Christian Archives - Page 3 of 23 - Rebekah Simon-Peter Coaching and Consulting Inc.

Transformation to the Faith OF Jesus

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Oct 15, 2024

The world is in quite a state. Wars. Climate change. Regressive social policies. Gun violence. A creeping sense of hopelessness.

It’s tempting in these perilous times to give in to doubt, fear, and despair, even for Christians. To isolate, rather than to connect. To hide, rather than to shine. To shrink in our faith, rather than expand.

But we can’t do that. That’s not who we are. That’s not what Jesus wants for us, and it’s certainly not how he lived in his time on earth. Though we look to the Kingdom of Heaven for our eternal reward, we can’t forget our call to create the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

Faith IS Action

There’s a saying often attributed to Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” This advice carries particular weight for Christians. The world can use some of that change—a lot of that change—right about now. As Christians, we’ve always been asked to live our faith out loud. While we may feel silenced by the sheer number of challenges we face, the present times demand that we dig deep into our spiritual lives so we can be bold voices for love, for a shared purpose, and for a common vision. By living our faith in Jesus, we can transform the world and manifest the Kingdom of God here on earth.

I’ve prayed about this often and deeply. What does this actually mean? How can we use our faith in Jesus to transform the world?

The more I’ve thought about it—the more I’ve prayed about it—the more I’ve come to realize that faith in Jesus may only be a first step. When we have faith in Jesus, aren’t we putting the load on him? Asking him to be responsible for fixing things? This kind of faith is passive. How is that being the change we wish to see in the world?

To rise to the challenge of our times, we must draw on a more active faith. We must transform our faith so that it has a greater impact. What if we rise from having faith in Jesus to having the faith of Jesus?

The Transformation of Belief

Faith in Jesus gives us someone to follow. That’s not a bad thing. We all need someone to inspire the good in us—“the better angels of our nature,” as Abraham Lincoln put it in his First Inaugural Address. Who better than Jesus? But faith in Jesus puts the locus of agency outside ourselves. Like there’s nothing we ourselves can do.

When we take on the faith of Jesus, however, we become the locus of agency. Instead of just believing in Jesus, we begin to believe like Jesus. We activate the faith we have. As our souls are infused with Jesus’ kind of faith, we become ever more Christ-like. Not only do we tap into Jesus’ divinity, but we also tap into our inner divinity. And we become miracle-makers alongside Jesus.

Lest this sound heretical, let me assure you that rising from faith in Jesus to the faith of Jesus is a very biblical concept. It’s the difference between being a disciple and an apostle. Think of a disciple as a follower, a student, an apprentice, and think of an apostle as an ambassador, a messenger, a journeyman or -woman empowered to act on their own on behalf of the one who sent them. The goal of embracing the faith of Jesus is to advance from being a disciple to being an apostle. In fact, that’s always been the purpose of following Jesus: to be sent by him out into the world.

Just as a tree puts down deep roots to grow tall, we take a deep inward journey of spiritual transformation to rise into human beings who live our faith more courageously, more miraculously.

Excerpted and adapted from the Introduction to Rebekah Simon-Peter’s forthcoming book, Believe Like Jesus: Rising from Faith in Jesus to the Faith of Jesus, November 2024.

3 Tips to Becoming an Environmental Steward

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Aug 12, 2024

Is your church an Environmental Steward? “Of course”, you say, “we recycle!” You’ve changed the paper plates, napkins, Styrofoam coffee cups, and plastic cutlery to reusable ones. Your bulbs are LED and you have bike racks to encourage riding to church instead of driving for those able.

But it’s time to move into our communities and for churches to lead the way in change. In this week’s blog, I offer 3 tips on how to do just that with the added benefit of creating closer connections with your community.

But first, let me dispel a common myth. The myth that your community isn’t ready, or open, to environmental stewardship.

Myth: Your Church Isn’t Ready for Environmental Stewardship

Who doesn’t want to live in a cleaner, healthier environment? Everyone, right? From the folks worried about their kids playing in a toxic playground to the grandmas concerned about clean air, we all have a stake in this.

