November 2014
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People Are Less Open to the Idea of Church Five Trends Among the Unchurched p18
When Fear Chases Me p8
Beneath the
Criticism
p10
My Telenovela Moment p22
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30. Dave Ramsey
Valley Writers
6. Abram Gomez Bold as a Lion
14. Milton Gonzalez Shall we Dance
20. Theresa Valladares
My Telenovela Moment
28. Miguel Paredes
Review: “Gripped by the Greatness of God
Dave Says
T
he other day as I was meditating and in prayer, I felt a prompting in my heart and heard a whisper. I felt as if the Holy Spirit whispered in my ear the word BOLDNESS. Immediately, I began to think about the word and what it meant to me. Was I lacking boldness in my life? Did I need to apply boldness to different areas in my ministry? I started to ponder how this word could not only be an adjective in my life, but how it could become an action. I went to the Bible to search the Scriptures, and I was reminded of this verse: “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.” Proverbs 28:1 Renowned for its majesty and known as “the king of the jungle”, a lion walks with such strength and authority. What makes the lion character in the movie The Wizard of Oz such as oxymoron is the fact that he lacks what a lion should naturally possess, which is courage. As a believer, we have not been given a spirit of fear. An invisible by-product of our relationship with Jesus should be an unwavering confidence that He is for us and with us. After all, others noted the boldness of Peter and John in Acts 4, and realized that they had been with Jesus. The word “bold” is defined as courageous, confident, and fearless. After I read this verse, it became clear to me what the Holy Spirit was speaking to me personally. I surmise that with
so much uncertainty in the world these days, many people are struggling with a sense of fear. Some appear confused, while others are looking for hope. The problem with fear is that it paralyzes people from moving forward and living out their life as God intended. I submit to you that we need more boldness in our lives. The courage to be brave. Mark Batterson, author of In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, wrote, “One courageous choice may be the only thing between you and your dream becoming a reality.”
liath, but it was David who was bold enough to believe in his God, and take the giant head on. To go after God-given dreams, boldness will be required. To fight with your family and marriage, boldness will be a necessity. To step out of the boat and walk on the water, boldness will lead the way. The Apostle Paul, in the face of persecution and trial, stated it like this in Ephesians 6:19, “and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel…”
Now, when I say boldness, I am not implying
Paul faced shipwrecks, snakes, and storms. Yet, through it all, he maintained his courage for a cause greater than his own life. Make no doubt about it that we will all have to cross painful thresholds to walk into certain rooms on our way to destiny that require boldness. Noah had to build the ark and remain in the ark. Moses had to walk down the walkway to face the most dangerous man of his time, Pharaoh. Jesus had to pass through the Garden of Gethsemane, where His courage and obedience were tested. In spite of all these things, God proved Himself to be faithful. If God be for you, who can be against you? Remember, the Bible says that the enemy walks around “like a roaring lion”, but it never calls him a lion. Jesus is the LION of the tribe of Judah!
“One courageous choice may be the only thing between you and your dream becoming a reality.”
that we need to be rude or arrogant. What I am talking about is being bold about our God. While many are fretting about the future, we should be the leading examples in showing everyone our confidence in a God who holds the future. Our confidence is not shaken by temporary earthly circumstances, but it has been shaped by the eternal promises of a God who lives forever and ever! The enemy would love for the Bride of Christ to retreat and go into hiding. However, let me remind you of Jesus when He said that the gates of hell would not prevail against the Church! It was Saul who fled from Go-
Abram Gomez
Bold as a Lion
6 valleychristianmagazine.com November
Charge your giant. Climb the mountain. Dare to believe. Blaze new trails. Make a decision to be BOLD today. Your future is counting on it!
is the Executive Pastor at Valley International Christian Center in San Benito, Texas. He serves under the Leadership of Bishop Jaime Loya, and is a graduate of Southwestern Assemblies of God University. Abram has helped to develop leadership in various ministries and programs at VICC. He and his wife, Rebecca, currently reside in Harlingen, TX and are parents to Isabella Claire.
2014
“A Purpose in Life... A Reason for Learning”
Happy Thanksgiving!
From the Class of 2015 and all of us at Vanguard Academy Charter School Vanguard Academy, A Public Charter School for the Fine Arts, was established in 2001 to provide a quality education to students with a concentration in the Fine Arts, giving students an opportunity to develop their unique gifts and talents. Since our inception, administration, teachers, and staff have partnered with parents and our communities to provide students with a safe and friendly environment and prepare students to be successful by creating positive learning habits and work ethics. In 13 years, Vanguard Academy has experienced exponential growth, beginning with 35 students (Grade Levels Pre-K - 3rd) in 2001 and now serving over 2,300 students in 2014. After adding a grade level each year, our school celebrated the first graduating class of 16 seniors in May 2013. This was an amazing landmark in history for our school and a demonstration of our commitment to academic excellence. Vanguard Academy will continue to build our school and assist students in finding their purpose in life and reason for learning. Vanguard Academy 1200 E Kelly Ave, Pharr, TX 78577 (956) 781-1701 www.vanguardacademy.org November
2014
valleychristianmagazine.com 7
When Fear Chases Me By Lysa TerKeurst
Lysa TerKeurst is a New York Times best selling author and speaker who helps everyday women live an adventure of faith through following Jesus Christ. As president of Proverbs 31 Ministries, Lysa has lead thousands over the past 15 years to help make their walk with God an invigorating journey. In the midst of her ministry, though, Lysa is a real, everyday woman who simply seeks to glorify God through her life and family. Used by Permission. All Rights Reserved. www.LysaTerkeurst.com
M
