.

CCI is the birthplace of North Central University, which has produced many leaders who have crisscrossed the globe with the good news of Jesus Christ.

However, CCI did not begin in a diverse setting. Norwegians and Swedes once dominated the neighborhood, and the congregation reflected that complexion for the first 60 years of its existence.

As the community began to change around CCI, the church — under the outstanding leadership of Pastor Paul Sundell — voted to remain and make a concerted effort to reach this new mission field.

So Christ Church International remains on the corner of 13th and Lake, in a community that is drastically

W

64 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

different than it was in 1921. It is now a multiracial, multicultural and multigenerational church that is still attempting to crack the code of its community.

Our journey is a case study for other churches going through this process. If you are reaching out to a changing community with the unchanging message of the gospel, here are five things you cannot neglect:

1. Community Reflection The segregated nature of America’s churches mirrors our broader society. Although every congregation should ideally reflect the great multitude in Revelation 7 — or at least the church at Antioch in Acts 11 — most churches are only as diverse as their communities.

This does not exempt us from knowing our communities. Demographics — statistical data on the characteristics of a population, such as race and ethnicity, age, education, and income — shed light on who we may be missing in our outreach efforts. Finding such information can be as easy as entering the name of your city and the word “demographics” in a search engine.

Over my 30 years of pastoral leadership, the churches I’ve pastored have reflected their communities.

In 1983, my wife and I planted Solid Rock Assembly of God in an established African American community in Little Rock, Arkansas. Though I had always dreamed of pastoring a multicultural church, Solid Rock was totally African American. In the three years we were there, only one family who was not Black visited our congregation, and they did not stay.

Similarly, Southside Worship Center (AG) in Chicago’s Englewood community — where I served two years as youth pastor and five years as senior associate pastor — was 100% African American.

These churches were reflections of their communities.

After nine years as an assistant professor at North Central University and two years as executive director of a nonprofit organization, I became the lead pastor of Christ Church International, which now sits in one of the most diverse communities in the upper Midwest.

The region includes large numbers of immigrants from Somalia and other African nations, Native Americans, Hispanics, African Americans, and Asian Americans.

CCI has the potential to reflect this diversity. But even with this vast mission field, we must be intentional. Jesus is our example in this.

Jesus went through Samaria to reach a Samaritan woman. He ministered to a Canaanite woman who

demonstrated great faith. And Jesus commissioned the Church to go to the nations. If we fail to embrace this, we reject His Great Commission.

2. Intentionality Not every church will be multicultural, multiethnic and multigenerational. Many will merely reflect their communities, and that is fine. I am not attempting to put an artificial demand on all churches to become diverse. But we do have a responsibility to reach our Jerusalem, our immediate community.

If your church is in a diverse community, your congregation should be diverse. We have a mandate to go into all parts of our respective communities and invite everyone to come to Christ (Luke 14:23).

Intentionality includes making sure those who are in places of high visibility within the ministry reflect the community we are trying to reach. Pastors and staff members should represent the diversity of the community at large.

It came to my attention that our board at CCI was diverse in ethnicity but did not reflect the church’s young adult population. We became intentional and fast-tracked our normal membership process to allow more people to become eligible for service.

After they completed the membership process, we nominated some outstanding young adults for positions on our board, and the church voted them in. Their presence sends a message to our young adults that we value their perspectives.

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 65

We also need to be intentional in our forms and styles of outreach. Every July, CCI hosts a block party event.

We obtain permits from the city and cordone off part of 13th Avenue, filling the space with inflatables and obstacle courses.

Our resident chef cooks chicken, hamburgers, and hot dogs, and our congregation provides the sides and desserts. We crank up the music and invite the public to join us, especially residents of the diverse community that surrounds us on all sides.

Many Spanish-speaking people attended our first block party, but we were limited in our ability to communicate effectively with them. The next year, we partnered with Maranatha Minneapolis Church (AG), a bilingual congregation that meets on our property. Maranatha members provided music in Spanish and helped us by

66 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

interpreting and engaging conversationally with our Spanish-speaking guests.

We have continued this partnership over the years, teaming up with Maranatha again last summer as we ministered to our community following the death of George Floyd and widespread social unrest.

Intentionality can apply to worship as well. Many churches that boast diversity have a narrow expression in their weekly worship experience. Although their congregants may be diverse, the worship experience is controlled by the dominant culture. It is good practice to use a more inclusive approach whenever possible. It isn’t easy, and it requires a talented and flexible worship team, but it is worth the investment.

CCI is blessed with amazing musicians who make an effort to include something for everyone. For example, we

have a large contingent of West Africans who have graciously accepted a culture of worship expression that is not their own.

Our worship team put together a worship medley of African songs that had appeal across the African countries represented in our congregation. The entire church responded to it with joy and dancing.

As Mark DeYmaz says in Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church, “A multi-ethnic church does not just happen.

Planters and reformers alike must first identify and then take intentional steps to turn their vision into reality.”

3. Relationship Building A diverse congregation does not necessarily guarantee the establishment of relationships across ethnic, cultural and generational lines.

Yet, as DeYmaz points out, “The development of relationships, specifically, the development of relationships that transcend ethnic and economic barriers, are essential for building a healthy multi-ethnic church.”

I observed early on at CCI that though we were diverse in our numbers, people stayed in individual silos. At the end of our morning worship experience, our diverse congregation was not mingling.

You could consistently find the seniors by the water fountain and library. Our African population occupied most of the foyer. And our young adults remained in the sanctuary, while the youth filled in the Connecting Point Café. Everyone had retreated to their corners — to what was most familiar to them.

We attempted to counteract this by instituting monthly community meals. But even at these events, people clustered in demographically similar groups.

So, we not only assigned seating for a time, but we also had a list of questions at each table that fostered the opportunity for individuals sitting together to go beyond superficial communication and form relationships with other members of the church.

We also launched a ministry we called Journey, to connect people across generations through mutually supportive relationships. We have a large senior adult population and an equally large segment of young adults. We felt our young adults, who were just starting careers and families, could benefit from mentoring relationships with seniors who had successfully navigated these life stages.

Although we only did this for a short time, the cross-generational relationships that formed are thriving to this day.

For example, an African American senior adult mentored

a white young adult missionary candidate. The younger woman went to the Middle East, maintaining contact with her mentor while she was away, and has reestablished a close connection since returning to the U.S.

4. Cultural Sensitivity Leading a diverse church requires a desire to learn about other people — and a willingness to do what it takes to show them the love of Christ and reach them with the gospel.

Soon after I assumed the lead pastor role at Christ Church International, my wife and I accepted an invitation to a party celebrating the completion of a graduate degree by one of our Nigerian young adults. We were excited about his accomplishment and honored to celebrate with him and our West African community. The invitation indicated the event would take place from 4 to 8 p.m. at a local reception center.

My wife and I dressed for the occasion and arrived at 3:50 p.m. — an appropriate time by Western standards. As the first to arrive, we sat down and waited patiently for others. To our surprise, the event didn’t start until 5:30, and people continued arriving well past the stated ending time.

The two of us had a choice as to how we would react to this situation. We could become angry and disappointed at the lack of punctuality demonstrated by the celebrant and his guests, or we could grow in our understanding of how their culture treats time.

We chose the latter and now arrive acceptably late for West African celebrations, understanding that showing up and rejoicing with those who rejoice is far more important than being on time.

Let me share another example of the need to develop cultural sensitivity. During my leadership at CCI, I have had the privilege of hiring five competent youth pastors.

One of them was a Detroit Pistons fan who wore his hair in the same braided style as players Ben Wallace and Richard Hamilton. His braids were well-maintained and stylish, but they represented something totally different in Western African culture.

One of the West African leaders in our congregation took me aside and told me West African men wore braids to demonstrate consecration and commitment to pagan gods.

After becoming aware of this, I arranged a meeting with members of the West African community and my youth pastor. We discussed their concern, the innocence of the hairstyle within the African American community, and the great influence our youth pastor had on the young men of the congregation.

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 67

Diverse leadership that reflects the community you are attempting to reach is paramount in building a successful multiethnic, multicultural and multigenerational church.

The youth pastor graciously agreed to refrain from wearing this particular hairstyle in deference to the concerns of the West African community.

5. Leadership Diverse leadership that reflects the community you are attempting to reach is paramount in building a successful multiethnic, multicultural and multigenerational church.

When I have time off from pastoring at CCI, I enjoy visiting other churches, especially multiethnic churches.

However, I’ve noticed that even when the congregation is diverse across ethnic, cultural and generational lines, the leadership often reflects the dominant culture. To me, this dichotomy conveys the message, “You can worship with me, fellowship with me, and deposit your tithe and offering here, but you cannot lead me.”

When I took the helm of Christ Church International 18 years ago, I inherited a diverse team. My predecessor left me with a staff that was on its way to being a reflection of the community in which we were located.

Our worship pastor was of Chinese descent. Our lead singer was a young man from Trinidad, and the other vocalists were African, African American, and white. Our children’s pastor was a competent young white woman who had excellent cross-cultural skills and was highly effective in ministering to a diverse kids’ church.

Over our youth was a brilliant, young African American man who was fluent in Spanish and had a heart for

68 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

missions. Our senior adults pastor was a former lead pastor of the church; he had made the decision to remain in the neighborhood and had built the sanctuary in anticipation of reaching the community as it changed.

As these pastors began to matriculate out to other assignments, I was determined to continue the pattern that had been established. Over the past 18 years, we have remained intentional in our efforts to reflect the congregation and the community in choosing leaders for pastoral positions. The guiding principles for making those choices have been competence, ethnicity, and cultural acuity.

Every church setting is unique, and there is no perfect template for growing a diverse congregation in a diverse community. However, if you seek to reflect your community, reach out with intentionality, build relationships, grow in cultural sensitivity, and raise up leaders who look like the people you serve, you will be moving in the right direction.

May you reach your Jerusalem as we all labor together to reach a harvest from “every nation, tribe, people and language” (Revelation 7:9).

Darrell Geddes is lead pastor of Christ Church International (AG) in Minneapolis.

EQUIP PARENTS

to talk about

THE BIBLE AT HOME! With age-aligned lessons, families study the same Scripture at the same time.

Find out more about the curriculum at

BibleEngagementProject.com today.

Five ways to develop an ownership culture at church

JI LL FOX 70 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

Growing Christ’s church is one of the best and biggest investments anyone can make, but we have to offer pathways to ownership.

W

hen my husband and I were newly married, our first little home sat right in the middle of the city near a lake. It was tiny and imperfect, but it was close to my favorite ice cream shop.

I remember moving in with the screen door hanging on by a thread. Somehow, we managed to get every box in without knocking it completely off the hinges. I wondered whether we should do something about it, but then I remembered it wasn’t ours to fix because we were renters.

Later, we encountered a sticky door we had to force open. Then there was an issue with the lawn. Then the garage door didn’t work, and so on. Each time something needed attention, we called the owner. After all, we were renters, not owners. We didn’t need to invest in maintenance and upkeep, nor did we want to.

