Taking A Rest

While we read in Genesis that God rested on the seventh day, a growing number of ministers are finding that there is more work — and stress — than ever before, and fewer opportunities to unwind. The result has been a myriad of health problems among the clergy — from a lack of exercise, poor eating habits, more hypertension, a rise in obesity, problems of depression and substance abuse, higher rates of arthritis and asthma, and all of the ills of modern life that pastors spend so much time trying to help their congregants tackle. And many of these are at higher rates than most Americans. What are some of the reasons for this decrease in health?

• Some experts say the situation may be aggravated by the recession, with donations down and more financial challenges for pastors on the job.
• The culture and economy are also causing many difficulties for the members of their congregations, which pastors feel they must try to address.
• Clergy routinely work 60-hour weeks and often have just one day off — and not the day everyone else is off. That makes it hard to develop friendships and creates a lot of loneliness.
• Nearly every function a pastor attends is likely to have food — and not necessarily healthy fare — that he is expected to share.
• A clergy shortage in many faiths leaves pastors overworked, overstressed, underpaid, and too often a lone ranger with little support from other ministers or the congregation.
• Like other service professions, pastors are expected to be available at all times, whether it is the dinner hour or on vacation. They have "boundary issues," which means they are too easily overtaken by the urgency of other people's needs.
• Pastors are often designated the holiest member of the congregation, who can be in all places at all times. But unlike doctors or police, they are supposed to be people who have dedicated their lives to a spiritual goal and are not expected to focus on themselves, their own welfare or their families.
• The root of the stress is that, for a minister, work centers around so many different relationships and the demand that he or she be all things to all people.
• Pastors start thinking that things like their church will be their legacy instead of their families, which knocks them out of balance and "whacks" their own relationships with Christ.

As cell phones and social media expose ministers to new dimensions of stress, and as health care costs soar, some of the country's largest denominations have begun wellness campaigns for their spiritual leaders. At the center of nearly all of these programs is more rest. "We had a pastor in our study group who hadn't taken a vacation in 18 years," said Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell, an assistant professor of health research at Duke University. A United Methodist Church directive proclaimed, "Time away can bring renewal and help prevent burnout." Episcopal, Baptist and Lutheran churches have all undertaken health initiatives that place special emphasis on the need for pastors to take vacations and observe "Sabbath days," their weekday time off in place of Sundays. A program called the National Clergy Renewal Program, funded by the Lilly Foundation, has been underwriting sabbaticals for pastors for several years. The program will provide up to $50,000 to 150 congregations in the coming year...But experts say the solutions have to start at the congregation level. Congregants can encourage pastors to take time off, and not view everything in the church as his...responsibility...

 [The New York Times, PoliticsDaily.com]

Why Men Hate Going To Church

When I recently finished reading this book I could only think to myself, "I wish this had been written 25 years ago and that I had read it then." The documentation is here along with clear explanations about why men hate going to church. On any given Sunday (in most of our churches) there will be many more women worshipping/serving than men. It has long disturbed many of us that so few men are willing to step up to the plate and join the cause of advancing Christ's Kingdom. This book gives cogent and documented explanations for the gender gap in our congregations, as well as many suggestions on how to change the situation. You might not agree with every conclusion or suggestion offered to correct the problem, but you'll see why we must "do church" differently, if men really matter to God (and they do). Young pastors and church leaders need to get their hands on this book early in their ministries and adjust their approach away from things that unnecessarily turn men off. It's really not a matter of men being less spiritual than women that keps them from participating, but rather important differences in the way men relate to spiritual things that the church has too long ignored. I believe that most of the content of this book any man will affirm with a hearty, "AMEN."

"When a mother comes to Christ the rest of her family follows 17% of the time. When a father comes to Christ the rest of his family follows 93% of the time." (Pg. 47)

The Biblical Approach to Raising Children

Proverbs 22:6 may arguably be the single most important verse in the Bible concerning the matter of raising godly children.

The verse speaks about…:

1.   The matter of right timing (“Child” refers to the age of infancy to adolescence.)

a.    We must train early.

We are to train our children from the earliest age that they can understand what we are teaching them.

Someone asked a farmer, “How do you have such beautiful sheep?” To which he answered, “I take care of the lambs.”

Francis Xavier (who lived in the fifteen-hundreds) once said, “Give me the children until they are seven and anyone can have them afterwards.”

In a park in Los Angles there was a tree that was full-grown and very crooked. The strangest thing about the tree was that next to it was a pole standing straight up and down and a rope tying the two together. The straightness of the pole made the crookedness of the tree that much more obvious. The sad thing about the whole picture was that it was too late to straighten the tree now that it was full grown.

If we wait until our children are nearly grown to begin straightening them, then it is most likely too late.

b.    We must train daily.

This is a process that cannot be done haphazardly, but must be done with daily consistency.

