We live in a day and age where creatives in the church volley to have platforms as a means to express themselves and build their kingdoms. In efforts to put our imprint on things we usurp the Almighty and worship the created, instead of the creator. Our hearts our idol-making factories that consistently need to be condemned if Christ is to have His rightful place in our lives and in His church.
8 Reasons You Should Not Quit Ministry On Monday
Monday isn’t always a good day. You’ve probably heard about the proverbial pastor who offers his resignation every Monday. Find out why that’s such a bad idea.
Mike Pilavachi’s Troubling Soul Survivor History
British charismatic Christian evangelist and author, Mike Pilavachi, co-founder and former leader of the Soul Survivor charity in Watford, England, has been suspended from ministry as of April 2023 due to an ongoing investigation into safeguarding concerns. The suspension comes amid revelations that ministry leaders in the U.K. knew about allegations concerning Pilavachi for nearly two decades but did nothing.
Pilavachi played a crucial role in establishing Soul Survivor in 1993 along with worship leader Matt Redman. He also founded Soul Survivor Watford and is a recipient of a prestigious Lambeth Award from the Archbishop of Canterbury. The festival attracted crowds of about 30,000 between 1993 and 2019.
In April 2023, Soul Survivor Watford announced that Mike Pilavachi had stepped back from all ministry while safeguarding concerns were investigated. Pilavachi also resigned from the church board and all related charity boards at the time. However, on Saturday, Soul Survivor Watford released a new statement, saying it had suspended Pilavachi, its associate pastor, “with immediate effect” while the investigation continues. The statement added, “It has been clear that this more decisive action should have been made earlier and we have acted to correct this now.”
Originally described as “non-recent,” more recent concerns have come to light. The Daily Telegraph reports the allegations spanning at least three decades, with some as recent as 2020. Concerns regarding Pilavachi’s relationships behavior were first brought up in 2004 but left unaddressed.
The allegations involve “inappropriate massages” and “inappropriate intimate relationships” with young adults participating in the Soul61 Christian gap year project. A story published by The Daily Telegraph also claims some victims were encouraged to receive full-body oil massages in their underwear and engage in lengthy wrestling matches.
Pilavachi has been accused of running “a cult” in which young men received full-body massages on his bed and were pressured to engage in extended wrestling matches. Survivors claim Pilavachi abused them spiritually and psychologically, leaving “a trail of broken, young male adults scattered all around the world.”
Paul Martin, founder of Soul Survivor USA, reported hearing about allegations in 2002, corroborating further claims of inappropriate behavior with UK leadership. Some former staff members describe a pattern of young men aged around 18 to 21 from troubled backgrounds being manipulated.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, announced his full support for the investigation in May 2023 amidst critiques of the Church of England’s internal inquiry process and his delayed response to the situation.
MORE: Matt Redman & Others Commend Survivors Speaking Out in UK Church Abuse Scandal
Worship Leading: 4 Major Ways To Improve
Leading people in worship to the Living God is an awesome privilege and really involves four major areas: music, worship, leadership (people) and your relationship with God. The more you understand and grow in each area, the stronger your worship leading should become.
Redman: Tips for Cowriting and Recording
Matt McCoy interviews worship leader and songwriter Matt Redman about his journey in worship leading, songwriting and thoughts on his new album ‘Lamb of God.’ Matt shares his early inspiration from Vineyard music and how encountering intimate worship changed his perspective. He discusses the importance of learning from others, collaborating with a diverse range of fellow artists, and embracing variety in his craft.
Matt opens up about the personal side of his life as well – juggling family duties with five children, balancing daily admin tasks, staying connected to different church streams, playing pickleball for fun, and remaining passionate about writing songs that carry a meaningful message for congregations.
‘Lamb of God’ showcases notable collaborations such as David Funk and Matt Maher. It also features beautiful artwork representing the centrality of the cross – a key theme throughout the album. From revisiting an old classic like “Heart of Worship” to highlights like “Suffering Song” which capture the heart of God’s empathy towards human suffering, Redman is excited for people to hear these songs and watch them come alive during worship gatherings.
Comparing ‘Lamb of God’ to earlier albums like ’10 000 Reasons,’ Redman emphasizes that it’s now more acceptable to write hymn-like worship songs with deeper lyrics exploring faith’s richness. Ultimately, he hopes listeners will find solace in these new compositions while cultivating their own unique expressions in praise and worship.
Doing Less to Reach More: Trevor DeVage on 160% Church Growth in 18 Months
PODCAST: Learn about Trevor DeVage, the lead pastor of Pantano Christian Church, and how his church has experienced significant growth in recent years. To better understand where this growth was coming from and maintain momentum, Pantano’s leadership established clear metrics for expansion.
To prepare for their future development, the staff at Pantano began to simplify their ministry programs. They listed all their activities and eliminated those that didn’t align with the church’s mission or weren’t producing results. This simplification process included shortening their discipleship program from 42 weeks to just 10 weeks using a tool called Rooted.
By doing less in terms of programming but focusing more on what truly matters, Pantano Christian Church has seen impressive growth in various areas like baptisms, kids’ ministry, and weekend attendance. They continue to evaluate and streamline their offerings regularly to stay effective and avoid burnout.
One key aspect they’ve focused on is evangelism – encouraging church members to reach out individually to people in need rather than relying solely on organized programs. By sharing personal stories of redemption during services, the church can celebrate these successes together.
While the process of simplification has been challenging for Trevora’s team, they’ve found it crucial in achieving sustainable growth within their congregation. It’s essential for lead pastors like Trevor to embrace simplification as part of a mission-focused church model carefully cultivated by everyone involved.
Pastoral Care for Healthy Churches (and Pastors)
The Barna Group reports the average Protestant church size in America as 89 adults. 60% of protestant churches have less than 100 adults in attendance. Only 2% have over 1000 adults attending. As a result, the dreams of pastors of most small and even mid-sized churches go unrealized. Why? There are many reasons churches don’t break the 200 attendance mark, but Carey Nieuwhof wants to drill down deeper on one that kills almost every church and pastor: pastoral care.
7 Steps to Create the Perfect Worship Setlist
When it comes to leading worship, having an effective setlist is essential. Whether you’re leading in a contemporary service or a traditional one, having the right songs in the right order can make all the difference.
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