y eyes popped open and my heart raced when my phone buzzed at 1:00 a.m.. Good news isn’t usually delivered at that hour. I hopped out of bed and grabbed my phone. “Mom, police have my dorm on lockdown and are running up and down the hall shouting. I don’t know what’s going on but I’m scared.” It was from Ashley, my college freshman daughter, more than seven hours away from me. I tried calling her but the reception was so bad neither of us could make out what the other was saying. Texting was my only option so I asked a series of questions trying to get a better handle of what was happening. My hands were shaking. My heart was racing. And I felt intensely helpless. When she was a little girl and cried out in the middle of the night, all I had to do was run upstairs. I could sit on the edge of her bed and rub her back. I could let her see me. Calm her with my touch. Be there to whisper reassurances. But now that little girl was a college girl very far from me. I couldn’t sit on her bed and she couldn’t see me. I couldn’t calm her with my touch. I couldn’t whisper those reassurances with my voice. All I could do was text her. And that felt completely inadequate in light of this situation. Scary images assaulted my mind with all the possible scenarios a completely shaken mama conjures up in moments of frightening uncer-
tainty. I sank down to my knees and begged God to clear my head and give me the words to text that would help. This is one of those times I was wishing God would appear in a way my eyes could see Him and give me clear step-by-step instructions written down of exactly what to do. But I couldn’t see Him. And no Spirit Finger wrote instructions on my wall. Instead, I felt this gentle nudge to pay attention to what He’d already given me that week. A set of verses a friend texted me and that I’d passed along to another friend. Psalm 91:1-2, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” I love that these verses give us a script to say out loud, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” Quickly, I texted Ashley these verses and instructed her to say this out loud over and over until she felt some relief with her fear. And you better believe I was saying it out loud over and over as well. Isn’t it interesting the two words God is called here are refuge and fortress? A refuge is a quick place you duck into to find
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shelter. A fortress is a place that is built intentionally for the purposes of exceptional security. The Hebrew word for fortress is metsudah with one of its definitions being an “inaccessible place.” God is not just a quick refuge from the storm but He’s the place where fear no longer has access to me. Fear can’t catch what it can no longer reach. It’s not that bad things won’t happen to me or my kids. We live in a broken world where broken things happen every day. But as a child of God I don’t have to live with fear taunting and terrorizing me. We still don’t know all the reasons why my daughter’s dorm was on lockdown. Thankfully she and her friends were safe and we all eventually got some sleep that night. I understand that other middle-of-the-night calls don’t turn out so well. I’ve sadly lived through those times as well. But I’m determined to make some imperfect progress with processing fear. I now know I can feel afraid but I don’t have to live afraid. I can say out loud, “God, You are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” And then close my eyes and picture Him lifting us to a place where fear can’t catch us.
BENEATH THE CRITICISM James MacDonald
“The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45, ESV). one of Aesop’s fables, a man and his grandson were traveling to town. The old man walked while his grandson rode their donkey. But some people said, “Would you look at that? The old man is suffering on his feet while that strong, young boy, who is totally capable of walking, sits on that donkey!”
According to
So the old man, hearing this, switched places and began to ride the donkey while the boy walked. Now he heard people saying, “Would you look at that? A grown man taking advantage of that little boy. Can you believe it?”
of unforgiveness. Unforgiveness and bitterness cause wounds to fester rather than heal. When unforgiveness is in the heart, criticism will be on the lips. The second heart issue fueling criticism is envy. Criticism masks envy, jealousy, or resentment. Envious of another’s success, people grow critical to pull the other down. As they dwell on the other person’s good fortune, they begin to be overcome by resentment and start to find fault with what that person is doing. Again, the real issue is not the critical attitude—that’s just a petty covering for the problem of jealousy.
So the man and the boy both rode the donkey. Then they heard people saying, “Would you look at those heavy brutes making that poor donkey suffer?”
A third heart problem that lies under the covers of criticism is personal comparison. People can become critical of others because they’re living in defeat themselves. Maybe you’re discouraged about the direction of your life or So they both got off and walked until they what you have been able to accomplish so far. heard some people say, “How pitiful, a perfectly Maybe you’re struggling with a personal sin good donkey not being used!” that has you consistently defeated. How easy it is to become critical of In the final scene of the If a person’s heart is to critiothers to try to level the story, the boy and the man cize—if his intention is to find playing field. Comments stagger along as they carry the donkey. fault—there is absolutely noth- deflect the attention from your own struggles to aning that can satisfy him The point of the story is other person’s: “Well, she this: If a person’s heart is to criticize—if his doesn’t have it all together, either,” or “Maybe intention is to find fault—there is absolute- I’m struggling, but he’s not perfect.” Criticism ly nothing that can satisfy him. Beneath the elevates you as the highest and best. Criticism petty, surface issue is a real, heart issue. Our can seem to reduce the pain of being under words reveal what’s in our hearts—our words scrutiny and give you the satisfaction of scruare merely the spillover of the abundance in tinizing someone else instead. People find it our hearts. “The good person out of the good much harder to see your life if you are shining treasure of his heart produces good, and the a critical spotlight on others! Criticism takes evil person out of his evil treasure produces the focus off you and your faults and makes evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his you feel superior—which is destructive to your mouth speaks.” Let’s consider three significant spiritual life. issues hiding under the covers of criticism. We often utter careless, thoughtless words The first heart issue is a blend of unforgive- that strike others like a slap in the face. Our ness. Unforgiveness and the bitterness that verbal missiles may or may not be targeted for goes with it fuel criticism. The criticism is not intentional injury, but we cause deep damage the real issue; it only covers the deeper issue with our critical words. On a better day, filled
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with the Spirit and focused on what’s right, we would never choose to say those things. But when our hearts are overflowing with unforgiveness, envy, or personal comparisons, criticism spills from our lips.
Journal What fuels your criticism of others—unforgiveness, envy, personal comparisons, or some other motive lurking in your heart? Ask the Holy Spirit for clarity on the abundance of your heart. Take an inventory of your thoughts and words toward others in your past few interpersonal interactions. What are you spilling onto others—critical or life-giving words? What does that suggest about the abundance of your heart?
