Persuading the Other by Influence Magazine

HOW TO SUCCEED AT SUFFERING 56 / AG COLLEGE GUIDE 121

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The shape of leadership

PERSUADING THE OTHER To change America’s spiritual trajectory, we must imitate Jesus

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Articles

Born of Water

Some Bible scholars take the water to mean natural birth (as in a person first being born physically, and then spiritually). Others believe that it signifies spiritual cleansing through the word (John 15:3; 17:17; Eph 5:26; Titus 3:5; 1 Pet 1:23). However, in John's Gospel "water" often refers to God's Spirit. Note that John 3:8 simply mentions uborn of the Spirit." Since the Greek conjunction kai ("andn) can also mean ueven,ft a literal translation of John 3:5 could be uborn of water even the Spirit.ft

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CO NTE NTS Issue 45 | Winter 2024

46 COVER STORY

Persuading the Other

PERSUADING THE OTHER

To change America’s spiritual trajectory, we must imitate Jesus G EO R G E P. WO O D

Lessons from the Gospel of Mark

10 Habits for Healthier Working Relationships

C RA I G K E E N E R

Building rapport with your senior pastor

ow to Succeed at Su ering

BRIAN DOLLAR

121

What We Believe About Water Baptism A series on the AG Statement of Fundamental Truths ALLEN TENNISON

AG College Guide 2024 122 I Believe in AG Higher

Education

The benefits are worth the investment RENEA BRATHWAITE

126 Directory of AG colleges and universities

Winter 2024

D E PA R T M E N T S Only by Prayer

FROM THE EDITOR

FROM THE HEART OF THE GS

MAKE IT COUNT

106

Building Your Dream Team

THIS IS MY STORY

118

Finding My Father

A reason for hope in 2024 | GEORGE P. WOOD

Cultivate the Dream! Giving your best energies to the Kingdom | DOUG CLAY

A 10-week study for leadership teams | STEPHEN BLANDINO

Amid grief and confusion, God was there | SUE SCHLESMAN

LEADERSHIP Forest Missionary PROFILE

SELF

David W. Houck is providing hope to an impoverished Florida population | JOHN W. KENNEDY

Avoiding a Fall Three sources of moral failure — and what to do about them DOLLY THOMAS

HOME

The Four Horsemen of the (Marriage) Apocalypse Developing healthier communication habits ROBERT C. CROSBY

PRACTICE

ETHICS

Toward a Multiethnic Church Congregations should embrace America’s changing demographics | RICH GUERRA with WALT BROWN

Practicing Integrity Online How to have better conversations in the digital age DONNA BARRETT

INSIGHTS

HISTORY

What Gives? The gap between the ideal and reality of tithing | RON SELLERS

Iran’s Christian Martyr Haik Hovsepian risked everything for the gospel RUTHIE EDGERLY OBERG

BOOKS

Agents of Healing | DANIEL D. ISGRIGG

Winter 2024

M I N I S T RY SPOTLIGHT

Driven by Compassion Convoy of Hope marks 30 years of growth and ministry JOHN W. KENNEDY

Talking About Tragedy PREACHING

WORSHIP

KIDS

YOUTH

ADULTS

102

When, where, and how to discuss painful events during a service | MICHAEL EVANS

Help! I Can’t Find a Worship Leader! Questions to guide your search | KRISTI NORTHUP

Partnering With Parents Discipleship for church and home | JULIE PRATT

Teenage Girls in Crisis What they need from the local church | HOLLY DAVIS

Marketplace Missionaries Preparing congregants for reaching their workplaces SHANNON POLK

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More than a magazine

Winter 2024

FROM THE EDITOR

Only by Prayer By GEORGE P. WOOD

here are moments when I almost despair at the state of Christianity in the United States. The percentage of Americans with no religious affiliation continues to increase, while the share of those identifying as Christian and attending worship services declines. Every week brings new reports of prominent Christian leaders discrediting themselves through sexual immorality, financial impropriety, or spiritual abuse. And among those ministers who remain faithful, many report high levels of stress, burnout, and even a desire to leave vocational ministry altogether. In short, the American Church seems like it’s failing badly. Even so, my desperation is almost rather than absolute. A story from the Gospel of Mark explains my hopefulness. The story concerns the disciples’ inability to exorcize a demon that caused a boy to experience epileptic symptoms from a young age (Mark 9:14– 29). Their helplessness is puzzling because when esus called is disciples, e gave them “authority to drive out demons” 3 14 1 . urthermore,

Winter 2024

on their first missions trip, they were able to do precisely that (6:13). By Mark , however, the disciples had lost that ability. esus quickly identified the root of the problem: lack of faith. “ ou unbelieving generation,’ esus replied, how long shall I stay with you ow long shall I put up with you ’” verse 1 . And then, to the father pleading for his son’s healing, esus said, “Everything is possible for one who believes” (verse 23). This complete trust in God characteri ed esus’ own faith, as we see during is prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. “ Abba, ather,’ he said, everything is possible for you’” 14 3 . The problem with the disciples is they seemed to have lost faith along the way, a loss that was evident in their prayerlessness. When the disciples asked why they couldn’t perform the exorcism, esus replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer” (9:29). I cannot help but wonder whether the American Church’s seeming failure, like the disciples’, is the result of a prayerlessness that reveals lack of faith. ather than trusting God, are we trusting in the long history of Christian influence in America, church-growth techniques, or politics If so, we are trusting in human means to accomplish divine ends, when, as esus said, some things will happen “only by prayer.” As 4 begins, then, let us commit ourselves afresh to faith-filled prayer for revival in America, for purification of the Church, and for the encouragement of disheartened Christians. If everything is possible for God, there is always reason to hope.

GEORGE P. WOOD is executive editor of Influence magazine.

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FROM THE HEART OF THE GS

Cultivate the Dream! Giving your best energies to the Kingdom By DOUG CLAY

dream is a picture of a preferred future. hen people reali e their dreams, we often benefit from them. The appropriate response is gratitude. Above my head is a bright electric light. Thanks, Thomas Edison! On my nose are eyeglasses that enable me to focus. Thanks, Ben amin ranklin In my garage is a car ready to take me wherever I want to go. Thanks, enry ord Dreams come with a time limit because human dreamers are mortal. Moses knew this, which is why he prayed, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). The brevity of our lives leads us to ask searching questions: What dream am I giving my best energies to And how will others benefit when that dream is reali ed

Winter 2024

For Christians — especially Christian ministers — the biggest dream is God’s. Second Peter 3 states it this way God is “patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (emphasis added). God plants this dream in us as a seed of possibility. To cultivate it, we need to keep in mind three things.

The Church

irst, the Church is the primary agency God uses to advance is kingdom. herever the gospel goes, God calls people together into Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered communities of faith. Jesus promised is disciples, “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 1 18, emphasis added . When demographic reports suggest the Church is in decline, it’s easy to slide into pessimism. Granted,

respect” 1 Peter 3 1 . And when we differ with fellow believers, we should follow Matthew 18 principles. We damage our testimony when we mirror worldly practices in dealing with controversial issues. inally, the Church’s potential to finish the Great Commission is doable! The World Assemblies of God Fellowship is the fourth-largest Christian denomination globally, with over 8 million adherents and nearly 4 , churches. By 33 the , th anniversary of the Spirit’s outpouring on the Day of Pentecost — our goal is to have 1 million churches doing “the greatest work of evangelism the world has ever seen.” In light of all this, let’s not overcomplicate missions. Christ died for everyone. e is “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world,” as ohn the Baptist stated (John 1:29). We need to tell everyone this good news. There is an urgency to our task because life is short and eternity is real. Heaven and hell are real. We must be compassionate in the face of immediate human need, of course. But a church that ignores eternal outcomes is a defective one. We must reach people for Jesus.

Good theology is vital for building healthy churches and leaders.

churches may experience setbacks or even seasons of spiritual purification, but those experiences don’t nullify Christ’s promise. The Lord will build His Church! As Christians lean into that promise, church multiplication becomes a priority, and church revitalization gets immediate attention. Because the Church is God’s dream and Christ’s building pro ect, its potential for growth is always greater than the threat of decline. urthermore, the Church has the power to change culture. At various points, Christians have withdrawn from culture, looked down on it, and even gone along with it. The goal should be transforming it, however. inning arguments is not the Church’s mission. Jesus wants to win people. Consequently, we should engage nonbelievers with “gentleness and

Good Theology

A second thing to keep in mind as we cultivate God’s dream is that good theology is vital for building healthy churches and leaders. Sometimes, pastors neglect theological studies because of the crush from ministry responsibilities. They focus on spiritual leadership and practical Christian living instead, as if those things are competitors to theology rather than teammates.

Winter 2024

But as C.S. Lewis warned in Mere Christianity, “If you do not listen to Theology, that will not mean that you have no ideas about God. It will mean that you have a lot of wrong ones bad, muddled, outof-date ideas.” Bad ideas lead to bad practices. We can see the results of an increasingly post-Christian worldview in many of our institutions. Consider the decline of the family, the seculari ation of education, the polari ation of politics, and the growth of skepticism and irreligion. If we’re going to reverse these negative trends, we need to preach theologically. Theology is a building block in the development of a biblical worldview. It teaches us who God is and reveals the idols we often substitute for Him. hat’s more, theology shows us who we are, providing an identity free of unrealistic expectations from ourselves and others. Theology defines who our neighbor is, influencing how we treat people both inside and outside the Church. And in light of Scripture, it shows what God is doing, thereby shaping our priorities. Good theology is both truthful and practical. It’s also based on divine revelation rather than personal feelings. e can’t ust feel our way toward God. He must show us the way. That doesn’t mean spiritual longings and experiences are unimportant, however. Experience has always been and should continue to be a part of Pentecostalism. The gospel demands a change of heart and response of the will, after all. But Pentecostalism’s founders never wanted to build a movement based on experience. They wanted experience to be guided by truth. Indeed, doctrinal stability was one of the four main reasons for the AG’s founding. The others were legal standing, coordinated missions efforts, and ministerial training.) aving said that, theology is not ust a grab bag of random facts about God. es, the Bible is inspired and inerrant. It tells us truths about God. But those truths aren’t random they’re interconnected. They are also experientially confirmable. I’ve seen and

Winter 2024

experienced confirmation of Scripture too many times to doubt it. inally, theology is more than ust what we believe or why we believe it. It also touches on how we live. o we really believe the truth if we don’t act like it’s true Of course not ichard re cir reminds us of the importance of integrating our thinking and acting: Our strength is shown in the things we stand for our weakness is shown in the things we fall for. People of genius are admired people of wealth are envied people of power are feared but only people of character are trusted.

God’s Power

There’s one more thing to keep in mind. It comes from Ephesians 3 , where Paul said God is “able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” Of course, there are times when we grow tired. We work hard and see few results. We pray diligently but feel our prayers remain unanswered. hen that happens, our tendency is to dial back our efforts and qualify our prayers to avoid disappointment. We begin downsizing the dream. For lack of a better term, we settle. If that’s you, let me encourage you with this God knows your situation. e appreciates your effort. He feels your disappointment. All God asks is that you faithfully cultivate the dream He has planted within you. It is God who makes things grow 1 Corinthians 3 . In God’s time, e will make more of your faithfulness than you can possibly imagine — by His power. So keep on cultivating His dream!

DOUG CLAY is general superintendent of the Assemblies of God USA.

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LEADERSHIP | PROFILE

Forest Missionary David W. Houck is providing hope to an impoverished Florida population By JOHN W. KENNEDY

s a young child, David W. Houck’s middle-class parents had decent jobs that provided for the family. Then Houck’s father seriously injured his back on the job, underwent an unsuccessful surgery that paralyzed him, and could no longer work. Practically overnight, the family ended up living hand to mouth in a trailer amid Florida’s massive Ocala National Forest. Houck’s father didn’t qualify for workers’ compensation, and pride kept him from seeking government assistance. The family sank into abject poverty, subsisting on what they grew in the garden, hunted in the woods, and fished from the swamp. ouck learned to eat

David and Tammy Houck

Winter 2024

virtually anything that flew, crawled, or swam, including alligator. Houck wore tattered clothes and hand-me-down shoes. Bowl haircuts and a short, pudgy frame added to his humiliation at school, where classmates bullied him. However, Houck grew six inches his eighth-grade year and started fighting back. uring high school, he was expelled twice. At 1 , ouck fled to California to escape the environment he felt ensnared him. Houck says after the move, the Lord spoke to him in an audible voice about getting his life right, returning to Florida, and helping people with similar backgrounds. “I wasn’t even totally serving God yet, but He gave me a strong vision of all that I’m doing now,” says Houck, 51. The detailed assignment included starting a food bank. At the time, Houck didn’t even know such an entity existed. “We ate out of the yard and canal,” he recalls. Three decades ago, Houck started what has become elp Agency of the orest. The nonprofit ministry includes SoZo Kids, a sponsorship program that helps children receive free food; Turning Point Mentor Centers, an afterschool and summer program assisting students with education and life skills; and Camp So o, a 72-acre plot where kids and teens can enjoy a reprieve from the impoverished and stressful circumstances of home. There is also a food bank that serves 7,500 people monthly.

Houck grew up attending Forest Assembly of God in Silver Springs, Florida. His parents were faithful attenders and active volunteers, doing everything from mowing the grass to cleaning the toilets. Returning to the church as a youth pastor, Houck received mentoring from AG minister Bruce Gunn, who encouraged him, prayed for him, and helped him pursue ministerial credentials through Global University. Since 2010, Houck has been a fully appointed Assemblies of God U.S. missionary with Intercultural Ministries, serving the impoverished population of Ocala National Forest. The nation’s second-largest forest at 430,000 acres, Ocala contains private land where 45,000 people live. Squatters in some shacks have no electricity or running water. Whiskey stills and methamphetamine labs operate in remote areas. In 2011, Houck started Salt Life Church (AG) in ort McCoy, lorida. Since 1, the congregation has gathered in a renovated honky-tonk, aided financially by Church of the eights (AG) in Palatka, Florida. Prostitutes, drug addicts, and the unemployed and homeless frequent the church. In the early days, the offering box was stolen a few times. uring his tenure as pastor, ouck has officiated funerals. Houck and his wife of 31 years, Tammy, have raised four biological children, adopted eight kids

Kids from the forest routinely drop out of school in eighth grade. By that time, some girls have given birth, continuing a long-established poverty cycle. who came out of households in crisis, and fostered many more. Ten of their 12 children are college graduates. Kids from the forest routinely drop out of school in eighth grade. By that time, some girls have given birth, continuing a long-established poverty cycle. Houck believes there are two keys to overcoming the despair gripping many forest residents: educational or vocational training and mindset reeducation. The latter involves showing kids a world beyond their current environment. That might start as simply as going to a sit-down restaurant — not necessarily a fancy one. Many locals have never been a part of mainstream society, so Houck tries to persuade them to take a missions trip that exposes them to a different culture. Help Agency of the Forest has two full-time and two part-time mentoring centers, staffed largely by volunteers recruited from The Villages, a sprawling retirement community some 40 miles to the south. In addition to educational training, mentors help youth feeling trapped in hopelessness make better life decisions. Individuals, churches, corporate sponsors, and a lawn care business Houck has operated for three decades support Help Agency, which has an annual budget approaching $1 million. In conjunction with other ministries, over the years Help Agency has operated a restaurant, culinary prep school, and dental clinic. The ministry regularly distributes free underwear, socks, shoes, backpacks and haircuts to schoolchildren.

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We try to make sure these kids live as normal as they possibly can in their situations. — David W. Houck

“We try to make sure these kids live as normal as they possibly can in their situations,” Houck says. Amanda Sellers, now 36, says the ministry helped change her life. “Pastor Dave is the key person who taught me about life,” Sellers says. “He taught me life skills, a work ethic, and compassion toward other people.” At Houck’s encouragement, Sellers pursued an education, earning a master’s degree in human services and becoming a foster care social worker. Now married with four children, two of them adopted, Sellers serves Help Agency in an administrative role from her South Carolina home. “If we can speak Jesus into the lives of these vulnerable kids who have no choice in the kind of life they’re in, we can give them hope,” Sellers says. “We can influence them and instill confidence in them, so they know there is more to life than generational poverty.” Outside of his other work, Houck sometimes volunteers repairing roofs, floors and wells. This past summer, he renovated the dilapidated bathroom

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of a family that had been without a functioning shower for three years. Houck, who stands 6 feet, 3 inches tall and weighs 250 pounds, occasionally wonders why he persists in such a difficult place, where he sometimes has to break up dangerous fights. e knows he could make a better living doing construction or operating heavy equipment. In fact, many of the young people Houck has mentored earn more than he does. Then Houck remembers his calling and mission. He also wants to inspire others to reach out to overlooked, poor, and marginalized people in their communities. “There aren’t any gated communities in heaven,” Houck says. His driving passion remains representing the gospel to everyone he meets. “They all have the breath of God in them,” Houck says. “No one — whether a drug addict, prostitute or criminal — wants to perish. No matter who they are, they are looking for hope.” Despite living in a small cabin on leased government land, Houck doesn’t begrudge his circumstances. “The roof doesn’t leak and the toilets flush,” Houck says. “I know what poverty looks like, and this isn’t it.” JOHN W. KENNEDY is a freelance journalist in Springfield, Missouri. He previously worked as news editor of Christianity Today, the Pentecostal Evangel, and AG News.

LEADERSHIP | SELF

Avoiding a Fall Three sources of moral failure — and what to do about them By DOLLY THOMAS

he news was shocking. Another minister had disgracefully fallen. This wasn’t just any minister, but an influential leader with a large following someone I personally admired. In fact, I had just been reading and enjoying his book. With disappointment and disgust, I thought, How could he? What happened in his life that led to such disastrous choices? What about his wife and family? Who else did this scandal hurt, and how will it impact God’s kingdom? As soon as these questions surfaced, however, I sensed the Holy Spirit saying, “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall” 1 Corinthians 10:12).

The journey down a slippery path of destruction often begins with small steps in the wrong direction. It was a gentle reminder that I am not immune to temptation. I must guard my heart, lest I fall as well. We are all prone to wander and susceptible to failure. Peter self-confidently told esus, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will” (Matthew 26:33). But Jesus stopped Peter short: “This very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times” verse 34 . Every church leader needs a reality check from time to time. As an ordained Assemblies of God minister and clinical psychologist, I have operated a private practice, taught at an AG university, and served with Adult Teen Challenge.

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I have also assisted my district in the restoration process of ministers. I listened to the stories and regrets of these leaders and saw God begin to heal and reconcile them. Through this redemptive process, I have observed patterns and learned lessons that can benefit every minister. No one wakes up and decides to compromise their deeply held values. So, what goes wrong, and how can we avoid those pitfalls in ministry? I have noticed three factors behind many ministerial failures: pressure, power, and a pity party.

Pressure Managing the pressures of ministry is a skill every church leader must develop. Ministers face deadlines, demands from every direction, and a steady stream of criticism. There is constant pressure to perform, lead, innovate, say and do all the right things, and measure up to expectations. When character does not match competence, the pressure eventually reveals what’s inside. At the same time, pressure can become an excuse to compromise integrity, obedience and righteousness. We may tell ourselves the good we did all week ustifies whatever happens when we think no one is watching. Spiritual decline often begins with such rationalization, even if it’s at a subconscious level. When ministers under pressure decide they deserve whatever it takes to relax, unwind, and let off some steam, immoral behavior may follow. Dismissing sin as self-care is dangerous territory. Suddenly, flirting with someone outside of your marriage or taking a few sips of alcohol may seem like no big deal.

Power In addition to pressure, the sense of power that comes with ministry makes leaders susceptible to a fall. Leading with little accountability is unhealthy. Getting away with small compromises opens the door to bigger problems. When there are few checks and balances on power, appropriate boundaries around financial decisions, relationships, and personal habits can become blurred. Having a church board in place is not enough. Pastors need to encourage mentors, staff members, and other leaders to ask them hard questions. Without such accountability, ministers are vulnerable to a false sense of security and invincibility. Pity Party Self-pity often contributes to the downward spiral. eeling overworked and underpaid leads to offense, resentment, and a sense of entitlement. A minister might begin to think, They have no idea o muc e sacrificed The idea that a little extra money is long overdue can lead to financial mismanagement. eeling undervalued can trigger old coping mechanisms for pain, such as pornography, people pleasing, or substance abuse. Guardrails Too often, the trifecta of mismanaged pressure, power, and self-pity leads to spiritual decay and moral failure. Little foxes ruin a vineyard (Song of Songs 2:15). And just a little yeast eventually works through the whole batch of dough Galatians . Similarly, the journey down a slippery path of destruction often begins with small steps in the wrong direction. We must be careful while standing, lest we fall. With these things in mind, be sure you are putting some guardrails in place. First, manage stress and pressure. If you’ve served in ministry for a while, you can probably predict when your schedule will become most hectic.

Winter 2024

My husband, George, is president and CEO of Adult Teen Challenge of Texas, and audit season can be intensely stressful for him. George anticipates the pressure and tries to balance his personal life with activities he enjoys, like pickleball and tennis with the family. Seek out wholesome outlets that truly refresh you. Although it’s easy to withdraw from family members when tension is high, remember they are in this with you. Pursue a new hobby together. Schedule time on the calendar for special outings with your spouse and children. Spend time in God’s presence — especially during stressful seasons. As John 15:1–17 explains, the key to fruitfulness in life and ministry is abiding in Christ. Most ministers who fall report a significant decline in personal devotional habits. Set aside daily time for prayer and Bible study, solely for the sake of intimacy with the Lord rather than sermon prep or other ministry requirements. Rediscover the joy of simply seeking Him. Second, balance power dynamics through accountability. You need people who will not only affirm you, but also challenge you to grow. A mentor who is willing to call out problematic behavior and attitudes can help protect you from yourself. David’s fall with Bathsheba occurred when his kingdom was established and prosperous. It’s easy to become complacent when the church is growing, the bank account is full, and ministry is expanding. During such times, we can forget God is our Source and overlook our need for Him. When you are tempted to lean on your own power, you need Spirit-led people around who will speak honestly and point you back to God. Finally, guard against the emotional pitfalls of ministry. Accept that there will be times when congregants appreciate, love, honor, and respect you, but there will also be times when people — sometimes the same ones — will criticize, slander, and betray you. Don’t let rejection become an excuse for returning to old vices or indulging new ones. Acknowledge your weaknesses, and know your triggers. Seek the

Winter 2024

help of Christian counselors, godly friends, and fellow ministers who can support you spiritually and emotionally. Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” The good news is we don’t have to fall. We can stay the course and honor God in ministry by remaining alert and following biblical principles.

A mentor who is willing to call out problematic behavior and attitudes can help protect you from yourself. hether you are on or off the platform, in front of your team, or behind closed doors, remember the Lord is watching. And He wants you to succeed in ministry. What a blessing to know God desires to strengthen us during times of pressure, guide us toward accountability when we feel full of ourselves, and comfort us through the ups and downs of ministry. It’s humbling to think we are susceptible to failure, but it also keeps us dependent on God’s help and wisdom — which is exactly where we need to be. “To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy — to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through esus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen” (Jude 24–25).

