I love working with kids. I have been doing it ever since I aged over the threshold of being a kid myself. In the past, however, I’ve always thought of children’s church and Vacation Bible School as lots of fun but not super important. That’s why they let the volunteers and teenagers work it, right? Somewhere in my church life, I got the idea that children’s ministry is on the back burner, and all the focus should be on adults and youth.

I have been terribly wrong.

Since I have been in Colorado, I have spent a lot of time at children’s church, sports camps and block parties. While entertaining games and activities are important, it is the people called to children’s ministry who are vital in sharing God’s word with these kids. I know the words “called to” are intimidating, but that’s actually how it is. Whether it is your full-time job or you volunteer once a month, God has called you to play a significant role in influencing his children to follow him.

One thing I have learned this year is how important it is that kids see familiar faces and have a routine ministry experience, just like the adults.

“Wait, are you teaching this week? Yay! Miss Gracie is teaching this week!” Those words made me so happy multiple times this summer. Children want to see you today, and they want to see you again next time.

Sunday school is probably the most chaotic time of the week. Kids are not using their inside voices, we can’t find the glue, and someone needs to go potty. It’s easy to get lost in the busyness, but those few minutes of learning about God’s word and praying together go a long way. I like asking kids after church what they learned about, and I’ve found that they actually listen.

Most of the time, we get told exactly what to do in children’s ministry—read this story, sing this song, etc. But as a leader, you still have the responsibility to let the Holy Spirit guide that time. One of my favorite moments this summer was when the Sunday school teacher decided to do an interactive gospel presentation before doing whatever the curriculum guided us to do. Do you think the kids remember the video that they usually see, or the new fun activity? The classroom was absolutely chaotic, but they definitely learned something new about Jesus and his saving grace.

Through talking with our supervisors and pastors, my partner and I have learned about the church and the demographics of the population here. They told us families with young children are the most likely to reconnect with the church. This means the kids get to come, but their parents who have disconnected are coming back, too.

At some time or another, parents are faced with questions they do not know how to answer. This curiosity—along with their child’s need to share experiences with their parents—has led many families back to church. If we make children’s ministry as crucial to the church as it is to the kids, we extend that importance to the rest of the family as well.

I think that puts it into perspective. Children’s ministry is an integral part of the church as well as the gateway to family ministry.

Gracie Humphrey, a student at the University of Texas in Austin, is serving this summer in Loveland, Colo., with Go Now Missions.

Being surrounded by thousands of college students, I thought I was going to spend 100 percent of my time with them when I arrived in Eastern Europe. The pamphlet describing the position always talked about grabbing coffee with college students and investing time building relationships through sports and entertainment around the city. While this is the main focus of this trip, God continues to demonstrate just how powerful he is and how his love tears through spiritual barriers.

One of the ways we serve and share is through English classes offered every Tuesday and Thursday. The people who attend? Far from college students. Most who attend the English class are over the age of 40 and have pretty much settled down their lives while having years rooted in their Orthodox religion.

During one of the first weeks we got here, we held an English Intensive week, which means offering English class Monday through Thursday. During these four days a certain older gentleman was put into my group. Before this, he had had a bad reputation in groups and actually was asked to leave, but for some reason, he attended these four days of English Intensive. Once that week was over, he wanted to continue with the classes that we held twice a week and for some reason, God put him in my group again.

Once I thought about the fact that God was doing this on purpose, I tried to discern the best course of action to continue sharing the gospel with him effectively. During the English Intensive week, we would read Bible stories and talk about them, but it was difficult to get personal because there were so many people. Fortunately, this wasn’t the case after the English Intensive week ended.

In the first lesson, we focused on Genesis 1-2. He and I talked about different moral concepts, but for the most part he was closed off to talking about anything relating to spirituality. The second lesson focused on the fall of humanity, based on Genesis 3.We talked again about moral concepts and understanding of sin.

As we continued to talk and complete different lessons, his heart slowly started to open up. Around the sixth lesson, I felt the Spirit put it in my heart to ask him a question about Jesus. I really didn’t know what to say. So, when it was time for English class, I began by asking him: “What do you think about Jesus? Who is he to you?”

We proceeded to talk about Jesus for the next hour and a half, and it was something he wanted in his life. God has been hard at work in him previously and was pursuing him relentlessly.

Since then, he has gotten plugged into the local home church and is growing in his faith. Please pray for his spiritual growth.

Manuel, a student at the University of Texas at El Paso, is serving in Eastern Europe with Go Now Missions. His last name is withheld due to security concerns.

Who am I? What is my purpose? Where do I come from? When will I feel satisfied? How can I know truth? These were the kind of questions I asked myself the year before my first year of college, not knowing that all these questions were about to be answered by someone greater than I—one whose existence I dedicated myself to disproof.

Now, I know who I am and who he is—the purpose of my being since the beginning of it all. My satisfaction is fed by the Truth. That is my story.

On my first week here in Central Asia, I met a good friend. Since then, we have done fun things together. We walked around town, visited coffee houses, shared meals and watched the World Cup, always sharing deep conversations and lots of laughter.

The time when I shared my story, he sat there staring in my eyes as I stared back. I could feel we both were thinking the same thing about each other, “He knows my story.”

My friend told me about a dream, in which he saw a man carrying wood on his back. Before I could tell him about the man, he told me that it was Jesus, who was telling him about the way he should follow. I had a big smile on my face followed by some chuckles. I had never heard about something like this from a person I knew. That night concluded with him telling me he knew what had to be done, but he wasn’t ready and did not know when he would be ready.

