https://influencemagazine.com/rssInfluence Magazine RSS Feeden{EEE13DB3-13B7-4EE2-9217-3A02683EAE0E}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Keep-New-Families-Coming-Back<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Keep-New-Families_1400.jpg" alt="" />When it comes to children’s ministry, there are three basic assurances that help move guests toward regular attendance.Fri, 21 Aug 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>Summer activities like camps and outreach events are great ways for churches to attract new families. But as kids head back to school and parents settle into fall routines, how can we keep those families connected?<span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">The answer might be simpler than you think. When it comes to children’s ministry, there are three basic assurances that help move guests toward regular attendance.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"> </span></p> <h4><span class="normaltextrun"><strong><span>My Child Is Safe</span></strong> </span></h4> <p><span class="normaltextrun">The first thing families are looking for in a children’s ministry is safety. It doesn’t matter how amazing everything else is if parents don’t believe their kids are safe at church.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Every family walking through the door should see, hear, and feel that leaders care about this issue. There are several ways churches can communicate that safety is a priority.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">It begins with <em>thoughtful spaces and signage.</em> Take time to walk through the entire process from the perspective of a new family dropping off and picking up children. Consider where extra signs and additional safety features are needed.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Completely redesigning ministry spaces isn’t always possible, but you can assess weak spots and put systems in place to protect kids.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">At my church, the elementary space is a multipurpose room with exterior doors near the bathrooms. To improve security, we installed alarms that sound if the exterior doors open. Retractable barriers give kids a clear boundary to stay behind. We also have a volunteer monitoring that area.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Every church also needs a <em>secure check-in process</em> for children. The check-in area is the first place many families encounter children’s ministry. Whatever the size of your church, an effective system is vital.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Keep track of the children and teachers in each room during every service, and ensure the guardians who brought them are the ones checking them out.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Every child in your care should be checked into the system, even if the parent is a volunteer or pastor. In case of an emergency or evacuation, you’ll need an accurate record of children present.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">A clear process indicates transfer of care. This includes a boundary only checked-in children and approved volunteers cross. Kids leave that boundary only when their guardians pick them up through a check-out procedure.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Finally,<em> ensure all workers are approved and identifiable.</em> Access to children’s areas should be limited to approved staff members and volunteers. Establish a formal background process for approving volunteers. Lanyards, name tags, or t-shirts make these workers easily recognizable to new parents.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">If someone is visiting the children’s area who is not an approved volunteer, provide a sticker or lanyard designating guest status. Escort guests, and don’t allow them to interact with children as volunteers.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">There will be times when adults have to sacrifice convenience, but children’s safety is paramount.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">When making adjustments, keep in mind that most parents prefer safety over convenience. Our church recently changed the flow of preschool hallways so there is only one entrance and exit. Despite initial concerns about parents having to walk farther, we received only positive feedback.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Include pastors in safety policy decisions, and seek their help in communicating the importance of these issues. Parents are looking for churches where leaders will prioritize their children’s safety.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"> </span></p> <h4><span class="normaltextrun"><strong><span>My Family Is Seen</span></strong> </span></h4> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Parents want to know their children are more than just numbers on an attendance roster. Our job is communicating to kids and families that we see and care about them — and so does God.</span></p> <h6 class="paragraph" style="margin: 0in;"><span class="normaltextrun">The most successful children’s ministries blend fun with spiritual truths, connecting kids to friends and to God.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></h6> <p><span class="normaltextrun">This requires intentionality. Create a greeter team of children to welcome new kids.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Acknowledge and introduce new children at the beginning of each service. Ask a couple of questions, like, “How old are you? What’s your favorite dessert?”</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">This isn’t about putting anyone on the spot, but helping children connect with newcomers. Ask the group, “Who else is 8 years old? Do any of you like chocolate ice cream, too?”</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">To ensure kids feel seen by one another as well as the leaders, choose activities that build connections. Instead of playing games where only a few children compete while others watch, find ways for everyone to participate.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">I sometimes divide children into groups to discuss a question or play a round of charades. I prefer simple activities that involve everyone over flashy games that might leave some feeling sidelined. Inclusion is worth the effort.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">At pick-up time, be sure visiting parents hear their children’s names and something positive about them.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">For example, you might say, “We loved having Grace with us today. She led her group in charades and did such a good job.”</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Post a calendar of upcoming events so volunteers can invite new families to attend.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Learn the names of parents, and introduce them to others as they pick up their children. If you notice children playing with new friends, tell the families so they can get acquainted.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"> </span></p> <h4><span class="normaltextrun"><strong><span>It’s Worth Our Time</span></strong> </span></h4> <p><span class="normaltextrun">When new families are deciding whether to attend, it’s not the church down the street we’re competing with. The real competition is favorite brunch places, children’s sports schedules, and weekends at the lake.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Families need to know church is worth their time. If they feel there’s something they will miss out on if they don’t attend, they are more likely to make the effort.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">The most successful children’s ministries blend fun with spiritual truths, connecting kids to friends and to God.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">During our pre- and post-service times, kids engage in free play together. There are indoor balls, giant games, a craft table, a Lego building area, car tracks, a white board, and other activity centers.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Once the service starts, we shift our focus to Bible learning. If a game or visual doesn’t drive home the biblical truth or verse, we skip it.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">We want the service and small group time to be about kids coming together in community and learning God’s Word. We also want children to learn to pray and respond to the Holy Spirit. Allowing time and space for such response is an important part of each service.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">This combination of fun and discipleship helps assure families that being part of a faith community is indeed worth their time. Parents are more likely to prioritize consistent attendance when they see their kids enjoying church, making friends, and learning biblical truths.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Of course, God is the One who ultimately changes hearts and draws people to himself. Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the <span style="background: white; color: black;">Lord</span><span style="background: white; color: black;"> builds the house,</span><span style="background: white; color: black;"> the builders labor in vain.”</span></span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">The summer season and back-to-school transition are busy times for children’s ministry, but our labor does not have to be in vain. As we continue caring for people, welcoming newcomers, and making the most of every discipleship opportunity, we can trust God to build the house — and fill it with families.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"> </span></p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Summer 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{6D650CC8-BBA1-4894-B168-43C608F717E4}https://influencemagazine.com/Podcast/The-Pastoral-Art-of-Listening<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/1400x490/InfluencePodcast_1400.jpg" alt="" />In Episode 432, George P. Wood talks to Dr. Don Lichi about best practices for listening well as ministers.Thu, 20 Aug 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>Deuteronomy 6:4 is one of the Bible’s foundational texts. “Hear, O Israel: The <span>Lord</span> our God, the <span>Lord</span> is one.” Theologically, this verse is foundational because it teaches monotheism — the existence of only one true God.</p> <p>Spiritually, however, the verse is foundational because it identifies a necessary practice of faith — listening. The Hebrew verb for “listen” is “shema”, and it appears 1,165 times in the Old Testament. “Shema” connotes not only the passive action of hearing, but also the active response of heeding or listening with obedience.</p> <p>Listening is also important in the New Testament. There, a foundational text is James 1:19. “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”</p> <p>In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Dr. Don Lichi about best practices pastors can employ to actively listen to other people … and to God. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of <em>Influence</em> magazine and your host.</p> <p>Dr. Don Lichi is a licensed psychologist with over four decades and 53,000 clinical hours of experience. He is vice president emeritus of Emerge Counseling Ministries and clinical director of Safety Forces Support Center, which provides mental health services to area first responders.  </p> <p> </p> <iframe title="Embed Player" src="https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/42492080/height/192/theme/modern/size/large/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/87A93A/time-start/00:00:00/playlist-height/200/direction/backward/download/yes/font-color/FFFFFF" height="192" width="100%" scrolling="no" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" oallowfullscreen="true" msallowfullscreen="true" style="border: medium;"></iframe> <p> </p> <h4>Sponsor Ad</h4> <p>This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, distributors of <em>Autism in the Church</em>.</p> <p>Make your church a place where everyone belongs. Many congregations feel unprepared to walk beside individuals with autism and their loved ones. <em>Autism in the Church </em>equips churches to create an environment where individuals with autism are not just present, but known, discipled, and celebrated as vital parts of the body of Christ.</p> <p> <span>For more information about <em>Autism in the Church</em> visit GospelPublishingHouse.com.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <style> @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Aptos; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Aptos; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:8.0pt; line-height:115%;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} </style> <h4>Show Notes</h4> <ul> <li>00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad</li> <li>02:24 — <span></span>Why does Christian ministry require pastors to listen, not just speak?</li> <li>09:06 — <span></span>How can listening help Christians foster better interpersonal relationships?</li> <li>10:54 — Is there a difference between “hearing” and “listening”? And if there is, how do we pay attention so that our hearing becomes listening?</li> <li>15:26 — What are some ways that our posture can signal, “I am listening”?</li> <li>20:42 — What are some ways that our follow-up questions can signal we are listening?</li> <li>33:52 — How do we listen reflectively, or mirror back what we are hearing?</li> <li>38:29 — How does what we’ve talked about so far help us to develop the habit of listening to God speak to us in day-to-day life?</li> <li>46:14 — What are you reading right now that’s interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?</li> <li>49:01 — Conclusion</li> </ul>{22F7A1FD-1B6E-4677-802E-82FBE06EF50D}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Fan-Into-Flame<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Fan-Into-Flame_1400.jpg" alt="" />The future of worship music depends on preparing the next generation.Wed, 19 Aug 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>When I reflect on my Pentecostal heritage, one strand runs throughout: music. In every powerful ministry moment I remember — from weekly services to camps — worship music was part of it.<span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Growing up in church, I encountered ample opportunities to hone my musical skills. There were children’s choirs, orchestras, youth bands, and openings for volunteer solos. Outside of church, children commonly took piano lessons or learned to play another instrument.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Many church leaders today have noticed a significant decline in the number of students pursuing these interests. In conversations with pastors, many express concern about where the next generation of worship leaders and instrumentalists will come from.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">The apostle Paul encouraged his young protégé Timothy by saying, “Fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1:6).</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">When we look at the future of worship music in our churches, we must find ways to fan it into a roaring fire once again.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"> </span></p> <h4><span class="normaltextrun"><strong><span>Start Early</span></strong> </span></h4> <p><span class="normaltextrun">After years of observing youth sports, I’ve realized participation starts early. Even toddlers can take classes and learn basic skills. Before they enter school, many children are already attending soccer or T-ball practices and competing. By fourth grade, they might join a travel team.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Musical training should ideally begin at a young age as well. If we wait until they are teens, students will likely be too entrenched in other activities to start learning an instrument.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">To effectively light the fire, we need to involve children in music early. As preschoolers, they can use percussion instruments while singing in kids’ church. Children can start group training during early elementary school and individual lessons by age 8.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Music is tactile. Children need to experience and interact with it physically. The younger we can introduce them to instruments and singing, the better. The first step is helping children develop a love for music.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"> </span></p> <h4><span class="normaltextrun"><strong><span>Partner With Parents</span></strong> </span></h4> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Parenting looks different than it did when I was growing up. Children are more involved in sports clubs and other formal activities, and so are their parents.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">I often hear church leaders lament this trend, but perhaps we should lean into it. Today’s parents are gatekeepers. If they don’t support an activity, their children are unlikely to participate.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Many activities demand parental involvement as children progress. Parents often find great fulfillment in watching their child engage in an activity they once loved. They also discover community, which may explain why some families prioritize other weekend activities over church involvement.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Recognizing the needs and motivations of families changes the way we minister to them. We can involve parents in children’s ministry activities, partnering with them at every stage.</span></p> <h6 class="paragraph" style="margin: 0in;">Music is tactile. Children need to experience and interact with it physically. The younger we can introduce them to instruments and singing, the better. </h6> <p><span class="normaltextrun">At the church my husband and I planted in the New Orleans area, we treat youth ministry like youth sports. Our expectation is that parents <em>will</em> be involved, especially in events like Assemblies of God District Fine Arts Festivals. We interact with families through seasonal parent nights and frequent communication.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">We also survey parents to discover their interests and skills, matching vetted volunteers to areas they find personally fulfilling. Sometimes it’s surprising what talents parents have to offer. We won’t know until we ask.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Fine Arts provides opportunities for parental involvement. We intentionally utilize parents as youth volunteers and coaches. We invite parents to join us during Fine Arts trips to assist their students or just cheer them on.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">If parents can make time to coach sports, they can participate in their children’s spiritual development. Reminding parents of their spiritual formation and helping them pass that on to their children can be deeply satisfying.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Parents who participated in Junior Bible Quiz growing up are often eager to coach their children in this ministry. Similarly, many parents enjoy sharing their love of worship music — whether playing alongside their children on a Wednesday night or helping them prepare for a Fine Arts event.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Involving parents can greatly enrich discipleship across the congregation and broaden opportunities for shaping the next generation of worshippers.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"> </span></p> <h4><span class="normaltextrun"><strong><span>Utilize Resources</span></strong> </span></h4> <p><span class="normaltextrun">People learn music in formal and organic ways. Formal methods include instrument lessons, vocal training, and choir rehearsals. Organic learning happens through activities like listening to music together, passing down family knowledge, and providing informal coaching. Both types of learning are important.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Every congregation has formal or organic resources it can utilize in preparing young people for music ministry.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Large churches with full-time worship staff can offer formal schools of music, with lessons and ensemble opportunities.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Medium-size churches can provide coaching through staff members or volunteers. (This might be as simple as sending a student who plays guitar a recording to use during home practice sessions.)</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Smaller churches sometimes have an advantage. They can informally bring along young musicians, allowing them to play or sing with mentors on the platform. In my experience, those who harmonize best typically grew up singing in a smaller congregation.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Churches of all sizes can guide students to free or inexpensive technology that helps them develop as musicians.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Rather than formal lessons, our church offers organic guidance through Fine Arts. We offer a coach for each area of participation, including short sermon, vocals, instrument, and art. These volunteers provide a supportive environment for students to learn, grow, and sharpen their talents.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">This is how sports leagues function in communities large and small. How much more important is the work of training future worship leaders?</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"> </span></p> <h4><span class="normaltextrun"><strong><span>Cultivate Worship</span></strong> </span></h4> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Last year, I attended the performance of a local women’s choir. During the event, one of the choir directors said something that has challenged me ever since.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">The director, who is also an instructor at a local university, remarked that music programs on many campuses are dying. She pointed to a lack of music exposure in faith communities as the reason.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">“We’re no longer raising them up in church,” the director said. “If we don’t teach them, it will die with us.”</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">This resonated deeply with me because I’ve seen it. Her insight inspired me to prioritize developing young people over my own opportunity to lead.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">I have led worship in thousands of services, and there is no place I’d rather be. I am grateful that I continue to have the opportunity to lead on a weekly basis.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Over the years, however, I’ve awakened to a new understanding of worship ministry. My role as worship pastor is about more than choosing songs, planning programming, and leading the musical portion of services. I am also called to cultivate worship by preparing the next generation.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">There’s nothing I want more than to fan into flame the gift of God in every child and teen who is part of our local church. And nothing is more rewarding than watching these young people grow and thrive in the gifts God has given them as they begin stepping up to lead the body of Christ in worship.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"> </span></p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Summer 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{96B2A6EE-14CB-4168-A213-86FF01EC766C}https://influencemagazine.com/Reviews/Follow-My-Example<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Lead-Like-Paul-cover_1400.jpg" alt="" />Author J. Lee Grady draws leadership lessons from the apostle Paul.Tue, 18 Aug 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>A pastor I know was a failure by church growth standards. <span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"></span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Physically unimpressive, chronically ill, a mediocre speaker, he led small churches his entire career, though his tenure at each was short. He did have a talent for friendship, however.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">I’m talking about the apostle Paul, of course. He shaped the direction of Christianity more than anyone except Jesus Christ, and he did it as a bivocational small-church planter.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">As pastors, we want to lead large churches — larger than the ones we currently lead, at least. So we turn to church growth resources for advice. In my experience, that advice only occasionally produces the desired growth.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Our intent is pure. With Paul, we can say, “I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved” (1 Corinthians 10:33). As pastors, we want a revival more than a paycheck.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">How do we pursue what’s good? Paul offered a solution in the next verse: “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (11:1). J. Lee Grady’s <em>Lead Like Paul</em> outlines 21 ways the apostle mentors Christian leaders for truly effective ministry.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">I would group these 21 ways into several categories. The first is character qualities, such as humility, courage, perseverance, and love.</span></p> <h6 style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;"><em>Lead Like Paul</em> <br /> outlines 21 ways <br /> the apostle <br /> mentors Christian <br /> leaders for truly <br /> effective ministry.</h6> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Specific leadership practices — presence, mentorship, empowerment (of women, especially) and racial bridge-building — are important.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Sexual purity and financial integrity are crucial. And when church hurts, we must know how to forgive.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Spiritual practices are the most common ways Paul mentors effective ministry. Grady encourages pastors to cultivate spiritual power, not just head knowledge. We need to maintain spiritual fervor (Romans 12:11) and seek the Spirit’s guidance. Prayer (including in tongues), Scripture reading, and joyful worship are necessities, especially as we engage in spiritual warfare.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">As we do all these things, we must remain missional. Grady encourages pastors to develop an “apostolic spirit” to plant the gospel where it has not been heard, as well as a focus on the “one” rather than the “crowds.” The best ministry usually takes place person-to-person.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Finally, Grady reminds pastors to keep an eternal perspective. In the words of the C.T. Studd poem my grandmother often recited:</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><span class="normaltextrun">Only one life, ’twill soon be past,<br /> Only what’s done for Christ will last.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">What’s done for Christ isn’t buildings, programs, systems, or leadership strategies. As Grady writes, “For Paul, people were not the means to accomplish his goals. The people <em>were</em> the goal” (emphasis added).</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">It takes a certain kind of person to reach others with the gospel. Paul was that person <em>par excellence</em>. We would do well to follow his example.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"> </span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <h4><span class="normaltextrun"><strong><span>Book Reviewed</span></strong></span></h4> <p><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">J. Lee Grady, <em>Lead Like Paul: 21 Ways to Reignite Your Spiritual Fire and Expand Your Spirit-Led Influence</em> (Minneapolis, MN: Chosen, 2026).</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Summer 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{9C00B450-F489-4BD2-8790-AE558AFB2502}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/A-Childs-Prayer<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/A-Childs-Prayer_1400.jpg" alt="" />God powerfully answered a hurting child’s prayer.Mon, 17 Aug 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>I was born in the Bronx, New York, to drug-addicted parents. Violence, instability, and fear fill my early memories.<span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">As a young child, I witnessed my father stabbing my mother with a fork and hitting her with a baseball bat.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">When I asked why she stayed, Mom said she loved my father. I remember thinking, <em>If this is what love looks like, I want no part of it.</em></span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">My older sister and younger brother were born with developmental disabilities because of drug exposure. My mother was incarcerated during her pregnancy with me, so I entered the world in a prison system.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Eventually, my parents abandoned my siblings and me at our grandmother’s house and disappeared. My grandmother tried to care for us, but the burden was overwhelming.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">When I was 8 years old, my grandmother decided she could no longer manage and made plans to send us to foster care. I was terrified of losing what family I had left, especially my siblings.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Amid this looming crisis, we attended a midweek prayer service at church. The pastor asked if anyone had a prayer request. I stood up and poured out my heart about my family’s struggles.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">I prayed, “God, if you are real and you heal my mom and dad, I promise to tell the world about you.”</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Later that night, I noticed my grandmother’s eyes were red and swollen.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">When I asked why she had been crying, Grandma said, “I’ve decided to cancel the foster care services.”</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">In that moment, I knew God was real, that He was listening, and He cared about the cries of a little boy with a broken family.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">The following year, at Christmastime, there was an unexpected knock at the door. It was my father. Upon seeing him, my grandmother angrily closed the door in his face. But I reopened the door and clung to my father’s legs.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Dad told my grandmother, “I just want you to know I found faith and accepted the Lord in prison, and I am going to fight for custody of my children.”</span></p> <h6 class="paragraph" style="margin: 0in;">When I asked why she stayed, Mom said she loved my father. I remember thinking, <em>If this is what love looks like, I want no part of it.</em> </h6> <p><span class="normaltextrun">My father did regain custody and regularly attended church with us. For me, this was another answered prayer. Although our lives were far from perfect, it was obvious God had transformed my father. Dad did his best to raise us as a single parent until his sudden death from a heart attack when I was 16.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">While still a teenager, I accepted an invitation to share my story at a prison. As I spoke to approximately 300 women, there was a sudden commotion in the audience.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">A woman was wailing loudly as guards rushed in, trying to calm her. To my utter shock, I realized it was my mother. That day, she accepted Christ as Savior.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Years of silence followed that encounter. Upon my mother’s release from prison, she reached out and asked to stay with me.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Initially, I resisted the idea. I still carried deep wounds and unanswered questions. But my wife reminded me of my childhood prayer. I had prayed for redemption, and now it was standing at my doorstep. So, I gave my mother a chance.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">The first week Mom came to live with us, we fought. I became angry over her refusal to attend church. Years of pain came rushing to the surface, and I confronted my mother with the hurt I had carried for so long. I demanded to know why she wasn’t there when I needed her.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Tearfully, my mother said, “Do you want to know why I’m this way? If you only knew!”</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Mom then shared her story, explaining that her father had repeatedly molested her, beginning when she was 8 years old. My mother spent her teen years in foster care, where she was groomed and coerced into a brief marriage with an adult.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Eventually, Mom met my father, a professional boxer, who at first seemed kind, but later became abusive.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">As I listened to my mother’s story, everything changed for me. I sensed God speaking to my heart: <em>Every man has failed her. Don’t be the next one.</em></span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Suddenly, I saw my mother not as the woman who had betrayed me, but as a wounded girl. I knew she needed compassion, not judgment.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">One day, without prompting, Mom decided to attend church with us. During the service, she fully surrendered her life to the Lord and experienced delivery from addiction.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">It has been 28 years since that turnaround. To this day, my mother is sober and serving God.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">The Lord powerfully answered the prayers of an 8-year-old boy. He saved my father and mother, reunited me with my family, and healed our hearts.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">As a pastor and chaplain, I now have the privilege of fulfilling the childhood promise I made by telling others about Him. My life is a testimony that no story is beyond the reach of God’s redemptive power.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"> </span></p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Summer 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{45C00928-574C-43C7-B61A-5E2069843D67}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Moving-to-Two-Services<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Moving-to-Two-Services_1400.jpg" alt="" />There are some issues congregations need to work through before adding a second service.Fri, 14 Aug 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>I had just accepted a position as full-time children’s pastor at a church of 400. Before I even arrived that October, the lead pastor announced a second service would launch in February.<span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Suddenly, along with starting a new job and becoming acquainted with the congregation and volunteer team, I would be experiencing another paradigm shift within a matter of months.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Since that time, I’ve served in churches with as many as four weekend services. In my experience, adding a service when your church is already managing multiple services is relatively simple.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Going from one service to two is a major leap, however. It adds complexity, splits up the community, and requires more volunteers. For many congregations, it’s still the best move to reach more people for Jesus.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">There are a few issues congregations typically need to work through before adding a second service.</span></p> <p> </p> <h4><span class="normaltextrun"><strong><span>Social Circles</span></strong></span></h4> <p><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">One of the biggest objections I hear when it comes to adding a second service is that the church will lose its family feel. People won’t be able to know everyone.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">This is true to an extent, but there are also limits to how many people congregants can really expect to know.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Unless the sanctuary seats no more than 50 people, the likelihood of everyone knowing one another is slim. As the church grows, the ability of the entire congregation to interact naturally diminishes.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Regular churchgoers typically create a social circle of five to 20 people they look for each week. When a church moves to two services, that social circle usually attends the same service anyway.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">The family feel remains because congregants continue interacting with those they know. As a bonus, they might meet some new people as well.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"> </span></p> <h4><span class="normaltextrun"><strong><span>Serve Teams</span></strong></span></h4> <p><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">If you’re already struggling to fill volunteer positions, the idea of doubling the need seems daunting. But there are strategies that can help.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">First, you may not require the same number of volunteers in each service. When I led four weekly children’s services, each one had a different average attendance. The number of volunteers needed varied accordingly.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">In most churches with two services, the later option attracts more people. That’s a dynamic to keep in mind when scheduling volunteers.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Second, volunteers might be willing to fill in more often, especially since serving no longer means missing out on worship.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Challenge volunteers to work one service and worship during the other. Many of my children’s ministry volunteers agreed to this arrangement, which alleviated some of the pressure early on.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">You may not know how many volunteers are needed until the new service begins. Recruit for the minimum structure first. You still need the same number of greeters, ushers, and worship team members in each service regardless of size.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Children’s ministry will need to stretch as well. Be sure check-in locations, classrooms, nurseries, and other areas are covered for both services.</span></p> <p> </p> <h4><span class="normaltextrun"><strong><span>Service Structure</span></strong></span></h4> <p><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">The most successful two-service model provides identical programming. Participants experience the same music, preaching, time duration, and ministries regardless of which service they attend.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">This should extend to children’s areas, too. Offering children’s ministry during only one service eliminates options for families. It can also make the two services extremely unbalanced in attendance.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Attracting people to an early service is difficult enough. Failing to provide childcare sabotages the effort. Make everyone’s lives easier by offering identical services for all.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"> </span></p> <h4><span class="normaltextrun"><strong><span>Start Times</span></strong></span></h4> <p><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">When adding a service, it often works best to create two new start times. If your current service starts at 10:45, for example, don’t just tack on a service before that. Change the 10:45 service to 10:30 or 11.</span></p> <h6 class="paragraph" style="margin: 0in;"><span class="normaltextrun">If your church is experiencing rapid growth and the sanctuary, children’s ministry, or parking lot is 80% full, it’s time to restructure.</span></h6> <p><span class="normaltextrun">People are in a rhythm. If one start time remains the same, most congregants will keep doing what they’ve always done. Changing both times requires everyone to make a decision and start a new habit.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">When determining start times, consider two factors. The first is how long services will last.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Churches with one service sometimes run late because they can. Offering two services requires more disciplined time management. The first service must end on time.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">The second consideration is how long it will take to transition from one service to the next.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">If the parking lot is already packed, it won’t be able to accommodate overlapping crowds. You’ll need to allow time for parking spaces to open up before the next group arrives.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Of course, just because the first service ends at 10:15 doesn’t mean everyone will leave by 10:20. You want people to stay to serve and experience community. Allowing 20 to 40 minutes between services is best.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">This is why many churches offer services at 9 and 11. That generally allows sufficient space for a reset before the next service begins.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"> </span></p> <h4><span class="normaltextrun"><strong><span>Sunday School</span></strong></span></h4> <p><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">For many churches, one of the trickiest parts of transitioning to two service times is deciding what to do with Sunday School.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">If you currently meet for classes the hour before service, does the first service replace Sunday School? Do you offer Sunday School two hours before the first worship service? Do you have classes in between?</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">This can be a tough call, but it’s one you and your leadership team will have to make.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">The church I grew up in switched to two services during the 1990s. Sunday School attendance was strong and still is today. The church’s leaders decided to set the first worship service start time at 8:30, with Sunday School at 10 and the second service beginning at 11. This arrangement has worked well.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Some churches offer Sunday School at the same times as worship services. Others have moved away from Sunday School in favor of small group gatherings throughout the week.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">The 400-person church where I served as children’s pastor opted for the latter approach. It wasn’t easy, but the move to small groups ultimately helped us grow closer together even as we multiplied in number.</span><span class="eop"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Since we were no longer confined to traditional times and places, the congregation was able to form more groups and see more people connecting than ever before.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">——</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Moving from one service to two is a big step that requires careful planning. There are other factors to consider, but the issues above are among the biggest challenges.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">The first step is determining whether your church actually needs two services. I’ve seen congregations add a service, only to revert back later when attendance plateaued or shrank.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">If your church is experiencing rapid growth and the sanctuary, children’s ministry, or parking lot is 80% full, it’s time to restructure. If not, the best course might be simply to wait, pray, and continue reaching your community.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Jesus said those who are faithful with little can be trusted with much (Luke 16:10).</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Summer 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{29B011A5-C45C-4836-8E8E-4E97BB54DA9A}https://influencemagazine.com/Podcast/Why-You-Should-Take-a-Nap<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/1400x490/InfluencePodcast_1400.jpg" alt="" />In Episode 431, George P. Wood talks to Brett McCracken about his new book, ‘The Wisdom of Sleep’.Thu, 13 Aug 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>Sometimes I wonder if heaven will feel a bit like an afternoon nap,” writes Brett McCracken in <em>The Wisdom of Sleep</em>.</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Maybe it’s because naps are signpost of something far greater that we’ve not yet fully experienced. Maybe it’s because even the most relaxing vacation, replenishing Sabbath, and restorative night’s sleep are only teasers for the perfect rest we’re wired to desire. Maybe there’s more to sleep and rest than we think. Maybe in his mysterious sovereignty, God designed these things to be a sacred portal of sorts, a connective tissue between heaven and earth, between death and resurrection, between the God of rest and the restless souls who can’t help but be magnetically tugged toward him.</p> <p>In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to McCracken about these “maybes,” what sleep reveals about God and us. I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of <em>Influence</em> magazine and your host.</p> <p>Brett McCracken is a senior editor at The Gospel Coalition, where he writes on the intersection of faith and culture. He is also author of <em>The Wisdom of Sleep: How Rest Reveals God’s Truth and Revives Weary Souls</em>, published by Zondervan Reflective.</p> <p> </p> <p><iframe title="Embed Player" src="https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/42344230/height/192/theme/modern/size/large/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/87A93A/time-start/00:00:00/playlist-height/200/direction/backward/download/yes/font-color/FFFFFF" height="192" width="100%" scrolling="no" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" oallowfullscreen="true" msallowfullscreen="true" style="border: medium;"></iframe></p> <p> </p> <h4>Sponsor Ad</h4> <p>This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, distributors of <em>Trusted with Treasure</em> by Assemblies of God General Secretary Brad Kesler.</p> <p>Just as nautical charts and lighthouses guide captains safely past hazards, this handbook on ministerial ethics will help equip you to build healthy relationships, avoid unwise behaviors, and serve with integrity and the highest ethical standards.</p> <p>For more information about <em>Trusted with Treasure </em>visit <a href="https://myhealthychurch.com/store/startitem.cfm?item=027077">GospelPublishingHouse.com</a>. </p> <p> </p> <h4>Show Notes</h4> <ul> <li>00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad</li> <li>02:08 — How does sleep speak gospel truth?</li> <li>04:01 — What does sleep reveal about our limitations?</li> <li>06:01 — What do you think of secular and religious attempts to transcend our limitations?</li> <li>09:05 — What do science and the Bible say about the generative powers of sleep?</li> <li>12:26 — What does the Bible say about supernatural dreams?</li> <li>15:15 — The need for discernment in interpreting dreams</li> <li>16:16 — How do we become a restful presence for others?</li> <li>19:02 — What does rest reveal about God as an “intentional designer”?</li> <li>21:54 — What do you mean when you write, “God creates a distinct people through rest”?</li> <li>26:56 — How does sleep reveal God as “gracious and loving,” and also as “sovereign and merciful”?</li> <li>31:59 — What are you reading right now that is interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?</li> <li>33:55 — Conclusion </li> </ul>{CBEB532D-1FB8-41AD-AF53-58FD76AC5303}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/On-Earth-as-in-Heaven<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/On-Earth-as-in-Heaven_1400.jpg" alt="" />From beginning to end, the Bible reveals God is at work in our world even now.Wed, 12 Aug 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>As a teenager in my youth group, I learned a catchy acronym for “Bible”: Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>This saying was supposed to remind us that Scripture is the best resource for life. However, it also suggested leaving earth is the main point.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>Too many sermons, devotionals, and worship songs likewise imply we were made for heaven, but remain stuck on earth.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>During high school, my youth group knocked on doors sharing Jesus with our neighbors. Leaders trained us to ask, “If you died today, how certain are you that you would go to heaven?”</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>We were essentially peddling heaven insurance. This approach undersells the gospel, however. Jesus offers not only a future hope, but also a life of meaning, peace, and joy here and now.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>God’s ultimate plan is a new heavens and new earth, where His dwelling and ours come together in harmony.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>From beginning to end, the Bible reveals God is at work in our world even now. We are not just sitting around in a terrestrial waiting room wondering when life in heaven will finally begin. We are part of God’s plan on earth.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>As N.T. Wright put it, “Heaven is important, but it’s not the end of the world!”</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>If I engaged in door-to-door evangelism now, I might start with a couple of different questions: “What do you think is the meaning of life? Do you want to know what the Bible teaches?”<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>That conversation is biblically grounded and would resonate with many who are struggling to find meaning amid life’s present difficulties.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <h4><span><strong>Day of Salvation</strong></span></h4> <p><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>I have spent years studying the letters of the apostle Paul. In seminary, I learned Paul was the Church’s first and greatest theologian.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>Paul expounds on justification by faith, the ministry of reconciliation, the believer’s life in Christ, and the hope of glory. Yet he offers few details about heaven.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>Even as Paul addresses salvation, destruction, judgment, and renewal, his hope doesn’t hinge on leaving earth behind. For Paul, Christ’s work is <em>redemption</em> — making right what has become wrong, restoring what is broken, and healing what is hurt.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>Paul masterfully points to Christ’s redemptive plan in Romans 8:18–21:</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><span><em>I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.</em></span><em><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></em></p> <p><span>Throughout Romans 5–8, Paul addresses God’s often mysterious and hidden work in an imperfect and broken world. Paul has much to say about hardship, explaining that present suffering does not reflect the future glory in store for believers.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>Humans aren’t the only ones who are struggling in this life. With clear allusions to Genesis 1–3, Paul depicts the created order as a prisoner in distress, longing desperately for liberation.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>While God is the ultimate Liberator, His children are agents of freedom for all of creation. We are still on a journey of breaking from Adam’s sinful image and being remade into Christ’s image. Creation’s anguish and travail will end when Christ’s people fully take up their original commission of bringing order, harmony, and flourishing to the world.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>Paul makes clear his hope is in the resurrection. Humans are not doomed to lose again and again in their battle against sin and death. By His grace, God offers resurrection life to His image bearers. Those who have been buried with Christ will rise in Christ and reign with Christ.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>Some might have imagined this resurrection power as a one-time promise meant for the far-off eschaton, but Paul insists those who die to sin and self can experience a Spirit-filled, resurrection-empowered life here and now. We can experience a “new life” (Romans 6:4), fueled by the power of Christ’s resurrection.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>The upshot is that life has deep meaning right here, right now. We are not just biding our time until we get upgraded to heaven — a common and unfortunate misunderstanding of Paul’s theology of salvation.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>Salvation is not merely a past or future event. Paul sees it as an ongoing, daily reality for believers, who are “being saved” (1 Corinthians 1:18).</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>Paul warns against underestimating the transformative work of God’s grace in the present time: “<em>Now</em> is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2, emphasis added). Salvation starts today.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <h4><strong><span>Misreading Paul</span></strong><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></h4> <p><span>During much of my Christian life, I misread Paul.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>For years, I thought of Paul’s epistles as sophisticated essays containing theology (the important stuff) and mundane sections (the stuff I could skip or ignore).<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <h6 style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span>For Paul, Christ’s work is <em>redemption</em> — making right what has become wrong, restoring what is broken, and healing what is hurt.</span></h6> <p><span>I scanned the text for weighty theological truths, while skimming past seemingly trivial information about money issues, work matters, travel details, relationship problems, and everyday hardships.