DOLLY THOMAS, Ph.D., is director of training and counseling at Adult & Teen Challenge of Texas and a member of the Assemblies of God Mental Health Committee.

LEADERSHIP | HOME

The Four Horsemen of the (Marriage) Apocalypse Developing healthier communication habits By ROBERT C. CROSBY

he last thing Tom wanted that Sunday morning was another argument with his wife. Nevertheless, he found himself deep in a heated disagreement with Sarah. In the time it took him to get a second cup of coffee, Tom’s sharp words triggered an old wound and tapped an unresolved tension with his wife. Frustrated but determined to stay on task, Tom left the room and returned to his sermon notes. After 15 minutes of struggling to focus, Tom walked back into the kitchen and said, “Sarah … sweetheart, I’m sorry I said what I did and got you upset again. Please forgive me.” Looking at him incredulously, Sarah said, “No, you’re not sorry. You just want to make sure you have an anointing when you preach this morning. Isn’t that the real reason you’re apologizing?” With the argument still simmering, they were soon driving the kids to church for another Sunday morning of worship and ministry. This conversation might sound extreme to some. But most couples who have spent any time in marriage and church leadership can relate. The tone and tenor of conversations in marriage reveal much about the condition of the relationship.

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ords convey relational intimacies and deficiencies as few other indicators can. Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death.” Words often reveal whether a relationship is growing or dying.

Four Horsemen Psychologist John Gottman, a leading researcher in marriage communication, has documented the interactions of some 300 couples over decades of longitudinal studies. As a result, Gottman can predict the likelihood of divorce with a remarkable degree of accuracy.

Gottman refers to the worst marital communication habits — criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling — as the “four horsemen of the apocalypse.” 1. Criticism. Most people respond better to complaints than criticism. A complaint or concern usually begins with the word “I.” (For example, “I was so disappointed when you cancelled our date tonight.”) On the other hand, criticism often starts with the word “you.” (“You always break your promises!”) As Richard Dobbins observed, “‘I’ messages inform you’ messages inflame.” If criticism characterizes conversations and confrontations with your spouse, it doesn’t mean your marriage is dying, but it is cause for concern. Gottman warns, “The problem with criticism is that, when it becomes pervasive, it paves the way for the other, far deadlier horsemen to follow. It makes the victim feel assaulted, rejected, and hurt, and often causes the perpetrator and victim to fall into an escalating pattern where the first horseman

The wild stallions of selfcenteredness and pride lead to poor communication and relational fissures.

reappears with greater and greater frequency and intensity, which eventually leads to contempt.” 2. Contempt. Dismissing each other as unworthy of respect and consideration is a ma or red flag. Contempt may take the form of mockery, sarcasm, ridicule, name calling, mimicking, disdainful facial expressions, eye rolling, and scoffing. Consider these contemptuous remarks “I thought you were 33, not 3! When are you going to learn to pick up after yourself?” “You sound just like your mother! Nag, nag, nag!” When communication in marriage reaches and stays at the level of contempt, it is dangerous territory. Gottman says, “Contempt is the single greatest predictor of divorce and must be eliminated.” Contempt attacks a person’s character. It is ha ardous material in a home. 3. Defensiveness. When facing a complaint or critique, we have two options: listen, or become defensive. The natural response is defensiveness — rebutting or shifting blame. The first twinge of guilt over a mistake can trigger defense mechanisms. Suppose one person asks, “Did you pick up the milk, like I asked?” The other person might respond defensively: “Do you think I have time to run all your errands? Why don’t you do it yourself?” However, a more productive response would be, “Oh, my mistake. I’m so sorry. I can run to the store right now if you’d like.” 4. Stonewalling. This happens when one person starts shutting down communication, disengaging, or practicing avoidance. Stonewalling often leads to people stomping out of the room, if not completely out of the house. Every marriage formed in love, tenderness, and vulnerability has the potential for intimacy, camaraderie, and unity. However, marriage requires constant nurturing with more of the same. The wild stallions of self-centeredness and pride lead to poor communication and relational fissures. Improvement requires intentional focus and practice.

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Psychological angst can trigger physiological acting out. Before that happens, the best thing to do is step aside and calm down. Hold Your Horses When navigating confrontations or managing disagreements, there are some important rules of engagement to keep in mind. Register complaints without criticizing character. Proverbs 27:6 says, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted.” No confrontation is easy or comfortable. Yet spouses should love each other enough to show grace and speak honestly. Sometimes truth hurts, but open communication also helps. To keep confrontations from turning into altercations, stay focused on the issue. There is a temptation to connect one concern to another, going back in history to drag up old complaints and offenses. emain in the moment, leaving past grievances buried. Take a break from the conversation. A timeout is sometimes necessary. Gottman found once an argument between a couple reaches a certain tone or pitch, there is simply no way of resolving it within the same setting. Psychological angst can trigger physiological acting out. Before that happens, the best thing to do is step aside and calm down. Breathe deeply, take a walk, clean a room, or find some other reasonable diversion. Give yourself and your spouse time to recover emotionally before reengaging the issue. Communicate lovingly. As Ephesians 4 1 reminds us, we can and should speak truth in a loving manner.

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Ask yourself, o my ords and tone re ect my promise to love and cherish? Do I care more about being “right,” or being in a right relationship with my spouse? Learning to speak truth in love is vital for dealing effectively with conflict. Ask about asking. Instead of just diving into a confrontation, ask about how and when to proceed. For example, you might say, “Sweetheart, there’s a sensitive topic we need to discuss. When would be a good time and place?” Gottman calls this the “slow startup.” While such an approach may not guarantee an agreeable audience, it does signal respect and consideration. Proverbs 11 says, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver” ESV . Give truth time. A big mistake many couples make is pushing truth instead of presenting it. When one person doesn’t get the immediate desired response, there is a tendency to force the point by escalating words, tone, and volume. Resolution never comes that way — and neither does righteousness. James 1:20 says, “Human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” Present the truth in love, and give it time to work in you and your spouse. Time and truth go together. Our responsibility is effectively and lovingly communicating. These approaches can help rid your relationship of doomsday feelings and discouragement. If you have tried them and problems persist, consider seeking Christian marital counseling. Marriage isn’t always easy, but it is always worth it. Make marital health a priority, and trust God to work in both your hearts.

ROBERT C. CROSBY, Ph.D., is president of Emerge Counseling Ministries and an ordained Assemblies of God minister.

LE ADE RSHIP | PR AC TICE

Toward a Multiethnic Church Congregations should embrace America’s changing demographics By RICH GUERRA with WALT BROWN

fter emigrating from Mexico to the United States, my grandfather accepted Christ as Savior, answered a call to ministry, and started the Pentecostal church I attended growing up. My parents were bilingual, but I spoke only English. To reach a generation of ispanic Amer-

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icans like my siblings and me, Grandpa knew he needed to adapt. So, he started offering services in both English and Spanish. This enabled our congregation to serve even more people. In fact, the church’s exuberant worship, passionate preaching, and Spirit-led ministry soon attracted families of other ethnicities. The result was a multiethnic, multigenerational environment that enriched my spiritual development and has shaped my ministry approach ever since. First as a pastor and now as superintendent of the SoCal Network Assemblies of God, welcoming all kinds of people has always been a ministry priority for me. It should be for you, too. America is becoming increasingly diverse. In 2020, 57.8% of the population was white, nonHispanic, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That was down from 63.7% just a decade earlier. In California, the largest racial or ethnic group is now ispanic, comprising 3 .4 of the population.

California’s white, non- ispanic population dropped out of the top spot after declining from 40.1% in 2000 to 34.7% in 2020.) Between 2000 and 2018, the number of majority ispanic counties in the U.S. doubled, from 34 to , a Pew esearch Center analysis of Census Bureau data found. In all, 151 U.S. counties were majority Hispanic, Black, Native American, or Alaskan Native in 2018, compared to 110 such counties in 2000. Meanwhile, U.S. church attendance is declining. In January 2023, 31% of U.S. adults said they had attended services within the past seven days (26% of them in person and 5% online), compared to 44% who said the same in January 2000, according to Gallup. One reason many churches are struggling to attract attendees and reach their communities is they no longer identify with the people living in the area. Racially and ethnically homogenous congregations are losing relevance. Quite simply, they are not keeping up with the times. Why should your congregation take steps to become multiethnic? And how can you lead this change?

Embracing Change A multiethnic congregation is diverse. That can, of course, mean different things to different people. In United by Faith, authors Curtiss Paul e oung, Michael Emerson, George ancey, and aren Chai im recommend churches establish a measurable goal. They suggest no racial or ethnic group (including white people) should make up more than 80% of a congregation. As communities become more diverse, local churches will need to change as well if they hope to attract people from the neighborhoods in which they reside. A church that fails to adapt will lose its support base and ultimately cease to exist. That is precisely what is happening to many older congregations today. They have not kept up with the

changing demographic landscape around them. Consequently, they are being left behind. Others are awakening to the realization my grandfather had years ago Embracing change is essential for staying relevant in ministry.

Leading the Way The first step toward becoming a multiethnic congregation is cultivating a sincere desire to build bridges across ethnic divides and develop lasting, cross-cultural relationships.

One reason many churches are struggling to attract attendees and reach their communities is they no longer identify with the people living in the area. Start by teaching the biblical principle that all people — regardless of nationality, ethnicity, race, culture, or other differences are made in God’s image and equally valuable in His sight (Genesis 1:26–27). Then guide congregants toward intentional and meaningful outreach to neighbors they consider different. Pastors must lead the way by modeling sensitivity and cultural awareness. Develop a missional mindset. Research the people groups you are trying to reach, adapting your ministry methods accordingly. egardless of differences, there are some basic principles to keep in mind. For example, be sincere, welcoming, and friendly. Address people by name (including nicknames and shortened forms if they prefer). Pay close attention to pronunciation and cultural norms regarding formality. Avoid stereotyping or making assumptions. Everyone deserves to be treated as an individual.

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Take the time to get to know people. Pay attention to generational distinctions. Even within the same cultural community, there can be significant differences from one generation to the next. My childhood church was an example of this. Embracing multiethnicity means recogni ing your story is worth sharing and the stories of others are worth hearing. When integrating members of a local ethnic community into your congregation, there are some specific things you can do to make them feel more comfortable. Learn about the group’s culture, including practices, beliefs, language, expressions, dress, music, and food. Initiate dialogue to develop a mutual plan, focused on mutual purpose, and based on mutual respect. Through conversation and collaboration, find ways to meet needs and build cultural bridges. For example, include worship songs in the ethnic group’s traditional style (ideally, after recruiting at least one member of that community as part of your worship team). Add a service in their language. Consider their food and beverage preferences when planning refreshments. You may not get everything exactly right. That’s OK. The goal is developing intentional community that expresses selflessness, forgiveness, ustice, generosity, and unconditional love. Jesus said, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34–35). God calls us to love and serve people — and not just those who look, act, and think like us. The Church comprises diverse peoples coming together as the body of Christ. Spiritual community starts with spending time together, interacting, and showing genuine interest in one another. This can include sharing meals, participating in recreational activities together, observing holidays and festivals, and celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and accomplishments.

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At the leadership level, make sure your board and ministry teams reflect the ethnic makeup of your church. In the SoCal Network, for example, we changed our governance structure to include ethnic executive presbyters from each category of the General Council’s recogni ed ethnic codes. e also have executive presbyters representing credentialed women and under-40 ministers. The changes have brought clarity and unity to our mission. Not only are these presbyters informing network leadership decisions, but they are also helping local churches move toward multiethnicity. All these things are about demonstrating God’s love to people who may be different from us nationally, culturally, and ethnically. Jesus said the second greatest command is this: “Love your neighbor as yourself” Matthew 3 . From a biblical perspective, every congregation should be as multiethnic as its neighborhood. After all, if we are loving our neighbors as ourselves, we are also making space for them in our churches. In America today, we must be multiethnic and multigenerational to reach our communities. Rather than expecting them to just show up and assimilate, we need to find ways to welcome and accommodate people of every culture. When that happens, churches will look more like their communities. Even better, they will look more like heaven evelation .

RICH GUERRA is superintendent of the SoCal Network Assemblies of God.

WALT BROWN, Ed.D., is a multiculturalism and ethnic studies consultant, a church health specialist, and an ordained AG minister.

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LEADERSHIP | ETHICS

Practicing Integrity Online How to have better conversations in the digital age By DONNA BARRETT

ords are powerful. They have the ability to change people. That is why Scripture exhorts us to use them carefully, especially if we’re preachers and teachers of the gospel (James 3:1). Proverbs 12:18 says, “The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” The proverb mentions the tongue, the organ of speech, but it applies equally to fin ers, by which we write or type. Our words, whether spoken or written, make things worse or better. They hurt or heal.

Digita A p i cation If words have this effect in person, imagine their potential online.

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My prayer is wherever smartphones, tablets, and laptops connect to the internet, users will access the good news of Jesus in their own language. May we use technology to amplify the gospel! However, I also know digital platforms can amplify harmful voices. Too often, social media users unwittingly share false web articles, blog posts, and memes (misinformation) because it agrees with their point of view. Some intentionally post false statements (disinformation) to shift public opinion through deception. Either way, such falsehood creates an environment in which it becomes harder to communicate truth.

Loss of Trust When people feel they can no longer believe what they hear and read, skepticism abounds. Consider the erosion of trust in today’s media. A recent Gallup poll asked, “How much trust and confidence do you have in the mass media — such as newspapers, TV and radio — when it comes to reporting the news fully, accurately and fairly?” Only 32% of Americans said they trust the media “a great deal” or “a fair amount.” That represents a steep decline from 1 , when of Americans trusted media. Media critics blame journalistic bias. Many outlets craft narratives and headlines to generate clicks among target audiences. This explains why some sites attract left-leaning voters and others right-leaning voters. Meanwhile, readers want stories that don’t contradict how they view the world — and they often feel distrustful of anything challenging their perspectives. Social media exacerbates distrust. Its algorithms feed users a steady stream of content that cuts them off from alternate viewpoints and reinforces partisan preferences. Such content becomes increasingly sensationalistic and provocative. It reinforces preexisting ideas rather than providing new, useful information. While traditional mass media employs editors and fact-checkers, anyone can now set up a social media account and generate content that travels the globe. Integrity Needed All of this points to the need for integrity. Integrity is about goodness and wholeness. A person of integrity is trustworthy. Proverbs 18 1 says, “In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines.” eplace those first three words with “In social media,” and the effect is the same. When each side can cite a media story in its favor, discerning truth is difficult.

Discerning people want the truth. And honest people tell the truth. Those who desire to know the truth will seek out honest people who can share it. In America, when witnesses take the stand to offer testimony, they swear to tell “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” They promise not to offer half-truths, which are also half-lies. Nor will they bury the needle of truth in a haystack of irrelevant information. As you look at your most recent social media posts, do they exhibit both goodness and wholeness? Ephesians 4 says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Do your posts build up others, or do they engage in character assassination of those with whom you disagree? Are your posts giving a complete picture of the topic? Or are they like the proverbial blind men describing an elephant The first man describes the ear, the second the trunk, the third a foot, and the fourth the tail. None of them describes the whole elephant. Are people better informed because they follow you online, or are they only getting half-truths (and thus half-lies)? And what about the people you follow online? Are their posts gracious and truthful?

Do your posts build up others, or do they engage in character assassination of those with whom you disagree?

Self-Examination Let me close by offering a few suggestions for how we, as Christians and ministers of the gospel, can improve what gets posted online.

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To the fault finders in is day, esus said, “ irst take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5). This suggests we start with self-examination. Don’t believe everything you read or hear until you’ve verified the information. This is a biblical imperative. “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1, emphasis added). Pause before you post or hit “send” on a critical email. Let it sit overnight. Tomorrow you may feel differently. As ames 1 1 puts it, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” Paul says “speaking the truth in love” is a characteristic of mature Christians Ephesians 4 14 1 . Foster relationships where others can hold you accountable by speaking the truth lovingly to you. Accept that you may not always be able to vindicate yourself to others. Have you ever considered that Joseph died without convincing his buddies Mary’s conception of Jesus was divine? Sometimes we must simply pray as David did: “Vindicate me in your righteousness, LORD my God; do not let them gloat over me” (Psalm 35:24). The Bible’s commandments regarding how we speak about and to others have not been canceled. As Jesus taught, “Do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12).

Pause before you post or hit “send” on a critical email. Let it sit overnight. Tomorrow you may feel di erently.

Constructive Critique How can you help fellow believers when their online posts lack integrity?

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Start with questions. What is the source of their information? Why do they feel it’s important to post about this topic? In your comments, point them in a healthy direction of conversation rather than adding emotional fuel to the rhetorical fire. Proverbs 27:6 says, “Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.” Cultivate the kind of relationships with others where they prefer to hear loving correction from you more than easygoing compliments from others. Use the communication platform most appropriate to the content under discussion. The apostle John wrote, “I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete” (2 John 12). There’s something about personal conversation that technology simply cannot reproduce. Use texts to check in with your friends and emails for exchanging detailed information. But for difficult conversations, pick up the phone and call them, or better yet, make an appointment to meet in person. Whatever you do, don’t get trapped in an exchange on social media. You don’t want a public — and permanently archived — digital conversation when a private talk will accomplish better results. That said, there may come a time when the Lord prompts you to confront someone publicly. Paul opposed Peter openly when circumstances warranted (Galatians 2:11). But that is a last, desperate resort, never a first option. In an age of mistrust, integrity has never been more vital. As ministers of the gospel, pointing to truth is our mission and calling. Jesus is truth (John 14:6). Those who represent Him must stand for truth as well.

DONNA BARRETT is general secretary of the Assemblies of God USA.

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LEADERSHIP | INSIGHTS

What Gives? The gap between the ideal and reality of tithing By RON SELLERS

egardless of whether believers see it as a biblical mandate, the traditional standard for church giving is 10% of one’s income. Yet two recent studies from Grey Matter Research and Infinity Concepts found most Christians do not practice tithing. The reports — Who Controls the Wallet? and The Generosity Factor (2023 and 2021, respectively) — reveal fewer than 13% of U.S. evangelical Protestants tithe. Nearly one-third (31%) said they did not give to a church during the previous 12 months, while 43% contributed nothing to charities or ministries outside of church. Twenty-two percent made no donations — not a penny — to church or charity.

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The average evangelical Protestant gives 2.4% of household income to church and a combined 3.2% to church and charity. Half of all evangelicals give less than 1% of their household income to church or charity. hat’s going on I believe five factors contribute to the gap between the ideal and reality of tithing.

Half of all evangelicals give less than 1% of their household income to church or charity.

1. False Assumptions Some polls on tithing ask Christians about the percentage they give. However, people don’t typically think or budget in percentages. You probably remember the amount of your monthly mortgage or rent payment, but do you know the exact proportion of your household income that represents? In 2017, Grey Matter Research asked American donors how many dollars they contributed to charities (excluding places of worship). Only 4% quoted a figure representing at least one-tenth of their household income. When asked what percentage of their household income they gave, however, 38% said they gave one-tenth or more. In other words, people believe they are giving far more than they actually do. When teaching about giving, don’t merely ask congregants to tithe. Encourage them to calculate what 1 of their household income is, and give that. This exercise might be a wake-up call for many congregants. hen Christians believe they are already meeting the standard for tithing, they often see no reason to increase their giving. 2. A Lack of Discipleship Many churches offer stewardship programs and teaching on tithing. Unless congregants have a solid spiritual foundation, however, these may have little impact on giving. We found the single biggest predictor of generosity is frequent spiritual activity, including church attendance, prayer, small group participation, and Bible reading. As an example, generosity levels among evangelicals who read the Bible daily are 582% higher than those of evangelicals who never read Scripture. Unfortunately, just 11% of evangelicals are fully engaged spiritually (attending church and small groups weekly, reading the Bible daily, studying the Bible multiple times per week, and praying multiple times per day), according to the 2023 Grey Matter study Uneven: Success, Stagnation, and Delusion in Spiritual Growth. Another 22%

are highly engaged spiritually, while 38% are moderately engaged and 28% have low or no spiritual engagement. Thirty percent of evangelicals do not pray multiple times per day, and larger shares don’t attend in-person or online church weekly (38%) or study the Bible even once a week (46%). Most aren’t reading Scripture daily (67%) or attending small groups weekly (71%). Pastors are trying to promote stewardship to a population that often has low spiritual engagement. The basic Christian disciplines make a huge difference in giving. Perhaps church leaders should focus first on building this foundation, anticipating increased giving as a natural outgrowth of greater spiritual engagement and maturity.

3. Generational Changes For years, people tended to give more as they grew older. However, a 2022 report from Grey Matter and Infinity Concepts titled The Generation Gap shows that pattern is changing. Today’s young adults may never develop the giving habits of their parents and grandparents. Evangelicals under age 4 focus less on local causes and more on international issues. Young people are more likely to view with skepticism organizations that ask for money, while older evangelicals generally start with trust. Younger Americans crave far more variety in their giving, and they are more likely than older donors to give spontaneously, or when it “feels right.” Further, greater economic stability helps account for increased giving among older adults. Yet today’s young adults may not experience the same upward trajectory previous generations enjoyed. According to Forbes, freelance or independent workers now represent 36% of the U.S. workforce, and the trend is growing. One thing the gig economy does not bring is economic stability. There is also a significant increase of direct giving among younger generations. Young adults are more likely than others to give directly to people in need

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— whether friends or strangers — through crowdfunding platforms such as GoFundMe. As they mature, these cohorts may continue choosing such giving methods over traditional church and charity contributions.

4. Lack of Motivation ears ago, many Christians gave to church out of a sense of obligation. Increasingly, people need more compelling reasons to give. According to Lifeway Research, three-quarters of Protestant pastors say apathy and lack of commitment are problems within their churches. Nearly half (47%) indicate these are their greatest challenges. In an apathetic environment, it is no longer realistic to pass the plate and expect the money to appear. Students preparing for ministry study hermeneutics, homiletics and theology. Rarely do they learn about fundraising, marketing, and strategic communication. Nevertheless, today’s pastors need to develop all of these skills. Donors are interested in where their money is going. They expect assurance they are supporting a deserving cause and their gifts are making a difference. Furthermore, they want to feel appreciated. Unfortunately, many church leaders do little to communicate these things, beyond issuing financial spreadsheets during quarterly board meetings. Besides their roles as preachers, teachers, administrators, counselors, and more, pastors increasingly need to learn effective fundraising techniques. In an age of apathy and disengagement, it is no longer sufficient to tell congregants, “ ou should support the church.” 5. Virtual Church According to Pew esearch Center, of American adults regularly watch religious services online or on television. While churchgoers overwhelmingly prefer in-person attendance, the convenience and variety of electronic experiences is drawing many of them to screens. Sixteen percent of Americans attend church exclusively in person, 10% view services only via

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screens, and 17% attend both remotely and in person. Most within the latter group are tuning in to churches other than those they attend in person. When people watch your services remotely, they need an easy and convenient way to give, rather than waiting until they’re in the building and a collection plate passes by. If they’re not part of your in-person congregation, they need to know why they should support your ministry.