Home No. 2 felt different. We bought it. We were the owners. When the paint peeled off the front door, we hurried to the local hardware store to buy just the right brand and shade. The faucet in the kitchen broke, so we installed a nicer one, hoping it would last longer. We were all in.

This home was ours, and it was worth our investments of time and money.

It is a tale of two mindsets: owners versus renters. In your church, you have both stories playing out. The renters come in and enjoy the surroundings for a solid hour a week. They sit, engage, and then move on to the next thing in their day.

Of course, they matter. As church leaders, we are thrilled when people come in, check out our services, and best of all, plan to come back. But the big question is, will they keep coming back as renters, or will they

eventually become owners? Will they continue to see this as someone else’s investment, or will it become theirs?

Yes, it’s each individual’s decision. However, a major mistake churches make is failing to present the opportunity. Growing Christ’s church is one of the best and biggest investments anyone can make, but we have to offer pathways to ownership.

If we don’t release people to lead, they will come and go.

They will remain renters instead of buying in, and settling in, as owners.

Owners do four things to help their churches flourish: Owners understand the framework. I recently talked with a man who was adding on to his house. He knew all about the foundation. He understood how the water lines worked. He had taken the time to learn how his house functioned.

It is the same with owners in churches. They understand the purpose, mission and vision. They are actively volunteering and contributing to make sure the framework holds up well.

Not only are they involved in the day-to-day life of the church, but they also share firsthand how great it is and invite others to join them. Owners make churches grow.

Owners will fix stuff. When something breaks, it is the owner’s responsibility to fix it — not someone else’s.

In all my years of church ministry, nothing has been more beautiful than watching volunteers care. I have seen them repair chairs so people have a place to sit during the service. I have seen them adjust the curriculum so the child with special needs can understand. I have seen them set up meetings to bring clarity to hard situations.

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 71

Owners believe in what they do and invest with the understanding that the return is eternal.

Owners fix things. They make things better. They understand they must contribute for the church to fulfill its mission.

Owners go back after the storm. Homeowners in coastal areas may have to evacuate ahead of a hurricane, but they always return to their property to sort out what to do next.

The owners go back.

For many in the Church, the pandemic has felt like a storm. From navigating shutdowns to moving ministries online, it has been hard. But something beautiful happened in the midst of it all: The owners came back. They showed up to lead their small groups on Zoom. They volunteered to deliver groceries. They pitched in to do extra cleaning so the church facilities are safer for those who enter them.

The owners are the ones who have been on the frontlines of ministry during the pandemic. They have understood the church is essential, and they have come back.

Owners invest financially. Owners give not only of their time, but also their financial resources. They know the food pantry cannot serve those in need if the roof leaks, so they help fund the repairs. They recognize how lifechanging it can be for students to see how God is working around the world, so they give to the teenage girl who is raising funds so she can go on the missions trip. Owners believe in what they do and invest with the understanding that the return is eternal.

Owners matter in churches. As church leaders, our job is to help renters move toward ownership. That means releasing others to lead and giving them opportunities to invest.

Here are five ways to develop an ownership culture in your church:

1. Fit the Volunteer, Not the Position

I grew up on a farm in Iowa. At a young age, I considered

72 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

myself a fashionista, but it was hard to stay up on the trends when we ventured into the big city only about twice a year.

At times, not knowing when we would be back in town led me to make unwise decisions — such as cramming my feet into shoes that were too small because the store did not have my size in stock. Limping to study hall in eighth grade with blisters on my feet, I learned a painful lesson: Moving forward with the wrong fit is not sustainable.

In churches, we sometimes get the wrong fit with volunteers, and it hurts. It hurts the volunteer, and it hurts the church. They typically end up quitting. Worst of all, they may not raise a hand to volunteer again because of the last traumatic serving experience.

If we want people to take ownership of church ministry, we need to make sure they find the right fit as volunteers.

Start by talking with volunteers and asking about their passions and interests. If they’re unsure, a spiritual gifts inventory might help.

Give them a tour of the volunteer area, and answer any questions they may have before they commit. Let volunteers observe the ministry in action. Some people will enjoy being in a room full of energetic middle school students. Others may turn around and decide that’s not the place for them.

2. Make Everyone a Recruiter

If your church has just one volunteer coordinator, it’s time for a change. When churches place the responsibility for recruiting on one person, they miss out on valuable opportunities to multiply their reach.

The best thing you can do is get all your volunteers recruiting. Relational influence works. You buy the brand of truck your friend suggests because he swears it can

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 73

74 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

If you want owners in your church, let them recruit.

They’ll probably do it better than you anyway. haul more than any other truck he’s had, and you trust him. You buy the shampoo your friend suggests because she tells you it’s the only one that controls the frizz. This is how we make many decisions in life; we trust the recommendations of those we know.

It is the same with volunteering. Someone who is excited about what is taking place with the prison ministry is the best advertisement for getting others to join. If someone who loves to tend the church garden starts talking to friends about it, the odds of generating interest increase.

This does not have to be hard. In fact, the first step is as easy as telling your volunteers they can recruit. You would be surprised how many have no idea they are allowed to do this.

Provide some tools to equip volunteers for the task.

Design a role description for them to use when talking about the position. Create no-pressure opportunities for volunteers to bring friends, introduce them, and show them around.

Acknowledge successful recruiting work by calling it out in a team meeting or sending a thank you card.

If you want owners in your church, let them recruit.

They’ll probably do it better than you anyway.

3. Provide Training

A church’s leaders once asked me to do some consulting because they were struggling to keep volunteers engaged.

I agreed to meet with the whole staff. My first question was what their training looked like.

They pulled the high school sophomore thing, where everyone looks around but not at the person speaking

because they are terrified they might have to answer.

So, I called on some of them.

“Women’s ministry?”

“Umm, we currently do not have anything.”

“Kids’ ministry?”

“Yeah, we are working on it.”

“Welcome team?”

“Same.”

I stood there and smiled before saying nicely, “Well, I think I know the problem.”

Everyone deserves training as a new volunteer. It can be five minutes long for the new team member stacking chairs, or an entire day for the new area leader of children’s ministry, but everyone should receive training of some kind. Instead of waiting for failure and frustration to set in, set people up to succeed.

Create a job description for each position, and walk recruits through each aspect of their new roles. Take your best volunteer in the group, and have newcomers shadow that person.

At the end of their first couple weeks of volunteering, do a Q&A time with volunteers so they can ask all the questions they may have.

If you want owners in your church, you have to equip them at the start.

4. Celebrate Community

If you want volunteers to stick around, create teams with members who care about one another and have fun together.

I once had an usher team that was like no other. The ushers were all in and did a better job than any other team

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 75

Owner culture doesn’t just happen; it’s intentionally developed.

I had ever led. There was one reason for their success: their leader.

Steve was a natural community builder. He was always throwing a picnic in the park for his team. Each week, he sent out an email asking for prayer requests, and he took the time to ask questions of people and take an interest in their personal lives. His love for that team created community and connection.

Teams of volunteers who outperform others do life together. It can be a matter of spending time together outside of typical serving moments, praying together, and celebrating birthdays and other special moments of life.

It’s also important to thank everyone for serving, either verbally or with a note.

If you want owners in your church, do life together, and have fun.

5. Focus on Others

When I was 24, my senior pastor asked me to transition from my position as a youth leader to take on a new pastoral role. I loved the volunteers and students I worked with, but after prayerful consideration, I agreed.

I wanted to complete our summer missions trips before announcing the move. I held the secret carefully, and it was painful. During a layover on the last trip, I was processing it all and feeling emotional. I wondered, Who will love them like I do? Who will go to their volleyball games and football games? Who will listen to them over coffee?

As I stood in the airport, leaning against a pillar and having my pity party, I looked over and noticed the students had moved. They were now in a big circle, and sitting in the middle were three of my volunteers.

The volunteers were going around the circle asking each of the students to answer these questions: “How has this trip changed you? How will you live differently when you go back home? How can you share your faith?”

In that moment, I started crying. I realized the students would be just fine. They did not need me because

76 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

they had the best kind of volunteers possible: owners.

That experience taught me it isn’t about me. It’s easy for pastors to make ministry all about their leadership.

Even the most well-meaning leaders can start to believe the success of their ministry hinges on how much good they can do. So, they keep the spotlight on themselves and make sure their voice is the loudest as they try to shoulder the entire load.

However, that is not how Jesus led. He didn’t hold tightly to power; Jesus gave it away. He discipled, equipped, empowered, and released others to multiply the work of the Kingdom.

For those in vocational church ministry, it is our job to do the same. We should always be asking ourselves: Who else could do this? Who could do this better than me? Where is an opportunity for someone else to try leading?

Those questions should guide our ministry at every stage. The sign of a great leader is when they leave, the ministry keeps going because they released others to lead.

In other words, it wasn’t about them.

In order to see owners in your church, you must learn it’s not about you.

Owner culture doesn’t just happen; it’s intentionally developed. It’s thoughtful, it’s clear, it requires time, and it has expectations.

If you want to see your church grow, if you want to see people deepen their faith, if you want to see people come to faith in Jesus Christ, let them lead. Hand over the ministry, invite them to become owners, and let them invest.

Jill Fox is executive pastor of ministries at Westwood Community Church in Chanhassen, Minnesota.

She is co-author of two books, Volunteering and The Volunteer Church.

KEEP YOUR Small Group Community CONNECTED.

Find out more at

BibleEngagementProject.com today.

CHURCH MINISTRY CHILDREN

Ready, (Re)set,

Five ways to reboot your KidMin in 2021

78 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

inistry in 2020 meant slowing down, scaling back, and stepping up to do things in new ways. For children’s leaders, it was a year of unmet expectations and unused supplies. But just as kids are resilient, so are their pastors. We are ready to take 2021 by storm.

We are ready to plan the next Easter egg hunt, Vacation Bible School, and fall festival. Many of us missed out on those events in 2020, but 2021 is a year of reset.

M

However, we need to keep a few things in mind as we look ahead to a new year.

1. Equip Parents

Many parents already do a fantastic job of discipling their children. They see the local church as a supplement to their discipleship at home. Others rely more heavily on church leaders to provide Bible training.

However, the pandemic forced parents across the country to become schoolteachers

and ministers overnight. Even if children’s pastors were making videos, offering online activities, and dropping off goodies at doors, parents took on most of the responsibility of spiritual formation.

As we enter 2021, we need to think about how to continue to equip parents as disciple makers.

When planning events for the year, ask these questions: • How are parents engaging in this event?

• How can we help parents understand the significance of this event?

• What can parents and children do together after the event?

• How can families continue the conversation at home?

• Can we provide a takeaway for families?

When planning in this way, equipping parents becomes intentional. It’s not an afterthought, but a strategic approach to involve the entire family at every step.

For example, my church hosts a family Christmas service every December. It includes skits, games, a telling of the Christmas story, giveaways, and lots of fun and silliness. We use this service to kick off our annual Christmas series.

We give something to every family to help them remember the message.

One year, we gave away Joy Jars — canning jars with slips of paper inside. We encouraged families to write down all the reminders of joy during the Christmas season and place them in the jars. On Christmas Eve, we had them open the jars and read through the month of joy moments.