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>In seminary, conversations tended to focus on Paul’s final judgment teaching in 1 Corinthians 3; the nature of the resurrection body in 1 Corinthians 15; the divinity of Christ in Philippians 2; and the meaning of justification in Romans 3–4.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>Certainly, these themes are worth careful study. But what of Paul’s other passages? They are not just packaging around the theology sections, mere wrappings to discard. In fact, they can help us understand how to make meaning of life in the here and now.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>For example, we can learn a lot from how Paul handled a situation in Rome where some house churches were judging others over matters of religious tradition and practice.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>The issue involved disputes over what foods to eat and which holidays to observe. When Paul’s letter was read aloud, the Roman Christians were probably shocked to learn that they were all acceptable in their practices but wrong in their attitudes.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>As Paul explained, we can choose to consecrate certain foods unto the Lord or observe holidays as we please. After all, “If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord” (Romans 14:8).<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>Jesus isn’t just the Lord of churches, Sundays, and Communion elements. He is Lord of <em>all</em> — every activity in life, everywhere, in every single moment. More than trying to get religious rituals exactly right, Paul wanted believers to consecrate all of life to the Lord.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>That insight should affect how we read and apply Paul’s letters (and the rest of Scripture, for that matter). The gospel is not just heaven insurance; it is empowerment and guidance for how we conduct our daily lives right now.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>It is true that we cannot experience the complete fullness of life God has in store for us until Christ returns to consummate the final age once and for all. Yet we can learn how to walk in step with the Spirit now, living the gospel in all we say and do every day.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>Many Christians seem to believe that at death God will turn them into angelic beings, as if there’s something pitiable about being human. However, the Bible doesn’t say angels were made in the image of God. Only humans are described that way. It is good to be human.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>Of course, humanity was corrupted by sin and therefore destined for death. Our gift in the gospel of Jesus Christ is the restoration of our full humanity. So, what is the meaning of life? To become fully human, and by God’s help we can experience that at last!</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>Second-century Christian theologian Irenaeus of Lyons famously wrote, “The glory of God is man fully alive.” This succinctly captures Paul’s concept of salvation — that is, people being restored to their full humanness in Christ, all to the glory of God.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>But what does it mean to be human? If we look back to Genesis, as Paul would have, we can see three essential elements of God’s creative purpose for humanity. We were made to <em>imitate</em> God; <em>cultivate</em> growth; and <em>relate</em> to others.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>You may have heard the saying, “To err is human, to forgive, divine.” That’s true <em>after</em> sin came into the world. If we start with this adage, however, we miss the picture Genesis 1–2 paints of how it was meant to be from the beginning.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>First, God created humans in His image (Genesis 1:26–27). We are to reflect and imitate God in the world, especially His glory and righteousness.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>Second, we were also made to cultivate — to grow into maturity and help all of creation grow and flourish (Genesis 1:28–30).<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>Finally, Genesis affirms that people are by nature social beings, made to be in relationship with others (2:18).</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <h4><strong><span>Made to Imitate</span></strong><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></h4> <p><span>Paul told the Corinthians, “God made him who had no sin [Christ] to be sin for us, so that in him we [sinners] might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>The Greek phrase translated “righteousness of God” is <em>dikaiosynē Theou.</em> While this translation suggests justification by grace through faith, the same phrase is found elsewhere in Scripture in reference to God’s character and faithfulness (Daniel 9:14). Therefore, we shouldn’t limit <em>dikaiosynē Theou</em> to a status of justification.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>In the holy exchange of 2 Corinthians 5:20, Christ chose to be wrongfully executed as a sinner so that we might become justified, as well as just, righteous and<em> </em>right — good <em>with </em>God and good <em>like</em> God. We were made to imitate and reflect God’s character, which is holy, good, and just.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>Sadly, there is a split in Western Christianity between proponents of the “spiritual gospel” and “social gospel.” The former limit the gospel’s purpose primarily to saving souls for heaven, while the latter focus on applying the gospel to injustices throughout our world today.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>For Paul, there’s only one gospel — the gospel of Jesus Christ that destroys the power of sin, frees us from bondage to death, and enables us to live each day as servants of Jesus Christ. Representatives of this gospel are to fulfill Christ’s commission and spread His righteousness and goodness across the earth. We have been <em>made</em> right to <em>do</em> right.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>In Romans 6, Paul argues that even without the Law as a moral guide, believers ought not give in to sin and abuse God’s grace, because we have already been freed from sin and death (verses 15–23). By grace, Christians can obey God and live in His righteousness (verse 16).</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <h6 style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span>Paul insists those who die to sin and self can experience a Spirit-filled, resurrection-empowered life <br /> here and now.</span></h6> <p><span>Paul calls readers to live as “slaves to righteousness” (verse 19). If we obey our righteous (just) God, we will reflect His own righteousness (justice).</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>Christians sometimes describe church as a place where sinners are forgiven. While every congregation should be a place of forgiveness, that’s not the only dimension of the gospel.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>As Christ followers, God’s Spirit lives within us, Jesus draws near to us, and we conform to the <em>dikaiosynē Theou</em> — the righteousness of God, which also includes the justice of God.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>God wants all things in the world to be restored to rightness, fairness, healthiness, wholeness, and equality. His plan all along was for humans to establish, promote, and protect that rightness.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>In Romans 2, Paul calls out his fellow Jews who advocate for the Law but are blind to their own hypocrisy and sin: “You, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself?” (verse 21).</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>Paul highlights sins like theft, adultery, idolatry, and overall lawbreaking. In verse 24, he quotes Isaiah 52:5: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>This is a particularly stinging accusation. As God’s holy nation, Israel was supposed to reflect God’s character and righteousness. Instead, Israel’s sin created the opposite effect, bringing disrepute to God’s name.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>Paul’s critique might be paraphrased this way: “The pagans, the idolatrous nations, take one look at you and your unrighteous behavior and say, ‘If that’s how Yahweh’s people behave, Yahweh must be an awful god!’”</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>It’s not enough to ask forgiveness. Christians must also seek transformation through the Holy Spirit, that we might conform to Christ’s image.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>As we become more like Christ, believers increasingly learn to reflect God’s character in the world — His justice, integrity, righteousness, holiness, faithfulness, and honesty.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <h4><strong><span>Made to Cultivate</span></strong><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></h4> <p><span>Thinking and acting rightly requires growth.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>In Genesis 1–2, it is clear that Adam and Eve were to cultivate the earth. Creation didn’t come prefabricated. God entrusted it to His image bearers with some assembly required.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>There was no step-by-step instruction manual in the Garden. To help creation flourish, Adam and Eve would have to learn and grow, cultivating their own maturity and wisdom.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>Humans were always called to grow and bring harmony to creation. That mandate did not change with the introduction of sin and death in the world, but it did become more difficult.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>The work of cultivation is perilous amid thorns and vipers, sickness and death. Sin is a poison in every part of our lives. It makes being human messy and painful. Thankfully, believers have a Counteragent in the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to learn, grow, serve, cultivate, and help others thrive in Christ.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>Paul often applied growth and cultivation imagery to the Christian life. Perhaps the most familiar example is his teaching on the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23). Just as God created every tree and plant with a purpose, He designed humans to bear life-giving and satisfying fruit, like love, peace, joy, goodness, and kindness.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul further envisions the Church as Christ’s body. In Ephesians and Colossians, he makes clear this is not a static image. Rather, the Church is a moving, speaking, working community that grows in love by God’s power (Ephesians 4:15–16; Colossians 2:16–19).<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>God never intended the Church to be a mere structure or institution, but a living organism that promotes vitality throughout the world.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <h4><span><strong>Made to Relate </strong></span></h4> <p><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"></span></p> <p><span>Finally, God designed us for relationship. After creating the first human, God made clear that Adam needed companionship and partnership (Genesis 2:18).</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>Only in community can humanity fully embrace the commission of imitating God and fostering wholeness and growth in the world.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>Americans often revere as virtues rugged individualism, self-sufficiency, and independence. But Scripture upholds the value of living and working together in community and interdependence (Ecclesiastes 4:12).</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>A communal emphasis is evident in Paul’s writings. Paul teaches that we belong to one another (Romans 12:4–5; Ephesians 4:25) and are to instruct one another (Romans 15:14). He encourages believers to eat with one another (1 Corinthians 11:33); serve one another (Galatians 5:13); support one another (Galatians 6:2); and love one another (1 Thessalonians 3:12).<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>Paul never imagined that believers could grow up in Christ by themselves. We are members of one Body. And we cannot fulfill our role of helping the world flourish if we are trying to do everything on our own.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong><span>Good News Today</span></strong><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></h4> <p>Too many believers wrongly think that once they have accepted Jesus as Savior, they are just biding their time until death or Christ’s return. In this way of thinking, life on earth doesn’t matter.</p> <h6 style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;"><span>Sin is a poison in every part of our lives. It makes being human messy and painful. Thankfully, believers have a Counteragent in the Holy Spirit, who empowers us to learn, grow, serve, cultivate, and help others thrive in Christ.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></span></h6> <p><span>By contrast, Paul modeled and taught that Christians are called to fulfill a human vocation here and now. Paul’s letters address many areas of daily life, including work and friendship.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>Paul didn’t look down on work, nor did he suggest final eternal rest excludes it. In fact, Paul found deep meaning in labor (2 Corinthians 6:4–5; 11:27; 1 Thessalonians 2:9).<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>While Paul could have earned his wages exclusively from his apostolic ministry, he chose to work as a tentmaker to avoid placing a financial burden on struggling churches (1 Corinthians 9:1–15). This doesn’t mean Paul liked toil, but he did see value in it.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>Humans were made to work and contribute to society. Paul emphasized this principle to the Thessalonian church: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>Being a Christian is not an excuse for laziness, burdening others, or giving up our human mission in the world. Whatever work we do, it can be holy if we devote it to the Lord and dedicate it to serving others and strengthening our communities.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>Paul encountered and affirmed believers in numerous professions, including a physician (Colossians 4:14); merchant (Acts 16:14); scribe (Romans 16:22); city official (Romans 16:23); and lawyer (Titus 3:13).<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>Working to put food on the table is honorable. Devoting all of one’s work to serving the Lord, whatever the profession, is holy.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>Paul had a lot to say about friendship as well.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>At one time, I thought of Paul as a loner. After all, he had some early disputes with the twelve apostles (Galatians 2:1–14). However, a close reading of Acts and the Pauline epistles reveals that Paul was constantly with friends and colleagues.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>Paul sometimes lived with friends (Acts 18:1–3), and he found great encouragement from them. Timothy was like a son or younger brother to Paul (Philippians 2:20–22). In Paul’s most lonely and desperate hour, he wanted Timothy by his side (2 Timothy 4:9).</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>For Paul, friendship wasn’t about advancing socially or seeking entertainment, but living according to God’s plan. Since humans are made to relate, relationships are instrumental for growing together into the image of Christ.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>True friends strengthen and build up one another. They have the trust and commitment to challenge and call out one another as well.<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p>The Greeks often described friendship as having another self to help you out. Paul seems to echo this when he tells the Philippians to share one mind, love the same thing together, act as one soul and life, and discern as one body (Philippians 2:2).<span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>Today, there is a loneliness crisis in America. Two in 10 U.S. adults (21%) feel disconnected from friends, family, and/or the world, according to a 2024 </span><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mcc.gse.harvard.edu/reports/loneliness-in-america-2024" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: none; color: windowtext;">study</span></a><span> published by Harvard University. Of those, three-quarters report feeling little or no sense of meaning or purpose in life.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span>This should concern church leaders. We will struggle to grow up and become fully human without Christian friends to help us.</span><span style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <h4><span><strong>Heaven on Earth</strong></span></h4> <p><span> </span></p> <p><span>Paul writes, “Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:20–21).</span><span> </span></p> <p>Notice that Paul doesn’t<em> </em>say our eternal home will be in heaven. Rather, heaven will eventually come to earth. </p> <p><span>Paul here was drawing from the familiar concept of imperial colonization. Rome colonized countless cities, like Philippi, with the goal of remaking each according to a Roman template.</span><span> </span></p> <p>The imperial rulers did not want everyone moving to Rome. As the empire expanded its boundaries, these leaders sought to make each conquered city a ‘Rome away from Rome.’ </p> <p>Unlike Rome, God’s kingdom doesn’t advance through violence and domination. Yet Paul was teaching something analogous. Wherever the gospel goes, it imparts the features of heaven — the righteousness of the Father, kingship of Christ, and peace and joy of the Spirit. </p> <p><span>The goal of Paul’s preaching was not to transport the Philippians to Rome or to heaven, but to make Philippi a reflection of Christ’s kingdom on earth.</span><span> </span></p> <p><span>Instead of escape, Paul’s gospel is about transformation and renewal — humanity fully alive.</span><span> </span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Summer 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{F6830F36-7952-4FE7-94EE-B301DC448895}https://influencemagazine.com/Reviews/All-Loves-Excelling<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Love-Divine-cover_1400.jpg" alt="" />In Love Divine, Thomas H. McCall and Jason E. Vickers offer a systematic theology framed by the Great Tradition, imbued with Wesleyan convictions and informed by Wesleyan sources.Tue, 11 Aug 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>Every morning, I recite the Nicene Creed (A.D. 325/381) during my devotions. The creed outlines doctrines all branches of Christianity affirm, especially the Trinity and Incarnation.<span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Reciting the creed may seem strange to Pentecostals. In our theologizing, we often ignore or downplay the Great Tradition — Christianity’s historic creeds and confessions — opting instead for a proof-texting approach.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">The problem with ignoring the Great Tradition is needlessly refighting old battles. The “New Issue” among first-generation Pentecostals seems like a recapitulation of third- and fourth-century Trinitarian debates, for example.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">In <em>Love Divine</em>, Thomas H. McCall and Jason E. Vickers offer a systematic theology framed by the Great Tradition, imbued with Wesleyan convictions and informed by Wesleyan sources.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">McCall and Vickers define systematic theology as the study of God characterized by conceptual organization, relative comprehensiveness, and logical coherence.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">“We are committed to theology that is grounded in Scripture and always accountable to it, faithful to the catholic [i.e., universal] tradition of creedal orthodoxy, firmly Protestant and evangelical, and distinctly and unapologetically Wesleyan,” the authors write.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Chapters 1 and 2 examine theology proper, specifically “the concept and nature of deity” and “God’s personal name and identity,” respectively.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">McCall and Vickers advocate classical theism, which ascribes to God “perfections” such as simplicity, omnipotence, omniscience, eternity, omnipresence, goodness, and especially love.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">The authors also affirm classical Trinitarianism, in which the one Being eternally subsists in three Persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Chapters 1 and 2 end with a discussion of love. Scripture teaches “God is love” (1 John 4:8). This means that “love — holy love, the self-giving and pure love shared between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in their mutual relations — is at the center of all reality,” the authors write.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Chapters 3 and 4 turn to what God does, focusing on creation and providence.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">God freely creates a good world <em>ex nihilo</em>, “out of nothing.” This understanding rules out explanations of the universe that dismiss the Creator-creature distinction (naturalism, pantheism); attribute necessity rather than contingency to creation (panentheism); or deny creation’s inherent goodness (Gnosticism, Manichaeism).</span><span class="eop"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Quoting John of Damascus, McCall and Vickers define providence as the “care that God takes over existing things.” They focus on providence as conservation of creation, concurrence of divine actions with creaturely actions, and sovereign government.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Scripture portrays God working in history, “even using the actions of human wickedness and sin for his own good purposes” (e.g., Genesis 50:20; Acts 2:23). The distinction between divine goodness and human wickedness informs Christian thinking about the problem of evil. God is not the author of evil; we are.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Chapters 5 and 6 turn to the nature and condition of humans. Though made in God’s image, we have fallen into sin and need God’s grace.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">At the popular level, total depravity is associated with Calvinism. Traditionally, Wesleyans also have affirmed it, however. The doctrine means sin “impacts every aspect or faculty of human life,” individually, socially, and structurally. Sin renders us unable to save ourselves.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Our loving God refuses to leave us in sin, however. Chapters 7, 8, and 9 examine election, the Incarnation, and Christ’s saving work as God’s response to our sin.</span></p> <h6>McCall and Vickers define systematic theology as the study of God characterized by conceptual organization, relative comprehensiveness, and logical coherence.</h6> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Many Christians associate election and predestination with Calvinism. In Calvinism, God unconditionally elects some (not all) to salvation, and the effect of Christ’s atoning death is limited to the elect.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Unconditional election and limited atonement constitute a minority report in the Great Tradition and a particular concern for Wesleyans. Charles Wesley even wrote a 15-verse hymn titled “The Horrible Decree” to refute the doctrines.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"><em><span>Love Divine</span></em></span><span class="normaltextrun"> engages these doctrines in Chapter 7 from a Wesleyan-Arminian standpoint. Contrary to Calvinism, election is conditional on foreknowledge. God predestines those He knows will respond in faith when offered the gospel (Romans 8:29).</span></p> <p><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">And atonement is not limited. Jesus Christ is “the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2).</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Atonement happens only because of the Incarnation, the focus of Chapter 8. The Nicene Creed affirmed Jesus Christ’s divinity and humanity.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">The Council of Chalcedon (A.D. 451) clarified how those two natures coexisted in one Person “without confusion, without change, without division, without separation.” These distinctions rebutted various Christological heresies.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">McCall and Vickers emphasize that more is at stake than punctilious orthodoxy. “These key elements of Christology … are absolutely central to the good news of the Christian faith. God is for us. God is with us. Completely and unreservedly.”</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">The Nicene Creed says God’s Son became incarnate “for us and for our salvation.” Chapter 9 examines this saving work as revealed in the Incarnation, Christ’s life and teaching, His suffering and death, and His resurrection and ascension.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Salvation is objective and subjective, justification and sanctification. Christ reconciles us to God and leaves a moral example to follow. But if sanctification is salvation and we cannot save ourselves, how do we become holy?</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Through the Holy Spirit poured out by our ascended Savior.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">The person and work of the Spirit are the subjects of Chapters 10 and 11.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">In the Nicene Creed, the Son is “begotten” by the Father, but the Spirit “proceeds” from the Father. Centuries later, the Latin-speaking church added “and the Son” (<em>filioque</em>), precipitating a schism from the Greek-speaking church. These phrases define the order of relations between the Persons of the Trinity.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">McCall and Vickers suggest love is distinctive of the Spirit’s identity, both in intra-trinitarian relations and in relationship to humanity: “The Holy Spirit gives lots of gifts to believers, but the greatest gift by far — the gift that really matters — is the gift of love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Chapter 11 focuses on the work of the Holy Spirit from creation to new creation. Its primary focus is “the ways in which the Spirit actualizes in us all the benefits of Christ’s atoning work, including overcoming the separation, alienation, and estrangement that result from human sin and sinfulness.”</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">In line with that focus, the authors discuss the various ways Wesleyan theologians have understood “entire sanctification” and “Christian perfection” in the life of the believer. Interestingly, the debate between “instantaneous” and “progressive” sanctification divided the first generation of Pentecostals into Wesleyan and “Finished Work” camps. The Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee) and Church of God in Christ are Wesleyan, while the Assemblies of God is “Finished Work.”</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">McCall and Vickers also discuss how the Spirit facilitates the relationship between the Church and salvation. Specifically, they examine the unity of the Church; the means of grace (Scripture, preaching, baptism, Communion); models of polity; and the Church’s mission.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">“Like the Spirit who enlivens her each day, the church’s witness is never to herself, but to Christ alone, who is the foundation and cornerstone upon which her life is built” (Ephesians 2:20–22), the authors write.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Finally, Chapter 12 examines eschatology, focusing on resurrection, the Second Coming, and the Final Judgment.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Classical Pentecostals will appreciate the authors’ evaluation of universal salvation, a topic of intense discussion among contemporary theologians and an issue North American Pentecostals first dealt with during the 1920s. God wills to save all, but not all will be saved.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Although Pentecostal theologians are now producing excellent systematic theologies of their own — such as Frank D. Macchia’s <em>Introduction to Theology</em> and <em>Tongues of Fire</em> — we can always learn from other Christians, especially Wesleyans, with whom we share history and fundamental theology.</span><span class="eop"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Consequently, I recommend <em>Love Divine</em> to my fellow Pentecostals. If we learn anything about God, let it be, as McCall and Vickers write, that “God — the triune God whose nature is holy love — is wholly and necessarily and perfectly <em>good</em>.”</span><span class="eop"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Amen!</span><span class="eop"> </span></p> <p><span class="eop"> </span></p> <h4><span class="normaltextrun"><strong><span>Book Reviewed</span></strong></span></h4> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Thomas H. McCall and Jason E. Vickers, <em>Love Divine: A Wesleyan Systematic Theology</em> (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2026).</span><span class="eop"> </span></p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Summer 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{1791EFEF-D1F3-40FB-A84C-1D7D11389591}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Unexamined-or-Overexamined<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Unexamined_1400.jpg" alt="" />We need both faithful thought and thoughtful obedience to follow Jesus well.Mon, 10 Aug 2026 05:00:00 Z<p>I recently began journaling again after a decades-long hiatus. In my teens and 20s, I chronicled my thoughts and prayers regularly. Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living,” and I believed him.</p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Until I didn’t.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">When I was 27, my then-fiancee ended our relationship, upending the life trajectory I had so carefully planned — college, seminary, ministry, marriage, children. A Christian therapist my father recommended diagnosed me with clinical depression, which lasted a year.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">During this period, I journaled frantically. No thought went unrecorded, no feeling unexamined. I emptied a pen or two of ink and filled a journal or two with agony. </span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"></span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">My words overflowed the pages and flooded my everyday conversations with family, friends, and co-workers. There were countless late-night conversations with my dad and sister. A friend listened to me for hours at a time, often during long walks near his house.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">And then, one day, I woke up and drew two columns on a yellow notepad. The left column listed everything going wrong in my life, starting with the breakup. The right column listed everything going well. It was much longer than the left.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Gratitude for the good things in my life broke the spell of depression, though I still had occasional bouts of it in the months following.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">That day was also the last time I journaled with any consistency until now. I tried a few times, but my heart just wasn’t in it.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">A relentless focus on myself — <em>my</em> thoughts, <em>my</em> feelings — led me to ignore what was happening in my relationships with others. It also blinded me to ways I could help others through acts of service. When I turned my focus outward, I began to heal.</span></p> <h6 class="paragraph" style="margin: 0in;">There is a Goldilocks zone in the Christian life between introspection and action that is just right, including neither too much <br /> nor too little of <br /> either quality. We should strive to live in that zone. </h6> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Socrates is right about the unexamined life. As a former philosophy major, I feel I would be letting down my side if I didn’t say that. But Socrates’ dictum needs to be balanced with another: The overexamined life is not worth living either.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">There is a Goldilocks zone in the Christian life between introspection and action that is just right, including neither too much nor too little of either quality. We should strive to live in that zone.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Take introspection. Paul writes, “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you — unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5).</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">I have been in church all my life. My dad preached, and my mom played the piano. My sister and I attended every event for kids and youth.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">As a staff pastor, I served in almost all ministry capacities from janitoring to starting a women’s Bible study. The only exception was youth ministry, but even there I led worship as a student.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">When you grow up in the church, religious routine can crowd out spiritual authenticity if you’re not careful. Too much action, not enough introspection.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">That is also true for congregations. We become so accustomed to the order of service that we lose the wonder of worship.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">How many times have we droned through a hymn without paying attention to the lyrics we’re singing? Or taken Communion without conviction? Or listened to a sermon without repentance? Or heard a message in tongues without thinking, <em>The Holy Spirit has spoken</em>?</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">When those kinds of things happen, we need to stop and remember, “Christ Jesus is in you.” Then we need to consider, <em>Am I in Jesus?</em> <em>Or is He knocking on the door of my Laodicean heart, longing for my fellowship (Revelation 3:20)?</em></span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">If introspection is the antidote to thoughtless religious routine, action is the antidote to an overweening focus on self.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Years ago, I was asked to speak at a church in Southern California where I had once served on staff. My text was Matthew 25:40: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">People said my sermon was really good. I enthusiastically agreed.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Then God weighed in.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">After everyone, including the pastors, had left, a young homeless man approached me. He needed a place to stay — it was storming that night — as well as a bus ticket to his mom’s home in Arizona.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">It was as if God was saying, “Put up or shut up. I don’t care about your exegetical thoughts or self-congratulatory spirit. I want obedience.”</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">So, the young man stayed on my couch that night, and in the morning I squared him away for the ride home.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">In the spiritual life, introspection that doesn’t lead to action is blind, and action that doesn’t spring from thought is deaf. We need both faithful thought and thoughtful obedience to follow Jesus well.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">How to do that in the specifics of your own life sounds like a great topic for journaling.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"> </span></p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Summer 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{9D34E6B7-B2B8-4E49-A2EA-093BD7539588}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Summer-2026-Issue-Online<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Cover-Su26_1400.jpg" alt="" />The complete Summer 2026 issue of Influence magazine is now available online. Fri, 07 Aug 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>The complete Summer 2026 issue of <em>Influence</em> magazine is now available online.<span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: #222222;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun" style="color: #222222;">Nijay K. Gupta presents the cover story, “On Earth as in Heaven.” As Gupta explains, the apostle Paul’s message prepares believers not only for eternity, but also the here and now.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun" style="color: #222222;">In “Matthew 25 Metrics,” Kevin Foster calls pastors to look beyond buildings, budgets, and bodies to consider the gospel impact of their ministries.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun" style="color: #222222;">Assemblies of God General Superintendent Doug Clay encourages readers to revive their curiosity about God in his article, “Reclaiming Wonder.”</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun" style="color: #222222;">Christina Quick considers what a beggar’s story from Luke’s Gospel reveals about God’s heart for the poor in “Reversal of Fortunes.” </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun" style="color: #222222;">Find all this — and much more — in the Summer 2026 edition. May the content inspire, strengthen, and equip you in your ministry calling.</span></p> <div style="text-align:center;"><iframe src="//v.calameo.com/?bkcode=0078339688eb2ba5901d6&mode=mini" width="480" height="300" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="margin:0 auto;"></iframe></div> <br class="t-last-br" /> <br class="t-last-br" /> <br class="t-last-br" />{2DE83AB5-5023-476D-8823-FC67BF909FB8}https://influencemagazine.com/Podcast/Paul-as-Mentor-Pastor<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/1400x490/InfluencePodcast_1400.jpg" alt="" />In Episode 430, George P. Wood talks to Lee Grady about his new book, ‘Lead Like Paul’.Thu, 06 Aug 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>Welcome to the <em>Influence Podcast</em>! I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of <em>Influence</em> magazine and your host.</p> <p>Lee Grady writes the following in his book, <em>Lead Like Paul</em>:</p> <blockquote>Saul of Tarsus — who eventually became known by his Greek name, Paul — is our mentor and spiritual father. Apart from Jesus Himself, he is our best example. Of course, we have Peter, James, John, Mary Magdalene, and so many other first-century disciples who walked closely with Jesus. But Paul was unique. He didn’t travel with Jesus or witness His miracles, yet he fully surrendered to the resurrected Christ, he understood the truth of Jesus better than almost any human being on earth, he spread the gospel throughout the Roman Empire, and he was used by the Holy Spirit to lay the foundation for a Christian movement that has spread globally.</blockquote> <p>For all these reasons and more, Grady argues, Paul is a mentor we should imitate in our own ministries. In this episode, I talk to Grady about how we can begin to do so. </p> <p>Lee Grady is an ordained minister in the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, award-winning journalist, and author, most recently, of <em><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;">Lead Like Paul: 21 Ways to Reignite Your Spiritual Fire and Expand Your Spirit-Led Influence</span></em><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;">, published by Chosen Books.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><iframe title="Embed Player" src="https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/42315860/height/192/theme/modern/size/large/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/87A93A/time-start/00:00:00/playlist-height/200/direction/backward/download/yes/font-color/FFFFFF" height="192" width="100%" scrolling="no" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" oallowfullscreen="true" msallowfullscreen="true" style="border: medium;"></iframe></p> <h4> </h4> <h4>Sponsor Ad</h4> <p>This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, distributors of <em>The Assemblies of God: Our Story</em> by Daniel D. Isgrigg.</p> <p>Explore the inspiring history of the Assemblies of God from a handful of ministers to a worldwide fellowship of more than 85 million believers. Discover the legacy, mission, and Spirit-filled story that continues to impact the world today.</p> <p>For more information about <em>The Assemblies of God: Our Story</em> visit <a href="https://myhealthychurch.com/store/startitem.cfm?item=027077">GospelPublishingHouse.com</a>. </p> <h4> </h4> <h4>Show Notes</h4> <ul> <li>00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad</li> <li>03:00 — Why <em>Lead Like Paul</em>, rather than <em>Lead Like Jesus</em> or <em>Lead Like Peter</em> or <em>Lead Like James</em>?</li> <li>05:08 — Why start with humility, and how does Paul model humility for Christian leaders?</li> <li>7:37 — Chapters 4 and 5 discuss loving people and being present. What was the impetus for writing these two chapters? And how can pastors develop both better people skills and greater presence?</li> <li>11:21 — Chapter 6 is titled, “You Need Power, Not Just Head Knowledge.” Why is this the case? What function do the words “not just” play in this title? And how do we develop what the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary calls “knowledge on fire”?</li> <li>20:06 — Why are the temptations of sexual immorality and financial exploitation such a problem for ministers, and how we do we overcome them?</li> <li>23:57 — Why is forgiveness so important, and how we do we forgive congregants who have harmed us?</li> <li>26:56 — What trends in the Pentecostal and charismatic movements worry you today? What trends bring you hope?</li> <li>32:11 — What are you reading right now that is interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?</li> <li>34:21 — Conclusion</li> </ul>{A3718DE5-91D1-4772-AC52-34B7D2D14913}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/New-School-Years-Resolutions<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/New-School-Year_1400.jpg" alt="" />More than a calendar reset, the new school year is an opportunity to minister with fresh intentionality and focus. Wed, 05 Aug 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>I walked into youth service one September after what felt like an amazing summer. Camp had been powerful, with students filling altars and tearfully surrendering their lives to Christ. Everyone was excited about what God was doing.</p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">But during that first gathering of the new school year, students seemed distracted. Some were overwhelmed with college applications and Advanced Placement classes. Others were missing from the group entirely.</span> </p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">One student who had encountered God at camp quietly admitted, “I already feel far from Him again.”</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">That night reminded me of an important truth: Spiritual momentum requires intentional stewardship.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Summer ministry is a time for sowing seeds in fertile soil. But afterward, those seeds need watering.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Students enter the school year carrying far more than backpacks and schedules. Many are weighed down with old and new insecurities, temptations, family tensions, worries, and questions about who they are becoming.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Some students are transitioning to middle or high school. Others are entering senior year and wrestling with major life decisions. It’s no wonder they seem preoccupied and anxious.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Youth leaders who are unprepared for these realities will spend the year reacting instead of ministering.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">This doesn’t mean we need to have all the answers or plan every detail. But we should spend some time prayerfully asking where we will lead students this school year.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">More than a calendar reset, the new school year is an opportunity to minister with fresh intentionality and focus.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">As summer comes to a close, why not make some new school year’s resolutions for your youth ministry? I suggest starting with five basics.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"> </span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <h4><span class="normaltextrun"><strong><span>1. Prioritize Spiritual Formation</span></strong> </span></h4> <p><span class="normaltextrun">At the start of every school year, the temptation is to focus first on events, attendance, and calendars. While planning matters, youth ministry is ultimately about discipleship, not activities.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Before determining the schedule, ask what you want to see happen in the lives of students.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Set spiritual goals for your ministry. Think about what will help students take ownership of their faith, become more Bible engaged, and grow in their prayer lives. Look for discipleship opportunities outside of weekly services.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">This might mean launching small groups, creating Bible reading plans, encouraging prayer partnerships, and becoming more intentional about teaching practical spiritual habits students can carry into their everyday lives.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Programming may gather students, but spiritual formation transforms them.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"> </span></p> <h4><span class="normaltextrun"><strong><span>2. Build on Progress</span></strong></span></h4> <p><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Create a follow-up plan for keeping the summer excitement going. One of the biggest mistakes youth leaders make is assuming momentum will sustain itself.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Summer camps often produce genuine spiritual breakthroughs. Students surrender sin, experience healing, discover purpose, hear God’s voice, and respond to ministry callings. But powerful moments without intentional follow-up can slowly fade under the pressures of school life.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Ministry after the encounter matters. Set aside time for students to share what God did at camp. Connect spiritually hungry students with mentors or small groups.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Personally check in with students who made major commitments. Host prayer nights or discipleship gatherings during the first months of school. Equip parents to continue faith conversations at home.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Students need help translating mountaintop experiences into everyday faithfulness. Discipleship is not about simply celebrating encounters, but helping students live changed lives.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"> </span></p> <h4><span class="normaltextrun"><strong><span>3. Think Missionally</span></strong></span></h4> <p><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">School is not just something happening around your ministry. It is the mission field. </span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"></span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Students spend far more time on school campuses than inside church walls. Youth leaders can help students see themselves as missionaries.</span></p> <h6 class="paragraph" style="margin: 0in;">Revivals don’t always start in sanctuaries. Sometimes they begin in school hallways, cafeterias, and classrooms. </h6> <p><span class="normaltextrun">This doesn’t mean students need to stand on lunch tables and preach. Often, ministry begins with kindness, courage, compassion, and intentional friendships. A simple invitation, prayer before class, or willingness to sit with someone who feels overlooked can open doors for God to work in hearts.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Ministries like Youth Alive help equip students for evangelism. While pastors and leaders play an essential role, students have unique opportunities to reach their peers at school.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">When young people begin to see themselves as missionaries on their campuses, schools can become places of genuine spiritual influence and transformation.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Encourage teens to pray for classmates and teachers, invite friends to youth gatherings, participate in Bible clubs, and live boldly for Christ.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">At the same time, youth leaders should pray intentionally over local campuses and ask practical questions: Which schools are represented in our ministry? What pressures are students facing there? How can we equip students to navigate cultural challenges biblically?</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Revivals don’t always start in sanctuaries. Sometimes they begin in school hallways, cafeterias, and classrooms.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"> </span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <h4><span class="normaltextrun"><strong><span>4. Invest in Student Leaders</span></strong></span></h4> <p><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Healthy youth ministries do not simply gather students; they develop leaders.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">What students aren’t leading, they are at risk of leaving. Young people long for ownership, responsibility, and purpose.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Teens who consume ministry without participating in it tend to disengage. But when they are empowered to lead, serve, and contribute, ministry becomes personal.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">The start of a new school year is the ideal time to identify spiritually hungry students and invest in them intentionally. The best student leaders aren’t always those with the biggest personalities or most obvious gifts. Look instead for faithfulness, humility, consistency, teachability, and compassion for others.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Invite students into ownership. Give them opportunities to lead prayer, welcome newcomers, serve on worship or media teams, participate in outreach efforts, and care for younger students.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">When young people move from consuming to contributing, ministry culture changes.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Paul told Timothy, “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 2:2).</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Leadership multiplication is discipleship in action.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"> </span></p> <h4><span class="normaltextrun"><strong><span>5. Maintain Healthy Rhythms</span></strong></span></h4> <p><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Perhaps the most overlooked responsibility for youth leaders is caring for their own spiritual health.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Summer ministry can leave leaders physically tired, emotionally depleted, and spiritually drained. It is difficult to lead from that position.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Before the school year becomes overwhelming, pause and evaluate your own rhythms. Are you praying and engaging Scripture outside of ministry and sermon preparation? Do you have people in your life who provide accountability and encouragement? Does your schedule include regular times of rest?</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Students don’t need perfect leaders. They need leaders who are authentic, healthy, and Spirit-filled. Public ministry should always flow from private devotion to God.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Youth pastors are not just event planners or program directors. We are shepherds who are helping shape the next generation.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"><strong><span>——</span></strong></span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">I learned from that September experience early in my youth ministry. The following school year looked different.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">My team and I entered the fall praying intentionally for students before they ever walked through the doors. We created clear discipleship next steps after camp, empowered student leaders, and approached the school year with purpose instead of pressure.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">What changed most was not our calendar, but our intentionality.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">The fruit was evident. Students stayed connected. Spiritual conversations deepened. New leaders emerged. Growth became steadier because preparation created room for discipleship.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Preparation does not indicate a lack of dependence on the Holy Spirit. It is good stewardship. The students God has entrusted to you need your prayers <em>and</em> planning.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">As a new school year begins, prepare faithfully, shepherd intentionally, and trust God to accomplish what only He can.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"> </span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Summer 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{433DD102-4C9C-4C15-A7B3-B2F6D115BC81}https://influencemagazine.com/Reviews/Rest-God-and-Us<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Wisdom-of-Sleep-cover_1400.jpg" alt="" />Author Brett McCracken considers what sleep reveals about us and God.Tue, 04 Aug 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>If we followed doctors’ recommendations, we’d sleep seven to nine hours daily, spending about one-third of our lives in bed.