You might be thinking. “But what about those people who don’t care?” Here’s the thing: most people do care. They might not be shouting it from the rooftops, but deep down, they want a better world for themselves and future generations.

And guess what? Churches are in a perfect position to tap into this desire. You’re already a cornerstone of the community, a place where people come together to share values and support each other. So why not expand that to include caring for our planet?

Environmental Stewardship and the Christian

Is being earth-friendly just a secular movement or a political agenda, or does environmental stewardship have a place in our life with God?

As it turns out, paying attention to the health of the planet is deeply grounded in the Bible. You could say it is a core biblical value. While the Bible has some 490 references about heaven and 530 about love, it contains over 1,000 references to the earth.

When I published “Green Church” in 2010, I couldn’t have imagined the level that the effects of climate change would have fourteen years later. I recently read about how emergency personnel in Phoenix have been working to keep the death count down from the heat; all ambulances and fire trucks there now being stocked with ice-filled body bags. Of course, everything mentioned in “Green Church” is more essential now than ever.

Environmental Stewardship and the Community Connection

1) Sustainable Solutions – Start with a Community Garden if you’ve got the room for it. Encourage your community to help plant the garden, then to pick the fresh produce.

Use native plants in your landscaping to reduce the need for water and pesticides.

Install rain barrels to collect rainwater for irrigation.

And make the entire area an educational experience with signs about the garden, healthy eating, native vegetation, and the dangers of pesticides. The signs can be color-coded for multiple grade levels for children.

You can even add signs in Braille and raised the garden beds so those in wheelchairs can also plant and pick.

2) Invite the Community IN –Form a Green Team or committee of volunteers within the church to plan environmental initiatives and ensure ongoing attention to sustainability. Your Green Team can be in charge of welcoming the community to join you for workshops and events, film screenings, and guest speakers focused on environmental and sustainability practices.

As I wrote about in a recent blog, your church is the perfect place to help the community during heat waves. It can also be a welcoming place during extreme weather events like tornados, hurricanes, and wildfires. Connecting with the community on issues that affect all of us can help build strong and lasting relationships.

And don’t forget the children! Have childcare, if possible, and environmentally focused projects for older kids.

3) Go OUT into the Community – To become a part of the community, don’t just invite them to come to you! Acknowledge what your community is already doing in the areas of environmental stewardship and sustainability.

As a clergy leader, encourage your congregation to join you in helping with already-established local clean-up projects. Take part in climate action events. Become visibly active in interfaith environmental coalitions.

When it comes to environmental stewardship, it takes each and every one of us to protect the planet with which we’ve been blessed. As Environmental Leaders who are also church leaders in our communities, we have a responsibility to lead by example.

Church leadership extends into all areas of life and living. I hope you’ll join me in my free seminar, “How Christian Ministries are Achieving Success” which delves into the many aspects of clergy leadership and the renewal that leadership can generate. Register today as my August sessions are filling up fast.

Welcoming the Stranger

by Ann Miller | Aug 6, 2024

We’ve witnessed a vast array of immigration policies, and differing opinions on those policies, for years. Both here in the US and in other countries around the world, those seeking safety, protection, and a place to work and live with their families are often turned away, imprisoned, and treated as less than human.

But, by and large, Christian denominations have taken a Christ-like, welcoming, compassionate view of immigrants and their suffering. Welcoming the stranger was, after all, a part of Jesus’ big dream.

The United Methodist Church’s revised Social Principles, adopted at this year’s General Conference, included the affirmation of the dignity of migrants and opposition to laws and policies that punish the displaced. The US Council of Catholic Bishops has updated policies that incorporate the need to welcome the refugee at US borders with Jesus-led compassion. And the United Church of Christ offers a guide to becoming an immigrant-welcoming church.

These are just a few examples of major Christian denominations that confirm that, as followers of Christ, we are guided to treat the suffering with compassion and respect. Other non-Christian religions, and humanitarian organizations, have similar policies of hospitality toward the stranger.