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

(Deuteronomy 6:6-9)

c.    We must train thoroughly.

Until the child reaches maturity we cannot stop the training process.

Never, never, never, never, never give up!

The verse speaks about…

2.   The matter of responsible tailoring (“in the way he should go” is literally “according to his own way.”)

a.    According to maturity

When used in a developmental sense the training must be matched to the age and maturity level of the child.

What works for a young child may not work for an older child and so you must tailor the training for the individual maturity level of the child.

b.    According to ability

When used in a vocational sense this verse can mean that we are to train our children according to their aptitudes and abilities.

Some children have an aptitude for things that begins to manifest itself early in life. A wise parent will give training to his child to hone those skills. Too often parents are trying to live their own lives through their children. Their own dreams or ambitions become forced on children that don’t always have an aptitude for these things.

c.    According to personality

When used in an emotional sense this verse can mean that we are to train our children according to what best motivates him according to his own personality type.

Some children are excessively sensitive and others are strong-willed. We must make a study of our children’s personalities to determine the best way to train them. That means that the method we used with one child may have to be significantly different for our other children. The old saying, “that’s the way my parents raised me and that’s the way I’m going to raise you” or “it was good enough for me and it is good enough for you” may not always work.

d.    According to priority

When used in a moral sense this verse can mean that we are to train our children according to what is the right way. This is the best understanding of the phrase in light of how the word “way” is used elsewhere in Proverbs. Teaching them biblically right from wrong.

Positively Illustrated:

“I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths.” (Proverbs 4:11)

“I traverse the way of righteousness, In the midst of the paths of justice …” (Proverbs 8:20)

“In the way of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death.” (Proverbs 12:28)

Negatively Illustrated:

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 14:12)

“Harsh discipline is for him who forsakes the way, and he who hates correction will die.” (Proverbs 15:10)

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 16:25)

The verse speaks about…

3.   The matter of reliable training

a.    Demonstration

“Training” involves showing the child what to do. Before a parent can effectively teach his/her children how to live, he/she must first DEMONSTRATE how they are to live. Children learn by the parents’ modeling of godly lives.

Training involves a trainer who can show them the way.

The old anti-smoking commercials illustrated the power of a parent’s example. “Like father, like son.”

b.    Education

In post Biblical Hebrew this word (“train”) was used in reference to catechizing children. The catechism is a question and answer method of teaching spiritual truth. It was a means of educating children in the truth so that it became ingrained in their being. By repetition we ingrain biblical values.

c.    Initiation

The word (“train”) also speaks of putting dates or honey on the finger and introducing it into an infants mouth to cause him to begin sucking. It is the idea of creating a hunger and thirst for that which is godly. (Keil & Delitzsch, Proverbs)

“Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done. For He established a testimony in Jacob, And appointed a law in Israel, Which He commanded our fathers, That they should make them known to their children; That the generation to come might know them, The children who would be born, That they may arise and declare them to their children, That they may set their hope in God, And not forget the works of God, But keep His commandments; And may not be like their fathers, A stubborn and rebellious generation, A generation that did not set its heart aright, And whose spirit was not faithful to God.” (Psalm 78:3-8)

“So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.” (Exodus 12:14)

“Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.” (Joshua 4:7)

d.    Dedication

Finally, the word (“train”) is used in Scripture to speak of setting something apart for sacred use (a house—Deuteronomy 20:5, the Temple—1 Kings 8:63; 2 Chronicles 7:5, an image—Daniel 3:2). When you do this you limit how the item may be used. So our training must involve reasonable limits for our children’s own wellbeing. Appropriate discipline and boundaries must be utilized.

“For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them.” (1 Samuel 3:13)

Conclusion:

This passage says that when he is old he will not forsake the things you have taught him. Does this mean that a child will never go astray if we follow this Scripture? A proverb is a literary device that states a general principle not necessarily a specific promise. There are many outside forces that weigh on a child’s life, especially when they reach the later teen years. It is possible that because a child has a free will that he may choose to abandon the things his parents have taught him, but the probability of this is dramatically reduced when you follow the instruction of this passageause a chid has a free will that he may choose to abandonu l.

Worldviews in Conflict

What do Eastern Michigan University and Augusta State University have in common? They both recently demonstrated how important it is for the political left to defend diversity even at the expense of being diverse.

Julea Ward didn’t need another degree. She had already earned two master’s degrees along with the respect of her colleagues at a high school near her home of Belleville, Michigan. While working with teenagers, she was struck by the weight of the problems they faced and she wanted to help. When a student would come to her with a sad demeanor, Julea would invite them to stay after class to talk about their problems. She enjoyed the discussions, believing she was making a difference just by listening and trying to impart some of the wisdom passed on to her by her mother. After awhile, she realized her desire to teach was being eclipsed by her passion for counseling. So, she decided to go back to school for another master’s degree so she would be qualified to become a licensed, full-time counselor.