A couple of weeks later, we were hanging out for his birthday—just the two of us watching a football match. That night, he shared with me that he had been thinking about being reborn. I asked if he knew what that meant and then got to explain it in the following way: “If a football team wins the World Cup, they get to celebrate and lift up that cup at the ceremony. However, the match must first be won before they get to proclaim the victory in view of the whole world.”

I proceeded to share about the victory Christ won that ended the match already. Before I could finish, I saw a man breaking down at the sound of the news, saying the time for him to pick up that victory given to him was now.

My story seems to have been translated to a different language in order to speak answers to my friend. Both our stories speak of one who is greater than us, who holds the answers to our deepest questions and desires.

Franky, a graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso is serving in Central Asia with Go Now Missions. Franky’s last name is withheld due to security concerns.

This week marked my son’s last summer of children’s camp. Next year, he begins the glorious (cough) teenage years. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

When I was his age, I was finishing my summers of Royal Ambassador camps in the mountains of New Mexico—Inlow on the east slope of the Manzanos south of Albuquerque and Sivells in the Sierra Blanca south of Cloudcroft.

For an elementary-age boy, few things compare to shooting .22 rifles and bows and arrows, making crafts from leather and stone, enjoying overnight hikes and cooking your own dinner under the stars. Equally magical were the tents we slept in all week at Sivells. Sadly, those tents were lost to a forest fire threatening the entire camp.

Less romantic was KP duty and the blisters from the army surplus canteen strung around my waist for a day hike.

What follows are some highlights from the Next Level Kids Camp 2018 at Latham Springs.

Day 1:

We weren’t at camp long before the incessant refrain began: “Can we go play Gaga Ball?” For those unfamiliar with the sport, I invite you to Google it or look for a YouTube video because it takes too long to explain. For now, it’s enough to know Gaga Ball is highly addictive.

Dinner consisted of fajitas with all the trimmings, including pico de gallo and guacamole. I ate as though I’d fasted the week prior to camp.

Each camp features a memory verse of the week, or MVOTW (pronounced Muh-Vawt-Wuh). Our verse was Isaiah 60:1, memorized with the help of motions: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.”

Lights out was 10:30 p.m. Don’t let that fool you. Two of the boys kept their “lights” on all night, talking and giggling despite my protestations.

Day 2:

Breakfast was barely over before the kids asked, “Can we go play Gaga Ball?” Morning worship was barely over before the kids asked, “Can we go play Gaga Ball?”

Camp pastor Jesse Joyner, juggler extraordinaire, taught the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead and explained the concept of resurrection. Jesse’s an incredible teacher and performer I recommend to anyone.

He is the son of a pastor, and he wasn’t particularly happy about it. While he kept his public persona clean, his inner life was angry and rebellious. Jesse also was a small kid and not part of the “cool kids.” He was bullied and pushed around and then found juggling, something he was good at and enjoyed.

Jesse came to trust Jesus at a church camp when he was 13, putting his faith in Jesus, expressing his sorrow for his sin and thanking Jesus for forgiveness. Afterward, Jesse said he felt free.

Lunch was barely swallowed before the kids asked, “Can we go play Gaga Ball?” I kid you not.

The afternoon consisted of team building games, encouraging a homesick child, and a swim and paddle at the lake.

During worship on the evening of Day 2, three children from our church chose to follow Jesus. One of those children is part of a family I’ve cared for more than eight years. There’s nothing like being with a family through so many life-changing decisions.

Day 3:

One of the adults from our church was named Sponsor of the Day for going above and beyond in serving his kids. His reward? A bright yellow cape, fuzzy antennae and plastic clapping hands to wear all day.

We learned the story of Daniel and the lion’s den from Daniel 6, playing a version of rock/paper/scissors substituting in lion/administrator/Daniel.

The heat, the oppressive summer heat of Texas, is as ubiquitous as games of Gaga Ball. And how good to be forced to stop and hydrate throughout the afternoon!

Paul Bowman, co-director of Next Level Kids Camp and children’s and recreation pastor at First Baptist Church in Maypearl, reported six leadership staff, two interns and 14 recreation staff members, all 22 of whom are volunteers and members of local Baptist churches. Three hundred and forty campers from 19 churches attended the camp.

One of the rec staff members was born without ligaments in his feet, making it difficult to walk. He recently had surgery to correct one foot and was still recovering before camp started. Despite the pain, he was determined to be at camp for the kids, saying: “ I will be there. The kids won’t know I’m in pain.” He kept his promise; he gave not the slightest hint of his pain.

Frankie Levings, food service director for Latham Springs, reported making fresh on sight more than 500 churros for dinner on Day 3. After running out, she had to make another batch. They were worth the wait.

Day 4:

The children are also memorizing John 11:25-26, Daniel 6:26b and Acts 4:12. They amaze us with their ability and desire to learn.

You have to scrutinize statistics to discern the truth, but not here. The following statistics are completely made up.

Julie Swift, girls’ dean for the camp and member of First Baptist Church in Grandview, said 75 romantic relationships started this week among 5th and 6th grade boys and girls. That’s 150 children, folks. Ron Russek, boys’ dean and member of Nolan River Road in Cleburne, said 12 such relationships started.