<span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Sleep is “the universal healthcare provider,” according to researcher Matthew Walker. “Whatever the physical or mental ailment, sleep has a prescription it can dispense.”</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Unfortunately, one-third of Americans don’t take their medicine.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">John Calvin wrote that wisdom consists of the knowledge of God and ourselves. Brett McCracken uses that insight to outline <em>The Wisdom of Sleep</em>. Part 1 examines what sleep and rest reveal about us; Part 2 what they reveal about God.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"><em><span>The Wisdom of Sleep</span></em></span><span class="normaltextrun"> is not just a biblical or theological look at its subject, however. McCracken takes a “two books” approach to the subject. The first book is general revelation or nature. The second is special revelation and Scripture. Nature and Scripture complement each other because they have the same Author.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">The need for sleep reveals our limitations, of course. Our bodies and minds break down through ceaseless activity and constant awareness. Sleep is part of recovery. It also is a good metaphor for death, which Raymond Chandler called “the Big Sleep.”</span></p> <h6 style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;">Rest reveals <br /> God’s character <br /> as gracious, <br /> loving, sovereign, <br /> and merciful.</h6> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Sleep also reveals our God-given capabilities. It helps us imagine possibilities and sort out problems. And as Scripture shows, it prepares us to receive dreams and visions from God. None of this happens under our conscious control.</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">So what do sleep and rest reveal about God?</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">First, God himself rests. “God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done” (Genesis 2:3). He wasn’t tired. Instead, rest reflected His enthronement.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">“God is enthroned and present with God’s people in God’s place. Eden is a place of perfect <em>shalom</em> — peace. All is well,” writes McCracken. In that sense, a weekly sabbath is a little eschaton, a foretaste of eternity.</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Rest also reveals God’s character as gracious, loving, sovereign, and merciful. No wonder Victor Hugo advised a friend, “Go to sleep in peace. God is awake.”</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Finally, if sleep is a metaphor for death, it is God who wakes us up. “Just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4).</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Sleep is far more than a physical and mental necessity. Given what Scripture says about it, McCracken suggests “sleep speaks gospel truth.”</span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">In a culture that crushes souls by demanding ceaseless activity and constant online presence, we need to hear this good news. <em>The Wisdom of Sleep</em> invites weary souls to “Join the Rest(istance)”!</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"> </span><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <h4><span class="normaltextrun"><strong><span>Book Reviewed</span></strong></span></h4> <p><span class="eop" style="background: #c6c6c6; padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun">Brett McCracken, <em>The Wisdom of Sleep: How Rest Reveals God’s Truth and Revives Weary Souls</em> (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Reflective, 2026).</span></p> <p><span class="normaltextrun"> </span></p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Summer 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{ED8CF1B0-ACBA-433F-A63C-3863A8A55FA3}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Leading-Through-a-Dark-Valley<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/leading-through-a-dark-valley-1400.jpg" alt="" />A deeply rooted, battle-tested church is fully prepared to carry the hope of the gospel into a broken world.Mon, 03 Aug 2026 13:40:00 Z<p>Every church leader eventually faces a season where the vision stalls, the momentum breaks, and the congregation is forced to navigate a profound setback. This might come in the form of an unexpected financial crisis, a sudden tragedy within the community, a painful staff transition, or simply a prolonged season of spiritual dryness.</p> <p>When the trajectory of a church shifts from growth to survival, a collective sense of doubt often settles over the pews. People begin to question the direction of the church, the competency of the leadership, and, sometimes, the very goodness of God.</p> <p>In these moments, the pressure on a pastor is immense. It’s tempting to quickly manufacture a silver lining, preach a hyper-triumphant sermon, and rush the congregation past the pain. However, leading a church through a season of doubt requires a much deeper, more patient pastoral posture.</p> <p>The first step in leading through a setback is to embrace the ministry of honesty. Pastors often feel an immense burden to have all the answers the moment a crisis hits. We mistakenly believe that if we show any vulnerability, the congregation will lose faith in our leadership. But the opposite is true. When a community is hurting or confused, polished platitudes only create distance.</p> <p>What a congregation needs most in the wake of a setback is a shepherd who is willing to stand in in the pulpit and acknowledge the reality of the loss, the disappointment, or the confusion. The Bible gives us a profound framework for this through the language of lament.</p> <p>From the Psalms to the Prophetic Books, Scripture does not hide from human suffering; the Bible provides the suffering a voice. When leaders give their congregations permission to grieve setbacks, they create safe environments where doubt can be expressed rather than suppressed.</p> <p> <style> @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family:Arial; mso-ansi-language:EN;}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:11.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Arial",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Arial; mso-fareast-font-family:Arial; mso-hansi-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; mso-font-kerning:0pt; mso-ligatures:none; mso-ansi-language:EN;}.MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; line-height:115%;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} </style> </p> <h6>A deeply rooted, battle-tested church  is fully prepared to carry the hope of the gospel into a broken world. </h6> <p>As we create space for honest grief, our primary pastoral responsibility is to gently re-anchor the congregation in the unchanging character of God. In the middle of a crisis, people become hyper-focused on their immediate circumstances. The ground feels unstable and the future looks bleak. A leader's job is to improve the outlook. This does not mean ignoring the problem but rather framing it within the larger narrative of God's redemptive history.</p> <p>When we cannot explain exactly why a specific setback occurred, we can still declare who God is. We remind our people that God is close to the brokenhearted, He is a refuge in times of trouble, and His sovereignty is not threatened by our current struggles. By consistently pointing congregants back to the foundational truths of the gospel, we provide a solid rock for them to stand on while the storm rages.</p> <p>Navigating these seasons also requires a leader to carefully manage the pace of the congregation. In our desire to see the church healthy and thriving again, it is easy to become impatient with the healing process. We want to cast a new, exciting vision and get everyone moving forward immediately.</p> <p>However, when church members have experienced a significant blow, they rarely have the emotional or spiritual equity to immediately run toward a new mountain. Healing moves at a walking pace. We must resist the urge to rush our people toward a premature resolution. This requires pastors to manage their own internal anxieties.</p> <p>If we are anxious about attendance dipping or offerings decreasing during a hard season, we will inevitably transfer that anxiety to our staff and congregation. Instead, we must embrace the slow, unglamorous work of faithful endurance, walking alongside our people step by step.</p> <p>Finally, we must remember that setbacks and seasons of doubt are not necessarily signs of organizational failure; they are often the very crucible where resilient faith is forged. The churches that have a lasting impact on their communities are rarely the ones experiencing uninterrupted success. They are the ones that have walked through the fire and emerged with a deeper, more authentic trust in Jesus.</p> <p>Leading a congregation through a dark valley is one of the most exhausting, demanding tasks a pastor will ever face. It requires a deep reliance on the Holy Spirit, a willingness to be misunderstood, and a steadfast commitment to the flock.</p> <p>When you faithfully shepherd a community through their darkest days, you do not just survive a crisis. You build a deeply rooted, battle-tested church that is fully prepared to carry the hope of the gospel into a broken world.</p>{D0134CA2-560F-49D9-8EEE-A5176F041532}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Identify-Empower-Release<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Identify-Empower-Release-1400.jpg" alt="" />As ministry leaders, we have the sacred privilege of partnering with God by helping people recognize and respond to His call.Wed, 15 Jul 2026 13:42:00 Z<p>One of the greatest joys in ministry is watching someone discover God’s purpose for their life, then seeing them embrace their God-given design and step into the plans He has prepared for them.</p> <p>As ministry leaders, we have the sacred privilege of partnering with God by helping people recognize and respond to His call.</p> <p>Jesus modeled this for us in the New Testament. He did not simply gather disciples. The Lord identified them, empowered them, and released them into ministry. </p> <p>The same responsibility belongs to us today.</p> <p><strong><span> </span></strong></p> <h4>Identifying the Called</h4> <p><span>Before we can empower and release individuals, we must first learn how to recognize their callings.</span></p> <p><span>Many leaders assume a calling experience will always be dramatic or obvious. Sometimes it is. </span></p> <p><span>More often, </span>however<span>, <strong><span style="color: red;"></span></strong></span>a<span><strong><span style="color: red;"></span></strong> calling reveals itself through a person’s consistent patterns of character, passion, and spiritual hunger long before they publicly acknowledge a vocational call to ministry.</span></p> <p><span>Over the years, I have observed six common traits that frequently emerge from individuals sensing or responding to God’s call. These characteristics may appear early and grow stronger over time. </span></p> <p><span>When an individual consistently demonstrates two or three of these traits, it is worth paying attention. When four or more become evident, the Holy Spirit may be clearly affirming a vocational call to ministry.</span></p> <p><strong><em><span>1. Servanthood.</span></em></strong><span> A called individual instinctively looks for ways to serve.<em> </em>They frequently ask, “How can I help?” or “What can I do?”</span></p> <p><span>Their involvement goes beyond attendance because they are eager to contribute. Serving is not a duty but a joy. They look for needs and move toward them. </span></p> <p><span>Service is marked by humility and faithfulness over time. They willingly serve without needing recognition, position, or credit, even when it is difficult, uncelebrated, or costly.</span></p> <p><span>Jesus modeled servant leadership by washing His disciples’ feet and ultimately laying down His life for others (John 13:1–17).</span></p> <p><span>When you see an individual consistently serve without needing recognition, pay attention. Calling begins with a towel before it receives a title.</span></p> <p><strong><em><span>2. Leadership.</span></em></strong><strong><span> </span></strong><span>Leadership often shows up naturally, even without a title.</span></p> <p><span>People are drawn to natural leaders and trust their influence. Those leaders may not be the loudest voices in the room, but others follow their example. Their leadership flows from character rather than ambition.</span></p> <p><span>David was anointed in private, remained faithful in obscurity, and influenced others long before wearing a crown (1 Samuel 16–18).</span></p> <p><span>Future ministry leaders often demonstrate influence before they ever receive a ministry position. Watch for those who naturally elevate and inspire others.</span></p> <p><strong><em><span>3. Generosity.</span></em></strong><span> Generosity flows from a leader’s heart and lifestyle.</span></p> <p><span>Leaders<em> </em>give beyond expectations, time, energy, and resources. They get excited about missions and Kingdom initiatives. They look for creative ways to support God’s work and help others succeed.</span></p> <p><span>Barnabas gave sacrificially and invested in the callings of others (Acts 4:36–37).</span></p> <p><span>Called individuals often demonstrate open-handed generosity because their hearts are already aligned with Kingdom priorities.</span></p> <p><strong><em><span>4. Passion</span></em></strong><strong><span>.</span></strong><span> The faith of leaders is alive, visible, and authentic. They are bold and unashamed in their walk with Christ. They engage fully in worship, prayer, and sharing the gospel. Their devotion feels personal rather than performative. </span></p> <p><span> <style> @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face {font-family:Aptos; panose-1:2 11 0 4 2 2 2 2 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:536871559 3 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:8.0pt; margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Aptos; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Aptos; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-font-kerning:1.0pt; mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Aptos; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Aptos; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Aptos; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:8.0pt; line-height:115%;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} </style> <span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></p> <h6>A calling reveals itself through a person’s consistent patterns of character, passion, and spiritual hunger long before they publicly acknowledge a vocational call to ministry.</h6> <p><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></p> <p><span>Their passion is driven by a burden for people, not a desire for position or platform. They are drawn to the presence of God, valuing time alone with Him as much as public ministry moments.</span></p> <p><span>Peter was imperfect but deeply devoted, boldly proclaiming Christ out of love for people (Acts 2–4).</span></p> <p><span>Passion does not guarantee a calling, but it is difficult to find genuinely called individuals who are not deeply passionate about Jesus and His mission.</span></p> <p><strong><em><span>5. Hunger for the Word.</span></em></strong><em><span> </span></em><span>A deep desire for Scripture marks the spiritual lives of called leaders. They ask thoughtful questions and seek understanding. They are eager to learn and grow spiritually. Their hunger for God’s Word inspires others. They cultivate a listening posture before God, allowing Scripture and prayer to shape discernment and direction.</span></p> <p><span>Timothy was grounded in Scripture from his youth and shaped for leadership through God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:14–15).</span></p> <p><span>Called individuals are often marked by curiosity, teachability, and a genuine desire to know God’s Word more deeply.</span></p> <p><strong><em><span>6. Teachable spirit.</span></em></strong><em><span> </span></em><span>A called individual remains a learner long before and long after becoming a leader. They receive correction without defensiveness. They are eager to grow, stretch, and be shaped. They submit to spiritual authority and wisdom. They walk in humility, remaining correctable and anchored even when facing challenge, delay, or opposition. Their humility produces resiliency, enabling them to stay the course over time.</span></p> <p><span>Apollos was gifted and passionate, yet humble enough to receive instruction and grow in accuracy and maturity (Acts 18:24–26).</span></p> <p><span>In many ways, this may be the most important trait of all. Skills can be taught. Opportunities can be created. But a teachable spirit positions a person for lifelong growth and ministry effectiveness.</span></p> <p><span>When these traits consistently emerge in an individual’s life, pay attention. God may be stirring something deeper. He may be calling them into vocational ministry, and your role as a leader may be to help them recognize and respond to that call.</span></p> <p><strong><span> </span></strong></p> <h4>Empowering the Called</h4> <p><span>Identifying a call is only the beginning.</span></p> <p><span>Many leaders know how to identify potential but struggle to intentionally empower it. Calling flourishes when leaders create environments where emerging ministers can grow, learn, and gain ministry experience. When leaders intentionally invest in called individuals, they don’t simply develop volunteers; they empower future shepherds, missionaries, church planters, and ministry leaders.</span></p> <p><span>Over the years, I have found 10 practical ways pastors and ministry leaders can intentionally empower those sensing a vocational call to ministry.</span></p> <p><strong><em><span>1. Create real ministry opportunities.</span></em></strong><em><span> </span></em><span>Empowerment requires trust and intentional release.</span></p> <p><span>Don’t delegate only what is convenient. Entrust emerging leaders with meaningful responsibilities. Allow them to experience both preparation and execution. Responsibility communicates that you believe in them.</span></p> <p><span>Jesus entrusted His disciples with ministry, sending them out to heal, preach, and minister to others (Luke 9:1–6).</span></p> <p><span>So,<strong> </strong>give called individuals opportunities to lead, teach, organize, pray, and serve. People often discover God’s purpose while actively participating in ministry.</span></p> <p><strong><em><span>2. Invite them to perform routine ministry tasks.</span></em></strong><em><span> </span></em><span>Exposure forms understanding.</span></p> <p><span>What feels routine to you may be transformational for emerging leaders. Allow them to observe the behind-the-scenes realities of ministry. Transparency builds preparedness.</span></p> <p><span>Elisha followed Elijah closely, witnessing daily ministry before stepping into leadership himself (1 Kings 19:19–21).</span></p> <p><span>Invite new leaders to hospital visits, staff meetings, leadership conversations, funerals, weddings, counseling appointments, and ministry planning sessions. Such exposure often produces clarity.</span></p> <p><strong><em><span>3. Listen to their stories. </span></em></strong><span>Listening affirms calling and builds trust.<em> </em>Create margin for individuals to share how God is speaking to them. Value their testimonies and spiritual sensitivity. Listening validates their journeys.</span></p> <p><span>Eli listened carefully and helped Samuel discern the voice of the Lord (1 Samuel 3).</span></p> <p><span>Ask questions. Listen more than you speak. Some of the most significant moments of discernment happen when a leader simply creates space for conversation.</span></p> <p><strong><em><span>4. Provide clear guidance and mentoring.</span></em></strong><em><span> </span></em><span>Calling flourishes under wise direction.</span></p> <p><span>Offer clarity, correction, and encouragement. Share personal lessons, both victories and failures. Presence matters more than perfection.</span></p> <p><span>Paul intentionally mentored Timothy through relationship, instruction, and encouragement.</span></p> <p><span>Be accessible. Meet consistently. Share your experiences honestly. Young leaders need more than information; they need relationships.</span></p> <h6> Calling flourishes when leaders create environments where emerging ministers can grow, learn, and gain ministry experience.</h6> <p><strong><em><span>5. Encourage risk and ownership.</span></em></strong><em><span> </span></em><span>Growth requires room to lead.</span></p> <p><span>Give emerging leaders authority to make decisions. Celebrate faith-filled effort, not just successful outcomes. Ownership produces maturity.</span></p> <p><span>Jesus allowed Peter to step out of the boat and grow through both boldness and failure (Matthew 14:28–31).</span></p> <p><span>Provide emerging leaders with opportunities where success is not guaranteed. Confidence grows when people learn to trust God through real responsibility.</span></p> <p><strong><em><span>6. Recognize their unique gifts.</span></em></strong><em><span> </span></em><span>Affirmation clarifies calling.</span></p> <p><span>Help individuals identify their God-given strengths. Connect gifts to real ministry expression. Development often follows recognition.</span></p> <p><span>Barnabas recognized Paul’s gifting and created space for it to flourish (Acts 9:26–27).</span></p> <p><span>Call out strengths you see. Help people understand how God has uniquely wired them for ministry.</span></p> <p><strong><em><span>7. Be a safe space for questions.</span></em></strong><em><span> </span></em><span>Healthy environments produce healthy leaders.</span></p> <p><span>Encourage honest questions and dialogue. Allow doubts and uncertainties to be expressed without shame. Safety fosters spiritual depth.</span></p> <p><span>Jesus patiently answered His disciples’ questions and clarified truth (Matthew 13:10–17).</span></p> <p><span>Create a culture where questions are welcomed rather than feared. Growth often happens through honest conversation.</span></p> <p><strong><em><span>8. Model servant leadership.</span></em></strong><em><span> </span></em><span>What you model shapes more than what you teach.</span></p> <p><span>Lead with humility, patience, and love. Serve visibly and joyfully. Example builds credibility.</span></p> <p><span>Jesus remains the ultimate model of servant leadership.</span></p> <p><span>Remember that people are always watching. Your example will often teach more than your words.</span></p> <p><strong><em><span>9. Celebrate growth and wins.</span></em></strong><em><span> </span></em><span>Celebration reinforces confidence.<em> </em>Publicly and privately acknowledge progress. Share testimonies of impact. Honor fuels momentum.</span></p> <p><span>Paul frequently affirmed and celebrated the churches and leaders he discipled (Philippians 1:3–6).</span></p> <p><span>Celebrate milestones. Recognize faithfulness. Encourage growth. A simple word of affirmation can shape a leader’s future.</span></p> <p><strong><em><span>10. Teach godly disciplines.</span></em></strong><em><span> </span></em><span>Sustainability matters more than momentum.</span></p> <p><span>Help emerging leaders build rhythms of prayer, Scripture, and rest. Disciplines anchor calling for the long haul because private devotion fuels public ministry.</span></p> <p><span>Daniel’s spiritual disciplines sustained his calling through changing seasons and leadership transitions (Daniel 6).</span></p> <p><span>Teach habits before platforms. A healthy devotional life will sustain a calling long after talent and enthusiasm fade.</span></p> <p><strong><span> </span></strong></p> <h4>Releasing the Called</h4> <p><span>Every leader eventually faces a defining question: Am I developing leaders to only strengthen my ministry, or am I developing leaders to fulfill God’s Kingdom purpose?</span></p> <p><span>Identifying a person’s calling is important. Empowering the called is essential. But neither is complete until we are willing to release the called, and sometimes that means to another ministry. </span></p> <p><span>Jesus released the disciples. Barnabas released Paul. The church at Antioch released Paul and Barnabas. Healthy leaders and healthy churches have always been sending new leaders and new churches.</span></p> <p><span>Releasing people can be difficult because it often feels like losing some of your best leaders. Yet Kingdom-minded leaders understand a powerful truth: sending is not losing, it is multiplying.</span></p> <p><strong><em><span>1. Release them before you (or they) feel ready. </span></em></strong><span>Most leaders wait too long. The reality is that few people ever feel fully prepared for ministry. If we wait for complete readiness, we will never release anyone.</span></p> <p><span>Jesus sent His disciples while they were still learning and growing.</span></p> <p><span>Look for faithfulness, character, teachability, and fruit, not perfection. Significant growth often happens after release, not before it.</span></p> <p><strong><em><span>2. Publicly affirm their calling. </span></em></strong><span>Affirmation strengthens confidence and clarifies direction. Many emerging leaders wrestle with doubt. A public blessing from trusted spiritual leaders can become a defining moment in one’s journey and can help keep your relationship with them. </span></p> <p><span>The church at Antioch prayed, laid hands on Paul and Barnabas, and sent them into ministry (Acts 13:1–3).</span></p> <p><span>Celebrate ministry milestones. Pray over emerging leaders publicly. Let the church participate in recognizing God’s work in their lives.</span></p> <h6>Kingdom-minded leaders understand a powerful truth: sending is not losing, it is multiplying.</h6> <p><span> </span></p> <p><strong><em><span>3. Connect them to training and credentialing pathways.</span></em></strong><em><span> </span></em><span>Calling deserves preparation. One of the greatest gifts leaders can provide is helping emerging ministers understand their next step.</span></p> <p><span>Paul continually equipped leaders and entrusted ministry responsibilities to faithful people (2 Timothy 2:2).</span></p> <p><span>Help individuals pursue ministerial credentials, Bible college, ministry training, internships, mentoring relationships, and leadership development opportunities.</span></p> <p><strong><em><span>4. Keep coaching after they are sent.</span></em></strong><em><span> </span></em><span>Release does not mean abandonment. One of the greatest mistakes leaders make is assuming development ends once someone enters their first ministry assignment. </span></p> <p><span>Paul continued mentoring Timothy and Titus long after they assumed leadership responsibilities.</span></p> <p><span>Stay connected. Schedule conversations. Encourage emerging through victories and disappointments. The relationship often becomes even more valuable after release.</span></p> <p><strong><em><span>5. Celebrate sending and Kingdom multiplication.</span></em></strong><strong><span> </span></strong><span>The Kingdom advances when leaders are willing to release people into God’s assignment. Some will become pastors. Some will become missionaries. Some will plant churches. Some will serve in chaplaincy, education, evangelism, or other ministry roles. Every sent leader represents another life devoted to advancing the gospel.</span></p> <p><span>The church at Antioch became a multiplying congregation because it was willing to release some of its strongest leaders.</span></p> <p><span>Create a culture where sending is celebrated rather than feared. Regularly tell stories of those who have answered God’s call and are serving around the world.</span></p> <p><strong><span> </span></strong></p> <h4>Raising Laborers for the Harvest</h4> <p><span>Every person was created on purpose and for a purpose. As ministry leaders, we have the sacred privilege of helping people discover God’s call, develop their gifts, and step into His plan for their lives.</span></p> <p><span>Identify the called!</span></p> <p><span>Empower the called!</span></p> <p><span>Release the called!</span></p> <p><span>As we do, we participate in one of the most important assignments Christ has given His Church, raising up laborers for the harvest and helping them fulfill God’s purpose for their generation.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <em><span style="line-height: 115%;">This article appears in the Summer 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="line-height: 115%;">Called to Serve<em>, the Assemblies of God’s ministers’ letter.</em></span>{03B9E2A2-D162-4E22-93BE-E0E61EFC84A8}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Dont-Let-Ministry-Take-Over<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/dont-let-ministry-take-over-1400.jpg" alt="" />Keeping these priorities as guideposts has kept me sane, my family together, and my ministry healthy.Mon, 13 Jul 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>It was my first summer as a full-time children’s pastor. I was so excited to have the time and budget to do all the things I’d been dreaming about but couldn’t do. So, I did.<span>  </span></p> <p>First, I took my Junior Bible Quiz team to Nationals in Orlando, Florida (with a stop at Disney World).<span>  </span>We got back on Saturday. The next day I led children’s church, then hopped on a bus to take 12 kids to camp by myself for a week.</p> <p>Once we returned home, it was full speed ahead on VBS prep working 70 hours that week. Followed by another 70-hour work week while leading VBS. Oh, in between those two weeks, my church hosted a Father’s Day car show.</p> <p>By the time June was over I was exhausted. I looked at my calendar and realized I’d only taken two days off the entire month. Thankfully, I didn’t burn out that summer, but I came close. I knew that the pace was unsustainable. So, when I planned the next year’s calendar, I created time to breathe.</p> <p>While that month was a marathon and fluke in my ministry experience, it’s still easy as pastors to overcommit and overextend. We have good intentions. People are counting on us. There’s so much need and it feels like you’re called to meet it. </p> <p>But I’ve learned you can’t solve everyone’s problems. So, you must prioritize. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself stretched too thin and burned out, leading to minimized effectiveness, leaving the ministry, or possibly losing your faith.<span>  </span></p> <p>Over the years, I developed three major priorities for the summer. I can’t say I’m always the best, and every summer looks different. However, keeping these priorities as guideposts has kept me sane, my family together, and my ministry healthy.</p> <p> </p> <h4>Priority 1: Yourself</h4> <p>I was tempted to put these priorities in the opposite order than I’ve listed them here. But if you don’t set yourself as a top priority the rest won’t happen. </p> <p>When I talk about caring for yourself, I’m including your relationship with God. In ministry, especially Kidmin, it’s so easy to get wrapped up in all the summer outreach that you forget everything else. You may not be able to take as much time for yourself as you can in a quieter season. But you still need to make some space.</p> <p>The truth is ministry will take all the time that you give it and then some. When you are planning your summer, make sure to build in time to replenish yourself. You don’t have unlimited energy. You'll need to rest and refresh at some point. </p> <p>I suggest developing a replenishment cycle. Identify a different activity that replenishes you physically, mentally, spiritually, and socially. These are things that if not done daily, you would do most days or within a week. </p> <p>A few years ago, I created my own cycle and put it in place. I find I’m far less likely to burn out. When I start to feel tired or overwhelmed, I can look at what I’ve done over the last few days and usually find I’ve been skipping one or more parts of my replenishment cycle. </p> <p>Since I know what will provide energy, I make time for one of those activities and almost instantly feel better. You must keep your cup full. For me, it’s exercise for the physical, worship and prayer for the spiritual, video games for the mental, and time with family for the social. I may not be able to get all that done every week, especially during the summer, but I make sure to create time when I can.<span>  </span></p> <p>Find what works for you. What brings you joy and replenishes your energy. It can be stupid or weird, but that’s OK if it keeps you in the game.<span>  </span></p> <p>So, when you are planning your summer, mark off some days for yourself. You need to rest and replenish as much as anyone else. Don’t push yourself until you break. If you do, you’ll be no good to anyone.</p> <p> </p> <h4></h4> <h4>Priority 2: Your Family</h4> <p>Thankfully during that super-busy summer, I didn’t have kids yet, and my wife was with me through most of it. However, once we had our son, our priorities had to shift. Now summers can’t be all about ministry. We also need to make sure to spend time and make memories as a family. </p> <h6>Keep your priorities in order. Then you’ll end the season refreshed, your family strengthened, and your ministry healthier than ever.</h6> <p>If you already planned a family vacation for the summer, good for you! But if you haven’t, stop reading, pull out your calendar, and pick a date. You don’t have to go anywhere special. A staycation can be great too.</p> <p>I’ve talked to many pastor’s kids who still love Jesus into adulthood. They all say the same thing.<span>  </span>Their parents made time for them even during the busy seasons. They received special privileges because of working at the church, which they loved. </p> <p>Your children want time with just you. If you always put the church first, they may grow to resent it. </p> <p>A fellow pastor and mentor once advised me to set a special family day at the end of every busy season. This special day will be a beacon, a light at the end of the tunnel. The pastor said when his kids complain during a busy season, he apologizes. Then reminds them about what’s coming at the end of the season. </p> <p>Having a special family day gives you and your kids something to look forward to, especially when you’re exhausted. One of my favorite memories is after an especially hard summer, we went to a Tampa Bay Rays game. It was my son’s first professional baseball game. Those three hours were precious.</p> <p>Set some time for family before the summer is out. It’ll make the summer break that much sweeter.</p> <p> </p> <h4>Priority 3: Ministry</h4> <p>As I said at the beginning of the list, I almost put this first. Truthfully, during many of my summers, ministry has become a higher priority than it should. One summer, my senior pastor made me take a week off for a family vacation. I didn’t think I could do it. It meant I would be out of the office for three weeks straight, missing two consecutive Sundays. </p> <p>However, when your boss tells you to do something, you better do it. And I’m thankful we did. It took a lot of work to get ready, but the vacation was worth it.</p> <p>As you work on your ministry, don’t jump from event to event. Take some time to celebrate with your family, your volunteer team, and your church. It’s too easy to just move on without showing appreciation. That’s a good way to lose some great volunteers.<span>  </span></p> <p>Write thank you notes. Post on social media how thankful you are for your great volunteers. Collect photos and videos and share them at the end of the year in church or at a volunteer appreciation event. You are working hard during the summer, but so are your volunteers. Thank them for their time and effort.</p> <p>For each summer, I try to space out my events. When I was in day-to-day Kidmin, I always had two big events, VBS and camp. They took a lot of time, energy and focus. So, I’d try to space them out as much as possible. If camp was in July, I’d have VBS in June and vice versa. There were a couple of years I put these events back-to-back. But I’m not 20 anymore. I don’t have the energy.</p> <p>Besides VBS and camp, I’d have other events. Things like graduations, Father’s Day, July 4th celebration, back to school, and family fun events. Find out what works best for you, your family, and families in the church. Don’t be afraid to experiment. You never know what’s going to work and reach more lives for Christ.</p> <p>In ministry, summer isn’t a time to relax. For many, it’s the busiest time of the year. Don’t make the same mistakes I’ve made and let ministry take over everything. Rather, keep your priorities in order. Then you’ll end the season refreshed, your family strengthened, and your ministry healthier than ever.</p>{D3D3315A-F586-4396-9430-2639E2798EB4}https://influencemagazine.com/Podcast/The-Foundation-of-Ministry-Is-Prayer<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/1400x490/InfluencePodcast_1400.jpg" alt="" />In Episode 429, George P. Wood talks to Joe Oden about his new book, ‘Empowered to Pray’.Thu, 09 Jul 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>Welcome to the <em>Influence Podcast</em>! I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of <em>Influence</em> magazine and your host.</p> <p>Joe Oden writes the following in his new book, <em>Empowered to Pray</em>:</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">In an hour when many leaders are fixated on numerical growth, how to accommodate and make seekers feel comfortable, leadership strategies, higher education, and enhanced communications, we observe that well-intended leaders are trying to advance the kingdom of God in their own strength. However, when we look at the ministry of Jesus and the early church, we find a different path forward. … Their foundation was prayer, and everything they did originated from their private and corporate devotions.</p> <p>In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk to Oden about the importance of prayer for Christian ministry, as well how the Lord himself teaches us to pray. Oden is an evangelist, ordained Assemblies of God minister, and director of the AG World Prayer Center. He is also author of <em><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;">Empowered to Pray: Advancing the Kingdom of God Through Prayer and Intercession</span></em><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;">, published by <a href="https://gospelpublishinghouse.com/store/index.cfm">Gospel Publishing House</a>.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><iframe title="Embed Player" src="https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/41981455/height/192/theme/modern/size/large/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/87A93A/time-start/00:00:00/playlist-height/200/direction/backward/download/yes/font-color/FFFFFF" height="192" width="100%" scrolling="no" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" oallowfullscreen="true" msallowfullscreen="true" style="border: medium;"></iframe></p> <p> </p> <h4>Sponsor Ad</h4> <p>This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, distributors of <em>Multiplication Mindset</em>.</p> <p>In <em>Multiplication Mindset</em>, Gerad Strong brings together decades of real-life ministry experience—revitalizing churches, multiplying campuses, and equipping leaders—to help leaders move beyond addition thinking and into sustainable, mission-driven impact.</p> <p>Multiplication isn’t a strategy for a few high-capacity churches. It’s God’s design for every church.</p> <p> <span>For more information about <em>Multiplication Mindset </em>visit GospelPublishingHouse.com.</span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <style> @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Aptos; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Aptos; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:8.0pt; line-height:115%;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} </style> <h4>Show Notes</h4> <ul> <li>00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad</li> <li>02:32 — Tell us more about how private and corporate prayer are the foundation of Christian ministry.</li> <li>07:23 — Does prayer compete with leadership strategies, or are they complementary? </li> <li>10:52 — Why does prayer need a set place, a specific time, and ample time?</li> <li>14:18 — Why are both “crisis” moments and “process” habits important?</li> <li>21:09 — What is intimacy with God, and how do we develop it?</li> <li>24:03 — What does God want? And when does it come to pass?</li> <li>28:32 — How does God’s kingdom advance through the Church, irrespective of law and politics?</li> <li>34:48 — How does Jesus teach us to pray with persistence?</li> <li>40:33 — What does the Assemblies of god World Prayer Center do, and how can someone get involved with it?</li> <li>42:51 — What are you reading right now that is interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?</li> <li>44:49 — Conclusion</li> </ul>{83CD87A0-F7D4-4AEC-8058-5A07613133F2}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Pursuing-Unity-for-Revival-and-Mission<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/pursuing-unity-for-revival-and-mission-1400.jpg" alt="" /> The Church must link arms in unity if we hope to see a spiritual awakening in our generation.Wed, 08 Jul 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>District council season is one of the highlights of my year. I have heard countless encouraging reports from district and network gatherings, marked by meaningful fellowship and spiritual encouragement.</p> <p>The richness of our Fellowship strengthens and refreshes us for the journey ahead. District council season reminds me that unity positions us for revival, strengthens us for mission, and allows us to accomplish far more together than we ever could alone. </p> <p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></p> <h4>Unity and Revival</h4> <p>We are praying for another Great Awakening in our nation — a fresh move of God that brings many souls into His Kingdom. The Assemblies of God World Prayer Center is facilitating a nationwide prayer movement, mobilizing churches across the nation to pray on July Fourth for a fresh outpouring. Scripture suggests that unity is often a catalyst for revival.</p> <p>Luke wrote, “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place” (Acts 2:1). What follows is the account of a Spirit-empowered movement that transformed lives and turned the world upside down.</p> <p>What does it mean that they were “all together”? In his four-volume commentary on Acts, Craig Keener suggests that the unity expressed here continues the thought from Acts 1:14, where the disciples were in one accord and joined together constantly for prayer. It then “foreshadows and prepares for the fuller ideals of community realized after the Spirit’s outpouring” described in Acts 2:41–47.</p> <p>The Early Church walked in remarkable unity around the mission Jesus had given them to make disciples of all nations. Unity among believers positions us to receive all that God desires to do through His Spirit. In turn, the work of the Spirit deepens and strengthens our unity.</p> <p>The psalmist paints a powerful picture of the connection between unity and anointing when he writes, “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe” (Psalm 133:1–2).</p> <p>Just as the Early Church walked in unity and received power through the outpouring of the Spirit, we too must pursue unity and position ourselves for what God desires to do in our generation.</p> <p> </p> <h4>Unity of Purpose</h4> <p>Throughout church history, believers have recognized the powerful connection between unity, Spirit-empowerment, and missional effectiveness. </p> <h6>Throughout church history, believers have recognized the powerful connection between unity, Spirit-empowerment, and missional effectiveness. </h6> <p>The founders of the Assemblies of God understood this principle well. Rather than building a hierarchical structure, they united around shared doctrine and a common passion to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. Their goal was not unity for its own sake, but unity in pursuit of a world reached for Jesus.</p> <p>During the second General Council in November 1914, attendees renewed their commitment to labor together in fulfilling the mission. A resolution prevailed that read, “We commit ourselves and the Movement to Him for the greatest evangelism that the world has ever seen. We pledge our hearty cooperation, prayers, and help to this end.”</p> <p>Their commitment to unity was not driven by organizational convenience but by deep missional conviction. They believed that partnering together would produce a greater harvest than any could accomplish alone.</p> <p>From the beginning, we have linked arms around the mission of proclaiming this Pentecostal witness at home and around the world in fulfillment of the Great Commission. Together, we are stronger, more effective, and better equipped to fulfill our mission.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></p> <h4>An Example from Nature</h4> <p>God’s design for unity and working together is woven into creation itself. One of the clearest examples can be seen in the annual migration of birds. </p> <p>Each year, birds travel thousands of miles to reach their breeding grounds. Why undertake such an arduous journey? They migrate to fulfill God’s design to reproduce and multiply. In fact, they do it in obedience to God. Genesis 1:22 says, “God blessed them and said, <strong><span style="color: red;">‘</span></strong>Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.<strong><span style="color: red;">’”</span></strong> </p> <p>Similarly, God has given humans a mandate to multiply and fill the earth. But He also commissioned us to reproduce spiritually — to make disciples of all nations. We can learn a thing or two from how birds migrate.</p> <p>Most migratory birds travel in flocks, often flying in the V-formation. Scientists estimate that flying together in this formation increases energy efficiency by 20–30%. Each bird receives aerodynamic lift from the bird flying ahead of it. Trackers placed on birds have demonstrated the flocks that flap their wings in unison are more effective in their migration journey. </p> <p>The application to disciple-making is unmistakable. God has designed us to labor together in reaping the spiritual harvest. We can either help lift others toward greater effectiveness or become a hindrance to the mission.</p> <p>Traveling together extends the benefits beyond energy conservation. As a group, birds are better able to detect and defend against predators. While our battle is not against flesh and blood, we do face a very real spiritual adversary. Working together with others provides greater protection. </p> <p>Birds traveling together share resources and increase the likelihood of reaching their destination. Even species that spend much of the year alone join others for the migration because they are stronger together.</p> <p>God has not designed us to minister alone. He has created us to serve together in unity. Just as birds migrate together to fulfill their God-given purpose, the Church must link arms in unity if we hope to see a spiritual awakening in our generation.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></p> <h4>Practical Guidance</h4> <p>If birds instinctively understand the value of traveling together, how much more should we, as followers of Christ, intentionally pursue unity? Scripture provides practical guidance for strengthening the bonds that unite us.</p> <p><strong><em>1. Make every effort.</em></strong><em> </em>Scientists tell us that the natural tendency of the universe is to progress from order to disorder. Anyone who has raised young kids and tried to keep your house clean, knows this principle firsthand. Restoring order requires intentional effort.</p> <p>Unity must be pursued with the same intentionality. Paul urged the Ephesians to live a life worthy of the calling they have received, and then in the same passage, he said, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3; cf. verses 1–6). </p> <p>Make every effort — because unity rarely happens by accident.</p> <p><strong><em>2. Practice unity and diversity.</em></strong><em> </em>Unity does not mean uniformity. Paul tells us there is one Body and one Spirit, “but to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it” (Ephesians 4:7). God, in His wisdom, has given us all different gifts.</p> <h6>When we are secure in God’s design for our lives, we can celebrate the gifts of others without comparison, insecurity, or jealousy.</h6> <p>Returning to our illustration from nature, species of birds are created to thrive in different environments. A shorebird has a long beak so it can dig into the mud for critters to eat. A seabird has webbed feet to swim underwater, and a hawk has large wings to soar high in the sky, looking for prey below. Similarly, God has uniquely gifted each of us for different assignments and opportunities.</p> <p>When we are secure in God’s design for our lives, we can celebrate the gifts of others without comparison, insecurity, or jealousy.</p> <p><strong><em>3. Bring back graciousness.</em></strong><em> </em>Proverbs 16:24 says, “Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Scripture calls us to season our conversations with gracious and life-giving words. In Ephesians 4:2, Paul instructs believers how to deal with each other: “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.”</p> <p>Graciousness has become increasingly rare in our culture, and nowhere is this more evident than in political discourse. In my lifetime, political discourse has become marked by hostility, suspicion, and personal attacks. Of course, there has always been vigorous debate on issues, as there should be.<span>  </span></p> <p>The Church must take its cues from Scripture rather than from the culture around us. This is especially true on social media, where words travel quickly and remain visible long after they are posted. We undermine our gospel witness when we publicly attack, belittle, or malign one another. Jesus said that people would know we are His disciples by our love for each other (John 13:35).</p> <p>One of the simplest expressions of graciousness is choosing to give others the benefit of the doubt regarding their intentions. It is easy to assume the worst before taking the time to understand someone’s heart, motive, or perspective.</p> <p><strong><em>4. Be a connector.</em></strong><em> </em>Some of my greatest blessings in ministry have been the relationships I have built with fellow ministers. When I first attended a district council in Alaska during 1998, I barely knew anyone. I felt like I didn’t belong. </p> <p>Thankfully, my pastor intentionally introduced me to others and helped me build meaningful relationships. Those relationships have encouraged, strengthened, and sustained me throughout my ministry. </p> <p>It is easy to forget what it feels like to be a newcomer in the room. Let’s intentionally look for those on the margins and help them become connected to the life of our Fellowship.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></p> <h4>A Visible Expression of Unity</h4> <p>As I reflect on another district council season, I am reminded that our Fellowship is far more than a series of annual gatherings. It is a visible expression of the unity Jesus prayed for, the unity that characterized the Early Church, and the unity our founders embraced in pursuit of the Great Commission.</p> <p>We pursue unity because Jesus commands it. We pursue unity because it strengthens our witness before a watching world. We pursue unity because we are more effective together than we could ever be alone. And we pursue unity because we long to see another Great Awakening in our nation.</p> <p>May we continue linking arms around the mission our Lord has entrusted to us, making every effort to preserve the unity of the Spirit and positioning ourselves for the great work God desires to accomplish in our generation.</p> <p> </p> <p><em><span>This article appears in the Summer 2026 issue of </span></em><span>Called to Serve<em>, the Assemblies of God’s ministers’ letter.</em></span></p>{A4F53C63-6EC4-48B9-983A-08480A85C2CC}https://influencemagazine.com/Reviews/Everyday-Christianity<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/everyday-christianity-1400.jpg" alt="" />Paul’s directives to early Christians were bent on helping them grow up in Christ for the sake of our entire world.Tue, 07 Jul 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>A stand-off between master and slave, a quarrel between two women, a community wracked with grief over the death of loved ones, a heartfelt expression of thanks to friends for their love and care — these were the kinds of issues that, in part, prompted the letter writing of the apostle Paul.</p> <p>But with the gospel at the center of his ministry, why did Paul put so much effort into addressing the seemingly less important, everyday stuff of the human experience? New Testament scholar Nijay K. Gupta answers this question and more in <em>Paul for the World: A Grounded Vision for Finding Meaning in this Life — Not Just the Next.</em></p> <p>Gupta calls the book a “companion” for a previous book, <em>Strange Religion</em>, which explained why outsiders were suspicious of the followers of Jesus, whose seemingly odd practices confused and concerned their Greco-Roman neighbors.</p> <p><em>Paul for the World</em>, on the other hand, looks at what was happening inside Christian communities to grow these early believers into Christlike maturity. Much of their maturing process was due to the influence of Paul, who taught them to mature in ways that would impact <em>all</em> aspects of their lives in the world.</p> <p>To help frame Paul’s worldview for the reader, Gupta borrows language from Deitrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian who resisted Hitler’s Nazi regime. Bonhoeffer suggested Jesus was “worldly” in the sense that He immersed himself fully in the world, thereby initiating the redemption of all aspects of creation — even the stuff we might consider ordinary, mundane, and unspiritual.</p> <p>Calling this “holy wordliness,” Gupta suggests Paul’s directives to early Christians were bent on helping them “grow up” in Christ for the sake of our entire world.</p> <p>Gupta begins by using Paul’s letters to the Corinthians as a case study on how the apostle tried to correct their “spirituality gone wrong.” Although the Corinthians thought they had “arrived at the pinnacle of self-actualization” because of their spiritual gifts, Paul rebuked them for behaving foolishly, carnally, and selfishly.