Pray Father God, my criticism of others is a decoy from my real heart issues. Please help me to see clearly the messy motives of my words. Ugly though it is, please show me my unforgiveness, envy, and areas of defeat. When I start to deflect the attention from my own soul onto others, please remind me of my real heart issues. Please forgive me, please heal me, please fill my heart with good treasure so that when I speak, my words would spill good onto others. In the name of Jesus, my Savior, full of grace and truth, I pray, amen
Listen to Walk in the Word locally
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James MacDonald is founding and Senior Pastor at Harvest Bible Chapel in northwest Chicago. James’ teachings can be heard on Walk in the Word, a daily radio program reaching more than 3 million people across North America. Used by permission of Walk in the Word, Elgin, Ill., 61023. www.walkintheword.com by permission of Walk in the Word,Elgin, Ill., 61023.
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2014
valleychristianmagazine.com 11
Expect God to Act By Greg Laurie
Greg Laurie is Senior Pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif. He began his pastoral ministry at 19 by leading a Bible study of 30 people. Since then, God has transformed the small group into a church of 15,000 plus, one of the largest churches in America. For more, visit www.greglaurie.com. Used by permission from Harvest Ministries with Greg Laurie, PO Box 4000 Riverside, CA 92514
All your waves and billows have gone over me, and floods of sorrow pour upon me like a thundering cataract. Yet day by day the Lord also pours out his steadfast love upon me, and through the night I sing his songs and pray to God who gives me life. — Psalm 42:7-8
I
n our lives here on earth, we will experience pain, grief, sickness, and the death of loved ones. I know we don’t like to think about that reality, but since it’s true, we might just as well come to grips with it and stop running from it.
Hard as those realities may be to deal with, there are situations that are even more difficult still. And those are the unexpected deaths that we encounter in the course of our lives. It might be the death of a sibling, a spouse, or a child.
No one ever wants to bury their children. suddenly we are made aware of When you’re younger, you don’t nec“Our world And our own mortality. Our world seems essarily understand this. As you seems to come to come crashing down around our get older, however, you usually exears, and we cry aloud to God. perience the death of your grandcrashing down parents first. And then as time around our ears, How does God feel about that? passes, your parents will die. As you continue to age, you know and we cry aloud When we read the Psalms, we learn there were many times when that day eventually will come for to God.” David and the other psalmists told you, too, and your children will bury Him exactly what was going on in their you. hearts. They cried out to Him and emptied
the contents of their souls in His presence. In Psalm 42, the writer says, “O God my Rock . . . why have you forsaken me? Why must I suffer these attacks from my enemies? Their taunts pierce me like a fatal wound; again and again they scoff, ‘Where is that God of yours?’ “ (verses 9-10, TLB). So the psalmist is saying, “Lord, from where I sit right now, it sure seems to me like You’ve forsaken me . . . like You’re not even paying attention to me.” And then he corrects himself and says in verse 11 of the same psalm, “But O my soul, don’t be discouraged. Don’t be upset. Expect God to act! For I know that I shall again have plenty of reasons to praise Him for all that He will do. He is my help! He is my God!” Copyright © 2014 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
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SELF-IMAGE Dating ELEAZAR ASTELLO
Youth getting real about life’s struggles Self-esteem
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November
2014
valleychristianmagazine.com 13
Shall we Dance? Psalm 30:11 “You have turned my crying into dancing”
a spiritual poem in my I recall reading younger years. The poem was
titled “Footprints in the Sand”. Most people are familiar with the story. It depicts a man having a dream of walking in the sand alongside the Lord while having flashbacks of life’s adversities. He soon realizes that during those trying times there was only one set of footprints in the sand. While complaining to God about being left alone during those trials in life the Lord explained “when you saw only one set of footprints they were mine…I was carrying you.
departures and returns. For much of the way it seems to go like this. But gradually, your footprints come more in line with the Lord’s, soon paralleling His consistently. You and Jesus are walking as true friends. This seems perfect, but then an interesting thing happens: your footprints that once etched the sand next to the Master’s are now walking precisely in His steps.
Inside His larger footprints is the small ‘sand print’, safely enclosed. You and Jesus are becoming one. This goes on for many miles. Life’s vicissitudes are inevitable. They either But gradually you notice another change. The come in spurts or in tumultuous episodes and footprint inside the larger footprint seems they have the power to break us or strengthen to grow larger. Eventually it disappears us. They have the altogether. There potential to increase Life’s vicissitudes are inevitable. is only one set of our faith or completely They either come in spurts or in footprints. obliterate it. Jesus tumultuous episodes and they They have now become said “in this life you shall have affliction have the power to break us or one. BUT… rejoice I have Again, this goes on strengthen us. They have the already given you the for a long time. But potential to increase our faith or victory” - John 16:33 then something awful
completely And what do you do when you rejoice??? Do you cheer, jump, celebrate and even dance? Let me take you back to the poem however this time a little twist has been added to it “Now imagine you and the Lord Jesus walking alongside the beach on the sand together. For much of the way, the Lord’s footprints go along steadily, consistently, rarely varying the pace. But your prints are a disorganized stream of zigzags, starts, stops, turnarounds, circles,
obliterate it.
happens. The second set of footprints is back. And this time it seems even worse. Zigzags all over the place. Stops. Starts. Deep gashes in the sand. A veritable mess of prints. You’re amazed and shocked. But this is the end of your dream. Now you speak. ‘Lord, I understand the first scene with the zigzags and fits and starts and so on. I was a new Christian, just learning. But You walked on through the storm and helped me learn to walk with you.’
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That is correct, replied the Lord. Yes, and when the smaller footprints were inside of Yours, I was actually learning to walk in Your steps. I followed You very closely. Very good. You have understood everything so far, He answered. Then the smaller footprints grew and eventually filled in with Yours. I suppose that I was actually growing so much that I was becoming like you in every way. Precisely, He affirmed. But this is my question. Lord.. Was there a regression or something in my walk with you? The footprints went back to two, and this time it was worse than the first. The stops and abrupt starts, zigzags, turns and twists… why? The Lord smiles, then laughs. ‘You didn’t know?’ He says. “You and I were dancing”. No matter how high the waters, how deep the valleys or how immense the circumstances REJOICE because God the Father has already given us the victory through His son Jesus. Allow Him to turn your crying into dancing. Shalom, Milton
Milton Gonzalez Milton is the Principal of Covenant Christian Academy in McAllen and has a son David. He is married to Elena and they have a son Daniel.