It’s noteworthy the boys’ dean reported far fewer relationships than the girls’ dean. It should also be noted I spoke with Julie and Ron independently and asked them to make up the statistic. Parents, I only saw one relationship begin, starting with smiles and sheepish eyes.

The Sponsor of the Day today is Kirk Howard, a member of New Life Baptist Church in Covington, who has brought children to camp for many years. Kirk, an unassuming and gentle person, was nominated this year by one of the boys in his group. The boy has severe juvenile diabetes requiring 24-hour monitoring. The boy thanked Kirk for his willingness to care for him, waking even through the wee hours of the morning, so the boy could attend camp.

On our way to lunch, we were asked by at least three kids, “Can we go play Gaga Ball?”

As of the evening of Day 4, 36 children have decided to follow Jesus, six have rededicated their lives to Jesus, and others have made other decisions about their relationship with God. Who knows what Day 5 will bring? That’s a rhetorical question.

These stories can be repeated many times over at the other Texas Baptist camps this summer. In addition to the stories of God’s work in children’s lives, I’m particularly struck by the stories of the dedication of local churches, their staff and their members to create experiences for children during which they will encounter Jesus and his life-changing power. I am grateful for how my life has been changed and for what God is doing in the lives of children and adults through summer camp.

If you love children and want them to follow Jesus, you can improve the odds by sending or taking a child to summer camp at a Texas Baptist camp. Talk with a church near you, a local Baptist association or one of our state camps to find out how you can get involved. Or email me.

Cara Callaway, camp nurse, said the most common ailments are headaches caused by dehydration and sprained or twisted ankles. She doesn’t like Gaga Ball.

UPDATE: After publishing this editorial, I was reminded by one of the other adult sponsors in our group of a miraculous occurrence we witnessed at one of the Gaga pits. A boy on crutches was brought by golf cart to the pits where he got off the cart and made his way up to one of the games. A moment later, the miracle happened.

According to the rules of Gaga Ball, if the ball leaves the pit, whoever recovers the ball from outside the pit gets to enter the game. Wait for it.

The ball left the pit right next to the boy on crutches, who immediately dropped his crutches and sprinted after the ball, retrieved it, sprinted back and jumped over the wall to enter the game. All the while his crutches lay on the ground. I wish I’d caught it on video with my phone, but it happened so fast.

Eric Black is the executive director, publisher and editor of the Baptist Standard. He can be reached at eric.black@baptiststandard.com or on Twitter at @EricBlackBSP.

Lately, I’ve seen a trend on Facebook of people sharing the “books that have shaped me.” Naturally, I’ve considered what my life-changing books might be.

I read a lot of books — many of them difficult and technical as I pursue a Master’s degree with an eye toward a Ph.D.

My first thoughts were mostly technical theological works that changed the way I think about God and trickled down into the rest of my life. But I also considered some that were more directly influential on my spiritual growth and some that taught me what it means to be a follower of Christ.

Here are five of those and what I learned from them. (The Bible obviously goes without saying here.)

“Confessions,” Augustine of Hippo

“Confessions” is Augustine’s autobiographical reflection on his conversion to Christianity. At its core, it is a meditation on the nature of God and God’s relationship to the human experience of faith.

Augustine recounts his life from birth through his early rejection of Christianity to his ultimate conversion experience. In doing so, he offers himself as an example of how a wandering soul comes to know Christ.

“Confessions” is surprisingly readable, psychologically profound and theologically astute. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve read it at this point, and each read still makes me think more deeply about God’s work in all people’s lives.

“The Godly Man’s Picture,” Thomas Watson

“The Godly Man’s Picture” is a devotional work by Puritan preacher Thomas Watson. “He that hath clean hands, and pure heart; to describe such a person is the work of this treatise.”

Watson’s work is a compendium of reflections of characteristics of a godly person listed in Scripture. He offers 24 such meditations, each of them compelling and profound.

Some of them are self-explanatory and hardly need to be said: a godly person is a person of faith, a person of prayer and so on.

Others are less commonly considered: a godly person is “careful about worship” and “one who weeps.”

It’s hard to describe reading this work, and my summary doesn’t do it justice. Watson spiritually breaks the reader down and rebuilds him or her through an incredible balance of exhortation to holiness and a reminder of God’s grace and understanding.

I could recommend this book more easily to anyone than any other book on this list. No book on the Christian life balances challenge and assurance in a better manner.

“Discipleship,” Dietrich Bonhoeffer

“When Christ calls a man, he bids him to come and die.”

Bonhoeffer’s words are even starker when considered in light of his death at the Flossenburg concentration camp in 1945.

Bonhoeffer’s classic work is a reminder that free grace is not easy grace, but a call to radical, costly faithfulness.

His chief concern in this work is pointing out that following Christ requires a reorientation of one’s life that will, inevitably, produce conflict with the larger culture one finds oneself within. Discipleship requires conflict with existing values systems; it requires suffering.

“Discipleship” is a somber read but an important one that remains timely and prophetic.

“Silence,” Shusaku Endo

“Discipleship” asks if we are willing to suffer for Christ’s sake; “Silence” asks if we are willing to cause others to suffer for Christ’s sake.

“Silence” is a historical novel about two Portuguese Jesuit priests who travel to Japan in the midst of an intense persecution of Christians during the 17th century.

The less said about the plot from here the better. “Silence” is an uncomfortable but poignant meditation on the relationship between faith and suffering.