That being said, we know that immigration can be a hot-button topic. Conversations, including those around the dinner table, can become heated. Sometimes relationships are permanently ruptured. We’ve seen vast differences in how people think of immigrants – their images of displaced people and families often formed by outside sources, media, or politics. Of course, all countries need immigration policies.

So, how do we truly welcome the stranger?

Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors

I attend the United Church of Christ but I love these words, familiar to Methodists – “Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors”.

How do we show that our doors, hearts and minds are really and truly open to all?

Open Hearts We’ve all heard of the busloads of people being driven from border states, promised work and housing, and then simply dumped in cities and towns across the US, parents hopeless, children hurt and confused.

But churches and individual people in states across the country have welcomed them. They’ve taken them into their homes, fed them, given the families shelter, and found the parents’ jobs. When immigrants were left near their home outside of Chicago, my cousin and her family did just that. In opening their hearts to people who’d been mistreated, even those that didn’t speak their language, they grew to know and love them.

Open Minds We’re aware of the fearmongering about immigrants committing crimes and stealing jobs. But the reality is that US born citizens commit crimes at a much higher rate than immigrants. The jobs that immigrants are granted are usually those that most of us aren’t willing to do. Immigrants also face poverty and struggles that we as natural born citizens of the United States will never know. Yet the vast majority are simply looking for better lives for their families and loved ones.

We all share a responsibility to honestly teach those who fear others about those who are feared. Growing up, my mother always reminded me to see Christ in everyone, especially the poor, the displaced, and the suffering. I believe this is an essential component to “dreaming like Jesus.”

We may not be able to change minds, but we can surely work to open them.

Open Doors Through my husband’s non-profit, he’s visited immigrant shelters in Tijuana. One of those shelters houses LGBTQ young people who’ve traveled from as far away as Russia, hoping to be granted asylum in the United States. Since part of our local church’s mission is to be carbon-friendly, we don’t have our own building. But we’ve been able to figuratively “open our doors” to this shelter by providing them periodically with much-needed supplies.

Churches can also connect to the newly arrived by hosting ESL classes, offering fee community meals, or providing resources for job training.

Remember that many of those from other countries were active in their original churches. They may be looking for a new church home where they’ll feel welcome and needed.

Who Reaps the Benefits?

It’s not just the stranger who reaps the benefits of Christian hospitality. When we truly “dream like Jesus” our churches can grow, become more vibrant, experience different cultures, and gain loving, active members.

Welcoming the stranger is an integral component of a successful Christian ministry. To learn more, please join Rebekah for an empowering free seminar, “How Christian Ministries are Achieving Success: An Introduction to Creating a Culture of Renewal®.

This blog represents a guest post and was written by Staff Member, Ann Miller.

The Hidden Healing Power of Serving Others

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Feb 27, 2024

Many of our communities have been fractured by contentious issues: politics, immigration, abortion laws, gun rights, issues of human sexuality, and racial justice. The church used to be a place where healing could happen. Yet these days even churches have been caught up in the crossfire.

What does it take to rebuild community in light of post-pandemic and post-disaffiliation realities? In this article I want to explore the hidden healing power of serving others for fractured communities and congregations.

But first, let’s examine a problematic dynamic that keeps churches from employing this hidden healing power of serving others.

When You Lose the Connection To Your Community

When churches lose momentum, they become increasingly inward focused. A great deal of energy is focused on simply surviving. There is little energy left for outreach or meaningful engagement with the community. Perhaps they feel they don’t have the people, the right age group, or the resources to truly engage their communities. However, when a church keeps its inward focus, it loses its raison d’être, its call, and its mission. It loses a connection with the community it is called to serve.

You Can’t Be All Things to All People

While even small churches are eager to be of service, they are up against one dangerous myth. That is the myth that churches have to be all things to all people. Therefore, they don’t try. Or they spread themselves too thin. I want to relieve you of this dangerous myth. Choose one way of being of service and stick to it. You’ll have a much bigger impact this way.