</p> <p>Paul redirected his readers toward behavior that would emulate the way of the crucified Christ. This, Gupta says, is the “medicine” they needed to cure their poisoned spirituality. It is far better to live by the Spirit for the sake of the world (as Christ did) than to seek personal gain.</p> <p>In returning to Bonhoeffer’s framework, Gupta says this means living with the “hope that in the power of the Spirit and the way of Christ, we may turn (the world) right-side up.”</p> <h6>Paul’s directives to early Christians were bent on helping them “grow up” in Christ for the sake of our entire world.</h6> <p>A major strength of Gupta’s work is his ability to bring to life the Greco-Roman world, so the reader sees how entwined Paul’s language is with the cultural mores of his day. Paul often used popular cultural slogans to correct or redirect the Corinthians.</p> <p>Additionally, Paul’s metaphor of growing up into Christ resembled the way Stoic philosophers often discussed moving from a life of vice to one of virtue, a process involving struggle, discipline, and training.</p> <p>Paul, too, saw training and struggle as necessary components to the Christian’s maturing journey to become more like Christ.</p> <p>With these metaphors in view, Gupta seeks in the second part of the book to shed light on how Christian training and maturity intersect with specific issues Paul addresses in his letters.</p> <p>Along with his extensive teaching about God, the spiritual realm, resurrection, and redemption in Christ, Paul confronted practical and logistical matters causing problems in early Christian communities.</p> <p>Gupta identifies eight of these issues, which Christian communities in any age regularly care about. These include justice, ethnic equality, economics, work, friendship, athletics, wellness, and the arts.</p> <p>From Paul’s correspondence, Gupta constructs Paul’s views on these matters in light of his desire for Christians to grow up in the way they handled them.</p> <p>In other words, Paul was always inviting believers to Christlike maturity as they lived their lives and engaged with matters of justice, slavery, money, vocation, relationships, and craftsmanship.</p> <p>Gupta illuminates Paul’s specific ideas on each subject, using contextual insights from the world early Christians inhabited.</p> <p>Ultimately, Gupta believes the operating force behind Paul’s this-worldly teachings is the hope-generating conviction of Christ’s resurrection and future redemption of our suffering world. It is “because Christ has defeated sin and death, (that) we can already start living according to the gospel kingdom’s principles, values, and culture right now.”</p> <p><em>Paul for the World</em> may leave readers hungering to learn even more about what it means to grow in Christ as we seek to live out the gospel in our 21st-century world.</p> <p>Not everything Paul had to say finds a simple correlation to the phenomena of bitcoin, AI, and social media reels. But Gupta offers enough of Paul’s thoughts on this-worldly matters for Christians to continue to prayerfully discern what it means to live their faith for the sake of the world.</p> <h4> </h4> <h4>Book Reviewed</h4> <p>Nijay K. Gupta, <em>Paul for the World: A Grounded Vision for Finding Meaning in this Life — Not Just the Next </em>(Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2026).</p>{15571028-2D57-4769-8E5F-8989758DA4FD}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/The-Open-Handed-Church<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/the-open-handed-church-1400.jpg" alt="" />When a congregation finally catches the vision of living open-handed, it unleashes a transformative power that can change lives.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>Generosity<span> is one of the most frequently discussed topics among church leaders, yet it remains one of the most difficult to authentically cultivate. Often, when pastors talk about generosity, the conversation centers on fundraising logistics, capital campaigns, or bridging gaps in the annual budget. While financial stewardship is undeniably a critical aspect of church health, treating generosity simply as a mechanism to keep the lights on fundamentally misses the heart of the issue. </span></p> <p><span>Generosity is not a seasonal campaign or a fundraising strategy. It is a spiritual culture. It is the lifeblood of a healthy, Christ-centered community. If we want our congregations to live open-handed lives, we must transition from merely asking for resources to intentionally cultivating an ecosystem of radical generosity.</span></p> <p><span>To begin creating this culture, we must first recognize that generosity always flows from the top down. A congregation will rarely outpace its leadership in the area of sacrifice. If a pastoral team operates with a scarcity mindset, tightly clutching their time, resources, and influence, the church will inherently adopt that exact same posture. </span></p> <p><span>Before we can ask our people to be generous, we must examine our own lives. Are we, as leaders, generously investing our time in mentoring the next generation? Are we generous with our words of encouragement? Are we modeling financial sacrifice in our personal lives? </span></p> <p><span>When the leadership of a church lives with open hands, it sets a powerful, unspoken standard for the entire congregation. You cannot effectively lead your people to a place of joyful giving if you have not first traveled that road yourself.</span></p> <h6>When a congregation finally catches the vision of living open-handed, it unleashes a transformative power that can change lives.</h6> <p><span>Furthermore, we must fundamentally shift the narrative surrounding how we talk about giving. In many churches, the offering moment is treated as a necessary obligation, often accompanied by subtle guilt or high-pressure appeals. But guilt is a terrible long-term motivator. It might produce a temporary spike in giving, but it will never produce a lasting culture of generosity. </span></p> <p><span>We need to reframe the conversation from one of institutional obligation to one of kingdom opportunity. Generosity is about what God wants for His people. It is a profound privilege to partner with the Creator of the universe in the work of redemption. When we teach our congregations that giving is a joyful reflection of God’s own character, we invite them into the joy of participating in God’s mission.</span></p> <p><span>A true culture of generosity also requires us to expand our definition beyond the offering plate. While financial giving is essential, a church that is only generous with its money is missing the broader call of the gospel. We must disciple our congregations to be generous with their time, their gifts, and their relationships.</span></p> <p><span>This means challenging the successful business leader to generously mentor a young adult entering the workforce. It means encouraging families to be hospitable by opening their homes to those who are isolated. It means organizing our church calendars so that people actually have the time to volunteer in their local schools and neighborhoods. </span></p> <p><span>When generosity becomes a holistic lifestyle rather than just a financial transaction, it transforms the entire church community.</span></p> <p><span>As this lifestyle begins to take root, leadership must be highly intentional about celebrating it. In any organizational culture, what gets celebrated gets replicated. If we only highlight financial milestones or building projects, we communicate a very narrow view of success. </span></p> <p><span>Instead, we need to regularly share stories of everyday generosity. We should publicly celebrate the volunteer who has faithfully served in the children’s ministry for a decade. We should highlight the small group that rallied to pay rent for a single mother in their neighborhood. We should share testimonies of individuals who experienced God’s faithfulness after taking a leap of faith in their tithing. </span></p> <p><span>Stories have the unique power to inspire the imagination and show the congregation what a life of generosity actually looks like in practice.</span></p> <p><span>Ultimately, a generous church is an undeniably attractive church. In a society that is increasingly characterized by self-preservation, hoarding, and individualism, a community that gives freely stands in stark, beautiful contrast to the rest of the world. When a neighborhood looks at a local church and sees a group of people who are quick to give, eager to serve, and generous with their grace, it points them directly to the heart of Jesus. </span></p> <span style="line-height: 115%;">Cultivating this kind of culture takes time, patience, and persistent pastoral leadership. It requires us to move beyond the easy metrics of budgets and attendance and do the hard work of discipling human hearts. But when a congregation finally catches the vision of living open-handed, it unleashes a transformative power that can change lives.</span>{6B3B7F6D-3C36-4D88-B152-D86462BC68E5}https://influencemagazine.com/Podcast/Dangers-Ministers-Dont-See<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/1400x490/InfluencePodcast_1400.jpg" alt="" />In Episode 428, George P. Wood talks to Doug Clay about his new book, ‘Blind Spots’.Thu, 02 Jul 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>Welcome to the <em>Influence Podcast</em>! I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of <em>Influence</em> magazine and your host.</p> <p>In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk Assemblies of God General Superintendent Doug Clay about themes in his new book, <em>Blind Spots: The Invisible Vulnerabilities Shaping Your Leadership</em>, published by Gospel Publishing House. </p> <p>Introducing the topic of his book, Clay writes:</p> <blockquote> <p>The most dangerous threats to spiritual leaders are not external opposition or cultural pressure, but rather the invisible vulnerabilities that distort calling and quietly erode faithful obedience. Every leader carries these invisible vulnerabilities — these <em>blind spots</em> — and no amount of spiritual maturity or leadership experience makes someone immune to them.</p> <p>…</p> <p>Because blind spots are invisible by nature, recognizing and treating them requires disciplined reflection, honest feedback, and a corrective community. Paul echoes this truth throughout the New Testament. He warns those in positions of spiritual authority to ‘keep watch over yourselves’ (Acts 20:20) and cautions Timothy to ‘watch your life and doctrine closely’ (1 Timothy 4:16). It is my belief that many spiritual leaders fail not because they lack divine calling, but because they struggle with awareness of their blind spots. </p> </blockquote> <p> </p> <p><iframe title="Embed Player" src="https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/41920410/height/192/theme/modern/size/large/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/87A93A/time-start/00:00:00/playlist-height/200/direction/backward/download/yes/font-color/FFFFFF" height="192" width="100%" scrolling="no" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" oallowfullscreen="true" msallowfullscreen="true" style="border: medium;"></iframe></p> <p> </p> <h4>Sponsor Ad</h4> <p>This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, distributors of <em>Trusted with Treasure</em> by Assemblies of God General Secretary Brad Kesler.</p> <p>Just as nautical charts and lighthouses guide captains safely past hazards, this handbook on ministerial ethics will help equip you to build healthy relationships, avoid unwise behaviors, and serve with integrity and the highest ethical standards.</p> <p> <span>For more information about <em>Trusted with Treasure </em>visit <a href="https://gospelpublishinghouse.com/">GospelPublishingHouse.com</a>.</span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <style> @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Aptos; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Aptos; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:8.0pt; line-height:115%;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} </style> <h4>Show Notes</h4> <ul> <li>00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad</li> <li>02:42 — What is a blind spot?</li> <li>03:44 — The first blind spot is confusing calling with comparison. How does this blind spot work, and how can we overcome it?</li> <li>08:38 — Mistaking familiarity with spiritual maturity is the second blind spot we’re going to talk about. Same question: how does this blind spot work, and how can we overcome it?</li> <li>11:38 — Losing curiosity about God is the third blind spot I want to talk about. How do ministers lose curiosity about God? And how do they recover it?</li> <li>13:40 — The fourth blind spot I want to talk about is drifting from integrity to image management. In a world saturated with social media, this one seems especially important. What would you like Assemblies of God ministers to know about this one?</li> <li>17:51 — In the book’s Conclusion, you write: “One theme runs through all eight blind spots in this book: Healthy leadership requires embracing weakness, not projecting strength.” Why is that?</li> <li>21:02 — America celebrates its 250^th anniversary this week. How should we be praying for our country in the lead up to July Fourth … and every day thereafter?</li> <li>26:54 — What are you reading right now that is interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?</li> <li> <span>31:24 — Conclusion</span></li> </ul>{00BEA328-21A2-4246-8B35-7C03817A00B5}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/What-We-Believe-About-the-New-Creation<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/The-New-Creation_1400.jpg" alt="" />To embrace the fullness of our hope in Christ, we must understand what the Bible teaches about life after death, the nature of heaven, and God’s ultimate purpose for creation.Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>Many astronauts have reported a change in their way of thinking after seeing Earth from space.</p> <p>Known as the “overview effect,” this phenomenon includes a renewed appreciation for our planet’s beauty, a deeper sense of life’s connectedness, and a heightened awareness of the fragility of the home we all share. This may lead to behavioral changes, such as increased humanitarian or environmental activities.</p> <p>Christian eschatology can also produce a shift in perception by providing an overview of the human story. We come to a new understanding of ourselves and our relationships in light of the shared outcome for creation. This can change our behavior as we learn to live toward the promises of God.</p> <p>Where sin threatens to bring the story of Scripture to a close, God’s promises keep the narrative going. After Adam and Eve disobey, God says Eve’s offspring will crush the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15).</p> <p>As Noah and his family emerge from the ark, God promises a flood will never again destroy life on such a scale (Genesis 9:11).</p> <p>Abraham receives the promise of blessing to all peoples following the Tower of Babel (Genesis 12:3).</p> <p>During the time of Moses, God promises restoration will follow exile (Deuteronomy 30:3).</p> <p>Through the prophet Joel, God further promises to pour out His Spirit on all people (Joel 2:28–29).</p> <p>Jesus fulfills God’s promises (2 Corinthians 1:20). In Christ, forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit are available to all (Acts 2:38–39; 10:43–44). Because of Jesus, we can hope for holiness now and eternal life to come (Romans 6:22).</p> <p>The opening chapter of 2 Peter declares God’s “great and precious promises” make it possible to “participate in the divine nature” (1:4). The closing chapter says, “We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness” (3:13, KJV).</p> <p>That phrase, “according to His promise,” summarizes the Bible’s trajectory.</p> <p>The King James Version of 2 Peter 3:13 also concludes the Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths, under Article 16, “The New Heavens and the New Earth.”</p> <p>Our list of doctrines considered “essential to a full-gospel ministry” ends in hope. We must understand, though, what it is God has promised so we can know what we are anticipating.</p> <p>Many believers speak of going to heaven when they die as the final hope. Scripture provides a more expansive promise, though.</p> <p>To embrace the fullness of our hope in Christ, we must understand what the Bible teaches about life after death, the nature of heaven, and God’s ultimate purpose for creation. Then we can fully appreciate what it means to look forward to a “new heavens and new earth.”</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Life After Death</strong></h4> <p>In an increasingly secular age, hope may be our greatest challenge.</p> <p>Twentieth-century mathematician and philosopher Betrand Russell claimed humans are merely “the outcome of accidental collocations of atoms.”</p> <p>An atheist, Russell wrote, “No fire, no heroism, no intensity of thought and feeling, can preserve an individual life beyond the grave.”</p> <p>Secularism does not lead to hope beyond death.</p> <p>Many world religions teach that the soul will continue after death, even if individuality is absorbed into a collective consciousness or repurposed into another life form.</p> <p>Because of Jesus, Christians believe in resurrection of the body. We look forward to the day when death will be “swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54).</p> <p>The New Testament promises the destruction of death and Hades (similar to the Old Testament concept of <em>Sheol</em>) for all of creation (Revelation 20:14). Afterward, God will wipe every tear from our eyes (Revelation 21:4).</p> <p>Resurrection means the end of death and survival of the person — with their individuality, identity, and body renewed.</p> <p>This renewal extends to all of creation. A new creation means the end of our collective sorrow.</p> <p>Defending belief in resurrection against the Sadducees, Jesus said, “Have you not read what God said to you, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living” (Matthew 22:31–32).</p> <p>The New Testament focuses more on resurrection and new creation than the experience of those who die before Christ’s return.</p> <p>Nevertheless, Jesus promised a dying criminal he would be in paradise that very day (Luke 23:43). The apostle Paul affirms that to be away from the body is to be at home with the Lord. And Revelation 6:10 depicts the souls of martyrs asking God how long before He brings judgment.</p> <p>The experience between death and resurrection is a time of waiting, but not an absence from God. No view of afterlife that makes the resurrection anticlimactic to an intermediate state accurately reflects the New Testament.</p> <p>In 2 Corinthians 5:4, Paul longs for the resurrection so that he will not remain incomplete.</p> <p>The Early Church celebrated Christ’s resurrection while anticipating their own and longing for a new creation.</p> <p>Some Gentile converts merged Christian teaching with Greco-Roman philosophy. Inspired by writers from Plato to Plotinus, they saw the physical body as a prison and understood death as the liberation of a person’s essence.</p> <h6 style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;">To embrace the fullness of our hope in Christ, we must understand what the Bible teaches about life after death, the nature of heaven, and God’s ultimate purpose <br /> for creation.</h6> <p>During the third century, Christian focus moved from a future resurrection to the experience of souls between death and resurrection. With that came a shift in hope from the <em>coming of heaven to earth</em> to the <em>going to heaven after death</em>.</p> <p>With emphasis on the immediate state after death, believers developed the idea of purgatory as a temporary destination in the afterlife for believers not sufficiently prepared for heaven.</p> <p>By the Middle Ages, Christians believed in multiple afterlife destinations, including heaven for “saints,” purgatory for the baptized who had not lived like saints, and limbo for unbaptized infants.</p> <p>Protestants rejected purgatory and limbo as unbiblical, but continued to focus on the experience of going to heaven more than the resurrection. Popular hymns highlighted this “going to heaven” as both the immediate and final hope of believers after death.</p> <p>While a focus on the intermediate state occurred early in church history, another shift happened more recently.</p> <p>Throughout Christian history, people have spoken of the hope of heaven in terms of both reunion with loved ones and the immediate experience of God.</p> <p>In the modern era, there has been a reimagining of heaven as a boutique experience where people expect to have their wildest dreams fulfilled. Modern media often envisions the disembodied soul as a client of heaven, which is designed to create a luxury experience.</p> <p>However, any eternal reality that focuses on satisfying the human ego will eventually feel like hell rather than heaven.</p> <p>First Thessalonians 4:16–17 promises a resurrection of the dead in Christ and translation of those who are alive joining together to meet the Lord in the air.</p> <p>We know there will be a reunion in Christ’s presence at the resurrection. Yet our hope does not end with our rising to meet the Lord, but with heaven coming to earth.</p> <p>As believers, we look for a shared experience of God grounded in a renewed creation. The Bible does not end with the promise of saints going to heaven, but of heaven coming to earth.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <h4><strong>Heaven on Earth</strong></h4> <p>Heaven can mean multiple things in Scripture. It may belong to the natural world as whatever is above and out of humanity’s reach (Genesis 1:8; Deuteronomy 4:19; Psalm 33:6; Jeremiah 31:37).</p> <p>Created blessings come from the heavens, including light, warmth, and precipitation (Psalm 19:1–6; Isaiah 55:10).</p> <p>Heaven can also refer to God’s dwelling place (Deuteronomy 26:15; 1 Kings 8:30; Psalm 11:4; Ecclesiastes 5:2; Isaiah 63:15).</p> <p>To distinguish the visible sky above from God’s unseen abode, Old Testament writers sometimes referred to the latter as “highest heavens” or “highest heaven” (Deuteronomy 10:14; 1 Kings 8:27; Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 148:4).</p> <p>By New Testament times, some Jews thought of God’s dwelling place as the “third heaven.” (The first and second heavens may have referred to the atmosphere and realm of celestial objects, respectively.)</p> <p>In 2 Corinthians 12:2, Paul mentions being caught up to the “third heaven,” though he does not know whether he was in or out of his body.</p> <p>God’s heavenly realm is above creation, where no human power or authority can challenge it (1 Kings 22:19; Daniel 2:19–23). It is sometimes portrayed as a royal court, where God sits on His throne attended by servants (Isaiah 6; Revelation 4).</p> <p>Jacob is the first person in Scripture to encounter heaven as God’s abode. While fleeing from Esau, Jacob falls asleep and dreams of angels ascending and descending on a kind of ladder, or series of steps like a ziggurat (Genesis 28:12).</p> <p>This image may suggest the Tower of Babel, which people created in an attempt to reach the heavens (Genesis 11:4). They were thwarted in their efforts, but Jacob actually witnesses heaven reaching earth.</p> <p>Jacob names the place of this encounter Bethel, or “house of God” (Genesis 28:17–19), saying he did not know God was in the place where he chose to rest.</p> <p>This doesn’t mean heaven touches earth in that spot only. Rather, heaven can manifest wherever God chooses to make himself known. In this sense, heaven represents the reality of God’s presence. Humans perceive it only through divine revelation.</p> <p>In the ancient world, people viewed temples as the intersection of heaven and earth where a particular deity dwelled.</p> <p>When Solomon first dedicated the temple, God’s glory so filled the space that the priests could not do their work (1 Kings 8:10–11).</p> <p>Both the tabernacle and temple served as a guarantee of God’s presence, which marked Israel’s identity as His people (Exodus 33:15–16).</p> <p>Of course, God is not bound to one sacred space. Scripture is clear that His presence transcends human barriers (Isaiah 66:1–2; Acts 7:48).</p> <p>Ezekiel warned of God’s presence leaving the temple, though his prophetic message ended with a promise of God’s return (Ezekiel 10:18; 43:4–5).</p> <p>God intends all of creation to serve as the temple for His presence. From beginning to end, the Bible points to this design. Psalm 72:19 says of God, “Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory.”</p> <p>Scripture begins with the story of creation, presenting it as a temple built for the Lord’s presence.</p> <p>A promise of new creation concludes the New Testament, with God’s presence replacing the need for any temple as a distinctive home for God.</p> <p>Creation narratives bookend the Bible. The redemptive story ends with a new creation, where there is no longer a distinction between heaven and earth. God’s glory will fill all of this new creation — a habitat without corruption.</p> <p>This hope is a fitting conclusion for the AG’s Statement of Fundamental Truths.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <h4><strong>New Heavens and New Earth </strong></h4> <p><span>“The New Heavens and the New Earth” has not faced significant debate or revision since its writing in 1916. The wording of Article 16 comes directly from 2 Peter 3:13 (KJV).</span></p> <p><span>Unlike the previous three articles dealing with eschatology, there are no eschatological errors in the General Council Bylaws associated with Article 16, nor are there position papers that directly focus on it.</span></p> <h6 style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;">As believers, we <br /> look for a shared experience of God grounded in a renewed creation. The Bible does <br /> not end with the <br /> promise of saints <br /> going to heaven, <br /> but of heaven <br /> coming to earth.</h6> <p><span>Both 2 Peter 3:13 and Revelation 21:1 reference a new heaven and new earth. This phrase comes from the Book of Isaiah (65:17; 66:22).</span></p> <p><span>Indeed, Isaiah ends with a promise of restoration that goes well beyond Israel’s return to the land. God will judge the wicked, but He will bring the faithful into a new world.</span></p> <p><span>The Lord will recreate Jerusalem to become a delight. There will be no more weeping, injustice, or fear of death. Even wild animals will live in harmony (Isaiah 65:17–25).</span></p> <p><span>God will gather His people from the nations, where they will remain in peace (Isaiah 66:18–22). Verse 22 says, “‘</span><span style="background: white; color: black;">As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,’ declares the </span><span class="small-caps" style="background: white; line-height: 107%; color: black;">Lord</span><span style="background: white; color: black;">, ‘so will your name and descendants endure.’”</span></p> <p><span>Second Peter borrows this language in countering a challenge to Christian eschatology based on a perceived delay of the Lord’s return. Peter replies that God’s timing is not our timing, and what seems to be a delay is in fact evidence of His mercy.</span></p> <p><span>As Peter explains, “</span><span style="background: white; color: black;">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” (2 Peter 3:9).</span></p> <p><span>God will one day judge the world, and we should commit to godly living in the present. After all, “we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells” (verse 13).</span></p> <p><span>Knowing this new creation will reflect God’s will on earth as in heaven, we should live according to His will now.</span></p> <p>One question the topic of a new creation raises is whether God will completely replace the old one or simply transform it.</p> <p>Second Peter presents a picture of disappearance, fire, and destruction.</p> <p>Paul, in Romans 8:19–21, writes that creation is waiting for its liberation from death and decay, after the children of God have been resurrected.</p> <p>Some of the earliest theologians, such as Irenaeus, suggested the essence of creation would remain, but not the “form of the world” touched by sin.</p> <p>By contrast, Tertullian said that since the world was created out of nothing, it would be reduced to nothing.</p> <p>During the Reformation, Martin Luther adopted a total destruction interpretation, while other Reformers argued for renewal. Still others said neither teaching was essential for the gospel and not worth debate.</p> <p>Pentecostal educators have also addressed this issue. P.C. Nelson taught that we should not interpret 2 Peter 3:10 to mean the annihilation of the universe, but rather “the remaking of the material universe.” Drawing from the same passage, William Menzies and Stanley Horton argued for complete destruction.</p> <p>Is the earth destroyed and replaced, or renovated and renewed? One way to approach this question is by comparing the new creation to the resurrection of the body.</p> <p>In the resurrection, we will no longer have corruptible bodies, but we will have the same identity minus the mortality (John 20:27). Even those who are alive will be changed immediately (1 Corinthians 15:51–52).</p> <p>We can imagine the new creation similarly. God will bring about “a new heavens and earth” which no longer faces corruptibility since death is no more (Revelation 20:14–21:1).</p> <p>Paul states in Romans 8 that “creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed” and that “creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God” (verses 19,21).</p> <p>This old world will pass away because the corruptibility defining it passes away. To the degree that the effects of sin are enmeshed in the architecture of creation, they will be removed. God will bring about a new creation — without evil, suffering or death — fit for the resurrected people of God.</p> <p>Revelation 21–22 provides a final teaching on the new creation that begins only after death is thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14). In John’s vision, the first heaven and earth “passed away,” to be followed by “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1).</p> <p>Two images develop the picture of this new creation.</p> <p><em>First, a New Jerusalem comes down from heaven. </em>John describes a city glowing brilliantly like a precious jewel with foundations, walls, and streets made of precious materials (Revelation 21:10–14).</p> <p>As opposed to the earlier image of Babylon dressed like a prostitute and judged as an oppressor (Revelation 17–18), this city shines like a bride dressed for her husband, prepared for an everlasting relationship (21:2).</p> <p>The New Jerusalem is a perfect cube of 12,000 stadia all around (Revelation 21:16). This is about 1,400 miles — roughly the length of Alaska, from north to south.</p> <p>This city’s walls, with three gates on each side, are 144 cubits thick (verse 17), or 200 feet. Think of a 20-story apartment building lying on its side.</p> <p>The square shape brings to mind the Holy of Holies, though at a size that is difficult to conceive. There is no limit to the experience of God’s presence in a city large enough to welcome the multitude of God’s people — a number “no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language” (Revelation 7:9).</p> <p>God and the Lamb will take the place of the temple. God’s glory will bring the city light, and Christ will serve as its lamp. Because there is no darkness or danger, there will be no need for the city’s gates to close.</p> <p>The kings of the earth will bring their splendor into this city, and the nations their glory and honor.</p> <p>Babylon corrupted kings and peoples, but the New Jerusalem welcomes the redeemed into Christ’s righteousness. Only those whose names are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life are excluded from this city (Revelation 21:27).</p> <h6 style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;">Knowing this new creation will reflect God’s will on earth as in heaven, <br /> we should live according to His <br /> will now.</h6> <p><em>Second, a new garden will surround the throne of God and the Lamb. </em>The water of life will flow down the middle of the city, with the tree of life on each side (Revelation 22:1–2).</p> <p>Ezekiel 47:12 similarly foresees a future for Israel where trees bear fruit for food and produce leaves for healing. In this new garden, the leaves will be for the healing of the nations!</p> <p>The curse will be reversed as humanity is restored to God’s garden (Revelation 22:3). There they will reign with Him “for ever and ever” (verse 5).</p> <p>These chapters emphasize the presence of God repeatedly. As one commentator writes, “The preeminent characteristic of God’s new creation will be his direct presence with his people with no distance or separation.”</p> <p>God will be with His people and wipe every tear from their eyes (Revelation 21:3–4). The Lord will replace the temple, and His light will replace the sun (21:22–23; 22:5). God’s throne will be in the city, and His people will see His face (22:3–4).</p> <p>A new garden, new city, and new cosmos are filled with the presence of God. Sin, suffering, and death are no more.</p> <p>At this point, any reference to heaven would be a reference to all that exists as it is because there will be nothing else but heaven for those who believed. Heaven truly has come to earth!</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <h4><strong>Pastoral Practice</strong></h4> <p><span>When Peter proclaims our hope in a new heavens and earth, he is promoting the godly lives believers are called to live (2 Peter 3:11–13). We are not living for a corrupted creation that God will destroy, but for the new creation He has promised.</span></p> <p><span>Because this hope shapes how we live, it should also shape how we shepherd others in their lives, faith, and community.</span></p> <p><span>Looking forward to a new creation can help us in service to this present creation. If God will not abandon creation, neither should we. If God will recreate this world with all its physicality, we cannot ignore its physicality now.</span></p> <p><span>We know God cares about our bodies as well as our souls, and neither will be complete without the other. In the same way, we should care for creation in this present age even as we look forward to its renewal.</span></p> <p><span>The Assemblies of God argues in Articles 10 and 11 that compassion belongs to the mission of the Church, as does evangelism. We cannot withhold the gospel either in word or in deed.</span></p> <p><span>We should guide congregants to provide for the material needs of the communities in which God has placed us and the needs of those churches with whom we have fellowship.</span></p> <p><span>This was the practice of the Early Church (1 Corinthians 16:1–3). If the first-century Church longed for the new creation <em>and</em> provided for the needs of widows and orphans (James 1:27), so should we.</span></p> <p><span>When it comes to evangelism, worship, and edification, hope remains essential for all of the above. People live according to their hopes. If we place our greatest hope in worldly success, the achievements of our children, or the fulfillment of physical desires, we will prioritize accordingly.</span></p> <p><span>Each time people gather with our community in worship, they should encounter and even be confronted with the hope of the gospel.</span></p> <p><span>Our worship should replace the shallow and even sinful hopes of this world with the hope that looks for heaven come to earth. The singing, teaching, preaching, and practices of our churches are offered as presentations of a hope grounded in the death and resurrection of Jesus and fulfilled in the new heavens and new earth.</span></p> <p><span>How effectively is your congregation providing that hope during weekly worship and other gatherings?</span></p> <p><span>Pastors must resist the temptation of exchanging the promise of heaven on earth with the hope of a life improved here and now, even if such an offer seems more deliverable. We have failed if someone leaves a worship gathering more hopeful about the American Dream, for example, than the promise of God.</span></p> <p>Finally, our hope in the resurrection of the body and new creation should guide our approach to death.</p> <p>Officiating funerals may be one of the most impactful aspects of pastoral ministry. Walking alongside people as they mourn and celebrate the life of a loved one is an opportunity to demonstrate Christ’s love and compassion.</p> <p>If the deceased believed in the One who holds power over death, a funeral message can emphasize the reunion to come.</p> <p>I once attended a believer’s funeral where the minister drew almost exclusively from classical philosophy. He quoted from the pagan Stoics and Cicero. There was hardly anything identifiably Christian — no message of hope beyond death.</p> <p>Afterward, I asked my wife to choose a preacher for my funeral who will quote Paul over Plato.</p> <p>As pastors, we will be called upon to serve families during times of loss. We can help them approach death in light of the resurrection to come, a promise that includes both our bodies and physical creation as a whole.</p> <p>Followers of Christ have a hope that death cannot overwhelm. No Christian funeral should end without hope. </p> <p>We can also help people prepare for death with the same hope we offer the grieving. Pentecostals believe in divine healing, and we pray for restoration of the sick.</p> <p>Yet our doctrine of divine healing must never replace our doctrine of the resurrection. Rather, our belief in divine healing should point people to the promise of resurrection.</p> <p>Our ultimate hope is not found in a continual healing of mortal bodies, but in deliverance from mortality itself — a deliverance that extends to all creation.</p> <p>We look for the return of Jesus, for the coming of His reign, and for the new heavens and earth that will ultimately follow.</p> <p>Our hope is not complete until the glory of God through the Lamb becomes the only light for a new earth. In the end, God promises to wipe away every tear, provide healing for the nations, and be with His people forever.</p> <p>This gospel hope will not disappoint because its foundation is God, who will always fulfill His promises.</p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{F9CB7458-221B-458F-B734-A18E9EFD5391}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Leading-With-Discernment<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Leading-With-Discernment_1400.jpg" alt="" />The story of the Latter Rain movement is a reminder that revival and discernment must walk together.Mon, 29 Jun 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>History doesn’t repeat, but it can follow similar patterns.</p> <p>Pentecostal history tends to move in cycles, with calls for renewal following strides in organizational stability.</p> <p>By the mid-1940s, the Assemblies of God was a well-established Fellowship, with a national headquarters, credentialing processes, and educational systems.</p> <p>Yet some Pentecostals worried structure would restrict the Spirit’s work. Thinking Pentecostal zeal and power had declined, they longed for revival.</p> <p>That hunger found expression during the late 1940s in the New Order of the Latter Rain, which promised restoration of all the gifts and ministries of the New Testament Church.</p> <p>The brief but intense impact of this movement tested the AG’s discernment, unity, and commitment to Scripture.</p> <p>Ideas that arose during this time traveled widely, surfacing again amid the healing revival of the 1950s, charismatic renewal of the 1960s and ’70s, and later neo-charismatic movements.</p> <p>Understanding that history can help Pentecostal ministers navigate its lingering influences with wisdom.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <h4><strong>Restoration Claims</strong></h4> <p>The New Order of the Latter Rain began in 1948 at Sharon Bible School in North Battleford, Saskatchewan.</p> <p>Leaders, including George Hawtin and Percy Hunt, taught that God was restoring the Church to its full New Testament pattern in preparation for the end times.</p> <p>Participants believed they were witnessing the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy of “latter rain” (Joel 2:23, KJV). Calling early Pentecostal revivals the “former rain,” they claimed the final and greater outpouring was now beginning.</p> <p>This message spread quickly through revival meetings across Canada and the United States. Churches such as Glad Tidings Temple in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Bethesda Missionary Temple in Detroit became gathering places for believers seeking a fresh outpouring of the Spirit.</p> <p>Many Assemblies of God adherents attended, curious about whether the revival was truly of God.</p> <p>What distinguished the movement was not its revival atmosphere as much as the theological framework surrounding it.</p> <p>Drawing from Ephesians 4:11, Latter Rain leaders argued that God was restoring five New Testament ministries: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Whereas speaking in tongues characterized the early Pentecostal movement, these leaders claimed a “latter rain” outpouring would restore apostolic church structures.</p> <p>In contrast to the classical Pentecostal practice of believers personally seeking the Holy Spirit’s work and receiving a ministry calling directly from God, leaders pronounced callings, spiritual gifts, prophetic messages, and “words of knowledge” over individuals, sometimes directing major life decisions.</p> <p>The movement rejected denominational structures, teaching that local congregations should be independent and guided by Spirit-appointed leaders rather than organizations.</p> <p>These teachings, alongside a growing spiritual elitism, soon brought the movement into conflict with organized Pentecostal fellowships, including the Assemblies of God.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <h4><strong>AG Response</strong></h4> <p>Assemblies of God leaders welcomed revival and affirmed the continuing work of the Spirit. But they also remembered earlier episodes in Pentecostal history when prophetic excesses had caused confusion and division.</p> <h6 style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;">Assemblies of God leaders welcomed revival and affirmed the continuing work of the Spirit. But they also remembered earlier episodes in Pentecostal history when prophetic excesses had caused confusion and division.</h6> <p>By 1949, concerns were growing about several practices associated with the Latter Rain movement.</p> <p>That year, the Assemblies of God General Council adopted a resolution offering six points of clarification regarding doctrines and practices. In essence, that resolution maintained the following:</p> <p>1. Spiritual gifts are distributed by the Holy Spirit, not imparted by human hands or prophecy.</p> <p>2. Modern apostles and prophets do not hold authoritative foundational office in the universal Church.</p> <p>3. The “extreme teaching” that confession of sin and spiritual deliverance require a human leader usurps prerogatives belonging only to Christ.</p> <p>4. The gift of tongues does not negate the study of language for missionary service.</p> <p>5. Personal prophecy should not be used as directive revelation for ministry assignment or life decisions.</p> <p>6. Divisiveness against established churches creates confusion and disunity.</p> <p>The immediate controversy eventually subsided. The Latter Rain movement itself fragmented and never developed into a major institutional body. Yet the ideas it promoted did not disappear.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <h4><strong>Healing Movement</strong></h4> <p>Latter Rain ideas first resurfaced during the post-World War II healing revival.</p> <p>Healing evangelists such as William Branham, A.A. Allen, Jack Coe, and William Freeman held large revival meetings across North America during the late 1940s and into the ’50s. While not all of these evangelists were formally part of the Latter Rain movement, many shared its restorationist outlook and emphasis on prophetic ministry.</p> <p>Several features of healing campaigns had already appeared in Latter Rain teaching. Among them were expectation of end-times revival featuring signs and wonders; prophetic revelation concerning diseases; deliverance ministries addressing demonic oppression; and independent evangelistic ministries operating outside denominational structures.</p> <p>The healing revival created an informal network of ministries connected more by shared experience than institutions. That independent but relational model would become increasingly common in later charismatic Christianity.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <h4><strong>Charismatic Renewal</strong></h4> <p>Beginning in the 1960s, charismatic renewal spread into mainline Protestant churches and the Roman Catholic Church.</p> <p>Leaders representing diverse traditions — from Episcopal priest Dennis Bennett to Pentecostal minister David du Plessis — encouraged believers of all denominations to seek the baptism in the Holy Spirit and gifts described in the New Testament.</p> <p>Many practices common during the charismatic movement echoed earlier Latter Rain emphases, including words of prophecy in congregational worship (rather than tongues and interpretation); healing prayer ministries; and relational networks across denominational boundaries.</p> <p>While these charismatic leaders did not directly identify with the earlier movement, many read Latter Rain writings that shaped their theology.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Shepherding Movement</strong></h4> <p>During the 1970s, another movement emerged that reflected Latter Rain themes.</p> <p>Sometimes called the Shepherding or Discipleship movement, it emphasized strong spiritual oversight and relational accountability, encouraging believers to submit to a personal “shepherd” within a tiered network of leadership.</p> <p>This movement adopted Latter Rain emphases on restored leadership structures, relational church networks, and strong prophetic guidance from ministers.</p> <p>Controversy surrounding the Shepherding movement eventually caused many leaders to reassess those structures. But the conversation about apostolic leadership continued.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <h4><strong>Apostolic Networks</strong></h4> <p>By the 1980s and ’90s, a new wave of independent charismatic churches was growing rapidly around the world.</p> <p>Often called the “Third Wave” — following the Pentecostal revival of the early 20th century and charismatic renewal of the 1960s — these congregations frequently operated outside historic denominations, with apostolic or relational networks connecting them rather than formal organizational structures.</p> <p>During the 1980s, missiologist C. Peter Wagner argued that the fastest-growing churches were structured around apostolic leadership instead of denominational governance. Wagner saw this as a major shift in global Christianity.</p> <p>By the 1990s, Wagner used the phrase “New Apostolic Reformation” to describe the phenomenon. Wagner called it “apostolic” to emphasize restoration of the apostolic office, a “reformation” because it sought to reshape how the Church functions, and “new” to distinguish it from earlier apostolic movements and suggest a fresh divine work.</p> <p>For historians of Pentecostalism, however, the language of restored apostles and prophets was not new. Those ideas had appeared decades earlier in the Latter Rain movement.</p> <p>This does not mean later charismatic movements were simply a continuation of Latter Rain theology. Many leaders in those networks had little direct knowledge of the earlier revival. Nevertheless, the similarities reveal how certain restorationist ideas have repeatedly resurfaced within charismatic Christianity.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <h4><strong>Repeating Patterns</strong></h4> <p>In 1999, the General Council entertained a resolution to reaffirm the 1949 resolution condemning these kinds of teachings. The resolution led to the creation of Assemblies of God position papers on modern-day <a href="https://ag.org/Beliefs/Position-Papers/Modern-Day-Apostles"><span>apostles</span></a> and <a href="https://ag.org/Beliefs/Position-Papers/Modern-Day-Prophecy"><span>prophets</span></a>.</p> <p>Why do these themes appear again and again? Part of the answer lies in the spiritual DNA of Pentecostalism itself.</p> <p>From the beginning, Pentecostals have believed the Book of Acts describes the normative life of the Church. Early Christians expected miracles, spiritual gifts, and powerful encounters with the Holy Spirit. They also believed they were living in the last days and that God was restoring the Church in preparation for Christ’s return.</p> <p>Those convictions create a natural longing for revival and renewal.</p> <p>When believers sense that spiritual vitality has faded, they often look for ways to recover what they believe the Early Church experienced. That search sometimes produces powerful renewal — and sometimes theological experimentation and error.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <h4><strong>Valuable Perspective</strong></h4> <p>Assemblies of God leaders in 1949 did not reject revival. They rejected certain teachings they believed could lead the Church away from biblical foundations.</p> <p>Their response reflects a pattern that has served the Fellowship well for more than a century — one of welcoming the Spirit’s work, while carefully weighing new teachings against Scripture.</p> <p>The desire for restoration is deeply embedded in Pentecostal identity. Yet that revival must remain anchored in the authority of Scripture and wisdom of the broader body of Christ.</p> <p>Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity continues to grow around the world. New ministries, networks, and movements regularly emerge promising fresh expressions of the Spirit’s work.</p> <p>Many of the ideas circulating today — especially concerning apostles, prophets, deliverance ministries, and global revival — have deeper historical roots than we sometimes realize. The debates surrounding them are not entirely new.</p> <p>For pastors and leaders, knowledge of church history provides valuable perspective. It helps us discern what is genuinely new, what has appeared before, and how earlier generations of believers responded.</p> <p>The story of the Latter Rain movement is not simply a footnote in Pentecostal history. It is a reminder that revival and discernment must walk together.</p> <p>Pentecostal believers rightly pray for fresh outpourings of the Spirit. But we must also remember that the most enduring works balance passion with biblical wisdom, spiritual discernment, and historical understanding.</p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{F959E7D0-400D-4350-989D-D014C98F880B}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/More-Than-Enough<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/More-Than-Enough_1400.jpg" alt="" />God doesn’t start with what we lack. He starts with what we have.Wed, 24 Jun 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>When I pastored Bethel Church (AG) in Rapid City, South Dakota, I thought our church could not grow because we lacked the necessary resources: money, people, space, time, and an endless list of essentials.</p> <p>Every time I sensed God stirring us to take a bold step, my first instinct was to calculate how far we were from what we <em>thought</em> we needed. And every time, I came up short. I talked myself out of action.</p> <p>I spiritualized it, of course. <em>We are being wise</em>, I told myself. But the truth was, I was leading from scarcity. I believed in multiplication, but I wasn’t sure I believed we had the resources to multiply.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Scarcity Thinking</strong></h4> <p>Scarcity thinking doesn’t always shout. Sometimes, it whispers: <em>We’re too small to do that. Let’s wait until the budget catches up. Maybe once we have the right people in place. Let’s grow what we have before we think about more.</em></p> <p>These phrases may sound like wisdom, but they’re often fear in disguise — self-imposed limitations that paralyze potential. We assume we need more before we can do more. But that’s not how the kingdom of God operates.</p> <p>In Matthew 14:13–21, Jesus fed thousands with a boy’s lunch, not after a strategic fundraising campaign. Jesus seized the moment and used what was available. In Luke 9:1–3, He sent out His disciples with “no staff, no bag, no bread, no money,” only authority and faith. And in Matthew 25:14–30, Jesus told a parable about a master who entrusted his servants with talents. The ones who multiplied what they had were rewarded. But the one who buried his talent out of fear was rebuked.</p> <p>Kingdom math defies logic. It multiplies whatever we’re willing to release. Scarcity says, “Hold back until we’re ready.” Faith says, “Offer what you have and watch God move.”</p> <p>In 2 Kings 4, the prophet Elisha encounters a widow in crisis. “Tell me,” he asks her, “what do you have in your house?” (verse 2). Elisha immediately directs her attention to what she already has.</p> <p>It’s a pattern repeated throughout Scripture: Divine multiplication often begins with human surrender.</p> <p>Consider the story of Moses in Exodus 3–4. Moses keeps offering excuses, but God keeps pointing him back to what’s already in his hand.</p> <p>Like Elisha before Him, Jesus shows through the miracle of multiplying the bread and fish that God works through what’s available, not what’s ideal.</p> <p>This principle is echoed in Paul’s words to the Corinthians: “God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times … you will abound in every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8).</p> <p>We never begin with lack. We begin with trust.</p> <p>The lesson is simple but powerful: God doesn’t start with what we lack. He starts with what we have.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Scarcity to Stewardship</strong></h4> <p>The shift began when we stopped asking, “What don’t we have?” and started asking, “What are we overlooking?”</p> <p>Instead of resenting what was missing, we began recognizing what was already in our hands:</p> <ul style="margin-left: 40px;"> <li>Underutilized leaders who simply needed someone to believe in them</li> <li>A part-time staff member with untapped potential</li> <li>Volunteers with more to give — if only someone would ask</li> <li>That building sitting empty most of the week</li> </ul> <p>May the Lord help us see our limitations not as roadblocks, but as invitations to innovate and try new things. May He give us courage to trust Him and to <em>multiply what is already present</em>.