Max Sobre
Luis Palau
la Amistad y El Noviazgo
En el instituto bíblico se acercaba el tiempo de las vacaciones de invierno, y por un lado estaba ansioso de que llegaran. Visitaría a amigos, pero sobre todo tendría un descanso de los estudios. No obstante, en lo profundo de mi corazón no quería esas vacaciones. Cada vez estaba más interesado en Patricia, y cuando me enteré de que ella haría un viaje durante esos días, me preocupé pensando que pudiera llamar a algún viejo novio y volviera a verlo. De manera que le dije a Patricia lo que sentía con respecto a ella. No fue un momento dramático ni demasiado romántico. Fue simplemente mi estilo directo y sin rodeos. Le dije que deseaba que supiera lo especial que ella era para mí, que me importaba mucho, y que esperaba que pudiéramos pasar más tiempo juntos luego de las vacaciones de modo de conocernos más y mejor. Realmente la extrañé muchísimo. Luego del receso volvimos a los estudios, aunque debo admitir que mis calificaciones no fueron tan buenas. Patricia tuvo parte de la culpa ya que pasaba con ella tanto tiempo como me era posible. Dos palabras caracterizaron nuestra relación durante ese período. Una de las palabras es CONOCIMIENTO. Al tiempo que Patricia y yo conversábamos y pasábamos tiempo juntos, me convertí en un experto en ella. Comencé a descubrir no sólo lo que ella pensaba, sino además por qué lo pensaba. Es verdad que sólo se puede amar a alguien hasta el punto en que uno conoce a ese alguien. El amor a primera vista puede sonar romántico, pero una verdadera relación de amor rara vez está basada en las primeras impresiones. Debemos tener cuidado de no desarrollar una imagen idealizada de la otra persona basándonos en esas impresiones, ya que tarde o temprano nos decepcionaremos. Es vital ser honesto y abierto desde el principio. Tenemos que crecer en amor al tiempo que profundizamos nuestro entendimiento y apreciación de la otra persona. La otra palabra que quiero compartir es CONSAGRACION. La personalidad de Patricia, su inteligencia y su aspecto atractivo me llamaron la atención cuando la vi por primera vez, sin ninguna duda. Pero a medida que nos fuimos conociendo más el uno al otro, descubrí su amor por el Señor Jesús, y eso fue decisivo. Patricia era una joven que había consagrado su vida a Dios, y eso se transparentaba en todo momento. Así fue que, para mi sorpresa, un día me levanté con la certeza de que estaba enamorado de Patricia y deseaba pasar el resto de mi vida sirviendo al Señor con ella. Hablé con sus padres, y confieso que a pesar de lo mucho que los quiero esa primera vez sentí un gran dolor de estómago por los nervios que tenía. Ellos se alegraron; nos aconsejaron, y no pasó mucho tiempo antes de que nos comprometiéramos. Realmente no puedo decir que el momento en que le propuse casamiento a Patricia fue romántico. Yo traté de que sí lo fuera, pero en lugar de preguntarle si se quería casar conmigo, le pregunté si quería volver a la Argentina conmigo. Ella comprendió lo que yo quería decir y todo lo que esa pregunta implicaba. Cuando me dijo que sí, que regresaría conmigo a la Argentina, yo también comprendí lo que su respuesta quería decir.
Luis Palau Luis Palau ya entró en la historia moderna como uno de los contados hombres que le hablaron a más personas en el mundo.
Nos casamos unos meses después, y cada día le doy gracias al Señor por el regalo más grande que me ha dado luego de la salvación: mi amada esposa. Como cristianos consagrados al Señor, no debemos casarnos con alguien que simplemente sea cristiano (1 Corintios 7:39), sino con un cristiano que crezca en el Señor Jesús. Alguien cuya vida esté marcada por su consagración a Dios, por la verdadera espiritualidad. Hágase estas preguntas: “La persona que yo amo, ¿en verdad me desafía, alienta e inspira a vivir cada día más cerca del Señor? ¿O acaso me doy cuenta de que él/ella obstaculiza mi crecimiento espiritual?”
Su mensaje fue, y es escuchado por más de 800 millones de personas en 112 países a través de la radio y la televisión, y tiene el privilegio de haberle hablado a más de 22 millones de personas cara a cara en 80 países del mundo, organizando, junto a un selecto grupos de colaboradores internacionales y con el apoyo de invitaciones locales, congresos, seminarios, charlas informales, conferencias y recitales-conferencia llamados “Festivales”.
Ante Dios hoy mismo tome la decisión de que se pondrá de novio y se casará con alguien con quien pueda buscar el reino de Dios toda la vida. Nada podría ser más emocionante. Luis Palau
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5
Trends Among the
Unchurched
Since 1990, the percentage of unchurched adults in America has risen from 30% to 43% of the population. Even as this segment has grown, has their profile changed?
This new study of the unchurched population comes in conjunction with the release of Churchless, a new book from veteran researchers George Barna and David Kinnaman. Churchless draws on more than two decades of tracking research and more than 20 nationwide studies of the unchurched.
With the aid of more than two decades of tracking research—a sort of cultural time-lapse photography—Barna Group has discovered real and significant shifts in unchurched attitudes, assumptions, allegiances and behaviors. We’ve identified five trends in our research that are contributing to this increase in the churchless of America.
The research reveals the big picture: Today’s unchurched are much less likely to come from a church background than ever before. Furthermore, unchurched people today have different expectations of church involvement from those of previous decades. These changes are the result of shifting personal attitudes as well as significant changes in the broader cultural landscape.