She entered Eastern Michigan University where she quickly demonstrated her skill in the classroom by earning a 3.91 GPA and by offering thoughtful, respectful, but sometimes controversial thoughts to the discussions. When one of her professors suggested students who didn’t embrace EMU’s views on homosexuality should be weeded out of the program, Julea raised her voice. Her Christian worldview would not allow her to remain silent in the face of teaching that completely ignored the possibility that the Bible is right concerning the sin of homosexuality.

But when she voiced her convictions she was branded a “homophobe” by one professor while another openly mocked her beliefs. Some of the students in the classroom would privately admit they agreed with her perspective but they refused to speak out for fear of what would happen to their grades.

Julea decided to weather the storm, believing her ability to excel academically and her overall good rapport with the professors would help her navigate the rough waters caused by the clash of worldviews.

She was wrong.

At the beginning of her practicum, one of the final courses needed for her degree, Julea was given an appointment with a client who was seeking counsel concerning a homosexual relationship. Realizing she couldn’t violate her conscious by either confirming or ignoring the issues of homosexuality, she asked her advisor if she should refer the client right away or meet with client and risk breaking any established rapport if she had to refer the client later. The advisor adamantly told her she should assign the client to another counselor immediately.

In counseling, when the personal convictions of the counselor contradict the potential counseling expectations of a client a “value-based conflict” is created. It happens often in the counseling profession and it is usually addressed by simply referring the client to a different counselor…that is exactly what Julea did.

Shortly after referring her client, she was notified that there would be an “informal review” to evaluate whether or not she could continue in the program. The reason? She was accused of refusing to meet with a client because the person was a homosexual. The problem is, Julea never said she wouldn’t meet with the client. She simply stated she could not in good conscience affirm a client’s homosexuality and she was encouraged by her advisor to refer the client. So, for following the advice of her advisor and for following exactly what her textbooks taught her to do when a “value-based conflict” arises, she was subjected to what amounted to a faculty inquisition.

When it was all over, she was given three choices: 1) take part in a remediation program designed to change her “belief system,” 2) withdraw voluntarily from the master’s program, or 3) request a formal review hearing. Julea choose door number three and once again endured the grilling of a panel of professors without having the benefit of friends or legal support. Although she had followed the proper and accepted procedure the University removed her from the master’s program.

Julea filed suit in federal court. The Alliance Defense Fund represented her arguing that “Christian students shouldn’t be expelled for holding to and abiding by their beliefs.” But U.S. District Judge George Caram Steech dismissed her lawsuit ruling, “The University has a rational basis for requiring students to counsel clients without imposing their personal values.”

So, according to Judge Steech, the University can impose its values on Julea but her values have to go. This is typical left wing thinking where value imposition is only possible when the values being imposed are based on objective truth.

I wish I could comfort myself with the idea that Julea Ward’s case is an isolated example of an overzealous secular attitude toward Christianity, which is often on display in places like Michigan, Washington, and California. But Jennifer Keeton would disagree. She was recently removed from the master’s program in counseling at Augusta State University in Georgia. The reason? You guessed it…she refused to change her views on homosexuality. The thought police at Augusta State went so far as to demand that Miss Keeton attend a gay pride parade and attend sensitivity classes on homosexuality where she would be required to submit monthly reports on her progress in changing her beliefs. Miss Keeton is also headed to court.

“Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:14-16 NASV).

Dr. Tony Beam is Vice-President for Student Services and Director of the Christian Worldview Center at North Greenville University in Tigerville, South Carolina.

VBS 2010 (by Rebekah Shaffer) Lewis Memorial Baptist Church

We had an average of 240 each night at this years VBS with a high attendance of 255. There were twenty-four precious children born into the family of God. More than sixty participants indicated they didn't have any church affiliation. There were nine of the children that were baptized on Friday night following the closing program. There were more than 60 workers that volunteered their time in many different ways. Thank you to everybody that helped and prayed. A special thanks to Rebekah Shaffer, Deide McCommas, & Kayla Neice who were the event coordinators.

Passing Down the Faith

Image by another.point.in.time via Flickr

According to data developed by the Barna research group through 2009, only 50 percent of American adults think that Christianity is still the "automatic faith of choice" in the U.S. A majority of self-identified Christians surveyed indicated comfort with the idea that the Bible and sacred books from non-Christian religions all teach the same truths and principles. Seventy-one percent of respondents said they will develop their own religious beliefs rather than accept the set of beliefs promoted by a church or denomination. And, only one third believe in absolute truth. (Source: Baptist Press)


These are startling statistics that need our immediate attention and parents are the real key to turning things around. Our kids must see the reality of our living faith, if we expect them to want to follow our God.