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>The Greatest Resource</strong></h4> <p>Our greatest resources are not budgets, but people. When we start seeing people as <em>multipliers</em> instead of <em>helpers</em>, everything changes. Helpers fill spots. Multipliers carry vision.</p> <p>I used to think resource development meant raising money. But I’ve come to realize it is about empowering and releasing disciple makers who are gifted, called, servant-hearted, and full of God-given dreams.</p> <p>When we invest in people, we multiply ministry. When we equip people, we release exponential impact. We do not need more money to multiply; we need more people stepping into their divine destiny (Romans 8:28–30; 1 Corinthians 12:14).</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Empowering Others</strong></h4> <p>One of the clearest reminders of this truth came through the life of Tasha Overall. A military spouse and mother of three, Tasha and her family came to our church looking for hope and healing. As the Lord began restoring their lives, Tasha stepped into serving as our nursery coordinator. It didn’t take long for her gifts to surface. She demonstrated a unique blend of administrative skill and spiritual sensitivity.</p> <h6><span>Like the church in Antioch that was moved by the Spirit to send out Paul <br /> and Barnabas (Acts 13:2–3), we sensed that multiplication doesn’t begin with abundance, but obedience.</span></h6> <p>As she grew, Tasha shadowed my wife, Melanie, in children’s ministry and soon stepped into the role of kids’ pastor. What marked her leadership was not just how Tasha organized programs, but how she reproduced herself. She consistently identified and developed new leaders, ensuring that ministry never rested on her alone.</p> <p>Eventually, Tasha oversaw kids’ ministry across all seven of our campuses, raising teams and systems that carried the mission far beyond what one person could achieve.</p> <p>Her influence did not stop there. Tasha joined our executive team and began speaking into the life of the entire organization. She embodied one of our cultural mantras: Work yourself out of a job so God can give you your next assignment.</p> <p>At every stage, Tasha worked herself up and out of roles by multiplying high-quality leaders who could lead with excellence.</p> <p>Tasha’s story reminds me that the greatest multiplication movements are not built on budgets, buildings, or even bold strategies. They are built on people.</p> <p>When people are empowered and released, the Kingdom impact multiplies exponentially.</p> <p>Tasha’s journey shows what can happen when one person is empowered and released. Yet multiplication isn’t just about individuals; it’s about churches daring to step out in faith with what they already have.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Real-World Multiplication</strong></h4> <p>I will never forget the conversation that started it all: “Would your church consider helping a struggling congregation in Edgemont, South Dakota?”</p> <p>Edgemont was over 80 miles away and closer to Wyoming than it was to our main campus. The town was small. The church was down to just a few faithful saints. No pastor. No budget. No clear path forward.</p> <p>From a strategic standpoint, the answer should have been, “No. Too far away, too few people, too fragile a structure.”</p> <p>But we couldn’t shake the sense that this was a God opportunity. There was no launch team. No formal funding. No pre-built playbook. What we did have were a few willing people and a deep conviction that the gospel still mattered in Edgemont.</p> <p>Like the church in Antioch that was moved by the Spirit to send out Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:2–3), we sensed that multiplication doesn’t begin with abundance, but obedience.</p> <p>The church in Antioch was not sending from overflow, but from faith. So we started asking a new set of questions — not “What do we need?” but “What do we already have?”</p> <p>We had a couple in our church with roots in that region who lit up when we mentioned Edgemont. We had a few staff members who were willing to rotate Sundays and carry the weight until local leaders could be raised up. We had access to a building that had once been in its prime and now awaited a renewed purpose.</p> <p>It was far from glamorous. But it was real. That launch did not look like a big-city campus rollout. There were no big budgets, slick promos, or buzz — other than town gossip. What we did have was hunger, humility, obedience, and prayer. And for God, that was enough.</p> <p>Over time, leaders emerged. A sense of community grew. People who had not set foot in church in years started coming. They did not come for the production, because we were simple. They came for God’s presence.</p> <p>And we learned something foundational: We did not need everything in place for starting this new history. We moved forward with what God had already given us.</p> <p>Money did not lead the way. Obedience did. And the result was not just a new location; it was a multiplying movement.</p> <p>The lesson? Provision often follows obedience. The resources show up when we start walking by faith.</p> <p>Not long ago, my friend Sheldon McGorman, who now serves as superintendent of the North Dakota Ministry Network, was pastoring a vibrant rural church: Watford City Assembly of God. Where others might have seen limitations, Sheldon saw opportunity.</p> <p>God began stirring Sheldon’s heart to launch another campus. But there was no pristine building, no designated budget, no ideal demographic data to support the move. What they had was a willing team, a clear call from God, and a garage. That’s right. Their newest campus started in a house and a garage.</p> <p>While many would have waited for better conditions, Sheldon and his team stepped forward with what they had. They trusted that God was already working and simply needed their “yes.”</p> <h6>Not every person will lead a ministry, but everyone can multiply something.</h6> <p>From those humble beginnings, momentum grew. People met Jesus. Lives were transformed. And as obedience turned into movement, something remarkable happened: The church raised over $800,000 in rural North Dakota to meet the needs of their community, because the gospel was expanding.</p> <p>What started in a garage is now a flourishing church. God is using it to reach people in places others might overlook. It stands as a visible reminder that God doesn’t wait for us to have “enough.” He moves when we offer what we already have in faith.</p> <p>Sheldon would be the first to say, “To God be the glory.” Because in the Kingdom, fruit does not flow from strategy alone; it flows from surrender.</p> <p>When we stop waiting for more and start walking in obedience, we find that God has already placed more than enough in our hands.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Four Shifts</strong></h4> <p>Four shifts helped us stop waiting for more and start multiplying what we already had:</p> <p><em>1. From shortage to strategy.</em> Instead of focusing on what’s missing, identify what’s underutilized. Maximize spaces, schedules, and people. What’s sitting idle that could be unleashed?</p> <p>Read Nehemiah 2 and note that, before asking for more, Nehemiah assessed what he had.</p> <p><em>2. From fill-the-need to fuel-the-call.</em> Do not just plug holes. Call out gifts. People will rise to the occasion when they’re given purpose and not just a task list (Ephesians 4:11–13).</p> <p><em>3. From maintenance to movement.</em> Ask, “Are our resources organized for ease or expansion?” If everything is designed with maintenance in mind, we will never step into what could be.</p> <p>Growth forces structure to adapt (Acts 6:1–7).</p> <p><em>4. From consumers to contributors</em>. Our churches are full of potential. Not every person will lead a ministry, but everyone can multiply something.</p> <p>Let’s equip them. Empower them. Expect something good from each individual (Ephesians 4:16).</p> <p>The following table illustrates the thought processes of churches with a scarcity culture versus those with a multiplication culture.</p> <p> </p> <table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border: medium;"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" style="width: 233.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; border-style: solid; border-width: 1pt; text-align: left;"> <p><strong>SCARCITY CULTURE</strong></p> </td> <td valign="top" style="width: 233.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; border-style: solid solid solid none; border-width: 1pt 1pt 1pt medium; text-align: left;"> <p><strong>MULTIPLICATION CULTURE</strong></p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" style="width: 233.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; text-align: left;"> <p>“We do not have enough.”</p> </td> <td valign="top" style="width: 233.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; text-align: left;"> <p>“Let’s use what we have.”</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" style="width: 233.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; text-align: left;"> <p>“Let’s wait until we’re ready.”</p> </td> <td valign="top" style="width: 233.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; text-align: left;"> <p>“Let’s move and trust God to provide.”</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" style="width: 233.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; text-align: left;"> <p>“We need experts.”</p> </td> <td valign="top" style="width: 233.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; text-align: left;"> <p>“We will train and develop who we have.”</p> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" style="width: 233.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; border-style: none solid solid; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; text-align: left;"> <p>“We cannot afford that.”</p> </td> <td valign="top" style="width: 233.75pt; padding: 0in 5.4pt; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; text-align: left;"> <p>“We cannot afford to miss the opportunity.”</p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p> </p> <p>Our resources are already in the room. We do not need to look farther, but closer.</p> <p>God has already placed something in our hands. It may be small. It may be overlooked. It may be imperfect. But it’s enough to start.</p> <p>Multiplication does not begin when we get more; it begins when we use what we have already been given.</p> <p>Let’s take inventory and call out the giftedness in others. Let’s organize what we have with faith — and watch how God breathes on it.</p> <p>Instead of waiting, let’s start multiplying.</p> <p> </p> <p><em>Adapted from </em>Multiplication Mindset: How Spirit-Empowered Leaders Build People, Not Just Platforms<em> (Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 2026).</em></p> <p><em> </em></p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{F538626C-35E1-4A94-912C-4FE57F920644}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Planting-Partnerships<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Planting-Partnerships_1400.jpg" alt="" />Over the past 17 years, the PAC model has marked Assemblies of God church planting and become its dominant growth strategy.Mon, 22 Jun 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>A number of statisticians and research groups have documented the unique and sustained growth of the Assemblies of God among Protestant churches in the U.S.</p> <p>Among the factors contributing to this growth trend is a continued commitment to church planting. During the 21st century, a relatively new strategic approach — the Parent Affiliated Church (PAC) — has accelerated the Fellowship’s momentum.</p> <p>Over the past 17 years, the PAC model has marked Assemblies of God church planting and become its dominant growth strategy. With more than 2,500 such plants since 2009, PACs now represent nearly 60% of new AG churches annually.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Birth of the PAC</strong></h4> <p>During a 2006 church planting conference in San Diego, the need for a new partnership model came into focus during a conversation between then-General Secretary George O. Wood and U.S. Missions Church Planting Director Steve Pike.</p> <p>“Dr. Wood wondered out loud how we might encourage our church leaders to make the starting of new churches a priority, and if we might need a new church type to complement our two existing categories of General Council Affiliated and District Council Affiliated churches,” Pike says.</p> <p>According to Pike, Wood said many AG churches were opening new campuses or outreach centers, but there was no way to track and celebrate such efforts nationally.</p> <p>“He asked me to give it some thought and work with him to create a proposal to bring to the General Council to empower local churches to multiply,” Pike says.</p> <p>Over the next couple of years, Pike and Wood worked with a committee to develop the basic concept of the Parent Affiliated Church. The proposal gained approval during General Council 2009 in Orlando, Florida.</p> <p>Within weeks, the first PAC — a dinner church in Seattle — was formally recognized.</p> <p>The results were quick and extraordinary. By the end of 2009, there were 27 PACs. The number rose to 166 during 2010, with PACs comprising more than one-third of new AG churches that year.</p> <p>This initiative fueled a surge in church planting under the direction of the newly formed Church Multiplication Network (CMN), and Pike, its first director. By 2011, the PAC model was producing churches at a faster rate than the Fellowship had seen in decades.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>PAC Approach</strong></h4> <p>As the name suggests, each PAC congregation starts with a “parent” church. The latter provides direct oversight of the fledgling church.</p> <p>In this way, the PAC strategy expands the ministries and influence of healthy local churches.</p> <p>“Parent Affiliated Churches have proven to be one of the most effective church planting tools in our Fellowship because they combine apostolic expansion with relational covering,” says Gerad Strong, director of leadership and training for CMN. “PACs reduce isolation for planters by providing coaching, accountability, financial partnership, and tested structures, which increases long-term sustainability.”</p> <p>By providing a reliable support system, PACs reduce the failure rate of new church plants, according to Mike McCrary, CMN’s director of operations.</p> <p>“The greatest strength of the PAC approach is a flexibility that can accommodate a variety of proven ministry and leadership models,” McCrary says. “This flexibility, without a doubt, doubles the speed of church planting.”</p> <p>Parent Affiliated Churches have accounted for nearly half (47.3%) of all new AG congregations in the U.S. over the past 17 years.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Church Revitalization</strong></h4> <p>The PAC model isn’t just for church planting. Soon after its inception, certain established churches aligned with stronger congregations to become PACs.</p> <h6>Parent Affiliated Churches have accounted for nearly half (47.3%) <br /> of all new AG <br /> congregations in <br /> the U.S. over the <br /> past 17 years.</h6> <p>In some cases, district leaders have used this approach to revitalize struggling congregations.</p> <p>“Churches that develop leaders, empower others, steward resources wisely, and think beyond their own attendance are discovering they can help other churches take ground without losing their own ground,” says Strong, who also serves as the AG’s director of church health.</p> <p>Strong’s own pastoral experience includes helping a District Affiliated Church avoid closure by becoming a PAC.</p> <p>To date, more than 700 established congregations have become Parent Affiliated churches. As with new church plants, the PAC relationship can meet short-term needs as congregations grow in health.</p> <p>In many cases, the strength and resources a parent church provides make possible the successful revitalization of a church in need.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Parent Churches</strong></h4> <p>The PAC relationship starts with parent churches.</p> <p>The initial planning of the PAC model sought to affirm and celebrate what was already occurring in the ministries of many growing congregations.</p> <p>Vision for the lost and passion for Christ’s mission have always spurred local churches toward expansion. The PAC structure offered a way to recognize these efforts while inspiring others to emulate them.</p> <p>“We wouldn’t be able to plant as many successful new churches if it weren’t for the apostolic parent churches,” McCrary says.</p> <p>Many of the largest Assemblies of God USA churches have engaged this strategic tool as their ministries expand. The average size of a parent church hovers around 600 in weekly worship attendance.</p> <p>Yet recent data shows the parenting model is not just for churches with extensive resources.</p> <p>“One of the most encouraging developments is that the parenting option is no longer limited to large churches,” Strong says. “Small and mid-size congregations are stepping into the role of spiritual parents because health, not size, can be a greater qualifier.”</p> <p>In fact, 40% of parent churches have an average weekly attendance of fewer than 200.</p> <p>An annual study of AG parent churches continues to demonstrate three primary traits of these congregations.</p> <p><em>First, parent churches are highly missional and heavily engaged in their communities.</em> Evangelism effectiveness measures of parent churches exceed those of other congregations.</p> <p>It’s not surprising that congregations seeking to reach beyond their walls are excellent candidates for PAC relationships.</p> <p><em>Second, parent churches prioritize the Spirit’s work.</em> Annual metrics comparing the number of Spirit baptisms to both conversions and worship attendance demonstrate higher levels of Spirit empowerment compared to other churches.</p> <p>Given the clear biblical connection between the Spirit’s power and fulfillment of the Great Commission, this result is also unsurprising.</p> <p><em>Finally, these churches have visionary leaders.</em> Pastors and other leaders of parent churches embody Kingdom priorities and act on them.</p> <p>Pairing these leaders with district personnel who consistently promote church planting is creating growth across the Fellowship.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Future of PACs</strong></h4> <p>The results of this strategic partnership between missionally focused and Spirit-empowered congregations and their visionary district leaders shows no sign of slowing.</p> <p>From 2024–25, 338 new PACs were planted, a two-year total consistent with pre-pandemic results.</p> <p>The number of PAC relationships aimed at helping declining congregations is also increasing.</p> <p>“We are seeing PACs used in dynamic ways — not only for revitalization and new church plants, but also as a strategic vehicle for multisite expansion, ethnic and language congregations, and regional growth initiatives,” Strong says.</p> <p>The PAC model has transformed Assemblies of God church planting in the U.S.</p> <p>Given their strategic potential, Parent Affiliated Churches will likely remain at the forefront of planting and revitalization efforts into the future.</p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{73503662-0AFE-4CAE-B488-A47DE37DB3AD}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Relationship-Matters<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Relationship-Matters_1400.jpg" alt="" />Young people who have good relationships with believing parents are more likely to thrive spiritually after transitioning to college.Wed, 17 Jun 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>After 17 years of ministry among college students, I know they will change. The important question is who will these students become?</p> <p>I think of two freshmen. Both had believing parents. Both grew up in church.</p> <p>One understood Scripture thoroughly and could debate issues eloquently. College challenged his faith, but it held.</p> <p>The other’s faith wavered, despite high moments with God in high school. In the end, he ran away from God.</p> <p>Parents often ask, “What should I do to prepare my kids for college?”</p> <p>Thinking of those two freshmen, as well as many other students I’ve mentored over the years, my answer is, <em>invest in your relationship with them</em>.</p> <p>Frequently parents look solely for intellectual resources to help their students. Those resources are important and useful, of course.</p> <p>However, over the years, I’ve seen a repeated pattern: Young people who have good relationships with believing parents are more likely to thrive spiritually after transitioning to college. </p> <p><em>Who</em> they know matters as much as <em>what</em> they know. More specifically, the character of their parents matters.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>The Good Father</strong></h4> <p>One helpful way to read the New Testament is to focus on how Jesus portrayed the character of our Father. The Parable of the Lost Son (or Prodigal Son) in Luke 15:11–32 offers a useful example.</p> <p>Jesus told this parable with two groups of people in mind. On one hand were “tax collectors and sinners” (15:1). They were neither highly educated nor religiously devout, but they gathered around Jesus.</p> <p>On the other hand were “the Pharisees and the teachers of the law” (verse 2). They were formally educated and religiously observant, but they criticized Jesus.</p> <p>Jesus’ parable revealed that people can go prodigal in two ways. They can run away from a father publicly, as the younger son (tax collectors and sinners) did. Or they can reject a father’s values privately, as the older son (Pharisees and teachers) did.</p> <p>Since this parable is really about God, what does Jesus reveal about our Heavenly Father’s character?</p> <p>First, God is Father of an estranged family. Both His children are alienated from Him, though in different ways.</p> <p>Second, our Heavenly Father reveals His character by leaving the door open for reconciliation. The turning point of the story occurs when the younger son reflected on his ruined life and repented. He returned home because the younger son knew he could expect mercy, not rejection. </p> <p>The younger son received mercy from his father but not from his older brother, who was more like the Pharisees and teachers than God.</p> <p>Parent-child relationships experience rough patches, including matters of faith. Parents need to ask themselves whether their character most resembles the father’s or older brother’s. The answer reflects the quality of their relationship.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>The Faith-Parent Connection</strong></h4> <p>In <em>Growing With</em>, researchers Kara Powell and Steve Argue summarize what social science says about the correlation between warm parent-child relationships and shared faith:</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">It seems that when a child feels close to a parent, they are more likely to follow in the faith footsteps of that parent. When a child feels distant from a parent, they tend to walk away not only from that parent but also from what is important to the parent, including faith.</p> <h6 class="Body">Change is inevitable as students transition from teenagers to young adults, and the college years can <br /> be some of the most transformative.</h6> <p>Such relationships are built on trust. In <em>Trust</em>, Henry Cloud demonstrates that trustworthy people seek to understand you, communicate they are for you, exhibit competence and character in relating to you, and possess a track record of consistent behavior.</p> <p>As pastors, how do we help parents and students build a trustworthy relationship with one another? </p> <p>First, we need to emphasize that both sides play a role in the relationships. We should stress to parents that they must take the initiative, however.</p> <p>Second, students need to know their parents love them, both through words and availability. Affection goes further for students than many parents imagine. Students feel safe around people who show them they care. </p> <p>Third, parents need to make clear they will celebrate what God does and not dwell on what He doesn’t. Affection alone is not enough. Parents must express their deepest convictions too. Teenagers appreciate reasonable, biblical boundaries.</p> <p>Fourth, students need to know they can always come home. In Jesus’ parable, the younger son believed his father would take him back, if not as a son, then at least as a servant. That was enough for him. If students have wandered away from the faith and relationship with their parents, do they know they will always be welcomed back fully?</p> <p>Fifth, parents need to prioritize relationship over always being right. Powell and Argue place a consistent emphasis on parents growing <em>with </em>their children. If parents can’t admit fault when they are wrong, they deter students from doing the same.</p> <p>In other words, students follow their parents’ example, for good and bad.</p> <p>As pastors, we minister to parents and teens preparing for college and young adulthood. Both need to hear from us. Both need encouragement.</p> <p>Parents need to know we will give them the benefit of the doubt as their children grow up. Young adults have free will, after all. Sometimes they misbehave in spite of — not because of — their upbringing.</p> <p>Students need to know their parents are a work in progress too.</p> <p>Pastors can share these lessons formally with both students and parents in venues such as worship services, midweek Bible studies, and small groups.</p> <p>Personal mentoring has the greatest impact, however.</p> <p>Because students are minors, you should not meet with them one-on-one. Another adult needs to be present. Alternatively, several other students can be present. </p> <p>Mentoring parents is easier. You just have to find a time and place to meet. Consider talking over coffee or meeting for lunch.</p> <p>Most importantly, however, pastors themselves should model the desired attitudes and behaviors. Modeling is the best way to teach and mentor others. “Imitate me,” as Paul put it (1 Corinthians 4:16).</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Sharing Formative Years</strong></h4> <p>Change is inevitable as students transition from teenagers to young adults, and the college years can be some of the most transformative.</p> <p>In the process of formation, students need trusted guides to help them process those changes. Parents should play this role, but they can do so only if their children deem them trustworthy.</p> <p>Ironically, after college, the next most transformative period is when young adults marry and become parents themselves.</p> <p>This means parents and students are operating in the most formative periods of their lives and doing so at the same time. Their growth is mutual.</p> <p>Pastors who help Christian parents and students build good relationships with one another have a better chance of seeing positive spiritual outcomes — for both.</p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{F0114D96-80D6-467E-9DB4-7663D93236DC}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/How-Friendly-Is-Your-Church<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/How-Friendly-Is-Your-Church_1400.jpg" alt="" />Every congregation can become a friendly church.Mon, 15 Jun 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>Most ministry leaders believe their congregations are friendly. Yet over a lifetime of visiting churches, my experience has often been quite the opposite.</p> <p>Regardless of a congregation’s size or demographic makeup, people tend to file past my family and me without saying hello, offering to help, or asking whether we are newcomers.</p> <p>Author and researcher Thom S. Rainer highlights a disconnect between visitor perceptions and those of regular attenders. While many churches boast of their extraordinary friendliness, Rainer says that claim rarely matches reality:</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">“We are the friendliest church in town.” In over 500 church consultations and thousands of church member interviews, I heard it. Most church members really do think their church is very friendly. But, more times than not, they are wrong. Guests who visit the churches usually have a much different perspective.</p> <p><span>In other words, there is a gap between what regulars think and newcomers experience. Where such discontinuity exists, insular thinking and behavior play an outsize role in the problem.</span></p> <p><span>When a group is insular, members are not receptive to new people or ideas. It’s like living on a remote island and having tunnel vision.</span></p> <p><span>Insular churches struggle to welcome newcomers — or even see them. The result can be a congregation that plateaus numerically and fails spiritually in its God-given mission to love people and reach the lost.</span></p> <p><span>While seldom intentional, insularity is a common blind spot that keeps visitors from returning and leaves pastors wondering what went wrong.</span></p> <p><span>It doesn’t have to be this way. Leaders can help their congregations overcome insular habits and cultivate a friendlier atmosphere. It begins with seeing others, communicating clearly, and showing sincere interest in newcomers.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <h4><span><strong>See Others</strong></span></h4> <p><span>First, insularity happens because we don’t truly see others. It’s human nature to gravitate toward people who are familiar. Unfortunately, that tendency also makes it easy to overlook newcomers and outsiders.</span></p> <p><span>Even when we register that someone physically exists, we don’t always regard them enough to take the initiative of developing a connection.</span></p> <p><span>A sincere smile and wave or handshake are good starting points. Friendly expressions and body language go a long way toward putting first-time visitors at ease.</span></p> <p><span>Guests can sense when someone is genuinely happy to see them. Create a culture that not only acknowledges visitors, but celebrates them.</span></p> <p><span>Regular attenders are often unaware of how they come across to guests. Provide training for greeters and other volunteers. Have them practice greeting one another so they can receive feedback regarding facial expressions and body language.</span></p> <p><span>Remind everyone to apply the Golden Rule when interacting with visitors: “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12).</span></p> <p><span>As people exhibit the warmth they would want to experience as a visitor, newcomers will feel seen and welcome.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <h4><span><strong>Communicate Clearly</strong></span></h4> <p><span>Communities of all kinds use language outsiders may not understand. In a church, this only increases insularity.</span></p> <p><span>When pastors and congregants use insider language, people who are unfamiliar with the terms remain on the outside looking in.</span></p> <h6 style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;">Guests can sense when someone is genuinely happy to see them. Create <br /> a culture that not <br /> only acknowledges visitors, but celebrates them.</h6> <p><span>For example, many churches describe programs or ministries using acronyms. Provide the full name instead, or take a moment to explain what those letters represent so everyone understands.</span></p> <p><span>Similarly, don’t assume visitors will know what to do — or why — during a worship gathering. Some in attendance might be unchurched. Others will be unfamiliar with your church’s unique style and routine.</span></p> <p><span>Provide clear directions and visual cues when it’s time to move from one part of the service to another.</span></p> <p><span>Explain the biblical reasons for such actions as raising hands, anointing with oil, or dedicating babies.</span></p> <p><span>When guests don’t know what to expect, where to go, or how to behave, they might feel uncomfortable or even embarrassed.</span></p> <p><span>Anticipate which aspects of the worship gathering, facilities, or congregational life newcomers might find confusing. Then be sure you are providing ample guidance online, in bulletins, from the platform, and via signage.</span></p> <p><strong><span> </span></strong></p> <h4><span><strong>Show Interest</strong></span></h4> <p><span>Finally, congregations can overcome insularity by showing genuine interest in newcomers.</span></p> <p><span>In his bestseller <em>How to Win Friends and Influence People</em>, the first principle author Dale Carnegie shares is, “Become genuinely interested in other people.”</span></p> <p><span>This is good advice for church leaders. It’s also biblical. Speaking of his ministry protégé, Timothy, the apostle Paul said, “I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 2:20–21).</span></p> <p><span>Paul made it clear that Timothy’s interest in people wasn’t superficial or selfish. As a devoted Christ follower, Timothy was sincerely committed to the well-being and spiritual growth of others.</span></p> <p><span>How can we express that kind of interest when people visit our churches?</span></p> <p><span>Start with a friendly greeting. Ask people about themselves. Let them do most of the talking. Listen first, listen again, and refrain from talking about yourself.</span></p> <p><span>Focusing on others instead of ourselves is countercultural, and it will make a positive impression on guests.</span></p> <p><span>Imagine the difference a local church could make if each congregant became genuinely interested in welcoming, serving, and loving everyone who walks in the door. I believe most visitors would return — and stay.</span></p> <p>Years ago, my wife and I visited several churches while studying in Scotland. At one church, an older Scottish couple came over to greet us. Smiling warmly, they asked us about ourselves, leaned in, and listened to every word we said.</p> <p>This couple invited us to their home for lunch after the worship gathering, and we gratefully accepted.</p> <p>During the meal, the couple steered much of the conversation toward my wife and me. They seemed genuinely interested in our stories and spiritual journeys.</p> <p>That experience amazes and inspires me to this day. The couple could have been unfriendly and insular toward some random international students, but instead they demonstrated kindness and hospitality.</p> <p>Not only did we share a time of fellowship, but we also established a lasting friendship. In fact, we have remained in contact with this couple for 25 years.</p> <p>How friendly is your church? Would the perceptions of visitors differ from your own?</p> <p>Pastors want to lead welcoming churches that exemplify Christ’s love. But blind spots of unfriendliness and insularity can hinder the best intentions.</p> <p>The good news is that every congregation can become a friendly church. It doesn’t take a big budget or complex program.</p> <p>It’s as simple as treating people the way you would want to be treated — seeing them, offering clear communication, and showing you care.</p> <p>Do those things well, and you will likely have more repeat visitors than you ever thought possible.</p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{2B7048B2-C665-4A0A-9C8B-DFF804F0FE34}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Made-in-Gods-Image<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Made-in-Gods-Image_1400.jpg" alt="" />Every person with autism is created by God, known by Him, and designed for a purpose.Wed, 10 Jun 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>I was standing at the stovetop preparing dinner when I noticed the youngest of our three children — our only boy — walking in constant circles from the kitchen, through the dining room, into the living room and back, snapping his fingers rhythmically as he went. Around and around.</p> <p>For the first time, I whispered a question I never expected to ask: “Does he have autism?”</p> <p>We’d noticed some struggles, especially at school, but that moment led to a series of conversations, evaluations, and finally, a formal diagnosis.</p> <p>The question I whispered in my kitchen eventually grew into a deeper theological question: <em>Is autism also part of God’s image?</em></p> <p>I didn’t ask it out loud at first. But it echoed through my thoughts at every pediatric appointment and teacher conference, and especially in moments when I watched my son struggle to fit into spaces that weren’t designed with him in mind.</p> <p>It’s a question that opened my eyes to a bigger truth: God’s image is revealed not in sameness, but in sacred diversity.</p> <p>At the heart of our faith is the unshakable truth that every human being is made in God’s image. Genesis 1:27 says, “God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”</p> <p>This includes individuals with autism. The “image of God” (in Latin, <em>imago Dei</em>) doesn’t depend on outward appearance or physical and mental ability. It speaks to the essence of being made by God, for God.</p> <p>God’s image in humanity means every person reflects something of the divine — even those who think and behave differently.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Spaces of Belonging</strong></h4> <p>Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurological condition that affects how a person communicates, processes information, and engages with the world.</p> <p>Because ASD is a spectrum, each person with autism experiences a unique set of challenges and strengths. No two individuals are exactly alike. Some are nonverbal, and others are highly articulate. While some have heightened sensitivity to sound or light, others seek out sensory input.</p> <p>My family has navigated the disorientation of diagnosis, the grief of lost dreams, the weight of unknowns, and the hope that churches will be places of understanding, not isolation.</p> <p>I’ve sat through services, acutely aware of my son’s stimming behaviors and the potential distraction they might cause, all while feeling the weight of every meltdown.</p> <p>I know what it’s like to make a slow exit from the auditorium under the judgmental gaze of fellow worshippers.</p> <p>As a leader, I’ve carried these experiences into ministry planning, seeking to create welcoming spaces and come alongside families that are struggling.</p> <p>Jesus welcomed people others ignored, including the disabled, marginalized, and powerless.</p> <h6 style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;">God’s image in humanity means every person <br /> reflects something <br /> of the divine — <br /> even those who <br /> think and behave <br /> differently.</h6> <p>When His disciples tried to shoo away a group of children, Jesus responded, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Mark 10:14).</p> <p>Jesus didn’t wait for people to behave a certain way or follow unwritten rules before including them. He embraced them as they were.</p> <p>Would Jesus welcome my son — vocal stimming, head tics, and all? I have no doubt He would. And if Jesus would embrace my son as he is, shouldn’t the Church?</p> <p>In 1 Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul depicted the Church as a body. Paul emphasized that everyone matters. Every part of the Body is necessary.</p> <p>When churches see autism as a disruption rather than a reflection of God’s image, they are not only excluding families, but diminishing the fullness of Christ’s body.</p> <p>Belonging is about more than just attending services. Like everyone else, children with autism want to feel known and loved.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Four Myths</strong></h4> <p>Although most church leaders want to create welcoming environments, four common myths about autism can create barriers to inclusivity.</p> <p><em>The first misconception is that autism is merely a behavioral issue. </em>Autism is neurological, not a lack of discipline. A child’s sensory overload, communication difficulties, and anxiety may look like misbehavior, but they are not intentional acts of defiance.</p> <p>Labeling neurological responses as bad behavior not only perpetuates misunderstanding, but it also risks further isolation and harm to children and their families.</p> <p>Church leaders should avoid defaulting to a moral lens when interpreting behavior in children with autism. Instead, we must develop compassionate curiosity, asking, <em>What is this child trying to communicate? What sensory needs might be unmet? How can we adjust our environment to support the child and family?</em></p> <p>Recognizing that autism is not about discipline, but difference allows us to shift from judgment to understanding and from exclusion to inclusion.</p> <p><em>Second, leaders may assume kids with autism are not engaged.</em> Worship and discipleship look different from one person to the next. A child who avoids eye contact may still be listening. A nonverbal child may worship through movement rather than singing.</p> <p>There is no one-size-fits-all approach to children’s discipleship. When we place rigid expectations on how kids should behave in church, we risk mistaking neurodivergent expressions for spiritual apathy.</p> <p>God meets children in the quiet, the stillness, the stimming, and the pacing. Our job is not to force uniformity but to create environments where everyone can learn about and experience the love of Jesus.</p> <p><em>A third myth is that ministering to children with autism requires extensive resources and financial investments.</em> Inclusion is a matter of mindset, not budget. Small changes like volunteer training, sensory friendly spaces, and flexible expectations can make a big impact.</p> <p>Even if specialized equipment or full-time staff are out of reach, a willing heart, teachable spirit, and desire to reflect Christ’s love can go a long way toward ministering to children with autism.</p> <p>Start small. Have one conversation with a family, learn from one child’s needs, or adapt one part of your children’s ministries.</p> <p><em>Finally, some may worry that welcoming kids with autism will create disruptions.</em> Churches already make space for crying babies and energetic toddlers. Why not extend that same grace to older children as well?</p> <p>Some behaviors during services may challenge routines, but children with autism are not disruptions. They are part of the divine image and body of Christ.</p> <p>When we welcome those who move, vocalize, or process differently, we don’t lose reverence. We gain a richer expression of worship.</p> <p>Children with autism often bring raw honesty, authentic faith, and unique connection with God. They remind us worship is about presence, not performance.</p> <p>Inclusion and belonging help our churches reflect the fullness of God’s kingdom, where every person holds sacred value.</p> <p>Seeing my son through the lens of <em>imago Dei</em> has changed me. His diagnosis didn’t reveal a problem, but a new way to see God.</p> <p>Every person with autism is created by God, known by Him, and designed for a purpose. It is our responsibility and privilege to ensure all children have a place to grow and thrive in Christian community.</p> <p> </p> <p><em>Adapted from </em>Autism in the Church: A Guide for Pastors and Parents<em> (Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 2026).</em></p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{6D4FF2E6-8422-4746-9F88-654B3FE68CA5}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Is-Empathy-Toxic<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Is-Empathy-Toxic_1400.jpg" alt="" />We don’t have to compromise biblical truth to meet others in their struggles and demonstrate Christ’s love.Mon, 08 Jun 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>In <em>A Christmas Carol</em>, Charles Dickens tells the cautionary tale of a man who walked through the world with stubborn indifference toward the human suffering around him.</p> <p>Nearly two centuries later, some decry the opposite posture as equally harmful. The warped figure in this alternate narrative is a society so accommodating of everyone and everything that it has fallen prey to so-called toxic empathy.</p> <p>Psychologists acknowledge that even virtues like empathy can be harmful when untethered from healthy ways of thinking and acting. Yet the current debate about toxic empathy is not about social science as much as politics.</p> <p>Two books on the subject popular among evangelicals are Allie Beth Stuckey’s <em>Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion </em>and Joe Rigney’s <em>Leadership and the Sin of Empathy: Compassion and Its Counterfeits</em>.</p> <p>Stuckey and Rigney perceive empathy as a weapon of political progressives, and resistance to it as the appropriate Christian response.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <h4><strong>Feeling With</strong></h4> <p>Empathy, sympathy, and compassion are synonyms with subtle differences in meaning.</p> <p>While sympathy signals concern for another person’s situation, empathy includes the ability to feel that individual’s pain on some level.</p> <p>More than just an emotional response, empathy is a choice to enter the experiences of others and <em>feel</em> <em>with</em> them. It can also refer to a skill or capacity for emotional understanding.</p> <p>Compassion, which functions alongside sympathy and empathy, stirs a desire to alleviate suffering.</p> <p>These attitudes start with sensitivity toward someone else’s feelings or circumstances. They require a willingness to notice others and care about their well-being.</p> <p>Critics, however, point to the word “empathy” as problematic. A relatively new term, it first appeared during the early 20th century.</p> <p>In some academic literature, empathy captured the experience of projecting one’s emotional experiences onto inanimate objects or aspects of the natural world, such as a stream or bird in flight.</p> <p>That niche usage faded rather quickly, but the term nevertheless stuck around in psychology to describe the emotion-sharing element of sympathy and compassion.</p> <p>Appeals to empathy hit the cultural airwaves during the mid-20th century, helping brand the term as an invention of secular psychologists.</p> <p>Compassion and sympathy are much older words. The former appears dozens of times in the King James Version of Scripture. This gives “compassion” a golden aura of an ancient and sacred pedigree, as well as a solid theological anchor.</p> <p>“Sympathy” makes numerous appearances in other English translations, including the New International Version. For example, Psalm 69:20 says, “I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found none.” The Psalmist goes on to contrast human cruelty with the Lord’s mercy, noting that God “hears the needy” (verse 33).</p> <p>Evangelicals like Stuckey and Rigney frame empathy as the product of modern, secular thinking — a counterfeit and toxic redundancy, prone to error and falsely wielding an unassailable authority.</p> <p><strong><em> </em></strong></p> <h4><strong>Open Hearts</strong></h4> <p>Is this a fair assessment, or does empathy offer paths for Christ followers that are neither toxic nor redundant?</p> <p>Compassion and sympathy are indeed central to the gospel message, our experience as children of God, and our calling as Christ’s representatives on earth.</p> <p>Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”</p> <h6 style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;">Should we seek <br /> to understand, <br /> at a heart level, <br /> those whose <br /> perspectives and<br /> experiences differ<br /> from our own?</h6> <p>First Peter 3:8 names both compassion and sympathy as Christian virtues: “B<span style="background: white; color: black;">e like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.”</span></p> <p>But what of empathy? Does God call us to share someone else’s pain? Should we seek to understand, at a heart level, those whose perspectives and experiences differ from our own?</p> <p>Scripture reveals God is <em>not </em>like humans (Numbers 23:19; Psalm 8:3–5; Ecclesiastes 5:2; Isaiah 55:8–9). People are finite, mortal, and sinful, but God is infinite, immortal, and perfect in all His ways. Even when He is moved to assist us in our suffering, God does not naturally share our feelings.</p> <p>Yet God’s compassion <em>is</em> empathetic. That is, God intentionally crosses the divide of experience and perspective to come alongside us.</p> <p>Theologians call this “condescension.” This means God measures His pace with ours, so to speak, to meet us where we are.</p> <p>The ultimate expression of this divine impulse is of course the Incarnation. In Christ’s humanity, God walks among us and <em>does </em>share our feelings.</p> <p>In fact, the one usage of “empathize” in the NIV appears within a description of Christ’s role as High Priest. Hebrews 4:15 says, “<span style="background: white; color: black;">We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet he did not sin.”</span></p> <p><span style="background: white; color: black;">Christ’s willingness to enter our world and feel our pain is precisely what makes Him the ideal High Priest. Jesus’ condescension and sacrifice on our behalf enable us to “approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (verse 16).</span></p> <p>As Christ followers, we are called to walk in compassion and sympathy, but the social skill of empathy reminds us to do this even when it does not come naturally or easily.</p> <p>We might even think of empathy as naming that phenomenon of humanity imitating divine compassion. We can embrace empathy’s invitation to emotional imagination and patience as a gift from God, one that assists us in the difficult work of living out the gospel mandate.</p> <p>Surely the vision of God’s kingdom that Christ presents in Matthew 5–7 requires Spirit-assisted empathy. Perhaps more concretely, functions of Church ministry — such as evangelism, apologetics, counseling, and service — call for close attention to the gap-closing skills of empathy.</p> <p>Insofar as empathy helps us follow Christ in His perfect compassion and mercy, it is anything but redundant.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Truth in Love</strong></h4> <p>Critics claim empathy becomes toxic when there is a social expectation to affirm another person’s choices, leaving no room for disagreement. As the argument goes, cultural forces demand Christians ignore what is unbiblical lest they hurt someone’s feelings.</p> <p>Before rejecting empathy as toxic, it is worth evaluating what’s truly at stake. Are we standing for righteousness, or just insisting on being right?</p> <p>In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructed His followers to turn the other check, go the extra mile, give to the one who asks, and love their enemies (Matthew 5:38–45).</p> <p>The apostle Paul told believers to speak the truth in love, a balance he saw as the mark of Christian maturity (Ephesians 4:15).</p> <p>We don’t have to compromise biblical truth to meet others in their struggles and demonstrate Christ’s love. The empathetic skill of <em>acknowledging </em>people’s feelings and views can be an effective alternative to the expectation of <em>affirming</em> them.</p> <p>In John 4, we see Christ acknowledging the painful realities of the Samaritan woman’s life, with palpable mercy, without compromising the moral truth about her situation.</p> <p>Acknowledging people’s fears, hurts, hopes, and needs — and how those relate to their lived experiences — is something we <em>can</em> do, with the Holy Spirit’s help. And until we have listened and tried to understand, we are unlikely to change many minds.</p> <p>There is no simple formula for being a faithful and empathetic gospel witness. In some cases, we can’t bend. In others, we can’t afford not to.</p> <p>May the Lord help us wed discernment with charity as we grow in Christlike empathy toward a world in need.</p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{5E9CCB4B-3B3E-4222-97F9-7328C89019A4}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/All-Things-to-All-People<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/All-Things-to-All-People_1400.jpg" alt="" />Whether speaking at a women’s event or interacting with a health care colleague, Sandra A. Ogunremi trusts God to work through her.Fri, 05 Jun 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>Like the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:22, Sandra A. Ogunremi has become all things to all people. A minister and health care executive, Ogunremi helps meet spiritual, physical, and emotional needs.</p> <p>Ogunremi is vice president of patient relations and belonging at Monument Health in Rapid City, South Dakota. She also serves as women’s director for the South Dakota Assemblies of God District, a position she assumed in 2022 after 14 years as a sectional representative.</p> <p>As a bivocational minister, time management is crucial for Ogunremi.</p> <p>“We all have the same number of hours in a day,” Ogunremi says. “We have a lot of wasted time that can be harnessed. Intentionality matters.”</p> <p>Born in Nigeria, Ogunremi spent part of her childhood in the U.S. Her husband of 32 years, Ayodele, is also Nigerian and works at Monument Health as an internal medicine physician. The couple have three adult children.</p> <p>A lifelong student of the Bible, Ogunremi memorizes Scripture and seems to have a text for every situation. Co-workers, church friends, and community members often come to her for prayer and counsel.</p> <p>“The one thing that never changes is the Word of God,” Ogunremi says. “Everything else can change around you, but God and the lessons in the Bible never change.”</p> <p>When Ogunremi and her family moved to Rapid City 23 years ago, only 1 in 200 residents was Black.</p> <p>“We still stand out like fish in a bowl,” Ogunremi says. “But I never stop to ask why. God has amazed us, and we have thrived here.”</p> <p>Monument Health has attracted a more diverse workforce in recent years, with a number of nurses emigrating from foreign countries, particularly the Philippines. However, only about 1% of Rapid City’s 80,000 residents are Black.</p> <p>Ogunremi says she strives to represent both her culture and faith well.</p> <p>“Because I stand out, I have to represent Jesus wherever I go, living a self-controlled life,” Ogunremi says. “I have to behave in a way that glorifies the Lord.”</p> <p>One of the departments Ogunremi oversees at Monument Health is spiritual care services.</p> <p>“God has placed me strategically to invite partners to come in to pray with patients,” she says.</p> <p>Ogunremi coordinates chaplains across the system. She also relies on volunteer clergy, including her own lead pastor, Craig M. Moore. Ogunremi and her family have attended First Assembly of God in Rapid City since 2003, and she served as the church’s treasurer for seven years.