“Just As I Am: The Autobiography of Billy Graham,” Billy Graham

The title says it all. I’ve written before about my deep admiration for Billy Graham. Everything I’ve written about in that article is on full display in “Just As I Am,” Graham’s account of his life from his childhood on a dairy farm during the Great Depression through his reflections on his old age and hopes for the new millennium.

Graham recounts in full honesty the doubts and difficulties that accompanied his enormous ministerial successes. There’s something I find comforting about the world’s greatest evangelist dealing with self-doubt even as he preached to millions. The lifelong faithfulness of God is on full display in Graham’s life.

What books have made you a better follower of Christ?

Jake Raabe is a student at Baylor University’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary in Waco, Texas. He is also a co-founder of Patristica Press, a Waco-based publishing house.

Rhonda Roberts has served in camp ministry off and on since 1987. She has been with Heart of Texas Baptist Camp and Conference Center for a total of 24 years, 17 of those as executive director. From deep in the heart of one Texan, she shares her background and thoughts on camp ministry. To suggest a Baptist General Convention of Texas-affiliated leader to be featured in this column, or to apply to be featured yourself, click here.

Background

Where else have you worked, and what were your positions?

• Glorieta Baptist Conference Center: summer staff (1987), summer staff leadership team (1988)
• Howard Payne University: admissions counselor (1991–1993)

Where did you grow up?

• Elementary school in Stanton, Texas
• High school in Fairfield, Texas

How did you come to faith in Christ?

I had a strong heritage of faith from my parents and grandparents.

My father, Frank O’Banion, was a career minister of music, education and administration in Texas Baptist churches.

My salvation experience was at a GA camp at Permian Basin Baptist Encampment (now known as Circle 6 Ranch).

I felt the call to full-time Christian service during a youth camp at Latham Springs Baptist Camp.

Where were you educated, and what degrees did you receive?

Howard Payne University: Bachelor of Business Administration (1991)

Ministry/Profession

Why do you feel called into camp ministry?

I feel Christian camping is a fit for me only God could have orchestrated.

Camp is a unique crossroads of guest service through hospitality and ministry. As primarily a rental facility, our staff may not be “on stage,” but we have so many opportunities to show the love of Jesus through our hospitality to our guests.

There are hundreds of lives changed each week in summer camps and throughout the year with retreats, and our staff has the opportunity to play a unique role in ministering to our guests.

Although I often feel humbled and unqualified for this ministry, God always equips me with the skills and wisdom needed for the task at hand.

I like the quote by Martin Luther: “The Christian Shoemaker does his duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship.”

I feel by serving God’s people with excellence in hospitality, we are ministering to others.

What is your favorite aspect of camp ministry? Why?

I love seeing our guests who come from populated areas and are in awe of nature. The trees, birds, stars and sunsets over Lake Brownwood all come alive when you are at camp.

There is a peace and a freedom about being near nature that draws people to their Creator. When people get away from their normal routine and busy lives, they find God and hear his voice.

What one aspect of camp ministry gives you the greatest joy?

It is a joy to see God provide for our ministry through people.

God provides financial support through some churches and individuals, and then sends others to volunteer and work along with us. I can look all over our campus and point out projects where God provided through people.

I have been privileged to work with some wonderful and talented people who have been a blessing to our camp. I have learned through the years that volunteers are not just people who have extra time and money; they may not have either, but they all have the heart of service!

Some of our staff and volunteers have had a life-changing experience at camp and want to give back with grateful hearts.

How has your ministry or your perspective on ministry changed?

The last several years have shifted to higher levels of regulations and security, which involves background checks and education for sponsors for the protection of our students. Most of the regulations are state mandated; however, they are great precautionary measures and have made our camps much safer.

When the regulations were first imposed, it was a hurdle to cross with our groups; however, I have come to a greater appreciation for this process and desire to do everything we can to make camp a safe and secure place for our guests.

Name the three most significant challenges and/or influences facing your ministry.

1. Funding for operations and improvements. When the camp was founded in 1946, it was owned and supported by the area churches and associations. We are blessed by many area churches who still support our camp in their budget; however, many churches have been faced with challenges of budget cuts, which in turn has affected camp ministry. Camps are now challenged to discover other sources of funding without losing the connection and tradition with our founding churches.
2. Serving a generation who is addicted to social media and technology and learning how to adapt camp ministry to appeal to this generation.
3. Promotion and marketing of traditional camp facilities today with many competing options.

What do you wish more people knew about camp ministry?

I wish all churches realized how significant a camp experience can be to children and youth. It is intentional targeted evangelism, so it can be a tremendous outreach tool for the students in a local community as well as unchurched families.

Some people (students or adults) will come to camp before they would ever go to a church. Throughout the years I have seen many lives changed through divine appointments at camp. Many of those experiences would not have been possible without camp and the encouragement from a local church.

Traditional camp experiences provide the opportunity for students and adults to get away from the distractions of the world such as social media, TV, family problems or work stress. When distractions are removed, the stage is set for God to work in the hearts of campers.

If you do the math, figuring an average day at camp lasts 13 hours, four days equals a year of our Sunday morning meetings in terms of hours. In these 52+ hours, the students aren’t being distracted by “the world.” They are worshiping, getting teaching and having conversations about God; and they are in the middle of his amazing creation. There is no denying God uses the unique environment of camp to powerfully change lives.

About Rhonda

Who were/are your mentors, and how did/do they influence you?