It was a great way to help parents and kids remember that service. Without a takeaway, many would have remembered the fun and silliness, but not the point.

2. Train Leaders

Amid shutdowns, safety concerns, and social distancing guidelines, the past few months taught us all to rethink how we do things.

Last fall, our entire student ministries team was quarantined because of COVID-19

exposure. This meant postponing multiple activities. When we were planning these events, we never asked, “What happens if our leaders cannot be here?” Now that question is an important part of the process.

Even when the pandemic is over, emergencies can arise. An event’s success should never depend on a particular person’s availability. Training one or two alternates to step in and lead the event if needed helps ensure the continuation of ministry.

Having volunteers and staff members ready to pick up the baton and keep running will take your team’s preparedness to the next level.

Amid shutdowns, safety concerns, and social distancing guidelines, the past few months taught us all to rethink how we do things.

3. Keep It Fresh

We’re ready to get back into a routine, but that doesn’t mean we should just resume where we left off last year.

I still have supplies and plans we were unable to use in 2020. It would be easy and convenient to make this a do-over year. However, I prefer to consider it an opportunity for a reset.

This is a time to reevaluate, consider new ideas, and seek God for fresh vision and anointing. This year, no one can say, “We have always done it that way.”

Give yourself and your teams the freedom to plan differently. Pray for fresh and creative ideas.

4. Stay Flexible

Technology played a vital role in ministry during 2020. Going forward, we should continue to leverage all the tools at our disposal.

When planning events, we now ask, “How can we take this online if we need to cancel the onsite plans at the last minute? How could we modify this to accommodate ever-changing rules and regulations for safety?”

Last spring, we had to rethink our Easter egg hunt at a moment’s notice because of the pandemic. Nevertheless, we found a safe way to adapt the event.

We created kits that parents could pick up.

These contained all the things families would

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 79

Flexible planning helps ensure the experiences will be great even if they go online or require some modification.

need for a fun egg hunt at home, including plastic eggs, candy, bags for collecting, and crafts and activities. We heard from many parents who loved the idea.

As we fill up our calendar for 2021, we will create backup plans. In previous years, we always had a rain plan for outdoor events. In a post-COVID world, we are taking it a step further and creating a Plan B — and even a Plan C — for every event. I want a backup plan for my backup plan!

With contingency plans in place, we can move ahead with confidence and a flexible mindset. This allows us to enjoy the process of event planning again.

It’s fun to look forward to hosting quality events for our community. Flexible planning helps ensure the experiences will be great even if they go online or require some modification.

5. Celebrate Families Rachel Pilcher is student ministries director at Griffin First Assembly of God in Griffin, Georgia.

80 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

Families have been through a lot this year.

They have lost precious moments, faced fears, and navigated new challenges.

We need to take the time to highlight the bright spots in their lives. Whether it’s new babies, salvations, family achievements,

baptisms, or other milestones, let’s look for reasons to celebrate with families.

We provide gifts for special moments.

When parents are expecting, they receive a parenting book with a note of congratulations.

When the baby arrives, we deliver a onesie, another parenting book, and a restaurant gift card. At baby dedications, we present flowers, a children’s Bible, and a parenting book.

The celebration of milestones continues until the child graduates out of our kids’ ministry and heads to middle school.

Find a way to celebrate all the milestones of families in your ministry. Kids receive trophies and ribbons for sports and academic achievements. Shouldn’t the local church get in on celebrating as well? When we celebrate our families and their kids, we are showing them they are important to God and us.

We have such a cool opportunity this year to plan ahead with intentionality. Spend some time praying and fasting for a fresh reset.

Ask God for creativity, intentionality and resourcefulness. Pray as you equip parents, celebrate families, and reimagine your events and ministry.

Get ready, reset, and go!

Life shakes us up.

Abiding with God settles us down.

The Settled Soul shows women how they can actively pursue Jesus in a way that grounds their souls, deepens their relationship with God, and brings them peace. Find The Settled Soul at MyHealthyChurch.com.

1-855-642-2011 • MyHealthyChurch.com

CHURCH MINISTRY YOUTH

You Are What You Hear CA ME R ON HE N DE R SON

Are your students listening to culture or Christ?

82 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

hen I was in junior high, I felt selfconscious about my tightly matted African hair. Each morning, I would gel my hair and comb it over with a side part, making it look as straight and flat as possible.

I adopted this style because I wanted to

W

present myself more “professionally.” In my young mind, I associated professionalism with the look of a typical male television news anchor — Caucasian hair and all.

This amusing story illustrates a sobering truth: Young people feel pressure to conform to the dominant culture in which they live.

Black culture told me my hair was beautiful with all its curls and textures, but the dominant culture sent a different message.

This created confusion. I wanted to live up to the dominant culture’s standards, so I learned to disapprove of my racial and ethnic culture.

Similarly, the students in our churches struggle with their identity as Christians in an increasingly secular world. America’s dominant culture is not always friendly toward authentic Christian counterculture.

As a result, many teens and preteens worry that their faith in Jesus and the way they live is weird, unnatural, and maybe even immoral.

As leaders in the Church, we need to help our students become comfortable with who they are in Christ, just as I matured and became comfortable with my natural hair.

Christians are called to imitate God’s

unchanging nature and character. Dominant culture compels people to imitate the popular ethics of the day, such as sexual deviance, self-promotion, and moral relativism.

There is no question dominant culture is influencing the identity of today’s youth. That culture tells them what to do and whom to be, and it’s often contrary to what Christ wants them to do and be.

But the Church doesn’t have to let the dominant culture lead the way. We need to practice an authentically Christian counterculture that forms a Christlike identity in all our members, but especially those of the next generation.

The only way to help students resist the identity misshaping power of the dominant culture is to help them form their Christlike identity in an authentically Christian counterculture.

Set Apart

When God rescued the Israelites from slavery, He established them as His covenant people with a unique calling and culture. He provided instructions to help them understand who He is as God, who they were as His children, and how they were to live in light of that.

God set them apart from the dominant cultures around them, saying, “If you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession … a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exodus 19:5–6).

Likewise, the New Testament Church is described as “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession” (1 Peter 2:9).

Jesus called His followers to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13–16) — to be in the world but not of it.

In John 17, Jesus prayed these words over His disciples: “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (verses 15–17).

Five Culture Building Practices

The only way to help students resist the identity misshaping power of the dominant

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 83

Students need to know we will accept them even before they accept Jesus.

Cameron Henderson is the middle school and community engagement pastor at City First Church (AG) in Rockford, Illinois.

84 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

culture is to help them form their Christlike identity in an authentically Christian counterculture.

In this way, we can guide students to be the best version of themselves, while existing in a world influenced by dominant culture.

Here are five practices for creating an authentically Christian counterculture: 1. Consistently teach and model Christian living. Authentic counterculture is cultivated only in consistent soil. Becoming a stable place in the lives of students — many of whom have no other stability — should be a goal of every youth group. Where there is stability, there is room for a student to seek identity from God. This is a process that can take several years. It requires long-term discipleship and relational investments. We need to be there to help students through difficult times and celebrate the wins. If we want something repeated, we have to celebrate it.

2. Intentionally create biblical identity. This goes beyond appealing logos, social media pages, group names, and fonts. We must proclaim who we are and how we live in light of the gospel.

Good identity is not time-stamped or seasonal; it’s relevant forever. If we build on the foundation of God’s Word, our ministries will always be countercultural and relevant.

3. Lovingly identify the boundaries of how we live. It’s important to articulate our “don’ts.” Students need help finding the line and knowing when they wander outside to the deep end.

Help students understand that correction is not rejection of them but guidance arising from love. It’s vital that we draw boundaries from the teachings of Jesus, and not from society. This not only separates us from dominant culture but also helps us create a nonjudgmental culture.

One of the main criticisms students hear from their unchurched friends is that Christians are judgmental. The best way to counter that is to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

4. Regularly discuss why we do what we do, and why we believe what we believe.

Most students want to find answers, which is why their generation feels most comfortable living online. We need to welcome their questions and point them to biblical answers.

If we can’t answer the “why” questions, we will never be able to lead students through the “how” questions. The why is the vision for the how — how to live out and share the faith.

Take time in gatherings to explain why we have boundaries. Talk about what the Bible teaches about following Christ and why we can trust God’s Word as our guide for living.

5. Graciously let students belong before they believe. Students need to know we accept them even before they accept Jesus. The dominant culture pressures outsiders to conform. God’s people invite others to “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).

Jesus willingly died for us “while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8). And He taught His followers to love all and pray for the good of all, including their persecutors (Matthew 5:44). Christian love is patient and kind (1 Corinthians 13:1).

Some may worry students will mistake acceptance for approval. However, sinners don’t need our approval. The dominant culture already provides that. They do need to encounter the love of Christ — a love that persists and pursues despite human rebellion.

We can trust the Spirit to convict and convince students. Our job is to show them who Jesus is, not shame them for who they are.

Let’s continue to help teens understand the differences between authentic Christian counterculture and dominant culture. Let’s help them discover their identity in Christ.

Let’s regain the balance of culture by not letting the world be the only — or most attractive — voice in our students’ lives. Let’s cultivate healthy culture that changes the world, rather than letting the world change us and our mission. Let’s be the light.

JOURNEY THROUGH THE BIBLE

BY LAND AND SEA!

AllInclusive Tour!

Don’t miss your chance to be part of the tour that features a Royal Caribbean cruise and excursions to important biblical sites PLUS worship and fellowship!

September 4–19, 2021 I S R A E L • T U R K E Y • G R E E C E • I TA LY

Visit HolyLandsStudies.org/journeythroughbible to find out more or register today.

86 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

CHURCH MINISTRY ADULT

Next-Generation Evangelists DAN I EL YANG he story of Lift Church is one I would like to see replicated 100 times over in North America.

Robin Wallar, 32, has served as lead pastor for the past eight years. He was a 17-year-old student when he helped start the church as a small college ministry.

The university-based Lift Church now includes 43 “simple churches” led by students from six university campuses in the greater Toronto area. These simple churches are similar to small groups or house churches.

They gather in dorm rooms, campus meeting spaces, coffee shops, and homes.

Lift Church is part of the SERVE Campus Network with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (PAOC), strategically partnering to reach Canadian university campuses.

However, this movement isn’t unique to Canada. We’re seeing young people start simple churches and missional communities across the United States through different networks from various traditions and backgrounds.

Wallar says today’s young adults are looking for an orienting sense of purpose. And like generations of Christians before them, many are discovering that the kingdom of God is about more than just religion; it is worth a lifetime of devotion.

T

Reaching ‘Nones’

Young people are increasingly joining the ranks of the religiously unaffiliated, or

“nones.” In 2015, 23% of all U.S. adults, and more than one-third of millennials, said their religion was “nothing in particular,” according to Pew Research Center.

In a 2018 Barna Group survey of Generation Z teenagers, 35% claimed to be atheist, agnostic or unaffiliated. The share of atheists among Gen Z was double that of the U.S. adult population (13% vs. 6%).

In his forthcoming book, The Nones: Where They Came From, Who They Are, and Where They Are Going, political scientist Ryan Burge examines the complex cultural and sociological forces driving the rise of the “nones” and their characteristics within generational cohorts.