I Had to Choose One Thing and Do it Well

After I left local church ministry and started my own teaching ministry, I tried to be all things to all people. I wanted to lead workshops on every single thing I knew anything about: healing from trauma, recovery from addiction, creating multi-cultural relationships and community, the Jewish roots of Christian practice, emotional intelligence, and leadership development. I don’t need to tell you that this approach to serving others was not sustainable. Physically, I was worn out. Emotionally, I was stretched too thin. Spiritually, I didn’t have a cohesive mission. The bottom line was that I couldn’t be all things to all people. I was on the edge of the burnout that I left the local church to avoid! Instead of trying to be all things to all people, I had to choose one thing and do it well.

Now that I have learned to focus on where I can have the most impact, each and every year dozens of big, bold visions come to life through Creating a Culture of Renewal®. I get to minister to church leaders and watch them come together to build these visions and be of surprising service to their communities.

Put Out the Welcome Bench

My local church, First United Methodist Church in Casper, WY, has found the hidden healing power of serving others.

First UMC is located downtown in an area where many unhoused or unemployed people congregate. Instead of pushing these folks away, as many downtown businesses and city councils do, First UMC put out the welcome bench instead. The Trustees placed first one, then a second, park bench next to an external electrical outlet so others could easily re-charge their cell phones. Without feeling like they were stealing or loitering. Now, with working cell phones they can stay connected to loved ones, job opportunities, and the world at large.

Next, First UMC invited the Salvation Army to set up its mobile healthcare clinic in the church parking lot twice a month. The church has also repurposed a second location to launch a navigation center, Kind Grounds, to connects people and resources. Their end goal? Homelessness itself is a transient phase of life, not a long-term lifestyle.

Meanwhile, classrooms in the church basement are filled many nights each week with 12-step meetings. Recovering addicts, and those who love them, have a safe and welcoming place to get off drugs, deepen their spirituality, and rebuild their lives.

The hidden healing power of serving others is spreading out into the larger community. Instead of feeling invisible, unwanted, or pushed away, the unhoused folks are building a stronger sense of belonging to the community, Meanwhile, the church is building a stronger commitment to hospitality. Compassion for those with different life experiences is more present than ever.

As a result, worship attendance has not only increased, it has diversified. As has its community mindset.

And to think, it all started with serving others who needed easier access to an electrical outlet.

How You Can Tap into the Hidden Healing Power of Serving Others

Building community around the hidden healing power of serving others takes a new kind of leadership ethos. It takes Conscious Leadership. Conscious leadership is the capacity to master yourself in relationship to others, tap into your soul’s spiritual intelligence, and employ the courage of vision. If you want to discover how you can become a more conscious leader, then please join me in a free 60-minute seminar, Elevate Your Ministry: An Invitation to the Power of Conscious Leadership. Or, if you want input on your ministry, click here for a Discovery Session.

Spirituality is the Key to Re-Building Community

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Feb 19, 2024

In a world where loneliness is rampant but religious affiliation is down, many churches face the urgent question: How do we reach people who are longing for connection and meaning? This blog explores the intriguing possibility that focusing on deepening spirituality is the key to re-building community in the post-pandemic church.

What We Are Doing Is Not Sufficient

People have been quietly quitting the church for decades. Even before the pandemic. The spiritual but not religious have been letting us know for years that what the church offers is not sufficient. It is leaving needs unmet. People are looking for something more. Rather than fearing or dismissing the message that the spiritual but not religious have communicated by leaving the church, let’s learn from them instead. They’re signaling the need for a shift in church culture we can all benefit from. That’s why I’m writing about how spirituality is the key to re-building community.

Yet, before we look at how the church can re-build community through spirituality, we need to dispel a common myth. This is the myth that the church already “does” spirituality.

The Myth That “We Already Do” Spirituality

Many church worship experiences excel in talking about God, or Jesus, or the Holy Spirit. They tell stories and teach lessons related to God. This is good as far as it goes. However, for many people who are hungry for God, this does not go far enough. There is a difference between talking or singing about God and actually experiencing the presence of God. Now, it’s not that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are absent from worship. They are not. It’s that no space is left to intentionally experience their divine presence.

