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How To Conduct Staff Reviews Leadership Jon Delger Multiplication Pastor Peace Church Published On: March 14, 2024 If you want to illicit groans or eye-rolls from your staff, one sure-fire way to do so is to announce it is that time of year again… time for staff reviews. Although unfortunately many have a negative reaction to annual staff reviews, this can actually be a very important and beneficial process for your team. When done well, it can be a time for clarifying vision and expectations, hearing feedback from your employees, and creating alignment around what’s going well, what needs to improve, and what the goals are for the coming year. Because this is such an important topic for the health of any organization, I want to provide two great resources to help you through the process. The first is an episode of Live Leadership, where Pastor Ryan and I discuss at length how we conduct annual staff reviews. www.buzzsprout.com Staff Reflections: Navigating Staff Reviews in Ministry - Live Leadership In this episode of "Live Leadership," hosts Jon Delger and Ryan Kimmel, the Executive and Lead Pastors at Peace Church dive into the important topic of staff reviews. They offer helpful tips to cultivating an open, honest, and healthy staff cultur... The second is a free resource you can modify and use to conduct staff reviews in your church. This Ministry Evaluation Worksheet is how we begin our staff review process each time at Peace Church, by having staff complete this self-evaluation form that becomes the foundation for the conversation that follows about performance. Ministry Evaluation Worksheet .docx Download DOCX • 165KB Blessings to you as you lead the church! More Blogs You'll Like How To Conduct Staff Reviews Read More How To Create A Church Budget Read More Four Steps to Manageable Sermon-Writing Read More

Do You Put the Same Value on Unity that Jesus Does? Christian Life Shannon Popkin Author & Podcast Host Live Like It's True Podcast Published On: January 19, 2024 Meg and I had been friends for several years and enjoyed a sweet relationship. She was part of a group I helped lead at our church. One day, Meg called to tell me that she disagreed with a decision that had been made for our group. In fact, she was hurt and offended that we would even consider a decision like this. Well, this surprised me. It was a small decision, involving a slight change. We had not anticipated that anyone would be hurt or offended. I shared with Meg the thought process behind the decision, but as often is the case, some of the data points were private and I couldn’t mention them. Meg was not satisfied with the reasons I gave, probably due in part to the gaping holes in my explanation. She again told me that she was hurt and offended—this time with more edge in her voice. Well, this made me angry and frustrated! Sharing the goodwill behind the small decision had made no difference. Things escalated quickly. I unwisely told Meg that I was hurt and offended over the fact that she was hurt and offended! Didn’t she trust us? Didn’t she know that we loved her and were trying to do what was best? When I raised these questions, Meg raised questions of her own. What did I have to be hurt and offended about? She had done nothing wrong. She was in a position of being hurt and offended, not me. Oh, what a circular, tangled mess it quickly became, sparked by a small, insignificant decision made for our group. After several rounds of, “But I’m hurt and offended!” I excused myself from the call. Nothing was being resolved. It was clear that I needed to do something differently, but what? Promoting Unity at Church Conflict is like a spidery crack through the unity of the Church. Left unchecked, conflicts can fracture relationships that took years to build, and they can split close-knit groups of Christians into “sides.” Sometimes the division can even outlive the disagreement. The “sides” still exist, but no one can remember how the dispute began. I’m sure men have their ways of holding onto conflict, but women in particular, hold onto things. We tend to take disagreements personally—especially at church. When someone tells us that the way we’re trying to serve Jesus is wrong or that our viewpoint is invalid, we can be easily provoked. Emotions boil over and divisions form. Tempers flare and gaps widen. Hurt feelings abound and resentment grows. As conflict spreads, we feel threatened and confused, wondering, Why is everyone against me? I was only trying to serve the Lord! That’s how I felt about my conflict with Meg. She was overreacting to something so small! But now I was overreacting. I spent hours thinking about and crying over the issue. I dreaded having to see Meg on Sunday at church. I didn’t know how I would even make eye contact. What a far cry from God’s blueprint for His Church. Read Ephesians 4:4–6 , and count how many times you see the word “one”: There is one body and one Spirit . . . one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. The Church is not supposed to be filled with women who avoid eye contact in the atrium after the worship service. So how can we as women in leadership help cultivate unity when the women around us (and including us) are so prone to conflict? Humility’s Effect Jesus’ life was spent drawing people from conflict into unity—both with God and each other. And how did Jesus accomplish this? If I had to choose a one-word description of Jesus’ birth, life, and death, it would be humility. The exalted One emptied His regality and veiled His glory. Rather than coming to earth demanding we serve Him, our King served us and sacrificially laid His life down. And what was the purpose in this? Jesus died in our place so that we could be reconciled to God. We, who were far off and hostile toward God, were brought near and given access to the Father! And we weren’t just welcomed as individual daughters; we became members of the household of God—part of a family with brothers and sisters ( Eph. 2:13 – 19 )! As members of this family, our work is to continue Jesus’ work. We are to build each other up in love and cultivate unity among each other. And like Jesus, we accomplish this through humility. Pride in Conflict Conflict naturally draws out our pride , not humility. In conflict, we’re compelled to show how wrong the other person is. We pick up a millimeter stick (appropriate for measuring specks) to count up the 762 flaws that we see in the other person. And then we pick up a yardstick (appropriate for measuring logs) to minimize our own speck-sized flaws. But Jesus said: “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” ( Matt. 7:5 ). It’s pretty humbling to learn that a log, which you were unaware of, is sticking out of your eye. It’s even more humbling to be told about the log by the person you were just offering your eye surgery services to. Conflict forms when two people say, “No, you’re the one who isn’t seeing clearly!” But unity forms when one of them says, “You might be right.” Women who want to cultivate unity are the ones who lay down the millimeter stick. They stop taking inventory of their sister’s flaws. And if their sister is the one picking up the millimeter stick, they choose to listen rather than becoming defensive. Either way, massive quantities of humility are required if unity is ever to be restored. Putting to Death When I called Meg back, I was committed to not defending myself—not even once. I wanted to be humble and listen to her concerns with an open heart. This was not easy. Meg was even more hurt after our first conversation and even more critical of me than before. Her words flowed freely as she listed out my flaws in detail. As she talked, how I longed to cut in and defend myself. She was listing out the very things I saw in her! I ached to repeat how hurt and offended I was and to offer my own list of criticisms. But I didn’t. Instead, I took careful notes, thanked Meg for her input, and promised to prayerfully consider what she had said. I hung up and groaned privately to the Lord, saying, “Surely this is what you meant by ‘putting to death the flesh!’” It was one of the hardest conversations I’ve ever had. But you know what? There was some truth in what Meg said. I didn’t see it right away, but as my emotions subsided in the days following, God used Meg’s input to show me some things that I needed to work on. Now, I didn’t put more emphasis on Meg’s perspective than God’s. I reminded myself that I am loved and accepted by Him and that His grace is bountiful enough to cover each of my flaws. But I did pray carefully through Meg’s complaints. I repeatedly refused to focus on her flaws and instead focused on my areas for growth. In the end, I apologized to our group about some of the concerns Meg had raised and helped revise our earlier decision. Conflict was averted, unity was restored, and all was well. A Worthy Calling Now, that is just one example. I could tell of ten other conflict situations in which I tried to humble myself yet unity wasn’t restored, groups still split, and relationships were never the same. Unity is not something we have ultimate control over — leader or not. We can only do our small part, with the influence that God has allotted. But even as a small member of the Body of Christ, it’s good for me to remind myself of my calling. Ephesians 4:1–3 says: Walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. I once was far off and alienated from God. I had no hope and was without God in the world ( Eph. 2:12 ). But by the blood of Jesus I have been brought near and included into the family of God! My attitude toward maintaining unity within this family is a reflection of how I feel about being called inside. How Much Is Unity Worth? Unity is costly. You might even have to take dictation on your list of flaws. In my instance, Meg never came to see things my way. She never apologized. And I never got the satisfaction of defending myself. But maintaining unity with Meg, and ultimately our group, was worth it. Maintaining unity in your church or ministry is worth it, too—even if it’s costly. Jesus, our preciousSavior, died to bring us into this family. He said that our unity with God and each other was worthy of His death. If you’re a leader, your role is to go first. You can’t lead others to have extravagant humility unless you first display extravagant humility. This is what Jesus did for us! So how much are we willing to spend on unity? Will we put to death the desire to be honored, to defend ourselves, and to have our own way? Do we value unity the same way Jesus does? Consider a conflict you’re facing as you pray these verses to the Lord: Lord, I choose to do nothing from rivalry with ______________ or conceit toward ___________. In humility I’m counting _______________’s needs, perspectives, and desires more significant than my own. Lord, I choose not to look out only for my own interest regarding __________________. I will also look out for the interests of _____________________. I want for my _______________ (group/church) to have the mindset among ourselves which Jesus had. May we be people who make ourselves nothing, who humble ourselves, and who become obedient—like Jesus who even died on a cross. (From Philippians 2:3–8 ) More Blogs You'll Like Is Prioritizing Love Un-Christian? What Does The Bible Say? Read More More Than Meets the Eye Discovering God’s Purposes for Motherhood Read More Mom Guilt and How to Fight It Read More