Donors expect assurance they are supporting a deserving cause and their gifts are making a di erence. Furthermore, they want to feel appreciated. Pew found many remote viewers report a sense of disconnection from others. Provide simple ways for online participants to connect with your congregation, including through electronic giving options. igital church is still a fluid situation, but it’s here to stay and it will affect giving. Make giving easy and convenient, even for attendees who are not physically present. Each of these issues presents challenges for ministries. Navigating them will require wisdom, strategy, faith — and, above all, prayer. As Chuck Swindoll once said, “I am convinced that life is 1 what happens to me and how I react to it.” How you respond to these trends will help determine your church’s financial future. RON SELLERS is president of Grey Matter Research & Consulting, a firm that regularly serves Christian ministries, denominations, and churches to solve their information needs.

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L E A D E R S H I P | H I S T O RY

Iran’s Christian Martyr Haik Hovsepian risked everything for the gospel By RUTHIE EDGERLY OBERG

n Acts 2:9, Luke reports the presence of “Parthians, Medes, and Elamites” in erusalem on the ay of Pentecost. It is possible these pilgrims from the land of Persia were among the first converts to faith in the resurrected esus (Acts 2:41). hen Armenia became the first nation to adopt Christianity as its official religion in 3 1, many of these believers established churches in Persia, also known as Elam or Iran. The Arab conquests of the Middle East beginning in the seventh century started a cycle of religious persecution that continued for centuries. During the 17th century and again in the early 20th century, war forcibly relocated hundreds of thousands of Armenian Christians to Iran, now a ma ority Muslim nation. ue to restrictions, the Iranian Armenian Christians had a long-standing reluctance to evangelize their Muslim neighbors. owever, in 1 , a small group of Armenian believers in Tehran contacted Assemblies of God World Missions (AGWM) requesting help with evangelization and discipleship. Missionaries Mark and Gladys Bliss, along with their three children, arrived later that year and began assisting the small churches with Bible study courses and materials publishing. One young man in the church felt a strong calling to evangeli e his Muslim neighbors. Born in 1 4 to a nominally Christian family, aik ovsepian was a gifted musician and persuasive apologist. Hovsepian and Bliss started the process of planting a church in the Muslim town of Gorgon. On Oct. 4, 1 , while interpreting during a conference for ministers, Hovsepian began weeping. Sensing God asking whether he was willing to go through tribulation to evangelize Iranian Muslims, Hovsepian whispered, “Anything, Lord.”

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The Hovsepian family

The next day, Hovsepian and his wife, Takoosh, along with their 6-month-old son and the entire Bliss family were traveling together to Gorgon when they were involved in a car accident that killed all four children. Despite this tragic loss, Hovsepian continued presenting the gospel to anyone who would listen regardless of religious affiliation or ethnicity. Throughout the 1970s, he led the church in Gorgon and established other house churches, training their leadership with the help of Mark Bliss. In 1979, the Iranian Revolution sent shock waves around the world as the Ayatollah Khomeini overthrew Iran’s monarchy and established the Islamic Republic of Iran. The new regime forced out Western missionaries and outlawed Persian (Farsi) Christian literature, including Bibles.

Sensing God asking whether he was willing to go through tribulation to evangelize Iranian Muslims, Hovsepian whispered, “Anything, Lord.” Rising to the forefront of Christian leadership was the capable Haik Hovsepian, who in 1981 became general superintendent (bishop) for the Assemblies of God of Iran. Under Khomeini, Muslims leaving the faith or encouraging others to do so faced the threat of execution. Nevertheless, the Iranian AG remained committed to evangelism.

Persecution continued throughout the 1980s, with a new wave of intensity during the early ’90s. On Dec. 3, 1990, the Islamic Republic executed ordained AG minister Hossein Soodmand. In 1 3, government officials ordered non-Muslim shopkeepers to post notices announcing their religious affiliation. Shoppers likewise had to identify their religion before doing business. The regime mandated all churches sign a statement they would not evangelize Muslims. Hovsepian refused to sign, insisting AG churches would welcome anyone, without discrimination. Despite a ban on Christian services in Farsi (the official language of Iran and its Muslim ma ority , AG churches continued holding services in the language of their people. Hovsepian, now also chairman of the Council of Protestant Ministers, met with the Ministry of Islamic Guidance for Minorities, requesting protection for Christian civil liberties. The result was a new requirement that all Christian denominations sign declarations stating they en oyed full constitutional rights in Iran. The United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva and New York received copies of the signed statements. Only the Assemblies of God and the Church of the Brethren refused to sign, with Hovsepian instead writing a letter detailing the human rights violations his church was experiencing. In December 1993, AG pastor and Muslim convert Mehdi iba who had already spent nine years in prison for charges including “apostasy” and “insulting Islam” came before the udicial court. ovsepian received a leaked copy of iba ’s defense statement and circulated it throughout the Western world to raise awareness of the human rights violations in Iran. The London Times published it in full. Many human rights organizations and governments responded with condemnations of Iran. Consequently, officials released iba on an. 1 , 1994, despite the death sentence remaining in place for proselytizing.

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During a sermon less than a Three days later, Hovsepian, year before his death, Hovse4 , left his home to meet a pian said Christians in ancient friend at the airport in Tehran. Mehdi Dibaj and Haik Hovsepian Persia had long known the cost He never returned. of following Jesus. Christians declared a day of As aniel, Mordecai, and Esther were willing to fasting and prayer for the missing bishop. risk everything, Hovsepian said, the Iranian church On Jan. 30, Iranian authorities contacted Hovhad to do the same. sepian’s family asking for someone to identify his Quoting Dibaj, Hovsepian told them, “It is a terbody. The bishop’s 20-year-old son, Joseph Hovrible waste for a Christian to die a natural death.” sepian, had to look through pictures of mutilated oug Clark, then area director for AG M in corpses before he finally saw his deceased father. the Middle East, North Africa, and the Arab Gulf, Haik Hovsepian’s body had been found in a Tehsummed it up this way in a letter to missionaries ran suburb hours after his disappearance, buried, following the outbreak of persecution in the 1 s and later interred. The family asked permission The Assemblies of God in Iran has a response to attend to his body and prepare it for a Christian to all of this. They quote an Iranian proverb, burial. Officials said police officers would transport “The oven is hot. Now it is time to bake the the body and remain with it at all times until the bread.” By that they mean, “Only through the burial — precluding an opportunity for autopsy. fires of persecution will we become bread for While washing the body of their husband and this spiritually hungry nation. Lord, turn up father, the family counted 26 stab wounds. the heat!” On eb. 3, 1 4, more than , people waited Even as the heat increases on the Iranian Church three hours in the bitter cold for Hovsepian’s gravetoday, the Holy Spirit is moving. side service in Tehran. In 2023, Iran was No. 8 on Open Doors’ list of top There were also memorial services for Hovsepian 1 most difficult places to be a Christian. reedom around the world, including in the U.S., United Watch gave the nation a rating of 0 out of 4 for reliKingdom, Turkey, Norway, Germany and Denmark. gious freedom. Demonstrators gathered at Iranian embassies in Nevertheless, International Christian Concern Paris, London, and Seoul, South Korea. named the Iranian Church the fastest-growing Thomas Trask, then general superintendent of evangelical church in the world. This growth is due the Assemblies of God USA, wrote to constituents, in part to the evangelistic passion of Iranian AG “A martyr has fallen, and we are all diminished by ministers and laity. the loss.” As Revelation 12:11 says, their triumph is “by On June 24, Dibaj left a church conference to the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their tesattend his daughter’s birthday party in Tehran but timony; they did not love their lives so much as to never arrived. His body was found July 5 in a Tehshrink from death.” ran park. Five days after Dibaj’s disappearance, Tatevos Michaelian, a Presbyterian minister who succeedRUTHIE EDGERLY OBERG ed Hovsepian as chairman of the Protestant is a conference speaker for the churches, disappeared. Michaelian was later found Flower Pentecostal Heritage shot to death. Center in Springfield, Missouri, The families of Dibaj and Michaelian were and an ordained Assemblies of not allowed to examine the bodies of their slain God minister. loved ones.

Winter 2024

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LEADERSHIP | BOOKS

Agents of Healing By DANIEL D. ISGRIGG

The healing power of Jesus is an expression of his love — love that cares deeply about the immediate, felt needs of hurting, broken people. — Stephen Seamands

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ot only is healing a tenet of the Pentecostal faith, but it is also part of the Church’s redemptive mission, according to Stephen Seamands, author of Follow the Healer. As Seamands puts it, “The church of Jesus Christ is the primary agency of healing in the world.” Emeritus professor of Christian doctrine at Asbury SeaTheological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, Sea mands sees Jesus’ ministry through a lens of healing. For this reason, he assumes healing is part of the Church, rather than defending it as a doctrine. In simple terms, following Jesus means following the Healer. Seamands does provide a biblical and theological rationale for his view, along with sage advice from decades of local church ministry. Emphasizing Jesus is the Healer, not us, Seamands says the Church’s role is about “joining him as he continues his healing ministry.” More than just a demonstration of power, healing in the Gospels point to Christ’s love. Matthew 14:14 says, “When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.” “The healing power of Jesus is an expression of his love — love that cares deeply about the immediimmedi ate, felt needs of hurting, broken people,” Seamands writes. This calls for a compassionate approach to healing that protects the safety and dignity of people. specCompassionate leaders refrain from careless spec ulation about the causes of sickness or why some othindividuals receive immediate healing while oth ers do not. Ministering to the spiritual, emotional and physical needs of people should always be our primary concern. In a chapter titled “Five Ways Jesus Heals,” Seamands presents a holistic theology of healing. This chapter moves beyond a strictly supernatural paradigm to consider other ways God heals, including through medicine, biological processes, suffering, and victorious dying. Without minimizing supernatural healing, Seamands argues these other experiences are no (Continued on Page 44)

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Agents of Healing (Continued from Page 42)

less Christian. For example, the Church has long played a role in providing medical care around the world. And the human body’s remarkable capacity for healing is part of God’s creative work. Addressing suffering, Seamands points out that God’s power is present amid weakness when supernatural deliverance does not come (2 Corinthians 12:9). He says, “What a truly wonderful miracle of healing it is when we see people bearing suffering with patience through God’s grace.” Beyond temporal forms of healing, facing the reality of death reminds Christians of our eternal future. Christians anticipate a final healing, looking forward to a day when there will be no more sickness or pain. One of the most helpful parts of this book was its emphasis on the Holy Spirit’s role in ministering to the whole person — spiritually, socially, physically, and emotionally. When ministering to others, Seamands says, we should seek the Spirit’s guidance concerning “what might be going on in each of these areas.” Seamands holds healing in proper tension, acknowledging that Jesus preached the Kingdom as both a present and future reality. Thus, healing ministry occupies what Seamands calls the “radical middle,” where our expectation of the now is always subject to the not yet. Regarding cessationism, the belief that healing and miracles have ceased, Seamands rightfully notes this is a waning position in the Church. While affirming healing is for today, Seamands adds that we must yield to God’s sovereignty — making space for the “ambiguities and mysteries” that entails. Rather than running from questions, Seamands challenges readers to embrace the mystery — remaining humble and dependent on God.

Follow the Healer is a readable volume on a topic of interest to many Christians. It offers practical advice to help church leaders minister with love, wisdom and compassion. Seamands roots all of this in Christ’s character and the Spirit’s work in the believer.

Seamands holds healing in proper tension, acknowledging that Jesus preached the Kingdom as both a present and future reality. Thus, healing ministry occupies what Seamands calls the “radical middle,” where our expectation of the now is always subject to the not yet.

Winter 2024

In the final chapter, Seamands shares his own “Spirit-filled” experience, which he says has guided his healing ministry and academic career. While it is unclear whether Seamands fits the definition of a charismatic believer, his book — with its emphasis on the Holy Spirit and Jesus’ healing work — would be at home in Pentecostal and charismatic settings. I recommend this book for ministers, lay leaders, and anyone interested in following the Healer. Book Reviewed Stephen Seamands, Follow the Healer: Biblical and Theological Foundations for Healing Ministry (Grand Rapids, M ondervan Re ective, . DANIEL D. ISGRIGG is associate professor of Spirit-empowered Christianity at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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PERSUADING THE OTHER To change America’s spiritual trajectory, we must imitate Jesus

B y G E O R G E P. W O O D

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How to persuade people to follow Jesus

in an increasingly nonreligious culture is an urgent question American Christians must answer. Today’s U.S. Church is navigating a landscape with fewer Christians, less trust in organized religion, and unfavorable views of evangelicals. Fewer Christians. Since 1972, the General Social Survey has asked, “What is your religious preference?” That year, 90% of respondents identified as Christian and as religiously unaffiliated. In 1, 4 were Christian, while were unaffiliated or “nones” . Pew Research Center expects that decline to continue. A 2022 report pro ects the share of Christians in the U.S. will fall to 3 4 by the year 2070, as more Americans join the ranks of the “nones.” Less trust. Over the past five decades, Gallup has measured trust in various institutions. rom 1 3 3, the share of Americans expressing a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of trust in organized religion declined from to 3 . Sentiments of little or no trust increased from 11% to 33%. Today, as many people distrust organized religion as trust it. Unfavorable views. Pew reports the percentage of Americans viewing evangelicals favorably is basically the same as those viewing it unfavorably 8 and , respectively . But those numbers get worse when you remove evangelical respondents from the sample. Then, only 18 of non-evangelical Americans view evangelicals favorably, while 32% view them unfavorably.

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If the bad news is fewer Christians, less trust, and unfavorable views, the good news is people are persuadable. They can change their minds. Right now, American Christians aren’t convincing many of their neighbors to follow Jesus. However, we can become more persuasive. Doing so requires making institutional and individual changes. For churches, the path to persuasiveness begins with rebuilding trust in the community through greater transparency and accountability. This will take time. But you and I can begin to become more persuasive today. What does that look like? In a word: Jesus. If we want to change the spiritual tra ectory of our spheres of influence, we must imitate Him. esus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman in ohn 4 offers an especially salient example for our times. A closer look at this passage reveals seven practices of persuasion.

1. Cross Boundaries

A boundary is a dividing line between us and them. Jesus crossed several boundaries to talk with the Samaritan woman. He traversed the geographical boundary between Judea and Samaria on the way back to Galilee (John 4:3). Samaria was part of the northern kingdom of Israel until the Assyrian king Shalmaneser conquered and exiled its people in 722 B.C. (2 Kings 17:1–23). Shalmaneser then moved other ethnic groups into the land. Those groups adopted a form of Torah religion that incorporated pagan elements (17:24–41). That history contributed to both ethnic and religious boundaries between Jews and Samaritans. As John puts it, “Jews do not associate with Samaritans” (4:9). Antipathy between the two peoples was longstanding. In 128 B.C., the Jewish leader John Hyrcanus destroyed the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim, furthering the animosity. Perhaps this explains why James and ohn wanted to “call down fire” on a Samaritan village Luke 1 . Jesus also crossed the gendered boundary between male and female. The Samaritan woman seemed astonished that a Jewish male would talk with her (John 4:9). Even the disciples were “surprised” (verse 27). Finally, Jesus navigated the cultural boundary between what society deemed honorable and shameful. ohn specifies esus encountered the Samaritan woman at noon 4 . Women typically drew water at a well early or late in the day when the temperature was cool. And they usually went with other women to socialize as they performed chores. The fact that the Samaritan woman went to the well alone at noon suggests she had been ostracized, perhaps because of her marital and sexual history (4:17–18). An honorable man would not typically converse with a shameful woman in such circumstances … but Jesus did. He crossed those boundaries, and so should we. Several years ago, a friend and I testified before the Missouri legislature in favor of

IF WE WANT TO PERSUADE PEOPLE TO FOLLOW JESUS, WE MUST CROSS THE BOUNDARIES THAT SEPARATE US FROM THEM.

Winter 2024

a religious freedom bill. The primary opponents were members of the LGBT community. During the lunch break, a transgender individual approached us and said, “If you had experienced what I have experienced, you would think differently about this matter.” After we politely acknowledged the remark, the person walked away. That comment didn’t change my mind about religious liberty or transgenderism. As a minister of the gospel, however, I regret that I didn’t take the opportunity to extend the conversation. I should have said, “Tell me more.” Why didn’t I? Because doing so was outside my comfort zone. If we want to persuade people to follow Jesus, we must cross the boundaries that separate us from them. To switch metaphors, we must leave where we feel at home literally or figuratively and go where they feel at home. Isn’t that what missionaries do?

2. Be Real

The Gospel of John opens with a theological declaration about Jesus: “In the beginning was the ord, and the ord was with God, and the ord was God. The ord became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (1:1,14). In other words, esus is God incarnate, God in the flesh. This declaration hints at another boundary Jesus crossed to save us: the boundary between divinity and humanity, Creator and creature, heaven and Earth. He united both in himself. e often emphasi e the ord part of esus’ person at the expense of the flesh part. e downplay His human nature in favor of His divine nature. Consequently, we sometimes give the impression Jesus was God in a skin suit — that He looked like us, but wasn’t really like us. John 4 shows Jesus was indeed like us, however. It depicts the everyday reality of His humanity. esus was tired, thirsty and hungry verses 8 . Not only that, He was willing to acknowledge His need. Appealing to the kindness of a stranger, Jesus asked, “Will you give me a drink?” (verse 7). Often, when we invite people to follow Jesus, we present ourselves as people who have it all together. We seemingly have no questions, pains or needs. We assume anything less casts the gospel in a bad light. This is not the way of Jesus. He asked questions: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me ” Matthew 4 . esus felt pain “Being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground” Luke 44 . e became tired, hungry, and thirsty ohn 4 8 . Jesus was a real person. He didn’t hide His humanity from the people He invited to follow Him. In my experience, people move closer to me when I share my struggles, such as clinical depression and chronic pain. Such honesty builds solidarity with others, letting them know they’re not alone. By sharing His need with the Samaritan woman, Jesus made an authentic exchange possible.

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People won’t get real about their lives unless we’re real about ours. If the first step in becoming persuasive Christians is going where others feel at home, the second is inviting people into our homes — including where we feel need. Are we sharing our needs with others? We won’t be persuasive until we get real.

3. Ask Questions

We often think Jesus taught by lecturing to large crowds, like Billy Graham did during his evangelistic crusades. That was my mental model early in ministry. I figured all I needed was a bigger audience. There’s a place for crusade evangelism and large churches. And Jesus did minister to large crowds Matthew 4 3 . But much of Jesus’ ministry involved personal dialogue. According to Stan Guthrie’s All That Jesus Asks, esus posed questions in the Gospels. e also listened to others’ questions. We see this dynamic in Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman. Jesus asked one question; the woman asked three. Those questions moved the conversation forward, toward increasingly important concerns. • Physical: “Will you give me a drink of water?” (John 4:7). • Relational: “How can you ask me for a drink?” (4:9) • Spiritual: “Where can you get this living water?” (4:11) • Theological: “Are you greater than our father Jacob?” (4:12) Through these questions, Jesus led the woman to a moment of divine revelation. According to ohn 4 , “The woman said, I know that Messiah’ called Christ is coming. hen he comes, he will explain everything to us.’ Then esus declared, I, the one speaking to you — I am he.’” This revelation is the main point of the entire story. Conversation is an important part of evangelism and discipleship. And tailoring the gospel presentation during conversation requires a willingness to ask and answer questions. It took me a long time to learn this. As a new associate pastor, I started a small group. I put chairs in a circle, opened the group with prayer, then lectured for 4 minutes. At the end, with little time remaining, I took questions. A young woman asked whether the format would be the same every session. I said, “Yes.” The woman never came back. Eventually, neither did anyone else. More than a decade later, I led a different small group for married couples. This group was conversational. One man, an unbeliever, asked a lot of questions. They typically began, “How can you believe … ?” The other group members and I did our best to answer, but we also posed questions to him. Sometimes, several sessions passed before the man provided an answer. I remember the day this man answered a question by saying, “We believe … .” I pointed out his change of pronouns, from you to we. He shared that after months of conversation, he had given his heart to Jesus and now considered himself a believer. We all rejoiced.

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People want to be listened to, not lectured at. Asking questions invites their participation in the conversation. And while lecturing imparts information, asking questions kickstarts understanding. When my son was younger, I often helped with his math homework. Showing him how I solved a problem was quick and easy, but he didn’t learn anything. So I started asking how he would solve the problem, given what he had learned in class. This process was longer and harder, but it helped him understand how math worked. If we want to persuade people to follow Jesus, we must invite them into a give-and-take conversation of questions and answers. This draws out thoughts, clarifies beliefs, and ultimately leads to a decision.

4 . Go Deeper

During my senior year of college, I began experiencing persistent low back pain and neck stiffness. A three-day drive home after graduation exacerbated the problem. When I got out of the car, my mom sent me straight to the doctor. It turns out these were symptoms of an autoimmune disease known as ankylosing spondylitis, or spinal arthritis. At first, doctors prescribed medication to palliate the symptoms. Ultimately, however, they sought to reduce the hyperactive inflammatory response causing the symptoms. Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman follows a similar trajectory. It moves past symptoms to deeper causes, then prescribes a cure. In ohn 4 1 1 , the conversation turns to “living water.” This is a Hebrew idiom for spring water. Jesus said, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water” (verse 10). The woman thought Jesus was talking about spring water and noted He had no implement for drawing water. She asked, “Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself?” (verse 12). Jesus replied, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (verses 13–14). In other words, Jesus is talking about salvation. But the woman was stuck on ordinary water: “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water” verse 1 . The woman was concerned with her immediate physical needs, as well as her social isolation. But Jesus diagnosed the deeper problem, the spiritual and theological issue — a need for eternal life, which only He could provide. Following Jesus always takes us deep, from the physical and relational symptoms we feel to the spiritual need we may have overlooked.

PEOPLE WANT TO BE LISTENED TO, NOT LECTURED AT. ASKING QUESTIONS INVITES THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE CONVERSATION.

Winter 2024

If we want to persuade people to follow Jesus, we must start with their hopes and fears … and go deeper. The depths are where real change occurs.

WITHOUT GRACE, HOW CAN WE EVER CONVINCE PEOPLE JESUS IS THE SOLUTION TO THEIR DEEPEST NEEDS?