Spiritual Affiliation Has Increased

People assumed that when the pandemic ended that people would automatically return to church and sanctuaries would be full. That didn’t happen in most congregations. In my book, Forging a New Path, I compared COVID-19 to the Bubonic Plague. The plague’s impact on medieval Christians taught us how crises often lead to new ways of connecting with the divine. When traditional structures faltered in medieval Europe, lay movements and personal encounters with God flourished. In fact, the spiritual but not religious movement was born. This is an interesting historical parallel to where we are right now in our post-pandemic world.

Then as now people yearn for meaning and purpose. Yet, then as now, the church wasn’t providing the experience of the divine. This presents an opportunity: Study after study shows that humans are hardwired for meaning and purpose. Both our souls and our cells are created to experience the transcendent. Even non-religious people are wired for ultimate purpose and meaning.

This is good news. The God of the Bible is a God of direct encounters. We can reclaim this aspect of the Bible and guide people towards direct encounters with God today. This shift will benefit everyone, including those who are already part of our congregations, and those who are not.

What is Spirituality?

We talk a lot about being spiritual. But what does it really mean? I like to turn to a well-known passage in Ezekiel (37:1-10) that speaks of Ezekiel’s vision of dry bones coming alive through God’s breath. You may recall that in both Hebrew and Greek, the word for breath is also translated as Spirit. Thus, spirituality is being aware of God’s very real presence within us. A presence that is as real and as immediate as the breath.

In Christianity, spirituality may be expressed in three forms: personal, communal, and visionary spirituality.

Personal Spirituality is experiencing God’s presence in a way that fosters a sense of individual worth and belonging. As you engage in personal spirituality, you come away with the distinct sense that “I matter.”

Communal Spirituality is participating in a community that is founded in personal spirituality and woven together by increased love and support. As you engage in communal spirituality, you gain the distinct sense that “we matter.”

Visionary Spirituality is recognizing the collective impact that your lives can have on others. This awareness then becomes a shared mission. As you engage in visionary spirituality, you gain the distinct sense that “y’all matter.”

Re-Building Community

By listening to the “spiritual but not religious” movement and cultivating authentic spiritual experiences, the church can re-build a sense of community. This doesn’t require abandoning tradition, but rather reclaiming what has always been part of the church’s tradition: direct experiences with the divine. As you create spaces for individuals to connect with God and each other in meaningful ways, be prepared for a fresh wind of the Spirit.

By embracing the power of personal, communal, and visionary spirituality, the church can lead the way in re-building a sense of community and of belonging. I would love to hear your thoughts or questions on spirituality as the key to re-building community in post-pandemic and post-disaffiliation churches. Sign up for a discovery session here.

I have one more option for you. If you want to discover how you, too, can tap into your soul’s spiritual intelligence as a conscious leader, then please join me in a free 60-minute seminar, Elevate Your Ministry: An Invitation to the Power of Conscious Leadership. In this seminar I will introduce you to a new program that I am very excited about, Conscious Leadership! Come discover how you can move towards Jesus’ call of being Salt and Light for the those around you.

How the Church Can End the Loneliness Pandemic

by Rebekah Simon-Peter | Feb 7, 2024

We live in one of the loneliest times in human history. Even as we have more ways to connect, we are increasingly less connected to each other. We have many platforms for being “social”, but they don’t always provide a deep sense of belonging. In fact studies show that too much time spent on popular social media platforms increases the sense of disconnect, isolation and loneliness. Mental health struggles seem to be at an all-time high. The good news is that the church can respond to the loneliness pandemic.

In fact, in my next three blogs, I will be exploring the 3 S’s of post-pandemic community-building. These include being social, being spiritual, and being of service. But before we discuss how the church can participate in ending the loneliness pandemic, there is one myth we have to dispel first.

The Myth of Church Lite

There is a myth that churches which focus on social events are missing the mark. That they are “church lite.” That these socially oriented churches are too inward-focused and don’t care about the community at large. You may think that social events undermine the church’s core mission and will attract the wrong crowd who aren’t serious about faith. But here’s the reality: social events complement and enrich spiritual life. Shared experiences build bonds, foster support, and create a welcoming atmosphere where faith can more easily grow.

True Confessions: I Used to Be One of Those People

I used to be one of those people who believed the myth of church lite. I used to think that we didn’t have time to be social. That being too social in church was a sin. But the pandemic has really changed my mind on this. I saw how much I missed people and how the social aspect of church helped me grow spiritually. Now I think being social is an absolutely essential part of re-building spiritual community!

Think about it. If we aren’t social together, can we really be spiritual together? Can we do well at being of service? Jesus and his people hung out together for 3 years. That’s a big part of what made them so effective. We need that type of social connection too.

The Power of Weak Social Ties

Combatting loneliness doesn’t require five best friends. In fact, one of the strongest indicators of happiness is the number of weak social ties a person has. A weak social tie is someone you recognize and acknowledge and who recognizes and acknowledges you. But you likely don’t have their phone number in your phone, nor are you friends on Facebook. You may not even know their name. However, the power of being recognized and acknowledged in public goes a long way toward creating a sense of belonging.

The church can make use of weak social ties throughout worship–especially during passing of the peace, communion, welcoming new members, and children’s time. Also weak social ties are built during outreach ministries, choir practice, and even during the coffee hour. Special care must be taken to building weak social ties with online worshipers. One of the best ways to do this is to have an online worship greeter or pastor. This person would cultivate online engagement during worship, as well as at other times of the week. Being recognized and acknowledged online feels as good as being recognized and acknowledged in person.

In an age when people participate in congregational life more sporadically, weak social ties are an important aspect of what makes attending church feel worthwhile. Weak social ties keep you connected to the world at large and are vital for happiness measures, health, and longevity.

The church can also cultivate strong social ties. These relationships, while rarer these days, are not impossible to form. Look for them to build during small group meetings, Bible Studies, or study or mission trips. They require more time to maintain than weak social ties.

Create Multiple Ways to Be Part Of Things

In addition to welcoming people into a life-giving network of weak social ties, there is another powerful way that the church can end the loneliness pandemic. This is by giving people multiple opportunities to belong within the life of the church. The more sub-groups a person belongs to, the more connected they are, and the less lonely they feel. For instance, being a greeter once a quarter, attending a weekly online prayer group, and sitting in the same row amidst some familiar faces once a month are three different ways to create a sense of belonging. Here are some more ideas.

IN-PERSON CONNECTION

By planning social events together, you build the sense of social belonging that combats loneliness and isolation. You can offer diverse small group options based on the hobbies, interests, or life stages of your congregation. This will open people to deeper connections with each other. Volunteering together also helps to establish a sense of camaraderie and allows people to connect with the larger community in a meaningful way. Take your sense of social connection a step further and collaborate with other religious groups, charities, or community centers to build relationships and broaden impact.

ONLINE CONNECTION

Seek to develop deeper social connection by hosting online events: Book clubs, Bible studies, game nights, or even virtual coffee hours to keep the community connected, regardless of location. Online support groups provide virtual spaces for individuals looking for spiritual fellowship and encouragement throughout the week.

A Warning

Churches must also actively seek to remove barriers between themselves and newcomers or community members. No matter how many wonderful social activities you have, people won’t want to be part of your church if they sense they are being judged, evaluated, or censored. Social activities must be accompanied by a theology of a loving and welcoming God. People simply don’t want to be part of a church if they sense they or their families are not accepted or welcomed.

Take Your Next Step

By embracing these ideas, churches can move beyond simple survival to thrive in a changed world. By fostering genuine connection, inclusivity, and a welcoming atmosphere, you can not only create spaces for newcomers and build a vibrant community that extends far beyond Sunday services, but you can end the loneliness pandemic. Remember this is just a starting point. Tailor these strategies to your specific community and values, and always keep an open mind to feedback and new ideas. Reach out for a discovery session for specific input on your situation.

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