I was grounded in the faith by my parents, who lived in service to churches where they were called. I was blessed to be raised in a home where I never doubted I was loved, accepted, safe and encouraged to excel. I was influenced by my parents with character, integrity and a strong work ethic.

I have been mentored in Christian camping by my predecessor at Heart of Texas, Marlin Felts. I worked for him for 12 years before he retired in 2000. He was gracious to give me opportunities of leadership, which provided valuable experience in later years.

I have also gained wisdom from directors of other camps, as well as some great board members and staff members here at Heart of Texas Camp.

What is the impact of camp ministry on your family?

Camp has impacted my family over multiple generations. My father grew up attending Alto Frio Camp, and it was there he surrendered to full-time ministry at the age of 12.

As a child, my mother and her family enjoyed camp at Leuders for many years.

I attended camp at Permian Basin Baptist Encampment as a child, and all of my siblings and I have attended Latham Springs. I can easily say most of my immediate family have made life life-changing decisions at camp.

I met my husband through his mother, who was on staff here at Heart of Texas Camp. We were married in our camp worship center in 2007.

Other than the Bible, name some of your favorite books or authors, and explain why.

My top three favorite authors are Andy Andrews, Mark Batterson and Bob Goff. I like reading their material because they challenge my thinking and perspective with very practical and profound ways to live and grow as a Christian.

What is your favorite Bible verse or passage? Why?

One of my favorite verses is our theme verse for the camp staff this summer: “Perhaps this is the moment for which you have been created” (Esther 4:14). This reminds me of the many provisions God has shown us through staff and volunteers.

For over 70 years, God has been blessing the ministry of Heart of Texas Camp by orchestrating skills with needs. He brings people to camp to serve or to be served at just the right time.

Name something about you that would surprise people who know you well.

God has given me a creative nature, which has inspired many places and objects around camp through my years of service. In 2016, I created a chainsaw carving in one of our dying camp trees. What was an old forgotten tree is now the image of a human hand pointing to God as “One Way” to salvation.

On the bookshelf in my office is a gift from a church member and former adult choir member, Frances. The ceramic plaque reads, “Singing is praying twice.” It’s an adaptation of a quotation usually attributed to St. Augustine, “One who sings prays twice.”

What does this mean? At its best singing together in worship helps us express well our praise of God, creates a space for us to offer ourselves to God and binds us to one another in community. Pastors and ministers of music and worship leaders dream that worshipers would experience the presence of God weekly. Singing well helps us pray more deeply, puts us in a place to hear the voice of God.

Churches vary widely in the assets they have to support singing. “Sustained excellence” is the way a colleague in another state recently described music ministries with strong legacies and abundant resources. But what about the many churches who continue to be faithful Sunday after Sunday but are in a musical recession or simply lack leadership or resources?

Sing anyway. There is an expectation that when we worship together we are going to sing. So, let the people sing. Take some time to figure out what your people sing and sing well.

Last fall at Wilshire Baptist Church, to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, we planned a hymn festival for morning worship. Our theme was “Hymns We Love.” I did an informal poll of some key leaders in our church: staff, deacons, Worship and Music Committee and a few other members and asked them the question: “What hymns do you think our congregation loves and sings well?”

Based on this information we selected about a dozen hymns in a variety of styles: classic traditional hymns, gospel hymns, new hymns. Some hymns were accompanied by organ and brass, others by piano, mandolin and violin. There were a few moments the people sang without accompaniment, the voices filling the sanctuary. Simply put, it was wonderful.

What is the soundtrack of your congregation? What are their heart songs? What are the hymns that speak to the identity of your community of faith? Can you list 10 hymns or songs that make up a core playlist? This is an opportunity to get to know your people and just as important have them get to know one another. The conversation is just as important as the information.

Another way to engage your people in singing and praying twice is to invite church members to write new texts. This past spring a Wilshire member who is a writer and I led a three-session Hymn Writing Seminar. About a dozen Wilshire members met weekly to learn how to create texts for worship. Several people composed original hymns. LeAnn Hampton composed a pair of stanzas we have been singing in worship this summer as the offering is presented. We are singing this to the traditional melody of the Doxology, OLD 100TH.

Our God is making all things new, a promise that we know is true.

Through eyes of faith we long to see a love-transformed community.

A place where truth and justice reign and healing triumphs over pain,

Where all have dignity and worth and peace is passed throughout the earth.

Another hymn composed in this laboratory is “We Adore You, God, Creator,” a new text by James Steel, a member of Sanctuary Choir. We sing this to the hymn tune NETTLETON, a melody most often sung to the familiar text “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing.”

It is such a beautiful gift to the church when poets and writers create something new for the church. Such gifts are received with gratitude. “Sing to the Lord a new song” must surely be an imperative for every generation. Even “Amazing Grace” was a new song once upon a time.

Years ago, I served a small church in Mobile, Alabama. One Sunday evening the service was built around singing familiar gospel hymns. Following the singing the pastor asked people why they loved these particular hymns. With just a little encouragement the people began to tell their stories and they told how these hymns were woven into the fabric of their lives. The songs were part of the journey of faith and I began to realize there was much more going on in the hearts of people than simply the notes on the page. Those who sing pray twice.

Doug Haney has served as Minister of Music at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas since 2004. Haney coordinates a new service from CHC for churches seeking to infuse vitality, quality and vision into their worship and music ministry.

This article originally appeared on the Center for Healthy Churches blog.