</p> <p>Ogunremi is also on the board of trustees at Trinity Bible College and Graduate School in Ellendale, North Dakota.</p> <h6 style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;">Through her speaking and example, Ogunremi challenges others <br /> to live with grace, compassion, and purpose.</h6> <p>“Sandra is a great communicator, a great leader, and a great person,” says South Dakota Assemblies of God Superintendent Drew S. Becker.</p> <p>Since completing her doctorate in health administration from Central Michigan University during 2009, Ogunremi has maintained a passion for learning. Every few years, she takes another course to sharpen her skills. Last year, she completed a certification in traumatic stress studies.</p> <p>Ogunremi takes her ministry credentials just as seriously. She has been an ordained Assemblies of God minister since 2011.</p> <p>“I teach women not to stop at certification, not to stop at being licensed, but to get ordained,” she says. “Especially for women, ordination opens a different set of doors to do what God has called you to do.”</p> <p>While she has ministered for nearly two decades at conventions, church services, and retreats, recently Ogunremi has focused on speaking to women. She was keynote speaker at a breakfast for AG Women during the 2023 General Council in Columbus, Ohio.</p> <p>“Sandra is a tremendous communicator of the Word, an exemplary leader who cares deeply for people and helps them move closer to Jesus,” says Nonda Houston, national director of AG Women. “God has uniquely created her to bring a different perspective.”</p> <p>Ogunremi has authored two books, <em>Casting Down Disruptive Imaginations</em> and <em>Overcoming Threats, Thoughts, & Triggers</em>. She says many Christians don’t realize how destructive negative thought patterns can be.</p> <p>“You’ll never accomplish anything if you listen to voices saying, <em>This is too hard, I’m stupid, I hate my life</em>,” Ogunremi says.</p> <p>Ogunremi coaches people on how to live a meaningful, healthy life and alleviate hurt and anguish that may have caused emotional crippling.</p> <p>Despite her full schedule, Ogunremi has always been intentional about making time for family. She opted not to travel for work and ministry during her children’s formative years. While pursuing advanced degrees, she studied at night after her two daughters and son had gone to bed.</p> <p>When she started traveling and speaking, Ogunremi coordinated her schedule with her husband’s.</p> <p>“He has always supported my ministry,” Ogunremi says. “There has to be united vision in the home to fulfill the call.” </p> <p>Ogunremi’s parents divorced when she was young. She recalls that despite regular church attendance, her mother and father drifted apart amid the busyness of life.</p> <p>Even with her children grown and out of the home, Ogunremi limits her ministry travel to 12 weekends annually.</p> <p>Whether speaking at a women’s event or interacting with a health care colleague, Ogunremi trusts God to work through her to accomplish His purpose.</p> <p>“Not just in the church world, but also in her secular job, Sandra is recognized for her leadership capacity,” Houston says. “People look to her for leadership, advice, and expertise.”</p> <p>Through her speaking and example, Ogunremi challenges others to live with grace, compassion, and purpose.</p> <p>“People respect Sandra for her passion for God, her fervent commitment to His call, her position in the medical field, and the awareness of the suffering and brokenness affecting people around the world,” Becker says. “She has led the women of our state to respond with generosity to women across the globe who are struggling.”</p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{9324F971-5DA3-4693-84D2-26D9BAFD5F95}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Grow-Over-the-Wall<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Grow-Over-the-Wall_1400.jpg" alt="" />There are times when the Lord does not break down walls in front of us because He wants us to grow over them.Wed, 03 Jun 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>Several years ago, I planted a small orange tree in my yard. It was flourishing in the Houston climate — until an unusual deep freeze stripped the foliage, leaving only a dried stick.</p> <p>I asked a friend with plant knowledge whether I should uproot and discard what remained of the sapling.</p> <p>My friend said, “The tree is not dead. There is still life in the roots. As long as you keep watering and tending the soil, your tree will blossom again.”</p> <p>After months of following this advice, nothing had changed. Just when I was ready to jettison the tree, I noticed some green shoots. Later, leaves and blossoms appeared.</p> <p>I marveled at the tree’s resilience, grateful I didn’t give up on it. What had looked dead on the outside held a hidden reservoir of strength that helped it survive the winter and prepare for a spring comeback.</p> <p>Sometimes in ministry we plant and sow, visit and pray, fast and weep, launch and release, take classes and prepare — with no fruit in sight.</p> <p>When people are leaving, finances are depleted, and the volunteer base is shrinking, we might even feel tempted to quit.</p> <p>Yet during difficult seasons, God is still at work. He is stretching, growing, and maturing us for our good and His glory.</p> <p>The Old Testament story of Joseph highlights this reality. Betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and imprisoned, Joseph could have yielded to cold despair. Instead, he faithfully served God and grew in hard spaces.</p> <p>While giving a final blessing to his sons, Jacob described Joseph as a fruitful vine climbing over a wall (Genesis 49:22). The barriers Joseph encountered were not the end of his story.</p> <p>With steadfast faith, Joseph rose above the difficulties he faced. Even prison walls could not keep him from fulfilling his God-given purpose.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Against the Wall</strong></h4> <p>God can move any obstacle, of course. But there are times when the Lord does not break down walls in front of us because He wants us to grow over them. Through the process, God is also shaping our hearts.</p> <p>James 1:2–4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”</p> <p>Similarly, Romans 5:3–5 says, “We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”</p> <p>God uses difficult seasons to build character and orient our hearts toward His hope and love.</p> <p>We’ll never reach our full potential without growth. Growing over a wall means confronting barriers, stretching, and doing hard things.</p> <p>Maybe God is prompting you to take a specific action, such as going back to school, finding a coach or mentor, paying off debt, planting a church, answering the call to missions, learning a new language, or writing a book. Or perhaps He is simply asking you to serve faithfully right where you are, persevering amid difficult circumstances.</p> <p>Change is seldom easy. Waiting for things to change can be agonizing. But following where God leads is always the right next step — even if it’s frightening.</p> <p>In the words of Donna Barrett, former general secretary of the Assemblies of God, “Do it scared!”</p> <p>Courage is not the absence of fear; it is obedience in the face of fear.</p> <p>With God’s help, we can scale whatever walls stand in the way (Psalm 18:29). He makes it possible to endure trials and do hard things with strength, hope, and even joy.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Hard Seasons</strong></h4> <p>Our church’s leadership team entered 2020 full of optimism for the year ahead. Not long after sharing our vision and goals with the congregation, however, everything came to a screeching halt.</p> <h6>Change is seldom easy. Waiting for things to change can be agonizing. But following where God leads is always the right next step <br /> — even if it’s frightening.</h6> <p>Because of COVID-19 restrictions in our city, we moved exclusively to virtual services for the next several months.</p> <p>As a pastor, I felt frustrated. Had we missed God’s will? How were we supposed to achieve our vision for outreach and community building when we couldn’t even leave our homes?</p> <p>Have you ever found yourself asking, “God, what happened? Can these dry bones really live again?”</p> <p>As I surveyed the rubble of toppled plans and unfulfilled dreams, I looked to Scripture for guidance. During that season, I studied the Book of Nehemiah — not for sermon material, but because I could relate.</p> <p>Nehemiah’s story starts in a place of sorrow. Years had passed since the first exiles returned from captivity. Yet Jerusalem’s walls remained in ruins.</p> <p>When Nehemiah heard about the city’s condition, he wept. Those tears watered the soil from which new beginnings would spring.</p> <p>From Nehemiah, we can glean several principles for growing during hard seasons.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Seek God</strong></h4> <p>Nehemiah grieved, but he didn’t sink into despair. In fact, he quickly brought his concerns to God: “I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven” (Nehemiah 1:4).</p> <p>Several months passed before Nehemiah left for Jerusalem. Instead of reacting impulsively, he took time to seek God.</p> <p>The road ahead would not be easy. Far more than just a construction project, Nehemiah’s task was about rebuilding the spiritual and social climate and reconciling hearts to God. Launching this project from a seedbed of prayer was crucial.</p> <p>Before God transforms a situation, He often changes us. Through prayer, we release doubts and disappointments to God and allow Him to fortify our resolve.</p> <p>First Chronicles 16:11 says, “Look to the <span style="color: black;">Lord </span>and his strength; seek his face always.”</p> <p>Psalm 34:10 highlights the sustaining power of God’s presence: “The lions my grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the <span style="color: black;">Lord </span>lack no good thing.”</p> <p>The Hebrew word for “seek” in these texts is <em>darash</em>, which is related to an Arabic word that describes treading or frequenting a particular place.</p> <p>When we pray and seek God’s will, we are marking the ground and treading a path to our miracle. As we frequent His presence, we bring our thoughts and emotions back to a place of clarity and peace in God.</p> <p>Before Esther risked everything by appearing before the king without an invitation, she called for a fast (Esther 4:16).</p> <p>Knowing He was about to face crucifixion, Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36–44).</p> <p>Preparation for navigating difficult circumstances begins with prayer. When you feel tired or overwhelmed, lean into God’s presence. If you are in a rebuilding season, pick up some of the rubble and create an altar of prayer.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Examine</strong></h4> <p>When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he did not start building and delegating tasks right away. He first examined the broken walls (Nehemiah 2:13–16).</p> <p>Nehemiah took ownership of the situation rather than asking someone else to bring him a report. Working alone during the night, he moved through the rubble and saw the mess for himself.</p> <p>There is value in taking time for quiet examination. When dealing with a problem in ministry, it’s easy to complain, deflect, or cast blame. But wise leaders look, listen, and ask questions. They seek to understand the situation instead of merely reacting to it.</p> <p>Proverbs 14:8 says, “The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways, but the folly of fools is deception.”</p> <p>Examination isn’t the same as inaction. In every church, there are systems and processes that no longer work. It takes courage to confront these issues honestly. The worst thing we can do is ignore problems indefinitely and hope they self-correct.</p> <p>Jesus shared a parable in Luke 13:6–9 about a fig tree that wasn’t bearing fruit. The vineyard owner wanted this tree removed right away, but the caretaker asked for one more year.</p> <p>During that time, the caretaker planned to fertilize the tree and aerate its roots. This would allow him to evaluate the situation thoroughly before making an irreversible decision.</p> <p>In John 15, Jesus similarly described the Father as a Gardener who examines, prunes, and cuts off branches.</p> <p>“I am the vine; you are the branches,” Jesus said. “If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (verse 5).</p> <p>With this in mind, the first thing a leader must examine is his or her own heart. If there are cracks in spiritual disciplines or breaches in character, we will not be able to achieve sustainable growth.</p> <p>As shepherds, we must also identify and address unhealthy habits and unresolved conflicts in the communities we lead.</p> <p>This means opening lines of communication, asking hard questions, examining leadership practices, and calling for repentance where needed.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Remember</strong></h4> <p>After praying, waiting, and examining the situation, Nehemiah shared his God-given vision and rallied the people to rise up and build.</p> <p>Obedience did not exempt Nehemiah and his crew from attacks, however. On multiple occasions, neighboring rulers Geshem, Sanballat, and Tobiah tried to stop the rebuilding project.</p> <p>The people prayed and posted guards. Still, morale was suffering amid threats and frightening reports:</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;"><em>The people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.” Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.” Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us”</em> (Nehemiah 4:10–12).</p> <h6>Whether walking through difficulties personally or as a church, the condition of our hearts will always determine the work of our hands.</h6> <p>The climate of fear was paralyzing, and discouragement set in.</p> <p>When hardship and opposition distract us from the mission, ministry begins to feel like a burden rather than a blessing.</p> <p>But there is an antidote to discouragement. Nehemiah said, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes” (4:14).</p> <p>Nehemiah spoke to hearts by tapping into a reservoir of faith-building memories. The people did not need a strategy for building more effectively. They needed to remember God’s greatness.</p> <p>Whether walking through difficulties personally or as a church, the condition of our hearts will always determine the work of our hands. Spiritual amnesia disturbs our peace, but remembrance helps us refocus on the Lord.</p> <p>During hard seasons, we can recall how God has provided in the past and encourage others by talking about His goodness.</p> <p>Juxtaposing momentary troubles with God’s eternal glory and faithfulness keeps crises in perspective. Instead of dwelling on the anxious <em>what ifs</em>, we remember <em>whom we serve.</em></p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Build</strong></h4> <p>In response to the threats, Nehemiah assigned some to guard the worksite while others built. Even those engaged in construction were ready for battle.</p> <p>According to Nehemiah 4:17–18, “Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked.”</p> <p>In the work of ministry, we must remain alert to the enemies of discouragement and burnout. Our weapons are not physical, but they are powerful. They include prayer, as well as the sword of the Spirit — God’s Word (Ephesians 6:17).</p> <p>The same Spirit who brought order from chaos in Genesis 1 desires to walk with us today and transform the unstable places in our lives. The One who raised Jesus from the dead brings us resurrection hope (Romans 8:1–2; 2 Corinthians 4:13–14).</p> <p>Nehemiah’s obedience through hard seasons led to growth in himself and others. The builders relied on God, supported one another, and made rapid progress, completing the wall in just 52 days (Nehemiah 6:15).</p> <p>Even Nehemiah’s opponents recognized God’s central role in this remarkable accomplishment.</p> <p>Nehemiah 6:16 says, “When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.”</p> <p>Ministry leaders should strive to equip team members not only with knowledge and wisdom, but also spiritual reservoirs for persevering through hard seasons of rebuilding and growing.</p> <p>This requires a shepherd’s heart and a culture of open communication, mentoring, prayer, and discipleship.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>A New Way</strong></h4> <p>Reflecting on the hard COVID season of 2020, those months were the most challenging — and fruitful — I have experienced in ministry.</p> <p>We unyoked ourselves from formal plans, busy programs, and routines, and rediscovered the deep wellsprings of God’s presence.</p> <p>Ever since that time, God has been teaching us a more productive way to rebuild His Church.</p> <p>The Lord brought us back to a Spirit-shaped congregational life. We stopped babysitting Christians and started making disciples. We stretched and grew, though not in the ways we expected.</p> <p>Amid the rubble of what we thought represented our strength and success, God used this overwhelming season to push us past barriers. We asked hard questions and made the necessary changes to align with His plan.</p> <p>It was not easy. There were times when we questioned our calling or contemplated job relocation. Nonetheless, we kept leaning in.</p> <p>We kept treading the path of continual prayer and careful examination. We remembered what God had already done and built on the foundation of His faithfulness.</p> <p>Along with tools of wisdom, strategy, and leadership principles, we picked up the sword of spiritual effectiveness — interceding, fasting, and studying God’s Word.</p> <p>When we learn to grow through hard seasons God’s way, life sprouts organically. We don’t have to force or program it. Growth happens because we are connected to the Vine.</p> <p>Perhaps right now you can’t see a way past whatever struggles you’re facing. The process of moving forward can be hard. Yet just as God helped Nehemiah rebuild and guided our church toward a healthier spiritual climate, He is at work in you during this difficult season.</p> <p>Don’t think about how to transition out of the ministry God has given you or abort the mission. Do not walk away.</p> <p>Take up your tools, pick up your sword, and rise up to build again. By faith, you can overcome every obstacle.</p> <p>It’s time to grow over the wall.</p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="color: black;">Adapted from</span></em><span class="apple-converted-space" style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;">The Heart of a Pathfinder: Charting Paths for the Next Generation</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="color: black;"> </span><em><span style="color: black;">(Springfield, MO: Gospel Publishing House, 2026).</span></em></p> <p><span style="color: black;"> </span></p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{B99CE334-785E-4FA0-9541-5682AAB8FAF1}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/The-Humble-Leader<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/The-Humble-Leader-1400.jpg" alt="" />The ultimate goal of pastoral leadership is not to build a recognizable personal brand, but to point people toward a recognizable Savior.Mon, 01 Jun 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>We live in a culture obsessed with personal branding. From social media influencers to corporate executives, the modern world says if you do not actively promote yourself, you will not succeed.</p> <p><span>Today’s digital landscape demands constant output, carefully curated images, and strategic messaging designed to maximize personal visibility. Unfortunately, this relentless mindset has quietly crept into the church. Pastors and ministry leaders today face immense pressure to build a platform, curate a flawless online presence, and market their ministries to a hyper connected world. </span> </p> <p><span>While utilizing modern digital tools to share the gospel and connect with communities is not inherently wrong, the constant need for visibility can slowly erode the character of a leader. As followers of Christ, we are called to opposite standards. In an era that celebrates self-promotion, maintaining a humble spirit is one of the most countercultural and deeply necessary acts of spiritual leadership. </span></p> <p><span>In the daily rhythms of ministry, it is dangerously easy to confuse digital reach with spiritual fruitfulness. When we see other leaders gaining massive traction online, publishing books, or speaking at large conferences, an inkling of anxiety begins to form in our own hearts. We begin to wonder if we are doing enough, leading effectively, or if we are known enough to make a real impact. </span></p> <p><span>This is the primary trap of the modern pastoral platform. It subtly shifts the focus from God to us. </span></p> <p><span>What begins as a genuine desire to magnify Christ can slowly morph into a covert desire to magnify ourselves. We start measuring our pastoral worth by digital metrics, weekend attendance numbers, and social media engagement. </span></p> <h6>The ultimate goal of pastoral leadership is not to build a recognizable personal brand, but to point people toward a recognizable Savior. </h6> <p><span>To combat this subtle shift, we must redefine what success actually looks like in ministry by looking closely at the life of Jesus. Christ modeled a life that consistently embraced humility over hype. He frequently instructed His disciples not to broadcast His miracles. At the pinnacle of His earthly ministry, He washed the dirty feet of His followers. Jesus understood that the highest calling in the kingdom of God is that of a servant. As leaders, we must cultivate a genuine willingness to do the unseen, uncelebrated work of ministry. </span></p> <p><span>True humility is found in the quiet hospital visits that no one tweets about, in the late-night counseling sessions with a struggling young adult, and in the faithful preparation of a sermon for a congregation of fifty people. When we find our validation in Christ rather than the applause of the crowd, we are finally freed from the exhausting treadmill of self-promotion. </span></p> <p><span>Embracing this kind of humility is a daily, intentional practice. It requires concrete choices that actively resist the pull of pride. One of the most practical ways to cultivate humility is to intentionally become a champion of other people. </span></p> <p><span>When another church in your city experiences a season of explosive growth, choose to celebrate them rather than succumb to comparison and jealousy. </span></p> <p><span>Furthermore, we must look for opportunities to pass the microphone. Give younger leaders the chance to preach, lead a project, or make a crucial decision, even if it means you step out of the spotlight. </span></p> <p><span>A humble leader also understands the necessity of listening far more than they speak. In a world full of people shouting their opinions online, the simple ability to sit quietly and truly listen to a staff member, a student, or a congregation member is a profound act of pastoral care.</span></p> <p><span>Humility means accepting that we do not have all the answers and recognizing that we desperately need the wisdom, pushback, and accountability of the community around us. It is admitting when we are wrong, apologizing quickly, and fostering an environment where our teams feel safe to speak the truth in love. When we operate with this kind of transparency, we disarm the competitive nature of the modern age and replace it with genuine biblical community. </span></p> <p><span>The ultimate goal of pastoral leadership is not to build a recognizable personal brand, but to point people toward a recognizable Savior. </span></p> <p><span>The surrounding culture will always push us to promote ourselves, to shout louder, and to climb higher on the ladder of influence. But the way up in the kingdom of God is down. True, lasting spiritual influence is forged in the quiet unglamorous moments of faithful service. By intentionally choosing the path of humility over the allure of self-promotion, we protect our souls, we empower our ministry teams, and most importantly, we reflect the true heart of Jesus to a world that is desperate for authentic leadership.</span></p>{0995082D-5E62-489A-A4A6-7A273D00EF8A}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/No-Greater-Love<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/No-Greater-Love_1400.jpg" alt="" />When a congregant needed a kidney, Pastor Ross Morrill stepped up to help.Fri, 29 May 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>It was a Sunday morning in February 2025 when I first learned that one of our church members, Eric, was on dialysis and in need of a kidney transplant.</p> <p>I knew Eric as our men’s ministries leader and the father of a student in the youth group I lead at <span style="color: black;">New Hope Community Church (Assemblies of God) in Gilroy, California</span>.</p> <p>Our lead pastor planned to ask congregants to consider donating a kidney. If a potential living donor came forward, the first step would involve testing to see whether that person was a good match for Eric. As soon as the pastor mentioned this to me, I felt a nudge from God saying I was a match.</p> <p>I later shared this with my wife, Amanda, and we prayed about it together. Immediately, Amanda and I both felt a deep sense of peace and assurance from God.</p> <p>The following Sunday, I asked Eric about the process and told him I would submit to donor testing. Eric was stunned and overjoyed. Making no promises, I agreed to take it one step at a time.</p> <p>Initial tests revealed I was the same blood type as Eric. I received approval for proceeding to the next round of testing.</p> <p>More bloodwork followed, along with an EKG and CT scan. At UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, I met with doctors, a social worker, and my assigned donor advocate.</p> <p>Afterward, we waited and trusted God. I wasn’t nervous because I believed the Lord had led me on this journey.</p> <p>Finally, last September, I received a phone call from my donor advocate saying the surgery was approved and I could share the news with Eric.</p> <p>Amanda and I waited until Sunday so we could tell Eric and his wife, Jenn, in person. Witnessing their response to this answered prayer was such a blessing.</p> <h6>Christ demonstrated His love by dying for our sins. I could lay down my life for Eric in a different sense — by being willing to live with one kidney.</h6> <p>Some people asked why I was enduring a surgery and risking complications for someone who was “only a member of the church.”</p> <p>My answer was simple: “I believe God’s Word.”</p> <p>I explained that Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice for me on the Cross. The Church is God’s family, and Eric is my brother in Christ. I was giving this gift by faith, desiring to honor and glorify God through it.</p> <p>Luke 3:11 says, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.”</p> <p>Donating a kidney isn’t the same as giving up a shirt, of course. Still, I had two kidneys and Eric needed one.</p> <p>Jesus said, “Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:12–13).</p> <p>Christ demonstrated His love by dying for our sins. I could lay down my life for Eric in a different sense — by being willing to live with one kidney.</p> <p>Following Sunday morning services on Feb. 8 of this year, Amanda and I drove to Sacramento in preparation for surgery the following morning.</p> <p>Meeting Eric and Jenn in the hotel lobby, we all shared a time of prayer and Communion before retiring to our rooms.</p> <p>Amanda and I spent the rest of that evening listening to worship music and making sure we had everything in order.</p> <p>The morning of the surgery was peaceful as we walked the short distance from our hotel to the hospital. Amanda joined me in the pre-op area, where we met with the surgery team members.</p> <p>While I waited to go to the operating room, Amanda and I listened to the worship playlist I had created for that day.</p> <p>The transplant was a success. Eric’s new kidney began functioning immediately.</p> <p>Eric and I both had a painful road to recovery ahead of us, but I was glad we could walk it together. I know we are forever bonded through this experience, and I am grateful to God for the opportunity.</p> <p>Through it all, I have kept my eyes on Jesus, and my faith has grown.</p> <p>Looking back on my decision to give up a kidney, my perspective remains the same. I believe God’s Word, which teaches there is no greater love than what Jesus has already shown me.</p> <p><span style="color: black;"> </span></p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{909F758C-CFD9-43ED-B0B8-A83929D3DB29}https://influencemagazine.com/Podcast/Solving-the-Dishonesty-Problem<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/1400x490/InfluencePodcast_1400.jpg" alt="" />In Episode 427, George P. Wood talks to Christian Miller about his new book, ‘The Honesty Crisis’.Thu, 28 May 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>Welcome to the <em>Influence Podcast</em>! I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of <em>Influence</em> magazine and your host.</p> <p>“Honesty matters, and people care a great deal about it,” writes Christian Miller. Yet we are facing an unprecedented erosion of honesty today — what I call an <em>honesty crisis</em>. Indeed, we are facing not just one crisis, but a variety of honesty crises in different parts of our society. … Fortunately, in many cases, there are concrete steps we can take to turn the tide.”</p> <p>In this episode of the Influence Podcast, I talk about those steps with Christian Miller. He is the A. C. Reid Professor of Philosophy at Wake Forest University, president of the Society of Christian Philosophers, and author of <em>The Honesty Crisis: Preserving Our Most Treasured Virtue in an Increasingly Dishonest World</em>, published by Oxford University Press.</p> <p> </p> <p><iframe title="Embed Player" src="https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/41424985/height/192/theme/modern/size/large/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/87A93A/time-start/00:00:00/playlist-height/200/direction/backward/download/yes/font-color/FFFFFF" height="192" width="100%" scrolling="no" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" oallowfullscreen="true" msallowfullscreen="true" style="border: medium;"></iframe></p> <p> </p> <h4>Sponsor Ad</h4> <p>This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, distributors of <em>Trusted with Treasure</em> by Assemblies of God General Secretary Brad Kesler.</p> <p>Just as nautical charts and lighthouses guide captains safely past hazards, this handbook on ministerial ethics will help equip you to build healthy relationships, avoid unwise behaviors, and serve with integrity and the highest ethical standards.</p> <span>For more information about <em>Trusted with Treasure </em>visit GospelPublishingHouse.com.</span> <style> @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Aptos; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Aptos; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:8.0pt; line-height:115%;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} </style> <p><strong><span style="color: black;"> </span></strong></p> <h4>Show Notes</h4> <ul> <li>00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad</li> <li>02:25 — What is honesty, and why do you think we’re having an “honesty crisis”?</li> <li>07:30 — How honest are most people typically, and why do we lie?</li> <li>13:24 — What’s the “online infidelity” crisis, and what can we do about it?</li> <li>25:58 — What is the “fake news and politics” crisis, and what can we do about it?</li> <li>35:30 — What is “sermon plagiarism,” why is it wrong, and what can we do about it??</li> <li>46:23 — Pastors sometimes fall to the temptations of “online infidelity” and “celebrity.” What’s going on here and what can we do about it?</li> <li>50:44 — As a Christian philosopher, what general advice would you give pastors about helping their congregations become more honest both individually and corporately??</li> <li>57:40 — What are you reading right now that is interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?</li> <li> <span>1:00:16 — Conclusion</span></li> </ul> <br class="t-last-br" />{9A866AEE-113B-467A-AB41-AA0EFFFCA348}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Thinking-Outside-the-Offering-Box<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Outside-the-Offering-Box_1400.jpg" alt="" />With economic understanding and strategic planning, even small congregations can become less dependent on tithes and offerings.Wed, 27 May 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>I sat across from a church board discussing realities. Giving was static. Preschool enrollment was down. Facilities needed upkeep. Yet the congregation’s passion to reach the neighborhood remained strong.</p> <p>Church leaders bear the emotional weight of caring for people and economic stress of stewarding finances. When giving is the only revenue stream, a lack of money often limits ministry.</p> <p>Generating additional income is easier than many congregations realize. With economic understanding and strategic planning, even small congregations can become less dependent on tithes and offerings.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Market Forces</strong></h4> <p>Let’s start with some good news. During 2024, the largest share of charitable contributions in the U.S. went to religious organizations, representing 23% of total giving, according to the <em>Giving USA 2025</em> report.</p> <p>This same report shows church giving is declining, however. From 1985–89, religious organizations received 56% of all charitable giving, compared to 25% during 2020–24.</p> <p>Total charitable giving increased by 6.3% in 2024, or an inflation-adjusted growth of 3.3%. Meanwhile, giving to religious organizations was essentially stagnant, increasing just 1.9% — a slight decrease, in fact, when adjusted for inflation.</p> <p>Merely preaching more on tithing will not solve this problem.</p> <p>Even churches that enjoy stable giving will likely feel the effects of downward trends over the next decade. Two realities portend this continued decline: an aging donor crisis and a K-shaped economy.</p> <p><span>In many churches, congregants over age 70 are funding the majority of the ministry.</span> <span>As these donors die, younger generations aren’t always stepping up to fill the giving gaps.</span></p> <p><span>This is not just a discipleship issue. It’s also an economic one. </span><span style="background: white; color: #232a31;">The K-shaped economy was a model economist Peter Atwater popularized. Atwater argues that when an economy grows unevenly, </span><span style="color: black;">one group gains more and prospers, while another falls behind.</span></p> <p><span style="color: black;">In the U.S. today, the wages of most workers are not keeping up with inflation. Churches are feeling this stagnation pressure as people have less money — and less ability to give.</span></p> <p>Pastors often feel responsible for changes in giving. In many cases, they are bearing the emotional burden of market forces that are completely beyond their control.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Case Studies</strong></h4> <p>Tithing is a discipleship imperative. At the same time, pastors cannot ignore the economic challenges of the people they lead or communities they serve.</p> <p>Alongside messages about giving, we can pray with congregants regarding their finances and encourage them to trust God as their Source.</p> <p>We can also reach beyond our church walls to help people in need. When a Spirit-filled local church seeks to contribute to the flourishing of its neighborhood, the Lord will provide the needed resources and creative solutions.</p> <p>Consider real-world examples of several small- and medium-size churches that are blessing their communities, leading people to Christ, and creating new income streams. Each is a multiethnic Assemblies of God congregation embedded in its neighborhood as a valuable community partner.</p> <p><span style="color: black;">These churches are receiving grants from private and public sources for community services, generating income through businesses, and creating long-term funding.</span></p> <h6>We should begin with prayer, asking, “Lord, what problems can we solve that will help our community and generate income <br /> for the church?”</h6> <p><span style="color: black;">Such activity requires the guidance of legal and accounting professionals, who can help with establishing LLCs or 501(c)(3)s under the church’s nonprofit structure.</span></p> <p>Celebration International Church in Wayland, Massachusetts, has an average weekly attendance of 130. Lead pastor Brian Faria helped secure a government grant to offset the cost of salaries for the church’s preschool.</p> <p>Celebration International recently established its preschool as a church-owned LLC.</p> <p>The church also created an endowment to keep the preschool operating. This is an investment account that produces interest, which then goes toward the preschool’s overhead expenses.</p> <p>Additionally, Celebration International Church rents out part of its building to a private school. And the congregation maintains a substantial distribution agreement with The Greater Boston Food Bank.</p> <p>Another church that is helping its congregation and community through creative economic solutions is Embassy Center MKE, a congregation of approximately 400 in Milwaukee.</p> <p>Under the visionary architecture of former lead pastor Walter Harvey and guidance of current lead pastor Marcus Arrington, the church operates a laundromat, grocery store, and prep kitchen for food trucks.</p> <p>Members of the church’s youth group grow hydroponic vegetables and sell them to a nearby grocery store. Not only does this generate income for ministry, but it also provides jobs and work experience for young people and fresh produce for the community. In the middle of a food desert, people can now buy products like arugula.</p> <p>Kurt Lange is lead pastor of East Coast International Church in Lynn, Massachusetts. This urban, multicultural congregation has an average weekly attendance of 400.</p> <p>Over the years, the congregation has sought to create the nicest coffee shop in town. The nonprofit business raises funds for ministry and serves as a gathering place for locals.</p> <p>East Coast International also owns a thrift store that employs rescued victims of human trafficking. The church provides a care center and housing for these women.</p> <p>Two nonprofits and multiple LLCs create multiple forms of cash flow for the ministries.</p> <p>Pastor Rameses “Cheno” Echevarria leads Greater Church, a congregation of approximately 300 in Acworth, Georgia. Partnering with the county and Atlanta Community Food Bank, the church distributed 115,000 pounds of free food to its neighbors during 2024.</p> <p>Greater Church’s food bank resembles a bodega, a type of grocery store that is common in Hispanic neighborhoods.</p> <p>The church recently launched a separate 501(c)3 for creating additional partnerships and generating economic lift.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Neighborhood Focus</strong></h4> <p>These churches are spiritually, socially, and economically embedded in the life of their communities. Their leaders understand the spiritual and socioeconomic struggles of local populations and are taking steps to minister healing.</p> <p>The congregations are not immune to the effects of changing market forces. In fact, they have embraced those realities and focused on becoming part of the local economy rather than fighting it.</p> <p>As Harvey often says, “The church has left the building!”</p> <p>While making a positive economic impact in their neighborhoods, these ministries are also seeing tithing and giving grow as more people catch the vision and choose to support it.</p> <p>The pastors and those they lead are confident God has called them to serve their communities and sustain the work of ministry.</p> <p>Every congregation can adopt an economic way of thinking that addresses community problems while also financially supporting ministry. However, the first question is not, “How do we fund the church?”</p> <p>Rather, we should begin with prayer, asking, “Lord, what problems can we solve that will help our community and generate income for the church?”</p> <p>Then — with faith, vision, and evangelistic passion — we can think outside the offering box and reach our neighbors with Christ’s love.</p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{5C739F7E-F007-45B0-871A-27BBF90AE06F}https://influencemagazine.com/Podcast/Holy-Worldliness<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/1400x490/InfluencePodcast_1400.jpg" alt="" />In Episode 426, George P. Wood talks to Nijay Gupta about his new book, ‘Paul for the World’.Thu, 21 May 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>Welcome to the <em>Influence Podcast</em>! I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of <em>Influence</em> magazine and your host.</p> <p>“Paul didn’t want believers to detach themselves from life in this world,” writes Nijay Gupta. “He didn’t want ‘otherworldliness’ only. He also didn’t want them to be preoccupied with only temporary and fleeting things, ‘cheap worldliness.’ He wanted believers to imitate Christ and walk in the Spirit here and now — ‘holy worldliness’.”</p> <p>In this episode of the <em>Influence Podcast</em>, I talk to Gupta about what this means, based on his new book.</p> <p> <span>Nijay Gupta, Ph.D., is Julius R. Mantey Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary and author of <em>Paul for the World</em>, published by Brazos Press.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <p><iframe title="Embed Player" src="https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/41265665/height/192/theme/modern/size/large/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/87A93A/time-start/00:00:00/playlist-height/200/direction/backward/download/yes/font-color/FFFFFF" height="192" width="100%" scrolling="no" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" oallowfullscreen="true" msallowfullscreen="true" style="border: medium;"></iframe> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <style> @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Aptos; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Aptos; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:8.0pt; line-height:115%;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} </style> <p> </p> <style> @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Aptos; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Aptos; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:8.0pt; line-height:115%;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} </style> <h4>Sponsor Ad</h4> <p>This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, distributors of <em>What Paul Really Taught About Women in Ministry</em>.</p> <p>In this insightful study, New Testament scholar Waldemar Kowalski carefully examines the historical and cultural contexts behind Paul’s most challenging statements about women in ministry. By placing these passages within their proper setting, Kowalski helps readers see a clearer picture of Paul’s intent.</p> <p>The result is both thoughtful and compelling: Paul’s message about women in ministry was ultimately one of affirmation, not restriction.</p> <p> <span>For more information about <em>What Paul Really Taught About Women in Ministry</em> visit GospelPublishingHouse.com.</span></p> <p> </p> <h4>Show Notes</h4> <ul> <li>00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad</li> <li>01:49 — For many listeners, “holy worldliness” is an oxymoron. So, what do you mean by that phrase?</li> <li>07:45 — Why do you think Paul was a good exemplar of holy worldliness?</li> <li>11:03 — How does Paul inform Christians on the topic of ethnic equality?</li> <li>20:21 — What does a first-century Roman have to say to 21^st-century Americans about economics?</li> <li>26:02 — Paul rarely if ever used the Greek terms for friendship. So, what does he have to say about a topic he seemingly wrote nothing about?</li> <li>30:33 — What does Paul say to us about sports?</li> <li>38:08 In your opinion as a seminary professor, what is the spiritual and intellectual value of doing research for yourself? Do you have concerns about ministers using AI?</li> <li>44:58 — What are you reading right now that is interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?</li> <li> <span>46:18 — Conclusion</span> </li> </ul>{FE33C31C-7DC6-4AC6-9556-048E2A563CEF}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Making-Space-to-Encounter-God<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Making-Space-to-Encounter_1400.jpg" alt="" />God desires to empower both pastors and church members so that together they reach their fullest ministry potential.Wed, 20 May 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>My friend stood at the altar seeking baptism in the Holy Spirit, when a leader with a reputation for “flowing in the Spirit” began to pray for him. </p> <p>This overconfident altar worker barked rapid-fire orders: “Close your eyes now! Raise your hands! Higher! Open up your mouth!”</p> <p>The next sensation my friend felt was the other person’s thumb and finger attempting to seize his tongue. My friend’s thoughts abruptly shifted from Jesus to being taken advantage of — along with a sudden urge to rinse and spit.</p> <p>This over-the-top but true story reflects the possibility of unhealthy interference by others when seekers pray to receive Spirit baptism.</p> <p>If you or someone you know had a negative experience like this, the problem wasn’t Jesus, who is amazing, but His mid-level managers. As Pentecostals, sometimes we’re our own worst enemies.</p> <p>There is a better way for Christian leaders to help people experience the Holy Spirit <strong>— </strong>if we stay in our lane.</p> <p>For 30 years, it has been my passion to pray with others to receive Spirit baptism, but my feelings are conflicted almost every time. I feel confident because Jesus is the Spirit Baptizer. However, I also feel inadequate because I cannot guarantee the desired outcome. </p> <p>Maybe you identify with me. If someone asks us to pray with them for salvation, we proceed with confidence. Do they need wisdom or favor or healing? No problem! Let’s pray!</p> <p>But if someone asks for prayer to receive the Spirit, we panic. We notice the music is wrong, the atmosphere is off, and there’s not enough time.</p> <p>Praying for supernatural encounters feels risky to our inner image management department. We have spent a lifetime protecting ourselves from embarrassment. But ministering Spirit baptism is not a learned skill or a unique spiritual gift. It is a privilege.</p> <p>Over the years, I’ve learned helpful lessons about leading others toward baptism in the Holy Spirit, which I want to share with you.</p> <p>Before I do so, however, let’s define Spirit baptism and review a crucial theological premise.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Spirit Baptism</strong></h4> <p>As Pentecostals, we believe the Holy Spirit indwells every Christian from the moment of salvation. On the night of His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples and breathed the Holy Spirit into them (John 20:22). This is an obvious parallel to God breathing life into Adam (Genesis 2:7). </p> <p>Paul removed any doubt about the Spirit living inside every Christian when he said, “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ” (Romans 8:9).</p> <p>And yet, Jesus also promised a later Spirit baptism to the same disciples into whom He had already breathed the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). In Acts, everyone baptized in the Spirit was already indwelled by the Spirit. This means that Spirit baptism occurs after the moment of salvation and has a different purpose.</p> <p>Read Acts 1:4–8 again. Jesus explained the purpose of Spirit baptism to a group of believers. The Spirit already dwelled in them, but Jesus promised to pour out His Spirit upon them, dramatically increasing their ability to represent Him. </p> <p>Consequently, Spirit baptism can be defined as a post-conversion power upgrade to communicate Jesus to others.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>The Spirit Baptizer</strong></h4> <p>The theological anchor of Spirit baptism is this: <em>Jesus is the Spirit Baptizer</em>. Every Gospel includes a prophecy declaring this truth within its first three chapters (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33). </p> <p>After His resurrection but prior to His ascension, Jesus promised to baptize believers in the Holy Spirit “in a few days” (Acts 1:5), meaning the Day of Pentecost (2:4,33). Years later, Peter continued to affirm that Jesus is the Spirit Baptizer (11:16).</p> <p>Spirit baptism centers on Jesus more than the Holy Spirit. When we seek it, we pray for Jesus to fulfill His promise to baptize us in His Spirit, so we have more power to tell others about Him. This encounter gives us an experiential understanding of the unique identity of Jesus as our prophesied Spirit Baptizer.</p> <p>Jesus is Spirit Baptizer 24 hours a day, seven days a week, not just Pentecost Sunday. He never takes a break from pouring out His Spirit.</p> <p>And Jesus promised Spirit baptism to all believers, not just a few over-caffeinated charismatics. He desires to empower both pastors and church members so that together they reach their fullest ministry potential. </p> <p>Recognizing Spirit baptism is a divine act, I pray we will approach this gift with anticipation. We should rely on Jesus to baptize us, not traditional Pentecostal techniques. So, when we enter a season of prayer for people to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, we can be sure of acting in accordance with God’s plan.</p> <p>But what exactly is our role in helping others experience this gift?</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Seeker Assistants</strong></h4> <p>Pentecostals should realize our role is not to “do something” to seekers. We don’t shuffle our shoes across the carpet, building up a static charge to zap seekers when we lay hands on their heads. Figuratively speaking, of course.</p> <h6 class="Body">Spirit baptism centers on Jesus more than the Holy Spirit. When we seek it, we pray for Jesus to fulfill His promise to baptize us in His Spirit<strong>, </strong>so we have more power to tell others about Him.</h6> <p>Since Jesus alone is Spirit Baptizer, our role is not to assist Him, who doesn’t need our help. Rather, our role is to assist seekers, who do.</p> <p>Here are ways to do that.</p> <p><strong><em>Guidance</em>. </strong>Seekers are looking to others for assurance that they are moving in the right direction. </p> <p>We get our physical bearings from the five senses, but spiritual encounters don’t rely only on those senses. Spiritual experiences can feel vague to our normal ways of processing things mentally. </p> <p>Consequently, seekers find it helpful when a trusted voice affirms their progress.</p> <p><strong><em>Encouragement.</em></strong> What we say to seekers can affect their experience positively as well as negatively.</p> <p>I remember observing an altar worker sternly wag an index finger in a seeker’s face and say, “You ain’t gonna get anything from God just standing there like a bump on a log.” The seeker looked like a scolded puppy.</p> <p>Stepping in, I relieved the altar worker, saying, “I’ll take over praying for this person.”</p> <p>Finding fault with others is not a spiritual gift, but it sometimes takes supernatural insight to find something to praise or encourage in a seeker. </p> <p>Comments such as the following give seekers a burst of confidence: “You’re doing great!” “See how deeply personal it is to surrender to God!” “God loves to hear that from you.” “You’re doing everything right; just keep drawing closer to Him!”</p> <p><strong><em>Demeanor.</em> </strong>Facial expressions, body language, and general demeanor can speak louder than our voices. They reveal our inner state.</p> <p>I have seen altar workers pray for others with what can only be described as “angry” eyebrows and unchecked intensity.</p> <p>Our demeanor as Christians should express the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23). </p> <p>For altar workers specifically, joy, patience<strong>,</strong> and gentleness are imperative. Our goal is to decrease seekers’ stress or frustration, not to increase them.</p> <p>Seekers’ faces also reveal their inner state, whether they are joyful or frustrated, peaceful or stressed out. </p> <p>In my experience, seekers struggle to receive Spirit baptism when they experience those negative emotions. So watch their faces. When you notice them expressing negative emotions, try to put them at ease.</p> <p>Asking, “Are you OK?” or saying, “Just slow down and draw near to Jesus” often resets the inner state of frustrated seekers.</p> <p><strong><em>Vulnerability.</em></strong> Personal vulnerability seems to be the key to receiving anything from God. </p> <p>Prayer is vulnerable, as we cry out to God for help. Salvation requires vulnerability, because we must confess our sins. Seeking healing is vulnerable, whether pleading directly to God or asking elders to pray for our physical needs.</p> <p>Being vulnerable permeates every biblical encounter of humans with God. It requires trust in and surrender to God.</p> <p>Vulnerability is more like a dimmer than an on-off switch, however. It happens incrementally as we allow ourselves to trust and surrender a little, then a little more. </p> <p>If I asked church members to raise their hands and say out loud, “Jesus is Lord,” they would do it. But would it be an act of vulnerability or compliance? Unfortunately, in social settings, compliance can be a greater motivator than authentic confession.</p> <p>I have watched well-meaning altar workers approach seekers and say, “Raise your hands!” “Pray out loud!” “Louder!” </p> <p>After a while, the seekers get frustrated and leave thinking something is wrong with them. Could it be that the seekers were not the problem at all? </p> <p>By demanding that seekers perform specific acts, altar workers can mistake social compliance for heartfelt vulnerability. Our demands may prematurely deplete the ways seekers can express surrender, so that when they come to feel authentically vulnerable, they have few ways left to express it.</p> <h6 class="Body">By demanding that seekers perform specific acts, altar workers can mistake social compliance for heartfelt vulnerability.</h6> <p>Only seekers can express authentic vulnerability. However, altar workers can invite seekers in a non-manipulative way to enter this place at their own pace.