The rise of churchlessness in America
1990s
2000s
30%
2014
33%
43%
%
ed ur ch
rch
10%
The Actively Churched Attend church at least once a month
Ch
Un ch u
49
The Minimally Churched Attend church infrequently and unpredictably
ed
8%
33%
The Purely Unchurched Do not currently and have never attended a church
The De-Churched Were once active in church but are no longer
© Barna Group www.barna.org/churchless
1.Secularization Is on the Rise Nearly two-fifths of the nation’s adult population (38%) now qualifies as post-Christian (measured by 15 different variables related to people’s identity, beliefs and behaviors. That includes 10% of Americans who qualify as highly post-Christian. Another one-quarter is moderately post-Christian (28%). Examined over time, our research shows that the proportion of highly secularized individuals is growing slowly but steadily. In other words, in spite of our “Christian” self-descriptions, more than one-third of America’s adults are essentially secular in belief and practice. If nothing else, this helps explain why America has experienced a surge in unchurched people—and presages a continuing rise in this population. Among the churchless, the proportions skew even more heavily: Overall, more than three-quarters of unchurched adults fall in the heavy-to-moderate range on the secularization scale. That compares to about one out of eight among the churched. As you might expect, the
data show some striking generational differences when it comes to secularization. The pattern is indisputable: The younger the generation, the more post-Christian it is. Nearly half of Millennials (48%) qualify as post-Christian compared to two-fifths of Gen X-ers (40%), one-third of Boomers (35%) and one-quarter of Elders (28%).
2. People Are Less Open to the Idea of Church Barna research shows that the unchurched are becoming less responsive to churches’ efforts to connect with them. For example, conventional wisdom says the best way to get people to visit a church is to have friends invite them—and the conventional wisdom is right. The churchless we interviewed were most open to “a friend of yours inviting you to attend a local church,” with one-fifth expressing strong interest and nearly half willing to consider a church based on this factor. An invitation from a friend is the top-rated way churches can establish connections with the unchurched. However, while the conventional wisdom remains true today, the road ahead shows challenging signs. Barna Group’s trend data raise questions about the long-term durability of this approach. Twenty years ago, two-thirds of churchless Americans (65%) were open to being invited to church by a friend. Today, that percentage has slipped to less than half (47%). It’s not only the efficacy of personal invitations that is changing. Barna’s tracking data stretching back to the 1990s reveal a slow-growing calcification of unchurched people toward churches. For every outreach method surveyed, the unchurched are less open to it today than they were two decades ago. While churchless people continue to show moderate openness to hightouch, relational connections—pastoral home visits (27%, down from 34%), a phone call from a church (24%, down from 34%)—they are resistant to other forms of outreach. This is especially true for advertising, including TV, radio or newspaper (18%, down from 20%), direct mailings (16%, down from 24%) and billboard ads (14%, down from 21%).
3. Churchgoing Is No Longer Mainstream Churchgoing is slowly but incontrovertibly losing its role as a normative part of American life. In the 1990s, roughly one out of every sev-
they were to visit a church, would be most interested in attending the Sunday service. Today, weekend worship services remain the most common entry experience, but only slightly; now, only 57% of churchless adults say they would be interested in Sunday worship as their starting point. Today’s unchurched are more likely to say they are simply not sure, reflecting their disinterest in churches generally, or are more likely to say they would prefer attending some activity other than the Sunday service.
2 in 3 unchurched Americans say they are spiritual people
More than half say their faith is very important to their life
99% are aware of Christianity and 69% hold a favorable view of it
Yet … nearly half see no value in personally attending church
© Barna Group www.barna.org/churchless
en unchurched adults had never experienced regular church attendance. Today, that percentage has increased to nearly one-quarter. Buried within these numbers are at least two important conclusions: 1) Church is becoming increasingly unfamiliar to millions of Americans, and yet 2) the churchless are still largely comprised of de-churched adults. This latter conclusion may be hard for many churchgoing Christians to believe. But it’s true: Even though the cultural trend is toward less church-friendliness overall, the vast majority of unchurched adults still have at least some level of personal experience in a church.
4. There Are Different Expectations of Church Involvement Another intriguing shift among the churchless has to do with their expectations of church involvement. In the early 1990s, our research showed that nearly seven out of 10 adults, if
A similar shift is afoot in terms of the number of churches they would attend. The churchless were asked in both 1993 and in 2011 if they would prefer to be involved in one church or multiple churches in their area. Two decades ago, even the unchurched expressed some sense of church loyalty (albeit hypothetical): 85% said they would expect to attend just one congregation. The recent study reflects a slight loosening of this potential loyalty, but the more notable shifts are among those who don’t have a preference and who aren’t sure. Together, these percentages doubled from 8% to 16%, reflecting growing cultural indifference to church involvement.
5. There Is Skepticism about Churches’ Contributions to Society Although many of the churchless hold positive views of churches, a substantial number also have no idea what Christians have accomplished in the nation, either for the better or for the worse. When the unchurched were asked to describe what they believe are the positive and negative contributions of Christianity in America, almost half (49%) could not identify a single favorable impact of the Christian community, while nearly two-fifths (37%) were unable to identify a negative impact. Of those who could identify one way Christians contribute to the common good, the unchurched appreciate their influence when it comes to serving the poor and disadvantaged (22%), bolstering morals and values (10%) and helping people believe in God (8%). Among those who had a complaint about Christians in society, the unchurched were least favorably disposed toward violence in the name of Christ (18%), the church’s stand against gay marriage (15%), sexual abuse scandals (13%) and involvement in politics (10%).