Burge points out that while it’s common to see people in their 20s leave their childhood religious traditions, many baby boomers returned to church in their 30s and 40s. So far, that has not been the case with aging millennials (the oldest of whom turn 40 this year).

Burge makes this observation: Dozens of books on church growth have tried to glean insights from the way the baby boomers drifted in and out of a religious community, but the reality is that this was a unique moment in American history, and strategies for evangelizing millennials shouldn’t be based on the findings derived from prior generations.

We can’t expect to reach this generation of young adults by using all the same

What motivates young adults to reach their peers for Christ?

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 87

It’s time to move beyond church growth methods and toward relational discipleship in environments that instill a deep sense of destiny and Kingdom responsibility.

methods from previous generations. We also can’t expect to mobilize them with the same missional narratives.

By “missional narratives,” I mean the stories that create urgency and motivate people to engage in evangelism. For example, boomers and Generation X responded to stories about church decline in the West.

According to this narrative, the European and North American world was predominantly more Christian at one point in history.

Having declined in influence and numbers, churches needed to regain this lost ground, take back the culture, and lead the nation to repentance.

One of the strategies was to grow churches by increasing Sunday worship attendance, especially among the unchurched and de-churched. For several decades, this motivation and strategy seemed to work well in mobilizing boomers and Gen-X leaders to innovate Sunday services and develop new kinds of church facilities.

However, to Burge’s point, tackling the decline in church attendance may not be the motivating factor for the younger generation as it was for previous generations.

A New Narrative

Daniel Yang is director of the Send Institute, a think tank for evangelism and church planting in North America.

88 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

Today’s generation is waiting for the Church to empower them for outreach. They want to be participants and leaders in a global movement of God. They want to engage in community and bring hope to hurting people, locally and globally.

This is a different motivator than church decline. And it is not the same as the social gospel. It’s about starting and leading missional communities.

This narrative doesn’t hearken people back to a golden age. It calls them out to create better futures and to pursue a way of living and being that is different from the world around them. It’s missional and monastic. It’s evangelistic and existential. It’s about changing priorities and changing lives.

The globe has become this generation’s context. World issues are just as pertinent

as local issues. Some young people believe, rightly or wrongly, that global Christianity is more authentic than American Christianity.

Technology and social media have made this generation more aware of issues that are important to the Church around the world — from Christians dealing with persecution in Iran to ministry leaders working to stop sex trafficking in India. This is the Church in action, and it often looks different to young adults than the church they experienced growing up.

Empowering young people to participate in the Church’s mission isn’t a strategy as much as a culture-shaping value. It’s an intentional decision to stop treating them as consumers and instead invite them to become contributors and creators. It’s an expectation and a conviction that young people are capable and eager to do what it takes to see the lives of their peers transformed by the gospel.

As pastors, leaders and mentors of young adults, the story we tell them should be the same one Jesus told His disciples when He said, “You will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8).

Let’s encourage Spirit-filled young people to take the message of Christ not only to their friends, but also to their world. It’s not a matter of saving our traditions and institutions, but of saving people for eternity.

We can unleash a powerful movement by mobilizing and empowering our young people. It’s time to move beyond church growth methods and toward relational discipleship in environments that instill a deep sense of destiny and Kingdom responsibility.

Stories like Wallar’s give us hope, and should stir us to imagine the possibilities of what God can do through young adults. We’re seeing a new generation of leaders who are passionate about advancing the Kingdom.

Jesus didn’t invite His followers to become passive consumers filling stadium seating.

He commanded them to, “Go and make disciples.” Similarly, the call for today’s young people to evangelize their generation must be less about “come and consume” and more about “go and create.”

MEGA SPORTS CAMP®

GET YOUR CHURCH’S OUTREACH

OFF THE BENCH!

Re-connect your church to the community and get the kids outside when you hold a MEGA Sports Camp outreach, the sports VBS unlike any other.

Through action-packed sports training sessions mixed with interactive rallies, kids will have fun and meet the One who is beyond legendary—Jesus!

2021 Theme Legendary: Journey to the Hall of Fame Kids want to be just like their favorite sports legends, so show them that becoming a legend takes perseverance, hard work, and teamwork!

$149.99

(MSRP $189.99)

Check out MEGASportsCamp.com to find out more or order now!

Suicide Crisis The

and the Church LES W E L K

T

he word “pandemic” has assumed a front row seat in contemporary American dialogue since the arrival of COVID-19. However, we tend to overlook a pandemic of another nature that is sweeping our world: suicide.

Globally, more than 800,000 people end their own lives each year. Suicide rates have steadily increased over the past two decades, both around the world and in the United States.

During 2018 (the most recent year for which data is available), 48,344 Americans ended their own lives, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This translates to an average of 132 suicide deaths daily — or one every 10 to 11 minutes.

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in our nation, claiming victims at nearly triple the rate of homicides.

Add to this the countless numbers of hurting souls who grapple with suicidal ideation, and we begin to grasp the

90 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

size of the problem. (The CDC reports that in 2018, 1.4 million U.S. adults attempted suicide, and 12 million had serious thoughts of suicide.)

A threat to life of this magnitude deserves attention and action, both inside and outside the Church. The members of our congregations are not immune from this pandemic.

It is a problem that pervades society. In recent years, even some prominent pastors have taken their own lives, leaving families, friends and churches to deal with the tragic aftermath.

Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

It is time to acknowledge the warning signs and become proactive, because every child of God and every Kingdom laborer is simply too valuable to lose. It is time to provide safe harbors of God’s grace and healing that encourage colleagues and fellow believers to be honest about their

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in our nation. struggles. It is time to address with love and courage the chronic issues that can make suicide seem like the best or only option for escape from the pain.

Proven weapons in this battle include heightened awareness, healthy dialogue, and provision of biblically and psychologically sound mental health principles and resources.

I chair the Assemblies of God Mental Health Committee, a group of godly and capable mental health providers and pastoral caregivers from our Fellowship. Doug Clay, general superintendent of the Assemblies of God, commissioned the committee to promote mental health among our ministers and adherents.

In the articles that follow, members of the Mental Health Committee address the topic of suicidality from three distinct perspectives. Jonathan Mussett writes candidly about his own struggle with depression and suicidal ideation. Counselor Jared Pingleton

provides insight to help pastors identify and respond to people who are at risk. And Donald Lichi and Barbara Gilliam offer guidance for those who oversee other ministers.

These colleagues share a common desire to alert, inform and equip our Fellowship, so that we can curb this deadly pandemic called suicide in our homes, churches and communities.

Les Welk, a pastoral counselor and vice president for Ministry Resources International in Kirkland, Washington, provides pastoral care and counsel to pastors, missionaries, and full-time vocational Christian workers. A former pastor and superintendent of the Northwest Ministry Network, Welk serves as chair of the General Council of the Assemblies of God Mental Health Committee.

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 91

Shepherds in the Valley Emer g ing From Death’s Shadow Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 23:4

J ON AT HA N MU SS ET T

92 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 93

S

everal years ago, I found myself in a deep valley.

In the darkest midnight of that season, while my family slept, I was wrestling with an unexpected thought: Maybe your family would be better off without this grief.

The whisper of the enemy was close, telling me, “You’ll never make it. It will never get better. Just end it.”

By all external metrics, I had everything going for me.

I was married to the love of my life, with two wonderful kids, a nice home, and a successful career. But internally, I was struggling.

By day, I gave hope to others as a counselor. Yet at night, hope diminished. A colleague connected to the counseling, consulting, and supervision practice I owned made a mistake at another company that directly impacted my company and me. The situation created immense anxiety, stress and pressure.

I survived the dark night unharmed by realizing the suicidal thoughts were lies of the enemy; but the battle wasn’t over. More sleepless nights followed. On another night, I prayed, “God, I did everything right. Fix this situation and help me trust You.” In that moment, I sensed God saying, “I know you did everything right. So did Joseph in Egypt. He didn’t stay in the pit forever, and neither will you. You are going to make it. Just trust Me, and I will lead you through it.”

After several months, the situation was fully resolved.

God answered my prayer, kept His promise, and walked me through the valley. Looking back, I realize He was speaking truth and life over me the whole time.

God told me through His Word that I still had a hope and a future and that He would never leave me nor forsake me.

In that season, John 1:4–5 became real to me: “In [Jesus] was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

When I was in the dark, Jesus became my light. Jesus showed me the darkness could not overcome Him, that I could trust Him, and that He could do the impossible. If Jesus did it for me, He will do it for you.

So, if you’re in a dark valley today, there’s hope. Don’t believe the lie of the enemy. Don’t give in to emotions or succumb to the difficulties you face. Believe the voice of Jesus, and turn to Him. God responds to desperate cries for help. He is close to the brokenhearted and those who are crushed in spirit.

Ask God to shine light and hope into your darkness. Pray

94 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

Psalm 118:17 over your life: “I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done.”

If you’re struggling today, here are six ways to thrive in the valley — and make it out on the other side:

1. Keep Moving

In moments of extreme stress, our instinctive human response is fight, flight or freeze. Fear and pain can paralyze us. However, the valley should be a temporary destination, not a permanent residence.

As a shepherd, David understood that sheep and shepherds were vulnerable in valleys, where flash floods swept through narrow passes, and predators and bandits sometimes hid in the shadows. The traveler in the parable of the Good Samaritan was robbed, beaten and left for dead as he descended into a valley.

If you’re in the “valley of the shadow of death” right now, keep walking until you get through it (Psalm 23:4, ESV). Valleys become graves when you get stuck.

2. Reconnect With God

If you are overworked, reconnect with God. After the Mount Carmel miracle, Elijah was depleted. But instead of reconnecting with God, he became distracted. In a vulnerable moment, Elijah listened to the curses of Jezebel instead of the promises of God. Elijah let fear rattle his faith. At his lowest point, this great man of faith said, “I have had enough, Lord. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors” (1 Kings 19:4).

If voices of fear, death and despair are yelling at you, tell them to be silent in Jesus’ name. In Matthew 10:1, Jesus gave His disciples power over sickness and demonic power.

Don’t neglect your devotional life. Put away the digital distractions, and make time for what’s most important.

Likes, follows, and comments on social media are cotton candy for the soul. They taste good but leave you empty.

Reengage your spiritual disciplines. Meditate on God’s Word, listen to worship music, pray, and ask God to refill your empty soul.

Go back to your “first” moments with Jesus. Pursue His transforming power like you did when you first met Jesus, said “yes” to His saving grace, and invited Him to lead your life. Go back to when the Holy Spirit first filled you to overflowing — when He spoke dreams, meaning, and purpose to you, and when He called you into ministry.

Pray these prayers: “Jesus, help me,” “Jesus, save me,”

and “Jesus, be with me.” Reconnecting with Jesus will help you move forward.

3. Sleep

Sleep is vital. Elijah’s life was unbalanced because he wasn’t resting. In 1 Kings 19:5, he finally broke down and fell asleep.

I survived the dark night unharmed by realizing the suicidal thoughts were lies of the enemy; but the battle wasn’t over.