</p> <p>For example, rather than demanding immediate action, we could say, “I’m so excited as you seek this gift from Jesus. You may find that the longer you pray, the more you want to give yourself to God. That’s beautiful. Respond to Jesus with as much freedom as you can!”</p> <p>Speaking in tongues, which is the confirming sign of Spirit baptism, is another form of vulnerability. We say out loud something we cannot understand intellectually simply because we trust the Word of God and our Spirit-given ability to discern His leading.</p> <p>Altar workers should assist seekers on their journey toward becoming more vulnerable as they increasingly open their hearts to Jesus.</p> <p><strong><em>Barrier Removal.</em> </strong>In Luke 3:5, John the Baptist used four images to define his ministry of preparing the way for Jesus: “Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.” </p> <p>In a nutshell, John’s ministry consisted of removing barriers between others and Jesus. Even if ministry involves more than barrier removal, don’t John’s images resonate with you?</p> <p>We should remove barriers so people can encounter Jesus. This doesn’t mean bending on doctrine or accommodating sin, of course. It does mean we should measure the purity of our motivations and actions as we lead others, however.</p> <p>Could the reverse be true as well? Does <em>anti</em>-ministry insert barriers between people and Jesus that weren’t there before? Or even just distractions?</p> <p>Many years ago, I attended the conference of a famous minister. The music and preaching were exceptional. Along with thousands of others, I rushed to the altar to pray and seek the Lord at the end of services. </p> <p>While I was encountering Jesus in a powerful way, this famous minister suddenly appeared in front of me and grabbed my head in what <em>Star Trek</em> fans might describe as a “Vulcan death grip.” The minister’s fingertips dug painfully into my temples as he rocked my head back and forth, again and again. </p> <p>Whereas I had been thinking about Jesus, now I was dealing with this minister’s manipulative tactics. (I also wondered where I could buy a whiplash collar that late at night.)</p> <p>Sometimes we don’t realize we’re hindering seekers. Here are simple questions we can ask ourselves to develop better self-awareness: </p> <ul style="margin-left: 40px;"> <li><em>Are things better or worse for this seeker since I showed up? </em></li> <li><em>Am I removing distractions or introducing them?</em></li> <li><em>Are they experiencing Jesus, or am I getting in the way?</em></li> </ul> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Leading Response Times</strong></h4> <p>The Lord first called me to teach others about the Holy Spirit when I was 14 years old. My personality was nothing like the caricature of a fire-breathing Pentecostal evangelist. I wrestled with God in prayer about this for some time.</p> <p>My assumption was I needed to mimic others who seemed to be effective evangelists, but that thinking was wrong. </p> <p>I will never forget the day the Lord spoke to my heart and said my responsibility was just to teach the Bible, then ask people to pray. If I did so, Jesus would pour out His Spirit upon people who prayed in response to God’s Word. He has faithfully done so ever since. </p> <p>Invite God to free you from wrong assumptions that limit your ministry paradigms, as He did for me.</p> <p>Even so, here are some suggestions about how to lead Spirit baptism response times more effectively based on many years of personal experience.</p> <p><strong><em>1. Teach simply.</em></strong> Know your message so well that you could explain it to a 7-year-old. Answer questions seekers are asking, such as: What is Spirit baptism? Who is it for? How can I receive it? What do I do with it afterward?</p> <p><strong><em>2.</em></strong><em> <strong>Train prayer partners</strong>.</em> When was the last time you trained leaders how to pray with others to receive Spirit baptism? If it wasn’t recently, you probably don’t know what practices prayer workers think are acceptable. </p> <p>Common practices to avoid include asking seekers to repeat what we say, physically pushing them so they fall over, not respecting their personal space, and offering counseling or conversation when we should be praying.</p> <p><strong><em>3. Plan space logistics.</em></strong> Does the physical space of your ministry insert or remove barriers for seekers? If it has a concrete floor, people typically will not stand and pray very long. Is there a place for some to sit while others stand or kneel? Is adequate space available for altar workers to pray with others?</p> <p>I usually ask seekers to stand at the front edge of the platform. That way altar workers can know who needs assistance. Those who have already experienced Spirit baptism or desire a fresh anointing can stand a few steps back.</p> <h6><span>When was the last time you trained leaders how to <br /> pray with others <br /> to receive Spirit baptism?</span></h6> <p><strong><em>4. Be aware of your time frame.</em> </strong>Unless seekers experience a “suddenly from heaven” moment, I have found that seekers usually are filled with the Holy Spirit after 20–30 minutes of prayer. In my experience, this is true regardless of age, culture, or other variables. </p> <p>So if you are planning a Spirit baptism response time on Sunday morning and hold multiple services, you will probably need to abbreviate time allotted to worship music and other elements on your run sheet to accommodate time for seeking that day.</p> <p><strong><em>5. Plan the spiritual atmosphere.</em></strong> Some assume this detail just falls into place — it’s church, after all — but I have found that the spiritual atmosphere requires forethought and planning.</p> <p>Do you dim the lights for prayer? If so, you dramatically limit the participation of senior citizens, as well as others who are not confident of their vision.</p> <p>Will the worship team lead singing? I have found that not much happens when you bring people forward for Spirit baptism and then just sing songs. Singing someone else’s lyrics is not as vulnerable as creating your own prayers. </p> <p>I prefer the band to play instrumental music but not sing. At some point, seekers will try to express an utterance from the Holy Spirit. Filling the atmosphere with English-lyric worship songs can confuse the moment. </p> <p>Most worship leaders rightly feel the need to engage everyone in the room. However, Spirit baptism response times should cater to seekers, not observers. It’s all right if those who remain in their seats don’t appear engaged as they were during the previous time of worship singing.</p> <p>Try to limit distractions during prayer. For example, consider asking those who are not seeking Spirit baptism to go to the lobby for fellowship. Ask hosts or ushers to kindly monitor the doors.</p> <p><strong><em>6.</em></strong><em> <strong>Frame expectations accurately.</strong></em> I prefer telling typical examples of people being filled with the Spirit, as opposed to more exotic stories. This helps seekers have a better sense of what may happen. </p> <p>Remember, the experiences of “a sound like the blowing of a violent wind” and “tongues of fire” only happened once, in Acts 2:2–3.</p> <p><strong><em>7.</em></strong><em> <strong>Give clear instructions.</strong></em> Seekers want to know what to do. Thankfully, Acts gives us a simple, consistent outline to use. You can find these three elements in Acts 2, 10, and 19:</p> <ul style="margin-left: 40px;"> <li>Draw near to Jesus in prayer. Prayer precedes every Spirit baptism recorded in Acts.</li> <li>Jesus will pour out his Holy Spirit upon you.</li> <li>Speak what you sense the Holy Spirit urging you to say, instead of your own words.</li> </ul> <p><strong><em>8.</em></strong><em> <strong>Offer periodic encouragement.</strong></em> You don’t need to say much, and you only need to speak when it feels like the right time.</p> <p>I often say something like, “I can see each of you seeking Jesus sincerely. Continue to press in.” </p> <p>Corporate encouragement also can help lift the atmosphere.</p> <p><strong><em>9.</em></strong><em> <strong>Lead.</strong></em> Leaders set the tone. I encourage you to be visible and present. </p> <p>Keep your eyes open for circumstances that may require you to take preemptive action. Pay attention to how altar workers are treating the people they’re praying with. Look at the faces and body language of the seekers. </p> <p>Most importantly, listen for the Spirit’s wisdom and guidance. He will help you!</p> <p> </p> <p>—————</p> <p> </p> <p>As leaders, God calls us out of our comfort zones. </p> <p>Early in ministry, we operate with more faith than skill. But as we gain experience, our tendency is to operate more on learned skill than faith. Somewhere along the way, we devote the lion’s share of our attention and effort to things with guaranteed outcomes. </p> <p>Leading biblical, healthy, safe, and satisfying moments for people to experience Spirit baptism can feel risky. It never comes without fears and concerns. But over time we can become more comfortable doing so as long as we stay dependent on Jesus.</p> <p>Jesus is the Spirit Baptizer. He has promised a gift to everyone we are entrusted to lead. Will you give Jesus the opportunity to fulfill His promise?</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Sidebar 1: Introverts and Spirit Baptism</strong></h4> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">Not everyone seeks or responds to Spirit baptism in an outwardly emotional way. Introverts often express themselves more quietly, even as God works profoundly in their lives.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">I frequently see people displaying classic introverted body language around noisy, crowded altars. These individuals look out of place, distracted, discouraged, overstimulated, and sometimes a bit panicked.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">To help calm introverted seekers, I will say something like, “I’m so proud of you coming up here in front of everyone. That is a beautiful act of surrender to Jesus. I encourage you not to compare your responses to others around you, but just get as close to Jesus as you can.”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">Some people are so introverted they will not permit themselves to become vulnerable enough to begin speaking in tongues publicly.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">We shouldn’t assume energetic church services are the only venues for receiving Spirit baptism.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">Before giving an altar call for Spirit baptism, I often say, “Many will receive at the altar in a few minutes, but others will need to pray privately afterward.”</span></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">That is not a plan B. Some people just need less distraction and social pressure.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">I regularly hear reports of people being filled with the Spirit during a personal time of prayer while driving home from church, lying in bed, or even doing chores.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">If people feel more comfortable seeking Spirit baptism privately, we should encourage them to do so.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">I tell people to seek as much of Jesus as they can at the altar and then pick up where they left off later in a quiet place.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">God created each person and deals with them as individuals. Baptism in the Holy Spirit is for introverts, too.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;"> </span></p> <h4><strong>Sidebar 2: Eight Seeker Fears</strong></h4> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">In my experience, there are at least eight common reasons why people seem to struggle to receive Spirit Baptism. Each is associated with a common fear.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="color: #161d1a;">1. Anti-Pentecostal baggage</span></strong></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">Underlying fear: Accepting a counterfeit experience</span></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">Help needed: Reassure the seeker with Scriptures (e.g., Luke 11:11–13, Acts 2:39).</span></p> <p><strong><span style="color: #161d1a;">2. Shy, introverted personality</span></strong></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">Underlying fear: Humiliation or public attention</span></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">Help needed: Encourage the seeker to pray in his or her own way and/or seek Spirit baptism privately.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="color: #161d1a;">3. Hyper-analytical mindset</span></strong></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">Underlying fear: Inability to understand or intellectually process the experience</span></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">Help needed: Encourage the seeker to put processing on hold — receiving Spirit baptism now and reflecting on it afterward. Acknowledge that some spiritual realities are simply beyond our complete understanding.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="color: #161d1a;">4. Passive approach to seeking</span></strong></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">Underlying fear: Erroneous belief that Spirit baptism is passive or automatic</span></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">Help needed: Talk about Spirit baptism as a cooperative partnership. The believer speaks in response to the Spirit’s prompting.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="color: #161d1a;">5. Overwhelming feelings of unworthiness</span></strong></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">Underlying fear: Rejection</span></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">Help needed: Reassure the seeker with Scripture, explaining that only Jesus is worthy. By grace, Christ supplies all the worthiness in every spiritual transaction.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="color: #161d1a;">6. Hyper-respectful worldview or cultural background</span></strong></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">Underlying fear: Being presumptuous about God’s gift</span></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">Help needed: Pointing to Scripture, explain that this is indeed God’s will for every believer, but we must be willing to receive.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="color: #161d1a;">7. Focus on physical responses like shaking, jumping, or falling</span></strong></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">Underlying fear: Not knowing what to do</span></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">Help needed: Explain the verbal, prophetic nature of Spirit baptism in the Bible. Scripture consistently portrays tongues as the initial physical evidence of baptism in the Holy Spirit. While they are not a replacement for tongues, other physical expressions are not problematic as long as the main pursuit is yielding to the Spirit.</span></p> <p><strong><span style="color: #161d1a;">8. Waiting for an idealized awareness of power</span></strong></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">Underlying fear: Lack of intensity may indicate a low-grade or counterfeit experience</span></p> <p><span style="color: #161d1a;">Help needed: Offer reassurance that Spirit baptism confers power for witnessing, even if we don’t feel powerful.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{5AE775C4-126D-4F23-AB33-060435F9374F}https://influencemagazine.com/Reviews/Rethinking-Leadership<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Rethinking-Leadersip_1400.jpg" alt="" />In A Theology of Authority, Christa L. McKirland challenges readers not to seek power over others, but to become more Christlike.Tue, 19 May 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>Contemporary American culture has an anti-authority vibe. We don’t like to be bossed around.</p> <p>Jesus challenged some assumptions about authority. In Matthew 20:25–26, Jesus told His disciples, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. <em>Not so with you</em>” (emphasis added).</p> <p>Yet Christians can’t be anti-authority per se.</p> <p>After all, Jesus taught with authority (Matthew 7:29). He praised the faith of a soldier who described himself as being “under authority” (8:9). And He gave His disciples authority to exorcize demons and heal diseases (10:1).</p> <p>So, what should Christians make of authority?</p> <p>Baptist theologian Christa L. McKirland offers an answer in <em>A Theology of Authority</em> by focusing on what authority is, how it’s expressed, and how it’s identified and evaluated.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Defined</strong></h4> <p>McKirland defines authority in terms of power, which means “being able to do something but not necessarily having a right to do it.”</p> <p>A young teenager might have the ability to drive, but not have the legal right to do so without first obtaining a learner’s permit or driver’s license.</p> <p>Authority is a specific use of power.</p> <p>McKirland draws on philosopher Richard De George, who distinguishes between executive and nonexecutive authority.</p> <p>Executive authority is “power to command obedience and enforce consequences if disobeyed,” McKirland says. It can be delegated to subordinates, and it subdivides into imperative and performative forms. The proper response is obedience or cooperation.</p> <p>Police officers ordering armed suspects to drop their guns are exercising executive imperative authority. So are judges assigning public defenders to indigent clients.</p> <p>McKirland defines nonexecutive authority as “power to influence belief and inspire imitation.” It subdivides into epistemic and exemplary subcategories, and it cannot be delegated. The proper response is belief or imitation, respectively.</p> <p>Professors exercise nonexecutive epistemic authority when they teach students about their areas of expertise. The master-apprentice relationship in professional trades is an example of nonexecutive exemplary authority.</p> <p>In ordinary language, we say executive authority is about <em>having</em> authority, while nonexecutive authority is about <em>being </em>an authority.</p> <p>McKirland engages with theologians Letty Russell, Bernard Ramm, and Walter Liefeld to expand our understanding of authority.</p> <p>We typically assume executive authority means having authority <em>over</em> others, but it can also encompass giving power <em>to</em> or sharing it <em>with</em> others.</p> <p>Nonexecutive authority similarly empowers (to) and collaborates (with), but it can also exercise influence <em>through</em> the authority figure’s willingness to become vulnerable. This is a uniquely Christian insight.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Expressed</strong></h4> <p>Next, McKirland turns to how God, Scripture, and Christians express authority.</p> <p>The Trinity is the source of all authority and our “absolute executive authority,” writes McKirland. God also is “holy, humble, and power sharing,” she says.</p> <p>Divine power sharing is evident at creation. God gave the sun and moon power to “govern” (Genesis 1:16,18), and granted creation generative power for growth and flourishing (verses 20–24).</p> <p>The ultimate revelation of God’s authority in action is Jesus, who declared, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18). This statement encompasses both executive and nonexecutive authority.</p> <h6 style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;">The ultimate revelation of God’s authority in action is Jesus, who declared, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18).</h6> <p>Jesus exercises all authority humbly (Philippians 2:5–11) and by sharing power. His gift of the Holy Spirit empowers believers for doing His work (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; 2 Timothy 1:7).</p> <p>“The Spirit is our bridge for understanding both executive and nonexecutive authority as it pertains to the life of the believer in an ecclesial context,” McKirland writes.</p> <p>McKirland discusses what it means to affirm Scripture as an inspired and inerrant divine revelation.</p> <p>Because it is revelatory, Scripture has executive authority. As the old bumper sticker puts it, “God said it. I believe it. That settles it.” But revelation comes from the Revealer, so the Bible’s executive authority is delegated.</p> <p>Most Christians interact with Scripture through contemporary translations and human interpreters (scholarly or pastoral). McKirland argues that these have nonexecutive epistemic authority based on how faithfully they reflect the divine intention of the originals.</p> <p>Finally, McKirland considers how Christians express executive and nonexecutive authority. <em>How</em> turns on <em>what for</em>.</p> <p>Royal priesthood is the what for of believers’ authority. God created us for “unitive relationship” with Him. All people are made in God’s image and have the capacity to function as royal priests. This priesthood is not a solo task.</p> <p>Because of sin, we seek power over others. But the Spirit empowers us for serving.</p> <p>Moving from what for to how, McKirland outlines principles for interpersonal use of authority.</p> <p>McKirland is part of the Free Church tradition, which tends to be more egalitarian than many other Christian traditions. Thus, I believe her recommendations will resonate with Pentecostals.</p> <p>First, “Apostolic divinely delegated authority is different from nonapostolic leaders’ authority,” McKirland writes.</p> <p>Although this insight can sound cessationist, classical Pentecostals affirm it. Ordinary pastors do not exercise extraordinary authority as Paul did.</p> <p>Second, McKirland acknowledges believers exercise “occasional and delimited executive equipping authority” (see Ephesians 4:11), but she denies they exercise executive imperative authority as individuals. </p> <p>The ordinary expression of believers’ authority is nonexecutive epistemic and exemplary.</p> <p>Third, the New Testament emphasizes the “Spirit-empowered sibling relationship” of believers, and each congregation functions as a “learning community.”</p> <p>Although McKirland doesn’t cite Romans 15:13–14, this text captures all three elements of her point:</p> <p>May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the <em>Holy Spirit</em>. I myself am convinced, my <em>brothers and sisters</em>, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and <em>competent to instruct one another</em> (emphasis added).</p> <p>Fourth, Christians can exercise executive imperative authority, but it must be “both corporate and guided by the mind of Christ.” McKirland cites church discipline as an example (Matthew 18:17–18).</p> <p>Fifth, the Church serves as a witness to “Jesus’ reign in our midst and his coming reign over all creation.” In other words, Christians demonstrate now in their common life what Christ will consummate globally in the future.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Identified and Evaluated</strong></h4> <p>The theological rubber hits the practical road in the final section of McKirland’s book.</p> <p>Since all believers are spiritual siblings, McKirland maintains they need neither office nor position to do ministry. This includes preaching and teaching, baptizing and serving Communion, discipling others, and exercising oversight.</p> <p>McKirland acknowledges pragmatic reasons for instituting offices and positions. Her concern is they might deemphasize the priesthood of all believers and result in a hierarchy that shouldn’t exist among siblings.</p> <p>All Christians should strive to grow as nonexecutive epistemic and exemplary authorities — not to gain power over others, but to become Christlike.</p> <p>Similarly, Christians who exercise executive performative authority should do so to equip other believers for “works of service” (Ephesians 4:11–12).</p> <p>Throughout <em>A Theology of Authority</em>, McKirland challenges readers with a fresh engagement of Scripture, encouraging them to use their sanctified imaginations to find ways of doing church that avoid wrongheaded notions about authority.</p> <p>One need not agree entirely with the book’s conclusions to acknowledge the search is worth undertaking, especially in a cultural moment sensitive to the misuse of authority.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Book Reviewed</strong></h4> <p>Christa L. McKirland, <em>A Theology of Authority: Rethinking Leadership in the Church</em> (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2025).</p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{9723B8E8-3223-4098-8E53-587A01891784}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Worship-by-Design<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Worship-by-Design_1400.jpg" alt="" />Leaders help shape the narrative arc of a worshipping community’s conversation with God.Mon, 18 May 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>The music was beautiful and the sermon strong. Yet people seemed distracted and unresponsive, constantly checking their phones or visibly zoning out.</p> <p>Perhaps you’ve experienced this scenario during a worship service. It doesn’t necessarily mean the congregation is unspiritual. In many cases, it’s simply symptomatic of a design flaw.</p> <p>When worship feels less like dialogue with God and more like a series of disconnected parts, people struggle to engage.</p> <p>While anyone with a willing heart can enthusiastically enter God’s presence, shepherds have a responsibility to lead the flock toward refreshing streams and green pastures.</p> <p> </p> <h4><span><strong>Conversation</strong></span></h4> <p>Worship is not merely the songs that set up a sermon. Rather, it’s a conversation between God and His people.</p> <p>God initiates this exchange, and we enter a flow of revelation and response. God calls; we answer. God reveals; we respond. God sends; we go.</p> <p><span>This relational rhythm of revelation and response is evident in Scripture. Some biblical words for “worship” emphasize a person’s posture before God. For example, the Hebrew <em>šā</em></span><em><span>ḥ</span></em><em><span>â </span></em><span>(Genesis 24:48; Exodus 4:31) and Greek <em>proskyneō </em>(Matthew 8:2; Luke 24:52) suggest bowing, reverence, and honor. These terms portray worship as an embodied response to God’s self-revelation. </span></p> <p><span>Other words — such as the Hebrew </span><em><span>ʿ</span></em><em><span>ā</span></em><em><span>ḇ</span></em><em><span>ad (</span></em><span>Genesis 2:15) and Greek <em>leitourgia</em> (2 Corinthians 9:12; Philippians 2:17) — highlight service as the proper response to God.</span></p> <p><span>Worship is an expression of adoration, honor, devotion, and obedience.</span></p> <p><span>When worship leaders design the service, we engage in <em>leitourgia</em>. This creates space for the gathered community to enter <em>proskyneō, </em>responding in reverence to God’s revelation of himself.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <h4><span><strong>Four Movements</strong></span></h4> <p><span>Designing faithful, relationally oriented worship doesn’t require reinventing the wheel every week.</span></p> <p><span>Throughout church history, worship has followed a surprisingly consistent pattern. In fact, Christian communities have long designed their worship around four movements: </span><span>gathering, Word, table (or response), and sending.</span></p> <p><em><span>Gathering</span></em><span> is our initial response to God. We come together within a shared time and space to be drawn into God’s presence.</span></p> <p><span>Our purpose is not simply getting people into a room, but uniting hearts toward God. Praise, singing, affirmations of God’s presence, prayer, fellowship, and biblical teaching all serve this purpose.</span></p> <p><span>The overall tone should be one of joy and expectancy. After all, our reason for meeting is to experience God together!</span></p> <p><span>Next, we gather around the <em>Word</em>.<strong> </strong>While the sermon is often the central moment of hearing the Word, it is not the only one. Confessional songs, prayers, Bible readings, and creeds can all play a role in how the Word is received.</span></p> <p><span>In a healthy worship service, the Word is not just spoken, but also heard, sung, confessed, and embraced.</span></p> <p><span>The<em> table</em> traditionally refers to Communion. During these moments, we remember Christ’s sacrifice and look forward to His return. We experience fellowship with Christ and one another as we partake together.</span></p> <p><span>More broadly, we can think of the table as a time for responding to God collectively and individually. Although many churches participate in Communion monthly rather than weekly</span>, every service should offer opportunities for response.</p> <p>This might include extended singing, quiet meditation, intercession, or testimonies. For Pentecostals, response frequently involves an invitation to come to the altar for repentance, salvation, renewal, Spirit baptism, or divine healing.</p> <h6>Our purpose is <br /> not simply getting people into a room, but uniting hearts toward God.</h6> <p><span>While God begins the conversation at the gathering, He resolves it through <em>sending</em>. From the earliest days of the Church, worship has ended by sending God’s people back to the streets.</span></p> <p><span>Sending includes a benediction and charge. Benedictions are formal declarations of blessing, typically utilizing Bible passages like Numbers 6:24–26. Rooted in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19–20), a charge directs the congregation outward in obedience and mission.</span></p> <p><span>Together, the benediction and charge remind believers worship doesn’t end, but continues throughout their daily lives.</span></p> <p><span>In summary, a good worship service has a beginning that gathers congregants in solidarity, a middle that deepens their encounter with God, a response that activates their faith, and a sending that gives them purpose.</span></p> <p>Every worship service should take people on that journey — even if the style, music, and tone look different from one congregation to another.</p> <p><span> </span></p> <h4><span><strong>Style</strong></span></h4> <p>The four movements above concern the <em>content</em> of worship. Content is what worship includes, such as Scripture, prayer, preaching, Communion, singing, and testimonies.</p> <p>As pastors, we should ensure every worship service brings together these elements so people can grow in relationship with God.</p> <p>However, style is specific to an individual church’s context. Style is how a congregation expresses the content.</p> <p>Does your church sing hymns or contemporary worship? Does it use formal or casual language? Is the music soft or loud? These are all matters of style.</p> <p>Content should stay faithful. Style should fit the people.</p> <p>Because style is contextual, we should not evaluate it as either right or wrong. Rather, we should evaluate it as <em>fitting</em> or <em>unfitting</em> for the particular worshipping community.</p> <p>If the style does not <span>fit</span> the congregation, it will become a hindrance to worship. When the style feels culturally familiar, people tend to relax. This makes it easier for them to sing, listen, and open their hearts.</p> <p>Style helps facilitate the worship experience. Thus, finding a style that fits the community well is a significant and vital pastoral duty.</p> <p><span> </span></p> <h4><span><strong>Flow</strong></span></h4> <p><span>Flow is what makes worship feel like the journey it’s meant to be.</span></p> <p><span>Good flow is something leaders can often sense and see. People stop checking the clock. Phones stay in pockets and purses. Instead of looking around to determine what’s coming next, worshippers are fully present in the moment.</span></p> <p><span>Flow can build anticipation, opening people emotionally and spiritually to the Spirit’s work in their lives.</span></p> <p><span>This is not just a matter of managing aesthetics or driving emotions. It’s about pointing people to God.</span></p> <p><span>When transitions are thoughtful and each element makes sense, congregants can focus on the One they have come to worship, instead of becoming distracted by the service itself.</span></p> <p><span>Flow should encourage authentic worship. As each moment unfolds, worshippers sense God speaking to their hearts, and they respond to His presence.</span></p> <p><span>In such an atmosphere, people remain in a dialogue of worship. When something breaks the flow, people mentally and spiritually drift out.</span></p> <p><span>That’s why worship design matters. Pastors and worship leaders help shape the narrative arc of a worshipping community’s conversation with God. Flow holds that story together.</span></p> <p>The task of worship planning is profoundly pastoral. Every song, prayer, announcement, and moment of silence can carry people either deeper into the divine dialogue, or pull them out of it.</p> <p>Each time ministers plan a worship service, we are tending the space where God desires to meet His people. We are designing the pathways along which hearts travel toward God.</p> <p>When those paths are clear and well-shaped, people will have an easier time following the flow into God’s presence.</p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{812EF270-CC20-44D3-88D1-6A172C813C5C}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Pull-out-the-China<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Pull-Out-the-China_1400.jpg" alt="" />Some people have the gift of hospitality, but God calls all of us to be hospitable.Fri, 15 May 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>When my mother-in-law passed away, we inherited china from her. The funny thing is, my husband had never seen any of the sets. As far as he could remember, they had never been used.</p> <p>Hospitality is like that for many Christians. It’s a beautiful ideal that rarely gets practiced. Often there is a conflict between what we <em>want</em> and what we’re <em>willing</em> to do to get it.</p> <p>All of us want to be part of a welcoming, loving community that extends beyond our church’s four walls. But often, we aren’t willing to be the ones who create that community by opening the doors of our homes to others.</p> <p>My husband and I felt this way coming out of COVID-19. Even though his family had a long history in our church, we didn’t feel like we truly belonged.</p> <p>Rather than blame others, however, we took initiative. We started a Sunday School class, invited other families to lunch after the worship service, and welcomed small groups into our home. Pretty soon, we were building the welcoming, loving community we wanted, and we still are.</p> <p>Along the way, we learned two lessons about hospitality.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Biblical Responsibility</strong></h4> <p>First, hospitality is a biblical responsibility.</p> <p>“Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality,” writes Paul in Romans 12:13. Those are commandments, not suggestions.</p> <p>We don’t always obey commandments with a smile, but we should. “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling,” Peter writes (1 Peter 4:9).</p> <p>Last year, a new family in our Sunday School class invited us to their home for a meal. Our kids played with theirs, the meal was simple and delicious, and the conversation was great. We left with smiles on our faces.</p> <p>Now, when we see that family, our kids light up because they were shown love. </p> <p>Do you remember when Paul and his companions were shipwrecked on Malta? “[Publius] welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days,” Luke writes (Acts 28:7). No doubt Publius’ hospitality made an impression.</p> <p>Receiving hospitality like that should inspire us to be hospitable ourselves. </p> <p>Hospitality also creates space for new relationships. As Hebrews 13:2 puts it, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”</p> <p>I have yet to meet an angel, but hospitality has performed the miracle of turning strangers into friends. </p> <p>Since my husband is a minister, I also want to point out that hospitality is a requirement for church leaders.</p> <p>“The overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach” (1 Timothy 3:2)</p> <p>Similarly, Titus 1:8 says an overseer “must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.”</p> <p>In both passages, character comes before competence. Ministers should be good teachers and administrators, of course. However, they should be good people first, and that includes having hospitable attitudes and actions.</p> <p>That should also be true of every Christian.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Genuine Welcome</strong></h4> <p>Second, genuine hospitality isn’t about impressing people, but making them feel welcome, comfortable and seen.</p> <p>One of the biggest reasons we don’t practice hospitality is because we fear being judged. <em>Is my house nice enough? Is the food good enough? Am I likable enough?</em> Those are the questions we worry about.</p> <h6>I have yet to meet <br /> an angel, but hospitality has performed the miracle of turning strangers into friends. </h6> <p>Here’s the truth: No one cares whether your floorboards are dusty or you have the newest paint color on the wall. A Costco lasagna and salad work just fine for a meal. </p> <p>What people remember is how you made them feel, so focus on being present. A genuine smile and calm environment make others feel welcome in your space.</p> <p>So, how do we keep the focus on making people feel welcome?</p> <p>Start with the <em>season of life</em> you’re in. </p> <p>My husband and I became foster parents in 2013. (We already had a 5-year-old biological son.) The girls, whom we eventually adopted, were 19 months and 2 months old. I was a stay-at-home mom, and having a preschooler and two girls in diapers was a lot to handle. I couldn’t take on one more thing.</p> <p>There are moments in life when hospitality is just one more thing. Honor your limitations. Guests won’t feel welcome if you feel overwhelmed.</p> <p>Next, pay attention to <em>preparation</em>.</p> <p>If getting the house ready for an event makes your family crazy, your emotions will be in the wrong place when the event starts. And you — and your family — will hesitate to host others again.</p> <p>So, allow ample time to get things ready, and set your priorities. Reorganizing the laundry room the day before your guests arrive is not one of them.</p> <p>Waiting until your home is perfect means you’re kicking the can down the road. Invite people over anyway.</p> <p>The good thing is, practice makes progress. The more you host, the easier hospitality becomes. And the more fun you and your guests have.</p> <p><em>Location</em> is another thing to think about. </p> <p>Does hospitality always have to take place in your home? We’ve planned meetups at our local pool. You could have a picnic at a park. Sometimes after church, we invite others to join us at Wendy’s and eat $6 Biggie Bags or 4 for $4 Meals for lunch.</p> <p>Hospitality is more about spending time than money.</p> <p><em>Setting the table</em> is an important consideration. When my 13-year-old daughter held a Galentine’s Day party for her friends, we went all out, using formal plates and flatware, as well as cooking food from scratch.</p> <p>Looking around, I thought everything was beautiful. The girls did too, but they would have been just as happy with paper plates and pizza. </p> <p>Be OK with paper plates and pizza.</p> <p>As much as I love the china we inherited from my mother-in-law, mixing and matching the patterns for special events, hospitality is not about plates. Or food.</p> <p>What people want to feel is your heart for them, which reflects the love of Christ.</p> <p>Finally, practice <em>flexibility</em>. When hosting at home, things do not always go according to plan. Sometimes, people show up early, the food runs late, and the rolls don’t rise. </p> <p>When that happens, don’t stress out. Guests will remember how they felt, not whether things followed a plan. </p> <p>And as my friend Wayne Tesch likes to say, “Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be broken.”</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>The Call</strong></h4> <p>Some people have the gift of hospitality, but God calls all of us to be hospitable.</p> <p>What does that look like for you? Have you noticed a new family or couple in your church? Invite them over.</p> <p>Do we welcome everyone, or just those who look, believe, pray, and vote like us? </p> <p>The Greek word for hospitality is <em>philoxenia</em>, “love of strangers,” that is, people unlike us. Hospitality may take us out of our comfort zone. But like a muscle, the more you exercise hospitality, the greater your capacity grows.</p> <p>There’s a close connection between hospitality and worship. If we genuinely worship God, we will act like Him. If He graciously adopted us into His family (Ephesians 1:5), the least we can do is welcome others into our homes — or a pool, park, or fast-food restaurant.</p> <p>Our kids watch what we do, not just what we say. Let’s pull out the china — or Chinet — and leave a legacy of welcome.</p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{CD359D03-2710-4E57-9726-A04409648F87}https://influencemagazine.com/Podcast/Would-Anyone-Notice-if-Your-Church-Disappeared<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/1400x490/InfluencePodcast_1400.jpg" alt="" />In Episode 425, George P. Wood talks to Kevin Foster about his book, ‘Run to the Brokenness’.Thu, 14 May 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>Welcome to the <em>Influence Podcast</em>! I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of <em>Influence</em> magazine and your host.</p> <p>“Regardless of your Sunday attendance numbers, your church can become one of the most influential organizations in your city,” writes Kevin Foster. “As culture drifts further from the local church, one of the most powerful ways to become relevant again is to engage with the brokenness in the community around you.”</p> <p>In this episode of the <em>Influence Podcast</em>, I talk to Foster about his book, <em>Run to the Brokenness</em>. We discuss the relationship between evangelism and compassion, better metrics for measuring ministry effectiveness, how to operationalize compassion in your congregation, and much more.</p> <p>Kevin Foster is the founding pastor of LifeBridge Community Church in Fresno, Calif., and author of <em>Run to the Brokenness: How Your Church Can Be the Center of Your Community</em>, published by Avail. </p> <p> </p> <p><iframe title="Embed Player" src="https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/41251285/height/192/theme/modern/size/large/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/87A93A/time-start/00:00:00/playlist-height/200/direction/backward/download/yes/font-color/FFFFFF" height="192" width="100%" scrolling="no" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" oallowfullscreen="true" msallowfullscreen="true" style="border: medium;"></iframe></p> <p> </p> <h4>Sponsor Ad</h4> <p>This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, distributors of <em>Trusted with Treasure</em> by Assemblies of God General Secretary Brad Kesler.</p> <p>Just as nautical charts and lighthouses guide captains safely past hazards, this handbook on ministerial ethics will help equip you to build healthy relationships, avoid unwise behaviors, and serve with integrity and the highest ethical standards.</p> <p> <span>For more information about <em>Trusted with Treasure </em>visit GospelPublishingHouse.com.</span> </p> <p> </p> <style> @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Aptos; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Aptos; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:8.0pt; line-height:115%;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} </style> <p> </p> <h4>Show Notes</h4> <ul> <li>00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad</li> <li>01:53 — What does “Run to the brokenness mean,” and what was the impetus for this concept in your life and ministry?</li> <li>09:06 — Why do we need to do redefine success in the local church? And what are better metrics for measuring success?</li> <li>11:48 — Different communities have different needs, so how does a church identify points of brokenness in its community?</li> <li>16:19 — How do you address the brokenness within a church? And how do you operationalize your ministry to those points of brokenness?</li> <li>22:20 — How do you respond to these three objections: (1) My church isn’t big enough to do this. (2) As a pastor, I don’t have enough capacity. (3) We don’t have enough money.</li> <li>24:31 — How do we create the culture that wants to address the points of pain and need in a community?</li> <li>30:20 How do you keep evangelism and compassion together?</li> <li>33:28 — What are you reading right now that is interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?</li> <li>34:43 — Conclusion</li> </ul> <br class="t-last-br" />{6F25A917-8DC7-4F0A-9C05-CA95700C52C4}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Preach-Like-a-Girl<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Preach-Like-a-Girl_1400.jpg" alt="" />The hurdle for women in ministry isn’t a matter of legitimacy, but perception.Wed, 13 May 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>I grew up a pastor’s daughter and sensed God calling me into ministry at age 11.</p> <p>When I was a young teenager, my father invited me to preach during a Wednesday night service.</p> <p>I remember the weight of that initial sermon development. I wanted my message to be powerful and life-changing. Yet I worried that no matter how much I prepared, some people would dismiss me as preaching “like a girl.”</p> <p>This highlights a gap between egalitarian theology and practice. The Assemblies of God affirms that women are not only allowed, but also <em>called</em> to preach the gospel. Nevertheless, many churchgoers still think of preaching as a male activity.</p> <p>The hurdle for women in ministry isn’t a matter of legitimacy, but perception.</p> <p>Preaching like a girl doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Where biases persist, women can recognize the hurdles and overcome them with excellence. And men can partner with female ministry colleagues to counter stereotypes and create space.</p> <p><span> </span></p> <h4><strong>Bible Focus</strong></h4> <p>Paul’s charge to Timothy remains the gold standard for men and women alike: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).</p> <p>While every preacher should take seriously this responsibility, female communicators often carry the weight of representation. Because women are still a minority on many platforms, congregants frequently judge them as representatives of their gender rather than individuals.</p> <p>When a male preacher struggles, it’s on him. If the speaker is female, some may use a poor performance to argue against women in ministry.</p> <p>Inside and outside the Church, social biases shape perceptions of a woman’s abilities. A 2025 <a href="https://www.informs.org/News-Room/INFORMS-Releases/News-Releases/New-Study-Uncovers-Hidden-Gender-Bias-in-Workplace-Leadership-Programs"><span>study</span></a> by the Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences revealed men were significantly more likely than similarly performing women to be recognized for leadership potential.</p> <p>Because female preachers often begin with a perception deficit, how they open their sermons is crucial. If a woman starts with an apology, self-deprecating joke, or soft introduction, it may unintentionally reinforce the notion that she is a guest in a man’s role.</p> <p>A Bible-first approach reminds everyone preaching is about God’s authority, not the speaker’s. A good sermon includes both exegesis and illustrations. But since an audience might be socialized to see women as <em>speakers</em> rather than <em>preachers</em>, keeping Scripture at the forefront establishes sermon credibility.</p> <p>Effective gospel proclamation helps disarm biases. A female preacher isn’t there as a token, but because she has a message from the Lord. Walking to the pulpit with the gravity of that mantle sets an expectant tone from the beginning.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <h4><strong>Vocal Control</strong></h4> <p>Pentecostal preaching is known for its enthusiasm and intensity, which often translates to increased volume. This can present a challenge for women in the pulpit.</p> <p>Because the vocal cords of women naturally produce higher frequencies than those of men, raising the volume might create sounds some people find harsh and piercing. The solution is awareness and vocal control.</p> <h6 style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;">When congregants see their lead pastor taking seriously a woman’s preaching ministry, they will <br /> do the same.</h6> <p>Some argue that monitoring one’s pitch is inauthentic. However, authenticity is not found in unmanaged habits, but in the freedom that comes from mastery. Preachers can train their voices for greater ministry effectiveness even as they develop their hearts and minds.</p> <p>Breathing from the diaphragm not only provides better vocal control during volume shifts, but it also reduces throat strain.</p> <p>This isn’t about women trying to sound like men, but simply learning to utilize their full vocal range. Even during moments of Pentecostal fervor, a woman’s voice can convey strength and authority.</p> <p>All preachers should try to avoid distractions that might cause people to tune out. Ensuring the pitch of your voice matches the tone of your message can be one aspect of that.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <h4><strong>Support</strong></h4> <p>Women who preach need the support of male colleagues.</p> <p>In many churches, men are the gatekeepers of the platform. When and how pastors introduce female preachers matters.</p> <p>An introduction that focuses on a woman’s “sweet spirit” or family may inadvertently cast her as a helper rather than a herald. Emphasizing a female preacher’s competence and calling, on the other hand, raises expectations and instills confidence.</p> <p>Too often, women receive generic introductions: “We’re so glad to have Sister Kathy here to share her heart.”</p> <p>A better introduction invites people to lean in and pay attention to the preacher and her message: “Pastor Kathy is a gifted exegete and powerful voice in our Movement. She has a word from the Lord for this house, and you need to hear it.”</p> <p>When congregants see their lead pastor taking seriously a woman’s preaching ministry, they will do the same.</p> <p>Physical presence is the best endorsement. Guest preachers often fill in when the lead pastor is away. Being there to hear a woman preach gives the lead pastor an opportunity to model active listening. Sitting on the front row, taking notes, and engaging with the points sets a positive example for the entire congregation.</p> <p>A common barrier women in ministry encounter is the special-interest pigeonhole. There is a tendency in some churches to limit women to speaking on Mother’s Day, or only asking them to preach on female Bible characters.</p> <p>While the stories of Esther and Ruth are important, pulpit ministry is a calling to the whole counsel of Scripture. Women can and should preach about David’s wars, Christ’s suffering, and Paul’s theology. Presenting a variety of texts with expertise demonstrates God’s truth is for everyone.</p> <p>Empowerment requires both intentional equipping and visible opportunity. Offer professional development and preaching opportunities to female staff members. Invest in them just as you do male team members.</p> <p>Open your platform to female preachers — not as an act of charity, but in obedience to God, who pours out His Spirit on both men and women.</p> <p>When I preached that first Wednesday night sermon during my early teens, I didn’t yet understand how to train my voice or manage the pressures of representation. Still, I wanted God’s Word to be front and center, not anyone’s opinion of me as a female speaker or the pastor’s daughter.</p> <p>Several years ago at a Network for Women Ministers gathering during an Assemblies of God General Council, someone handed me a sticker that says, “I Preach Like a Girl — Spirit Empowered.” I still proudly display that sticker.</p> <p>Over the years, I’ve come to view “preaching like a girl” as a badge of honor. It represents a cohort of gospel communicators who can navigate the complexities of bias, steward their voices and callings, and remain unshakably committed to correctly handling the Word of truth.</p> <p>To my sisters who are called to the homiletical task: Preach on! Study the text until it lives in your bones. Train your voice to carry the weight of the Spirit’s message.</p> <p>When the whole Church hears the whole Word from the whole Body, we all move closer to the fullness of Christ.</p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{0F3719AC-3FD0-47C1-9CB5-D169ED383D3F}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Social-Media-Detox<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Social_Media_Detox_1400.jpg" alt="" />Believers can establish healthier social media boundaries and reclaim time for connecting with God and others.Mon, 11 May 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>As part of a course at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, California, we asked 22 graduate students to select something from which to abstain for 30 days.</p> <p>Nearly 90% of the class chose social media — and all of them subsequently confessed to relapsing multiple times during their digital fast.</p> <p>Both their desire and struggle are relatable. Together, this class discovered the perilous and powerful pull of social media.</p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Context Collapse</strong></h4> <p>One student, Sophia, shared her experience of relapsing after finishing a long day of counseling clients.</p> <p>Feeling emotionally depleted and seeking temporary relief, Sophia scrolled through her social media feed. The diversion began with videos of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>adorable dogs, followed by a post about exotic fruits.</p> <p>Next, Sophia saw a series of posts about a controversial social issue, then aggressive confrontations between political opponents and angry neighbors<span class="apple-converted-space">.</span></p> <p>After an hour of scrolling, Sophia put down her phone, feeling more fatigued than before. Yet she returned to social media only an hour later.</p> <p>Sophia’s experience is typical. Social media engineering utilizes behavioral psychology strategies. Like a slot machine, algorithms offer rewards and intermittent reinforcement.