(RNS) — “Everywhere I go, people talk about the Enneagram,” said Ian Morgan Cron, co-author with Suzanne Stabile of “The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery.” The book has sold more than 165,000 copies since its release in 2016 from Christian publisher InterVarsity Press. Cron has also spun off a successful podcast, Typology, which has grown to more than 300,000 downloads a month.

Full disclosure: I edited “The Road Back to You,” and I am even more fascinated by the Enneagram now than I was then. I first discovered the personality typing system some years before, when some pastor friends sat me down to explain how helpful this system had been for them in their ministry as well as in personal matters, like parenting their inscrutable teenagers.

“So it’s just a personality test?” I asked. I have since learned that referring to the Enneagram as “just” a personality test is to its aficionados like calling Beyoncé “just” a singer. It is a personality test, but it’s also so much more: a spiritual tool, a map of self-discovery and a discipline that will kick your butt with a new awareness of your shadow side.

I have become something of an evangelist for the Enneagram, which surprises me because I’m rarely a bandwagon person and because as a historian I find its provenance a bit dodgy. What we know about the Enneagram’s past is frankly sketchy. Various people have claimed it has religious roots in ancient Greece (“ennea” means “nine”), but there’s not much of a paper trail, and even flimsier evidence for claims of connections with Jewish or Sufi mysticism.

What we do know is that it surfaced in South America in the 1960s in more or less its current form of nine sacred types, each representing (in the broadest sense) a particular orientation: One is the Perfectionist, Two is the Helper, Three is the Performer and so on. Each basic type also contains a host of nuances that speak to the reality that human beings are each “fearfully and wonderfully made,” as the Psalm says. There are subtypes, “wings,” stances, triads, virtues and vices, among other subtleties.

The Enneagram didn’t burst onto the American scene right away. It started making gradual inroads in the 1970s as strictly an oral tradition, passed down from teacher to student but not recorded. Some teachers were afraid that if it were written down, the Enneagram would be trivialized and commercialized. But books began appearing in the 1980s and have recently accelerated: There are now books on how the Enneagram can help with your business, your sex life, your parenting style and of course your spiritual growth.

And yes, some trivialization has happened, but so has deep spiritual transformation, as many attest. Indeed, one of the big trends with the Enneagram now is how it is (finally) being recognized and adopted by traditional religious practitioners, Christians in particular.

Jan Shegda, conference chair for the International Enneagram Association, cites the work of Franciscan writer Richard Rohr as having been profoundly influential in mapping the intersection of Christian faith and the Enneagram. Rohr, who was an early teacher because his spiritual director was among the very first group to learn about the Enneagram, “has created quite a following in the Christian tradition,” according to Shegda.

Rohr’s popularity has opened the door for other books on religion and the Enneagram, including not just “The Road Back to You” but also Stabile’s “The Path Between Us” and Christopher Heuertz’s “The Sacred Enneagram,” all published within the last two years.

These books, said Shegda, “are providing language that is more comfortable for the evangelical audience. People are feeling more comfortable and understanding more clearly what the Enneagram is all about.”

The religious focus will be apparent next week at the International Enneagram Association’s global conference, where several hundred Enneagram teachers and enthusiasts will gather in Cincinnati. I’ll be there too, soaking it up.

“There is going to be a session specifically about Christianity and the Enneagram, and another about the Buddhist approach to the Enneagram,” said Shegda. “So those two faith traditions will each have a formal workshop. But really, in any of the sessions you attend, there is a spiritual component.”

Also new this year is a separate “track” for programming related to personal and spiritual development.

Why the uptick in interest in the Enneagram, especially among Christians? In addition to the books from Christian presses, there are now church groups to discuss the Enneagram in many Protestant congregations: Episcopal, Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian churches have joined Roman Catholic parishes in holding retreats and workshops on the Enneagram.

Cron said he also hears from readers and podcast listeners who are not interested in being part of a church but are still deeply interested in spiritual growth. Enter the Enneagram, which promises self-knowledge with or without traditional religious belonging. “In our world now, a lot of the institutions that helped people to understand who they were are gone, or they don’t have as much influence,” he explained.

Senior Religion News Service columnist Jana Riess is the author of many books, including “The Prayer Wheel” (2018) and “The Next Mormons: How Millennials Are Changing the LDS Church,” which will be published by Oxford University Press in March 2019. She has a PhD in American religious history from Columbia University.

The views expressed in this opinion piece do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service or the Baptist Standard.

Before entering the hospital room I pulled the patient’s chart from the nurses’ station, so I knew I was about to enter the room of a 54-years-old male with multiple arm, shoulder, and facial fractures. I had been conditioned by my chaplain supervisor to silently repeat a phrase whenever I held the handle of a hospital room door: “When I enter this room I represent the presence of God.” It was an intimidating and ill-fitting role for a 26-year-old, like wearing someone else’s suit—someone with more gray hair and gravitas.

I entered and introduced myself as the chaplain. Bill was immobilized, his arm and shoulder in a cast and his face badly bruised and swollen. He gently turned his head to look at me.

“I can’t talk very well,” he said through clenched teeth. “They’ve wired my jaw shut.”

“I understand you took a nasty fall yesterday. What happened?”

“I don’t remember,” Bill said. “I was drunk.” His speech was difficult to understand, so I drew my chair closer to his head.

“You’re young,” he said. He suspected I was wearing someone else’s suit, too.