Many of us can relate. Pastor Mark Batterson describes sleep as a “stewardship issue.” When we don’t sleep enough, we are not taking care of the temple of the Holy Spirit.

The body and mind need sleep to rest, regenerate and heal. Sleep deprivation increases anxiety and depression because the body never fully resets.

Some researchers even suggest a lack of sleep lowers cognitive function in the same way as drinking alcohol.

In other words, living in a sleep-deprived state is similar to being intoxicated. Without enough sleep, the mind gets foggy, the heart and soul become discouraged, and the body slowly degenerates.

Don’t let Satan steal your sleep. He wants you to toil from sunup to sunset. Satan will capitalize on any vulnerability — pride, ambition, selfishness, or insecurity — to take you out. He will suggest you haven’t done enough and tell you to stay up longer and later.

As a counselor, I’ve worked with many people who had secret struggles. The pattern is predictable. Satan tempts overwhelmed and depleted individuals to find comfort and relief in unhealthy substances, other people, or behaviors. Any solution outside of God leads to guilt and shame.

The enemy seeks to deaden the conscience, dilute the anointing, destroy life-giving relationships, and ultimately wreck the body, mind, and soul of the believer.

Midnight indulgences never fill an empty heart.

Instead, seek God. Let Him reassure you, and then go to sleep. If you can’t sleep because of a burden on your heart, get up and pray. Allow the Holy Spirit to intercede for you through “wordless groans” (Romans 8:26). Once the burden breaks, go back to bed.

4. Lean on Others

In Elijah’s despondent moment, God reminded him he was not alone (1 Kings 19:18). That is important to know, especially when we’re walking through a dark valley.

For many of us, ministry is lonely, even though we are surrounded by staff, volunteer leaders, and congregants.

In Genesis 2:18, God declares Adam’s solitude “not good.”

Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 says, “Two are better than one … .

If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.”

If you’re married, invite your spouse into your struggle.

Your spouse may not be able to fix what you’re dealing with, but as your God-given helper and covenant partner, he or she can help you carry your burdens to God (Galatians 6:2).

As the old maxim says, a trouble shared is a trouble

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 95

halved. So, if you’re alone in the valley, run toward your spouse, not away from your marriage.

In addition, forge same-gender friendships. Find someone who will answer your call or text any time of the day or night. In the Garden of Gethsemane, as Jesus agonized over the difficult journey ahead, He didn’t disconnect. Jesus pulled people closer. He told the 11 disciples who remained, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me” (Matthew 26:38).

If you are walking through a dark valley, follow Jesus’ example. Ask friends, pastors, and ministry leaders you know and trust to come closer — to watch and pray with you. They understand the challenges and pressures you face, and they will encourage you. If you don’t yet have a close friend and prayer partner, ask God to lead you to that person, and trust Him to do it.

Finally, if you’re really struggling, find a counselor.

This isn’t a professional recommendation but a personal appeal. I went to a counselor in my dark season to get perspective and support. I needed to be the best husband, father, and man of God I could be.

Healthy people produce healthy ministry. One goal of the Assemblies of God is “a healthy church in every community.” However, I believe we also need to cultivate a healthy leader in every church and ministry family.

Invest in your health. You, your family, and your ministry deserve it.

5. Consider Medication

If you are anxious or depressed, consider starting medication under the guidance of a physician. Daniel Amen — a leading Christian psychiatrist, New York Times best-selling author, and graduate of Vanguard University — discovered through 150,000 scans that brains with anxiety and depression are overactive in certain areas and underactive in others. Medication balances the brain by essentially turning down overactive areas and turning up underactive areas.

Medication has been profoundly helpful for many people I know. And I have personally taken medication at different points in my life to assist with a disorder I’ve had since childhood.

Needing medication does not mean you lack faith; it just means you are committed to adjusting an imbalance in your brain. If you have symptoms of anxiety or depression, talk with your doctor and ask whether medication would be appropriate for you.

96 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

6. Pursue the Anointing

In difficult seasons, pursue the anointing — that is, a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit — because it protects the mind and provides healing.

During biblical times (and even today), sheep were vulnerable to nose bot flies. The fly larvae burrow into the noses of sheep, causing extreme discomfort. In their agitation, infested sheep may seek relief by hitting their faces on trees, rocks or the ground, causing injury and even death.

In A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23, Phillip Keller suggests a shepherd would anoint the head of an injured sheep with olive oil to wash away the flies and heal wounds. If so, Psalm 23:5 offers a wonderful metaphor of the spiritual power of anointing.

If you’re under spiritual attack in your mind and heart, welcome the Holy Spirit into your struggle. God’s Spirit “does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7). Ask the Spirit to fill you with joy (Luke 10:21; Acts 13:52; 1 Thessalonians 1:6) and set you free from anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.

Make Paul’s prayer in Romans 15:13 your own: “May the God of hope fill [me] with all joy and peace as [I] trust in him, so that [I] may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

If God has called you, He has anointed you.

Samuel anointed David king over Israel, and “from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David” (1 Samuel 16:13). David still faced great difficulties, made mistakes, and even experienced times of depression. Yet he continually looked to God as the Source of his strength.

Therefore David was able to say, “the Lord turns my darkness into light. … He shields all who take refuge in him” (2 Samuel 22:29,31).

May God reanoint you in this season and empower you through His Holy Spirit. If you’re in a dark valley today, I pray God will save and sustain you to “live … and proclaim what the Lord has done” (Psalm 118:17).

Jonathan Mussett is the assistant lead pastor at Westover Hills Church (AG) in San Antonio, Texas. He holds a Ph.D. in marriage and family therapy and is dual licensed as a professional counselor and marriage and family therapist in Texas. He serves on the General Council of the Assemblies of God Mental Health Committee.

GET EQUIPPED WITH ENGAGING LESSONS CONNECT KIDS TO THE HOLY SPIRIT BE CONFIDENT YOU’RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Visit TruFireCurriculum.com for sample lessons.

1.855.642.2011 • MYHEALTHYCHURCH.COM

98 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

Ministry to Suicidal People H ow to Pastor Those in C r isis JARED PINGLETON

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 99

S

uicide. It is among the most chilling and ominous words in the English language. Few terms evoke more intense visceral reactions or painful human emotions. It represents a scourge of broken hearts, wasted potential, overwhelming helplessness, and prematurely extinguished lives.

But what does this have to do with church leaders?

Aren’t Christians — particularly pastors — immune from such temptation, turmoil and tragedy?

Suicide is a widespread, complex and controversial topic spiritually, socially and psychologically. If people are honest with themselves, most would admit they have, in a vulnerable moment, entertained fantasies or fleeting thoughts of what it might be like to escape their painful circumstances. All of us experience desperation, hopelessness, and despondency at times to some degree.

So how do we effectively minister to those struggling with suicidal thoughts, feelings and impulses? As with most things, first we must acknowledge the reality and magnitude of the issues.

For too long, many sectors of the Church have been in denial about mental illness. People everywhere are hurting, conflicted and oppressed — in epidemic numbers and in unprecedented ways. Churches are made up of real people who have real needs and need real help.

Christians, even pastors, contemplate and commit suicide. The Church must end the silence, expose the secrets, eliminate the shame, and erase the stigma surrounding mental and relational health issues.

God’s Word is not silent, secretive, shame-inducing, or stigmatizing about human problems, not even when it comes to the disturbing topic of suicide. The Bible doesn’t whitewash its characters or gloss over their struggles.

In fact, Scripture lists seven people who took their own lives: Abimelech (Judges 9:52–54); Samson (Judges 16:23–31); Saul and his armor bearer (1 Samuel 31:1–5); Ahithophel (2 Samuel 17:23); Zimri (1 Kings 16:18);

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 800-273-TALK. For expert crisis care from a biblical worldview, call the Assemblies of God HelpLine at Emerge Ministries at 800-867-4011, or visit the Focus on the Family Christian Counselors Network at christiancounselors.network.

100 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

and most notoriously, Judas Iscariot (Matthew 27:3–5).

Furthermore, several of God’s chosen leaders — including Elijah, David and Jonah — grappled with suicidal thoughts and feelings. Many biblical passages poignantly describe sorrowful lament, intense loneliness, confusing meaninglessness, extreme desperation, excruciating agony, and abject hopelessness.

The question for the contemporary Church is: How can we minister effectively to those struggling with suicidality?

Prevent

It is certainly true that prevention is easier, and more effective, than cure. Although it is not always possible to get upstream from a person’s suicidal struggles, there are ways to minister preventatively. Here are four important ones: 1. Practice self-care. We need to become healthy ourselves and model that health to our families and congregations. As with most things in life and ministry, we simply cannot give what we do not possess.

During an in-flight emergency, airline passengers are

supposed to put on their own oxygen masks before helping others get theirs in place. Similarly, we’ll be unable to teach and serve effectively if we neglect ourselves.

Yet many Christians, especially pastors, feel guilty about caring for their personal needs. They endeavor to somehow love their neighbor better than they love themselves, which is functionally impossible.

Healthy and appropriate self-care is indispensable.

Ministry is fraught with unique stressors, endemic loneliness, and frequent discouragement. Above all, we must guard and care for our hearts and teach our flocks to do the same (Proverbs 4:23).

2. End the shame and stigma. We need to make ourselves and our churches emotionally safe places for hurting people to share their pain and struggles. For many people, that large room where congregations have traditionally met has been anything but a true sanctuary. Fears of criticism, judgment and rejection have kept hurting people from being open and transparent about their suffering and struggles.

We all need to internalize and appropriate the love, grace, mercy and forgiveness of Jesus Christ. Silence,

secrecy, shame and stigma often keep churches from becoming safe havens or refuges for hurting people and broken relationships.

3. Teach others. We must courageously and compassionately shine light, speak truth, and spread salt into our darkened, deluded and decaying world.

In a 2014 LifeWay Research survey, 23% of Protestant senior pastors reported personally struggling with mental illness. Yet 66% of pastors said they seldom preach or teach about mental illness.

We need church leaders to address suicidality and other mental and relational health issues. This means learning about these topics so we can speak knowledgeably. It may also mean sharing lessons from our own experiences.

4. Reach out to the hurting. Finally, we need pragmatic strategies for ministering to people in their sorrow, whether they are wrestling with mental illness, experiencing a relational problem, or grieving the loss of a loved one.

The suffering, wounded and traumatized are vulnerable to isolation and despair, but they are also often receptive to the gospel.

The Church must end the silence, expose the secrets, eliminate the shame, and erase the stigma surrounding mental and relational health issues.

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 101

Let’s not miss opportunities to walk alongside the brokenhearted, demonstrate the compassion of Christ, and point people to the One who offers hope and healing.

Look and Listen

Suicidality exists along a progressively escalating continuum of human angst — from painful emotions (suicidal despair), to obsessive thoughts (suicidal ideation), to destructive actions (suicidal attempts). Carefully and wisely observe these dynamics among the members of your flock.

Not everyone who talks about suicide will attempt suicide, and not everyone who attempts suicide talks openly about it beforehand. Thus, it is imperative to take seriously every threat of suicide, however implicit or vague. Even if you suspect someone is just pleading for help or dramatically seeking attention, don’t underestimate the danger.