</p> <p>Social media creates a phenomenon called context collapse. The feed flattens the human experience — tragedy, joy, silliness, and conflict — into a single stream. This forces the brain to move from adrenaline (sudden surges of energy) to oxytocin (good feelings) to cortisol (stress) without pause.</p> <p>This mix creates a reinforcement schedule, the same mechanism that draws people to casinos.</p> <p>At some point, social media users are no longer <em>choosing</em> to scroll, but compulsively looking for something positive to counter the last negative experience.</p> <p>In <em>Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked</em>, author Adam Alter says, “<span style="background: white; color: black;">There are a thousand people on the other side of the screen whose job it is to break down the self-regulation you have.”</span></p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Social Paradox</strong></h4> <p>Of course, social media can be an effective tool for connecting and exchanging information.</p> <p>Platforms enable family members to see a baby’s first steps from across the country. <span style="background: white; color: black;">Churches use social media to disseminate information to congregants and livestream services.</span></p> <p><span style="background: white; color: black;">At the same time, social media can keep us from connecting </span>with<span style="background: white; color: black;"> others and engaging in spiritual disciplines. It threatens to crowd out self-reflection, connection with God, and Spirit-led discernment.</span></p> <p><span style="background: white; color: black;">In an ever-changing world, Scripture offers timeless truths for refocusing on what matters most. The biblical principles of stillness, selah, sabbath, and shalom offer a path for navigating today’s digital landscape without losing our way.</span></p> <p> </p> <h4><strong>Stillness</strong></h4> <p>Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” The Hebrew word for stillness here, <em>rapha</em>, describes a state of release — a cessation of striving under one’s own power.</p> <p>This command is not merely about silence or a lack of physical movement, but a settling into God’s presence and truth.</p> <p>Theologian Thomas Merton put it this way: “To be silent is to stop the False Self from talking.”</p> <p><span style="background: white; color: black;">Fasting social media or reducing usage is an opportunity to refocus on God and reconnect with people in authentic ways. Trading screen time for quality time can lead to a greater sense of spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being.</span></p> <p><strong><span> </span></strong></p> <h4><span><strong>Selah</strong></span></h4> <p><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;">The term “selah” occurs 74 times in the Old Testament, primarily in Psalms.</span></p> <p><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;">While the meaning of this word is not completely clear, many scholars suggest it is an interlude for pausing to consider something more deeply.</span></p> <h6 style="margin: 0in;">Trading screen <br /> time for quality <br /> time can lead to <br /> a greater sense of <br /> spiritual, physical, <br /> and emotional <br /> well-being.</h6> <p><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;">If this interpretation is correct, selah reminds us to remain present in the moment as we reflect on God’s goodness.</span></p> <p><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;">Even during worship, we can slip into patterns of simply going through the motions. But when we pause to consider God’s wondrous work in our lives, we find renewed strength for the journey.</span></p> <p><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;">Social media lulls us into mindlessness through conditioning and visual stimulation. We lose track of time while watching videos or doom scrolling, only to realize it was a hollow experience.</span></p> <p><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;">The practice of selah is the opposite of this mindlessness. It is a call to engage the world meaningfully, as thinking, sensing, and relating agents made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27).</span></p> <p><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;">In selah, we stop to consider — and break the cycle.</span></p> <p><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;"> </span></p> <h4><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;"><strong>Sabbath</strong></span></h4> <p><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;">Sabbath literally means “rest.” God established the pattern at creation by resting from His work on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2–3).</span></p> <p><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;">To the ancient Israelites who had been toiling as slaves in Egypt, the institution of Sabbath was a welcome change (Exodus 20:8–11). It was a joyful reminder that God, not their former Egyptian masters, was in control. They were living in covenant with a merciful Lord.</span></p> <p><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;">Every seventh day was set apart for God, providing time for reflecting on His goodness and benevolent care. Each was a reminder that the outcome of their lives depended on God, not their labor (Psalm 127:1–2).</span></p> <p><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;">The earliest Christian communities changed their day of rest and worship from Saturday to Sunday in recognition of Christ’s resurrection. Nevertheless, they endeavored to preserve this concept. We should, too.</span></p> <p><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;">Within this one-in-seven cycle, we should rest and cease from striving. We have a good Master who calls us to himself and delivers us from every snare. This includes the new tyranny of social media that, left unchecked, can become a despot in our lives.</span></p> <p><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;"> </span></p> <h4><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;"><strong>Shalom</strong></span></h4> <p><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;">The Hebrew <em>shalom</em> and its Greek equivalent, <em>eiréné</em>, are typically translated as “peace” in Scripture. More than an inner state of calm, this peace reflects harmony with God, fellow humans, and even nature itself.</span></p> <p><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;">Shalom takes us back to Eden, before sin, suffering, and striving entered the picture.</span></p> <p><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;">This is the kind of peace Jesus invites us to embrace in John 14:27: “</span><span style="background: white; color: black;">Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”</span></p> <p><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;">The apostle Paul builds on this, instructing believers not to be anxious about anything, but to present their needs to God prayerfully and with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6).</span></p> <p><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;">Filling our minds with things that lead to a state of dysfunction, panic, and frenzy robs us of God’s peace. This describes much of the content social media algorithms churn out.</span></p> <p><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;">In place of fear, anxiety, restlessness, and endless noise, Jesus offers peace in His presence.</span></p> <p><strong><span> </span></strong></p> <h4><span><strong>Positive Change</strong></span></h4> <p><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext;">You don’t have to log off social media entirely to reduce its influence. Start with a few simple steps to establish healthier boundaries and reclaim time for connecting with God and others.</span></p> <p>Replace your afternoon or evening scrolling with a low-stimulation activity, such as reading a physical book, journaling, or engaging in a selah moment of prayer and reflection.</p> <p>This allows you to relax mentally, moving from a cortisol-driven state to one of stillness.</p> <p>Use screen time settings to restrict apps or set time limits on your smartphone.</p> <p>For one full day, limit your phone usage to calls and texts only.</p> <p>Even short breaks from social media can improve attention span and overall well-being, moving you toward the natural world and face-to-face socialization.</p> <p>Perform a social media audit. Unfollow or mute accounts that drive you toward fear, outrage, or confusion. Replace them with sources that encourage prayer, petition, gratitude, and peace.</p> <p>The apostle Paul said, “The mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace” (Romans 8:6).</p> <p>May the Spirit, rather than algorithms, govern our minds. And may we truly experience the fullness of life and peace God desires for us.</p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: black;">This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: black;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{2446AF04-EBA1-44F8-92A0-6F17FE94A38F}https://influencemagazine.com/Podcast/A-Biblical-Case-for-Women-Leading-Churches<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/1400x490/InfluencePodcast_1400.jpg" alt="" />In Episode 424, George P. Wood talks to Waldemar Kowalski about his new book, ‘What Paul Really Taught About Women in Ministry’.Thu, 07 May 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>Welcome to the <em>Influence Podcast</em>! I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of <em>Influence</em> magazine and your host.</p> <p>Recently, a prominent Southern Baptist leader called on his denomination to end the confusion caused when Baptist churches allow women to be called pastors. “The vast majority of Southern Baptists … are absolutely clear and have been all along that the office of pastors is restricted to men as qualified by Scripture,” he said.</p> <p>By contrast, the Assemblies of God position paper, “Women in Ministerial Leadership,” says, “Scripture clearly advocates for women as ministers and leaders.” Consequently, the Assemblies of God credentials those whom God has called and empowered, whether they are women or men.</p> <p>Both groups appeal to Scripture and argue about two passages in particular: 1 Corinthians 14:34–35 and 1 Timothy 2:8–15. In this episode, I talk to Waldemar Kowalski about what these passages actually mean.</p> <p>Waldemar Kowalski, Ph.D., is a global worker with the Assemblies of God, the teaching pastor at IES Bandung (AG) in Indonesia, and author of <em>What Paul Really Taught About Women in Ministry: Matching Paul’s Practice and Instruction</em>, published by Logion Press. </p> <p> </p> <p><iframe title="Embed Player" src="https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/41163290/height/192/theme/modern/size/large/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/87A93A/time-start/00:00:00/playlist-height/200/direction/backward/download/yes/font-color/FFFFFF" height="192" width="100%" scrolling="no" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" oallowfullscreen="true" msallowfullscreen="true" style="border: medium;"></iframe></p> <p> </p> <h4>Sponsor Ad</h4> <p>This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, distributors of <em>The Assemblies of God: Our Story</em> by Daniel D. Isgrigg.</p> <p>Explore the inspiring history of the Assemblies of God from a handful of ministers to a worldwide fellowship of more than 85 million believers. Discover the legacy, mission, and Spirit-filled story that continues to impact the world today.</p> <p> <span>For more information about <em>The Assemblies of God: Our Story</em> visit GospelPublishingHouse.com.</span></p> <p><span> </span></p> <p><span> <style> @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Aptos; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Aptos; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:8.0pt; line-height:115%;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} </style> </span></p> <h4>Show Notes</h4> <ul> <li>00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad</li> <li>02:17 — What does the biblical evidence say women did in Paul’s churches? Why is what Paul did as important as what we believe Paul said?</li> <li>06:07 — What are the basic hermeneutical rules that ought to guide us as we interpret Scripture? And what does 1 Corinthian 14:34–35 actually prohibit?</li> <li>14:22 — Some New Testament scholars argue that 1 Corinthians 14:34–35 is not authentic. You disagree. Why do you think the verses are original?</li> <li>16:42 — The biggest impediment to women serving as pastors or any other leadership role in the Church is the traditional interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:8–15. What is the traditional interpretation of those verses, Why do you think it fails? And what is the best interpretation of 1 Timothy 2:8–15?</li> <li>27:02 — Another set of passages that seems to imply a prohibition of women leading churches is 1 Timothy 3:1–12 and Titus 1:5–9, which talk about elders and deacons being the “husband of one wife,” which seems to imply that they’re male. What’s the best understanding of those passages?</li> <li>30:45 — You and your wife serve together on the mission field. She is the senior pastor, and you’re a Bible professor. Based on your experience, what do churches lose when they block half the church from living out the callings God has called and empowered them to perform?</li> <li>31:54 — What are you reading right now that is interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?</li> <li><span> 35:14 — Conclusion</span></li> </ul>{32C129BB-76F2-4107-8DDD-CB2FC1ED994E}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Its-Time-to-Move-Mountains<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Time-to-Move-Mountains_1400.jpg" alt="" />We need a fresh sense of commitment to reach those without access to the gospel.Wed, 06 May 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>A few months ago I visited Tokyo, one of the most populous cities in the world. While walking the streets, I considered the fact that most of the millions of people living in that metropolis had no concept of Jesus.</p> <p>It grieved me to think those I passed were navigating moments of fear, anger, and sorrow without the peace that comes from knowing Christ. It was staggering to stand in the middle of this lostness, to sense the density of people but scarcity of hope.</p> <p>This situation is not unique to Japan.</p> <p>Around the world, billions of people cling to false hope, or have no hope at all, because they have never heard the gospel.</p> <p>Across the Amazon Basin, which covers some of the most remote parts of Latin America, generations live and die with no knowledge of our loving God.</p> <p>In Africa, entire communities rely on inherited spiritual traditions and remain isolated from any Christian witness.</p> <p>Throughout Southern Asia, millions gather in temples to worship but never encounter the one true God.</p> <p>And in parts of Europe that were once Christian, increasing secularism is leaving young people largely cut off from the gospel.</p> <p>Some of these places are geographically difficult to access. Many are spiritually hard to reach. But all of them represent an urgent need for Jesus, and we have an obligation to respond.</p> <p>God sees these people, loves them, and desires a relationship with them. That’s why God is calling us to do something.</p> <p>The gospel changes lives, but many people never encounter it.</p> <p>For 400 years, Japan’s population has remained less than 1% Christian. However, the nation is now experiencing church growth like never before. As our missionaries faithfully share the gospel in Japan, people are walking into churches and feeling a sense of peace and hope. They are turning to Jesus as they hear His good news for the first time, and revival is spreading.</p> <p>Our world’s story does not end with its lostness. We stand at a pivotal moment in God’s redemptive plan.</p> <p>The task is indeed great, and there are physical and spiritual barriers we must overcome. Yet nothing is too difficult for God (Luke 18:27). God enables us not only to climb mountains, but to move them.</p> <p>After telling His disciples to have faith in God, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them” (Mark 11:23).</p> <p>The barriers separating large swaths of the global population from the gospel may seem like impenetrable walls of stone. But I believe the Spirit is calling us to have faith in God and start moving mountains.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <h4><strong>The Unengaged</strong></h4> <p>Today, 49% of our world — more than 4 billion people — is considered unreached by the gospel. Within these populations, there are two or fewer Christians for every 100 people.</p> <p>Unreached people groups lack an adequate gospel witness. Without external intervention, many will live and die without ever meeting a believer or encountering the hope of Christ.</p> <p>Amid this spiritual lostness, another demographic is even further removed: unengaged unreached people groups.</p> <p>The unengaged have no missionaries or churches among them. They represent the most urgent need for gospel access in our world.</p> <p>There are currently 2,074 unengaged people groups, comprising 203 million people with no gospel witness.</p> <p>The unengaged have not rejected the gospel; they simply have never heard it. No one has given them an opportunity to respond to Jesus.</p> <p>Though the Assemblies of God has always cared deeply about evangelizing the lost, the unengaged remain isolated. Two years ago, God gave me an unmistakable burden to change this situation.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <h4><strong>Called to More</strong></h4> <p>I was elected to serve as executive director of AG World Missions during the 2023 General Council of the Assemblies of God in Columbus, Ohio. Just weeks later, the Lord began stirring my heart in a way I could not ignore.</p> <h6 style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;">Our world’s story does not end with <br /> its lostness. We <br /> stand at a pivotal <br /> moment in God’s <br /> redemptive plan.</h6> <p>For months, I awakened in the predawn hours — often around 2:30 a.m. Pacing the floors of my home in the dark, I communed with the Lord.</p> <p>In those quiet moments, the same question kept arising in my mind: <em>Did you come into this role just to manage numbers?</em></p> <p>While spending sleepless nights in prayer, I felt a specific pull toward the unreached and unengaged — people God desires to save.</p> <p>I continually prayed, “Lord, what do you want me to do?”</p> <p>In 2024, hundreds of Assemblies of God superintendents and missions directors gathered for the World Assemblies of God Congress in Nairobi, Kenya. During that event, God answered my prayer with a calling that shapes the direction AG World Missions is now moving.</p> <p>I sought input from other leaders in attendance, asking how we can reach the unreached.</p> <p>Then Assemblies of God General Superintendent Doug Clay shared a prophetic word from the Lord:</p> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">I have and am calling My people to the unreached people groups of the world, to places where My Name is not yet known, but My Spirit is already there. The time is now to step into this space, and I’m stirring a passion for the lost and the forgotten and the tribes and the tongues that are hidden from the world, but not hidden from Me. Rise up, Assemblies of God, for I’ll go before you. … As you go, My Spirit will rest upon you with power, wisdom, and audacious courage. You will speak words of life to those who dwell in darkness, and they will see My light.</p> <p>We realized God was already preparing a path into unreached places. The question was, would we follow?</p> <p>The answer we received from each person who heard this calling was a resounding “yes.”</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <h4><strong>Gospel Access</strong></h4> <p>In response to God’s call, AG World Missions is launching its largest initiative in 72 years.</p> <p>We are aligning our resources into one vision: Gospel Access.</p> <p>By 2033, we want to have 4,000 full-time Assemblies of God world missionaries serving across the globe —an increase of more than 1,400 U.S. personnel.</p> <p>While we will intentionally send workers to unengaged people groups, this vision is not limited to those serving in unengaged contexts. All AG World Missions workers — no matter their places of ministry — will be part of this focused effort.</p> <p>Everything we do will connect to our God-given mission of sharing the gospel with all the world.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <h4><strong>Why Us?</strong></h4> <p>This evangelistic emphasis is not new. From its founding in April 1914, the Assemblies of God has been committed to advancing the greatest evangelism the world has ever seen.</p> <p>That vision has shaped the Fellowship for 112 years, despite the challenges of wars and other world events.</p> <p>Just months after the AG’s formation, World War I began. Nevertheless, the AG sent missionaries across the globe.</p> <p>Throughout the Great Depression, the Assemblies of God sent missionaries.</p> <p>World War II did not keep the Fellowship from sending missionaries. Neither did the conflicts or perils that shaped the latter half of the 20th century.</p> <p>More recently, many organizations struggled to keep their doors open during the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet the AG continued sending missionaries.</p> <p>Amid periods of economic and political instability in the U.S. and abroad, AG World Missions never stopped advancing the gospel by sending workers.</p> <p>We see God’s faithfulness embedded in our Movement’s DNA and written in our story. It’s impossible to miss when studying Assemblies of God history. When circumstances might have prevented us from moving forward, we never lacked the necessary provisions, opportunities, or willingness to send and go.</p> <p>In just over a century, the AG has established a missionary presence across two-thirds of the world. That rapid expansion represents nothing short of a miraculous movement of the Holy Spirit. God called us to great evangelism at our founding, and that call has not lessened to this day.</p> <p>The United States undoubtedly faces deep spiritual need. Many Americans do not know Christ. Gospel access, however, is not the barrier. Most people in the U.S. have access to the Bible in their languages, churches in their communities, and believers who can share God’s message. That is not the experience of the unengaged.</p> <p>With all the resources and comforts we have, will we be the first generation of Assemblies of God leaders to send fewer missionaries and care less about the lost?</p> <p>God has positioned this Fellowship to reach the nations — not because we’re smarter, more gifted, or wealthier than other organizations, but because we have committed to prioritizing world evangelization and disciple making.</p> <p>We must continue building on the legacy of those who came before while trusting God, who has never failed us. It is only right that we keep moving outward, obeying the Great Commission and sending workers to those who have never heard. This is not the moment to slow down.</p> <p>Not only does our history suggest we can close the gospel access gap, but our present moment reveals this is the best time.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <h4><strong>Why Now?</strong></h4> <p>Over its 112-year history, the Assemblies of God planted seeds, and people came to faith. Groups of believers joined together and formed national churches. And today, those national churches — comprising 451,000 congregations around the world — are sending missionaries of their own.</p> <h6 style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;">In just over a century, the AG <br /> has established <br /> a missionary presence across two-thirds of <br /> the world. That rapid expansion represents nothing short of a miraculous movement of the Holy Spirit.</h6> <p>The national church in Indonesia is preparing missionaries to reach countries that speak related languages and share similar cultural traits.</p> <p>Kenya Assemblies of God leaders are sending missionaries into African communities where people have never heard the gospel but respond when it’s coming from someone with understanding of their contexts.</p> <p>National churches in the Philippines, Colombia, and several other countries have made commitments to increase missionary numbers.</p> <p>Missionaries from across the globe are reaching places that have been without a gospel witness in the past.</p> <p>If the U.S. Assemblies of God can raise up 1,400 additional workers to join this global evangelism effort over the next seven years, imagine how many new frontiers we will reach. Consider the lives transformed and souls saved.</p> <p>Even in places where there are not yet missionaries, Jesus is sowing gospel seeds and preparing the field for harvest workers. Many Muslims in closed countries have reported dreaming of a Man clothed in light who offers them peace — One they eventually come to recognize as Jesus when they meet a Christian who can offer an explanation.</p> <p>Around the world, there is an increased hunger for the gospel. We must not hesitate or delay our role in God’s plan.</p> <p>The Assemblies of God is determined to make the most of this moment in history. Now is the time to act.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <h4><strong>Is the Task Too Great?</strong></h4> <p>As I shared this vision with my executive team, the global leadership team, and finally missionaries and pastors, I couldn’t help but wonder, <em>Can we do this?</em></p> <p>Yet God was moving in those meetings, and we repeatedly heard the same response. It seemed something profound was happening. Many said God had impressed the same vision on their hearts. Others sent letters and emails sharing their concern for those with no gospel access.</p> <p>Many said enthusiastically, “Let’s do something about this.”</p> <p>God had been preparing and equipping our Movement to respond to His calling. He would not call us to complete an impossible task.</p> <p>Gospel access is not just a theme, campaign, or emotional phrase. This is a global alignment and commitment of our time and resources into fulfilling the Great Commission.</p> <p>Strategy, cooperation, and time investments have helped bring us to this pivotal moment. But moving mountains will require faith in action, starting at the local church level.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <h4><strong>Why the Local Church?</strong></h4> <p>God has not only called us to serve around the world, but He has also given us a model of how we should accomplish global evangelism.</p> <p>Missiologists often talk about the <em>missio Dei</em>, a Latin phrase meaning “mission of God” or “sentness of God.” From Genesis to Revelation, the redemptive story of Scripture reveals God’s heart for the nations.</p> <p>Through the ages, God has called people to participate in His mission.</p> <p>Acts 13 records the Early Church sending its first missionary team. The Holy Spirit spoke to the congregation at Antioch, saying, <span class="text" style="color: black;">“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="color: black;"> </span><span class="text" style="color: black;">to which I have called them” (verse 2).</span></p> <p>The local church recognized the call and took part in it by fasting, praying, and ultimately sending.</p> <p>From city to city, Barnabas and Saul shared the gospel. People came to Jesus, made disciples, and formed churches. This missionary team planted gospel seeds that continued to grow and spread for centuries.</p> <p>Throughout the Book of Acts, the Lord poured out His Spirit, and communities of believers became participants in God’s mission. Everything started with the local church.</p> <p>God did not ask everyone in the Antioch church to sell their possessions, quit their jobs, uproot their families, and travel around the world to evangelize. He called two missionaries, and the congregation equipped them to answer that call.</p> <p>The local church still plays a central role in missions.</p> <p>Sending is essential to God’s activity in the world. As the Father sent His Son, so the Father and Son sent the Holy Spirit. The Spirit empowers us as witnesses, from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.</p> <p>God calls each of us to participate in the Great Commission, either through sending or going.</p> <p>Because today’s congregations are faithful to give, pray, and send, someone comes to faith in Jesus for the first time every 15 seconds. And a new church plant emerges somewhere in the world every 62 minutes.</p> <p>These things don’t happen by accident. The gospel advances as local churches align with biblical teaching regarding God’s redemptive work.</p> <p>Our Movement’s growth around the world is the result of pastors, congregants, and missionaries working together as participants in the <em>missio Dei.</em></p> <p>What we do is not based on a program that someone decided would work, but the New Testament model.</p> <p>We are continuing what the Early Church started as we send missionaries and plant churches, which in turn becoming sending congregations.</p> <p>The local church makes missions possible. Sending communities are the seedbeds of the Great Commission, and missions workers are their spiritual sons and daughters.</p> <p>Missionaries are able stay on those fields and show the compassion of Jesus only because of churches that support them. These congregations are not observers on the sidelines, but participants in what God is doing.</p> <p>How, then, can your church answer God’s call and help close the gospel access gap?</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <h4><strong>What Can You Do?</strong></h4> <p><em>Prioritize. </em>God is not silent. He is actively, redemptively moving in every community around the world. The Church’s priority must be carrying out the mission of God — His sending nature and His desire for all peoples everywhere to hear the gospel.</p> <p>Following the Antioch model, make missions a priority in your congregation. Create a culture where people will hear and answer God’s calling to the mission field, knowing they will receive support.</p> <p>Provide congregants with face-to-face exposure to missions whenever possible. Bring missionaries into your church to talk about what God is doing. Encourage small group discussions focused on missions. Share stories and videos from the field. Lead organized prayers for specific missionaries, regions, and needs. Send people on short-term trips with AG World Missions so they can see and experience the work firsthand.</p> <p>Never allow a shortage of opportunities to keep people from participating in God’s mission.</p> <p><em>Empower.</em> I<em> </em>didn’t come into missions on my own. I grew up attending a small church in an East Texas farming community. When I sensed God calling me to missionary work, the whole congregation took seriously the responsibility to discern, nurture, and celebrate that call. My church empowered and sent me.</p> <h6 style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;">We don’t need a <br /> new campaign or initiative as much <br /> as a fresh sense <br /> of commitment <br /> to reach those <br /> without access <br /> to the gospel.</h6> <p>Cultivate a heart for missions in your church. Encourage spiritual mothers, fathers, grandmothers, and grandfathers to support those who are called to go.</p> <p><em>Send. </em>Our greatest commodity is not money or projects, but the people we send around the world to share Christ’s message.</p> <p>We don’t need a new campaign or initiative as much as a fresh sense of commitment to reach those without access to the gospel. By faith, we <em>can</em> move those mountains.</p> <p>The goal of training and sending 1,400 missionaries is not arbitrary. Along with our national church partners, we believe this is the minimum number of workers we need to build momentum, expand the gospel’s reach, and continue this mission to the ends of the earth.</p> <p>Pastors and church leaders, how many sons and daughters can you raise up and send out?</p> <p>If every church in the World Assemblies of God Fellowship fully aligned behind this effort, it would go a long way toward ending the world’s lack of gospel access.</p> <p><em>Be willing. </em>I became aware of God’s calling on my life at an early age. That is the case for many missionaries. Others don’t hear the call to missions until they are in their 30s, 40s, or beyond.</p> <p>If God called you to missions, would you say “yes” and begin that journey? Even as you participate in sending, keep your heart open to a potential calling to go.</p> <p><strong> </strong></p> <h4><strong>Moving Mountains</strong></h4> <p>Loren Triplett, who served as AG World Missions executive director from 1989–97, once said, “We dare not measure our success against anything but the unfinished task.” </p> <p>We have made great progress in the Assemblies of God, building a Movement that has reached and transformed countless souls. But we are not done.</p> <p>Consider the same question I pondered two years ago: Are you satisfied with just managing numbers, or do you want more?</p> <p>Do you want to carry on the evangelistic legacy of the Assemblies of God by sending sons and daughters to reach our world with the gospel?</p> <p>We’re not in this just to manage. Our calling is to increase access to Jesus. Let’s not be the generation that decides we will plateau. It’s time to look at the world, knowing God has positioned our Fellowship with a unique responsibility, and say, “Lord, we’re ready to move mountains and reach the unreached for your glory.”</p> <p>It won’t be easy. The mission always comes at a cost, and our people know that. But if you look at the story of God’s faithfulness, you’ll see that He has never left our side.</p> <p>If our churches commit to sending and we commit to supporting, I believe those mountains separating the unreached and unengaged from gospel access will begin to move.</p> <p>We pray for the greatest generational response to the call of God we have seen in AG history.</p> <p> </p> <h4>Sidebar 1: Unreached and Unengaged People Groups</h4> <p>When talking about the world’s unreached people groups, it’s important to understand some key terms and figures.</p> <p><em>Unreached peoples</em> are groups in which there are two or fewer Christians for every 100 individuals. Without cross-cultural assistance, there is insufficient capacity to establish indigenous churches.</p> <p>This category comprises more than 4 billion individuals within 6,544 people groups.</p> <p>When no more than 1 in 100 people are believers, a group is <em>under-engaged</em>. Increasing fruitful engagement requires additional church planting teams.</p> <p>Some 3.4 billion individuals within 6,062 people groups are under-engaged.</p> <p>Among <em>frontier peoples</em>, no more than 1 in 1,000 individuals are believers. These groups are often geographically isolated with no confirmed, sustained gospel movement.</p> <p>This term describes 1.9 billion individuals within 4,056 people groups.</p> <p>The <em>unengaged</em> — a category comprising 203 million people — have no missionaries and virtually no known believers among them.</p> <p>There are 2,074 unengaged people groups in the world, including 411 in Africa; 368 in Asia Pacific; 1,099 in Eurasia; 25 in Europe; and 171 in Latin America Caribbean. The top religions practiced among unengaged groups are Hinduism, Islam, Animism, and Buddhism.</p> <p>These numbers are dynamic. They will change as missionaries make inroads into unreached areas and further ethnographic research provides a more accurate understanding of the populations.</p> <p> </p> <h4>Sidebar 2: Gospel Access Toolkit</h4> <p><span style="background: white; color: black;">If you’re ready to lead your church toward greater participation in God’s redemptive plan for the world, the Gospel Access Toolkit offers the practical guidance you need.</span></p> <p><span style="background: white; color: black;">This toolkit is a collection of resources designed to help pastors, ministry leaders, and anyone with a heart for missions clearly communicate the vision of advancing the gospel among people and places without access. It contains videos, print resources, presentation aids, and more.</span></p> <p><span style="background: white; color: black;">Use these tools to inform, inspire, and equip others to take meaningful next steps — from prayer to participation in global missions.</span></p> <p>Access these resources at <a href="http://agwm.org/en/gospel-access-toolkit/"><span>agwm.org/en/gospel-access-toolkit.</span></a></p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p> <br class="t-last-br" />{1CE0CFFA-4535-4DAB-9A9E-6EBE80C6E9C7}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Family-Matters<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Family-Matters_1400.jpg" alt="" />Ignite Parenting provides resources for family discipleship.Tue, 05 May 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>Over his 32 years as senior pastor of Iglesia Cristiana Misericordia (ICM) in Laredo, Texas, Gilberto Velez has witnessed cultural shifts and changing family dynamics.</p> <p>When Velez planted the Assemblies of God church with his wife, Zulma, parents in the predominantly Mexican congregation adhered to strict parenting styles rooted in tradition.</p> <p>Today, with more than 2,500 people attending English and Spanish weekend services, ICM remains a religiously conservative congregation. Yet parents are looking for new ways of leading their children.</p> <p>“It’s a challenge with the internet, social media, and artificial intelligence,” Velez says. “We need to teach parents how to understand the reality of the current culture.”</p> <p>One resource Velez and his staff utilize is Ignite Parenting (<a href="http://igniteparenting.com/"><span>igniteparenting.com</span></a>), an initiative of AG Christian Education and Discipleship.</p> <p>Ignite Parenting combines child development research with biblical truths and theologically sound parenting guidance.</p> <p>Through books, conversation cards, podcasts, blogs, video training courses, and conferences, Ignite Parenting helps equip parents and local churches for transmitting faith to the next generation.</p> <p>“Ignite Parenting is what we need right now,” Velez says. “We need to compete with the secularization that is dominating our environment. Ignite Parenting gives practical tools that people can put into practice immediately.”</p> <p>ICM hosted an Ignite Parenting conference in February that drew 500 attendees, including 200 ministers. Velez, a Puerto Rican native and executive presbyter with the Texas Gulf Hispanic District, led a workshop to help pastors better relate to families in their congregations.</p> <p>“My experience in counseling is that lots of children of pastors want nothing to do with ministry because they believe their parents focused too much on ministry and not enough on them,” Velez says.</p> <p>A contributing author for the latest Ignite Parenting book, <em>Open When …</em> <em>Parenting through Everyday Moments</em><span>, Velez wrote chapters on grief, the transition to adolescence, and dating.</span></p> <p>Velez holds a doctor of medicine degree and a master’s degree in public health. While working bivocationally for 15 years as a hospital medical director, he developed treatment plans for mental health conditions, including depression.</p> <p>The <em>Open When</em> book series features guidance from Assemblies of God child development professionals and theologians on a range of issues, from bullying to gender identity. A $1.25 million Lilly Endowment grant helped fund publication of these resources.</p> <p>“Ignite Parenting was initiated out of a desire to equip and empower parents to be the primary disciplers of their kids,” says Elly C. Marroquin, AG national director of Christian Education, Discipleship, and Family Ministries. “We are instructed in Psalm 78:4 to share God’s mighty deeds and faithfulness with the next generation.”</p> <p>Marroquin notes that a sizable portion of parents in churches today are relatively new to faith and feel unprepared for transmitting biblical values to their children.</p> <h6 style="margin-bottom: 0in; line-height: normal;">“Ignite Parenting was initiated out of a desire to equip and empower parents to be the primary disciplers <br /> of their kids.” <br /> — Elly C. Marroquin</h6> <p>Ignite Parenting complements other AG resources, including Bible Engagement Project, a long-term strategic curriculum that includes lessons for children and adults.</p> <p>“We’ve found that as parents come to faith, they don’t have the skill set or background in their upbringing to disciple their children,” Marroquin says. “Because they didn’t grow up attending church, they are biblically illiterate. We realized if we are going to ensure that future generations know and follow the Lord, we need to equip their parents, who are learning right alongside their kids to love, worship, and follow God.”</p> <p>Ignite Parenting offers practical tools for guiding children in spiritual matters. Conversation cards provide prompts for discussions during meals or other family times.</p> <p>For example, one card asks, “<span>If you could spend the entire day with Jesus on earth, what would you do during your time together?” Each card includes </span>Bible verses and faith-builder statements to help guide conversations.</p> <p>“The family as an institution is God’s idea,” Marroquin says. “Home is the place where children are discipled. It’s been that way for thousands of years.”</p> <p>Challenges like weekend sports schedules and shared child custody arrangements keep many families from attending church together weekly.</p> <p>According to Marroquin, the average churchgoer attends services an average of 1.9 weeks monthly. Even for families attending more frequently, discipleship at home is vital.</p> <p>“We need to strengthen the home,” Marroquin says. “Discipleship is living out faith in the home. We want households to be founded on God’s Word.”</p> <p>One of the goals of Ignite Parenting is to build trust between parents and children, which begins with spending quality time together. An event kit for churches models activities that can grow family bonds, while an online calendar explores points of connection that facilitate ways parents impart faith.</p> <p>“If parents don’t have a relationship with their child, there is no opportunity to transmit faithfulness to the next generation,” Marroquin says. “Kids don’t come with a manual when they hand them to you in the hospital.”</p> <p>A recently completed 15-week curriculum is designed for small groups of parents meeting at local churches on a monthly basis. The study instructs parents on such topics as praying with children, leading devotions, and reading the Bible together.</p> <p>In partnership with AG Senior Adult Ministries, an intergenerational discipleship guide focuses on how older congregants can leave a spiritual heritage by helping mentor young families.</p> <p>“Investing in families is the best thing we can do as pastors,” says Maricela H. Hernández, an AG national executive presbyter and secretary/treasurer of the Texas Gulf Hispanic District. “A strong family is a strong pillar for the church.”</p> <p>Hernández and her husband, Rafael, recently returned as interim pastors of Family Christian Assembly, the church they planted 24 years ago in Peñitas, Texas.</p> <p>“We stress that we can never stop preaching and teaching in the homes,” Hernández says. “Parents are the first teachers of their own children.”</p> <p>Hernández has been promoting Ignite Parenting around the district.</p> <p>“There is much wisdom in the books, particularly in raising healthy teenagers,” Hernández says. “The printed materials have really helped parents keep their children away from pornography and social media that is so accessible.”</p> <p>Hernández says the conference in Laredo provided excellent advice.</p> <p>“They walked away with wisdom and tools,” Hernández says of attendees. “The presenters placed gold nuggets in the hands of parents.”</p> <p> </p> <p><em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">This article appears in the Spring 2026 issue of </span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Influence <em>magazine.</em></span></p>{71410C44-8780-4522-B310-41ED5E996E21}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Cultivating-Community<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/cultivating-community-1400.jpg" alt="" />Community is an ecosystem to be cultivated, not a program to be managed.Mon, 04 May 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>Within<span> the modern church, the concept of community is too often discussed as a program to be managed rather than an ecosystem to be cultivated.</span></p> <p><span>For the rising generation of young adults, the traditional metrics of a successful ministry, such as engaging events, polished social media aesthetics, and large-scale gatherings, are increasingly viewed with a critical eye. They are navigating a world heavily saturated with digital media and cultural fragmentation, leaving them with a profound hunger for spaces that offer real, unfiltered belonging.</span></p> <p><span>Young adults are no longer seeking content; they are seeking authentic relationships. For the Church to lead effectively today, we must actively transition from a model of attractional programming to an intentional strategy of relationship-building.</span></p> <p><span>The goal is not merely to occupy young adults and their time, but for the Church to actively provide the scaffolding for a deep, lasting community. Church leaders can step up and make that crucial shift.</span></p> <p><span>To create a meaningful community, church leadership must first perform a rigorous audit of its institutional assumptions. Many churches unintentionally operate under a transactional model: The institution provides a religious service, and the young adult provides attendance, volunteer hours, and financial resources. This treats community as a commodity rather than a relational bond.</span></p> <p><span>Often, a church will realize the need for smaller gatherings and launch a young adult small group initiative. However, leadership frequently asks the young adults themselves to host the groups, facilitate the discussions, and provide the snacks.</span></p> <p><span>This approach is fundamentally incompatible with their current reality. We cannot ask the people who are actively seeking community, many of whom are navigating the exhausting transitions of early adulthood, to bear the immediate burden of creating it.</span></p> <p><span>The Church must be the one to cultivate the soil. Pastors, staff, and established church leaders must step up and provide these spaces first to pave the way. This means churches must take the initiative: opening their homes, funding the meals, and facilitating the conversations without asking young adults to instantly manage the logistics.</span></p> <h6>Within the modern church, the concept of community is too often discussed as a program to be managed rather than an ecosystem to be cultivated.</h6> <p><span>Leadership must absorb the initial cost of hospitality. When church leaders invest their time and resources without an immediate agenda or a sign-up sheet for volunteers, genuine trust forms. The Church must invite young adults to a table that is already set before asking them to help cook the meal.</span></p> <p><span>This community’s foundation must be built upon radical transparency and absolute integrity from church leadership. As digital natives, young adults are socialized in an environment where information is endlessly accessible and institutional failures are rapidly exposed. Any perceived gap between a church's public persona and its internal reality is viewed as a catastrophic breach of trust.</span></p> <p><span>Community cannot flourish in an atmosphere of ambiguity or forced perfection. To create connection, a church must model it from the top down. When a leadership team is visibly honest about its challenges, its financial health, and its decision-making processes, a profoundly safe environment is created.</span></p> <p><span>Vulnerability is not a liability in modern ministry; it is the primary currency of an authentic relationship. The church empowers congregants to take risks and admit struggles by showing them leaders who do the same.</span></p> <p><span>This relational proximity is particularly vital in an era dominated by algorithms. While social media provides a surface-level illusion of connection, it frequently exacerbates feelings of isolation and anxiety. Young adults are actively seeking genuine human interaction, a physical and emotional presence that cannot be replicated by a screen or a Sunday morning livestream.</span></p> <p><span>Meaningful community requires a church to purposefully move beyond the stage and the pews. While corporate worship is essential, it is not where the deepest relational roots are formed. We must take ministry into the home.</span></p> <p><span>The living room couch and the dining room table are where true community is found and nourished. Over shared meals and unhurried conversations, masks come off and discipleship happens.</span></p> <p><span>Once a church paves the way and models what true hospitality looks like, the dynamic begins to shift naturally. A meaningful community is ultimately sustained by shared responsibility.</span></p> <span style="line-height: 115%;">By experiencing community that they didn't have to build from scratch themselves, young adults transform from exhausted consumers into active contributors. At this stage, the church's role shifts from hosting to empowering, gradually moving young adults from the periphery of church life into the center of its operational heart.</span>{B3626A6E-2B32-4223-8D0F-6C55AFF9D8EE}https://influencemagazine.com/Practice/Spring-2026-Issue-Online<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/2026-1400x490/Cover-Sp26_1400.jpg" alt="" />The complete Spring 2026 issue of Influence magazine is now available online.Fri, 01 May 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>The complete Spring 2026 issue of <em><span style="color: #222222;">Influence</span></em> magazine is now available online.</p> <p>John Easter writes in the cover story that now is the time to “move mountains” and evangelize the world’s unreached people groups.</p> <p>In “Grow Over the Wall,” Melissa Alfaro provides leadership principles for hard seasons in ministry.</p> <p>Tim Enloe offers insights for leading people toward Spirit baptism in “Making Space for God.”</p> <p>In “More Than Enough,” Gerad Strong encourages leaders to trust God’s ability to multiply what they already have.</p> <p>Allen Tennison completes his teaching series on the Assemblies of God Statement of Fundamental Truths, examining Article 16 in “What We Believe About the New Creation.”</p> <p>Find all this — and much more — in the Spring 2026 issue. May this content inspire, strengthen, and equip you in your ministry calling.</p> <div style="text-align:center;"><iframe src="//v.calameo.com/?bkcode=00783396876b97808dbfb&mode=mini" width="480" height="300" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="margin:0 auto;"></iframe></div> <br class="t-last-br" /> <br class="t-last-br" />{6F92EB8E-4EEB-4B3B-BDDA-E4C7798F1B6E}https://influencemagazine.com/Podcast/The-Church-Friendliness-Crisis<img src="https://influencemagazine.com/-/media/Influence/1400x490/InfluencePodcast_1400.jpg" alt="" />In Episode 423, George P. Wood talks to Matthew D. Kim about his new book, ‘Becoming a Friendlier Church’.Thu, 30 Apr 2026 11:00:00 Z<p>Welcome to the <em>Influence Podcast</em>! I’m George P. Wood, executive editor of <em>Influence</em> magazine and your host.</p> <p>In this episode I talk to Prof. Matthew D. Kim about his new book, <em>Becoming a Friendlier Church: A Pathway to Genuine Community</em>, forthcoming from Baker Books. Our focus is why churches are unfriendly and how they can become friendlier.</p> <p>“In this book, I want to draw attention to a crisis in congregations that may not be on many people’s radars: too many churches are less friendly than they realize,” Kim writes. “Unfriendliness might be furtively devouring their church’s ministry effectiveness, influence, and longevity.”</p> <p>Every church thinks it’s friendly. But Kim writes, “Just as in the first round of <em>American </em>Idol, where some contestants overstate their singing abilities as they audition, many Christians believe they are good, friendly welcomers even if they’re not.”</p> <p>Matthew D. Kim, Ph.D., is professor of preaching and pastoral leadership, holder of the George W. Truett Endowed Chair in Preaching and Evangelism, and director of the Ph.D. in preaching program at Baylor University's Truett Seminary.</p> <p> </p> <p><iframe title="Embed Player" src="https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/41064475/height/192/theme/modern/size/large/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/87A93A/time-start/00:00:00/playlist-height/200/direction/backward/download/yes/font-color/FFFFFF" height="192" width="100%" scrolling="no" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" oallowfullscreen="true" msallowfullscreen="true" style="border: medium;"></iframe></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Sponsor Ad</strong></p> <p>This episode of the Influence podcast is brought to you by Gospel Publishing House, distributors of <em>Autism in the Church</em>.</p> <p>Make your church a place where everyone belongs. Many congregations feel unprepared to walk beside individuals with autism and their loved ones. <em>Autism in the Church </em>equips churches to create an environment where individuals with autism are not just present, but known, discipled, and celebrated as vital parts of the body of Christ.</p> <p> <span>For more information about <em>Autism in the Church</em> visit GospelPublishingHouse.com.</span></p> <p> </p> <style> @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman",serif; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Aptos; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Aptos; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:8.0pt; line-height:115%;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} </style> <p> </p> <p><strong><span style="color: black;">Show Notes</span></strong></p> <ul> <li>00:00 — Introduction and Sponsor Ad</li> <li>02:27 — Defining friendliness and unfriendliness</li> <li>04:43 — Why church friendliness is at crisis levels</li> <li>07:03 — Apathy</li> <li>11:50 — Busyness</li> <li>17:32 — Prejudice</li> <li>24:32 — Friendliness during a person’s greatest needs</li> <li>27:27 — What preachers can do</li> <li>30:04 — What are you reading right now that is interesting, helpful, and/or personally challenging?</li> <li>32:14 — Conclusion</li> </ul>