5. Acknowledge Pain

At this point in the story, Jesus’ conversation with the woman took an unexpected turn. She had said, “Give me this water,” and He responded, “Go, call your husband and come back” verses 1 1 . Why Jesus asked the woman to fetch her husband is not clear. What is clear is that the woman didn’t want to discuss the matter. “I have no husband,” she replied, which was technically true (verse 17). Jesus acknowledged the technicality. Then, through prophetic insight (verse 19), He revealed truth about her marital and sexual history: “You have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband” (verse 18). e don’t know whether the Samaritan woman had five exes because of death, divorce, or both. And we don’t know whether the sixth man was an adulterer or simply a live-in boyfriend, to use contemporary jargon. People reading this passage often assume the Samaritan woman was a great sinner, bouncing from one man to another. But what if she had been greatly sinned against cast off by husbands because of infertility or because they found another woman they desired more? What if the woman had descended so far down the social ladder the sixth man would use but not marry her? Regardless, in her social context, villagers would have considered her a shameful woman rather than an honorable one. Jesus didn’t condemn or shame the Samaritan woman, though. The conversation didn’t immediately turn to a call for repentance, nor did it outline a plan for rehabilitation. Acknowledging her situation and the pain behind it, Jesus kept talking to her anyway. He entered her brokenness non-judgmentally. This doesn’t mean Jesus discarded good theology or sound morals. It simply means He showed her grace. The New Testament teaches holy living is part and parcel of following Jesus. So, no doubt the woman changed her behavior after encountering Jesus — as we all should. But to use the language of Ephesians 2:8–10, we are saved by grace through faith for works. Grace comes first and makes works possible. If we want to persuade people to follow esus, we must do what e did. Our society is filled with broken people. We need to acknowledge their pain and brokenness, showing them grace. Without grace, how can we ever convince people Jesus is the solution to their deepest needs?

6. Lay Foundations

At this point, the Samaritan woman pivoted to ask about the proper location of the temple. She said, “I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain [Mount Gerizim], but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem” (verses 19–20).

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It seems the woman is changing sub ects. owever, she’s finally going deep herself by asking fundamental questions. When we go deep, we go foundational — all the way to the sources we consider authoritative. The Samaritan woman acknowledged Jesus as a prophet (verse 19). So she asked Him a question that divided their respective communities: Where should we worship? Jesus’ answer pointed her in three directions. First, Jesus pointed her to Scripture. “You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews” (verse 22). Remember, Samaritan religion was Torah based. Since it included only Genesis through Deuteronomy, it didn’t specify where the people of God were supposed to establish a centrali ed temple when they entered the Promised Land. Jewish Scripture did, however. The Prophets and Writings showed God had chosen Jerusalem. One cannot answer a theological question correctly if two-thirds of the relevant information is missing. Second, Jesus pointed the Samaritan woman to himself. “Believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem” (verse 21). Here, Jesus is speaking prophetically, announcing a truth that becomes clear only after His death, resurrection, ascension, and outpouring of the Spirit. The Old Testament is not God’s final word to humanity. The New Testament fulfills and interprets the Old Testament, explaining who Jesus is and what He has done for us. Finally, Jesus outlined the proper response to biblical revelation: “A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks” (verse 23). The issue of authority is unavoidable. When it arises, we need to be clear and forthright, pointing others to God’s Word. We must be prepared to explain its meaning, defend its truth, and invite others to respond.

7. Invite a Response

The internet deludes us into thinking we can know anything at any time. Social media suggests we must have an opinion right now. Consequently, we assume persuasion should be easy and quick. This mentality can lead to unhelpful attitudes toward evangelism. We act as if a short conversation is all it takes to convince people to change their life’s direction. And once they’ve done that, we can move on to the next potential convert. In reality, persuading people to follow Jesus requires crossing boundaries, being authentic, and asking questions. It forces us to go deeper, acknowledge pain, and lay biblical foundations. This can take time, or it can happen relatively quickly. Jesus persuaded the Samaritan woman through one conversation, but He persuaded other Samaritans over the course of multiple days (verses 39–41). At some point, though, decisions have to be made. In today’s lexicon, any kind of honest reckoning or sudden realization may be described as a “come-to-Jesus moment.” For example, someone might say, “I had a come-to-Jesus moment about what junk food was doing to my health.”

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Persuasive Christians will lead seekers to literal come-to-Jesus moments. Scripture invites us to come to Jesus — not because He’s going to chew us out, but because He loves us and wants to reconcile us to God and other people. That’s what happens with the Samaritan woman. Responding to her remark about the Messiah, esus says, “I, the one speaking to you I am he’” verse . Jesus is not just a prophet; He is the Messiah. And yet, John seems to be telling us Jesus is even more than that. In Greek grammar, ego eimi is a way of saying, “I am he.” Theologically, however, it echoes the way God talked about himself. It parallels the Greek translation of Exodus 3:14, where God tells Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites I AM has sent me to you.’” Throughout John’s Gospel, Jesus uses “I am” language in ways that point to is divinity. In ohn 8 8, for example, esus said, “Before Abraham was born, I am!” Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman is a story about the eternal God entering time and space in the man Jesus Christ, crossing boundaries, getting real, asking questions, acknowledging pain, going deeper, and laying foundations — all because He wants to draw us to himself and give us the living water of eternal life. Who wouldn’t want to worship that kind of God in spirit and truth? If we hope to persuade people to become Christians, we must tell them this story about God and invite them to a point of decision about Jesus. Ultimately, Jesus persuaded both the Samaritan woman and many in her village to follow Him (John 4:39–42). Remarkably, these Samaritans came to recognize Jesus as “the Savior of the world” (verse 42).

PERSUASIVE CHRISTIANS WILL LEAD SEEKERS TO LITERAL COME-TO-JESUS MOMENTS.

___________

These seven practices aren’t a foolproof method of persuasion, unfortunately. During His ministry, many believed esus, but others didn’t. Indeed, some crucified im. Nonetheless, His example of persuasiveness is useful for evangelizing people in a deeply divided culture, whether in first-century Samaria or 1st-century America. In the midst of deep ethnic and religious fractures, Jesus made time to talk with someone on the other side of the divide, and in doing so opened to her the doors of eternal life. As our culture becomes increasingly nonreligious, and in some cases actively hostile, are we willing to do what Jesus did?

GEORGE P. WOOD is executive editor of Influence magazine.

Winter 2024

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Winter 2024

LessonS from the Gospel of Mark By Craig Keener

As gunfire sounded around them, Médine Moussounga and her sisters fled their home in the Democratic Republic of Congo, pushing their disabled father in a wheelbarrow. They expected to return after a few days. Instead, they ended up living as refugees for 18 months. Some days, Médine walked 10 miles to find food for her family, crossing fields of army ants and snake-infested swamps. She found strength and solace through her deep faith in Christ. Now my wife and partner in ministry, Médine has a testimony of God’s faithfulness that resonates with hurting people. According to the Open Doors World Watch List 2023, 360 million Christians around the globe suffer high levels of persecution or discrimination because of their faith. Yet many Americans associate Christianity with ease. In a 2023 study from Lifeway Research, 76% of Protestant churchgoers said, “God wants me to prosper financially.” After U.S. soccer star Megan Rapinoe tore an Achilles tendon during her final career match, she remarked that the accident proved there isn’t a God. To be sure, God still performs miracles and intervenes in the lives of people. But is exemption from hardship a realistic expectation of faith? The Bible shows us real life — and following Jesus — entails hardship. The Cross itself illustrates that God forges His purposes on the anvil of suffering.

Winter 2024

Rethinking Success

It’s easy for ordinary ministers to feel insecure around megachurch pastors and Christian celebrities. We know they are people just like us. But in a culture that prizes popularity and visibility, the idea that those in the spotlight are the most important can be difficult to resist. The first disciples faced the same temptation. Jesus didn’t choose well-known individuals, but relative nobodies. As they considered Jesus’ coming kingdom, however, the disciples started competing with one another for greatness. Throughout Mark’s Gospel, Jesus invites the disciples instead to embrace His posture — that of a suffering servant. A protégé of Peter, Mark wrote his Gospel from Peter’s perspective. Starting with Peter’s calling (1:16–18), Mark follows Peter’s journey as he recognizes Jesus is the Messiah (8:29), denies Christ (14:66–72), and receives a promise of restoration (16:7). Mark writes to a suffering audience. They survived persecution in Rome, when the emperor Nero was burning Christians alive as torches to illuminate his gardens at night. Some had friends who died for their faith. Others escaped martyrdom by denying Christ and now feel ashamed. Mark reminds them that Peter, whom many consider a hero, failed the first time, too. Ultimately, the only real hero of the Christian faith is Jesus, who died to give us life. As for Peter, he matured to become the fisher of people esus called him to be — and so can we. Mark’s original audience was Pentecostal. Baptism in the Holy Spirit is, of course, a joyful experience. But even before Mark introduces Peter, he reveals what Spirit-baptized Christians should expect. Jesus baptizes in the Holy Spirit (1:8). During Jesus’ water baptism, the Spirit descended on Him 1 1 . esus thus became the model for Spirit-filled living. Yet the Spirit immediately led Jesus into the wilderness for testing and conflict with Satan (1:12–13).

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The CroSs itself illuStrates that God forgeS HiS purposeS on the anvil of Suffering. The rest of Mark’s Gospel recounts Jesus performing miracles through the Spirit’s power — and facing increasing opposition from Satan’s religious and political agents. Do we really want to follow Jesus in such a baptism (10:38)?

Suffering Servant

As I get to know Christian leaders I admire, I invariably discover they are a lot like me. Their gifts are from God, and they depend on His grace. They make mistakes and wrestle with fears and doubts. None of them is perfect like Jesus. Peter was in awe of Jesus — but not nearly as much as he should have been. It took the first half of Mark’s Gospel for Peter to confess, “You are

the Messiah” (8:29). It took the second half for Peter and his fellow disciples to understand what Jesus’ mission would entail: dying on a Roman cross. In fact, Peter’s development marks a turning point in Mark’s Gospel. When Peter proclaimed Him as Messiah, Jesus warned His disciples not to tell anyone 8 3 . This fits esus’ pattern of controlling unnecessary publicity whenever possible (1:44; 3:12; 5:43; 7:24,36; 8:26). One reason was the dangerous crowding surrounding Jesus’ ministry (1:45; 2:2–4; 3:9–10; 5:24; 6:31). Further, Jesus’ popularity made him a target of those who wanted all the attention for themselves (2:7; 3:6; 7:5; 15:10). The biggest problem was politics. If people viewed esus as the messianic king, government officials would consider Him a threat to public order. This was because they did not understand the gospel Jesus preached. God’s coming kingdom was the heart of Jesus’ message (1:15). The secret of the Kingdom (4:11), however, was esus’ identity as a suffering servant. The Cross would publicly proclaim the nature of Jesus’ kingship (15:26).

Crucified King

When Jesus’ contemporaries thought of kings, rulers who exploited power over others came to mind (10:42). They envisioned people like Herod Antipas, whom Mark calls “King Herod” (6:14). Many Galileans viewed Antipas as king since he was a son of King Herod the Great. But politically, Antipas was just a governor and a wannabe king. He pretended to have unlimited power, even as he recklessly offered to do “anything” during a birthday banquet and boxed himself into killing John the Baptist (6:17–28). In the same chapter, esus presided over a different kind of banquet, demonstrating God’s power as He fed the hungry masses (6:35–44). Herod, of course, isn’t the real king in Mark. By the time of Jesus’ trial in Chapter 15, the title of “king” — a mocking accusation from His enemies — applies exclusively and repeatedly to Jesus.

Crowned with thorns, the true King of the Jews and the world is enthroned on a cross. He does not exploit others to serve Him, but serves others to the death. People expected the real king to conquer Rome by force. Instead, Rome conquers Jesus by force. What kind of King is this? After Peter’s confession, Jesus explains He is the promised suffering Son of Man 8 31 . This image is from Daniel 7, which speaks of four empires with kings like beasts. The final kingdom which belongs to God — has a Ruler who looks human, “like a son of man” (Daniel 7:13). Though human, this King is also divine, receiving worship (Daniel 7:14). Identifying with God’s people, e suffers under the final beast, which esus’ contemporaries understood as Rome. Afterward, the King will preside over an everlasting Kingdom, and all rulers will ultimately become subject to Him (Daniel 7:21–27). Jesus would indeed reign, as Peter expected, but first e would suffer under an evil empire. Throughout Mark’s Gospel, spirits, sickness, and even storms are subject to Jesus, but human beings are given a choice. Christ’s first coming wasn’t about forcibly subduing sinful humans — not even Caesar. It was about conquering sin and death.

Satan’s Theology

Pastors often need to comfort people who feel God did not come through for them exactly as they expected. As Peter discovered, false expectations about God can lead to disappointment. When Jesus spoke in parables, His disciples requested explanations (4:10,34). In Mark 8:32, though, Jesus speaks “plainly” — not in parables this time. Now Peter understands Jesus’ message — and therefore opposes it! Peter is happy to follow a conquering messiah. However, he did not sign up for following a martyr to the death. So Peter decides to “rebuke” his own master (8:32). Mark notes Peter took Jesus aside rather than reproving Him publicly. Disciples were not

Winter 2024

supposed to correct their teachers. But Jesus turned and rebuked Peter openly in front of the group (8:33). The other disciples probably shared Peter’s opinion, so Jesus made this moment a lesson for all of them, saying, “Get behind me.” Disciples were supposed to follow their teachers, not lead them. esus’ first recorded words to Peter in Mark’s Gospel were, “Come, follow me” (1:17). But Jesus goes beyond simply reminding Peter of his proper place. He calls him “Satan,” knowing Peter’s words reflect human interests rather than divine ones. Satan opposes Jesus (3:23–26) and His message (4:15). During Jesus’ temptation, the devil tried to turn Him from His mission (1:13). Now Peter takes on Satan’s role by denying Jesus’ message and seeking to deter Him from the Cross. e ecting esus’ suffering and refusing to bear the Cross is Satan’s theology. Those who would reign with esus must first be willing to suffer with Him and for Him.

Call of the Cross

When I was a student at Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri, I volunteered with a local mission and often did evangelistic work downtown. One night, someone I tried to witness to beat me up and threatened to kill me. As I later nursed two black eyes, I wondered whether God did not want me out sharing the gospel that night. Years later, I gained a clearer understanding of the cost of discipleship when a professor warned I might not be allowed to get my Ph.D. because I was too openly “religious.” Jesus is worth dying for. Most of us will not face martyrdom, but all disciples of Jesus are called to the scandal, humiliation, and self-denial of the Cross. In Mark 8:34, Jesus says, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Earlier in Mark, Jesus called those He chose as disciples to follow Him (3:13). Now Jesus invites anyone to make the choice to follow Him — but there is a cost.

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By definition, disciples were followers of their teachers. Jesus is no ordinary teacher, however. Following Him involves a cross. People in the Roman Empire understood what it meant to take up a cross. A criminal condemned to death would carry the heavy horizontal crossbeam through a howling mob to the site of execution. There the condemned would hang naked on a cross, suffering a slow, agoni ing dying process that included dehydration, blood loss, and finally shock. This is where Jesus is headed, and this is where His disciples must follow. Yet when the time comes for Jesus’ disciples to follow Him to the Cross, they’re in hiding. The Roman execution squad has to draft a bystander, Simon of Cyrene, to pick up Jesus’ cross (15:21). The other Simon — Simon Peter — is missing. Jesus shifts in 8:35–37 to accounting language and simple math. No amount of profit matters if one isn’t alive to enjoy it. Eternity is greater than the present life. Those who try to save their lives in this world by refusing the Cross will lose eternal life, while those who give up control of their lives to follow Jesus will receive eternal life (8:35). Even gaining the whole world at the cost of oneself is thus a losing proposition.

+ + + ++ + +

MoS of uS will no face mar yrdom, bu all discipleS of J esuS are called o he Scandal, humiliation, and Self-denial of he CroSs. Peter soon promises even to die with Jesus (14:31). Yet instead of denying himself (8:34), Peter ends up denying Jesus three times (14:66–72). Like the rich man in 10:21–22, Peter makes a bad calculation, valuing this world more than eternal life.

Suffering Successfully

In virtually all cultures, people desire power, status, beauty, health and wealth. But not everyone has those things, including in God’s kingdom. Theologically, we wonder why the righteous suffer, as if God should make life easier for His own people. When adversity comes, we ask, “What did I do to deserve this?” Most people in the Bible thought this way, assuming life would be good if they made right choices. Job’s friends are a classic example. But in Scripture, suffering is not always udgment. Sometimes it is testing, or bad people hurting good people. Often in the New Testament, hardship comes from sharing Christ’s sufferings for God’s honor. American culture emphasizes achievements in this life. Sacrificing for goals is fine, so long as success follows. But just as Jesus calls us to prize eternal life above life in this world, He reminds us to value heavenly honor above temporal accolades.

When Christ returns, even the secrets of our hearts will become public knowledge. This narrative shows Peter as an example of someone ashamed of Jesus and His words, especially the words Jesus had just spoken about His death (Mark 8:31). “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation,” Jesus warns, “the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels” (8:38). The Transfiguration that follows this warning (9:2–8) is a foretaste of the promised future glory at Jesus’ return. It is that glory, not esteem in this age, we should live for. We must therefore weigh our decisions in light of eternity, asking ourselves, What will count forever? Jesus’ disciples didn’t get it, though they should have. Jesus did not choose highly educated scribes or aristocratic priests, but ordinary individuals. He defended the poor and marginalized. He restored hope to the physically sick and those whose sins had alienated them from polite society. The disciples nevertheless started thinking like elitists. They wanted to protect their hero from the needs of mere children (10:13–16) and a blind beggar (10:46–52). What the disciples failed to

Winter 2024

understand is that Jesus’ mission was all about caring for others’ needs (10:14–15). Indeed, two disciples thought they deserved the seats on Jesus’ right and left in His kingdom, so they made their request in advance (10:37). Jesus replied, “Can you drink the cup I drink from or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” (10:38). esus’ cup signifies is death 14 4,3 . Like Peter, who felt confident he was ready to die for Jesus (14:31), James and John assure Jesus they are ready for His cup and baptism (10:39). They do not understand the places on His right and left belong to two robbers (15:27) who hang beside Jesus when He is enthroned on the Cross. The other disciples are upset with James and John for trying to get ahead of them (10:41), presumably because they all want to be the greatest (9:34). So Jesus has to explain again the first will be last and the last first whoever serves is the greatest (9:35; 10:31,44). Jesus himself is the supreme illustration of this principle. The Son of Man, who will reign in glory forever (Daniel 7:27), came first to serve and give is life as a ransom for others (Mark 10:45). Christ’s kingdom values invert this world’s values. Those who honor Jesus in this world, even at the expense of their own shame, will receive eternal honor when Jesus returns to judge the world. And those who are ashamed of Jesus in this world will bear eternal shame when Jesus returns (8:38). The real question is whether we trust Jesus’ message enough to stake our honor and earthly life on Him. If we really trust Him, we will live for His promise.

In the end, Peter did take up his cross, following Jesus to the utmost. According to Church tradition, Peter died a martyr, crucified upside down in Rome. Mark’s early hearers in Rome would remember Peter as a hero who lived what he preached. But Mark also makes it clear Peter started out just like any one of us. Jesus is the real hero. He is the one who makes Peter and us into fishers of people. Jesus invites each of us to take up our cross and follow Him. For some, this could mean literal martyrdom. But for all Christians, it entails rejecting Satan’s theology of success and power, and letting go of human interests that defy God’s interests.

The real question is whether we trust J esus’ message enough to stake our honor and earthly life on Him.

Persevering Faith

As we know from Jesus’ predictions in Mark and Acts, Peter was eventually restored. He went on to serve Jesus for the remaining decades of his life.

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Taking up our cross means adopting esus’ definition of success and honor in light of eternity, instead of pursuing achievements that won’t last. True success — truly overcoming — means denying ourselves rather than denying Jesus and His words.

CRAIG KEENER, Ph.D., is the F.M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies at Asbury Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky, and an ordained Assemblies of God minister.

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H A B I T S F O R H E A LT H I E R WORKING RELATIONSHIPS BUILDING RAPPORT W I T H YO U R S E N I O R PAS TO R

Winter 2024

B Y

B R I A N

D O L L A R

n1 , I oined the staff of irst NL Assemblies of God in North Little ock, Arkansas. My 4 years of ministry at the church have been rewarding, but there was a time when I considered quitting. A few years after coming on board, I started feeling disconnected from our church’s lead pastor, od Loy. I wasn’t even sure why I felt this way, but I unfairly blamed my restlessness on him. The idea that my attitude was somehow his fault festered in my mind because I didn’t walk into his office and say, “ ey, we need to talk.” Around the same time, I received a phone call from a friend on staff at my former church. e said their children’s pastor had ust resigned, and they were looking for someone to fill that role. My first thought was, Maybe this is God’s answer to my growing sense of unease. BUILDING AND I set up a meeting with my pastor, who was surprised to learn I was feeling disconnected. e told me how much he appreciated me, but he didn’t stop there. e asked, M A I N TA I N I N G “Brian, why do you think you’re feeling that way ” After I thought about it for a minute, reality hit me like H E A LT H Y W O R K a ton of bricks. It wasn’t him. It was me. By failing to treat communication as a two-way street, I had made our relationship solely his problem. Instead of working to develop R E L AT I O N S H I P S better rapport, I expected him to fix my feelings. Through that difficult conversation, I learned an IS NOT JUST THE important lesson. Building and maintaining healthy work relationships is not ust the lead pastor’s responsibility. It’s mine, too. L E A D PAS TO R ’ S Since that time, I have become more intentional about investing in this important relationship. or our church to R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y. function well, its leadership team needs to function well. Therefore, I now consider my working relationships a ministry priority. IT’S MINE, TOO. Of course, no two lead pastors are the same. Leaders have different life experiences, gifts, personalities, and ministry visions. But when it comes to serving on a church staff and working with a lead pastor, there are some general principles to keep in mind. ollowing are 1 ways to develop a better relationship with your lead pastor.

Winter 2024

P R AY

M ake it a point to pray daily for your lead pastor and his or her

TA K E

I t’s important not only to understand the vision, but also to own it. Be sure the ministries you lead are in step with your pastor’s heart. Take the initiative to learn how God is leading your pastor, and align everything you do with this vision. hen your lead pastor’s vision becomes your own, you can serve effectively together as partners in ministry. hen my pastor stepped into his current position, God led him to prioriti e soul winning across all demographics both in our community and around the world. In almost every sermon, he communicated that passion. Even now, Pastor od frequently says, “A soul is a soul is a soul is a soul.” Another oft-repeated phrase is, “Every soul matters to God.” I was the kids’ pastor when I first became aware of our pastor’s vision, so I made a point of teaching that perspective to our volunteers and children. It was a core value of our church, so it became a core value in our kids’ ministry. And our children definitely caught it. To this day, when we talk about God’s purpose for their lives and our church, it’s not uncommon to hear a child say, “ on’t you know Every soul matters to God ” I do know, and I’m glad they know, too.

OWNERSHIP

FOLLOW THE LEADER

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family. I regularly ask the Lord to give our lead pastor wisdom, spiritual vitality, and health as he guides our congregation, serves our community, and cares for his family. Praying for your lead pastor will increase your appreciation of him or her and inevitably ease frustrations during difficult seasons.