“I’m a seminary student,” I said. Bill looked away, his eyes wet. I assumed his pain meds were wearing off.

“You’re here to talk about God?”

“If you’d like to,” I said, “or we can talk about whatever’s on your mind.”

“I used to talk to people about God,” Bill said. “I’m a pastor.” I tried to hide my surprise.

Continue reading this article at Christianity Today.

I’ve wanted to do mission work in the Middle East since my freshman year of college. I went on a Go Now trip that summer in Phoenix, Ariz., doing refugee work, and I fell in love with Arabs and their culture. So, this summer I was the most stoked to be here in the Middle East for an extended amount of time.

But when I got here, it didn’t look like the fairy tale I had created in my mind with bright colors and camels everywhere. It’s hot—far worse than it was in Arizona. And it makes me angry that I’m not allowed to look men in the eyes; that makes me feel weak, inferior and defenseless.

So, I hunkered down for the first couple weeks until one night I gave in and admitted I was not happy here. I realized my desire for the Middle East was not pure. When I left for college, I was running away from my broken family. Subconsciously, it was easy to turn my back on them, and the idea of moving across the ocean meant I wouldn’t have to see them often. I simultaneously truly felt the Father giving me a passion for unreached people, and mission work fit really well into that description.

But being in this culture has shown me the gift and the beauty that family can be. The idea of moving from family to an unknown, foreign place sounds horrendous to me now. God used this culture to show me my desire to do good here was also partially motivated by my desire to run away, but our God is one of full redemption and wants to make us whole, even if it’s a painful process. It’s painful, because my mother left when I was little, and I’ve recently learned that running away doesn’t fix anything; it just allows time to pass and scars to form.

In having to dig up suppressed emotions and scabbed wounds, God has shown me it’s best to not leave them that way. He’s had to take me on a journey in order to bring those emotions to the surface and teach me to fully trust, to live fully redeemed and complete in him. This has also allowed me to understand my mother a little, because I almost did what she did to me.

So I’m not for or against long-term life in the Middle East now. All that matters is that I’m near to the Father and doing what he has for me.

Sami, a student at Texas A&M University, is serving in the Middle East with Go Now Missions. Her last name is withheld for security reasons.

I was born with a clubfoot. My left leg is shorter than my right leg, my left foot is two sizes smaller than my right foot, and my left calf is half the size of my right calf.

However, in my lifetime, I can only remember three times when someone even noticed something was different about my leg. When I was born, the doctor said that I wouldn’t even be able to walk correctly. I was one of the faster students in my grade, played multiple sports, and really never seemed to miss a step. Up until this point of my life, this is how I saw God gifting me through the two surgeries I had on my leg. I had gone farther than the doctors had ever thought I would go.

Two truths and a lie

This summer, I am serving in Kaohsiung, a big coastal city in southern Taiwan. I am assisting with English clubs at local universities and helping lead English camps for elementary and junior high students. One of the activities we use to introduce ourselves in two truths and a lie. For one of my true statements, I tend to say, “I have two different sized legs and feet.” I have done this activity multiple times in our team introductions, but one time, I felt the nudge of the Holy Spirit to share a little more.

I said I was born with a clubfoot and demonstrated how it was bent inwards to the class. I told about my two corrective surgeries and how I really could walk just fine. Finally, I described how my Mom started calling my left leg my “lucky fin” after the movie Finding Nemo came out.

There didn’t appear to be any big reaction and honestly I asked God: “Did I hear that correctly? You wanted me to share that?” We went on with our presentation like normal, and later in the class, I told some students about how my parents encouraged me to find truth and that led to me to following Jesus. It led to some good conversation about truth and choosing to follow Jesus. I thought, “All right God, thank you for letting me talk about my parents and their value for truth in our family.”

Model of unconditional love

The professor who leads that class attends the congregation, Hope Bilingual Church, where we are assisting this summer. Her name is Jennice, and she hugged me and exclaimed, “I am so thankful that you shared about your leg.”

She proceeded to tell me she and several of her students were touched by the way my parents loved me despite my physical imperfection. Jennice continued to explain that in Taiwan’s honor-and-shame culture, my clubfoot would have been seen as shameful for the family. Conventional wisdom here would say more than likely, someone had done something to earn my clubfoot. However, upon hearing that my family went on to make sure that I felt special because of it by calling it my “lucky fin,” they were amazed at the love my parents displayed for me. Jennice even shared that as a believer, she knew we should love everyone just as God does, but her mind has a tendency to follow the leanings of the culture. I could completely relate to her about that.

I was completely taken aback and just humbled at the way my parents have modeled the unconditional love of Christ for me. They would have gone to so many more lengths for me to walk properly, just as God went to the greatest length so we could walk with him again.

‘God knits our stories together’

I was taken aback and in awe of the way God knits our stories together and uses them for his glory. Honestly, if someone were to ask me about my clubfoot, I have my next few sentences in the conversation memorized with a couple of jokes here and there and my story is tied up in a cute, little bow. I did not expect God to pull something from my story that I thought I understood as fully as I could and use it to show his glory and his love. My imperfect leg is nothing compared to the imperfection my sin brings to my relationship with God. He is the one who has loved me in my imperfection and sent Jesus to earth so I could have a restored relationship with him.