There is a significant difference between various types of suicidal threats, gestures, and even attempts. For example, studies show teenage girls express suicidality the most frequently but with the lowest lethality. Conversely, older males talk about it and threaten it the least, but have the highest rate of completed suicide.

But make no mistake: Suicide does not discriminate.

People of any age, gender or ethnicity can be at risk for attempting suicide — which can be destructive even when it is not fatal. Some who survive a suicide attempt end up with brain damage or other life-altering injuries.

Suicidal behavior is complex, and there is no single or universal cause. Although many different factors can contribute to a person’s suicidal struggles, there are a number of shared characteristics. (See the sidebars on indicators and risk factors.)

Suicidal ideation often occurs when a person feels unable to cope with an overwhelming situation. This could stem from financial problems, the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, or a debilitating illness or serious health condition.

Ask

What should you do if you think someone is depressed or suicidal? As uncomfortable as it may be, start by kindly and compassionately asking how the person is doing emotionally.

Of course, this is easier if you have a relationship with the individual. An old adage suggests the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, and the second best time is now.

102 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

The same principle applies here. The best time to build a relationship with a person in crisis is before the crisis, but the second best time is today.

Many pastors are understandably hesitant to inquire about a parishioner’s mental health. Leaders may worry about embarrassment or hurt feelings, but navigating an awkward moment is far easier than preaching the funeral of someone who died tragically, prematurely and unnecessarily.

navigating an awkward moment is far easier than preaching the funeral of someone who died tragically, prematurely and unnecessarily.

Asking in a loving, non-judgmental way if a person has entertained thoughts of suicide can not only yield valuable and essential information, but it can also make a fearful, anxious, depressed and overwhelmed person feel accepted, understood and valued. Being sensitive to the hearts of people is Christlike.

Keep in mind that temptation is not a sin — not even the temptation to end one’s life. However, a person who acknowledges suicidal thoughts needs help.

Intervene

If someone is suspected of being even slightly suicidal, assess the crisis by considering three key questions: 1. Is there a plan? Fleeting or even obsessive suicidal thoughts are of significantly less concern than having a clearly developed method for suicide.

2. Are there available means? Look for what is realistically accessible (e.g., weapons, medications, etc.).

3. How immediate is the threat? Someone talking about purchasing a gun is in less immediate danger than a person holding a loaded firearm.

When someone cannot or will not assure you, family members, and loved ones he or she will not act on suicidal thoughts and feelings, you must take appropriate and immediate action. If the individual will not agree to seek help, call 911. In many cases, a suicidal person must be hospitalized involuntarily.

Understand

One key to ministering effectively to those struggling with suicidal ideation is to understand their distorted thought processes. Research reveals that suicidal people almost universally hold the irrational belief that committing suicide is the best or even the only way out of their predicament. Additionally, most believe no one will miss them if they are gone.

Thus, emotionally overwhelmed people often erroneously conclude there is no hope and no help, no one cares, and nothing can change their dire situation.

People need to realize suicide never resolves anything.

They need someone to lovingly guide them into the truth that ending their life is never the best, much less only, option.

Suicidal people need both pastoral care and mental health care. Personally shepherd them as they obtain the level of professional treatment they need, from outpatient psychotherapy to inpatient stabilization.

Seek education on how to respond effectively to a

What to Watch For

Common indicators of suicidality include the following: • Feeling of being trapped or hopeless • Talk of being a burden to others • Feeling of intolerable emotional and/or physical pain • Preoccupation with violence or death • Severe mood swings • Talk of revenge, guilt or shame • Agitation or a heightened state of anxiety • Changes in personality, routine or sleep patterns • New or increased use of drugs and alcohol • Risky behavior, such as driving carelessly • Sudden desire to get affairs in order, prepare a will, give away items, etc.

• Naming a method for suicide (e.g., guns or substances) • Isolation • Psychomotor agitation, such as pacing or wringing the hands • Saying goodbye to others as though it were the last time • Loss of enjoyment in previously pleasurable activities, such as eating, exercise, social interaction, or sex • Expression of severe remorse and self-criticism • Expression of regret about being alive or ever having been born • Making statements like, “No one cares,” or, “No one would miss me if I were gone”

suicidal crisis. Just as EMTs practice CPR and other emergency interventions regularly so they do not panic in a dire situation, you should develop a plan and regularly review it.

Build trusted therapeutic referral relationships in your community. Familiarize yourself with national referral hotlines. Know the procedures in your local hospital community for both voluntarily and involuntarily placing someone for treatment.

Be there for hurting people, keep them safe, and stay connected with them.

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 103

Lead

Tragically, suicide is not always prevented. When a suicide happens, grieving family members and friends, and the community as a whole, may be receptive to the loving care, concern and compassion of your congregation.

People are often most open to the love of Jesus when they are experiencing brokenness. Yet the tremendous shame and stigma of suicide can make ministry challenging.

Suicide is devastating for those who are left behind. In addition to the grief immediate family members experience, suicide shocks and saddens churches, schools, and

Know the Risk

Regardless of whether a person articulates suicidal thoughts and feelings, primary risk factors for suicide include the following: • Depression or other mental disorders • Substance abuse disorder • Certain medical conditions, particularly those with a poor prognosis • Chronic pain • A prior suicide attempt • Sexual identity struggles • Inability to access care for mental health issues • Legal problems • Victimization by bullying • Being fired from a job • Death of a loved one • Recent divorce or rejection by a loved one • Debilitating financial crisis or extensive debt • Family history of a mental disorder or substance abuse • Family history of suicide • Family history of child abuse, neglect, incest or trauma • Family violence, including physical or sexual abuse • Having guns or other firearms in the home • Recent release from prison • Exposure to the suicidal behavior of others, such as family members, peers or celebrities

104 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

entire communities. A young person’s suicide may lead to a citywide copycat deluge of more adolescent suicides.

What can pastors and ministry leaders do? Suicide is a crisis of enormous proportions, with traumatic ramifications that will eventually impact even the smallest churches. How do we lovingly lead with compassion, care and comfort in such times? How do we help those we serve come to grips with the anguish, turmoil, guilt, outrage, confusion and heartache suicide leaves behind?

In Mandarin, there is no discreet word picture for the word “crisis.” Rather, there is a fusion of two different word pictures: the one for “danger” (we get that one) and the one for “opportunity” (which is typically less readily apparent in a crisis situation). When people in the congregation are in crisis, look for opportunities to love and serve them at the point of their pain, agony, and often abject suffering.

Many times, there are perplexing and haunting questions regarding the eternal destination of the deceased following a suicide. This is an extremely sensitive and valid concern. Yet this is not a time for arrogantly splitting theological hairs or coldly pronouncing legalistic judgment.

This is a time to defer to the loving Father and assure the family and friends of His unfailing comfort, kindness, love, understanding, grace, mercy and forgiveness. The apostle Paul said we currently see things imperfectly, and what we know is incomplete (1 Corinthians 13:12).

As with other traumatic grief situations, diligently, intentionally exercise best practices of pastoral care and ministry to the distraught loved ones. Bear in mind they are likely experiencing an overwhelming roller coaster of painful emotions, including, guilt, shame, outrage, futility, helplessness, and unrelenting sorrow. Reach out, support, encourage, listen, empathize, and pray for and with them.

And keep on doing it. They will need it.

Jared Pingleton, Psy.D., is director of Mental Health Care and Ministry for the American Association of Christian Counselors. He is a licensed clinical psychologist and Assemblies of God minister and serves on the General Council of the Assemblies of God Mental Health Committee. He is the author or co-author of eight books, including The Struggle Is Real: How to Care for Mental and Relational Health Needs in the Church.

aims to inspire, challenge and resource the entire spectrum of leadership, from lead pastor to lead volunteer. Check out our print, digital, and social media resources.

Web: influencemagazine.com Downloads: influencemagazine.com/downloads Back issues: influencemagazine.com/issues Podcast: Google Play Music, iTunes, Spotify Facebook: @ theinfluencemag Twitter: @theinfluencemag

106 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

Cari ng for Those Who Care G uidelines for Minist r y Leader s

D O NA L D A . L IC H I a n d BA RBA RA L . G IL L IA M

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 107

F

ew vocations require the kind of spiritual and emotional stamina those who labor on the frontlines of ministry must maintain.

A typical pastor is a preacher, scholar, counselor, community relations specialist, administrator, leader, subculture expert, marriage partner, parent, comforter, and soul-care provider.

The pressures from within and outside the church often lead to burnout — and sometimes a full-blown mental health crisis.

If you are a lead pastor, team leader, district leader, or presbyter, you are a minister to ministers. As such, it’s important for you to know the signs of burnout, depression, and even suicidal ideation.

Don’t assume mental illness can never affect the ministers you know. We regularly talk with church leaders who are struggling with these issues. This is a portion of a letter received from an Assemblies of God pastor (shared with permission): Three years ago, I began a descent into the darkest place of my life. Depression and suicidal thoughts consumed my energy. I had lost focus in ministry. The intimate relationship with the Lord, who once defined my identity, was replaced by my need to be successful. I turned to various program models of worship and leadership instead of Jesus Christ as the source of my sufficiency and direction. I realized I was no longer guided by the Holy Spirit but driven by an image of who I thought I should be for others.

Unsettled problems from this man’s past contributed to his depression and led him to the brink of suicide. A willingness to share his struggle with someone was the first step toward getting the help he desperately needed.

In a 2017 report from Barna Group, nearly half of U.S. pastors said they had suffered from depression at some point over the course of their ministry. Over the past year, many more have struggled.

Just as mental health problems have increased within the general population amid the pandemic, church leaders are feeling the added strain as well. So, what can you do to help your fellow ministers?

Know the Signs

As you work with the ministers under your care, be especially attentive to the following signs of burnout and mental health issues: • Comments related to persistent hopelessness,

108 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

despair, sadness, and apathy • A new habit of showing up late for meetings, being unprepared, or procrastinating essential duties • A change in physical health, such as drastic weight gain or loss, or new complaints of illness or pain • Increased cynicism or a sudden lack of empathy toward congregants • New and persistent complaints about ecclesiastical leadership, the board, or the congregation • Withdrawal and a desire to escape • Poor concentration • Loss of interest in things that once brought joy and restoration • Negative self-talk • Loss of esteem, problems with the congregation or board, or setbacks in plans and programs • Insufficient sleep • Lack of recreational activities • A decline in the ability to manage time

• A belief that God doesn’t care or has been unfair • Comments about marital trouble or diminished sex drive, or evidence of inappropriate sexual behavior (e.g., pornography, illicit massage parlors, extramarital affair) The accumulation of stress in ministry, combined with a lack of restorative activities, is a recipe for burnout and depression.

Those in ministry are special targets of spiritual attack.

If the enemy can bring discouragement to a church leader, he can hinder the work of the gospel.

Provide Support

Be a safe person with whom pastors and staff members can share in confidence their spiritual and emotional struggles. Walk with them in their difficult times, provide options for immediate help, and design a long-term spiritual and mental health regimen for them.

Cultivate an atmosphere of grace, where people feel

comfortable sharing their feelings with you and bearing one another’s burdens.