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Reflecting on Change “Our research suggests a growing indifference toward churches among the unchurched,” says David Kinnaman, president of Barna Group and co-editor, with George Barna, of the new book Churchless, from which this data is taken. “The gap between the churched and the churchless is growing, and it appears that Christian communities of faith will struggle more than ever to engage church outsiders in their neighborhood, town or city.” Kinnaman notes that, while research cannot prove causation, given the nature of polling and the complex dynamics of cultural and spiritual change, it can however, point to possible underlying trends. “The cumulative effect of monumental cultural changes that have swept over us during recent decades is a widening gap, both real and perceived, between the churched and the churchless,” he says. “To many faithful churchgoers, the unchurched seem increasingly alien and difficult to understand, while the churchless feel ever more comfortable outside a faith community. Yet while the culture will continue to change, our calling as the Body of Christ has not and will not. “How can we recapture an urgency to fulfill the Great Commission while treating our churchless friends with respect?” Kinnaman asks. “Wrestling with answers to this question will help prepare a faith community to engage more meaningfully with unchurched people.” About the Research The contents of this book are based on extensive, ongoing, nationwide research conducted by Barna Group. We used data from 20 surveys, encompassing interviews with more than 23,000 churched and unchurched adults. The number of unchurched adults involved was 8,220. These surveys were done using random digit-dial telephone samples for landlines and listed cell phone samples for calls to mobile phones. Each of the studies entailed completing interviews with a minimum of 1,000 randomly chosen adults. The samples were developed to provide a reliable representation of the national population of people ages 18 or older living within the 48 continental states. The estimated maximum sampling error for each survey of 1,000 adults was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level; the maximum sampling error estimate diminished as sample size increased. The number of interviews completed with cell-phone owners was based on federal government estimates of the number of cell-only households The January 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 surveys also included samples of approximately 1,000 adults conducted online. Those studies relied on a research panel called KnowledgePanel®, created and maintained by Knowledge Networks. It is a probability-based online non-volunteer access panel. Panel members are recruited using a statistically valid sampling method with a published sample frame of residential addresses that covers approximately 97 percent of US households. Sampled non-Internet households, when recruited, are provided a netbook computer and free Internet service so they may also participate as online panel members. KnowledgePanel consists of about 50,000 adult members (ages 18 and older) and includes persons living in cell-only households. In all of these surveys, regional and ethnic quotas were designed to ensure that the final group of adults interviewed reflected the distribution of adults nationwide and adequately represented the three primary ethnic groups within the United States (those groups that comprise at least 10 percent of the population: white, black and Hispanic). Those quotas were based on current US Census Bureau data regarding the population. Additional quotas were employed to balance the gender of respondents included in the samples. Upon completion of a survey, the data were run and the demographic outcomes were compared to the census statistics on key demographic attributes. In some cases the full survey database was then statistically weighted to bring the database into closer approximation of the true population proportions. Comment on this research and follow our work: Twitter: @ barnagroup | @davidkinnaman | @roxycomposed | @clintjenkin Facebook: Barna Group
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rowing up I use to watch telenovelas with my grandmother. There were always the overly dramatic scenes of the women crying with dark mascara running down their face and they would look straight into the camera for effect and shake their hands in the air screaming “Porque? Porque?” All in response to being wronged by a relationship. It was difficult to change the channel or wait for the next day to see how the story would unfold. At the end of the drama there was always a happy resolution scene where now mascara stained tears of joy were shed. A drama queen’s redemptive moment.
Now here I am having learned from the best Latin American actresses starring in my own melodramatic scenes. Yes I am a drama queen. Recently I had my feelings hurt by an individual whom I considered a friend. There I was in my closet with tears asking those same questions as I shook my fist in the air… ”Why? Why?” What could I possibly have done to deserve that treatment? How could they do that to me after everything I’ve done? It was a Telemundo quality pity party.
at the end? Did I give to fill a need or did I expect something in return? Was I giving from the abundance of my heart or merely trying to secure gratitude? Would I hold back if I knew the end? “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows gen-
those who persecute us remains. I began not only to think about this person but also others from the past. I stopped the rewind button of what I did for them and paused to think of the “why”. Unconditional love always gives and never expects in return. It’s difficult in the flesh to love this way. After realizing that my answer was “yes” I started to feel peace and the animosity started to fade. I can honestly say I wouldn’t have changed a thing. My Emmy worthy cries for justice turned into an apology to my Heavenly Father and I began praying for the friend and our broken relationship. In a telenovela this scene might have ended in a restored relationship with tears of gratitude and forgiveness. Life doesn’t follow a script. What did happen after reflecting was a peace “that surpassed all understanding”.
My Telenovela Moment
You’ve been there, when you get your feelings hurt and you start remembering all you’ve done, given and said to whomever wronged you. Your memories of a beautiful friendship get quickly replaced by ideas of revenge. Or is that just me? So in the middle of my one woman show I felt a stirring in my spirit and this question came to my mind…”If you knew ahead of time that this relationship would end badly would you still have blessed this person?” What? Are you kidding me God? I’m the good one! What about them? Look at what they did! That’s not a fair question! God changed the focus from what I perceived was the issue-ingratitude-to exploring the condition of my heart when I give. Would I still have blessed this person? I pondered that question for awhile. Would I still have poured my love, gifts and time on that person knowing that I would be betrayed
by by Theresa Theresa Valladares Valladares
erously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give. Not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 6-7 So if my answer was “no” than I didn’t give for the right reason. I would’ve expected something in return. I would’ve expected to be treated fairly and been shown gratitude. It is with these failed expectations that hurt, anger and bitterness begin. “But just as you excel in everything-in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us-see that you excel in this grace of giving.” 2 Corinthians8:7 If my answer was “yes” than I had excelled in giving and shouldn’t be so distraught over the end of the relationship. A selfless giver will be less likely to stay offended or hurt. When done in the right spirit the desire to continue to bless
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As to the question of fairness God has set the standard. “For God so loved the world that he GAVE his one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
God knew ahead of time that we would sin and be ungrateful at times despite His gift-Calvary. Yet He doesn’t hold back and he loves us unconditionally. God said “”yes”’ to that question. Thanksgiving is fast approaching and now would be a good time to give thanks for the opportunities to give and to show mercy and unwavering love to others as it has been shown to you. As for me, the next time I’m about to produce an award winning telenovela pity party I will simply change the channel and wear waterproof mascara!