H onor your pastor’s preferences, even if they’re not your own. Early

in my tenure, I had a goatee. My pastor sometimes teased me about it, but I assumed it was ust his sense of humor. Then I heard him speaking at a conference for pastors, explaining that he refuses to impose his preferences on staff members. e said, “I would prefer our pastors be clean shaven, but several have moustaches and goatees. I’m not going to force them to shave.” My pastor was unaware I was in the room that day, so I knew he wasn’t directing these comments at me. But I got the message. is kidding had been a subtle message that he would like me to shave my goatee, but I’d missed it. hen we got home from the conference, I made plans to shave. owever, I wanted my facial hair to go out with a bang. As part of a missions fundraiser, I pledged to shave my goatee when

the congregation contributed a certain amount. They exceeded the giving goal. Of course, my real reason for shaving wasn’t to raise money. That was ust an added benefit. I wanted to honor the preference of my pastor. On another occasion, I asked my pastor how he wanted me to dress for an event. e said, “I’ll be in a coat and tie, but you can dress how you’d like.” e meant it. My pastor wasn’t demanding I conform to his expectations, but it was obvious he believed the event was important. So, I wore a coat and tie. Because our relationship is based on trust and respect, I’m happy to yield to my pastor’s preferences. I don’t consider it a pain or strain to follow his lead. It’s ust another way to honor the person God has called me to minister alongside.

OFFER AC C O U N TA B I L I T Y

S TAY C O R R E C TA B L E

T here’s a difference between offering accountability and forcing

your pastor to require it. Lead pastors don’t en oy tracking down staff members to check on them or confront them when there’s a problem. In my relationship with my lead pastor, I am determined to volunteer accountability instead of waiting for him to demand it from me. hen I first came on staff, my pastor asked me to email him anytime there was a problem needing his attention. owever, pride kept me from admitting I had problems, so I never reached out to him about needs or difficulties. One day, my pastor found out about an incident in my ministry area I had failed to mention. e was perplexed to hear about it from someone other than me. hen he called me into his office, my pastor had to be an investigator, trying to find out what happened, instead of a partner, helping to resolve it. I reali ed my silence had forced him into this unpleasant role. on’t turn your pastor into a detective. Take the initiative to talk about problems before they become bigger issues. If you’re going to be late, call. hen something goes wrong, say so. If a problem arises that could affect other ministries, provide a heads-up.

I nsecurity can cause staff members to react defensively during times of correction. Beneath the hurt feelings and protests are often fears of inadequacy personally, professionally or both. No one is above correction, however, and we can all learn to handle it with grace. Sometimes when my pastor points out an area that needs improvement, I do a good ob of controlling my outward appearance even though I’m bristling inside. At the same time, I know this response is a sign I need to work on my attitude.

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hen I struggle with receiving correction, I need to examine myself and consider whether I am relying on God’s strength or my own. hen my trust is in the right place, I can thank the Lord for is love and grace, accepting correction as a gift from im rather than a threat to me. Correcting your actions or methods is not the same as questioning your character. Instead of becoming defensive, take a deep breath, view correction as an opportunity to grow, and learn from the challenge.

PRESENT A UNITED FRONT

C O M M U N I C AT E

Winter 2024

I t’s O

to disagree with your lead pastor in private, but not in public. In any working relationship, people will have different opinions and plans. But the person in charge is ultimately responsible for making the call. Not long ago, I talked with our pastor about a problem in one of the ministries I lead. I thought we needed to do one thing, but he saw it differently. e patiently listened to my opinion, but it was his decision, and he chose to go a different direction. hen I walked out the door and into a meeting with that ministry team, I didn’t say, “ ere’s the decision, but it’s Pastor od’s, not mine. Actually, I was on your side, but he insisted we do it his way.” Instead, I represented the decision as ours. I said, “This is what we decided is the best course of action.” hile it is important to give feedback and even periodic pushback to your pastor, it should happen privately, with honor and respect. isagreements should never take place in a public setting. on’t throw your lead pastor under the bus ust to earn points with others.

A key component of any healthy relationship is good communica-

tion. hen staff members communicate well with the lead pastor, even difficult seasons seem to work out because there is honesty and trust. Poor communication, on the other hand, creates a breeding ground for confusion, doubt and resentment. Make a commitment to update your pastor regularly about what is happening in your area of ministry. Include him or her in email summaries of meetings. each out if a problem arises. hen a schedule change might affect your pastor or others on staff, provide ample notice. In most cases, such communication can take the form of “ I” emails. Lead pastors don’t have to respond to every message, but they want to stay informed. Being blindsided by a situation someone should have mentioned earlier is the last thing they want. on’t excuse poor communication with statements like, “I didn’t think it mattered,” or “I didn’t want to bother you.”

Let your pastor decide what’s important. At worst, he or she deletes the message and moves on. But more often, your willingness to communicate will prevent frustration and build trust.

AVO I D HYPOTHETICALS

PRACTICE HONESTY

EXPRESS A P P R E C I AT I O N

R esist the thought, If only I were in charge.

Some staff members daydream about being the boss. They’re sure they could handle the church better than the lead pastor does. If we fully understood the stress of the position, we’d all have a new appreciation for our pastors. Being a lead pastor is one of the most demanding obs there is. The financial, organi ational, spiritual, and relational strains are enormous and pastors often carry those burdens alone. They don’t whine to us. In fact, they don’t even tell us about most of their problems. It’s easy to second-guess decisions when we don’t know all the details. In most cases, the idea that we would have done something differently comes from hindsight. If he or she had the ability to see the future, perhaps your lead pastor would have made a better call. hen you start thinking you’re wiser than the person God called to lead the congregation, check your pride. And be thankful you don’t carry the burden of being the one in charge.

T here is a temptation to spin work-related narratives to our advan-

tage. e may exaggerate good things that happen so we can look better or impress people, while downplaying bad things to avoid looking foolish. These partial truths are also partial lies, designed to save face by providing enough information to avoid falsehood but not enough to expose our mistakes. Telling the truth the whole truth, the first time saves everyone a lot of trouble. In your relationship with your lead pastor, practice honesty. If your pastor is as sharp as mine, he or she already knows more than you reali e. Telling the difficult truth and owning up to mistakes is better than developing a reputation for being deceitful and untrustworthy.

M any staff members say they en oy working with their lead pastor.

But often, it has been a long time since they told their pastor that. It’s important not only to be thankful for the people God places in your life, but also to express it in a way that communicates your heart. or appreciation to be received, it must be sincere. on’t ust go through the motions and hope you get the right message across. If you’re not feeling thankful, take time to pray. Ask God for grace to see past imperfections and appreciate the opportunity to partner with your pastor in ministry.

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Over the past few years, I’ve tried to make gratitude a normal part of IF YOU’RE my communication. I send thank you notes to my pastor for all kinds of things, but especially for being a STRUGGLING terrific leader and friend. Sometimes, I even give my pastor IN YOUR small gifts to show my appreciation. I want him to know I don’t take him for granted. Communicating this R E L AT I O N S H I P strengthens our relationship. If you’re struggling in your relationWITH YOUR ship with your pastor, take some time to make a fair and accurate diagnosis of the issue. Start by asking yourself, PA S T O R , TA K E Is it me? Am I causing or contributing to the problem? If so, what do I SOME TIME TO need to do di erently Prayerfully review the 1 principles above, giving yourself a grade in MAKE A FAIR each area. Be honest with God and yourself. Maybe you’ve done all these things, A N D AC C U R AT E but the relationship still isn’t healthy. If that’s the case and you’ve lovingly DIAGNOSIS approached your pastor about it with no improvement in the situation, it might be time to move on. There’s OF THE ISSUE. nothing noble about staying in a toxic environment. egardless of your situation, always keep an eternal perspective in view. In Paul’s letter to the Colossians, he wrote, “ hatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” Colossians 3 3 4 .

RA D

is associate pastor at First NLR (AG) in North Little Rock, Arkansas. This article is adapted from his book, I Blew It!: The Biggest Mistakes I’ve Made in Ministry ... and How You Can Avoid Them.

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An unforgettable three-day conference designed for leaders who are leading generations of disciples to make disciples.

What We Believe About ...

WATER BAPTISM A SERIES ON THE

AG Statement of Fundamental Truths 72

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ARTICLE 6

The Ordinances of the Church

(a) Baptism in Water The ordinance of baptism by immersion is commanded in the Scriptures. All who repent and believe on Christ as Savior and Lord are to be baptized. Thus they declare to the world that they have died with Christ and that they also have been raised with Him to walk in newness of life (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 10:47,48; Romans 6:4).

By ALLEN TENNISON

he rst ti e I performed a water baptism as a pastor, I almost killed a man.

Our church had a built-in baptistry with room

for only one person. The minister stood outside the bap-

tistry and leaned over a partition. Each individual being baptized sat on a stool in the water.

The first person I bapti ed was a man named ohn.

was 6 feet, 6 inches tall and almost as wide. Because he had a bad back and could not sit up by himself, ohn was ner-

vous about going under the water. I assured him I would be there.

hen I lowered ohn into the water, however, my arm

got caught beneath him. is bulk lifted me off my feet, and I could not get enough leverage to bring him up.

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By the time I regained my footing, congregants had started rushing the platform. hen I finally raised ohn out of the water, he audibly gasped for air. The congregation cheered and clapped — not only because ohn was bapti ed, but also because he was alive. We always have a reason to celebrate when someone is baptized in water. It means they are spiritually alive and beginning a new life in Christ. Water baptism also represents dying to all that does not belong to the Christian life. To understand the meaning of water baptism is to understand the life to which we are called in Christ esus. aptis as rdinance “The Ordinances of the Church,” Article 6 in the Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths, covers both water baptism and Communion. The word “ordinance” was present in the Statement of Fundamental Truths from the beginning. This is significant because Protestants intentionally use “ordinance” in place of “sacrament.” So, why not call water baptism and Communion sacraments? The term “sacrament” comes from Latin sacramentum, which carried with it the idea of sacredness and could refer to a deposit or even an oath to prove allegiance. Sacraments became associated with reciting creeds, which often accompanied water baptism. The Latin New Testament also translated the Greek mysterion as sacramentum. Mysterion, or “mystery,” appears in Paul’s writings, referring to things that would remain hidden unless God

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revealed them. Many uses refer to God’s revelation of divine mystery through Christ (Romans 16:25; Ephesians 1:9; 3:4; 5:32; 6:19). Over time, sacramentum, or sacrament, came to denote physical signs or symbols with spiritual meanings in the Church, including specific practices like water baptism.

To understand the meaning of water baptism is to understand the life to which we are called in Christ Jesus. The theology as to what took place during a sacrament developed gradually. At first, sacraments were understood as enacted signs that both reflected God’s grace and marked allegiance to, or faith in, Christ. Eventually, some interpreted sacraments as not just representing grace, but imparting it. uring the Middle Ages, the Church identified seven practices as sacraments: water baptism, confirmation, Communion, penance or confession, marriage, ordination, and anointing the sick. Protestants reduced this to two, water baptism and Communion, even while acknowledging the importance of such practices as marriage, ordination, and anointing the sick.

What makes water baptism and Communion special is their reflection of the gospel and direct links to Christ’s commands. Because esus ordained these practices, we call them ordinances. or Protestants, this term also made it easier to distinguish their theology. Many Protestants denied sacraments as a source of grace but saw them as a means of appropriating God’s grace by faith. Still others returned to the earlier sense of a sign or symbol that represents, but does not impart, grace. The Assemblies of God identifies water baptism and Communion as ordinances that symbolize the grace we have already received, declare our faith, and remind us of the good news. As ordinances, water baptism and Communion are not optional. Through them, we participate physically and spiritually in esus’ story. e see, touch, and taste tangible representations of the gospel. Communion involves elements we hold, while baptism takes place in an element that holds us. Through these ordinances, we embrace, and are embraced by, the gospel. The administration of ordinances combines elements and ceremony in a community event that fulfills Christ’s commands, proclaims the gospel, and binds the Church together. Christians throughout history have regarded the ordinances as essential practices for Church worship. As an act of worship, the ordinances celebrate God’s redemptive provision through Christ and anticipate is restorative promise through the Spirit. In corporate worship, ordinances bind us together as family members sharing a common journey through the water and common meal.

i ica asis The paragraph on “Baptism in Water” in Article 6 takes three positions regarding water baptism. First, “baptism by immersion is commanded in the Scriptures.” As an ordinance, water baptism is a command for all believers. esus himself was bapti ed, in submission to the ather’s will, and afterward received the oly Spirit Matthew 3 1 1 . In this act, esus identified with God’s people. Many scholars see esus’ water baptism and subsequent temptation as a reenactment of Israel’s experience from the ed Sea through the wilderness. Where the children of Israel failed, esus succeeded. esus’ water baptism also provides an example for the Church. In Matthew 8 1 , esus sent is disciples to make disciples of all nations by going, baptizing, and teaching. Upon hearing the good news of esus on the ay of Pentecost, the crowd asked, “ hat shall we do ” Acts 3 . Peter responded, “ epent and be baptized” (verse 38). As the Church spread in Acts, those who received the gospel were baptized in water (Acts 8:12–13; 9:18; 10:47–48; 16:15,33; 18:8; 19:5). The command of Christ, the call of Peter, and the example of esus and the Church stress the necessity of water baptism. aptis a or u a According to Scripture, water baptism involves both spoken words and a physical element. In words. The Great Commission calls for baptizing “in the name of the Father and of the Son

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and of the oly Spirit.” et many examples of water baptism in Acts simply mention esus’ name (2:38; 8:16; 10:48; 19:5). Some have debated the formula for water baptism in light of this seeming discrepancy. Does the Great Commission take precedence as the words of esus Or should we follow Luke’s description of Church practice in Acts? In the early days of the Assemblies of God, some people underwent rebaptism in water because they doubted the sufficiency of their earlier baptism using a different formula.

By baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we are confessing more about our faith in Jesus, who was sent from the Father and now sends us the Spirit. The paragraph on “Baptism in Water” does not answer the question as to wording, but the Statement of Fundamental Truths rejects any teaching that denies the Trinity or the deity of esus as a member of the Trinity.

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Believers in the Book of Acts were baptized in esus’ name as a profession of Christian faith (distinguishing the act from other kinds of baptisms). In making disciples, we are also called to baptize in a way that distinguishes our faith from others. By baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and oly Spirit, we are confessing more about our faith in esus, who was sent from the ather and now sends us the Spirit. Water baptism in the name of the Trinity is a full-gospel baptism. By water. Article 6 does specify immersion as the method of baptism. The Greek word for baptize, baptizo, means “to overwhelm.” In the ancient world, the word was even used to describe drownings or shipwrecks. Possibly inspired by the practice of Gentile converts to udaism, ohn the Baptist called people to baptism as a sign of repentance in preparation for the coming of God’s kingdom and Messiah. Water baptism by full immersion was the practice of the New Testament Church. Over time, the Church began water baptizing in other ways, including sprinkling and pouring. Originally, these were exceptions to the rule due to unusual circumstances, such as Christians requesting baptism on their deathbeds. Parents also began bringing sick infants for baptism in preparation for their deaths. The practice of baptizing babies, called pedobaptism, eventually became a standard practice, as did sprinkling with water. One early Christian tradition involved praying for people to receive the Spirit at the time of water baptism. As it became increasingly common to baptize

babies, however, this prayer was reserved for a later time. Eventually, the practice of confirming the baptized emerged from this and became a sacrament on its own. Today, other methods (such as pouring) are commonly associated with infant baptism, while baptism by immersion is generally associated with the baptism of believers. The Assemblies of God practices baptism of believers by immersion. aptis o e ie ers Going into the Middle Ages, theologians defended pedobaptism based on a sacramental understanding of baptism and a strong view of original sin. Believing all newborns inherited the guilt of Adam and Eve, these theologians concluded only grace imparted through water baptism could secure their salvation. Their assumption was that unbaptized babies dying in infancy would go to hell. Some Protestants then and now re ected this teaching but kept the practice of infant baptism. Others rejected pedobaptism altogether, not only due to a lack of direct scriptural support, but also because of the New Testament model of baptism for believers who repent and express faith in esus. The earliest Protestants to adopt the latter view were called Anabaptists. This name came from their critics, and it was telling. Because Anabaptists were baptizing adults who had already been baptized as babies, some condemned their practice as rebaptism, or “anabaptism.”

For the Anabaptists, however, the only real baptism was when someone personally chose it. If they were correct, it would invalidate the baptisms of everyone who had been initiated into the Church this way as babies. It was a threatening position that cost many Anabaptists their lives. Baptizing believers rather than babies — a practice also known as credobaptism, or the believer’s baptism — continued in other traditions, including Baptist and Pentecostal churches. The Assemblies of God rejects pedobaptism in favor of credobaptism. Article 6 states baptism in water is a command for those who “repent and believe on Christ as Savior and Lord.” Rather than a necessary step for salvation, water baptism is reserved for those who have already turned to God by faith. This believer’s baptism carries with it an assumption about the nature of the ordinances, the Church, the state, and even human integrity. If only believers are baptized, the ordinance is for those who have already received grace. Baptism is a representation, but not an impartation, of grace. If only believers can be baptized, and only the baptized are full members of the Church, then Christianity is a choice, not a birthright. Anabaptists faced significant persecution from Catholics and other Protestants because their view of baptism threatened the authority of state and church leaders. If the Church is a gathered community rather than a given one, there can be no state church. Baptism and belonging to Christ are matters of belief, not earthly citizenship. Credobaptism implies our own country should not be regarded as a Christian

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community in itself because all its citizens are not bapti ed into a Christian community. ou can be born a citizen but, to be a Christian, you must be “born again” ohn 3 3 . The believer’s baptism respects an individual’s decision to follow Christ. One of the earliest references to infant baptism comes from the second century theologian Tertullian, who complained such a practice violated the command of esus to let the children come to im. According to Tertullian, parents choosing baptism for their children hindered them from coming to esus on their own. Many AG churches have allowed people who were baptized as babies to be baptized as believers so they can choose baptism for themselves. Some have questioned whether water baptism can be repeated for those who were already baptized as believers. The Assemblies of God has strongly rejected the rebaptism of believers based on formulas, especially if the rebaptism was understood to be a rejection of the doctrine of the Trinity. Ministers have sometimes rebaptized believers who left the faith and returned, especially if the believer felt the need to make a new public declaration for esus. Leaders must be careful not to treat a believer’s baptism as insufficient for a lifetime, though. Believers who go through the water the first time must understand it is meant to be the last time. eaning o aptis Theologian Peter Leithart said this about baptism Talk about baptism, and you’re immediately plunged into arguments. Whom should we

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baptize — professing converts or infants? How should we baptize — by immersion, pouring, or sprinkling? Why do we baptize — as a sign of God’s claim or as a convert’s public confession What does baptism do — nothing, something, everything? If it does something, how long does it last — for a minute, forever? … The church has one baptism, as it is one body with one Spirit, one Lord, one hope, one faith, and one ather Ephesians 4 4 . et God’s sign of unity is a spring of division. Article 6 prescribes water baptism by immersion for all who have already repented and believed. It also identifies water baptism as a means by which believers “declare to the world that they have died with Christ and that they also have been raised with im to walk in newness of life.” The Assemblies of God has a position on water baptism, and for good reasons, but understanding our position is not nearly as important as appreciating water baptism itself. Before esus began is public ministry, the practice of water baptism represented a cleansing or purification within udaism, an image still found in the New Testament ebrews 1 1 Peter 3 1 . As the initial ceremony in joining a Christian community, water baptism found new meaning through identification with esus in is death, burial, and resurrection. The apostle Paul described water baptism as a union with Christ in is death and resurrection (Romans 6:3–4). In Galatians 3 , Paul compared water baptism to being clothed with esus taking on is life in place of the old life of sin. Passing through the

waters of baptism, we announce our death to sin and resurrection to a new life in esus. Water baptism also serves as a sign of our incorporation into the body of Christ. As baptized believers, we have all identified with Christ in this way. That shared experience binds us together as a community.

As an ordinance signifying a lasting commitment, water baptism is sufficient for a lifetime. Thus, preaching and teaching should clarify Christians do not need a second baptism. hile water baptism is not salvific in itself, it does signify a common identity in which we all participate. Water baptism brings us into a community of the baptized who were called together in Christ esus. Every water baptism following faith and repentance is a baptism from death to life within a community of faith.

ater baptism signifies our dying to past sins and acknowledges Christ’s death for our forgiveness. It proclaims our new life and anticipates our resurrected life, for which Christ rose from the dead. We celebrate water baptism because, when we come out of the water, we are alive! astora ractice As an ordinance, water baptism plays a central role in the life of the Church. Consider how water baptism impacts each of the following four ministry areas in your church. 1. Preaching and teaching. There are three times when teaching or preaching on water baptism is essential when explaining why people should be baptized, when instructing baptismal candidates, and when celebrating water baptisms as part of congregational worship. Such teaching should emphasize the reason for water baptism as obedience to esus, the meaning as identification with Christ, the act as a public declaration of faith, and the context as a community of baptized believers (which has now increased by at least one). Baptismal candidates should understand God has already received them, but water baptism makes their commitment evident to all. As an ordinance signifying a lasting commitment, water baptism is sufficient for a lifetime. Thus, preaching and teaching should clarify Christians do not need a second baptism. Emphasize the role of relationships in water baptism. There is the relationship between those who are baptized and the One with whom they identify. There are also relationships between these

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individuals and the community of believers. This includes the one administering the baptism and those bearing witness to it. Baptized believers belong to a community of people who have all made the same public declaration of belonging to esus. In this way, we belong to one another as well. 2. Worship. Water baptism should be an established part of your congregation’s worship. They don’t have to be a weekly occurrence, but water baptisms should happen with some regularity. Some churches struggle with making this a regular practice because they seldom have converts to bapti e. A commitment to offering water baptism on a regular basis will bring to light the need for greater evangelism and outreach. That is helpful on its own. Other churches may feel limited by their facilities. or example, not every church has a baptistry. owever, churches through the years have found many innovative ways to make water baptism possible. ouse churches may use bathtubs and swimming pools. Some churches utilize troughs or other portable containers — even large trashcans. Others have taken congregants to a body of water. or example, the A usa Street Mission in Los Angeles had no baptistry but made monthly trips to the Pacific Ocean for baptisms. If we can access water, we can baptize believers. Some pastors don’t have regular water baptisms because they want to create a big event. Therefore, they wait until they have a large crowd to baptize. A word of caution is in order here. Waiting too long to baptize new believers hinders them from taking the next biblical step in their faith. At some

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point, we may be standing in the way of people who are eager to honor and obey God (Acts 8:36). The ordinance of water baptism is important enough to accommodate if there is even one person to baptize. It may be tempting to think a larger event will make a bigger impression. owever, the best way to promote baptism is by making it a regular part of worship gatherings — regardless of the numbers.