Why Do We Baptize Babies? Theology Jon Delger Multiplication Pastor Peace Church Published On: March 19, 2024 I serve as a pastor in a healthy, large, non-denominational church. On the surface, I imagine that we look like many other non-denominational churches. We talk a lot about Jesus, we preach the Bible boldly, we worship passionately, and we don’t show a lot of signs of being “traditional.” However, as people get to know us through regular Sunday attendance, participating in our membership class, serving, or joining a small group, they realize that under the hood we have some rich Reformed theology. And… when they attend one of our baptism services, there are many who are shocked to find that we baptize babies. Why would a church that doesn’t have “Presbyterian,” or “Reformed,” or “Lutheran” in its name baptize babies? Why would any church baptize babies? Is it because of tradition? Is it because they are being careless with the sacred sacrament of baptism? The real answer is that we believe this practice is deeply biblical. We are not beholden to tradition (though we do value practices, confessions, and catechisms of Christians who have gone before us). We are not careless with sacred baptism. We have studied the Scriptures and believe (though we still love our baptist friends) that this is the best practice according to God’s Word. While whole books have been written on this topic, in this short article, I will seek to provide a concise answer to the question: Why do we baptize babies? What is Baptism? In order to understand why we would baptize babies, we first need to understand baptism itself. In order to understand baptism, we first need to understand a major theme of the Bible — covenant. Covenants & Covenant Signs Covenant isn’t a word frequently used today. Nonetheless, there is still one place many people will recall having heard the term. When a man and a woman are joined in marriage, it is referred to as a covenant. While much could be said about the meaning and history of covenants, a covenant could be simply defined as a relationship sealed by promises. This is precisely what we witness in a marriage. Two people have been in a relationship for some length of time. They have spent time together, grown to appreciate each other, and at some point they decided that they now want this relationship to be life-long and exclusive. In the wedding ceremony, the relationship, becomes defined and protected by promises — in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, till death do us part. What was once only a relationship, now becomes more than a relationship, it becomes a covenant. This covenant involves greater commitment, but it is also matched by greater intimacy. Because of the promises inherent in the covenant, the two parties have a deepened trust for one another which allows for even deeper relationship. One of the things that accompanies a covenant is a sign. In marriage, the covenant sign is a ring. Wedding rings are typically made of precious metal symbolizing the preciousness of the relationship and the promises. Rings are also in the form of a circle, a shape without end-points. The never-ending nature of the circle symbolizes the promise of a relationship that can only be ended by death. The wedding ring is a visible sign of an invisible reality. Whenever a married man or woman looks at their ring, they are reminded of the precious and life-long covenant they have with their spouse. This sign is also a seal (or guarantee, or assurance) that the covenant is true. When a married person has reason to doubt the surety of their marriage, they need only look down at their finger to be assured that the covenant is true. When a married person faces temptation, they need only look down at their finger to be reminded of their covenant commitment. The Bible is a story of covenants. One example is the story of Noah and the flood. After destroying the earth with a flood while carrying Noah and his family safely through on the ark, God makes a covenant with Noah. God and Noah already have a relationship, and now God adds promises to that relationship. God promises that he will never again destroy the earth by a flood (Gen. 8:20-9:17). To assure Noah and his descendants of the truth of this covenant, God provides a sign — the rainbow. The rainbow is a sign and seal for God and Noah of the covenant between them. Another very important example of covenant in the Bible is the story of Abraham. God called Abraham to leave his home and former way of life and to follow him. At the beginning of this story, God promises Abraham three things: land, descendants, and blessing (Gen. 12:1-3). However, this covenant is not really about earthly blessings. The heart of the covenant is summarized when God says “I will establish my covenant between me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you” (Gen. 17:7 ESV). What is at the heart of the covenant between Abraham and God? Relationship. This promise is repeated throughout the Old Testament in the words, “I will be your God and you will be my people.” It is fitting that we began this discussion of covenant with the example of marriage. This is just what God enters into with his people. He is the bridegroom and they/she is the bride. God also provides Abraham and his descendants with a sign of this covenant, although the sign may seem a bit strange. Circumcision. Really? This is the sign of the covenant between God and Abraham? The heart of God’s promise to Abraham is relationship. How is circumcision a sign of relationship? In order to answer that question we must ask another. What does it take for a holy God to have a relationship with sinful people? The great problem in the story of God and man is sin. In order for a holy God to have relationship with sinful people, the problem of sin must be resolved. Sin must be cut away. Sinful people must be cleansed. This is just what circumcision symbolizes. A part of the body is cut away so that the body may be clean. The Old Testament attests that this was in fact the symbolism of circumcision. Just as the body was circumcised, so surely did God promise to circumcise the hearts of those who put their faith in him, thus removing their sin so that they could have everlasting relationship with God (Deut. 30:6; Rom. 4:11-12). So a covenant is a relationship sealed by promises. Covenants are accompanied by signs and seals that symbolize and assure people of the truth of the covenant. The central covenant of the Old Testament is a promise of relationship, and the sign and seal of this covenant is circumcision which symbolizes cleansing from sin. So what is Baptism? Now when we look at the New Testament, we might notice some similarities. Circumcision symbolized cleansing from sin so that a person could have relationship with God. Baptism likewise symbolizes cleansing from sin for relationship with God. “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:3-4). The Apostle Paul even connects the Old Testament sign of circumcision with the New Testament sign of baptism in a single verse. “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross” (Col. 2:11-14). Baptism is a visible sign of an invisible reality. Just as surely as water cleanses the body from dirt, so surely does the blood of Jesus cleanse the heart from sin. It is a seal or assurance of the gospel promise that all who put their faith in Jesus will receive forgiveness of sin and everlasting relationship with God. One of the things we believe about the Bible is that the New Testament and Old Testament are connected. Perhaps the best description of this connection is that of promise and fulfillment . The Old Testament provides promises and foreshadows, while the New Testament provides fulfillment of these promises and shadows. For example: The OT promises a Messiah who will overcome sin and rescue God’s people. It also foreshadows this Messiah in characters such as King David. In the NT we find the fulfillment of these promises and shadows. Jesus is the Messiah who overcomes sin and rescues God’s people. David was a great king and hero; Jesus is the greatest king and hero. When we consider covenants and covenant signs, we find the same thing. God promised Abraham a relationship (Gen. 17:7). In order for this relationship to happen, sin had to be overcome. God declared Abraham righteous not on the basis of works, but faith (Rom. 4:11-12). Circumcision was the sign given to symbolize and provide assurance of this promise. Isn’t this the gospel preached in the New Testament? God promises to have everlasting relationship with his people. Jesus pays for sin on the cross to remove the obstacle to relationship. God declares his people righteous not on the basis of works, but faith in Jesus. Baptism is the sign and seal of this reality. Just as surely as water cleanses the body from dirt, so surely does the blood of Jesus cleanse the heart from sin. The gospel preached in the New Testament is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham. The sign of baptism given in the New Testament is a