The healing we have access to in God is greater than we ever could imagine. I am reminded of the story of Jesus in the crowd and the very sick woman who had spent lots of time and money to be healed. She thought to herself, “If I touch even his garments, I could be made well” (Mark 5:24-34).  If we were just to reach out and touch the clothes of Jesus, what healing we would experience. Christ came and brought spiritual healing and unconditional love. Through the gospel, we have full access to our Father, who has done everything so that his children can be with him. The spiritual healing we have access to through the gospel is relentless. God is seeking to restore people to himself and to love them deeply and abundantly.

Right now in Taiwan, God is teaching me to point others back to the unconditional love he already has for them. He is teaching me he loves in abundance and he loves in greater ways than we could ever imagine. God is teaching me he has brought me to tell my new friends how when I reached out and believed, I experienced a spiritual healing that I never could achieve on my own. So here I am in Taiwan with my lucky fin and a heart that is asking my friends to reach out and to touch the clothes of Jesus through prayer and his word so they can know the one true God.

Katie Burkhead, campus ministry intern at the University of Texas in Austin, is serving as coordinator of a Go Now Missions team in Taiwan this summer.

Autonomy of the local church is a historic and problematic Baptist principle.

Every part of that phrase is important: autonomy, local and church.

‘Church’ signifies, in general, a group of people who come together in the name of Jesus for worship. ‘Local’ means that group of people comes together in one location, such as under one roof, as opposed to an abstract collective of Christian groups associating around a name or cause. ‘Autonomy’ means each one of those local churches is self-governing.

How local church autonomy works in real time

One way local church autonomy works is in the employing of pastors. Local Baptist churches seek their own pastors. No outside entity determines who the local Baptist church will call and employ as a pastor, and no outside entity determines when a local Baptist church will no longer employ that pastor.

A second way local church autonomy works is how different Baptist churches approach who they will call as a pastor. One local Baptist church may understand the Bible to teach only men may be pastors while another local Baptist church may understand the Bible to teach anyone may be a pastor who is called by God to pastor.

A third way local church autonomy works is in how these different Baptist churches decide to relate to one another. Some Baptist churches will not associate with any church that believes differently than them. Other Baptist churches will associate with any church holding to a mutually agreed upon set of beliefs.

To put a finer point on this, Southern Baptist churches tend to believe only men can be pastors and tend to associate only with churches who believe likewise. Cooperative Baptist churches tend to believe both men and women can be pastors and tend to be open to associating with all churches regardless of who pastors them.

To those watching from the outside, it may seem Baptists have nothing but disagreement in common. But look again at the example above. Both types of Baptist churches call their pastors and form their associations based on their adherence to local church autonomy.

Where local church autonomy may be leading Baptists

Over the last few weeks, I’ve had occasion to observe differing Baptists up close. Among Cooperative Baptists, I’ve heard talk of staying with or leaving the CBF based on a given local Baptist church’s view of LGBT inclusion. For these churches, the Illumination Project’s adherence to individual conscience and autonomy of the local church leaves too much room for those with whom churches disagree on matters of LGBT inclusion.

Churches who have left or are discussing leaving the CBF want a more definitive statement for or against LGBT inclusion. They do not want the gray area afforded by autonomy of the local church.

Among Southern Baptists, I’ve read how ministers were able to serve in multiple settings despite sexually abusing minors in previous places of ministry. I’ve read how Southern Baptists have been questioned about the lack of measures to prevent the undetected movement of sexual predators from one church to another, and I’ve seen “autonomy of the local church” offered as a defense for the lack of such measures.

I wonder how many people are leaving and avoiding Baptist churches of all kinds because of reports involving leaders and ministers in the SBC. I wonder how many people will not accept the historic Baptist principle of local church autonomy because it is being used as a defense. I wonder which court will influence the principle first: the law courts or the court of public opinion.

How long before autonomy of the local church leads to unsustainable attrition among both of these Baptist groups?

How long before autonomy of the local church is not cherished as much as it is mistrusted for being a tool to avoid divisive positions or to hide evil deeds?

How Baptists are like the world

The world outside local Baptist churches is also struggling with the tension between autonomy and cooperation. If we doubt this, all we need to do is observe the debates around tariffs, immigration and international alliances like the EU and NATO.

Despite their mutual need for one another, individual nations do not want anyone telling them what to do. When these nations sense a threat to their autonomy (or sovereignty), they respond like individual people through fight or flight. They engage their militaries or their markets in order to preserve their autonomy.

In the case of the United States and the United Kingdom, so cherished is the principle of autonomy that both have turned hard toward autonomy, tearing away from others and tearing the fabric of global cooperation and stability on which many pin the hope of human existence.

Similarly, despite their mutual need for one another giving rise to associations, conventions and denominations, local Baptist churches simply do not want any outside influence telling them what to do, regardless of how serious the issue is that’s facing them. As a result, they seem to be tugging at the fabric of their congregational and denominational existence.

Where is the tension of local church autonomy leading us?

In one direction, adherence to local church autonomy is testing the sustainability of cooperation among one group of Baptist churches.

In another direction, the reliance upon local church autonomy threatens to undermine evangelistic efforts of another group of Baptist churches.

At what point will the historic understanding of local church autonomy spell the end of Baptist denominational life? At what point will local church autonomy require modification in order to salvage Baptist denominational life?

We may be very near the time to relax the grip of autonomy of the local church so it may once again be our servant rather than our master.

Eric Black is the executive director, publisher and editor of the Baptist Standard. He can be reached at eric.black@baptiststandard.com or on Twitter at @EricBlackBSP.