We should not expect much time to pass between conversion, water baptism, and baptism in the Holy Spirit. Baptizing people in water is what the Church does. It is not optional because Christ commands it. 3. Discipleship. As a symbol of dying to sin and starting a new life in Christ, water baptism plays an ongoing role in discipleship. When counseling and ministering to believers who are struggling, refer to their baptism. Remind them of their public commitment to esus and is commitment to them. Their baptism declares they are dead to old ways of thinking and acting.

or example, I have counseled congregants who left behind a violent past. Although their spiritual lives changed, the problems to which they previously responded with violence did not go away. I reminded these individuals that when they were baptized, the old ways of behaving stayed beneath the water. Violence was no longer an option for them. urther, I explained that responding like Christ was an option. Christlike behavior wasn’t possible for them before they were saved, but baptism symboli ed total surrender and a new life in esus. Because I treated water baptism with respect when I first taught it to these converts, they still respected what it meant when making tough choices. Our church’s ongoing celebration of water baptisms reinforced this commitment to live like esus. Even congregants who have been serving Christ a long time may need reminders about what water baptism entails and what it still means for them. An AG leader writing in the Pentecostal Evangel during 1919 encouraged readers to remember their water baptism because it “is a great aid to faith to look back to the place where you were ‘buried with Christ in baptism unto death ’ and when the enemy, ‘like a spiritist medium, tries to bring up the ghost of your old man,’ as we heard one brother say, you can point him to the place where the thing was buried. enceforth Christ is our life, and e is more than a match for the enemy.” By regularly incorporating water baptism into worship and teaching your congregation to value it as a way of identifying with Christ, you can establish this ordinance as a touchstone for every believer. 4. Emphasizing Pentecostal distinctives. Practicing water baptism can also lead to a renewed emphasis on baptism in the oly Spirit.

As Pentecostals, we believe in both water baptism and Spirit baptism. espite their proximity in Acts, though, we do not always appreciate them together. The Book of Acts does not present a fixed rule of order regarding baptisms. In many cases, baptism in the Spirit came after water baptism. et in the story of Cornelius, water baptism took place immediately after Spirit baptism (Acts 10:47–48). Many churches have connected the practice of water baptism with the practice of Spirit baptism. or some Christians in the Early Church, the first prayer after water baptism was a prayer for baptism in the oly Spirit. When we neglect one baptism as part of our regular worship, we may be charting a course for neglecting the other. There are churches today that wait too long to celebrate water baptism, while also delegating prayers for Spirit baptism to camps outside of regular worship gatherings. e should not expect much time to pass between conversion, water baptism, and baptism in the oly Spirit. If we renew our commitment to making water baptism a regular practice during worship, we can do the same for seeing people bapti ed in the oly Spirit. Anyone who has repented and believed should be experiencing both, and celebration of both should be a regular occurrence in our gatherings.

Ph.D., serves as theological counsel to The General Council of the Assemblies of God and chairs its Commission on Doctrines and Practices.

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M I N I S T RY | S P O T L I G H T

Driven by Compassion Convoy of Hope marks 30 years of growth and ministry By JOHN W. KENNEDY

onvoy of Hope President and CEO Hal Donaldson has learned to think big when it comes to planning for the faith-based community development and disaster relief organization, which turns 30 in 2024. “Every time we’ve put together a strategic plan, God has done so much more than we anticipated,” Donaldson says. A case in point is the ministry’s massive new global headquarters that opened last October, just west of Springfield, Missouri. Leaders of the organi ation

sensed God directing them to construct such a campus — but only if it didn’t detract from ongoing programs. In less than two years, businesses, churches, and individuals provided 1 million so the main edifice and adjoining warehouse could open debt-free. The 240-acre campus abuts Interstate 44. Convoy has come a long way since its founding three decades ago. The genesis of the ministry stems from Donaldson’s childhood experience with poverty. When Donaldson was 12, his parents were involved in a car accident with a drunk driver. The crash instantly killed Donaldson’s father, a pastor, and seriously injured his mother. The surviving family of five went on welfare, keeping food on the table with the help of grocery donations from kind congregants.

Workers in Maui provide resources to survivors of the wildfires that burned across the island during August 2023.

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Dedication of the 200,000-square-foot Global Headquarters & Training Center.

Initially, Convoy focused on community outreaches in conjunction with local churches, businesses, and community service and health organizations. These days, the working poor typically come for free groceries, medical and dental screenings, haircuts, clothing, a hot meal, family portraits, and job fairs. Each event requires help from hundreds of church volunteers. While providing food to the hungry remains a cornerstone of the ministry, Convoy has expanded over the years to meet needs identified by overseas missionaries and churches. This includes caring for children through daily feeding programs, training farmers with better agricultural techniques, and empowering impoverished women to learn job skills and form microenterprises. “Nothing has changed the heart of our mission,” Donaldson says. “But the menu of services has adapted to needs and requests.” Convoy designed its headquarters facilities with future growth in mind. “We envision university students coming from all over the country and around the world to learn best practices in such areas as agriculture, food pantries, and community outreach programs,” Donaldson says. Looking ahead, onaldson envisions dormitories on site where students can stay. He would also like to see the addition of greenhouses for growing produce to distribute.

Convoy of Hope founder Hal Donaldson speaks at the dedication ceremonies.

The Springfield-based employees meet weekly for chapel in a 710-seat auditorium, gathering in the same complex after previously working in three different locations. The new warehouse holds three times as many supplies as the former facility.

Everything we do — disaster response, feeding children, helping impoverished women, community outreaches — is tethered to local churches. — Hal Donaldson

Early on, Convoy learned not to impose American biases on other cultures. Ministry representatives listen to leaders around the world to help craft the best response for the community in need. Convoy of Hope — which has distributed $2.5 billion in food, water, and supplies — has always been about more than meeting immediate physical needs. The ministry’s theology of compassion is a gateway to reaching recipients with the message of Jesus. “Our goal is to provide lasting hope to people, to provide sustainability, giving people an opportunity to escape poverty,” Donaldson says. “Everything we

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The new complex sits on acres near Springfield, Missouri.

do — disaster response, feeding children, helping impoverished women, community outreaches — is tethered to local churches.” Ethan Forhetz, Convoy’s vice president of public engagement, stresses the desired ongoing relationship of churchgoers with program recipients. “The local church can continue to meet spiritual needs after meeting immediate physical needs,” Forhetz says. “The church is a touchpoint for people who need more help when Convoy leaves the area.” With 19 consecutive years of top ratings from watchdog group Charity Navigator, Convoy of Hope has a track record of integrity. In all, 91% of contributions go directly to ministry programs. Donaldson recalls presenting the vision of the ministry to then-Assemblies of God General Superintendent Thomas E. Trask and the AG Executive Presbytery decades ago. Trask stood up during the meeting and declared the organization should be a tool for blessing the entire kingdom of God, not just the AG. The board unanimously agreed in a vote. Thus, even though multiple AG ministries, congregations, and U.S. and world missionaries sow seeds into Convoy with Speed the Light responsible for financing the bulk of Convoy’s truck fleet, for instance — millions of non-AG people have benefited. onors give generously because they want to reflect Christ’s compassion, onaldson says. “Jesus met the physical and spiritual needs of the poor, the suffering, the hurting,” onaldson says. “Time and again, Scripture tells us to reach out and do the same.” Convoy of Hope has grown exponentially over the past five years. hile various ministries cut back or closed because of COVID-19, Convoy kept growing, adapting new methods to fulfill its mission. uring an 18-month span, Convoy dispensed over 200 million meals through churches. Now Convoy is the 43rd-largest charity in the U.S., according to Forbes. Annual revenue

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(including donated food and supplies) nearly tripled in recent years, from $180 million in 2018 to $515 million in 2022. Donaldson believes growth will continue, while the number of world crises seems to be increasing. Since 1998, Convoy of Hope has been on the scene soon after disasters, including floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, ice storms, and wildfires. After responding to 75 disasters in 2022 — a record number at the time Convoy surpassed that figure for 2023 by the end of October. Rather than being territorial, Donaldson is glad to cooperate with other ministries. “There are so many needs, no one organization or denomination can meet them all,” Donaldson says. “It’s important to God that we set aside our differences and link arms with like-minded people to get the job done.” At 66, Donaldson remains a bundle of energy and vision, crisscrossing the globe and strategizing what’s ahead. Convoy has 169 international employees. To improve response times after disasters, the ministry opened its first regional distribution center in Sacramento, California, with blueprints for opening another in Atlanta during 2024. While he has strength and stamina, Donaldson is pushing himself. “God is empowering me to sprint to the finish line and then hand the baton off to is successor, whenever that will be,” Donaldson says. “When God identifies who e wants to run the next leg of the race, I have to be willing to step aside. This is His ministry.” JOHN W. KENNEDY is a freelance journalist in Springfield, Missouri. He previously worked as news editor of Christianity Today, the Pentecostal Evangel, and AG News.

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M I N I S T RY | P R E A C H I N G

Talking About Tragedy When, where, and how to discuss painful events during a service By MICHAEL EVANS

house explosion during the summer of 2023 claimed the lives of six people, including a child, in Plum, Pennsylvania, a Pittsburgh suburb not far from our church.

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The blast and large fire that followed destroyed three homes and damaged at least a dozen more. A neighbor’s doorbell camera captured a video of the explosion. The clip circulated widely online as the story made national headlines. Our community was shocked and grief-stricken. Many of our congregants live near the neighborhood. As officials struggled to determine the cause of the blast, some people were understandably on edge. It was a stark reminder the world is not as it should be. Furthermore, it was something I knew I needed to address with the entire congregation. There are tragedies in the news every day. But some hit so close to home we can’t ignore them. During such times, recognizing when, where, and how to talk about them is important.

When an event deeply a ects the congregation, people need to know their church leaders care. Recognizing and verbalizing what others are feeling helps build relevance and credibility with them.

When We can’t discuss every news event during services. Knowing when to acknowledge an incident from the pulpit starts with staying informed. It is hard to minister effectively if we live in a disconnected church bubble. To love our people well, it helps to know what is happening in their world. urther, we need to have a sense of how it is affecting them. Social media can be a useful tool for gauging reactions. In the days following the explosion, this tragic event was the talk of the town and church. People were posting about it online, asking for prayer, and expressing sadness, concern, and fear. hen I see such reactions from significant numbers of congregants, it’s time to consider a public response.

Of course, I want to remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading. As in all ministry matters, seeking God’s wisdom regarding when to speak and when to stay silent is crucial.

Where Once I decide to address an event from the platform, I need to determine where such a discussion fits best in the church service. Again, this calls for discernment and Spirit guidance. The best place might be at the start of the service or just before the message. It could be a point within the sermon, or perhaps during the conclusion and call for response. Taking a moment to address the crowd between worship songs is another possibility. There is no one-si e-fits-all approach, but with prayer and intentionality, a well-timed discussion can help make space for lament, comfort, prayer and healing. In responding to the house explosion, I decided the best time to address it was ust after worship. My talk followed a song with lyrics declaring the restorative power of heaven breaking into the world. How Finally, we must weigh carefully how to talk about a tragedy. As people are processing difficult emotions, pastors have a responsibility to comfort and lead them. Consider the following five steps as you craft your response. 1. Acknowledge the tragedy. Until someone finally addresses it, an event like the one our community experienced can become an elephant in the room. Acknowledging it happened is the first step toward healing. hen an event deeply affects the congregation, people need to know their church leaders care. Recognizing and verbalizing what others are feeling helps build relevance and credibility with them. 2. Display understanding. When people feel understood, they are more likely to open up about their emotions.

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With every tragic event, there is opportunity to renew joy in God’s promises. One way to demonstrate understanding is to validate what people are going through by calling things what they are. If an event is an injustice, call it unjust. If it is sickening, evil, or confusing, say so. After the house explosion, some people were struggling to reconcile the sudden loss of life with God’s goodness. Articulating their questions became an opportunity for talking about the already, not yet reality of God’s kingdom. 3. Share the good news. People need to understand God is neither responsible for nor indifferent toward sin and its effects on creation. Lovingly guide them into the truth that the world is broken and God is fixing it through Christ’s redemptive work. During trying times, people often turn away from God when they should run toward Him. Gently remind congregants the ultimate source of tragedy is not God, but Satan. Then point them to the One who is making all things new. I explained that the devastating effects of sin reach into all areas of life in a fallen world, including moments of tragedy like the one we witnessed. Yet God offers us help for today and hope for eternity. This helped people recognize God is the solution, not the problem. 4. Comfort with hope. Restoring hope brings relief. We must continually remind people God will return and rid the world of sin, suffering, evil and death. Christians need to hear this is how the story ends. With every tragic event, there is opportunity to renew joy in God’s promises. There is real hope in knowing the Lord will one day right every wrong and dry every tear. Until those promises are fulfilled, we should keep in view the words of Peter 3 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

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God allows sin to remain in the world only because He is waiting for sinful people to turn to Him and receive the gift of salvation. Understanding this provides theological perspective in the midst of tragedy. 5. Pray. Finally, we turn to the One who can ultimately help those who are navigating tragedy. Prayer should model acknowledgement of the situation, honest expression of feelings, understanding of sin and brokenness in the world, hope in the biblical promises of ultimate renewal, and trust in God’s goodness, patience, and sovereignty. From there, we can request comfort, relief, help and healing. While praying following the tragedy in our community, we interceded for those who had lost loved ones and sought the Lord’s grace for everyone affected. We should never think of prayer as incidental to the other words we speak. After all, nothing is more important than seeking God. While talking about troubling events, taking time to pray together as the body of Christ is always appropriate. One thing is certain in ministry: Tragedies will occur. The question is, how will we respond as church leaders? When the congregation is reeling from heartbreaking news, there is a lot at stake — perhaps even someone’s faith. Those of us who preach God’s Word must be prepared to talk about how it applies to events shaping — and shaking — our communities. When tragedy strikes, people need to hear once again about the God who never leaves nor forsakes them. May we faithfully and tenderly guide them toward His grace, comfort and truth.

MICHAEL EVANS is Pittsburgh Mills campus pastor at Riverside Community Church (AG) in Pittsburgh.

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Questions to guide your search By KRISTI NORTHUP

orshipping God through music is an important part of Pentecostal services. Through singing and praising God, participants focus on His presence before turning their attention to His Word. During this time together, the Holy Spirit speaks to hearts, ministers to people in the room, and prepares them for the message. Music also helps define the church’s style and reinforce the congregation’s theology. However, this segment of the service presents a major challenge for some churches. When pastors get together, they often commiserate about how difficult it is to find a qualified person to lead

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worship. Many have little or no budget for music ministry. For smaller churches, developing a team from a few dozen people may seem like an impossible task. If the church meets in a community building or similar space, someone needs to set up the room before musicians can even rehearse. These challenges hit close to home a few years ago when my sister’s church plant was without a worship leader. At the time, the congregation was meeting in a school and had fewer than 80 regular attenders. My sister stepped in as worship leader for several months, but the learning curve for a non-musician

Three things matter most: faithfulness, some musical ability, and a willingness to learn. was steep. Meanwhile, she and her husband determined what they needed and what they could offer, and then took steps to recruit help. In time, they found a young couple with a passion for music and heart for God. This couple is still leading the church’s worship ministry. If your church is without a worship leader (or could be at any time), don’t panic. Instead, work through the following five questions.

1. What Do We Need? Some leaders lack clarity about what they actually need in a worship leader. They may be looking for someone who will recruit a team, train musicians, rehearse a band and singers weekly, pastor the team, schedule volunteers, create song lists, find new music, prep charts, play different styles and multiple instruments, lead with anointing, and be there every weekend. Pastors want all these things — and often, there’s no money to pay anyone. That’s a full-time job description. No wonder volunteers don’t want to take this on. When looking for someone to lead worship, there are three things that matter most: faithfulness, some musical ability, and a willingness to learn. The apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:31, “Earnestly desire the most helpful gifts” NLT . Paul was talking about spiritual gifts, of course, but prioritizing the most helpful qualities is a good idea when filling church positions. Worship is always evolving, so willingness to improve and learn is important. You need someone who can sing and play either guitar or keys. What you don’t need is someone with extraordinary talent who will skip out at the last minute for a better gig. Faithfulness means you can count on the person to be there, so you’re not finding out at the last minute you need to lead worship.

2. Who Is Available? Sometimes the best option is hiding in plain sight. When Samuel came to anoint a king, Jesse brought out seven sons ahead of David because the young shepherd was not the obvious choice (1 Samuel 16). After mentioning to Jesus there was a boy in the crowd with five loaves and two fish, Andrew asked, “But how far will they go among so many?” (John 6:9). It’s possible God has already sent the people and resources you need, but you’re overlooking or discounting them. Do you know a student who plays guitar and has a nice voice? Is there someone who once led worship at another church but hasn’t been involved in years? Perhaps there is an older congregant who loves music and has a heart for service. Maybe your teenager can do more than you realize with his or her musical skills. The answer may be right in front of you. 3. What Can We Spend? There are low-cost technologies that can make a worship leader’s job easier. Websites like Planning Center, orship Online, and Music 3 Method are useful for scheduling, providing chord charts, and assisting with training. Lighten your worship leader’s load by subscribing to some of these resources. Multitracks, digital recordings of individual instruments and vocals, can fill in the gaps for a small worship team. These tools require some skill to operate, but if you have someone who is knowledgeable in this area, multitracks might be worth the investment. Don’t expect a volunteer to recruit musicians and singers. That is usually the task of a paid staff member.

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If you are able to pay a worship leader, consider providing a stipend for each week he or she is present instead of a monthly lump sum — at least for the first several months. This will encourage faithfulness.

4. How Can We Plan? Pastors tend to think of worship music as a problem one person will resolve. When the right person is in place, there are no worries. When the person leaves, it’s anxiety inducing. If you don’t plan for the future, though, you will be wringing your hands again within a few years — or maybe even a few months. Start building a pipeline that will create a culture of worship music in your church. In the Assemblies of God, we have something no other denomination has: Fine Arts Festival. This AG outh Ministries discipleship program helps students develop their gifts for use in schools, churches, and the community.

When we seek His guidance, God will answer. You might be surprised how many students in your church play an instrument, participate in drama, or even have a heart to preach. Fine Arts offers a starting point for helping students get involved in ministry. In 2021, we took a group of six students to our district ine Arts event for the first time. The following year, we started a youth worship team to lead the musical worship segment of our youth gatherings on Wednesday nights. In the beginning, the music these students produced was rougher than I expected. But within just a few months, there was significant improvement. When we launched a second campus last summer, the drummer for our regular services left with that team. So, I told my 14-year-old son, “This is your drum kit now.”

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Our son became the main Sunday morning drummer. If not for several years of lessons and a year of live playing during Wednesday night youth services, he would have been unprepared to step into that role. Now several singers from our youth group help lead worship regularly during our main services, and several adult players are helping mentor students on Sundays and Wednesdays. By creating a training path, we are making a longterm commitment to our church’s worship music. e will reap the benefits for years to come if we keep investing time and resources into discipleship and training.

5. What Is God Saying? e have often prayed, “Lord, please send us an electric guitar player. Please send us more singers.” Perhaps we should instead pray, “Lord, what do you want to say about worship in our church?” When we seek His guidance, God will answer. The Lord may bring to mind a person you had not considered to fill the role of worship leader. Or He may direct you to teach the congregation something about worship you didn’t realize they needed to hear. Hebrews 13:21 says God is able to “equip you with everything good for doing his will.” Trust the Lord to equip your ministry with everything you need for worshipping Him through music. Worship is the most natural thing we can do, and it is God’s desire for His church. Ask Him to help you understand what you need, notice qualified people you may have overlooked, and equip worship team members to serve. The Lord will make a way

KRISTI NORTHUP is executive pastor and worship leader at Saints Community Church (Assemblies of God) in New Orleans. She is director of CMN Women.

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Partnering With Parents Discipleship for church and home By JULIE PRATT

hurches partnering with families to disciple kids is a great idea. It’s even a core value of some children’s ministries. But how many are actually doing it? While children’s leaders believe in the importance of such partnerships in theory, we tend to minister to kids in environments detached from their home and family realties. As a result, we’re missing out on vital ministry opportunities. No one is more influential in shaping a child’s faith than parents and guardians. ome is the first and most important environment for discipleship. The Bible teaches this principle: These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. … These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up (Deuteronomy 6:1–2,6–7). The Lord instructed the people of Israel to teach His commandments to children during their everyday lives, making it a part of the regular rhythms of home.

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Today’s parents and guardians can also do this. They can teach their kids the truths of Scripture while driving, walking, sitting around the dinner table, tossing a ball, preparing for bed, and starting a new day. Virtually any moment of any day can be a time for training children to follow Jesus. For children’s workers, our opportunities to reach these kids are much more limited. At most, we have two or three hours weekly with regular attenders. We might be tempted to think we’re the most important spiritual leaders in the lives of kids attending our programs, but we’re not. Children look first to the examples, habits, and teaching of adults at home. This is part of God’s design for families. Therefore, children’s and youth ministries should seek to link the church and home. In A Biblical Theology of Youth Ministry, Michael McGarry writes, “The church and home must not simply encourage each other to fulfill their ministries, they must work in harmony. This approach views [NextGen] ministry as a vital component of the church, which serves as a bridge between the home and the church-at-large.” ith that in mind, following are five ways to start partnering with families in discipleship.

Children look first to the examples, habits, and teaching of adults at home. This is part of God’s design for families.

1. Practice Inclusiveness Today’s churches include all kinds of families. There are special-needs families, single-parent households, blended families, foster families, and grandparents raising grandchildren.

Approach parents and guardians believing they want the best for the children in their care. Don’t make assumptions about what they need. Take time to learn how you can support and partner with them. This might involve locating special discipleship resources for the parents of a child with autism spectrum disorder. Or it may mean providing digital children’s lessons for kids who regularly miss church because of shared-custody arrangements. View all parents, guardians, and children as God sees them: individuals whose needs matter.

2. Build Relationships As the old saying goes, people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. It’s certainly true of children. And it’s true of the adults in their lives. Making authentic connections is the best way to start partnering with families. Start conversations with parents and guardians as they drop off and pick up their kids. Ask about their week, how work is going, or how they plan to spend the rest of the afternoon. Ask parents, “How can I pray for you this week?” Consider getting together for lunch with one family per month. Attend the extracurricular events of children in your ministry. A baseball game, piano recital, or Junior Bible Quiz meet is a great place to get to know families better. 3. Listen A common pitfall in ministry is developing a habit of talking to people instead of with them. Especially in children’s ministry, communication is often one-sided and transactional: “Can you volunteer? We need someone to bring food. The children’s choir practice is at 3.” Instead of just bombarding families with information and requests, we need to prioritize listening. Forming partnerships requires shifting from a monologue to a dialogue. Intentionally take time to listen to the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of parents and guardians.

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Ask questions, expressing genuine interest in their responses. Try calling a few parents each week simply to engage in friendly conversation and hear what they have to say. Establish a regular time slot on your calendar weekly or monthly for one-on-one meetings with parents and guardians. Don’t wait for them to ask for a meeting. Invite them to sit down and visit with you. ear their stories. Listen to their concerns, questions, and family needs.

4. Encourage Spiritual Habits Rather than always positioning ourselves as experts dispensing advice, we should find ways to cheer on families as they develop healthy spiritual habits. Parents and guardians don’t need us to have all the answers. They do need encouragement and support as they try new things. Providing resources and ideas — while fostering connections between children, families, and ministry leaders — can go a long way toward contributing to a child’s spiritual formation inside and outside of church. When providing resources for home, consider ways to make them interactive and user-friendly. For example, give each child an age-appropriate Bible, along with a bookmark of suggested passages for reading with family members. Encourage parents to pray with their children by inviting them to sign up for bedtime group text reminders. Create devotional or prayer initiatives encouraging spiritual habits kids can practice with their parents or guardians. Offer families music playlists for creating a worshipful atmosphere at home. 5. Equip Families Work with other ministry leaders to create a church culture that equips families for success. Talk with your senior pastor about including parenting and discipleship language in weekend messages.

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Work with the leader of your church’s growth track ministry to include an emphasis on discipleship in the home.

Work with the leader of your church’s growth track ministry to include an emphasis on discipleship in the home. Start talking about these issues early by developing a baby dedication class where parents and guardians can learn the basic habits of leading spiritual formation at home. Keep these interactions practical. Shift away from platitudes toward a healthier and more intentional collaboration with families. Partnering with parents doesn’t have to be a daunting task or distant hope. By embracing a purposeful approach that is inclusive, relational, attentive, encouraging, and equipping, ministries can reboot their family engagement strategies.

JULIE PRATT is director of discipleship for Assemblies of God Children’s Ministries in Springfield, Missouri.

Winter 2024

M I N I S T RY | YO U T H

Teenage Girls in Crisis What they need from the local church By HOLLY DAVIS

Winter 2024

s I stepped off the platform after preaching the final night of youth camp, I noticed a teenage girl who looked to be about 15 waiting to talk with me. With an expression of grief and desperation etched on her young face, she asked me to pray for her. The student opened up about her ongoing battle with depression, anxiety over family issues, difficulties with friends, and search for an authentic place of belonging. Sadly, hers is a familiar story. I have served in youth ministry for 26 years — as a youth pastor, district youth director, youth camp speaker, and events manager for Assemblies of God National outh Ministries. In recent years, I have noticed an increasing strain on girls. They are struggling with school and relationships, worrying about the future, obsessing over body image, and feeling pressure from social media. Some girls are experiencing mental health problems, eating disorders, family dysfunction, and a number of other serious issues. These are not just my observations. Studies confirm it’s a difficult time to be a teenage girl. Most American high school girls (57%) report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, according to a 2021 study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is nearly double the share of boys (29%) reporting such feelings. While both genders are experiencing more negative emotions than in previous years, sadness and hopelessness among girls have risen 60% over the past decade, compared to a 38% increase among boys during the same period.

More girls than boys experience digital bullying via text and social media (20% vs. 11%, respectively). Bullying at school disproportionately targets girls as well, with 17% of girls and 13% of boys saying they have been a victim of bullying within the past year. Girls are more likely than boys to skip school because they feel unsafe (10% vs. 7%). In a Pew Research Center study on teens (aged 13–17) and social media, girls were more likely than boys to say social media left them feeling overwhelmed (45% vs. 32%); excluded (37% vs. 24%); pressured to pursue likes and comments (32% vs. 27%); and generally worse about their lives (28% vs. 18%).

ou may not feel qualified to answer all the questions today’s teenage girls are asking, and that’s OK. The Lord has placed you there for a reason. Your supportive presence can be more important than you realize. Some of these girls who are struggling are sitting in our youth rooms and auditoriums. What can we do to help them ollowing are five simple things that can make a world of difference for a girl in crisis.

1. Relational Connections Build girls up spiritually through genuine relational connections. Many teenage girls are navigating multiple crises with no spiritual guidance. No wonder so many are feeling hopeless. Every girl needs someone who cares enough to point her to esus. ou may not feel qualified to answer all the questions today’s teenage girls are asking, and that’s O . The Lord has placed you there for a reason. Your supportive presence can be more important than you realize.

Just being in the room, listening, providing comfort, and offering to pray helps build trust. Relationships can open doors for redemptive conversations. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak through you when guiding, training, and nurturing girls. Lead girls to biblical truths that counter the lies they are hearing. When I started in youth ministry, I worried none of the girls would like me. I still remember the fear I felt while walking into the first service as a youth pastor. Students were already engaged in a game that involved popping balloons tied around participants’ ankles. I intended to lean on the wall and just watch while volunteers managed the activity. Scanning the room, however, I noticed one girl in particular who looked like she needed a friend. In that moment, I sensed the Holy Spirit saying, “Go smash that girl’s balloon.” I nervously made my way to the student and stomped the balloon tied around her ankle. She laughed, and we started a conversation. That moment of connection led to me praying with her at the altar following the sermon. In fact, we started a mentoring relationship that continues to this day.

2. Mentoring Every girl needs at least one godly woman in her life who can provide a consistent, loving presence. I knew a group of church grandmothers who volunteered their time teaching crocheting to girls. While they worked on projects together, these ladies talked, listened, shared Scriptures, and told stories about serving Jesus. The activity itself is not as important as spending time together. Mentoring can happen over coffee, during a pickleball game, or in a Bible study. 3. Biblical Guidance Help girls see the relevance of Scripture in their everyday lives. Point out texts that address what they are feeling and experiencing, while guiding them to the gospel.

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Girls especially need assurance the Church values them and their ministry contributions. Entrusting teenagers with responsibilities like running the audio system or playing drums during the main service might seem like a bad idea, but it’s actually a great way to invest in the next generation. Taking on such leadership roles helps teens develop life skills, receive mentoring, discover their spiritual gifts, and engage with the congregation outside of youth group. Girls especially need assurance the Church values them and their ministry contributions.

A teenage girl came to me during a retreat and started talking about some difficulties she was experiencing. After listening attentively, I opened my Bible and showed her a passages that not only spoke to her issue but also revealed the hope that is available in Christ. I challenged her to memorize that verse and write it down in places where she would see it often. This is not about offering pat answers. It’s about helping girls see God and His Word as their source of help. When students develop a habit of turning to Scripture for help and hope, it will change their lives.

4. Ministry Opportunities Students need a chance to participate in the life of the church through ministry. Build girls’ confidence by allowing them to serve in areas of the church typically reserved for adults.

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5. Intervention If you suspect a teenage girl is suicidal or experiencing extreme crisis, help her get professional assistance immediately. While the student may ask you to keep the discussion confidential, you are responsible for reporting issues of child abuse and endangerment. For mental health crises, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides 4 support. Keep a list of Christian counselors on hand for making referrals to families. Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep” (John 21:16). Youth workers have a tremendous responsibility that can seem daunting and even frightening at times. But with God’s help, we can offer help and hope to the hurting girls in our churches and communities.

HOLLY DAVIS is team advancement director for AG Ministries and Resources in Springfield, Missouri.

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Marketplace Missionaries Preparing congregants for reaching their workplaces By SHANNON POLK

pon graduating seminary, I expected to become a lead pastor. Instead, I accepted a marketplace leadership position that required relocating to a new city. I knew God was guiding me in this, but I had no idea what it would require of me. A month after my move, I was at a work-related dinner party. “Wouldn’t it be great if we lived in a world with no Christians?” one colleague asked.

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The question didn’t seem to surprise or bother anyone else in the room. In fact, the conversation continued along the same lines for several minutes. “All religion is awful,” another person said, “but I think Christianity might be the worst.” I sat quietly in shock, having never before encountered such hostility toward my faith. The following week, I was at a local bank. While waiting, I had a phone conversation with my pastor. When I stepped to the counter, the teller asked in a hushed tone what church I attended. She whispered that she was a Christian, too, and named her local congregation. As I leaned in to hear what she was saying, it was apparent this woman was afraid to discuss her faith out loud.

Such encounters left me feeling like an outsider in more ways than one. Nothing in my seminary training or previous ministry experience in a heavily churched area had prepared me for this. As I reflected on these things, I thought about the biblical theme of exile. I reread the Old Testament stories of Jewish captives surviving and thriving in Babylon as they prayed and sought the “peace of the city” eremiah . I sensed that the Lord had brought me to this community as a marketplace missionary. I also serve as associate pastor of a local Assemblies of God church. Managing bivocational roles as a CEO and pastor has made me more aware of the challenges churchgoers face. Consequently, I have carefully considered how churches can help parishioners navigate the marketplace in a winsome and wise manner. Ministers often forget what life is like for those working outside the Christian bubble. Many congregants are spiritual minorities in their workplaces. They are modeling Christ in a world that often seems negatively predisposed toward Christianity. How are we equipping them to shine God’s light in dark places Matthew 14 1 When these believers leave our worship gatherings, we are sending them out as marketplace missionaries. They need discipleship, including a solid foundation of Bible engagement, to prepare for their workday mission fields. Additionally, they need Christian community, emotional and spiritual wholeness, a Kingdom perspective, and love for lost people.

Most missionaries recogni e the value of establishing relationships with others in the field. Those who treat their calling as a solo mission will end up feeling lonely and isolated especially when difficulties arise. Marketplace missionaries need one another as well. As a pastor, I regularly stress the importance of building healthy relationships with other believers. We all need friends who will pray for us and encourage us in our faith. For those working in secular fields, such relationships can be a spiritual lifeline.

Wholeness Guiding believers toward healing and wholeness in Christ is an important part of discipleship. Many churchgoers are carrying unresolved childhood wounds, bitterness from challenging family relationships, or areas of significant spiritual immaturity. Such issues create space for the enemy to wreak havoc in Many congregants the lives of Christians and damare spiritual minorities age their reputations among nonbelievers. in their workplaces. To prepare congregants for marketplace missions, we must help them deal with their brokenness. Developing spiritual disciplines — including prayer, fasting, and Bible reading — is certainly part of that. Some may need counseling as well, particularly those dealing with past hurts or relational problems. Maintain a list of Christian counselors to whom you can refer congregants. ebrews 1 1- says, “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on esus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” Community Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If Perspective either of them falls down, one can help the other As Paul discovered in Corinth, reaching people up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help for Christ requires adaptability — and a Kingdom them up.” perspective:

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To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some (1 Corinthians 9:20–22). For Paul, these adjustments weren’t just about fitting in. Paul’s motive was fulfilling the Great Commission, so that some might come to a saving faith in Christ.

When Christians see the lost as God does, it will change how they view their jobs. Before 2017, I had never rooted for the University of Michigan. In fact, it is my college alma mater’s rival. But after moving to Ann Arbor, I learned the U-M fight song and made peace with the mai e and blue team colors. While I might attend a game alongside lifelong Michigan fans, however, they know I won’t drink beer with them. There is no harm in representing

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my current hometown, but my calling is representing Christ and pointing others to Him. That is the kind of Kingdom perspective marketplace missionaries need. This might seem like a trivial example, but it illustrates an important principle. That is, congregants must learn to navigate their cultural contexts without embracing unholy behaviors. We are to be in the world, but not of it. We won’t win anyone to Christ by living duplicitously. Daniel had to navigate the culture of Babylon. But he also led with integrity and wisdom. God’s people must do the same in today’s world.

Love Before they can reach their workplaces for Christ, congregants need to develop love for their co-workers. The Lord loves nonbelievers enough to send His ambassadors to work among them. When Christians see the lost as God does, it will change how they view their jobs. Pray with congregants, asking God to grow their love and compassion for people at their workplaces who don’t know Him. Effective ministry flows from love for God and others. Just as such love sustains and motivates vocational ministers, it can keep congregants focused on their calling to be salt and light where God has placed them. The offices, factories, hospitals, and schools in your community are mission fields full of individuals who are desperate for a genuine encounter with Jesus. Send forth your congregants not just as career people, but as workers in Christ’s harvest fields.

SHANNON POLK, D.Min., J.D., is associate pastor of Riverside Tabernacle (AG) in Flint, Michigan, and president and CEO of the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation.

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ake It Count is a leadership development resource for use individually or with staff, volunteers, or board members. Each installment is also available online as a downloadable PDF, along with interactive pages for group member use. The underlined words and phrases in the following text correspond to fill-in-theblank sections on team member pages. Access these free resources at influencemagazine. com/Downloads. These lessons are written by STEPHEN BLANDINO, lead pastor of 7 City Church in Fort Worth, Texas, and the author of several books.

very leader is responsible for building teams. In local churches, these volunteer groups are often called “dream teams” because they help churches fulfill the vision of reaching and discipling people. No matter what you call them, finding, equipping and empowering volunteers is a continual challenge for leaders. This installment of Make It Count examines 1 keys to finding, equipping and empowering healthy volunteer teams. The lessons include the following:

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1. Building. Team building begins with clarity concerning roles, qualifications and responsibilities. Without these details, you won’t know what you need or whom to recruit. 2. Recruiting. Most church leaders share a common need for more volunteers. The question is, how do you find them ecruitment requires

a commitment to prayer, casting vision, creating a system, and communicating next steps quickly. 3. Aligning. Sometimes a volunteer wants to serve but isn’t sure which role is a good fit. Aligning volunteers with the right roles begins with assessing their personalities, gifts and passions. 4. Onboarding. A well-designed onboarding process is crucial for volunteer development. This includes communicating vision and team values, imparting knowledge specific to each role, providing training, and offering opportunities for shadowing. 5. Equipping. For volunteers to succeed, we need to equip them with the appropriate resources. These resources generally involve tools for doing the ob and a budget for fulfilling the mission. 6. Training. Even seasoned volunteers need ongoing training. Team huddles, gatherings, and training opportunities are ways to invest in their long-term success. 7. Coaching. Training is team-based, but coaching is usually one-on-one. Follow the biblical patterns of modeling, motivating, mentoring and multiplying. 8. Promoting. As volunteers become proficient in their ministry roles, they may show capacity for greater responsibility. Good leaders promote faithful team members with greater levels of responsibility and opportunity. 9. Appreciating. Volunteers don’t have to contribute what they do. Leaders should honor and appreciate those who are volunteering their time and talent in ministry. Appreciation happens best when it’s personal, public and practical. 10. Engaging. It’s one thing to recruit volunteers but another to keep them fully engaged. Therefore, leaders must identify and implement strategies for improving the overall health and engagement of the team. While reading and discussing each lesson, you’ll discover the keys to building a healthy volunteer team united around a vision for the future.

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1 Building

BUILDING YOUR DREAM TEAM

Assess

hen building a volunteer team, where do you typically begin the process

Insights and Ideas

ne of my favorite examples of team building comes from the life of Moses. When preparing to build the tabernacle, Moses acknowledged God had chosen Bezalel and Oholiab for the pro ect. These men were filled with God’s Spirit, understanding, knowledge, and all kinds of skill. They had the ability to cut stones, work in wood and artistic crafts, and serve as engravers, designers, embroiderers, and weavers (Exodus 35:30–35). From this passage, we can draw a simple but powerful truth about building teams: Before you build a team, know what you need in a team. ecogni ing what he needed on the construction team, Moses said, “So Be alel, Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD has given skill and ability to know how to carry out all the work of constructing the sanctuary are to do the work just as the LORD has commanded” (Exodus 36:1). Author im Collins once said, “The most important decisions that businesspeople make are not what decisions, but who decisions.” I believe that applies to building teams in churches as well. Therefore, it is important to identify three things: 1. Roles. hat roles do you need filled to build the best team or example, if you’re building a worship team, the roles will likely include a worship leader, musicians, singers, and technical personnel. Be as specific as possible. 2. ualifications. Each role will require certain qualifications from the person who fills it. or example, Paul listed qualifications for overseers and deacons 1 Timothy 3 . To clarify qualifications, consider two things spiritual qualifications and skill qualifications. Both are important for finding the best people. owever, be careful not to create unrealistic standards that make it nearly impossible for people to begin serving. 3. es onsibilities. Every role comes with specific tasks. Be clear about exactly what the person in each role will do. efine the tasks and responsibilities. One of the best ways to clarify these details is by creating written role descriptions. Then you’ll know what to look for when it’s time to recruit team members.

Reflect and Discuss

1. ow clear are you about what and whom you need on your teams . hich of the three categories above most needs attention 3. ow might creating a one-page description for each volunteer role help your ministry

Apply

or each role on your volunteer team, create a one-page description that includes qualifications and responsibilities. Share these with current team members and use them to identify future volunteers.

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2 Recruiting

BUILDING YOUR DREAM TEAM

Team Review

hat progress have you made toward creating role descriptions

Assess

hat are the best strategies you’ve employed for recruiting volunteers

Insights and Ideas

hen Nehemiah arrived on the scene of a city in ruins, he had no team to rebuild the walls of erusalem. Nehemiah said, “I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for erusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on” Nehemiah 1 . Many leaders today are in the same scenario. They’re building from the ground up, and they’re having to think strategically about how to recruit a team. Start with the following four steps: 1. Commit to pray. e’re often quick to complain about our lack of volunteers. owever, esus said, “Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Matthew 9:38). 2. Cast a com ellin ision. Nehemiah 1 18 says, “ ou see the trouble we are in erusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of erusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.’ I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.” Notice, Nehemiah appealed to the people’s desire to “no longer be in disgrace.” e then shared the story of how God had moved the king to provide for the rebuilding of the walls. Needs alone are seldom inspiring. Saying, “We have a bunch of babies in the nursery who need somebody to look after them” won’t likely convince anyone to volunteer. Instead, take a lesson from Nehemiah by casting a vision. Appeal to someone’s desire to make a difference in a child’s life. Then tell stories about young families who are able to attend church for the first time because childcare is available. Vision inspires people to action. 3. Create a recruitment system. ecruiting requires a framework. our system should answer the three A’s • Awareness ow do people learn about serving opportunities • Action ow do they sign up to serve • Accountability: What responsibility do leaders have for recruiting and onboarding new volunteers 4. ommunicate uic ly. When people sign up to serve, a leader should promptly communicate to assess their interest, availability, qualifications and next steps.

Reflect and Discuss

1. o you tend to communicate needs or cast vision when you’re recruiting people to serve 2. What does your recruitment system look like, and does it clearly address awareness, action and accountability 3. When someone signs up to serve, how long does it take to communicate with that person, and what could you do to improve

Apply

Put together a recruitment plan that includes a commitment to prayer, casting vision, creating a recruitment system, and communicating quickly. Set a deadline for the implementation of this process, and then begin monitoring the impact. Winter 2024

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3 Aligning

BUILDING YOUR DREAM TEAM

Team Review

hat progress have you made toward developing a volunteer recruitment plan

Assess

ow do you ensure a volunteer is serving in the right role

Insights and Ideas

ecause churches are often desperate for volunteers, it’s easy to plug people into roles without determining whether it’s the best fit. But consider again the approach Moses took with the construction of the sanctuary. According to Exodus 3 , “Moses summoned Be alel and Oholiab and every skilled person to whom the LORD had given ability and who was willing to come and do the work.” Notice Moses summoned people to serve based on two things: ability (“every skilled person”) and availability (“willing to come and do the work”). Similarly, to ensure people are aligned with the right roles, we need to consider three things: 1. Personalities. Every congregation includes many different personalities. Some people are analytical and systematic, and others are creative and spontaneous. Some thrive in visible roles such as teaching or leading worship, while others prefer serving behind the scenes. Such differences are not a matter of right or wrong. They simply reflect the variety God places in the Church. To match areas of service with individual personalities, we must take the time to get to know people. 2. Gifts. Everyone has talents and skills. God also deposits spiritual gifts within the Church. We should consider these abilities and gifts before placing people in specific ministry roles. 3. Passions. The ESV describes the workers in Exodus 36:2 this way: “everyone whose heart stirred him up to come to do the work.” We can discover what stirs a person’s heart by discussing issues and interests. In other words, what issues in the congregation, community or world do they feel compelled to address, and what interests could they apply to ministry Understanding personalities, gifts, and passions makes it easier to match potential team members to roles. ou can usually discover these three things by asking good questions and administering helpful assessments.

Reflect and Discuss

1. Can you share an example of someone finding the right role on a team hat difference did it make . ow do personality, gifts, and passions impact one’s effectiveness in a ministry role 3. What can you do to discover an individual’s personality, gifts, and passions before they begin serving on a team

Apply

Identify some questions and tools you will use when talking with potential team members. on’t view these tools as formalities. Instead, let them inform you (and congregants) about which roles might be the best fit. This knowledge helps people understand that God designed them on purpose and for a purpose.

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4 Onboarding

BUILDING YOUR DREAM TEAM

Team Review

hat tools have you identified to help you assess the personality, gifts, and passions of potential team members

Assess

ow do you onboard new team members when they sign up to serve

Insights and Ideas

ften, one of the missing ingredients in volunteer development is a well-designed onboarding process. Once we’ve recruited volunteers, we need a strategic process to set them up for success in their ministry roles. Onboarding is a modern corporate term, but the concept has been around a long time. In fact, aniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego went through something like onboarding before entering the service of King Nebuchadnezzar. Their preparation involved three years of training in the language and literature of Babylon aniel 1 . Only then were they considered qualified to serve. Thankfully, church volunteers don’t need three years of onboarding. owever, we should be purposeful about setting up volunteers for success. A good volunteer onboarding process provides the following: 1. ision and team values. When people join a team, they should have a clear understanding of the church’s vision and values. Vision helps team members see how their roles contribute to something greater. Values guide their behavior as they engage in ministry. If one of your values is unity, your volunteer teams should reflect that. 2. no led e. Team members need to know what’s important in their roles. For example, greeters should know where to get their name badges and how to direct guests to different areas of the church. Your onboarding system should ensure team members have answers to the most important questions. 3. rainin . Before someone can run the sound board, he or she needs to learn how to operate it. Small group leaders need training in facilitating good discussions. Café workers should learn how to make coffee. Additional guidance will come in time, but a good onboarding process provides enough initial training to help volunteers perform their tasks successfully. 4. ado in . This is the opportunity to follow experienced team members as they serve. Shadowing is a great way for new volunteers to observe, ask questions, and become comfortable in their roles. Following seasoned leaders gives newcomers a chance to see success in action. To ensure your onboarding system is consistent, document the process in a one- to two-page onboarding guide. Go over this guide with each new volunteer.

Reflect and Discuss

1. hat difference would a quality onboarding process make for new volunteers . hat are the strengths and weaknesses of your current onboarding system 3. What can you do to ensure your onboarding system is communicating vision and team values, imparting knowledge, providing training, and offering opportunities for shadowing

Apply

eview your current onboarding process. Then create an onboarding document for each role that includes the four points mentioned above. Winter 2024

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5 Equipping

BUILDING YOUR DREAM TEAM

Team Review

What progress have you made toward developing an onboarding system for each new team member

Assess

ow do you resource volunteers for successfully carrying out their responsibilities

Insights and Ideas

hen Nehemiah organi ed people to rebuild the wall around erusalem, he knew they would need resources to do the job. God gave Nehemiah favor with the king to secure those resources. Nehemiah 8 says, “ And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy ’ And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests.” Ministry requires resources. e must equip volunteers with the things they need for success. Those resources generally come in two forms: 1. Tools for doin t e ob Team members need specific tools to carry out their duties. Sound technicians need audio equipment. Children’s workers need kids’ curriculum, small group leaders need Bible studies, and parking teams need signs. If we don’t provide the right tools, we’re setting up team members to fail. It won’t be long before they quit in frustration. Ask team members what they need. And be on the lookout for ways to make their work more effective, efficient and rewarding. 2. A bud et for fulfillin t e mission Ministry requires funding. Team members may not create budgets or deal directly with money, but leaders should be clear about the cost of delivering effective ministry. And everyone should work together to steward resources wisely. Tools and budgets communicate to volunteers that what they do matters and leaders care about their success. It’s easy to look at another church and think, don t a e t e tools or bud et t ey a e to deli er t at ind of ministry But instead of focusing on what you don’t have, wisely steward what you do have to accomplish what God is calling you and your team to do.