Ministers struggling with depression and suicidal ideation are often ashamed to talk about their problems.

They may think they have failed as spiritual leaders. Many people in ministry feel pressure to live up to an unrealistic image of perfection.

The late Richard D. Dobbins, founder of Emerge Counseling Ministries, often said, “It is hard to be honest around people who are trying to appear perfect.”

Some destructive thought patterns are the result of unresolved past issues. Everybody has a history that includes the good, the bad and the ugly. Help the pastor increase self-awareness and understanding by looking back and inward.

Formative experiences and childhood memories play a key role in how we function in adulthood. Mental health crises sometimes arise from family secrets and early trauma.

A secret revealed tends to lose its power. Every pastor

Just as mental health problems have increased within the general population amid the pandemic, church leaders are feeling the added strain as well.

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 109

needs a pain partner — someone they can trust to share their heart and confide their fears.

Sometimes you simply need to ask some direct, albeit difficult, questions, such as these: • Do you feel compelled to please others and project an image of being able to do it all?

• Do you set unrealistic goals and have unrealistic expectations of yourself and others?

• Are you experiencing marital or family problems?

• Have you experienced losses in finances, health, esteem, or significant relationships?

• Have you used pornography, alcohol or drugs to self-medicate?

Next Steps

If, after asking these questions, you determine the minister to be at risk for self-harm, what should you do next?

Ask whether the person has the intention, means and plans to do self-harm. Let him or her know you have an obligation to provide care and that you must break confidence to obtain help. You may need to call 911 or contact a close family member. You might offer to escort the person to the hospital or nearest emergency care facility.

Remember these four R’s: • Rapport. Keep the person talking until you can obtain help.

• Reassurance. Provide encouragement and hope through Spirit-directed words, Scripture, prayer, and an offer to walk with the person through this dark valley.

• Revelation. Listen with empathy and understanding.

Help the person see there are other alternatives to self-harm, such as seeking medical help, taking a sabbatical, resting, and developing a more constructive rhythm of life.

• Reorganization. Help the person evaluate and modify routines and take positive steps toward better health.

Bereavement Ministry

Sadly, you may find yourself in the position of comforting the family of a minister who committed suicide.

Compassion is crucial. The family will likely experience guilt and shame — guilt for not having seen the signs or done more to prevent the death, and shame because of taboos surrounding suicide.

Of course, there will be theological questions as to the

110 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

eternal destiny of the deceased. Remind the family God is good and righteous. He cares for their loved one and knows all things, including the person’s internal struggles.

Don’t allow death by suicide to be all that defines the deceased. Take the person’s whole life into account.

Grieve with those who grieve, and don’t focus on the “why” and “how” questions.

Many parishioners are curious about the details and often want to know more than they need to know. Let the family determine which details of their loved one’s death should be shared publicly.

Remember, there are many factors leading up to a person’s decision to take the drastic step of suicide. This is

Not every question has to have an answer on this side of eternity.

Sometimes it is far better just to sit with those who are grieving than to offer answers.

a time for listening, not problem solving. Provide sacred space to let the family and congregation process their emotions.

Not every question has to have an answer on this side of eternity. Sometimes it is far better just to sit with those who are grieving than to offer answers. Assure the family and church that Jesus’ promise to be with us always is a reliable source of comfort (Matthew 28:20).

Frequent follow-up is critical, and referral to a local grief support group is highly recommended.

Your ongoing care for a post-suicidal family and church will keep them anchored to Christ and to one another.

Find ways to celebrate and commemorate the per-

son’s life. Contribute to a cause in the community, especially something that was important to the deceased.

The family may also suggest that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to a cause that was meaningful to their loved one.

Help the entire congregation through the grief process.

Normalize their grief rather than deny its true and raw emotions. Pray through the pain. Let people know it is OK to cry out openly and honestly to God. Allow time and space for the Holy Spirit to help the congregation see the painful situation in a more redemptive way, and thank God for the grace and strength He gives in our time of greatest need.

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 111

Preach on depression, grief, loss, and unanswered questions related to death by suicide. Texts might include God’s question to Cain in Genesis 4:6; His compassion for Hagar in Genesis 21:9–12; and the Messiah’s ministry to the brokenhearted and grief-stricken in Isaiah 61:1–3.

There are numerous examples of people in the Bible who struggled with depression and hopelessness. You might wish to do a survey of Job, Elijah or Jonah, for example.

Keep in mind that once you talk openly about these tough topics, many people will feel safe to share their own fears and concerns. As a result, your counseling load may greatly increase.

Being a leader to leaders is a daunting task.

But it is also an opportunity to advance God’s kingdom by shepherding those who shepherd others.

112 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

Hope and Healing

In Christ, there is help and hope for the hurting. Jesus is able to turn around the situations of ministers who are contemplating the unthinkable.

The letter from the Assemblies of God pastor goes on to testify about God’s ability to change lives: God’s supernatural power and love kept me from destruction. Jesus walked into my room in the psychiatric hospital, and everything started to change. I have found my way back to sitting and resting at the feet of Jesus and discovering His resurrection power once again. Most importantly, I have my identity back as God’s son, and that is all I really need to be successful.

Being a leader to leaders is a daunting task. But it is also an opportunity to advance God’s kingdom by shepherding those who shepherd others.

One of the most important ways to promote healthy habits is to model them. Be aware of the emotions in your own life that surface when dealing with various types of crises. Find a pain partner with whom you can share your heart. Seek counseling when you need it.

You are a burden bearer to those who are in ministry.

This calls for compassion, as well as a willingness to do difficult things and ask difficult questions.

Ask God to examine your heart and reveal any issues that need attention — and to give you insight, discernment and grace as you point others toward the life-giving power of Jesus.

Don Lichi, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and vice president of Emerge Counseling Ministries. He serves on the General Council of the Assemblies of God Mental Health Committee.

Barbara L. Gilliam, D. Min., is founder of Compassionate Wisdom Works, a ministry dedicated to resourcing and educating churches and organizations on addiction and mental health. An ordained Assemblies of God minister and former pastor, she serves on the General Council of the Assemblies of God Mental Health Committee.

CALLED TO FULL-TIME MINISTRY? We believe that the college experience and a ministry internship go hand-in-hand.

Students have the opportunity to pursue their degree through our academic provider, Southwestern Assemblies of God University [SAGU], which offers degree programs at a discounted rate to Partner Sites.

SAGU’s degree programs are designed to equip students with the tools they need to succeed as leaders in ministry and the workplace.

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @SAGULIFE VISIT US ONLINE AT SAGULIFE.COM TO PLAN A VISIT TODAY

PASSION PURPOSE PREPERATION

THIS IS MY STORY

New Life After

SHEILA HARPER

My abortion was the most regrettable mistake of my life .

114 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

N

o little girl ever dreams of the day she can grow up and have an abortion. Yet, on March 29, 1985, that was me. I believed I was ridding myself of a problem. In reality, I was making a choice that changed the trajectory of my life.

As a young child, I experienced sexual abuse from a family member. I carried the shame from that abuse for many years. The enemy planted lies in my mind about who I was and why I was created, distorting the way I thought of myself and God. I later came to know the Lord through a church my school friends were attending. I fell in love with Jesus, but I didn’t understand He could transform my thinking. So, I continued believing I was worthless.

In college, I met a young man who swept me off my feet and away from church. Eighteen

months later, I was living alone, struggling to make ends meet, and pregnant. I was in disbelief that everything had changed so quickly and drastically.

I turned to a friend, who recommended abortion. Her advice was what I wanted to hear. It seemed like an easy way out.

I informed the young man, who pleaded with me not to abort. I thought he wasn’t thinking straight. I believed I could have this abortion and get right back to life.

Besides, I figured the Supreme Court would not legalize abortion if it was wrong.

I could not have been more misguided. My abortion was the most regrettable mistake of my life. I spent the next seven years trying to forget that day. When drugs and alcohol didn’t make me forget, I attempted suicide.

God never stopped loving me and pursuing me. But the abortion compounded my twisted sense of identity, making the enemy’s lies bigger and louder in my head. I saw everything in

my life through the filter of abuse and abortion. I was convinced I had no future, no hope, and no purpose.

During those seven years, I married, and we had two children right away. I was mentally unstable and took my family on an emotional rollercoaster.

Then one day, I heard a radio commercial from a local pregnancy center. They were advertising a class for people who were struggling after abortion. In that moment, it was as if a heavenly host of angels were singing, and a light shone on my car.

I couldn’t believe there were others who were suffering too. I started attending the class weekly, and my life was transformed.

That simple Bible study introduced me to a Jesus who loved and forgave me. He changed my identity by washing away the lies with His truth. Since then, I’ve been unable to keep quiet about Jesus’ saving grace.

I immediately volunteered at the center and taught their abortion recovery program.

Repeatedly, I heard the phrase, “If I could just save one unborn baby, I would tell my story.”

God revealed to me that the abortion wounded needed a platform to tell their stories so we could indeed “save one.” He showed me through Revelation 12:11 that our stories are more powerful than the enemy.

This realization was the catalyst for starting SaveOne, a global nonprofit that helps people recover after abortion. It has been 20 years since its founding, and SaveOne is making a difference around the world.

We offer three studies for abortionwounded women, men and families. Churches can offer one abortion recovery small group, with each person using a book pertaining to his or her situation.

Over the years, I have come to realize sexual trauma and abortion are frequently intertwined. The enemy uses sexual abuse to bring confusion and destruction, often on multiple generations.

In Jesus, we can find healing and forgiveness. Truth sets us free, but before we can experience freedom, we must uncover the lies

holding us in bondage. When a person is looking at life through the filter of abuse, abortion seems justifiable.

It’s easy for hurting people to think, How could someone like me be a good parent? I’m already ruined; an abortion isn’t going to hurt me. Who would ever want someone like me, especially with a kid?

These are just a few of the things we have heard from those seeking help after abortion.

Truth sets us free, but before we can experience freedom, we must uncover the lies holding us in bondage.

Some people have asked me whether I was able to forgive my abuser. The answer is “yes.”

After months of counseling, God did a miraculous work in my heart to help me forgive. In fact, God even gave me a heart of love toward that person. He can do the same for you.

When we speak of what God has done in our lives, our testimonies become more powerful than Satan’s tactics.

Never underestimate your story. Speak it loudly. Speak it often. Overcome the enemy.

Our stories are powerful tools in the hands of a powerful God!

Sheila Harper is founder and president of SaveOne, an international outreach ministry for people suffering after an abortion.

She is the author of 10 books, including SaveOne: A Guide to Emotional Healing After Abortion , which has been translated and distributed in 20 languages.

For more information, visit info@saveone.org.

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 115

116 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

Assemblies of God

COLLEGE

GUIDE

2021 118 The Case for Pentecostal Higher Education 128 AG Colleges and Universities

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 117

The Case for Pentecostal Higher Education

Three ways Pentecostal higher education is making a difference today PAU L R . A LEXA N DER

118 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

S

ince the founding of the University of Paris during the 13th century, colleges and universities have been at the center of the majority of social and scientific developments in the Western world.

