BCNE News
The latest news from our network of New England churches. Looking for our New England Perspectives Articles? Click here.
An appeal to Heaven: Christ is the only hope for our nation
If we are to truly believe God’s Word, then we must realize that God created us “for such a time as this.”
We say this often, but do we live it out? These are definitely strange times in our culture, and the opportunity to serve God has never been greater. Being a Baby Boomer, I remember well the last big period of upheaval we saw in this nation. There was so much confusion during the 1960s that both a president and a godly man who preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ were assassinated in plain sight.
Eating my own crow
Most secular people don’t leave a job for a pay cut – especially a pay cut that totaled 64% of your previous total salary. But when God makes it clear that moving forward with such a large pay cut is the next step, you do it.
Delighting in Christ
Communion with Christ is the sweetest and most valuable treasure of the Christian. It is intimate fellowship with the One who created him and saved him from his sins. It is the abiding in Christ, who is the vine, so that in Him we may bear fruit and so that our desires, affections, will, mind and heart are conformed to Christ, who is the image of God.
Don’t waste this time: Helping your teen live intentionally
As we look ahead to additional time at home and the absence of some extracurricular activities in the months ahead, it’s important to make plans so that we don’t waste these days. We need intentionality to help navigate this season well and not waste these days.
Treasures in jars of clay: The secret to pastoring
Yet as beautiful as that morning was, my heart was torn in the darkness of fear over the future, self-doubt, sadness about past experiences and even grief over my own sin. It seemed these feelings had transitioned from being sporadic visitors in my heart to tenants who had unpacked and begun to pay rent.
Everybody needs somebody sometime
Back in the 90s, Western Union ran a hilarious ad to the tune “Everybody Needs Somebody Sometime.” In the commercial a sushi chef chopping up a cucumber also chops up a man’s credit card. The man calls a friend to send him money via Western Union. Though this commercial hits a comedic tone, the song is a very powerful statement of an important truth. It applies not just when you have lost your credit card but also throughout life.
Youth must be on mission, too
We had just finished roasting marshmallows over the charcoal grill—the coals still hot from the amazing Brazilian BBQ we had eaten. We were all outside, sitting spaced out in a circle, trying our best to do youth group in the “new normal.” But this week I had a challenge for the teens. I announced that we would be helping to launch a brand new youth group on the South Shore of Boston.
What to do when we don’t know what to do
Everything is changing. The ways we live, learn, work and play are all up in the air, and no one knows how things will land. Between the lockdowns, restrictions on gatherings, ongoing riots and protests in our cities, rising crime and racial tensions, it feels like we are lost in the wilderness without a guide. No one knows anything!
Happy birthday, Google: What you need to know about ministering to Gen Z
Did you know Google celebrated its 21st birthday last year? Wait, what?
The millennial generation may have grown up as technology made new strides, but Generation Z has grown up with the world being just a click away, thanks to technology. However, don’t picture today’s kids glued to their computers. Smartphones have taken over their world, and technology is mobile. They don’t follow their parents’ habits of going home and catching up on Facebook. Instead they inhabit a world of constant access to YouTube, Snapchat and Instagram. It is estimated that Gen Z teens receive an average of over 3,000 texts a month!
Our New England Baptist heritage
My 7th great-grandfather, Francis Marion Dorsett, was a Baptist pastor in England at a time when Baptists were not welcome. Baptists were considered countercultural and subversive to society in general because they did not conform to what the broader culture said was acceptable. Seeking the freedom to worship as the Lord was leading him, my forefather immigrated to America before the Revolutionary War. Though he landed in the Northeast, he quickly learned that religious freedom was not as prevalent in New England as he hoped. This led him to move to the mountains of North Carolina where he bought a farm and made a life for himself. He started a family while farming and serving as the bivocational pastor of a local Baptist church.
Healthy transfer growth
In a church revitalization, our hope is to be a disciple-making church pointing the lost to Christ. No one wants to have a church full of transfers (Christians who formerly attended other area churches).
However, sometimes transfer growth is a necessity. In sports, teams that lack key players or strength in certain positions make trades to secure and fill in the holes in their rosters. Church replants, usually with only a few core people to help the pastor, may need members from other churches to come alongside them and help them grow and thrive.
What’s the refrain of your life?
Have you ever been in front of the congregation during singing? If you have, then you know that in most songs the congregation loves to sing the refrain. In fact, very often the congregation struggles or mumbles through the verses of a song, and then, upon reaching the chorus, they wake up and sing with renewed gusto.
Sacrificial leadership gives a glimpse of Christ’s character
How much Netflix have you watched during COVID-19? Or Prime Video, Hulu, or Disney Plus? Be honest. I’m not telling you how much I’ve watched because I don’t want to cause you to stumble into judging me! But I will say that the best thing I’ve watched during this time of lockdown and social distancing, hands down, has been The English Game on Netflix. I’ve never been a big fan of soccer or Downton Abbey, and this show is basically a mash-up of those two, but for some reason, it drew me in like a neon light beckoning a moth.
Four opportunities for growth in crisis
This global pandemic we are facing has given churches a blank slate of opportunity. In conversations with pastors around New England, I have been hearing many insights on how this crisis is forcing churches to rethink and refocus priorities and processes. Here are some lessons churches are learning as they strive to establish the new normal. As obvious as they seem, it is important for us as pastors and leaders to measure how well we are leading our churches in these areas.
Hold everyone in forgiveness
Can you forgive someone who hasn’t asked for forgiveness? There is a difficult tension in this question. On one hand, we must acknowledge that when someone admits guilt and the debt is graciously released, there is a beauty in that transaction. On the other hand, perhaps some of us have offered forgiveness to an individual or to a group of people who have not apologized, and their lack of accountability has felt a bit unsatisfying.
Four signs you need a ministry break
There is no doubt that in ministry, breaks are needed. But how can you tell when you need to step away for a time to engage with God and focus on who He wants you to be, not simply what He wants you to do? Here are four warning signs that you’re on the road to burnout and need to take a break for the good of your ministry.
Parenting lessons from the garden
Like many people, we started our first garden this year. I honestly don’t remember what inspired me to do so, but before I knew it, we were filling raised beds with soil. Once the last frost passed, we planted various seeds, which was quite the event with a three-year-old and a two-year-old in tow. I envisioned laughter, photographic moments and a perfectly prepped garden. What I got were muddy kids, unmarked plots and a disaster in the carrot section.
Seven fast facts about New England for volunteer mission teams
According to the 2017 Gallup Poll, New England is the least religious region in America. In fact, Gallup found that the four least religious states in American are all located in New England: Vermont is the least religious, then Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. According to the Barna Group, the five most post-Christian cities in America are all located in New England: Springfield, Massachusetts; Portland, Maine; Providence, Rhode Island; Burlington, Vermont; and Boston, Massachusetts. There is no place in America in greater spiritual need than New England. That is why mission teams like yours are so important! Thank you for being mission partners with us in New England!
Opening up a game: Why losing our comfort zones has affected us so deeply
I have a game shelf. My wife accuses me of caring for my games better than I care for the dogs, being more careful with them than I am with the dishes, and putting them away better than I put away laundry. All of these things may be true. But it is because to me they are not just games – they have always been something just a little more.