Reflect and Discuss 1.

ave you ever been asked to do ministry without the resources necessary to pull it off did that feel . hat tools do your volunteers need to meet the expectations you have for their roles 3. ow can you allocate a budget to create the greatest impact for your volunteers

Apply

o an audit on each area of ministry for which you’re responsible. Consider two questions. irst, what are your expectations of the volunteers in each ministry Second, have you provided the resources they need to meet those expectations If not, identify the resources needed and find a way to secure them.

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6 Training

BUILDING YOUR DREAM TEAM

Team Review

hat resources have been secured to equip volunteers for success

Assess

ow are you providing ongoing training for volunteers

Insights and Ideas

fter onboarding and resourcing volunteers, it’s easy to turn our attention to other pressing needs. But good leaders understand training isn’t a once-and-done activity. Instead, they invest in the ongoing development of team members. The apostle Paul understood the importance of ongoing development. e said, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the pri e” 1 Corinthians 9:25–27). Olympic athletes don’t just do a couple of training sessions before heading into the games. Their training happens consistently and proactively over time. We must likewise be consistent and proactive in training volunteers. Consider the following three ideas: 1. Team uddles. Team huddles are short gatherings that happen prior to a service. They might involve the entire volunteer base or individual departments. Either way, a good team huddle provides a few important things. • ns iration. Take a moment to inspire team members by sharing a story of life change, celebrating a ministry win, or focusing on the church’s vision or values. • nformation. Share important information relevant to your volunteers for that day’s ministry. • Prayer. Pray together, seeking God for any needs in the group. Pray for the service, yielding your gifts and abilities to the Lord and inviting the oly Spirit to work in the hearts of people. 2. Team ni ts. Schedule special volunteer gatherings throughout the year perhaps quarterly or biannually — where you can provide training to your entire volunteer base. Do a portion of the training with all your volunteers (vision casting or churchwide training). Then offer breakouts with specific training for departmental teams. 3. Team trainin . Some of the best team training can happen outside of church. Consider inviting volunteers to quality training events happening in your area or online. Participation might stretch their thinking and help them realize possibilities for the future.

Reflect and Discuss 1. . 3.

hat does your ongoing team training plan look like hat would it take to implement or improve team huddles hat kind of training do our teams most need Can we provide this training during a team night or outside event

Apply

Put together a plan for ongoing training of your teams. Explore the possibility of team huddles, team nights, outside team training, and any other team development opportunities.

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7 Coaching

BUILDING YOUR DREAM TEAM

Team Review

hat does your plan for ongoing volunteer training include

Assess

ave you received coaching from another leader If so, what did the coaching process entail, and how did it benefit you

Insights and Ideas

oaching is one of the most powerful ways to invest in your volunteers. It moves beyond team huddles and large group gatherings to develop one-on-one relationships. As author Tim Elmore said, “More time with fewer people equals greater kingdom impact.” The apostle Paul practiced coaching with his young apprentice Timothy. Paul said, “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ esus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Timothy 2:1–2). Notice four characteristics of Paul’s coaching: 1. oti atin . Paul began by motivating Timothy. e said, “ ou then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ esus.” Paul was encouraging and motivating Timothy to develop deep roots for his faith in Christ. 2. odelin . Timothy had heard Paul preach and teach “in the presence of many witnesses.” Beyond that, however, Timothy saw Paul’s life (2 Timothy 4:7). Timothy knew Paul practiced the gospel he preached. Modeling is one of the most powerful forms of coaching because it adds credibility to everything the coach says. 3. entorin . Paul told Timothy to entrust the gospel “to reliable people.” In other words, Paul was challenging Timothy to take what he had learned and invest it in others. aving mentored Timothy, Paul expected him to mentor others. 4. ulti lyin . urther, the people Timothy taught would “also be qualified to teach others.” Paul invested in Timothy, who would then invest in reliable people, and those reliable people would invest in others. Growth didn’t die with Paul. e had a vision for multiplication that would continue far into the future. ho can you begin motivating to grow Are you modeling the behavior you want others to emulate Are you mentoring someone and then challenging that person to mentor others And is the ripple of multiplication extending far beyond you Coaching takes intentionality, but the results can be transformational for generations to come.

Reflect and Discuss 1.

hat does Tim Elmore’s statement mean to you “More time with fewer people equals greater kingdom impact” . hat member of your team should you begin coaching 3. hat could that coaching process look like

Apply

To begin coaching, take two steps. First, identify a person to coach. Choose someone who is eager to learn or has untapped potential. Second, determine a coaching plan. You might have a monthly coffee meeting to debrief that person’s area of ministry or a weekly meeting to discuss a leadership book or personal growth resource. 114

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8 Promoting

BUILDING YOUR DREAM TEAM

Team Review

ho are you coaching, and what is your coaching plan

Assess

ow do you determine whether to promote a volunteer to a higher level of responsibility

Insights and Ideas

ne of the classic biblical examples of promotion is in the Parable of the Bags of Gold (Matthew . After the master entrusted his wealth to three servants, he left for an extended period of time. Verse 1 says, “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.” The first two servants doubled their master’s wealth, but the third servant was la y and buried the master’s wealth in the ground. At the end of the story, what had been entrusted to the la y servant was taken away from him. But look at what the master said to the other two servants: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (verses 21,23). This passage has many lessons, but let’s focus on three: 1. Faithful ste ards i leads to reater leaders i . When we’re faithful in the small things, God can entrust us with greater responsibility and opportunity. 2. e team member s ob is to be faithful. Faithfulness involves more than just showing up. Being present is part of it, but faithfulness requires wisely stewarding whatever God entrusts to our care. It’s doing our best with our time, talent, treasure, and influence. 3. e leader s ob is to promote fait ful team members The Parable of the Bags of Gold offers another insight for leaders. The master honored faithfulness with promotion. We should do the same with those we lead. When team members are faithful and leaders practice promotion, teams will develop higher levels of capacity. ather than building a team of followers, you begin building a team of empowered leaders.

Reflect and Discuss

1. ead Matthew 14 3 . hat other leadership lessons can you draw from this parable . ow do the three points above challenge you 3. hy is it easy to overlook the promotion part of this parable hat volunteer in your area of ministry is deserving of a promotion

Apply

Do an honest assessment of your team. Nobody is perfect, but think about who may be ready for a promotion. What could you do to begin giving faithful team members greater opportunities for leadership

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9 Appreciating

BUILDING YOUR DREAM TEAM

Team Review

hich faithful team member have you taken steps to promote

Assess

ow do you show appreciation to your volunteers

Insights and Ideas

olunteers don’t have to do what they do. They are volunteering because of a desire to serve and make a difference with their God-given gifts. But if we’re not careful, we can begin taking volunteers for granted. Leaders have a responsibility to honor and appreciate those who are investing their time and talent in ministry. Paul said, “Be devoted to one another in love. onor one another above yourselves” omans 1 1 . hat does this look like amid daily ministry ow can we express appreciation to our volunteers in an authentic and meaningful way Start with the following three ideas 1. Personal a reciation The most meaningful appreciation is personal. It’s a handwritten thank you card. It’s noticing a team member’s contribution in the moment, and then stopping to acknowledge it and say thank you. It’s expressing appreciation specifically instead of broadly. ather than saying, “Thanks for serving,” be specific “Thanks for the way you helped that family with three kids safely cross the parking lot and get checked in to our kids ministry. It’s the kind of service that means so much, and I’m thankful for how you love and serve people so selflessly.” 2. Public a reciation There are also times to express appreciation publicly to your entire team. It might be through an appreciation banquet or a Christmas party in your home. Acknowledge the collective efforts of the group, while also highlighting stories of impact because of the faithful service of team members. ust be careful not to embarrass anyone, especially those who don’t like public acknowledgment. 3. Practical a reciation Express appreciation in practical and tangible ways. osting an occasional meal, handing out gift cards, or bringing in breakfast treats are simple but thoughtful ways to show how much you appreciate your volunteers and what they do. You might even keep track of birthdays so you can recognize these special days. Authors Gary Chapman and Paul hite observed, “The question is not, o you appreciate your co-workers ’ The real question is, o they feel appreciated ’” The same is true of volunteers. Without appreciation, you’re missing an important, biblical part of team development. And there’s a good chance your team members’ service will be short-lived if they don’t feel noticed and appreciated.

Reflect and Discuss 1.

ow regularly do you show personal appreciation to volunteers hat can you do this week to let some of them know you notice and appreciate their efforts . hat could we do as a congregation to show appreciation for all of our volunteers 3. hat simple, practical expressions of appreciation might our budget allow us to provide

Apply

Write notes of appreciation to three volunteers this week. Then put together a plan to acknowledge and appreciate your entire team — personally, publicly and practically.

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10 Engaging

BUILDING YOUR DREAM TEAM

Team Review

To which three volunteers did you send a note last week

Assess

hat are the best strategies you’ve used for keeping volunteers engaged

Insights and Ideas

ne of the remarkable aspects of Nehemiah’s efforts to rebuild the wall around erusalem was his ability to keep the team engaged despite constant ridicule. Nehemiah 4:1–3 says, “When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. e ridiculed the ews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, hat are those feeble ews doing ill they restore their wall ill they offer sacrifices ill they finish in a day Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble burned as they are ’ Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, ‘What they are building — even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!’” Even with this opposition, Nehemiah kept the people focused on the vision at hand. e ignored much of the ridicule, reassigned people with various responsibilities, and championed the mission. It’s one thing to recruit a volunteer team, but it’s another to keep team members interested in the vision, the ministry, and their roles. Following are 10 things you can do to engage volunteers: 1. odel. Be authentic, caring, and full of integrity. Be a leader worth following as you model the way. 2. ead. One of the best things you can do for volunteers is lead them with excellence. 3. Ener i e. Cast vision for the future, regularly reminding team members their service is making a difference. 4. onnect. Create space for team members to build relationships and get to know one another outside of church. 5. ommunicate. outinely update volunteers on relevant ministry details. 6. entor. Personally invest in the growth of individual team members. 7. isten. Welcome feedback by providing opportunities for people to share ideas for improving ministry. 8. Pastor. Show genuine care and encouragement, pastoring volunteers through difficult seasons. 9. Equip. egularly equip team members with training and resources that will help them succeed. 10. Empower. Share power and authority with volunteers as they grow in responsibility. Each of these actions will contribute to the overall engagement level of your team. Most importantly, volunteers will feel acknowledged, loved, fulfilled and appreciated.

Reflect and Discuss

1. hat are the biggest challenges you face in keeping your team fully engaged . hich of the 1 steps above is most difficult hy 3. ow could we do a better ob as a congregation to improve volunteer engagement

Apply

Pick two of the 10 steps above to keep your team engaged. Put together a meaningful plan to implement these strategies this week. Then add a new step each month.

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T H I S I S M Y S T O RY

Findin g My Father By SUE SCHLESMAN

y first memory consists of me playing on the floor with my older brother and a faceless form. It’s the only recollection I have of my dad. ust a few months after my second birthday, my father died. A 33-year-old officer and navigator, he was on a U.S. Naval Air orce training mission when his plane went down in Southern California’s Santa Ana Mountains. U.S. Navy officials sealed the records. I never knew the cause, only that the weather was bad and navigational equipment on the P- Neptune aircraft sometimes malfunctioned. To cope with my father’s absence while growing up, I discounted the personal impact of his death. I told myself it didn’t affect me since I barely remembered him. et I spent my childhood trying to piece together fragmented information from the people who did remember. I learned to tiptoe around my family’s grief knowing when to ask questions and when to change the sub ect because the discussion was making someone sad. Growing up in the 1 s and ’8 s, it seemed Christians seldom addressed grief or validated loss. Spiritual people went to ednesday night prayer meetings and made requests for other people’s problems. Nobody I knew saw counselors or therapists. e hurt in secret and smiled in public. By minimi ing grief, I developed a distorted view of God as a loving but absent ather. I found Scripture’s fatherhood analogy well-intentioned but unfair and impractical. I pictured God looking down on my family from heaven, detached from our fatherless, widowed existence.

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About 1 years ago, early-onset dementia began taking my mother from me, memory by memory. hile navigating this loss, I experienced renewed longing for my father. or the first time, I recogni ed the unhealed grief in my spirit. Around that time, I was researching veterans’ benefits online when I happened to click on a video about a nonprofit organi ation called Pro ect emembrance. In the clip, a family was visiting the crash site of a P- Neptune aircraft. A forest fire in the Santa Ana Mountains had uncovered plane wreckage from 4 years earlier. I recogni ed the name of the family’s relative. It was the pilot from my father’s crew, who had perished along with him. I immediately contacted the founder of Pro ect emembrance, Pat Macha. A self-taught aviation archeologist, Macha’s mission was researching plane crashes, recovering missing aircraft, and connecting victims’ families with the information necessary to provide closure. Macha had hiked to my dad’s crash site multiple times. As a teenager, he had seen a fireball rise from Mod eska Canyon while standing in his yard on eb. 11, 1 , the night my dad died. After retiring, Macha researched the crash extensively. e talked to air traffic controllers and searched the newly unsealed Navy records. e documented hundreds of pieces of my father’s aircraft that still littered the mountains and valleys near Macha’s home. My father’s death wasn’t a secret. My sorrow didn’t need to be, either. orty-three years after the crash, my husband and I flew to California. e met Macha’s team and hiked with them into the ravines where the plane’s wreckage was scattered. As I stood at the point of impact, I could almost hear the pilot’s mayday signal piercing the radio static. I imagined my dad thinking of me during his final breath. On the canyon floor, I sat in a crew seat, fully intact among the remaining debris. I left a memorial to my dad there. I honored the seven airmen, seven widows, and fatherless children, including myself. I acknowledged their sacrifice and resilience. Most importantly, in that sacred place, I sensed my eavenly ather’s presence. And I reali ed e had been with me in my grief all along. God wasn’t looking down on me from heaven. e was walking beside me. The Lord knew me as a -year-old without a father. As I grew, e created in me a desire to know im and find im. I leaned into the holiness of that place and acknowledged God’s gifts of love and belonging. Since that moment in the canyon, God has been teaching me to grieve, lament, and endure suffering with reality and hope. I no longer dismiss or ignore sorrow. I lean into it, process it, talk about it, and release it to im. I see a therapist regularly. And I choose to recogni e God’s persistent presence throughout the shadowed valleys of my life. Grieving well requires sitting in a holy space and listening for God’s voice of comfort. As Psalm 8 says, “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.”

I sensed my Heavenly Father ’s presence. And I realized He had been with me in my grief all along.

SUE SCHLESMAN is discipleship director at West End Assembly of God in Richmond, Virginia.

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Assemblies of God

COLLEGE GUIDE 2O24

INSIDE

122 I Believe in AG

Higher Education

The benefits are worth the investment

126 Directory of AG Colleges and Universities

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I Believe in AG Higher Education The benefits are worth the investment B y R E N E A B RAT H WA I T E

igher education has fallen on hard times, with many Americans dismissing college as simply not worth the cost. In a 2022 survey of U.S. adults by the research group Public Agenda, 51% questioned the value of a college education. Among respondents aged 18–34 without a degree, the share was 70%. The cost of college education has indeed increased, but so have the advantages of a degree. The benefits are even greater with Christian education, especially in our Assemblies of God context. Learning has long been a priority in the Assemblies of God. Despite negative stereotypes to the

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contrary, most early Pentecostals did not reject education. What they rejected, and were rightly suspicious of, was teaching that treats God, faith, and morality as relics of a superstitious past. Seeking to offer Pentecostal Christian alternatives, the Assemblies of God quickly established postsecondary educational institutions. Through the years, these AG institutions have produced many graduates who rose to positions of national and global leadership, both within and outside the Church. Today, AG colleges and universities offer an array of accredited degree options.

An Assemblies of God education provides a number of benefits to students, society as a whole, and the Church.

B E N E F I T S TO S T U D E N T S To begin, there is a significant financial benefit for college graduates. Earning a college degree can be expensive, but it is worth the investment. Even after adjusting for the cost of education, the average lifetime earnings for a person with a bachelor’s degree is $400,000 greater than the expected average with only a high school diploma, according to College Board’s Education Pays 2023 report. Income levels grow even more as individuals acquire advanced degrees. Despite concerns over college debt, students enrolling at age 18 will earn enough by age 34 to offset the direct and opportunity costs of a four-year degree, the College Board report indicates. During times of high employment, some may wonder whether taking on college debt makes sense. However, economic change is inevitable. And data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows unemployment most affects those without college degrees. Even more important than the financial advantages of a college degree are the transformational benefits students experience through AG higher education. During the formative undergraduate years, young adults ask and often answer key questions that will shape their lives profoundly: • Who am I when my parents are not around? • What kind of person do I aspire to be? • What do I truly believe about God and the world? • Whom will I marry? • Where will I live? • What do I want to do with the rest of my life? Pentecostal Christian education is about guiding students toward transformation, not just information. AG colleges and universities seek to shape lives spiritually, intellectually, socially, morally, and vocationally.

Assemblies of God educators understand the interplay between the head, heart, and hands and take time to mentor students as well as teach them. There is incalculable value in having students wrestle with their deep, existential questions within an environment that both affirms and centers genuine, life-giving faith. Every AG college and university focuses on producing God-honoring, Christ-centered, Spiritempowered graduates. Built into the mission, vision, curriculum, and fabric of each institution is an intentional emphasis on these outcomes.

AG colleges and universities prepare young adults to serve and make a positive difference in their world, whether through ministry or marketplace occupations. For example, consider the mission statements from some of our AG schools. I serve as dean of the School of Theology and Ministry at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California. At the core of its mission, Vanguard strives to “pursue knowledge, cultivate character, deepen faith, and equip each student for a Spirit-empowered life of Christ-centered leadership and service.” The mission of Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri, is “educating and equipping students to

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become Spirit-empowered servants of God who impact the Church and society globally.” Similarly, North Central University in Minneapolis describes itself as “a dynamic Christian learning community educating students for lives of service throughout society, the marketplace, and the church.” North Central’s mission statement goes on to say, “In keeping with its Pentecostal heritage and beliefs, NCU models and expects excellence in both academic practice and Christian faith.” The results of such emphases are graduates who, instead of feeling confused about their faith and place in the world after four or more years of education, are prepared for their roles in society and the Church. Graduates of AG colleges and universities have had considerable mentorship and support during their educational journeys, which gives them greater opportunity for answering the above key questions in God-honoring, healthy, and holistic ways.

B E N E F I T S TO S O C I E T Y In terms of broader societal benefits, an AG higher education serves important Great Commission functions. Students who are nurtured in a discipling environment are better equipped to disciple others. Graduates with specialized training can become reliable witnesses of the gospel in areas where traditional churches might have limited access. AG colleges and universities prepare young adults to serve and make a positive difference in their world, whether through ministry or marketplace occupations. Faculty members often hear from public and private employers who say things like, “We cannot get enough of your graduates. There is something special about them. They show up, exceed expectations, and are mature beyond their years.”

B E N E F I T S TO T H E C H U R C H The benefits of an AG higher education extend naturally to the Church itself.

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Congregations benefit from the contributions of educated lay leaders who have been trained in our Fellowship’s history and theology by faculty members with a Pentecostal worldview. Such leaders are valuable assets to church and parachurch volunteer ministries across the country and around the world. Further, many graduates who did not begin in ministry eventually pursue credentials and advanced degrees in Bible and theology because of the foundation they received in our AG colleges. Moreover, graduates from our colleges and universities become representatives of the Church in their marketplace professions.

B E N E F I T S FO R A L I F E T I M E The benefits of an Assemblies of God higher education speak for themselves. Over the years, our AG schools have matured into regionally and nationally accredited institutions of quality and influence, providing a range of affordable program options. For generations, AG institutions of higher education have produced influential graduates. Our alumni include pastors, missionaries, district and national leaders, attorneys, business executives, military officers, teachers, physicians, nurses, engineers, musicians, scientists, and more. Students, parents, and pastors should seriously and prayerfully consider attending and supporting our AG colleges and universities. Having attended two Assemblies of God universities and taught at three, I am convinced of the benefits provided by our postsecondary educational institutions. I truly believe in AG higher education.

RENEA BRATHWAITE, Ph.D., is dean of the School of Theology and Ministry and chief diversity officer at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California.

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Assemblies of God Colleges and Universities

Choosing to attend an endorsed Assemblies of God college or university gives you the confidence of knowing your college experience will be marked by both a quality education and a vibrant spiritual environment.

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1. Ascent College

PO Box 690, Gainesville, VA 20156-0690 https://ascent.edu (703) 753-2791

11. North Central University

910 Elliot Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55404 https://www.northcentral.edu

1-800 -289-6222

2. Assemblies of God Theological Seminary

12. Northpoint Bible College

3. Bridges Christian College

13. Northwest University

4. Caribbean School of Theology

14. Southeastern University

5. Christ Mission College

15. Southwestern Assemblies of God University

6. Evangel University

16. Southwestern Assemblies of God University (American Indian College)

1111 N. Glenstone Ave. Springfield, MO 65802-2131 https://www.agts.edu (417) 268 -1000 PO Box 15138, New Orleans, LA 70175 https://bcc.edu (855) 702-7434 1211 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, MO 65804 https://cstonline.org (417) 829 -1837 10822 FM 1560 N., San Antonio, TX 78254 http://www.cmctx.edu (210) 688-3101 1111 N. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, MO 65802 http://www.evangel.edu (417) 865-2815

7. Global University

1211 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, MO 65804 http://www.globaluniversity.edu 1-800-443-1083

8. Korean Assemblies of God Theological School of New York 13030 31st Ave., Flushing, NY 11354-2818 (718) 461-9700

9. LABI College

14209 E. Lomitas Ave., La Puente, CA 91746 http://www.labi.edu (626) 968-1328

10. Lumbee River Christian College

320 S. Main St, Haverhill, MA 01835 htstp://northpoint.edu (978) 478 -3400 5520 108th Ave. N.E., Kirkland, WA 98033 https://www.northwestu.edu (425) 822-8266 1000 Longfellow Blvd., Lakeland, FL 33801 http://www.seu.edu 1- 800 -500 -8760 1200 Sycamore St., Waxahachie, TX 75165 http://www.sagu.edu 1-888-YES-SAGU

10020 N. 15th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85021 https://www.aicag.edu (602) 944-3335

17. Trinity Bible College

50 Sixth Ave. S, Ellendale, ND 58436 https://www.trinitybiblecollege.edu 1-800-523-1603

18. University of Valley Forge

1401 Charlestown Rd., Phoenixville, PA 19460 https://www.valleyforge.edu 1-800-432-8322

19. Vanguard University

55 Fair Dr., Costa Mesa, CA 92626-9601 http://www.vanguard.edu (714) 556-3610

355 Albert Currie Rd., Shannon, NC 28386 https://www.lumbeeriver.edu (910) 843-5304

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