By the 17th century, universities in Scotland (the poorest nation in Europe at the time), became the seedbed for Enlightenment thought, much of which found its way into our own Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution.

American universities like Harvard, Yale and Princeton started as places to train ministers and subsequently

became centers of influence. Most of our presidents have had the advantage of a rigorous college education. To this day, our universities are the envy of the whole world, and thousands of people flock to them from around the globe each year.

It is difficult to argue against the value of higher education to a society and nation. Admittedly, many universities seem to have surrendered careful, objective thought to a radical, secular agenda. As a result, many people of faith have a deep sense of suspicion regarding the role and place of colleges and universities.

Thankfully, not all institutions of learning have abandoned their Christian roots. Here are three ways Pentecostal higher education is making a difference today:

Christian Witness

The world we live in largely exists in an economy based on the exchange of ideas. This is true in the human sciences, formal sciences, and applied sciences. When completely secularized, this exchange of ideas creates a warped worldview, and society generally pays the price.

Rigorous thought informed by a biblical worldview helps a society function better, protects life, and creates economic systems that can sustain wealth and wellbeing.

A biblical worldview also ensures creation care, genuine compassion, and a profound commitment to fairness, justice, and care for the poor.

The best place to rigorously develop a biblical worldview, from my perspective, is in the inspired and committed atmosphere of an institution that is thoroughly Pentecostal.

Future school teachers who spend hours in chapel over the course of their studies will be dedicated to their students.

Business professionals educated in a Pentecostal environment will be committed to high standards of service delivery.

Scientists who have a deeply embedded faith, an experience of the Holy Spirit’s work, and the mentorship of godly professors will unselfishly seek effective ways to enhance human existence.

We simply cannot resign the need

to think deeply, understand history, and care for our planet and its multitudes to secular-minded academics serving in institutions that deny the existence of God. Pentecostal leaders and Pentecostal academics must rise to the challenge of facilitating great thinking centers around the world. These centers are primarily our institutions of higher learning. Highly effective Pentecostal thinking centers enhance our witness to the world.

Christian Culture

Most sociologists agree institutions within a society are the primary conduits of culture. The first of these institutions is the family, but schools, churches, and places of higher learning are also important to a society and a culture. Many of the ideas that shape our culture today were discussed in our classrooms at least 30 years ago.

A good test of what our society will look like by the middle of this century is to analyze the curriculum in our universities. Taking responsibility for training and educating the next generation is an antidote to the erosion of cultural values held dear by Christians.

The best place for this to occur is in institutions of higher learning that are unapologetically Pentecostal.

Having Pentecostal institutions that act as a bulwark to a secular society is a luxury that might not last forever. There are already ominous signs that government support for Christian higher education is waning. Our universities and colleges are worth fighting for.

Churches across the country should feel obligated to financially support our schools. Our ministry and Bible faculties are central to the maintenance of a defendable faith and deserve prayer and ongoing support.

Sustaining our strong, confessional distinctives is everyone’s responsibility. The loss of Pentecostal institutions of higher learning would impoverish us all and deliver an insipid faith to the next generation.

Remember, institutions that are deeply connected to the Church

We simply cannot resign the need to think deeply, understand history, and care for our planet and its multitudes to secular-minded academics serving in institutions that deny the existence of God.

JAN-MAR 2021

Influence | 119

are the primary vehicles for sustaining our belief system and passing on a vibrant faith to our children and their children.

Christian Training

Our Pentecostal roots create a consistent inclination to actively live out our faith. This is true for Pentecostal institutions of higher learning as well. Students attending our colleges and universities enjoy opportunities to combine their education with life skills and training.

Our schools provide opportunities for internships, semesters abroad, missions trips, and regular ministry. Interfaces with Assemblies of God ministries open doors for activities such as traveling to Israel and visiting ancient sites and participating in archeological digs.

Service opportunities with great ministries like Convoy of Hope give students hands-on experience in relief work, rural outreach, and inner-city service.

All of our colleges and universities have Bible content built into the curriculum. There are multiple prayer initiatives, and chapel is a requirement

Institutions that are deeply connected to the Church are the primary vehicles for sustaining our belief system and passing on a vibrant faith to our children and their children.

several days every week. These experiences are just as important as the formal classroom education.

As a result, our graduates enter the workforce with greater maturity, deeply held convictions, and a vibrant morality. I constantly receive anecdotal evidence of employers preferring to hire our graduates, even when they are not the most qualified on paper.

Character often trumps skills in the workplace.

Employers know our institutions provide both. It is this emphasis on combining training and education that makes a learning experience in a Pentecostal institution a great option for our students.

Our institutions offer the opportunity to belong to a global fellowship of churches, receive spiritual development, and join a network of committed alumni who can be influential in career pathways.

The connected learning communities of Pentecostal institutions provide the safest place for the development of a wholesome, biblical worldview. Simply put, the advantages of an education at a Pentecostal university or college are immense and worth celebrating.

Initiatives to form an endorsing organization within the Assemblies of God go back more than 40 years.

The AG Alliance for Higher Education endorses our colleges and universities, ensuring the highest confessional standards. Faculty conferences, advocacy, and regular meetings with presidents and board chairs round out the valuable work of this vital AG ministry.

I unashamedly encourage you, our pastors and leaders, to support your AG institutions warmly and generously.

Paul R. Alexander, Ph.D., is president of Trinity Bible College and G ra d u a t e School

in

Ellendale, North Dakota. He is also president of the AG Alliance for Higher Education and chair of the World Alliance for Pentecostal Theological Education.

120 | Influence

Strengthen Your Ministry W I T H A N A DVA N C E D D E G R E E

Elevate your knowledge with SEU

Earn your next ministry degree online, on campus, or at extension sites nationwide.

Learn more at SEU.edu/ministry

MASTER’S

DOCTORAL

Master of Divinity

Doctor of Ministry*

MA in Biblical Studies

Doctorate in Strategic Leadership*

MA in Family Ministry

PhD in Organizational Leadership*

MA in Leadership

Doctor of Education

MA in Ministerial Leadership* MA in Theological Studies

Southeastern University | Lakeland, Florida | 800.500.8760 or 863.667.5018 |

*Cohort learning format

SEU.edu

| Follow us @seuniversity

TAKE YOUR BEST NEXT STEP UNDERGRADUATE, GRADUATE, SEMINARY IN PERSON AND ONLINE

APPLY BY MARCH 1

evangel.edu/nextstep

for priority admission and scholarship consideration

Equipping Your Future Church Leaders.

Send Out Your Students With Confidence.

As a ministry leader, you interact with journeying people every day. Many of these people, youth and adults alike, are preparing to pursue a degree

U N D E R G R A D UAT E G R A D UAT E ON CAMPUS OR ONLINE

that will help them step into one of the many forms of ministry. At Northwest University, we continue to be a distinctly Christian campus rooted in our faith in Jesus Christ, with the singular goal of equipping believers to impact His Kingdom for good. When your students enroll in our undergraduate, graduate, and online programs, you can send them out with confidence.

To find out more, go to northwestu.edu or call our Admissions office at 800-669-3781.

An Assemblies of God University Since 1934.

Kirkland, Washington.

B.A. IN BIBLICAL STUDIES

Children & Family Ministry Ministry Leadership Student Ministry Worship Arts Ministry Pastoral Ministry Intercultural Ministry (Missions) M.A. IN PRACTICAL THEOLOGY

Preaching Pastoral Leadership Spiritual Formation Church Planting

Haverhill, MA // Northpoint.edu // 978.478.3400

northpointbiblecollege

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE SINCE 1920 Orange County, CA’s first 4-year college.

Equipping students to be world-changers. vanguard.edu

15

11

7

17

14 3

9

1 5 4 13

16

6

10

Assemblies of God

Colleges AND Universities

8 12 2

1. Assemblies of God Theological Seminary

10. Northpoint Bible College

agts.edu

northpoint.edu

1435 N. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, MO 65802-2131 1-800-467-AGTS

320 S. Main St., Haverhill, MA 01835 (978) 478-3400

2. Caribbean Theological College

11. Northwest University

ctcad.com

northwestu.edu

P.O. Box 1335, Bayamรณn, PR 00960 (787) 780-5555

5520 108th Ave. N.E., Kirkland, WA 98033 (425) 822-8266

3. Christ Mission College

12. Southeastern University

cmctx.org

seu.edu

10822 FM 1560 N., San Antonio, TX 78254 (210) 688-3101

4. Evangel University

1111 N. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, MO 65802 1-800-EVANGEL (382-6435)

evangel.edu

5. Global University

1000 Longfellow Blvd., Lakeland, FL 33801 (863) 667-5000

13. Southwestern Assemblies of God University 1200 Sycamore St., Waxahachie TX 75165 1-888-YES-SAGU

sagu.edu

1211 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, MO 65804 1-800-443-1083

14. Southwestern Assemblies of God University American Indian College

6. Korean Assemblies of God Theological School of New York

aicag.edu

globaluniversity.edu

13030 31st Ave., Flushing, NY 11354-2818 (718) 461-9700

7. LABI College

14209 E. Lomitas Ave., La Puente, CA 91746 (626) 968-1328

labi.edu

8. Native American Bible College 355 Albert Currie Rd., Shannon, NC 28386 (910) 843-5304

nabc.edu

9. North Central University

910 Elliot Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55404 1-800-289-6222

northcentral.edu

128 | Influence

JAN-MAR 2021

10020 N. 15th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85021 (602) 944-3335

15. Trinity Bible College & Graduate School 50 Sixth Ave. S., Ellendale, ND 58436 1-800-523-1603

trinitybiblecollege.edu

16. University of Valley Forge

1401 Charlestown Rd., Phoenixville, PA 19460 1-800-432-8322

valleyforge.edu

17. Vanguard University

55 Fair Dr., Costa Mesa, CA 92626-9601 1-800-722-6279

vanguard.edu

Experience distance learning the Global way. Self-paced, credentialing-focused and ministry-driven!

Pursue credentials, a degree, or post-grad education while you partner with local churches and ministries to learn hands-on while making an immediate impact.

Photo by Thiago Barletta on Unsplash

Undergraduate Degrees

Graduate Degrees

Associate of Arts

Master of Arts

• Bible and Theology • Church Ministries • Christian Education

Bachelor of Arts

• Bible and Theology • Intercultural Studies • Christian Education

• Biblical Studies • Ministerial Studies

Master of Divinity

• Biblical Language • Christian Ministry

Doctor of Ministry

• Biblical Studies and Theology • Christian Ministry

NORTH CENTRAL UNIVERSITY Choose a university that will change your life.

OVER 60 ACADEMIC PROGRAMS, INCLUDING: “As a church planter and pastor for 38 years, choosing a graduate degree changed the trajectory of my leadership.

North Central University has programs that can do the same for you.”

Master of Arts in Strategic Leadership Business Administration Leadership track

NCU President Scott Hagan, Ph.D.

Church Leadership track Worship Arts Leadership track Master of Arts in Biblical Theology

One of the most affordable online degrees you’ll find.

Start every eight weeks.

910 Elliot Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404 800.289.6222 northcentral.edu

Scan to learn more: