CHURCH OF GOD
Evangel APRIL 2013
DEALING WITH DOLLARS Generating Generosity Will My Faith Make Me Richer?
How to Spend Less Than You Make What Does My Tithe Dollar Do?
Contents
april 2013 volume 103 ■ issue 4
SIXTEEN out of Jesus Christ’s 38 parables deal with finances. The New Testament says more about money than about heaven and hell combined. While there are over 500 verses on prayer and faith, there are over 2,000 verses about money and possessions. The first of the many Proverbs dealing with dollars shows how not to live: “So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its owners” (1:19 NKJV). The last one gives us a model to emulate: “She extends her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy” (31:20 NKJV).
dealing with dollars 10 Generating Generosity by Steven and Rosemary Lester Giving is the essence of Christianity. 12 Will My Faith Make Me Richer? by Robert C. Crosby What the Bible says about prosperity 14 Financial Insights From Three Advisers Wisdom from Dorrice Burns, Kent Hawkins, and Charlotte Fawver 15 The Dollar Bill That Grew by Nellie Keasling Lost, found, given, and multiplied 16 How to Spend Less Than You Make by Amie Streater Start by knowing your numbers. 18 Will I Be Able to Retire? by Arthur D. Rhodes Consider the ant. 19 What Does My Tithe Dollar Do? by Daniel L. Black Local and global impact features 20 Revolutionizing Young Lives in Urban Atlanta by Lance Colkmire Vince Hungate follows his calling. 23 Marcelly’s Dream by Brian Raff God’s message to a 7-year-old 24 Sí, Mi Señor by Brittany Ann Fairbanks Saying yes to God’s plan
columns 5 In Covenant, Mark L. Williams 7 On My Mind, Lance Colkmire 30 Chronicles, Wanda Thompson LeRoy departments 4 6 8 26 28
Ministry Snapshot By the Numbers Currents Viewpoints People and Events
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PUBLICATIONS MINISTRIES DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR M. Thomas Propes DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS Terry Hart ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Raymond Hodge MANAGING EDITOR Lance Colkmire
MINISTRY SNAPSHOT Pastor Ron Hill of Cliffview Church of God (Galax, Virginia) teaching ministry students in Burma.
CENTRAL DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR Robert McCall CFO Wayne Walston PRINTING DIRECTOR Mike Burnett
EVANGEL STAFF EDITOR Lance Colkmire EXECUTIVE SECRETARY Elaine McDavid COPY EDITOR Esther Metaxas GRAPHIC DESIGNER Bob Fisher
EDITORIAL AND PUBLICATIONS BOARD Stephen Darnell, Les Higgins, Ray E. Hurt, Cheryl Johns, David Nitz , Tony Cooper, Antonio Richardson
INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Mark L. Williams, David M. Griffis, J. David Stephens, Wallace J. Sibley, M. Thomas Propes
CHURCH OF GOD congregations meet throughout the United States and in more than 180 other countries. To find a church and times of services near you, access the church website, www.churchofgod.org, or fax your request to 423-478-7616.
If you have a ministry photo to be considered for this page, send it to
[email protected].
March Evangel Poll Which of these six sayings of Jesus on the Crossis most meaningful to you today? Father, forgive them for they do not know what they do. - 38.8%
Today you will be with me in Paradise. - 4.5%
Publication of material in the Evangel does not necessarily imply endorsement of the Church of God. The Church of God Evangel (ISSN 0745-6778) is edited and published monthly. ■ Church of God Publishing House, 1080 Montgomery Ave., P.O. Box 2250, Cleveland, TN 37320-2250 ■ Subscription rates: Single subscription per year $17, Canada $24, Bundle of 15 per month $17, Canada $28, Bundle of 5 per month $7.50, Canada $11.25 ■ Single copy $1.50 ■ Periodical postage paid at Cleveland, TN 37311 and at additional mailing offices ■ ©2013 Church of God Publications ■ All rights reserved ■ POSTMASTER: Send change of address to Evangel, P.O. Box 2250, Cleveland, TN 37320-2250. (USPS 112-240)
My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?. - 1.5%
I thirst. - 7.5%
It is finished. - 32.8%
Father, into your hands I commend my spirit. - 14.9%
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MEMBER OF THE EVANGELICAL PRESS ASSOCIATION AND THE INTERNATIONAL PENTECOSTAL PRESS EVANGEL • apr 2013 ASSOCIATION
IN COVENANT mark l. williams general overseer
CAN WE STILL BELIEVE IN MIRACLES?
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STILL REMEMBER the April 10, 1995, issue of Time magazine. Pictured on its cover was a painting by Noel Coypel called “The Resurrection.” On canvas, Coypel attempted to capture the expressions of frightened soldiers, the dazzling brilliance of angels, the awestruck amazement of women as they watched the Son of God rising to the heavens with power and great glory. The caption over the picture asked, “Can We Still Believe in Miracles?” The cover story, “The Message of Miracles,” was written by Nancy Gibbs. She reported that 69 percent of Americans surveyed said they still believe in miracles. The fastest-growing churches in America were the Charismatic and Pentecostal congregations who preached “the full gospel,” which included belief in “signs and wonders.” However, Gibbs continued, just when the faithful are eager to embrace the possibility of miracles in everyday life, prominent liberal theologians are working feverishly to disprove the miracles of the Bible. Modern skeptics analyze Scripture through the lenses of science, literature, and politics. They conclude the Gospel writers crafted legends to serve a political agenda in the early days of the church. Rationalists study the medical impact of the Crucifixion and suggest that Jesus swooned into a deep coma from which He might have revived on the third day. They say the parting of the Red Sea was caused by an underwater volcanic eruption, and the star of Bethlehem was simply a comet that swept across the Bethlehem skies. The miracles of Christ were nothing more than primitive superstitions of minds unenlightened by modern science. If there was anything to them at all, they were simply placebos, “curing” ailments that were psychosomatic to begin with. Eighteen years have come and gone since that Time article, but the question remains: “Can we still believe in
miracles?” Can we still believe while living in a world under the threat of nuclear and biological terrorism? Can we still believe while living in a world of violence and crime? Can we still believe though our world is filled with perversion and sexual addiction? Can we still believe despite living in a world of sickness and death? Can we still believe in miracles? We do live in a fallen world. The curse and scourge of sin is a living reality, responsible for disease, disaster, and death. The entire creation groans and travails, waiting to be redeemed. The Cross reminds us that not even the innocent escape suffering. But there is hope because Jesus came! To a Gentile mother grief-stricken over her demon-possessed child . . . to a blind beggar shivering in a ragged robe by the highway . . . to a harlot about to be stoned by her accusers . . . to little children pressed upon Him by anxious parents . . . to widows who had lost their sons . . . to prodigals who had squandered their inheritance and wanted to return home . . . Jesus came! Jesus died for our sins—the Righteous for the unrighteous, the Loveable for the unlovable, the Innocent for the guilty, the Sinless for the sinner. He bore our sins in His own body on the cross, and then rose from the dead as the Victor over all foes! Some prayers for miracles are answered immediately, others gradually, and all will be answered eternally when we see Him face-to-face.
Critics say the miracles of Christ were nothing more than primitive superstitions of minds unenlightened by modern science.
The eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness and streams in the Arabah [desert]. . . . And the ransomed of the Lord will return and come with joyful shouting to Zion, with everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away (Isa. 35: 5-6, 10 NASB). EVANGEL • apr 2013
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BY THE NUMBERS
religious freedom at risk?
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ALF OF AMERICANS worry that religious freedom in the U.S. is at risk, and many say activist groups— particularly gays and lesbians—are trying to remove “traditional Christian values” from the public square. Religious freedom has become an increasingly important political issue within the last year, as Republican candidates hammered President Obama for a contraception mandate that many conservatives feel tramples on the religious freedom of employers who must cover birth control in their health plans. The poll of 1,008 adults showed that 29 percent of respondents were “very” concerned that religious liberties are under threat, and 22 percent “somewhat” concerned. Evangelicals were the religious group most likely to be concerned, at 71 percent. Asked for their opinion as to why religious freedom is threatened, 97 percent of Evangelicals agreed that “some groups have actively tried to move society away from traditional Christian values.” And 72 percent of Evangelicals also agreed that gays and lesbians were the group “most active in trying to remove Christian values from the country.” That compares to 31 percent of all adults who held this belief. Conducted by the Barna Group—a California think tank that studies American religion and culture—the poll results were released in January. 6
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THE BIBLE’S INFLUENCE DO YOU THINK the Bible has too much, too little, or just the right amount of influence in U.S. society today? 2011 2012 Too much influence ............................. 13% .............................. 16% Too little influence .............................. 54% .............................. 47% Just right .............................................. 28% .............................. 29% Not sure ...................................................5% ................................. 7% —American Bible Society
LACK OF CONFIDENCE AMERICANS are showing a steady decline in the amount of confidence they have in organized religion. Only 44 percent say they hold a great deal of confidence in churches or organized religion —a steep decline from the 68 percent who had such confidence two decades ago. —On Mission
44%
ON MY MIND lance colkmire editor
GOURDS AND GORDITAS
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HAT WILL BE $3.82,” said the voice over the speaker. “Please drive to the window.” As I waited in line behind a couple of other cars, I pulled out a five-dollar bill and two pennies from my pocket. When my turn came, I handed my money to the cashier . . . and then had to wait an unusually long time for my Gordita special. When my food finally came, I asked the server, “Did you give me my change?” She said yes . . . but when I stopped at a traffic light and looked at my receipt, it showed I had paid exactly $3.82. Wrong— they owed me $1.20. I kept the receipt. That Friday, I dropped into the restaurant, handed my receipt to a cashier, and explained what had happened. The manager was listening. She stepped forward and, without a smile, said, “Not possible. That cashier’s drawer was off by only 50 cents on Tuesday.” Then she turned and walked away. As soon as I got back to my office, I sent an email complaint to the restaurant’s website. The issue was not the $1.20, but the manager’s attitude. I thought my gripe would bring a quick response (and perhaps get me some free food), but as I write this one month later, there has been no response. So now, I feel like the prophet Jonah, who was upset about a gourd . . . not a Gordita. After preaching throughout the vile and violent city of Nineveh, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown” (Jonah 3:4), the unthinkable happened. Led by their king, the city of more than 120,000 people repented of their sins . . . and God spared them from the judgment Jonah had warned about.
Instead of posting “Just preached the greatest revival in history!”on his Facebook page, “Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry” (4:1 NIV). He thought, How dare God spare Nineveh—the capital of Israel’s archenemy, the Assyrians? Jonah built himself a hut outside the city to watch and wait, wanting to see what would happen to Nineveh after the 40 days. It was miserably hot, and God caused a “gourd” (v. 6)—a castoroil plant—to spring up and provide the prophet some shade. Jonah was “exceeding glad,” as this plant’s leaves can grow more than a foot long. The next day, however, God sent a worm to devour the plant, ruining Jonah’s roof on a blazingly hot day (vv. 7-8). As Jonah fumed about the loss of the gourd, the Lord said to him, “You have had pity on the plant . . . which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left?” (vv. 10-11 NLT). This brings me back to my Gordita. Like the people of Nineveh, there are individuals living around me—perhaps including that restaurant manager—who cannot discern right from wrong and need my loving concern. Yet I became ridiculously focused on trying to right a $1.20 error and a smug snub. So today, February 13, I am . . . • throwing away the $3.82 receipt • saying a prayer for the manager, and taking a card to her. It reads, “As a frequent customer of this restaurant, thanks for the good service that you and your team provide. Have a blessed Valentine’s Day.”
I became ridiculously focused on trying to right a $1.20 error and a smug snub.
Four ways to contact the editor: •
[email protected] • 423-478-7592 • Church of God Evangel on Facebook • Box 2250, Cleveland, TN 37320-2250
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CURRENTS The purpose of CURRENTS is to inform readers of trends and events influencing the culture.
Ryan Bomberger
another argument against abortion ■ STANDING BEFORE the throngs at the March for Life in Washington, D.C., on January 25, Ryan Bomberger admitted he was the poster child for one of the most difficult aspects of the abortion debate: his mother had been raped. “I’m the fringe case that even pro-lifers have a hard time embracing,” said Bomberger, an anti-abortion activist whose mother chose to continue the pregnancy and put him up for adoption. Forty years after the Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion, children who were conceived through rape—and women who were raped and chose to end the pregnancy—are speaking out, opening a new front in the decades-old culture war. While Bomberger, 41, considers himself a warrior on the front lines of the anti-abortion movement, Jason Lovins sees himself more as a worship leader
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than an activist. When he performs with his contemporary Christian band, the 31-year-old shares his testimony of being born after his mother was raped at age 15; he still remembers her high school graduation on his third birthday. “I was so loved that it never became an issue for me that I was a product of rape,” said the singer, whose Jason Lovins Band has performed with Michael W. Smith and for the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. From campgrounds to churches, he has shared his story to encourage women who find themselves in the same situation as his mother to make the same choice she did. But adult children who were conceived by rape are not the only ones revealing their pasts. The 1 in 3 Campaign, a project of the pro-abortion group Advocates for Youth, has introduced the stories of 40
women who have had abortions for various reasons, including rape. Julia Reticker-Flynn, manager of the campaign, said, “Whether a pregnancy was the result of rape, or a pregnancy was very much wanted and because of dire medical circumstance the person could not carry the pregnancy to term, our stance is that we should not judge.” Joyce McCauley-Benner, 35, was working her way through college when she was raped by a coworker. Because she was having a sexual relationship with her boyfriend at the time, she did not know until months after her son was born who the father was. Now, 13 years after her son’s birth, the spokeswoman for the group Feminists for Life chooses not to reveal the information about his father. “We shouldn’t rank people based on how they’re conceived,” she said. “My child, if he was conceived in rape, that doesn’t make him any less than you if you were conceived by two loving parents.” Recent statistics on how many pregnancies occur as a result of rape are not readily available. According to the website of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, about 10,000 to 15,000 abortions occur annually among women whose pregnancies resulted from rape or incest. A 2011 Gallup poll revealed Americans’ mixed feelings on rape and abortion: The vast majority—91 percent—of those who define themselves as “pro-choice” support abortion being legal when pregnancy was caused by rape or incest. Yet even 59 percent of those who call themselves “pro-life” agree with such a policy. Bomberger, an evangelical Christian, said his inclusion at the January rally—and increased chatter on social media—are signs this issue is getting more attention. His Virginia-based Radiance Foundation aims to “shatter the myth of the unwanted” through campaigns that focus on adopted children, including those who were products of rape.—Adelle Banks (RNS)
exposing scientology life and previous lifetimes. The object is to expunge those old painful memories, a glittering roster of celebrity adherents which he calls ‘engrams.’ Once you elimiand landmark real estate. But Lawrence nate the reactive mind, you become ‘clear’: Wright’s new book—Going Clear: Scientolmore intelligent, your reactions are quickogy, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief— er, your eyesight is better, you’re invulneruncovers a church in which top executives able to disease—near superhuman, in are regularly abused and children sign other words.” billion-year contracts to work for low Describe the secret work camps in the wages under poor conditions. U.S. “There are re-education camps in The Church of Scientology emphatidifferent locations for Sea Org members cally denies Wright’s charges, calling them (Scientology’s clergy) who have offended “ludicrous” and “unsubstantiated.” the leader or committed some infraction Wright, a Pulitzer Prize winning jouragainst the Church of Scientology. On nalist, recently discussed his findings. one of them, Gold Base, Why did you write the there’s a place called “the book? “In America you hole”: two double-wide can believe anything you trailers married together, want, unlike in a lot of where people are sent, other countries where often without being told there’s only one religion. of their crimes. So why would people be “In 2004, [church drawn to Scientology, one leader] David Miscavof the most esoteric and ige cleared away all stigmatized religions?” the furniture and sent Why do people join top executives to stay Scientology? “Oftentimes there, some for years. people who go into ScienAn elderly man who tology are dealing with a Lawrence Wright was the president of the personal problem. If you church (a nominal post) was in the hole enter a Church of Scientology building, for seven years. Mike Rinder, Scientolyou’ll be asked, ‘What is your ruin?’ That ogy’s [former] international spokesman, is, what is standing in the way of your was placed in the hole. Occasionally they financial, spiritual, and emotional sucpulled him out, put a tuxedo on him and cess? And they will talk through things sent him to a gala to give a speech. Then with you and offer a menu of courses he went back in the hole.” designed to help. And many people do Does Scientology violate child labor laws? feel that they are helped by the courses “The church says it’s not in violation, but I or therapy.” look at those labor laws and it seems pretty What does Scientology promise? “L. Ron clear. I can tell you that law enforcement Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, had agencies are reluctant to get involved with a theory that we have two minds. One the Church of Scientology. The church is is our rational, analytic mind. It’s like a surrounded by high-powered lawyers.” computer: it remembers everything perWhy is Scientology considered a religion? fectly. What gets in the way of that is the “I don’t know what the IRS used to judge ‘reactive’ mind, which is full of fears and that Scientology was a religion. A group neuroses and traumas from our previous
■ THE CHURCH OF Scientology boasts
of accountants and lawyers is not the best-equipped body to disentangle what a religion is, but the circumstances surrounding the tax exemption are pretty alarming. The church filed a barrage of lawsuits, had private investigators tail IRS agents and smear their careers. The reason behind the deal for the IRS was so that the harassment and lawsuits would stop.” Discuss Scientology’s appeal to celebrities. “L. Ron Hubbard set up the Church of Scientology in Hollywood in 1954 for a reason. He understood that celebrity was increasingly a feature of American public life, and celebrities themselves were going to be worshiped as minor deities were in the ancient world. The Celebrity Centre in Hollywood went out to court exemplary figures that Scientology could use as front men. Early on, the church published an ideal list of catches, including Bob Hope, John Ford, Marlene Dietrich, and Walt Disney. The idea was: if you could get them, think how many people would follow.” Do celebrity members like John Travolta and Tom Cruise know about the abuses perpetuated by church leaders? “If they don’t, I think it must be willful blindness on their part. . . . But Scientologists are trained to avoid noticing any kind of public criticism, and I think that’s especially true of celebrities. They are coddled and given special treatment—that’s a perk of being a celebrity in the Church of Scientology—and they are reluctant to give that up, and in the process they are overlooking very serious abuses.” Scientology says your book is “error-filled” and “unsubstantiated.” “I spoke to more than 250 people, many of them current or former Scientologists, and some of them were at the top levels of the church. . . . We sent more than 1,000 fact-checking questions to the church. . . . We received only partial responses, some of them very hostile. I tried to present the church’s perspective as much as possible.”—RNS
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by steven and rosemary lester
generating generosity
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“A generous man devises generous things, and by generosity he shall stand” (Isa. 32:8 NKJV).
IGH UNEMPLOYMENT rates . . . crumbling investments . . . dwindling savings and retirement accounts . . . and declining property values are everyday life. Threatening phrases like “going off the fiscal cliff” inundate us. Our natural inclination is to hoard what we have as a hedge against an uncertain future. We try our best to preserve our lifestyle and make budget cuts elsewhere. In a 2012 Barna Research Group study of active Protestants, 46 percent said they had reduced their giving to nonprofit organizations, 33 percent had reduced their giving to churches/religious centers, and 6 percent had completely stopped giving to churches.
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Whether you are a denominational leader, a pastor, or faithful member in the pew, these tough economic times have affected us all. Each of us must prayerfully reprioritize and re-balance our budgets. However, if we truly believe God is greater than a struggling U.S. economy and that He indeed owns it all, we must continue our giving commitments to help advance the Kingdom around the world. Dare I suggest my personal conviction? I believe it is time for advancing the virtue of greater generosity. Giving Freely The dictionary describes generosity as “the habit of giving without expecting anything in return”—giving time, assets,
talents, or labor to help meet a need. Another definition says generosity is “freedom from meanness or smallness of mind or character.” Chuck Swindoll said, “I’m a firm believer in saving, investing, intelligent spending, and wise money management. But I have trouble finding one word of scriptural support for being a tightwad!” I agree. The Church of God has a long and noble history of generosity at local, national, and international levels. High-profile ministries such as Operation Compassion make me thankful for my denomination. I also applaud so many of our churches and members who faithfully support benevolence ministries, sponsor school
scholarships, and give to local and foreign missions. While I served as a pastor at a mission church in inner-city Atlanta, I was on the receiving end of generous gifts and practical services from Men of Action and surrounding Church of God congregations. Our Generous God The essence of Christianity is giving. “For God so loved the world, that he gave . . .” (John 3:16). By wanting us to give, God wants us to become like Himself. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17). While the word give is used over 1,500 times in the Bible, we discover Jesus is more concerned about why we give than how much (see Luke 21:1-4). He’s much more interested in the quality of the giver than the quantity of the gift. Attitude in giving supersedes the amount. In fact, God says if we have a bad attitude about giving, don’t bother, because we won’t get credit for it anyway (Matt. 6:1). He honors those who give all He asks them to give (see Luke 18:29-30). Giving is a responsibility. More than that, it’s an opportunity. John Wesley said, “Get all you can, save all you can, give all you can.” But we often change it around to say, “Get all you can, can all you get, and sit on the lid.” Where’s My Treasure? Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:21). If I put my greatest amount of money into my house, that’s where my heart is. If I put my money into my car, that’s where my heart is. If I give my money generously to the Lord and all He is concerned about, that is where my heart is. Every time I give generously, it draws me closer to Christ and He generously reveals Himself to me in my need. He is the One who gave His all for me. Where my treasure is, there my heart is.
This revelation did not come to my wife and me easily, even though we were strong Christians and active in practical ministry. As urban ministers, we viewed ourselves as missionaries. With the long, expensive adoption process of our two children and a high-maintenance ministry, having enough money always seemed to be a pressing issue. One day in the early 1990s, we were humbled when someone gave us the title and keys to a car. It was an old Mazda
The essence of Christianity is giving. By wanting us to give, God wants us to become like Himself. 626 with rust and torn seats, but we were grateful. We drove the car for five years with no repairs ever required. We called it our “urban assault vehicle,” but it was clearly a gift from God. When we moved to another pastorate, the Lord led us to give the car to a homeless man who needed it worse than we did. His gratitude deeply touched us. For us it was transportation, but for him it was a home. That simple gesture stirred something deep in our hearts and began a process that has recurred numerous times. It profoundly influenced our understanding of the relationship between our giving and God’s provision. After our first experience with being given a car and eventually giving it away, we
asked the Lord if He would do it again. Much to our surprise, within weeks we had a second car given to us. After driving it for a while, the Lord prompted us to give it away (long before we would have chosen) to someone in our church. That process has now been repeated many more times, and we have had increasing joy experiencing what God would do next. Last year we gave away our 12th car and, two months later, we were given another one. What an amazing privilege—not just in the receiving and giving of cars, but also in the practical witness that takes place every time. Another discouraged heart is filled to overflowing with God’s goodness, care, and provision. All who give to God’s kingdom have their own similar experiences. We tell our story in the hope it will inspire you to give generously. We are not suggesting this is a model you should replicate. It is unique to us, but we are keenly aware it is not about us. It is about the faithfulness of our God, and He is the same God you serve. To Us and Through Us We learned many years ago that God wanted to use us as His conduits. He has proven in countless ways that He would give to us if He could give through us. Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38 NIV). Give generously, and give every day as if it were your last. You will experience the joy of seeing God perform mighty works in the lives of others, and you will find your faith growing stronger. Steven and Rosemary Lester write, speak, and provide visionary leadership and planning to churches, ministries, and nonprofit organizations. They have two adult children: Anna, adopted from South Korea; and Russ, adopted from Russia.
[email protected]
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will my faith make me richer? by robert c. crosby
what the bible says about prosperity
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IVE LONG AND PROSPER.”
Star Trek’s Mr. Spock spoke this salutation accompanied by one raised hand with a trademark set of divided fingers. The Jewish tradition and greeting for ages has been shalom—a Hebrew word rich in meaning that connotes peace, completeness, prosperity, and welfare; also used as an idiom for “hello” and “goodbye.” The dictionary defines prosperity as “a successful, flourishing, or thriving condition, especially in financial respects; good fortune.” When it comes to prosperity and how it is taught in the church, we risk (by overuse or misuse) missing an important component of our faith and our community-life experience. Prosperity is an important concept and a promise not to be missed; the term needs to be reexamined. 12
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No Magic Wand Some leaders have misused or perhaps overused the term prosperity, making Christianity sound like nothing more than a get-rich-quick scheme. The “health-andwealth gospel” has too often tried to turn faith into a magic wand we use to get whatever we want. This is not the kind of faith taught by Christ or the apostles. Unbalanced ideas of prosperity can be confusing and harmful, especially to young believers. I will never forget what an older lady in our church said to me years ago when I was a brand-new believer. “Pray for me,” she said. “I need a new car and I am asking God to help me get one.”
I was puzzled. My idea of faith was not tied to the kind of car one drove, but rather the kind of life one lived. One great mistake some Christians make is assuming that popular economic theories are synonymous with biblical principles of stewardship. I recall one “Christian” television program not long ago in which the host interviewed a multimillionaire on the subject, “Why God Wants You Rich.” The host repeatedly implied and stated that financial prosperity is always assured to the Christian who “follows my proven formula.” This smacks of materialism and does not mesh with the whole of the biblical record.
“Sure, I’ll pray,” I promised.
Prosperity in the Old Testament
She added, “And pray that I will have ‘Cadillac faith’ and not just ‘Ford faith.’”
What does the Bible say about prosperity? The word’s first appearance in the Old
Faith is no magic wand we use to get what we want but, rather, a power God has put within us to help us become what He wants. Testament is in the story of a servant’s search for a wife for Isaac. Abraham sent his servant to find a wife for his son, not among the Canaanites but among his relatives. When the servant first saw Rebekah, who would ultimately become Isaac’s wife, he “gazed at her in silence to learn whether the Lord had prospered his journey or not” (Gen. 24:21).* Here, prospered meant that his journey was “successful” or “profitable”—that he would find the wife God had chosen.
assured that “in all that he does, he prospers” (v. 3). However, it is important to realize this promise is not some vending machine that pops out a blessing when we hurriedly toss a scripture into our minds or on our lips. No, the writer here is talking about the prosperity that flows from a life steeped in the Word of God.
In Deuteronomy 27:11-13, God instructed Moses to build an altar at Mount Ebal, and then to divide all of the Israelites— half of them standing on the side of Mount Ebal, the other half on Mount Gerizim. Picture it: hundreds of thousands standing in the world’s largest “stadium.” Once gathered, they were to shout from one side the blessings promised for obedience to God and from the other side the curses that would come for disobedience to His Word.
The Bible does not teach us only how to be prosperous; it also teaches us how we are to trust God during difficult times of lack and loss. So much of God’s Word is about helping people overcome difficulty, struggle, need, and even envy. King David, who knew times of both great wealth and utter desperation, said to “fret not yourself over him who prospers in his way” (Ps. 37:7).
The promises of prosperity for obedience (ch. 28) are astounding. Here are a few of them: • “God will set you high above all the nations of the earth” (v. 1). • “The Lord will make you abound in prosperity” (v. 11). • “The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens” (v. 12). These powerful promises were directed to Israel as she became a nation. While we can use them to help us understand the gracious and good heart of God, and to inspire our trust in Him, they are specific and prophetic in nature to a particular time and people. One of the most beautiful passages on prosperity is in Psalm 1. In this chapter, the promise is connected to the practices of the person whose “delight is in the law of the Lord” and who “meditates” on it “day and night” (v. 2). Such a person is
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers (v. 3).
Principles on Prosperity Paul told the Philippian church that “my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (4:19). The same apostle told his protégé, Timothy, that those “who have been robbed of the truth” are those who “think that godliness is a means to financial gain” (1 Tim. 6:5 NIV). Faith is no magic wand we use to get what we want but, rather, a power God has put within us to help us become what He wants. With this in mind, here are a few biblical principles of prosperity: • It is God and not ourselves who gives us the “ability to produce wealth” and “so confirms his covenant” (Deut. 8:18 NIV). • Financial prosperity is not always synonymous with spiritual blessing and favor (Rev. 3:17). • The Christian faith is not about a life full of possessions, but one full of God’s presence and acts of service (1 Tim. 6:5).
• An increased prosperity in the lives of Christ-followers should be matched with a growing generosity to God’s work and to those in need (1 Cor. 16:1-2). • Investing our lives and resources in a variety of ways is wise and can lead to prosperity. “In the morning sow your seed, and at evening, . . . for you do not know which will prosper” (Eccl. 11:6). Two Big Mistakes I believe there are two major mistakes Christians tend to make in this area of prosperity. One, is to place too much focus on financial prosperity. Two, some are so opposed to the term prosperity that they overlook an undeniably prominent theme in Scripture. “Live long and prosper,” as it turns out, is an appropriate and even biblical blessing to extend to others. In the balance of passages on the subject, it is good and godly to seek prosperity for both God’s people and for our lives; in that sense, our faith helps us trust the God who “will supply all [our] needs” (Phil. 4:19 NASB). However, it is also godly to trust God when times are tough financially. In those times, our faith helps us to trust God’s heart even when for the moment His hand may appear empty. The right balance on prosperity is struck by the man best known for his God-given wisdom, King Solomon: “He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor” (Prov. 21:21 NIV). * Unless otherwise noted, all scriptures are from the Revised Standard Version. Robert Crosby is a conference speaker, author, and professor of practical theology at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. He blogs at patheos.com and The Huffington Post. His latest book is The Teaming Church: Ministry in the Age of Collaboration (Abingdon Press). EVANGEL • apr 2013
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financial insights
from three advisErs avoiding money mistakes
W
E ASKED three counselors four questions about money management. They are Dorrice Burns (Milford Church of God, Delaware), Kent Hawkins (Mount Paran Church of God, Atlanta), and Charlotte Fawver (Parkwest Church of God, Knoxville, Tennessee).
What is the most common mistake people make with money? Burns: The most common and greatest mistake people make is to spend beyond their means—not having a budget or not following it through. This results in poor planning, overuse of credit cards, and, often, unsecured debt that cannot be paid. Hawkins: The most common mistake is not including all their expenses in their budget. Fawver: First, not tithing; second, not budgeting. What problems are caused by financial mistakes? Burns: Poor financial management has emotional, physical, and spiritual tolls. 14
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It can harm relationships and create a burden that becomes a controlling factor in lives. Hawkins: Many people believe they have a budget, but what they have is a general knowledge of their net income and their monthly bills. The budget is not written down and does not include items such as personal or miscellaneous spending, birthday and Christmas presents, car tags and car maintenance, clothes, and so on. Therefore, these are always “unexpected” but very predictable expenses that create chronic financial crises. Financial trouble can also be a contributor to marital stress. Disagreements regarding spending and other financial goals are highlighted when sufficient funds are not available. In addition, financial troubles often result in “hiding”
be obedient in your tithes and offerings and experience heaven’s windows being opened with blessing.
information or other behavior that erodes the sense of trust between spouses. Fawver: Financial problems cause emotional stress, which affects relationships and sometimes health. Spouses pressure their mates on how they spend money, which causes problems. Financial problems can also create temptations to make money in ways that are not morally right, which affects every facet of life. Sometimes the temptation is to have an illicit relationship with someone outside of marriage as a distraction from the burden of financial stress. Money pressures often lead individuals to addictions such as pornography, alcohol, or drugs. In one or two sentences, what is the best financial advice you have ever given? Burns: The best financial advice I’ve ever given was not my own, but from the Word of God. The Word comforts those in need with promises of provision, guides those out of control by identifying how to gain financial control, and teaches those without understanding how to be good stewards of all God has given us. Therefore, the best financial advice has been to reevaluate a financial circumstance
or need based on God’s Word, use His Word to identify errors, and recognize the truths regarding correct financial management. Trust in God and His direction is the first step to financial recovery. Hawkins: The best advice I ever received was from my grandfather: “Live on what you make.” Fawver: If you are spending the first 10 percent of your income, you are robbing God and are “cursed with a curse,” according to Malachi 3:8-11. Please be obedient in your tithes and offerings and experience heaven’s windows being opened with blessing poured out until there is “not . . . room enough to receive it.” And God will “rebuke the devourer for your sakes.” How should churches help people be better money managers? Burns: Churches should provide . . . • individual/family financial counseling including budget setting, teaching what the Word of God says about money matters, and guidance to change as indicated • premarital financial counseling • group Bible studies to allow learning of biblical truths regarding financial management • mentoring/coaching programs to teach those with financial challenges, enabling long-term successful change. Hawkins: Churches can help people be better money managers in two key ways. First, preach and teach scriptural truths about money management, including tithing, giving, and keeping one’s word regarding financial obligations. Second, churches can refer their people to reputable Christian money-management programs for more detailed application of biblical principles. Fawver: Offer classes that teach biblical truths concerning finances, such as “Financial Peace University” (www.dave ramsey.com) or those offered by Crown Ministry (www.crown.org).
by nellie keasling
THE DOLLAR BILL THAT GREW
S
OON AFTER my husband was As the service ended, I began talking with released from the hospital after havsome friends, answering questions about my ing his first stroke, he was admitted husband and his progress. One individual came to the Veterans Hospital in Nashville, Tenup to me and shook my hand, leaving a bill in nessee. I was still living in Baton Rouge, trymy hand. I was so startled I didn’t have time to ing to sell our home so that we could move thank him as he quickly moved away. I put the to Tennessee. Finances were bill in my purse and continued very tight; in fact, I hardly had answering questions as I made I needed the any money at all. Everything I my way out of the church. dollar bill received went to pay bills. When I got to my car, I looked I found, yet One Sunday morning I pulled at the bill. It was a hundredI gave it as into the church parking lot, dollar bill! I could not believe an offering. got out of my car, and walked my eyes! My dollar offering had to the sidewalk. Along the grown into a hundred dollars— way, my eyes fell on a crumpled dollar bill what a miracle! Now I could buy the gasoline on the ground. I reached down and picked it and Kleenex and many other things I needed. up. Because I had arrived late, I was alone in I was very familiar with the words of Malachi the parking lot. 3:10: “Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord I thought, I could put a dollar’s worth of gas of hosts, if I will not open you the windows into my car . . . I could buy a box of Kleenex. of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that There were suddenly so many ways I could there shall not be room enough to receive think of to spend this one dollar. it.” God had just proven Himself faithful to me! This incident was also a witness to my However, my church upbringing suddenly children—if we are faithful to God, He will be came into play. I had always been taught faithful to us! to give an offering. I said to myself, I guess God let me find this dollar bill so I would have Nellie Keasling is editorial coordinator for the something to give in the offering today. So Church of God School of Ministry in Cleveland, that is what I did. Tennessee.
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by amie streater
how to spend less than you make know your numbers, cut expenses, and find contentment
o
H, THE ALLURE of “just a little more money.”
How often we think that if we made just a little bit more, everything would be OK. Debts would fall away, needs would be met without stress, and cartoon bluebirds would land on our shoulders and tweet away while we danced through the garden outside our paid-for house. But like the cartoon bluebirds, “just a little more money” is an illusion. The truth is, if we’re not managing well with what we have today, God knows we’re not going to be diligent enough to do better if He gives us more tomorrow. Jesus said, “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. If you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities” (Luke 16:10 NLT). How can you be faithful with what you have today? For starters, live within the boundaries God has given you. If you don’t know what those are, take a look at 16
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your paycheck. See that number? That’s your boundary for this pay period. Tithe the first 10 percent, save the second 10 percent, and live the best life you can on what’s left over. Easy as pie, right? Yeah, of course not. But here are three tips to help you get there. 1. Know your numbers. Quick: How much does it cost you to live each month? How much money do you need for housing, utilities, gasoline, debt obligations, child care, medical needs, and other necessities? If you don’t know that number off the top of your head, you should. Knowing how much you make and how much you need to get by are critical pieces of knowledge that will help you make better decisions. For example, if you know you make $2,100 a month and it costs you $2,000 a month just to meet your basic necessities, suddenly that after-work run to McDonalds becomes a lot less appealing.
Why? Because you know you only have $100 a month, or about $25 a week, in wiggle room for any unforeseen expenditure. Want to blow half a week’s wiggle room on a Big Mac combo? I didn’t think so. Knowing your numbers gives you builtin discipline. It’s like having a personal trainer in your wallet. 2. Whittle down your “needs.” Only a decade ago, a cell phone was still considered a bit of a luxury. Today, we all think we will wither and die without constant contact with the outside world, and those ego-stroking little chirps and buzzes that trickle out of the phone every time someone “likes” the most recent cat photo we posted on Facebook. Just about anything your grandparents survived without is something we can count as a luxury and not a need. By closely examining our bills and ferreting out the needs from the things that are really wants, we can start to streamline our budget and our monthly expense total.
Lowering your expenses means buying yourself some breathing room. It’s like getting a raise without an awkward conversation with the boss. Lowering expenses means buying yourself some breathing room. It’s like getting a raise without an awkward conversation with the boss. It’s more freedom. Here are some ideas for lowering your monthly bills: $ Switch to a cheaper cable provider or $
$
$
$ $
$
$
cheaper plan, or drop cable altogether. Call your mobile phone provider and ask for a lower bill. They may offer some great suggestions that will reduce your phone expenses, even while you are still under contract. Drop your home phone if you can live just with a mobile, or better yet, drop your cell phone. Move to a cheaper place, or ask your landlord for a break on the rent in exchange for doing some improvements to the property, such as painting or yard work. Refinance your mortgage, if you are a homeowner. Swap with friends rather than purchasing. Try exchanging clothing, swapping babysitting services, trading needed household items, and even do bulk cooking together. You will be shocked at how much you can save. Clip coupons. Just this week I had $192 in coupons when I went to the store. I bought more groceries, cleaning products, and household items with coupons than I did with money. That’s real savings! If you have kids, get them to help you clip in exchange for some of the savings back as pocket money. It’s worth it to give your 10-year-old $10 if she clips enough coupons to save you $100 at the store. Bundle your errands and plan them well. Instead of going to the grocery store one day, the dry cleaner the next, and the drug store the day after that, do it all in one afternoon so you’re wasting less gas, not to mention less time. If you stop and list all the little errands you ran in the past week, you’ll likely find you’re using up most of your gas on those little jaunts out of the house. Bunch them together and you’ll spend less at the gas pump.
$ Stay home. Even an afternoon run-
ning necessary errands usually stacks up extra expenses such as stopping for a snack or coffee, and buying those things you didn’t know you had to have until you stumbled upon them in the store. My husband and I joke that there’s a $100 fine from someone, somewhere every time I leave the house because it’s just about impossible to go anywhere or do anything without spending money. So stay home, clean the kitchen, catch up on the laundry, and watch a movie or read a book $ Watch what you watch and what you
read. Some TV shows and even entire networks are geared toward driving your discontentment and making you think you need things you don’t. HGTV always gives me great ideas of things I could buy for the house. Sports channels are loaded with commercials for fast food, fast cars, and shiny electronics. Even my family’s favorite show, Survivorman, recently had me jotting down a list of things I should buy to keep in the car in case we slid off a snowy mountain pass and ended up stranded. Yeah. 3. Practice contentment as a daily discipline. Contentment is fundamental to leading a productive, Christlike life. First Timothy 6:6 says, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.” Practicing contentment starts with simply expressing gratitude for what you have right now. It needs to be an automatic, daily thing, just like brushing your teeth. In fact, while brushing your teeth in the morning and at night is a great time to start practicing this important discipline. Thank God for your healthy body, or at least for what is healthy in your body right now. Thank Him for your home, your family, your job—all the things He has provided for you. Thank Him for listening to you and for hearing and answering your prayers.
By the time you are finished rinsing your toothbrush, your whole outlook on life will likely have changed. The more challenges you are facing, the more important gratitude is. It is a weapon against the schemes of the Enemy to steal your joy. Learning how to be content even when bad stuff is happening is the mark of a mature, healthy believer. The apostle Paul wrote, “I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:11-13 NKJV). Now we know that last phrase—“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” How profound to let those words wash over us in the context in which they were originally delivered: contentment. We need contentment. We need Christ. Even in the simplicity of biblical times, Paul relied on Christ in order to achieve contentment. How can we, with all the bells, whistles, and shiny things of our era, possibly achieve contentment without the help of Christ? We cannot. We need Him in order to be content and achieve balance in the world. We need Him in order to look at that number on the paycheck and say, “OK, I can do this.” We need Him for inspiration for ways to cut back and for the self-discipline to live leaner. When we get to the place where we realize we need Christ foremost, and we put Him first, everything else has a way of taking care of itself. Amie Streater is the author of Your Money God’s Way and the financial stewardship pastor at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She and her husband are rearing three little boys. When contentment falters, you can bet someone is heading for the bathroom to brush their teeth. EVANGEL • apr 2013
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by arthur d. rhodes
A
FTER A TUMULTUOUS decade in the investment markets, many ministers and church workers are asking themselves, “Will I ever be able to retire?” Generally, such questions hinge on the lack of return that investors have received, rather than on the failure to make sufficient contributions into their retirement accounts. Because of the booming markets in the 1990s, many investors assumed that small contributions and large returns on those contributions would provide a strong retirement account. But such has not been the case. Too many have forgotten the Proverbs 6:6-8 principle of the ant—storing up much when times are good so the excess can be used later. Instead, we have stored up only a little, hoping the investment markets would work miracles by turning our little into a lot. According to a study by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, a retiree will need 80 percent of his preretirement income to live comfortably in retirement. That 80 percent target is much easier to reach if the person starts early saving for retirement. According to their research, if a 25-year-old begins saving 9 percent of his income and maintains such throughout his work life, he will easily meet the target. If that same person waits until he is 35 years old to start saving for retirement, he will need to save at least 17 percent of his annual salary to meet the goal. And if he waits until he is 45, the annual saving rates jumps to an astronomical 34 percent per year. Simply put, if you don’t start saving early, it is going to be almost impossible to meet your target of living comfortably in retirement. Much debate is occurring over when we should expect people to retire. The Social Security “retirement age,” and whether it should be raised, remains a topic of great interest in Washington. The greater
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will i be able to retire? question, however, is not when you should retire but rather, can you afford to retire? Social Security benefits alone will not be enough and is only one leg of a three-legged retirement income stool. The other two legs are made up of your retirement account and your personal savings. If you fail to prepare for any of the three “legs,” you are going to have a shaky retirement at best.
To solve this problem, you must be wise like the Proverbs 6 ant. You must start early and consistently save to reach your goal. Consider the minister who, at the age of 35, begins to contribute $50 a month to his Ministers’ Retirement Plan account and continues doing so until he is 65. Assuming an overall return of 8 percent and with the power of compounding interest, he will
accumulate almost $71,000 by retirement. But if that same minister started contributing at age 25 (instead of 35) and contributed the same amount, he would have a nest egg of $162,000 at age 65. Note that this additional almost $100,000 is his with an investment of only an additional $6,000 ($50 per month for 10 years).
While you may not have 20 to 30 years to prepare for retirement, do not lose heart. Our God can take a little and turn it into a lot. Amazingly, a seven-square-block of fog cover 100 feet-deep consists of less than eight ounces of water. At even “the scent of water” (Job 14:9), God can cause things to grow.
So plan for retirement today. It will be here before you realize it. Arthur D. Rhodes is president and CEO of the Church of God Benefits Board, Inc. For more information on planning for retirement, including retirement and savings calculators, visit www.benefitboards.com.
what does my tithe dollar do? by daniel l. black
E
ARLY IN ITS HISTORY, the Church of God concluded that tithing is a scriptural practice for Christians, and Church of God ministers preached and taught that members should pay tithes into their local church. This historic position of the church regarding tithing is stated thus in the 2012 Minutes of the Church of God International General Assembly: “All members and ministers of the Church of God shall pay tithes into the church where they are members.”
Local Church 88 cents
According to Scripture, a tithe is onetenth of one’s income, given to support the ministries of the church in acknowledgment to God that all we have in this world, in fact, belongs to Him. While Christians are free (and encouraged) to give all they can and will to provide for Christian ministries, the tithe is the basic contribution that sustains the various ministries of the church.
amount of tithes paid into the local church exceeds all the needs of the local church, “surplus tithes are to be used for the benefit of the ministry as may be decided by the state overseer, pastor, and local church, and churches having surplus tithes are encouraged to sponsor a work in a new field within the state, or in some mission state or territory” (2012 Minutes).
In the local church, priority for use of tithes is to provide for the pastor and other paid church staff. After that, tithes may be used to attend to other financial needs of the local church. Finally, if the
Assuming you are a faithful tither, do you know what is done with the tithes paid into your local church? The financial structure of the Church of God is set up so the major portion of your tithe dollar remains in the local church, while a small percentage goes to maintaining vital ministries at the international and state/regional levels of administration, and the ministry of world missions.
Your tithe dollar State/Regional Ministries 6 cents International Ministries 41/4 cents World Missions Ministries 1 3/4 cents
When you pay tithes into your local church, you not only make it possible for your local church to function and minister as it should, but your tithe dollar also makes it possible for Christian ministry to flourish in your state or region and around the world. The chart accompanying this article shows the amount of each tithe dollar that stays in the local church, and the amounts that go elsewhere. Daniel L. Black, Th.D., is editor of adult Sunday school curriculum for Pathway Press.
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REVOLUTIONIZING YOUNG LIVES IN
Urban Atlanta by Lance Colkmire
V
INCE AND ALLISON Hungate’s ministry launch in Atlanta was underwhelming. After hauling and then unloading a noisy generator and a financed sound system from their Mazda 626, they were ready for their first Kids Explosion event in June 1995 . . . except there were no kids. “We had passed out fliers,” Vince recalled. “I buried my head in the grass and cried. I told God, ‘If You’ll give me one kid, I will give it my all like there is a thousand here.’ “I looked at Allison. There were gang members everywhere. I said, ‘I’m going down the road, and I’m not coming back until I find kids.’” Allison waited in the park with their three small children. Vince eventually found six kids and told them, “‘We are going to have Kids Explosion.’ I made it sound like the state fair was coming: ‘We’re going to have games, toys, candy. We’re going to hear about Jesus. Do you want to come?’ “They were getting ready to jump in my car. I said, ‘No, get your grandmother.’ I told her what we were doing and she said, ‘Yes, they can go.’ I told them where we were, eight blocks up. I said, ‘We’ll start when you get there.’ Fifteen minutes later, those six kids showed up. Another
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kid on a bike kept circling around.” By the second week, a church member told Vince, “Why don’t you just pack everything in my truck and we’ll go together every week?” By the end of 1995, Kids Explosion was in seven Atlanta communities, reaching 1,000 kids weekly. Three years later, they were in 13 communities serving 2,500 kids each week. Call to Urban Ministry Vince’s vision for ministry in Atlanta was ignited while he was student pastor at the Fort Mill Church of God near Charlotte. He attended a Mission America training conference at the Mount Paran North Church of God that included ministering on the streets in Atlanta. For the following 18 months, Hungate commuted
to Atlanta one weekend per month to serve with an outreach ministry in the Capital Homes Project. At first, Allison was reluctant to move to Atlanta. Vince said, “I received some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten. A former pastor said, ‘God is not in the breakingup-of-marriages business. When it is time, she will let you know.’ I was very content with that advice. I spent a year and a half preparing for that day we would move.” Meanwhile, David Van Kronkite— a local minister with whom Vince was serving—prophesied about Vince’s call to urban ministry. Six months later, Jackie Pullinger, missionary to Hong Kong, spoke a similar prophecy. Vince said, “We need the local church—it is the catalyst everything else comes from—but my calling was not to the local church. It was outside. During that year and a half, I learned where my calling was.” The Hungates moved to Atlanta in March 1995 and spent three months laying out a ministry plan. As Kids Explosion got started, the North Georgia Church of God evangelism director, Jerry Chitwood, called Vince to offer financial support. Vince did know that his wife’s grandfather, John D. Smith, had helped Chitwood get started in ministry. Kids Explosion continued from 1995 to the beginning of 2007. “We gave away 60,000 brand-new Christmas toys in the time we were doing sidewalk Sunday school,” Hungate said. “The average price per gift was $40. We never gave any kid anything I wouldn’t give to my own child.
“Then we decided instead of giving each child a gift, it would be better to open up a toy store in the community and let families shop for their kids for pennies on the dollar. When Christmas comes along, it would not be ‘the great white hope’ giving the gift—it would be the parent. Bob Lupton, the father of inner-city ministry here in Atlanta said, ‘We need to get away from giving handouts and restore dignity to people.’” Essential2Life With the dwindling population of inner-city children caused by the closure of many public-housing projects, the ministry’s focus shifted to Essential2Life (E2L) for youth, which began in 2004. Its mission is “to create life-change for urban youth through mentoring and educational/career opportunity programs.” Hungate said, “Our research showed 90 percent of all programming ceased to exist for kids in Atlanta once they got to sixth grade. For example, the Boys and Girls Club is for children fifth grade and under. Our research also showed education was on the rise. Most people don’t know this, but the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation used Atlanta as their urban educational renewal model.” E2L brought in about 100 youth who had been served through Kids Explosion and asked about their needs and wants. Hungate said, “Seventy-five percent of them said they lacked leadership and life skills. Forty-six percent said they wanted to be involved in visual arts. Not one kid said they wanted to be a professional athlete or a rap star—not one! “One girl said, ‘I’m on the debate team in my high school. We go into the suburbs to these debates. When we walk in, it’s like there are unwritten rules.’ She said, ‘It’s like everyone knows the rules but us. I don’t know what the rules are, but I’d like to learn.’” Vince was contacted by Joey Reiman— founder and CEO of Brighthouse and winner of hundreds of advertising and marketing awards. Reiman promised, “We are going to give you our chief operating officer and another staff person to walk along side of you for the next year,” and he did.
Fifteen “Fifteen” is E2L’s three-year leadership/life skill program for students in grades 10 through 12. Its goal is to develop emerging leaders within Atlanta public high schools who will positively influence their families, schools, communities, and the world. Students create a growth plan that acknowledges where they are currently in life and where they want to be. Mentors guide them through a process to help them realize their future goals. Ninety youth are in the program each year—30 at each grade level. “Our responsibility is not to tutor because that’s where our tax dollars go—why teachers are paid,” Hungate explained. “Our responsibility is to assist schools and teachers in areas that they don’t have the time to address. “When I was growing up, my dad [Rev. Earl Hungate, who passed away in Janu-
ary] would take me on hunting trips and ministry trips. Sometimes we’d just sit around the table and talk about life. These kids don’t have anyone to teach them about life. We started this program with that emphasis. It’s a relational evangelism model. “It is not our responsibility to scare someone into heaven. Our responsibility is to love people and to serve them the way that Christ would have, and to do it with dignity.” Hundreds of students are nominated for Fifteen each year, with an ensuing three-month interview process. “Our last interview process we had over 400 kids nominated,” Hungate said. “We ask for kids who have great potential but are not achieving at the level they need to be and that are at risk. “Sixty percent of the kids that come into our program are not even on schedule to graduate. That means they have
Darrius Snow “FIFTEEN challenged me to raise my GPA (from 2.8 to 3.5), and I became the first one in my family to finish high school. Vince himself and the program helped me to apply and prepare for college [since] no one in my family could help me. Today I serve as STUDENT GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT at Voorhees College, majoring in business administration. I will graduate on May 4, 2013.”
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either scored low on the state standardized testing or maybe they haven’t passed a class. “So far, we have a 100 percent success rate of students in Fifteen graduating from high school, and 89 percent of them go on to post-secondary education. Six percent have entered the military to achieve their GI bill so they can go to college [later]. . . . I’ll take a 95 percent success rate. “We just graduated our fourth class. We know if we can get them to college for just one year, we can break the cycle of poverty for families forever. The kids come into the program not thinking I’m stupid, but instead thinking, I’m special— I was nominated to be here. Fifteen meets on Saturdays at the state-of-the-art Goizueta School of Business at Emory University.
me in that class.” The principal intervened and began mentoring him. As a young teen, Darrius started a stomp group, The B-Team, in Bankhead Courts Housing Project to help keep kids out of gangs. All of Darrius’ siblings quit school. His sister gave birth to three children before Story of the One she turned 20, and his three brothers Darrius Snow was a 16-year-old tenthbecame gang members. His grandmother grader acceptance into Fifteen’s pilot proand uncle died of AIDS. His mother is a gram on recommendation of his school drug-addicted prostitute whom Darius counselor. goes to see every year around Christmas. He was born a crack baby, and his At 18, Darrius aged out of the fostermother was an addict. The first seven care system, and Vince and Allison months of his life, being rocked was the brought him into their home. Vince said, only thing that would calm him down. “When he is not in college, he stays with At age four, Darrius’ mother abanus. He’s just like our son. doned him and his three siblings. She “When Darrius came into our prolocked the door of their project apartgram, he had a 69 average in school. He ment, left, and never came back. Two ended up taking Advanced Placement days later, a neighbor called the siblings’ courses. He graduated with honors—the aunt, who took them under her wing. top 10 percent of his class. He became the When he was in the sixth grade, the student government president of Douglas school tried to place Darrius in a class High School. By his senior year, he was for the mentally challenged because of a the head of the ROTC.” learning disability. He began screaming in In 2009, Darrius was given one of the the office, “I am not retarded! Do not put inaugural TeenNick Halo Awards by the Nickelodeon TV network. At the awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., Lebron James presented him with $10,000 to go “We need the local church—it toward his foundation is the CATALYST everything else and $10,000 for his comes from—but my calling education. The network was not to the local church. had learned about him It was OUTSIDE.” through the Essential2Life website.
Vince Hungate
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Darrius has maintained a 3.4 GPA at Voorhees College in South Carolina. Christian Focus “The Chalmers Center [at Covenant College] introduced a concept to us called IDAs—Individual Deposit Accounts,” Hungate explained. “Banks work with us when kids come into the Fifteen program. Every dollar they put into a savings account for college is matched dollar for dollar up to a certain amount. “We are doing this because kids coming out of our program sometimes have a gap of some $1,500 to get started with fees, books, etcetera. The average family income of kids in our program is $15,000. We are trying to teach them diligence and saving. We are teaching them biblical principles without them knowing they are getting biblical principles.” Hungate added, “We share our faith openly once during a student’s three years in Fifteen. The summer before their junior year, we do a trip with the sophomore class to Clemson University. At that time, I share my Christian faith. The parents are notified beforehand. The trip is paid for by a Christian donor. “In each student’s junior year, he or she is assigned a Christian mentor. During the three-year process, 96 percent of our students give their hearts to the Lord. They ask us to lead them to Christ. It’s the model. When they graduate, we give them a Bible to take with them.” For more about Fifteen, visit E2Lonline .com. If you are interested in an urban ministry experience, go to MediciProject.org.
Those wishing to give in support of Marcelly’s Dream may contact World Missions by calling 1-800-345-7492, emailing
[email protected], or using the “Donate” button on this site. Brian Raff is a freelance writer who frequently works with Church of God World Missions.
by Brian Raff WHO IS MARCELLY? Marcelly is the 7-year-old adopted daughter of missionaries Max and Debbie Thompson. They were, until recently, administrators of an orphanage in Brazil. WHAT DREAM? While the Thompsons were seeking direction for a new place of ministry, they were awakened one night by Marcelly’s cries. They went to her, expecting she was having nightmares. Instead, her dream was anything but a nightmare. She had seen a vision of Jesus telling her she would preach the gospel to children in Africa. Later, the Thompsons received their new position—directors of the Phebe Grey Orphanage in Liberia, Africa. WHY DOES IT MATTER? Marcelly’s dream has inspired the entire World Missions staff, but especially Director Tim Hill. He has adopted Marcelly’s dream as his own, beginning with Church of God orphanages worldwide, many of which are in a state of disrepair due to civil unrest and corruption in local governance. Although the orphanages are the beginning, the goal of the “Marcelly’s Dream” project is to reach entire communities. Bishop Hill’s vision for this project is divided into four areas: the Word, water, walls, and wellness.
WORD “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions” (Ps. 107:20 NKJV). The primary goal of Marcelly’s Dream is to help spread the Word of God to every nation. Christians are commanded to preach the gospel to everyone, everywhere. As such, we will start by distributing Bibles to every child in every Church of God orphanage throughout the world. It is our eventual goal that, with donors’ help, these Bibles will be in each child’s own language. WATER “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground” (Isa. 44:3). It is a sad fact that one in 10 people in the world today lacks access to clean water. Unsanitary drinking water results in thousands of deaths every day, mostly children. The United Nations announced in 2010 that bad water was killing more people every year than were dying in all acts of violence combined—wars included. We intend to partner with those who are constructing new wells, provide access to water filtration and treatment, and ensure the communities we serve do not see their children dying for lack of water free of toxins and disease.
WALLS “There will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain” (Isa. 4:6 NKJV). Unfortunately, many of our facilities are becoming inadequate for the needs of their community. Buildings desperately require maintenance and expansion, and new orphanages are needed to make room for more children. While partnering with those who can help us maintain and upgrade our existing infrastructures, we will also be building new schools, seminaries, and churches, as well as assisting in the raising of houses for communities in need. WELLNESS “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved” (Jer. 17:14). It complements our ministry to a community’s souls when we also bind their wounds. With proper funding, we can improve the health and sanitation of the places God has sent us. According to UNICEF and WHO, a third of the world’s people lack proper sanitary methods and facilities, and even more lack access to the most basic health care. As part of this initiative, we will offer medical care to help reduce childhood mortality, spreading life and health along with Scripture and sermon.
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SÍ, MI SEÑOR Saying Yes to God’s Plan
Laundry time at Casa Hogar
by Brittany Ann Fairbanks
T
HE NOISES OF a tickle fight, music, and a game combine with laughter, chatter, and a movie from the room next door—this is a “soundtrack” of life with 60 children, Mexican orphanage style! I marvel that this has become my life. I am from Minnesota . . . I’ve only been alive for 22 years . . . and I made a D in high school Spanish! Four years ago, I had never even been on a plane, yet now I have a passport full of stamps and friends from all over. Anything is possible when you place your life in God’s hands. When I was a little girl, God sparked a deep compassion in me for orphans when my mom told me about the importance of cuddling babies. Now I realize I was probably curious, and possibly jealous, about why she held my baby sister more than she held me. She explained there were babies in the world who were dying because they did not have anyone to hold them. Milk and a bed weren’t enough— they needed to feel love through physical touch. I still remember my exact response: “But I can hold the babies.” A few years later, I saw the movie Annie—about a little girl living in an orphanage run by a nasty woman named Miss Hannigan—and that’s when I knew exactly what job I wanted: hers. Except
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I would be nice instead of nasty! By the time I was 11, I was answering the question “What do you want to do when you grow up?” with the dream of having an orphanage in Mexico. As I got older, I began to lose that innocent way of believing anything could be possible. I began to see reality not through God’s eyes but through my own. I remember being about 16, standing at the edge of a chilly Minnesota lake on a windy gray day, and thinking, I can’t have an orphanage in Mexico—I can’t even pass Spanish class. And an orphanage would cost so much money . . . money that I will never have. It’s not possible. On that day I let my dream die, not knowing God would one day bring it back to life. The next year, my mom and I had a falling out that shattered our relationship. In an attempt to fix things, she offered to pay for me to go on a mission trip she had read about online: a Church of God mission trip led by Tony Lane [tlane@ churchofgod.org] to an orphanage in Poza Rica, Mexico. I remember thinking God was giving me closure to the dream I had released. The trip took place in January 2009. I was 18 and had never been outside the U.S. I knew nothing about the Church of
God, I didn’t know anybody else on the trip, and I was carrying a lot of emotional baggage. The first time the mission team prayed together, I’m pretty sure my eyes were wide as saucers as everyone prayed aloud, passionately, at the same time. My mom had mentioned I would probably hear a lot of people speaking in tongues, but I had no idea how different a group of Pentecostals could be from my church, which appeared stoic in comparison. Despite all of our prayers, I was nervous going to Casa Hogar to meet the kids. I worried about the language barrier and worried that Cecilia, the little girl for whom I had bought a Christmas present, would not like the purple tennis shoes I had chosen. My heart was beating wildly as our group climbed the massive hill to reach the orphanage, where the kids were waiting to sing to us and give us flowers. Cecilia offered me a carnation, and then introduced me to her siblings. When we gave the Christmas party and “Ceci” opened her purple Pumas, a longforgotten Spanish phrase escaped from my mouth before I thought it through: “Te gusta?” (Do you like them?). She replied, “Si!” (Yes!). God shifted my perspective that week. I realized those kids were more important than the grudges, the anger, and the pain I had been holding onto. I realized life was not about me, but about God. In Mexico, God began to heal my relationship with my mom. When I got back home, I framed pictures of the kids and placed them all over my apartment. I immediately started saving money to go back to Poza Rica. I was undeniably different. I was working as a waitress and sharing an apartment with a friend in my city. When I told her I hoped to do some sort of mission work the next year, her reply was, “Like YWAM?” I slowly said, “Yeah—I think so.” I had heard about YWAM (Youth With a Mission) once before and had not forgotten it . . . and realized God was now speaking to me through my friend. This was the beginning of recognizing God’s voice, which was vital, because in order for
me to obey Him I had to know what He was asking of me. I applied to YWAM’s five-month Discipleship Training School in Pachuca, Mexico—only a four-hour bus ride away from the Poza Rica orphanage. When I received my acceptance letter from YWAM saying they would be expecting me in July, I cried as I realized I would be living in Mexico! In June 2009, I went back to Poza Rica on a mission trip for the second time, where I befriended more kids and fell even more in love with Casa Hogar. One month later, I was in Pachuca with 12 other students. We spent every day, all day, together, learning to know God and make Him known. On a ministry trip, I was asked to testify. As I spoke to that congregation, God began to speak to me. He showed me that Mexico was His dream for me . . . and if I still wanted it, all I had to do was say so. Honestly, I was terrified to know that, and it was months later when I finally told God I really did want what He wanted for my life. He was listening, because soon I recognized Him interfering with my plan to get a university degree in social work. It was a noble desire, but in my spirit I could sense Him saying, No, Brittany Ann, I have something else for you . . . and the only place I felt confident going was Mexico.
Leading exercises at Formando Vidas in Colombia
I bought a one-way ticket to study Spanish for a month in Monterrey. Not knowing where I would go next, I didn’t raise any support money, and there weren’t many people in favor of what I was doing anyway. It made no sense, but I’ve learned since that God sometimes asks us to do things that don’t seem sensible. He can see beyond what we can see. After the month in Monterrey, I spent six more weeks as a volunteer at Casa Hogar in Poza Rica. I lived in the girls’ dorm, where my job was to help the little girls get ready for school in the morning, work in the kitchen during the day, and hang out with the kids in the evenings. Every day was joyful. I felt drawn to attend YWAM’s Children at Risk School in Tijuana. It was expensive, but I felt such a need to attend that I decided spending all of my savings would be worth it. While there, I learned to recognize God’s voice more clearly. As I awoke early every morning to spend time in His presence, I learned to worship Him without worrying what others were thinking. While in Tijuana, the Lord led me to attend YWAM’s Biblical Counseling School in Chile. Although I had no money to
go to Chile, I knew I would be there six months later. Before the counseling school began, I returned to Poza Rica. The leaders of Casa Hogar asked me to take care of the little girls in a room they had recently remodeled. The girls had not been sleeping in the new room because no one was available to supervise them there. I was so excited! There were 10 little girls, and they were wild! In my five-month stay, the number of girls shrank from 10 to three, and I learned the reality of working in an orphanage. It is beautiful, rewarding, fun, joyful, and lively, but it is also difficult, exhausting, heavy, exasperating, monotonous, and depressing. It was worth every minute of it, but it was much more complex than I had previously understood. Leaving those little girls who called me “Mami” was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Even though I barely had any money, and plane tickets to Chile were expensive, I kept declaring what I knew to be true: “I’m going to Chile in September!” Two weeks before the school started, someone gave me a thousand dollars—enough to buy a plane ticket to Chile and start to pay for my school. Within weeks, I had received enough other donations to finish paying for the school. That was the beginning of living completely dependent on God’s provision through the generosity of others, which is a very humbling way to live. While I was in Chile, God led me to another country, Colombia, to teach and counsel in churches and to work with street kids. So, I am now living in Colombia, working with street kids in a ministry called Formando Vidas (“Shaping Lives”). However, I am writing this article from Casa Hogar in Mexico, because this is where I chose to spend Christmas 2012. I love these kids so much, and again I have this feeling of not wanting to leave them; but I have learned it is more important to me to obey the Lord than to do what I want. These days, my only plan is to obey God . . . and I believe He will one day lead me to fulfill the dream He planted in my heart when I was a little girl.
Living COMPLETELY DEPENDENT on God’s provision through the generosity of others is a very HUMBLING way to live.
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VIEWPOINTS
What Scripture passage or Bible character is especially meaningful to you in your current walk with the Lord, and why? nehemiah, a tremendous leader Daniel J. Vassell Sr., D.Min., is regional overseer of the Church of God in Ontario, Canada.
ALL OF US who are called into ministry must face the reality that we are leaders. This reality may be difficult for some ministers to accept, for others it is natural. How well we lead will determine our ministry outcome. We may fo follow the path of choose to analyze many who ch whether leaders are born made, and miss or m our opportunities ou . . . or we can apply ourselves to the situation before us and trust the Holy Spirit to lead us. I have always cchosen to step up to the plate, learning to t depend on the Spirit’s empowerHoly Sp wisdom, and leaderment, wisdom ship One of my favorite hi and d relying l i on biblical bibli l leadership l d hi models. dl O models is the prophet Nehemiah. Nehemiah had a burden for his native land. Through the miraculous hand of God, he received authority and resources from the king of Persia to return to Jerusalem to carry out the desire of his heart—rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. In their book The Leadership Challenge, James Louzes and Barry Posner outlined five fundamental practices they recommend should be utilized in our leadership journey to garner ministry success. These practices were evident in the leadership ministry of Nehemiah when he “(1) challenged the process, (2) inspired a shared vision, (3) enabled others to act, (4) modeled the way, and (5) encouraged the hearts of the people.” By engaging these principles, God gave Nehemiah the victory and he was able to rebuild the walls in 52 days amid various challenges. As a leader, I have always tried to face the challenges like Nehemiah; but I must confess, it has not always been easy.
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However, when I stay true to the process, the teams I have worked with experienced success. Nehemiah was the appointed leader. However, rather than working from his appointment, he chose to earn the right to lead the people of Jerusalem to challenge the process, the status quo. Once they were convinced they could make a difference to solve their problem, the other leaders and the people embraced the process, and the wall was built. No city, movement, or ministry can be built by one person, so I realize God did not call me to do ministry alone, but to be a leader in the process of getting the ministry done. It is always my joy to be part of the team to serve.
trusting the lord’s promise— psalm 37:5 Teresa Holder is director of women’s discipleship for the Church of God in Alaska.
“COMMIT THY WAY unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass” (Ps. 37:5). That word trust has become more real to me in the last few months than ever before. My husband, Stan, and I both had great jobs. Our kids were settled in good jobs and attendingg college. g Our oldest son’s wife was about to begin n her last semester of collegee and was expecting our first grandchild. Life was as perfect! Or, at least in my eyes it was. Little did we know that we were about to begin a spiritual and emotional roller coaster that would last for months. We had faced tough times throughout our ministry, but nothing of this magnitude. The world as I knew it hit rock-bottom. Stan was now going to be relocated, which meant
we would be separated from our children for the first time in our ministry. We would also have to leave our eight-month-old grandson, who had become the center of our world. I was going to be forced to leave my job and we would have to sell our home. The economy took another hit on our own family with our oldest son losing his job. I attempted to keep a smile on my face and keep the faith, but there were days when my fear was stronger than my faith. I began to question God. I was letting my fear bring Satan on the scene instead of allowing my faith to keep God on the scene. I was so deep in my own pity that I lost all sight of how to fight this fear that was consuming every day of my life. Fear will allow negative thoughts to control positive thoughts. In other words, fear will even control how we pray. My prayers became self-pity and sympathy for my current situation instead of me continuing to be thankful for where God had brought me. I heard a minister say that sometimes God has to move us out of our complacency. Those were words I did not want to hear. However, I knew I had become too comfortable. I did not want God to “mess things up.” Isn’t it ironic how quickly we want to blame God when we are in the difficult times? Praise God that He did not forget about the Holder family! Two weeks before Christmas, our oldest son accepted a job into full-time youth ministry. The next week, our house sold. We are privileged to be working in the state which is the best-kept secret in the Church of God—Alaska. Our passion in life should be to trust Him every day in all things and never let fear dictate how we perceive our situation. God is truly an on-time God. I’m reminded of the words in a favorite old hymn, “ ’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus.” The song tells me (1) it is sweet when we trust Him; (2) we can prove His trust over and over again; and (3) when we trust Him, He will be with us till the very end.
enoch’s example Philip Morris is lead pastor of the Parkway Church of God in Sevierville, Tennessee.
ALTHOUGH I ONLY catch brief glimpses in the Scriptures of the Bible character named Enoch, his example has spoken loudly to me in recent days. Three strands of his life converge into a
powerful message regarding (1) walking with God, (2) pleasing God, and (3) believing God, as seen in Genesis 5:18-24 and Hebrews 11:511:5-6. After Adam sinned, only ttwo people bef before the Flood “w “walked with God.” God took one (Enoch), but left the other to save and replenish all the creatures o of earth (Noah). W Why was Enoch take taken? Hebrew 11:5 says he Hebrews “pleased Go God.” How did E h so please l G d that h h Enoch God he did not h have to experience death? Evidently, it had a lot to do with his life of faith—believing God: By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him (vv. 5-6 NIV).
Enoch’s example helps me understand what it is like to truly lead a life of faith. First, the more I walk with the invisible God through worship, prayer, and listening to His Word (Rom. 10:8-17), the more I believe He exists. Second, the more I listen to His Word and to the voice of His Spirit, the more I learn what pleases Him. Third, the more I “walk out” His Word in obedience, the more He rewards me, and the more my belief in Him grows. It’s a “snowball effect” of spiritual growth: walking with God, pleasing God, believing God . . . walking with God, pleasing God, believing God. Evidently, Enoch got it right. By God’s grace, I can too.
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PEOPLE AND EVENTS
a month prior and had scars on his head. Yet he sat down and entertained those ministering to him by singing “They Will Know We Are Christians by Our Love.” Those who minister on the first Saturday of the month will
tell you it is a fulfilling ministry. They see the hurt, the pain, and the tears. They cry and they laugh with those they meet. Meeting people like Tony, Michael, and the many others who cross their path is a blessing.
James and Linda Dill
SERVING SHEPHERDS Pastor Riddle and Rick Quinlan
PIZZA, POP, AND PRAYER OMAHA, Neb.—An outreach to the homeless begun by the South Omaha Church of God on the last day of 2011 is continuing every month. On that first Saturday, a small table was set up on a street corner with 10 pizzas, a few cases of soda, and water. A handful of workers came together, and “Pizza, Pop, and Prayer” was born. People come to the table without hesitation. They are delighted to receive the pizza and drinks. When asked if they need prayer, some say no. Others express their prayer needs. There have been prayers for healing, jobs, finances, and protection from the elements. Whatever the need, a prayer is said. The outreach also offers “blessing bags” containing various essentials. Warm socks, coats,
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jackets, gloves, and scarves are given to those in need as the weather turns cold. A man named Tony is a regular visitor, eating as much pizza as he can. A quick look at his well-worn shoes showed he was familiar with life on the streets—the toes of the shoes were bound together with shoestrings. Church workers bought him a new pair of shoes. Not only are the people on the streets ministered to, but they in turn minister to those serving them. A man named Terry was sitting on concrete steps, washing his socks. When asked how he was doing, Terry replied, “Life is good!” He had no complaint. He was content even though he was washing his socks in a public fountain. Another man, Michael, came to the table. He had been beaten
TYLER, Texas—James E. Dill, who has been a Church of God minister for over 50 years, is now serving pastors and their families by leading “Shepherd’s Heart Ministry.” He explains, “Often these servants struggle with difficult personal, family, and professional issues. Consequently, we have been reaching out to them with the encouraging message that ‘in every season of life, God has a plan.’ “Our primary objective is to provide free services of mentoring and encouragement through one-on-one interaction or special classes that are geared toward the special challenges that minis-
try brings.” Workshops focus on issues such as burnout, depression, forgiveness, guidelines for church growth, casting vision, and dealing with grief. Bishop Dill is one of several pastors, professors, and counselors who lead these sessions. Shepherd’s Heart is an interdenominational ministry collaborating with LeTourneau University in Longview to “encourage and help pastors, because we feel if pastors are healthy and fulfilling their Godgiven potential, they will be better equipped to lead their congregations,” said Tim Watson, a presidential assistant at LeTourneau. For more information, go to www.theshepherdsheart.org.
Pastor Appreciation Download “Living the Word With Our Pastor” free. Go to www.pathwaybookstore and insert 2013 Pastor Appreciation Program Guide in the search window.
For daily news updates about what’s happening in the Church of God and Evangelical world, visit FAITH NEWS NETWORK, at www.faithnews.cc.
MANIFESTO ON SPIRITEMPOWERED DISCIPLESHIP DALLAS, Texas—Pentecostal and Charismatic leaders and scholars convened recently to discuss the “Manifesto on Spirit-Empowered Discipleship”—a declaration by the Commission on Discipleship, which was constituted by the Empowered21 USA cabinet. Empowered21 is an interdenominational body seeking to “help shape the future of the global Spirit-empowered movement throughout the world by focusing on crucial issues facing the movement and connecting generations for intergenerational blessing and impartation.” Dr. Jackie Johns, commission cochair and professor at Pentecostal Theological Seminary, said, “We recruited [commission] members from the various branches of classical Pentecostalism within America as well as Charismatic groups. We also sought for gender and ethnic diversity, diversity in ministry callings (academics, pastors, and youth leaders), and diversity in age representation. The commission decided it had two foundational tasks—hammer out a definition of Spirit-empowered discipleship and issue a call to Spirit-empowered believers to reclaim those core practices of our faith.” “Christianity faces what has been called ‘the cultural subversion of the biblical faith,’” said Dr. Cheryl Bridges Johns, commission cochair and professor at Pentecostal Theological Seminary. “We, therefore, are calling upon Spirit-empowered believers to take seriously the command to make disciples.” The manifesto states: Spirit-empowered discipleship is a dynamic process of union with Christ, transformation into His image, and participation in His
mission to restore all creation (Missio Dei), actualized and evidenced by the presence and work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, in the fellowship of the church, and in the experience of Scripture. We who sign this declaration do so as members of one of Christianity’s fastest-growing movements: the Pentecostal/ Charismatic tradition. We speak for ourselves and do not serve as representatives of our denominations, schools, or organizations. However, we speak out of our rich and multifaceted tradition and desire to express what we see to be the heartfelt cries of a worldwide movement that is facing both challenges and opportunities for witness in the 21st century. The purpose of this declaration is to address the urgent need for authentic Spirit-empowered discipleship in the 21st century. We believe discipleship is the central challenge for our movement as we traverse the uncertainties of our time.
The manifesto can be read in its entirety at www.empowered21 .com. The next E21 USA meeting will be April 12 and 13. Eleven Empowered21 global leadership teams have formed to pursue initiatives and events in their region of the world, all operating under the same global vision: “That every person on earth would have an authentic encounter with Jesus Christ through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit . . . by Pentecost 2033.” The discipleship’s commission members are Antoinette Griffin Alvarado, Linda Campbell, H. E. Cardin, Daniel Davis, David Ferguson, Sandy Friesen, Scott Gillum, Pamela Hutchinson, Jonathan Martin, Martin Mittelstadt, and David Moore.
DECEASED MINISTERS ■ BAXTER, Kenneth; 60; exhorter; Pennsylvania; Charlene Baxter (wife) ■ BENOIT, Marie Paulette; 86; exhorter; New York; Cynthia Benoit (daughter) ■ CARROLL, Toxie Ladale, Jr.; 63; exhorter; Georgia; Annette Carroll (wife) ■ DAVIS, Abraham Jackson; 90; ordained bishop; California; Maude Davis (wife) ■ DAWKINS, Lena Deloris; 71; ordained minister; New Jersey; Sheryl Russell (sister) ■ DIXON, Lewis Edward; 84; ordained minister; Mississippi; Ethel Fairley (daughter) ■ FELDMAN, Nelson E.; 54; exhorter; South Carolina; Mrs. Nelson Feldman (wife) ■ FIGUEROA, José Rivera; 98; ordained bishop; Florida; Carmen E. Rivera (daughter) ■ GALIS, George W.; 75; ordained bishop; Illinois; Rodica Cuc (daughter) ■ HAYES, Jack Alonzo; 76; ordained bishop; South Carolina; Dot Hayes (wife) ■ HENSLEY, James R.; 97; ordained bishop; Tennessee; Polly Gillium (daughter) ■ HOWARD, Leslie Cecil; 94; ordained minister; Tennessee; Teresa Johnson (daughter) ■ JACKS, John Vernon; 65; ordained bishop; Alabama; Pat Jacks (wife) ■ JOSEPH, Kendl N.; 76; ordained bishop; New York; Jacqueline Joseph (wife) ■ KELLY-WRIGHT, Ethelred; 95; ordained bishop; Canada; Camille Mickweir (god-daughter)
■ McDONALD, Henry L.; 85; exhorter; Florida; Mildred McDonald (wife) ■ McMAHAN, Dessie Mae; 91; ordained minister; North Carolina; Jerry McMahan (son) ■ MATHEN, Jones K.; 62; ordained bishop; New York; Algyamma Mathen (wife) ■ MOORE, Rosemary; 84; exhorter; Florida; (contact not listed) ■ PORTER, Fred; 85; exhorter; Ohio; Ethel Porter (wife) ■ RATLIFF, William Michael; 65; ordained minister; Ohio; Ilona Ratliff (wife) ■ SMITH, Griel Dempsie; 75; ordained bishop; Alabama; Jacqueline Smith (wife) ■ STARN, Arlie Clarence; 96; ordained bishop; California; Paul Starn (son) ■ STOKES, Irene D.; 77; exhorter; Alaska; Celesta Cooklin (daughter) ■ STRICKLAND, Franklin, II; 32; exhorter; North Carolina; Tracy Strickland (wife) ■ TOMLIN, Rayburn Hicks; 91; ordained minister; Texas; Wilma Tomlin (wife) ■ VELAZQUEZ, Franklyn; 57; ordained bishop; Nevada; (contact not listed) ■ WALKER, William Dexter; 86; ordained bishop; Tennessee; Louise Walker (wife) ■ WHITSON, Arnold Ross; 75; ordained bishop; Tennessee; Wanda Whitson (wife) ■ WORLEY, Leon; 84; ordained bishop; North Carolina; Lois Worley (wife)
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CHURCH OF GOD CHRONICLES by wanda thompson leroy
emma dearstine:
led by the spirit
E
MMA DEARSTINE was unique among missionaries. Standing 4 feet 9 inches tall, her determination to obey God and preach His Word surprised those she met. Her mannerisms and dress elicited contrasting reactions. To many, she was an anomaly who invited ridicule. Others, however, recognized her commitment to God with some remarking, “She was not of this world.” Dearstine may have remained anonymous except for the fact that she caught the attention of Wade H. Horton, a denominational leader who became her advocate. Horton first encountered Dearstine while visiting Santiago, Chile. He wrote, “I noticed her during several services and asked the missionary about her. She was dressed completely different from everybody else. She had on an old hat that seemed to be from the long ago and her dress was down almost to her ankles. The sleeves were down to her wrists and the neckline of the dress was completely up to her neck. . . . I asked the missionary in a sarcastic manner what could she possibly do for Christ, especially in a foreign country.” Horton felt chastened when he learned the people of Chile loved and respected the eccentric little woman. According to the missionary, Dearstine was worth more than several missionaries because the people believed she was a Christian. Dearstine had no financial support for her ministry but paid for her missionary endeavors by doing odd jobs whenever
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she was back home in the United States. She spent many hours in prayer, waiting for God to give her an assigned destination. On one occasion, the words “St. Johns” kept coming to her mind. She had never heard of the place, so she went to a library and learned St. Johns is an island in the British West Indies. Without hesitation, she asked T. R. Morse, superintendent of the Church of God in the West Indies, for assistance in arranging a flight to St. Johns. When Morse visited her later, she was living in a small rented room and holding services in a rented building.
Many details of Emma’s life are lost to time. She was born in Ohio on September 24, 1891, and in 1921 married Roy E. Dearstine, a professional baseball player. Around 1933 she became a Christian, which dramatically changed her life and resulted in her husband divorcing her, alleging that her spiritual convictions had deprived him of her association. She prayed a lot and engaged in extended fasts, he added. As a single woman, Dearstine gave herself completely to taking the gospel message wherever God sent her. In 1947, Emma was licensed as an exhorter with the Church of God. Her other Emma Dearstine at the train station in missionary endeavors includStuttgart, Germany ed the countries of Mexico, Cuba, Indonesia, Guyana, Germany, and Russia. In her travels, Dearstine preached 6,629 sermons. When asked about the effectiveness of her ministry, she replied, “Just one soul will be worth the effort.” Dearstine died on May 31, 1970, and was buried in Duncan Falls, Ohio. In June 2012 the Church of God World Missions Department contributed funds to place a granite marker on her grave. The epitaph reads: “She was led by the Spirit.” Wanda Thompson LeRoy is a missionary writer and researcher. Her book No Ordinary Life: Jennie Brinson Rushin McNair (Church of God World Missions) won the 2012 Charles W. Conn Historical Writing.