fulfilled version of the sign of circumcision in the Old Testament. Just as the New Testament provides fulfillment of the Old Testament covenant promise, so it also provides a fulfilled version of the Old Testament covenant sign. So what is baptism? Baptism is a covenant sign and seal of the gospel. An Important Point At this point, let me pause to make something clear that is extremely important. Baptism does not save people. One of the things we have to understand about covenants is that they are conditional. This may sound strange at first because we are used to talking about God’s love toward us being unconditional. However, the gospel is a conditional promise. What is the condition? Faith. The good news of the gospel is for those who believe (John 3:16). This same thing is true for the signs of the covenant. Just as the covenant is conditional, so is the sign. The gospel promises salvation for all who believe. Baptism provides a sign and seal of salvation that is only realized in those who believe. Long ago, kings would write letters and put their seal upon them with melted wax and a signet ring. In these letters, the king might promise to do something for one of his subjects once a certain condition was met. His wax seal then became a sign and seal of his promise. As surely as that seal bore the king’s mark, so surely could the recipient of the letter trust that the king would do as he promised. However, this promise was still conditional upon the recipient doing what the king asked. If the recipient did not do as the king asked, then the recipient could not expect the king to do as he promised. The king provides a sign and seal that his promise is true, yet the seal only provides a guarantee if the conditions of the covenant are met. Baptism works the same way. It is a sign and seal of a conditional promise. Just as surely as water cleanses the body from dirt, so surely does Christ’s blood cleanse us from sin if you put your faith in him. In fact, if the recipient of a covenant sign does not complete the conditions of the covenant, the sign actually stands as a mark of judgment against them. It signifies that just as surely as you did not meet the condition of the covenant, so surely will you not receive the covenant promise. Why do we baptize babies? Thus far, we have seen that a covenant is a relationship involving promises. Covenants are accompanied by signs and seals that symbolize and assure people of the truth of the covenant. Covenants and their signs are conditional, meaning that only those who meet the conditions really receive what is promised in the covenant and receive assurance from the sign. The gospel is a covenant promise that was foreshadowed in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament. In the Old Testament the covenant was accompanied by the sign and seal of circumcision, in the New Testament the covenant is accompanied by the sign and seal of baptism. So why do the children of believers receive the sign of the covenant? The short answer is this: because the children of believers have always been treated as a part of the covenant people and received the covenant sign. God dealt with families in the Old Testament. The promise of relationship with God for all who put their faith in his promise was for Abraham and his children. Israelite boys received the mark of the covenant at 8 days old. This sign was a mark of a conditional promise. These children did not automatically receive eternal life by their circumcision or their being children of Israelite parents. In fact, we know that many Israelites did not ultimately put their faith in God and were not saved even though they received the sign of circumcision (Rom. 9:6-8). The meaning of the sign, cleansing from sin for relationship with God, was only true for those who fulfilled the condition of the covenant — faith. Nonetheless, the (conditional) covenant promise was given to the Israelite people, God’s covenant people, and thus the sign was for them and for their children. God continues to deal with families in the New Testament. The good news of relationship with God for all who put their faith in Jesus is the gospel promise. This promise is for believers and their children, just as it was in the Old Testament. There is no indication in the New Testament that the children of believers should now be excluded where they were previously included. Jesus and the apostles speak of the continuing special place of the children of believers. In his Pentecost sermon, Peter affirms the special place of covenant children in relationship to the promise. “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” (Acts 2:38–39 ESV) When his disciples try to ward off children from coming to him, Jesus affirms the special place of covenant children. And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. (Mark 10:13–16 ESV) The early Christians were converted Jews. The Jews had included children in the covenant people and given them the covenant sign throughout the entire history of their people. As much discussion as there is about whether or not to continue Jewish practices in the New Testament (Acts 15), you would think that if the apostles thought people should stop marking their children with the covenant sign they would have said so. How would these Jewish people, who have always applied the covenant sign to their children, have known not to apply it to their children? Throughout the majority of church history, Christians have believed that God deals with families. Outside of the New Testament, we have evidence that within the first two centuries after Christ Christians were practicing infant baptism. It wasn’t until the sixteenth century that Christians began to question this practice. While church history is certainly not the Bible, it is worth noting that infant baptism was the primary practice of the church for 1500 years, while not baptizing infants has only been a practice of the church for the last 500 years. Conclusion Baptism is a sign and seal of the gospel. In the words of the Heidelberg Catechism, “As surely as water washes away the dirt from the body, so certainly His blood and His Spirit wash away my soul’s impurity, in other words, all my sins.” Believers and their children receive this sign to assure them of the truth of the gospel. All who put their faith in Jesus will be washed clean of sin and enjoy everlasting relationship to God. Praise God for the gift of baptism. For Further Study This essay provides a concise explanation of the practice of infant baptism. Much more could be said about this topic and much more has been written. For further study, check out “The Case for Covenantal Infant Baptism” edited by Gregg Strawbridge. More Blogs You'll Like Do the Resurrection Accounts Contradict? How differences in the Gospel accounts strengthen rather than undermine the credibility of the resurrection Read More What is 'Probably' Missing From Most Nativity Sets Miracle, Myth, or Meteor? 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Failing to Feel: Mistake #2 in Teaching the Bible Ministry Shannon Popkin Author & Podcast Host Live Like It's True Podcast Published On: January 18, 2024 Hey, fellow leaders. Do you ever have the vague sense that you’re making avoidable mistakes while teaching the Bible—yet you can’t put your finger on what they are? A while back, I got to attend a workshop where Jeff Manion , who has preached for over thirty years, pointed to three common mistakes Bible teachers make. As I listened, I thought, “Check. Check. Check. Yep, I do all of those things!” Jeff has graciously agreed to let me share these most common mistakes. (Here’s the first one LINK, if you missed it.) Mistake #2: We Fail to Feel Perhaps because we think of the Bible characters as “saints” or as some select group of people who are totally unlike us, we sometimes forget to consider their emotions. We lift the bare facts from the pages of our Bibles and fail to feel the pain jealousy regret or boredom that these people experienced—just like we would if we walked in their shoes. Jeff said that he received hermeneutics training on studying the culture, context, and grammatical structure of Biblical text, but he wasn’t often taught to do emotional analysis. Yet to fully understand any text of the Bible, we have to ask, “What’s it like to be them?” This question is key for applying passages of Scripture that involve people—which is all of them, actually. (See my post from last time about “Killing the Characters.”) Emotional Archeology After visiting the Middle East last fall, the land of the Bible became three-dimensional to me. I can picture the distance between Jerusalem and Caesarea. I have a mental image of the Sea of Galilee. Of course, I always knew it was a real place, but somehow climbing the actual steps of the temple made it feel more real. As Bible teachers and study leaders, we need to not only help make the places of the Bible feel real; we need to let the Bible’s people be real also. Abel and Abraham and Benjamin and Hagar were real people. So were Mary and Matthew and Silas and Lydia. They had reputations. They had families. They had history. They had expectations. To truly understand the Bible’s message, we must try to understand the Bible’s people. We have to do “emotional archaeology.” If we carefully dig beneath the surface story recorded in our Bibles and brush past the centuries that separate us from the people we’re reading about, we will find carefully preserved emotions that make sense to us today. We’ll hear their emotions rising naturally in their words and responsive actions. These emotions help us connect. They help us find ourselves in the Bible. It’s true that the Bible is a story about God, and when we open its pages to teach, our main objective is for listeners to learn about Him. But God was pleased to reveal His character through the stories of three-dimensional Bible people. We learn about God as we see Him interacting with them. And by doing the work of understanding how these characters must feel , we help our people—who have the same feelings—learn about God in a way that engages their hearts. Here are two examples. Example 1: Our God is a shame-lifter (Luke 1:5–25). Zechariah and Elizabeth were faithful, godly people who had served God for decades. If something went missing in the neighborhood, Zechariah and Elizabeth were the last ones you’d suspect. They had character. They had honor. But they had no child. The Bible teaches that God will bless faithful people ( Prov. 28:20 ), yet God had not blessed Zechariah and Elizabeth. In the early years of their marriage, they had endured monthly disappointments. As the couples around them added baby after baby to their family count, Zechariah and Elizabeth remained a two-person family. Why, God? they surely wondered. Why have you given children to others but not us? But these doubts did not deter Zechariah and Elizabeth from serving God or observing His commands blamelessly ( vv. 5–6 ). They could choose their own response, but they couldn’t choose the response of their community. In a culture that equated God’s blessing with a full nest, Elizabeth especially bore the shame of not being able to bear a child. For years , she silently endured the disgrace of her watching community. How do we know that Elizabeth experienced shame? Because of the words we find in her mouth. When she “who was called barren” (v. 36), learns that she is expecting a baby, she says, “The Lord has done this for me. . . . In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people” ( Luke 1:25 NIV ). Listen carefully to what she’s saying. Everyone had considered her barren, which was disgraceful in the eyes of her community. Yet those days are over. “In these days,” she was certain of God’s favor—which was there all along! And that means that the shame she felt earlier was unfounded. Are there any in your group who, like Elizabeth, is feeling undue shame? As you teach the Bible, there may be someone asking, God, are you punishing me? I’ve served You faithfully! I don’t understand. Encourage them to persist in waiting on the Lord and faithfully observing His commands. Through the emotions of Elizabeth, let this listener encounter the God who takes away disgrace. Example 2: Our God is the one who sees (Genesis 16:1–14). Hagar was pregnant and a long way from home. She was an Egyptian slave—the property of Abraham and Sarah, who were living in Canaan. They’re likely the ones who told her about the Lord, but they didn’t represent Him very well. Sarah made the faithless suggestion that they involve Hagar to make God’s promise of a son come true. And Abraham went along with it. The plan worked; a baby was on the way. But the emotional aftermath was complex. Hagar’s new position as mama to the coming heir had gone to her head, and she allowed her contempt for Sarah to show. As a result, Sarah went nuclear and started beating Hagar, while Abraham stood by and let it happen. So Hagar ran for her life. Hagar, who was forced to leave her home and family in Egypt, had spent the last decade serving the family of Abraham and Sarah. She had become pregnant to make their dreams for their family come true. Did they even see her? Hagar had been treated so poorly. In Sarah’s eyes, she was small and deserved no dignity or respect. Hagar's life was consumed by what Sarah needed and wanted. Yet, where had her reaction of rising in contempt taken her? To the wilderness of desperation. It’s one thing to cry out to God as a completely innocent victim. But what if you’ve contributed to the brokenness of the situation? What about when you’ve also done wrong? Hagar had. Yet even so, when Hagar cried out to God in the wilderness, He met her there. Finally—after so much pain—she felt seen. She felt cared for. She knew she was being looked after by God. How do we know that Hagar felt this way? Consider her own words. “You are a God of seeing. . . . Truly here I have seen him who looks after me” ( Gen. 16:13 ). Are there any in your group who, like Hagar, are in “the wilderness”? As you teach the Bible, is there someone facing consequences they helped to create? Is anyone asking, “ God, do you see me? Do you care about me? Encourage that person to cry out to the Lord for help. Help them, through the emotions of Hagar, to encounter the God who sees. Digging Up the Emotions In both of these examples, we could tell our people the stories of God providing and God seeing, without spending much time on the embedded emotions. We could skip right past Elizabeth’s decades of childlessness and cut right to this verse: “After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived” ( Luke 1:24 ). Or we could skip right over Hagar’s degradation or her contempt and just offer the facts: “He went into Hagar and she conceived” ( Gen. 16:4 ). Our listeners would still be hearing the inspired words of God, and they could still make applications. But by considering the emotional implications, we help our people to connect with these Bible characters—and to God. Here are a few more tips for you, as you work to dig up the emotions of Bible characters in your message prep: Consider each fact. Facts offer possible clues about emotions. For instance, Luke 1:6 says, “[Zechariah and Elizabeth] were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.” When the Bible describes you as someone who’s kept all the commands, that’s saying something! So how does it feel to do what is right, yet not receive the blessing you hope for? Righteous living is the fact. Disillusionment is the natural emotion that accompanies the fact. Consider timelines. Genesis 16:3 tells us that after ten years in Canaan, Sarah gave Hagar to Abraham as a second wife. So Hagar—who is obviously in childbearing years—has been their slave for at least ten years. She’s likely grown up in this household, performing tasks like taking out Sarah’s trash and brushing out her hair. So what happens in a household when a low-standing youngster suddenly gets catapulted to high-profile surrogacy? When over a period of one month, the ten-year “bearer of the trash” becomes the “bearer of the heir”? The timeline helps us consider how the characters were feeling. Be careful about balance. Yes, we can draw connections between what happened and what the characters felt, but let’s not get carried away. For instance, perhaps Hagar was homesick and running toward Egypt. But do we know this is true? No. Or perhaps Elizabeth stayed hidden away for the first five months of her pregnancy because she knew that losing this baby would be exponentially more devastating if her community was aware. But do we know this is true? No. It’s fine to make suggestions and to imagine; it’s not okay to state our assumptions as facts. Give special weight to the character’s words. Jesus taught us that, “Out of the abundance of the heart [the] mouth speaks” ( Luke 6:45 ). This means that we can listen to someone’s words and know how they were feeling. Their lips offer a mirror to their heart. So direct quotes—like the ones we considered from Elizabeth and Hagar—are an emotional archaeologist’s gold mine. Look at songs and poetry. The Psalms, along with other songs and poetry in our Bibles, are particularly packed with emotions. Psalms are songs; they’re the ballads of the heart. When we consider the introductory ascriptions of the Psalms, we can often come to understand the circumstances prompting the songwriter’s emotion. Tying these together as we consider the emotional component of the song can provide powerful instruction. So are you ready to get back to your Bible study prep? Wherever you turn in God’s Word, remember that it’s written about real people with real emotions. Learning how it felt to be them offers insights about God when we’re feeling the same way. Read Mistake #1 in Teaching the Bible: Killing the Characters Read Mistake #3 in Teaching the Bible: We Villainize the Villains More Blogs You'll Like What Is a Deacon? Exploring the Role, Qualifications, and Purpose of Deacons in the Church Read More What Is An Elder? A biblical definition of those who are called to lead Read More Why Church Membership Understanding the Biblical Foundations of Church Membership Read More

When Hope Fades Christian Life Stephanie Delger Podcast Host Mom Guilt Podcast Published On: November 29, 2023 My husband and I were so excited to see that light pink line on the pregnancy test! We were having a baby! We couldn’t contain our excitement and immediately called both our parents to tell them that they were grandparents! But, about 6 weeks into my pregnancy, I started bleeding. I called my doctor’s office and they asked me to come in for an ultrasound and blood work. We went into the doctor’s office. The technician got started and after a few short minutes, turned the screen towards us and showed us our little baby’s beating heart. She said everything looked okay on the ultrasound but they did notice a small blood clot. It wasn’t anything too serious, it happens quite often from the baby implanting, but they wanted us to come back in 2 weeks to make sure everything was resolved. A few days later, my bleeding stopped and things seemed to be going well. Two weeks later I found myself in the same ultrasound room from before. But this time, as the ultrasound started, the technician didn’t turn the screen. As the silence grew in the room, my heart rate sped faster and faster. Something was wrong. Why wasn’t she turning the screen to show me the heartbeat like last time? After what seemed like both seconds and an eternity, she told my husband and me that there was no longer a heartbeat. We had lost the baby and a doctor would be in shortly to talk to us about what happens next. The doctor came in and told us that it looked like the baby had died about a week and a half ago, about the time that my bleeding had stopped. For some reason, my body didn’t recognize that the baby had died and was still carrying my child like it was a healthy pregnancy. For this reason, and the increased chance of infection for me, he recommended that I go into the hospital and have a D&C. A procedure where they would remove the baby surgically because my body wasn’t delivering the baby on its own. We decided that this was the best option and told them to go ahead and schedule it. I walked back out into the waiting room filled with pregnant moms, grieving the child I knew now that I would never meet. In the car, we called our families and told them what had happened. This was one of the hardest seasons of my life. This was the first time that I came face to face with death. And it was the death of my unborn child. I am not alone in this. Doctors estimate that as many as 20% of pregnancies in the United States end in miscarriage. How could it be this common and yet no one was talking about it? With no one talking about it, I struggled with believing a lot of lies. Feeling isolated and in the midst of grief, I was in a particularly vulnerable state of mind. Either through conversations with (I really do believe well-intentioned) believers or my inner dialogue, I started questioning life as I knew it. Is God good? Why did this happen to me? Did I do something wrong and God is punishing me? Did God forget me and does He care that my baby died? I was angry at God, but was it even okay for me to be angry with God? These are questions that I wrestled with and I know from talking with other women who have had miscarriages, they are asking some of the same ones. Let me share from my own struggle what I have found to be true. Why are there miscarriages? LIE: Some people have viewed having a miscarriage as God punishing a specific sin in the life of the mother. They (and I) have been told that you must have sinned a specific sin and now God is punishing you for it by causing you to have a miscarriage. TRUTH: In the Bible, we read in Genesis 1:31 “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” But when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate the fruit that God commanded them not to, sin entered the world and broke God’s good design. Because of sin, death entered the world. If there was no sin, there would be no death. But do you notice the difference between the lie and the truth? Saying that a mother committed a specific sin that led to her miscarriage is incredibly painful for the grieving mother and is not a universal truth. Can there be situations where the natural consequences of a sin that was committed led to the death of an unborn baby? Yes. But to say that all miscarriages are a consequence of a specific sin the mother has committed is a lie. All death is a result of sin entering the world. God is grieved by miscarriages LIE: I wrestled with the lie that I couldn’t grieve the loss of my child because I had never met him or her. Did I have a right to be sad over someone I never knew? Miscarriages I found out were so common and yet no one seemed to talk about it. Was there something wrong with me over how utterly heartbroken I was? Did I have a right to grieve? TRUTH: Genesis 1:27 says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” All human beings, both those born and unborn, are made in God’s image. Anytime the death of one of His image bearers occurs, God is grieved. This means that not only was I justified in grieving the loss of my baby, but also that God grieved alongside me over the loss of my child. I believe that the death of my child was grieved more by God than it was by me. Which says a lot. A mother deeply grieves the loss of her child. We don’t cry out to a deity who is impartial and devoid of emotions. No! We cry out to God in our distress and He hears us. (Psalm 40:1) God feels the sting of the consequences of sin more than you and I could. I say this because He is the only one who knows the depth of our sin and how corrupt it is because He alone is Holy. In the grief over losing our child, God also grieves because He knows the pain. God also, lost His child to death. His son, whom He sent to earth to save you and me from our sin. Jesus did nothing wrong, he committed no sin, yet willingly died on our behalf so that we could be God’s children. God knows and grieves right alongside us. We can be real with God LIE: I wondered if I could tell God how I truly felt. When I was grieving the loss of my child, I recalled all I knew about God. God is all-powerful, God is in control, God is sovereign. These things are true. But, that meant that He could have chosen to save my baby and yet for some reason chose not to. I was angry at Him for not choosing to save my child. But surely I couldn’t tell Him that, right? I felt the need to hide these emotions deep inside and never let anyone know I was feeling this way. These seemed like things a good Christian wouldn’t feel or even think! TRUTH: This isn’t what is modeled in the Bible. I have since come to love the Psalms partly for this reason. David in the Psalms, cries out to the Lord. In Psalm 22:1-2, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer and by night, but I find no rest.” We can be real with God! We can cry out to him in our pain and frustration. There are many Psalms recorded in the Bible where the author does just that. But I also want to urge you to not stop there. David goes on right after these words, to write “Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.” After crying out to God and asking why, David turns his attention away from his grief and anger and dwells on truth - The Truth. God knows us and knows what we are thinking whether we talk to Him about it or not. Don’t let your anger and frustration become a wedge between you and the Lord. In your grief, run to God, not from God. If you are reading this and are experiencing or have experienced a miscarriage, my prayer while writing this is that you will find comfort. That you would fight the lies with truth. This is best done in Christian community. I needed to talk with my husband about the lies that I was believing so that he could help me fight them with truth. But it was also comforting for me to talk to one of my girlfriends who had also had a miscarriage. I was able to share what I was going through, and what I was struggling with or thinking. Hearing her story was healing because I felt like there was another woman who had experienced the same thing. She could truly grieve with me because she had been there. My prayer is that you will find someone in your life who is a solid Christian friend. Ask her to sit with you, cry with you, listen to you, text comforting scripture to you, reminding you of God’s goodness and that He is always there for you. Christian community was and is so important! If you are reading this because someone you know or love has had or is currently having a miscarriage, my prayer for you is that you would be a much-needed comfort to her. My friend came and sat with me a few days after my procedure. She came to the door with a potted flower in remembrance of my baby, a handwritten bible verse on a card reminding me that God is there for me, and embraced me in a hug. She didn’t need to say anything, what really can you say to make things all better? You can’t. And she didn’t try. Please if you are going to visit someone who is suffering, don’t underestimate the comfort of sitting by her without saying a word. 1. https://www.marchofdimes.org/find-support/topics/miscarriage-loss-grief/miscarriage#:~:text=For%20women%20who%20know%20they,12th%20week%20of%20pregnancy . More Blogs You'll Like Is Prioritizing Love Un-Christian? What Does The Bible Say? Read More More Than Meets the Eye Discovering God’s Purposes for Motherhood Read More Mom Guilt and How to Fight It Read More

What Is An Elder? Ministry Jon Delger Multiplication Pastor Peace Church Published On: November 19, 2024 Dating all the way back to the time of the apostles, Christian churches have been led by elders (πρεσβύτερος) or overseers (ἐπίσκοπος). Though the New Testament uses these two different words, the role is one and the same and can be found in 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, and 1 Peter 5. But what are the qualifications for being an elder and what exactly do elders do? What are the qualifications? While the Bible doesn’t give an extremely specific job description for elders, one thing it makes abundantly clear - character comes first. Elders are not chosen first and foremest for their great talents, worldly success, popularity, or leadership acumen. The list of qualifications given in Scripture should be enough to make any man reflect carefully before accepting this role. The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. — 1 Timothy 3:1-7 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. — Titus 1:5-9 While we know that all men are sinful and none of our earthly elders are perfect, Scripture does raise a high bar. Elders are to be godly men who walk closely with the Lord and demonstrate it by their words and actions. They must be spiritually mature (1 Timothy 3:6). Their homes should reflect the leadership of a godly man (1 Timothy 3:4-5). They are to have a good reputation in the community beyond the church, such as their neighborhood, town, or workplace (1 Timothy 3:7). They must be able to faithfully teach the truth of God’s Word to others and oppose false teaching (Titus 1:9). Does an elder have to be married and have children? While Scripture says that elders must be the husband of one wife and keep their children submissive, this should probably not be taken to mean that an elder must be married and have children. Rather, the phrase “husband of one wife” could also be translated: “one woman man.” The point is to say that married elders should be faithful to their wives. One reason supporting this view is that the Apostle Paul himself was neither married nor had children. What if an elder’s children walk away from the faith? The word used for children in these passages typically refers to children still living at home under their father’s authority. While fathers should pray for their children and train them up in the way of the Lord, adult children are responsible for their own actions. What about divorce? Scripture provides teaching for rare circumstances when divorce is biblically permissible. When divorce or remarriage occur within those biblical instructions, elders may determine that a man is still a “one woman man” qualified to serve in this role. Does an elder have to be male? Scripture teaches that men and women are equal in value, yet distinct in role. God has given men a unique calling to lead in the home (Ephesians 5:22-33) and in the church (1 Timothy 2:12-14). While women can certainly be gifted to lead and teach in certain roles, the role of elder is a unique calling of qualified men. What does an elder do? So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. — 1 Peter 5:1-4 The primary metaphor for elders found in the Bible is shepherd. Spiritual shepherds lead, teach, care for, pray for, protect, discipline, and set an example for the church. They labor on behalf of the chief shepherd (Jesus) to ensure the flock is healthy. What is the difference between an elder and a pastor? In the New Testament, the titles of elder, overseer, shepherd, and pastor seem to be used interchangeably. In Scripture, there is really not a distinction. However, for practical purposes, churches have often used the title of pastor for those elders whose primary calling is to preach or for those that labor as shepherds as their full-time job. How much teaching should an elder do? Scripture says that elders must be able to teach, give instruction, and refute false teaching. This does not mean that all elders will be equally gifted in their ability to speak to large groups of people. At Peace Church, where I serve as a pastor, we believe all elders should be able to articulate the truths of Scripture and should regularly be involved in doing so by leading a small group, leading a bible study, mentoring young men, teaching a kids Sunday school class, or a similar ministry. What is the job description of an elder? Scripture doesn’t give us a detailed job description for elders or describe their weekly tasks. It paints a picture of shepherds keeping the church healthy. For this reason, local churches have some variation in the structures and tasks given to elders. For one example, you can find linked below the job descriptions for Administrative Elders and Zone Elders at Peace Church. Administrative Elder Job Description Zone Elder Job Description A Final Word If the church is to remain faithful to the Lord and bear fruit for His glory, then the church must be led by men who are qualified, called, and equipped. As go the leaders, so goes the church. May the Lord continue to raise up godly elders among his flock to lead, feed, and nurture them until He returns. More Blogs You'll Like What Is a Deacon? Exploring the Role, Qualifications, and Purpose of Deacons in the Church Read More What Is An Elder? A biblical definition of those who are called to lead Read More Why Church Membership Understanding the Biblical Foundations of Church Membership Read More

Beyond the Heart Theology Jon Delger Multiplication Pastor Peace Church Published On: April 10, 2024 Maybe you’ve been asked the question before - “have you made a profession of faith?” Maybe you are part of a church where occasionally people stand up front and “profess their faith.” What does it mean to make a profession of faith? Is it biblical? Is it an old church tradition? How does it relate to church membership? How does it relate to baptism? Profession & the Bible Scripture is quite clear that if you have faith in Jesus, this faith should not only exist in your heart and mind, it should also be expressed outwardly. For example, Romans 10:9-10 says, If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. Belief in the heart is to be accompanied by confession of the mouth. Likewise, Jesus says that anyone who is ashamed of him (ie. ashamed to profess their faith in him publicly) will be denied by Jesus before his Father (Matthew 10:33; Luke 9:26). So while the Bible doesn’t give explicit instructions for how to profess one’s faith (ie. How many people have to be present? Should they be Christians or Non-Christians? Should this be a public ceremony?), we can see the importance of such an outward act. Profession & Church History Throughout church history, Christians have held ceremonies for new Christians (1st generation believers) or Christian children coming of age (2nd generation believers) to profess their faith. One example is the catholic practice of confirmation, which is a rite of initiation. Reformation leaders like Martin Luther and John Calvin affirmed the importance of educating young believers and then providing an opportunity for them to profess their faith. For children in believing families, John Calvin believed this should happen at ten years old and that children should not be permitted to partake of the Lord’s Supper until after making a public profession of faith. Today, Reformed and Presbyterian churches continue this tradition by asking children coming of age and new members who have not made such a profession in a church to make a public profession of their faith. In Baptist churches, this profession of faith is paired with baptism. Profession, Membership, & Baptism Some of the confusion that sometimes arises about profession of faith has to do with how it relates to membership and baptism. At Peace Church, where I serve as a pastor, we sometimes find adult believers offended at the idea that we would ask them to make a profession of faith before the church in order to become a member. They will say, “I’ve been a believer for many years, I profess my faith in conversations with my family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. I’ve never stood in front of a church and done it, but why should I have to profess it now as if my faith were something new?” Others will ask, “Why are some people baptized when they make profession of faith while others are not?” Let me try to answer these questions and then share a way we have tried to simplify the conversation. First, the relationship of profession and membership. At Peace Church, we stand in the Reformed and Evangelical tradition of Christians that believe standing before the church to profess your faith is an important thing for the individual and the church. We also pair this act with the covenantal making of promises - promises to God and the church to walk with the Lord, to help other believers walk with the Lord, and to accept loving correction in one’s own life if one’s walk falters. We ask all new members who have never taken this step before to do so. For most, it is an exciting opportunity (despite some natural stage fright). For some, it feels strange because they are not a new believer or a child coming of age. In this situation, my encouragement is to view it more like a testimony. No, your faith is not new, but you are giving glory to God and encouraging the body of believers by proclaiming your faith in Jesus and perhaps sharing a little of how he has worked in your life. Second, the relationship between profession and baptism. At Peace Church, we believe in covenantal infant baptism . So most children growing up in the church will have been baptized as children and will make a profession of faith when they come of age and have a firm understanding of the gospel. We don’t set a necessary age for this, but it is often in the range of 10-18. Some of those coming of age may not have been baptized as children. In this case, they are baptized at the same time that they make a profession of faith and become a church member. Here are the main questions our elders ask in membership interviews. The first is where the bulk of the time is spent, and the rest are usually short answers to clarify the situation they are coming from. Tell me about your relationship with Jesus. Are you currently a member of another church? Have you ever stood in front of a church and declared your faith in Jesus? Have you ever been baptized? Are you currently under church discipline in another church? More Blogs You'll Like Do the Resurrection Accounts Contradict? How differences in the Gospel accounts strengthen rather than undermine the credibility of the resurrection Read More What is 'Probably' Missing From Most Nativity Sets Miracle, Myth, or Meteor? Identifying What the ‘Star of Bethlehem’ Truly Was Read More Is The Bible Really Without Error? A Closer Look at Scripture’s Reliability, Inerrancy, and Historical Trustworthiness Read More

Beyond Bluey Christian Life Stephanie Delger Podcast Host Mom Guilt Podcast Published On: July 10, 2024 One day while scrolling on social media, I stumbled across a meme that said, “Never have I felt so seen as a parent as the first time I saw the backseat of the car in Bluey.” I had never seen the show before, but reading this made me eager to check out this new show - Bluey. I went home with my kids, and we watched the first episode of Bluey. I instantly understood why everyone was talking about this show! The more I watched, the more I loved it. However, after some time, I began to walk away frustrated rather than refreshed. “Why don’t I play with my kids as much as Bluey’s parents play with her?” “Does that make me a bad mom?” “Everyone talks about how messy the backseat of the Heelers’ car is, but that’s actually clean compared to mine!” What started as innocent family TV time turned into a guilt session for me as a mom. I was no stranger to the comparison game we play as moms, but this was absurd. I was comparing myself to a fictional character! I texted a friend asking her how she felt about the TV show. It turns out, I wasn’t the only one who was struggling with comparing myself to Chilli Heeler. My friend was struggling too! As moms, we are constantly comparing ourselves to others. But how can we break the habit? How do we resist this temptation to compare ourselves to others? Embrace Your Calling God doesn’t make mistakes or accidents. This means that He chose you specifically to be the mother of your children. In His divine wisdom, He knew that it was best for you and your children to be placed together. As moms, we need to embrace our calling. We shouldn’t compare ourselves to other moms, both real-life and imaginary. We need to faithfully follow what God has asked us to do rather than trying to copy our best friend. When we get to Heaven, we’ll be asked how we raised our children, not how our best friend raised hers. In Deuteronomy 6:5-7, God tells us how we should live. God says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” As Christian moms, our primary calling is to love the Lord. The natural overflow of that love results in telling others about Him. As we grow closer to God, it will naturally overflow to us teaching and telling our children about Him. The day-to-day ways moms live out this calling will look differently. That’s a beautiful thing. God has given each person and family different life experiences that uniquely equip them to share the gospel. Rather than lamenting that our life doesn’t look like someone else’s, we should celebrate that God has chosen to give each of us a unique way we can share the gospel. Find Strength in God After reading that we are each asked to live out the gospel differently, if you are like me, you may be left feeling more pressure rather than less. But God hasn’t asked us to do this on our own. We have been given the Holy Spirit. Jesus, when telling His disciples that He would be returning to heaven, gave them comfort saying, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” (John 16:13) We are not left alone. We have the Holy Spirit guiding us in how we should live. Not only does the Bible tell us that the Holy Spirit guides us, but the Holy Spirit also intercedes for us. Romans 8:26 says, “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” On days when life is crazy and everything is spiraling out of control, this is incredibly comforting. We might not know exactly what we need, but the Holy Spirit does. As moms, we can cry out to God for help. When we do this, we can feel comforted knowing that the Holy Spirit is standing before the Lord, praying on our behalf and asking God to give us exactly what we need. Keep Your Identity Rooted in Christ Another way we can fight the temptation to compare is by embracing our identity. If you have placed your faith in Christ, when God looks at you, He doesn’t see our sins and failures. He sees Jesus. Our identity is secure in Christ, and our value isn’t dependent on how well we parent. Jesus doesn’t love you more on good days, and He doesn’t regret saving you on your bad days. Your standing before the Lord is secure. We can live unburdened from this guilt of feeling inadequate or feeling like a bad mom because that is not what defines us. We don’t have to tire ourselves out trying to keep up with the newest parenting trends on social media. We shouldn’t be comparing ourselves to others and basing our worth on if we are a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ mom. As Christian moms, we need to look to the Bible for how we should raise our children. We should strive to honor God with our lives and stop focusing on how others around us are parenting. As moms, we should strive to do what God has asked of us. This is how we live out the calling of being a faithful Christian mother. We are not defined by what we think about ourselves or what the world tells us. We are defined by God and who He says we are. So the next time we are tempted to compare ourselves to another mom, remember that we are asked to faithfully raise the children God has given us. We can draw on the strength and guidance God has given us and rest assured that He will always love us and that our identity is secure in Jesus Christ. If you would like further encouragement and help on how you can fight comparison in motherhood, please listen to this episode of the Mom Guilt Podcast - Bluey Guilt here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2177117/12696885-bluey-guilt More Blogs You'll Like Is Prioritizing Love Un-Christian? What Does The Bible Say? Read More More Than Meets the Eye Discovering God’s Purposes for Motherhood Read More Mom Guilt and How to Fight It Read More

Four Staff Values Leadership Jon Delger Multiplication Pastor Peace Church Published On: November 16, 2023 Whenever we hire a new staff member, the final interview is with the Executive Pastor (me) and the Lead Pastor. This meeting is actually less of an interview and more of an interactive speech. Our goal in this meeting is to clearly communicate, one last time, who we are and what it will be like to join this team. We are strictly focused on the most important indicator of success for our staff: culture-fit. My contribution to this conversation is to share four descriptors of our staff. I have shared these four descriptors many times over the last few years, and I think they are values worth sharing. They may transfer directly to your situation or they may inspire thoughts of how to describe your own staff culture. 1) Truth in Love In my experience, most churches fall to one side or the other of the truth-love spectrum. On the one hand, some churches preach the truth loudly, clearly, and heartlessly. They have their doctrinal i’s dotted and t’s crossed. But from sitting in their pews, you would think they care nothing for the world or for helping the world come to understand and appreciate those truths. On the other hand, some churches try so hard to be seen as preaching and demonstrating love that they capitulate to a worldly definition of love that lacks truth. They work tirelessly to care for people and to avoid offending people. But from sitting in their Sunday worship experiences, you wouldn’t know that the Bible teaches some things that are very offensive to our world. At this church, we seek to live out both truth and love the way Jesus did. We speak the truth loud, clear, and unapologetically. We believe that actually, the most loving thing you can do for someone is to tell them the truth. We also care deeply for people and want to make sure that if they are offended, it is by the truth of the Bible and not our careless words or tone. We bend over backward to extend loving hospitality in any way we can. Not only is this true on Sundays, but this is also true in the office. We do not lie to each other about performance or results. We tell the truth and face hard truths. At the same time, we seek to be one of the most encouraging places you could work. We smile, we say please and thank you, we write encouragement cards, we stop and pray for each other, and we drop what we are doing to pick up a teammate who is down. 2) Hopelessly Optimistic I have been part of some workplaces that are cynical and I have been part of some that are downright pessimistic. When management rolls out a new initiative or goal, the staff rolls their eyes - ‘Here we go again, the strategy-to-inspire of the week.’ When things go wrong, they get down and give up. That’s not how we operate here. The people who work here believe in their bones that what we do matters eternally and they would give their right arm to see us accomplish our goals. If an outsider sat in some of our staff meetings, they might think we are crazy. We talk about serious challenges and outlandish possibilities, and then we pray, clap, cheer, and go do it. When things go wrong, we don’t bicker and blame, we solve it and move forward with joy. We are hopelessly, if not crazily, optimistic. 3) Act our Size You may have heard it said - Act your age. Well, we have another slogan here - act our size. Churches of different sizes act differently. Events or systems that make sense for a church of 200, don’t make sense for a church of 2000, and vice-versa. One size is not better than another, they are simply different, and leaders need to recognize that. In a smaller church, you might hold an after-church potluck where everyone brings a dish to share, and everyone chips in to help set up tables and chairs after the service. In a large church with a commercial kitchen, you have to follow health codes, plan to make sure you have enough food, schedule volunteers to arrange seating, and attend the parking lot. In a larger church, most events are planned 12 months in advance, and there is probably a minimum of 6-month lead time for a sizable event. In a larger church, there is a process of approvals to get events on the calendar and to schedule announcements. In a smaller church, you can plan an event on shorter notice and ask the pastor to make an announcement on Sunday. As our staff makes decisions, we remember to act appropriately to our size, whatever that size might be. 4) Scrappy & Stretchy This is my personal favorite. We are a larger church in a smaller town. The Lord has blessed us and provided for us abundantly, and we have absolutely nothing to complain about. And yet, for our staff who meet with staff of other large churches in the city, it is worth realizing that there are some differences, including financial differences. Because of our context, I think of us as the underdogs. We have to be scrappy. We make the absolute most out of everything we have and we are proud of that fact. This breeds innovation and careful stewardship in ministry. We also let our staff know that we have chosen to invest primarily in them. More valuable than a large ministry budget is having an amazing leader. We trust that if our staff is on the job, then it doesn’t matter how much or little they have to work with, they will make it an opportunity for disciples to be made. Because we are also a rapidly growing church, we face continual change. Our staff have to be able to stretch, flex, and adapt. Some of us have moved offices more than 5 times in the last 3 years. Some of our staff work with 4 or more people in an office designed for 1. We take it all with a smile because God is growing his church and we are blessed to be part of it. I hope that by hearing these staff values, you will be better able to see, describe, and protect your own staff culture. More Blogs You'll Like How To Conduct Staff Reviews Read More How To Create A Church Budget Read More Four Steps to Manageable Sermon-Writing Read More

How to Plan the Next Youth Retreat with Confidence Ministry Logan Bailey Family Pastor Peace Church Published On: November 10, 2023 It came quick. This year’s Fall retreat is just around the corner. Questions fill your mind: Did you forget to sign a contract with the camp? What will your registration process look like? How will you transport everyone? The trip has so many logistical details to sort out, so how are you ever going to find time to write the retreat teachings?! Each year there is a retreat that is your responsibility to plan (or maybe multiple) and each time you feel overwhelmed. You dream of a day when it comes easy to you, but that day seems far away. Here is the good news: there is a way to plan a retreat with joy and confidence! My goal in this article is to share what has been most helpful to me in doing so. What you need is a “planning guide” for your retreat. A Guide to Building Your Guide In simple terms, a “planning guide” is a to-do list mixed with a jigsaw puzzle. More precisely, it is an annotated checklist that guides you as you plan and coordinate an annual retreat or trip. A planning guide is a guide to your planning. With a planning guide, you are empowered to plan a retreat without haphazardly tackling random tasks and avoid the dreadful feeling that you have forgotten something. Below are the steps to craft such a checklist. First Step: Consolidate a List The first step is to make a list of everything and anything that a retreat requires from you. This list will be sloppy but will be comprehensive. Don’t hold back anything! Think through any task you’ve ever done or seen someone do in preparation for a retreat. Give yourself at least a half-hour to prayerfully write down all the tasks you can think of. Before moving to the next step, consolidate the list by removing duplicate or contradictory tasks. Second Step: Add Deadlines Now, take your list and put it in chronological order. Use bolded headers to categorize your tasks by deadlines. Some deadlines might be by month (“Tasks to Complete in August”) or by week (“Tasks to Complete Five Weeks Before), and so on. Imagine this is like putting each task in a box. In an ideal timeline, you will go week-by-week opening each box according to its deadline and tackling those specific tasks. You are giving each task a specific deadline. Third Step: Polish The final step is to do a round of edits. Comb through your checklist and make sure everything is actually something you need to do and that nothing contradicts. You can always edit this planning guide (and you should, as you realize ways to enhance it), but sometimes we don’t notice errors unless we take a step back for review. After this, you’ll have a master checklist that will help guide you as you plan your next retreat! Helpful Tips and Final Encouragement Don’t think too highly of your memory by skipping things that seem obvious. Include every to-do you can think of, even the obvious things. Also, consider breaking up the large items into smaller steps that are spread out (turn “write a manuscript for your teachings” into multiple smaller steps that span the entire planning guide). Creating a planning checklist may feel needless to some, but only to those who neglect organization and forward-thinking. The strength of a planning checklist is that you are basically acting as a consultant to your future self. Now go and plan this retreat prayerfully, knowing that your labor is not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). More Blogs You'll Like What Is a Deacon? Exploring the Role, Qualifications, and Purpose of Deacons in the Church Read More What Is An Elder? A biblical definition of those who are called to lead Read More Why Church Membership Understanding the Biblical Foundations of Church Membership Read More

Why Church Membership Ministry Jon Delger Multiplication Pastor Peace Church Published On: May 24, 2024 Why do churches have membership? Is this a biblical idea, a practical idea, or an attempt to operate like a country club? Let me share a few reasons I believe many faithful churches around the world continue the practice of church membership. What does the Bible say about church membership? While the Bible doesn’t use the word “membership,” there are many teachings of Scripture that are best lived-out through the process of membership. 1) The New Testament assumes Christians are part of a local church. A majority of the letters of the New Testament are addressed to churches or church leaders, and none of them are addressed to Christians flying solo. In the words of J.I. Packer, “The New Testament knows no such thing as the unchurched Christian.” Membership is how we formally identify ourselves with a local body of believers. 2) Christians are designed to live, grow, and serve in community. The phrase “one another” is used more than forty times in the New Testament (i.e. love one another, forgive one another). These commands don’t refer to how Christians treat people in the world, but each other. Scripture is filled with images of the church as a body (1 Corinthians 12), a building (1 Peter 2), and a flock of sheep (Acts 20). Membership is how we commit to living, growing, and serving together . 3) Church leaders need to know their flock. Shepherds will one day have to give an account for how they cared for the flock of God (1 Peter 5). Membership is how leaders know who it is they are to care for, pray for, encourage, and challenge. The membership process also enables leaders an opportunity to make sure people entering our community have received the gospel and desire to live with Jesus as their Lord, Savior, and Treasure. 4) Membership is what makes the church a covenant community. Covenant isn’t a word we use every day. However, many will be familiar with hearing marriage referred to as a covenant. Becoming a church member isn’t quite the same as getting married, but just like marriage, membership is a relationship sealed by promises. In membership, we make promises before the Lord and to each other to walk with Jesus, help others walk with Jesus, to be faithful to Scripture, to pursue the mission of the church, and to accept correction if we stray in our walk with the Lord. Church membership is a promise that unites us, enables us to provide each other with accountability and support, and enables us to better pursue God’s mission by using our gifts together. Why should I become a church member? 1) Becoming a member is an important way to be faithful to Scripture. As outlined above, the word “membership” may not be used in the Bible, but it is clearly assumed that believers are gathered into local churches and covenant together to walk with the Lord and operate as Christ’s body. 2) Becoming a member let’s church leadership and other members know they can count on you. Promises take a relationship to a deeper level. Becoming a member is making a promise to participate in and support the ministry of the church as well as your brothers and sisters in Christ. Membership is a way to formally declare that you are counting on this body as your spiritual family and that they can count on you. 3) Becoming a member helps the church care for you more intentionally. Becoming a member enables church leaders to know their flock so that they can more intentionally encourage, support, and challenge you as you walk with the Lord. 4) Becoming a member opens the door to leadership roles. Churches want to be sure everyone who represents them in a leadership or teaching role understands and embraces their vision and values. While some volunteer opportunities may be available to anyone who wants to get involved, there are certain roles in a church that require the accountability of membership. 5) Becoming a member allows your voice to impact the future. Becoming a member gives you a voice at the family meeting. In order to speak to big family issues, it is important to know that you are committed to the family and embrace the vision and values. In some churches, membership enables you to vote at congregational meetings where members have a voice in matters such as who will lead the church as elders and deacons, and in the annual budget. A Final Word about Membership Membership in the church is not like membership in a club. When you hear the word “membership,” you might think of a country club or (like me) the wholesale store known as Sam’s Club. However, membership in the church is very different. Church members are not consumers, but contributors. I am a card-carrying member of the Sam’s Club. My membership or relationship with Sam’s Club works like this: I give them money, and they give me stuff. I don’t volunteer to sweep the floor or stock the shelves on Saturdays. I give money, and I expect goods and services. Unfortunately, many Christians attempt to bring this mentality into church membership. They think that if they put money in the offering plate, then the church is there to give them goods and services while they sit back and consume. Church membership is actually the opposite of this. Church membership is a commitment to the mission of the church to make disciples of Jesus. It is a commitment to participate, give, and serve. It is a commitment to serve God and others, not ourselves. More Blogs You'll Like What Is a Deacon? Exploring the Role, Qualifications, and Purpose of Deacons in the Church Read More What Is An Elder? A biblical definition of those who are called to lead Read More Why Church Membership Understanding the Biblical Foundations of Church Membership Read More

How To Create A Church Budget Leadership Jon Delger Multiplication Pastor Peace Church Published On: March 14, 2024 It’s your responsibility to create the church budget. How do you do it? How do you forecast your income for next year? How do you allocate resources between a variety of ministries that are all important (and who all have their advocates)? How do you gather input from staff or volunteer ministry leaders without handing over the reigns? How do you involve church leaders and the congregation-at-large? You might be an elder, a deacon, a Director of Operations, a pastor, or another staff or volunteer leader tasked with leading the budget process. Whatever your position, you carry a weighty task and we are here to help. Pastor Ryan and I had a great discussion about church budgets on Live Leadership that will help as you think through the process of creating a church budget and some of the challenges. www.buzzsprout.com Faithful Finances: Navigating Church Budgets - Live Leadership In this episode of "Live Leadership," hosts Ryan and Jon explore the intersection of faith and fiscal responsibility. Listen in to discover the keys to crafting a church budget that not only meets financial necessities, but also empowers your mini... One of the first and most important things you can do when leading the budget process is to lay out the vision and the process for all involved. This helps others know the goal, their own role in the process, and have a sense of the steps involved. This free resource is the process overview we use at Peace Church, and you are welcome to download, modify, and use in your own church. Budget Process .docx Download DOCX • 175KB More Blogs You'll Like How To Conduct Staff Reviews Read More How To Create A Church Budget Read More Four Steps to Manageable Sermon-Writing Read More