Theresa Valladares She is married to Enrique Lopez and has two wonderful sons, Cord and Diego. They are members of The Family Church and she practices family medicine in Pharr.
keyboards and touring with the worship band, and has grown into songwriting and production. He knows, however, that he is called to equip generations, so he also makes it a priority to train and develop a new generation of musicians and songwriters who today collaborate to produce the band’s remarkable sound. For her part, Sam knows that a growing ministry must remember its foundations. Just as Jesus spoke the language of the day, Sam is compelled to deliver the message of Christ through the media of our day, musically and visually. The good news is that the message never changes. “We love to use scripture,” Sam notes. “We believe that it is what will bring Him the greatest pleasure and we believe there is power when you sing the Word of God.” Never wanting to settle, her greatest desire is to transcribe the songs of heaven and usher people into the presence of God. As the wife of co-senior pastor Russell Evans, Sam has had a unique perspective on the story of Planetshakers. The first conference was launched in 1997 in Adelaide. The call of God to relocate to Melbourne came in 2002, and the church there was established just two years later. As the overall ministry has grown – the conferences now serve over 20,000 delegates – it might have been easy to lose perspective and direction. Instead, Planetshakers greets the present with a declaration as bold as their name: “This is Our Time.”
by Mark D. Geil
Planetshakers.
The name is bold. Audacious, even. But the global implications are exactly what the namesake band has in mind. From humble beginnings in the Land Down Under, Planetshakers Band has grown in scale and scope to reach a generation spanning countries and continents, and they’re on a mission to inspire that generation to do the same. Worship leader and co-senior pastor Sam Evans knew something was beginning to grow even as she started her journey backstage at Planetshakers, preparing food for guest speakers. Joth Hunt, now the band’s worship leader, guitarist, and producer, wasn’t on stage in those early days, he was in the crowd. Today, Sam, Joth, and the band are part of Australia’s largest youth/young adult Christian movement.
1. Francesca 2. Big Daddy WeaveBattistelli - He Overwhelmed CD: Love Come To Life Knows My Name CD: If We’re Honest
Along with their parent church, Planetshakers conducts local ministry at the multi-campus, 10,000 member congregation, service in prison ministry, refugee outreach and disaster relief, and education at Planetshakers College. The band’s reach is remarkable. They recently led over 200,000 people at a single event in Asia, their touring has spread across Europe and the US, and their annual Awakening event stresses their core mission, to “empower generations to win generations.” Through these years of expansion, that core mission has remained fundamental to the work of the band. Joth is a prime example. From those early days in a January crowd at a Planetshakers conference, he knew he wanted to be a part of this movement. He started playing
3. MercyMe Greater CD: Welcome To The New
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4. Unspoken Start A Fire CD: Unspoken
“This is our moment,” Sam declares, “to seize the opportunities that God gives us and to approach them with great passion and fervor. It’s our moment in history to make a difference for Jesus.” The assertion became the theme of the 2014 Awakening event, which became an extraordinary THIS IS OUR TIME CD/DVD poised to invigorate the worship of a generation. Joth speaks to the undercurrent of joy in the Planetshakers sound. “Our sound is full of life, energy, and excitement. We have incorporated more electronic sounds and EDM, not because it’s ‘the current thing’ sound-wise, but because it brings great joy and fun to our praise. We pray that listeners will be inspired to release their own sound of praise through this passionate sound of worship.”
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6. for King & Country Fix My Eyes CD: Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong
2014 2014
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The energy and passion found in the album really is infectious. Sam points to “My Heart is Alive” as an example. “When you sing it, you feel so alive! It’s not just what Jesus has done that impacts me externally, but also the dynamic life that the Spirit living inside of me brings.” The song speaks to this heart-change with a clever lyric: Because of You, my heart is alive. You got me dancing on the inside. Sam continues: “The impact that Christ has on my soul and my heart enables me to live a continuously abundant life despite my circumstances. Nothing else in this world can do that other than Jesus!” Joth finds particular meaning in another standout track, “Covered,” which he co-wrote with Israel Houghton. “It’s a very empowering song,” he says. “When we understand God’s grace it helps us live out the call of God on our lives with great confidence and boldness. It gives people fresh hope that no matter what they’ve done or where they’ve been, they are covered by His grace. The song keeps me grounded knowing that it’s by the grace of God that I’m doing what I am doing today.” There are moments on the album when the pulsing drums and keys take a quiet turn, and one captures a transcendent moment from the conference. The powerful Andy Harrison-penned song “You” brought a singular focus on the singular Audience for the praise. You, You, the hope and the cry of our hearts, God it’s You. The band felt that when the song was performed live, the audience needed even more time to dwell on the Almighty. “A tag was spontaneously created during a phone conversation where Sam and I were planning the worship set and discussing ways to follow up ‘You,’ giving a moment for worshipers to just soak in the presence of God,” recalls Joth. That tag was one word, a word of proclamation and adoration fit only for the King of kings: Holy. Whether they’re earning Dove Award nominations, appearing on national television across the US, or leading worship among 200,000, Planetshakers are through the grace of God realizing their world-sized appellation. Joy is being released, and it is doing its supernatural work. Souls are turning their hearts to the God who is Holy. This is our time, and a planet is shaking. For more information on the music and ministry of Planetshakers, visit http://www.planetshakers.com.
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Gripped by the Greatness of God
T
here is so much greatness in this world. The San Antonio Spurs put on quite the display in the 2014 NBA Finals. Payton Manning recently broke the record for career touchdown passes. Perhaps the greatness of the latest technological advancements gets your attention. Many things or people on earth attain the status of greatness from us. Has the Almighty been worthy of such acclaim from you lately? God does not need our recognition to rightly be acknowledged as great. Regardless of our thinking, emotions, or actions, God’s greatness is undeniable. James MacDonald’s book, Gripped by the Greatness of God, will walk you through six passages out of the book of Isaiah. MacDonald expounds on the following themes:
• • • • • •
The holiness of God The awesomeness of God The sovereignty of God The works of God The worship of God My identity in God.
By James MacDonald Published by Moody
Grace and forgiveness is the work of God that Holiness is an attribute that sets God apart MacDonald points out. Grace is God’s undefrom fallen humanity. Though it distinguishes served favor disposed to humanity. Forgiveus, it is a quality that ought to cause us to be ness is at the root of what we need from God in awe of God and to respect Him. We know to move forward from the depths of shame that the moral purity of God is impossible to and guilt for the wrong we do. Without these experience or grasp this side of resurrection. significant works of God there is little hope Yet God sent His son so that, in faith and in the power of His Holy Spirit, we God does not need our on earth and less for eternity with a Holy God. can live to please the Lord.
recognition to rightly
The greatness of God deAwesome is a word that is be acknowledged as serves our sincere and gentossed around freely and great. Regardless of our uine worship. Our worship loosely. MacDonald believes and admiration of earthly that it should be reserved for thinking, emotions, or God alone. Something awe- actions, God’s greatness is idols is often more passionate than our worship of the some is totally breathtaking undeniable. holy, awesome, and soverand utterly overwhelming. eign God whose works are The book of Isaiah displays for our benefit. God’s awesomeness, but we often miss it. It is awesome that God would send His only offThis book is simple and refreshing. I am spring to save humanity from sin, but we miss currently doing a Bible study with some it. friends from this book. It has helped me re-
focus on the basics of the person of a God Most people reject a lot of the authority placed who deserves my attention, reverence and in our lives. If we cannot easily submit to submission. earthly authority, how do we submit to the ruler of the whole universe? Every aspect of our lives is ordained by Him. Bookw Is a teacher at Edinburg North and Every good, bad, and ugly occurrence earned his Masters in Theology from Revie is allowed by God. It is not always a Dallas Theological Seminary. y b He is married to Brenda and has four comforting thought, but Sovereign is children: who He is. Can we really submit to His Diego (12), Karla and Andrea (9), and Charis (5). authority?
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Where does this money go? Dear Dave, If you have a mortgage that will be paid off in the next two or three years, should you pay extra toward the house or invest that money over and above the 15 percent you recommend putting toward retirement? Walt Dear Walt, I would pay extra on the house. You know, a magical thing happens when you pay down a house and sell it somewhere down the road. The money comes back. You didn’t lose it. Honestly, you’re not doing a bad thing by putting it into retirement either. But you don’t know exactly what will happen over the next several years of your life or the life of your investments. You might think you know. You might even have a plan. But the truth is even the best plans don’t always work out the way we want. And if that happens, it sure would be neat to own your home outright! —Dave
Dave Says
Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business. He has authored five New York Times bestselling books: Financial Peace, More Than Enough, The Total Money Makeover, EntreLeadership and Smart Money Smart Kids. His newest best-seller, Smart Money Smart Kids, was written with his daughter Rachel Cruze, and recently debuted at #1. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 8 million listeners each week on more than 500 radio stations. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramsey.com.
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Repair now or buy later? Dear Dave, I’m driving a 10-year-old car with 195,000 miles on it. The car needs $1,500 in repairs, and it’s worth $5,000. I have $40,000 in cash saved, $40,000 in investments and I make $80,000 a year. I also have $15,000 in student loan debt, but the only other thing I owe on is my house. Should I pay to repair the car or buy something else for $15,000? Dave Dear Dave, Nice name! If you wrote a $15,000 check for a newer car and wrote a $15,000 check for the student loans, it would leave you with $10,000. I wouldn’t buy a $15,000 car in your situation. I’d buy a $10,000 car. You could sell your current car for around $3,500 if it needs repairs, combine that with your money and get a $13,500 car. Then, you could write a check and pay off the student loan. With no car payment, no student loan payment and a good car, you can really lean into your budget. Think about it. You’d have no debt except for your home, and you could rebuild your savings in a hurry and be in really great shape in about six months. Plus, you’d have $15,000 sitting there in the meantime! —Dave
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Raul “Rudy” Rodriguez
attorney at law Some historians may argue that among the greatest restoration stories of mankind are the European Renaissance or perhaps the post-World War II era. The cultural movement known as the European Renaissance roughly took place during the 14th through 17th centuries. This moment in history saw the face of Europe evolve with respect to its arts, architecture and long held science tenets. It also saw a rediscovery of the Greco-Roman classical knowledge and a rebirth of the study of Latin and vernacular languages. It served as a bridge between the Middle Ages and the Modern Era. Closer to home, America saw its restoration take place in the years that followed World War II. During this era, couples who could not afford families during the Great Depression made up for lost time. The mood in America suddenly became optimistic. At that time, the unemployment rate of the Great Depression dropped dramatically and the economy improved substantially. The G.I. Bill empowered many honorable service members to finish high school and attend college. As their skills were improved, so was the financial well-being of their families. But, without a doubt the greatest restoration that can take place is when a person does as Romans 10:9 instructs us to do. Romans 10:9 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.” The message is simple: invite Christ into your heart and make him your personal Lord and Savior. At that time, your restoration will be complete. Next He will do as Philippians 1:6 says, “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” As you seek and strive to honor God with your life, He will reward you by allowing you to take on His characteristics. Hosea 14:4 says, “I will bring my people back to me. I will love them with all my heart; No longer am I angry with them.” I pray that you will invite Christ into your heart and allow Him to restore you! At my office, I also want to be part of your restoration plan, albeit in a different way. I pray that God will use me for His honor and glory in helping me address your needs. If you have been involved in an auto accident and/or other serious injury or if you have lost a loved one as a result of someone’s negligence, I will do my best to restore some sense of normality to your life. I will also help you in matters involving family law, criminal law and real estate and will issues. As always, I bear in mind that in honoring God with the way I handle my business relationships I will be honoring you my esteemed client.
Raul “Rudy” Rodriguez
www.raulrudyrodriguezlaw.com Phone: 956.380.1421 / Toll Free: 877.480.1421 www.raulrudyrodriguezlaw.com Fax: 956.380.2920 / Mobile: 956.655.5455
Phone: 956.380.1421 / Toll Free: / Fax: 956.380.2920 / Mobile: 956.655.5455 511 W. University / Edinburg, TX877.480.1421 78539 e-mail: anointed511@gmail.com 511 W. University / Edinburg, TX 2014 78539 / e-mail: rrodlaw@hotmail.com 32 valleychristianmagazine.com November