Here’s good news

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

You probably know about the 1815 Battle of New Orleans, in which the Americans resoundingly defeated the British. But do you know that this battle was fought two weeks after the signing of a peace treaty ending the War of 1812?

News traveled slowly 200 years ago—but not today! We are kept on constant alert about everything and anything. Competing news channels are desperate to attract and keep our attention. They try to convince us that we have a right—even a duty—to be informed, and they feed us a steady stream of “breaking news.”

In this hyped-up media environment, an international crisis or major natural disaster must compete for attention with “news” that Lady Gaga has gained 15 pounds. Accuracy and objectivity are often casualties. Reality TV confronts us with the bizarre and offbeat. Entire channels are devoted to fringe diets and fads. You don’t know what to believe!

This barrage of media keeps many in a state of tension and anxiety. According to the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), anxiety disorders have increased 1,200 percent since 1980. That year it was estimated that 2 to 4% of Americans were suffering from an anxiety disorder. A 2009 study put the figure at 49.5% (about 117 million adults)!

I suspect that one reason for this increase is the increase in the number of 24/7 news programs on radio and TV. In the 40-minute drive from my home to the office, I can hear several news stories repeated, each time with slightly more “information” than before. It is as if I am being force fed the news, like a goose being prepared for pâté de foie gras. So I often find peace by turning off the news. It is not that I want to stick my head in the sand. On the contrary, I find I need to get my mind above all the trivia and conflicting details so that I can see the big picture.

And whenever we talk about the big picture, our focus returns to Jesus. Focusing on him isn’t religious escapism–he was and is a real person in time and space. Jesus pitched his tent with humanity when he became human. And now, following his death, resurrection and ascension, he lives in us. Unlike the shifting priorities of the media, Jesus is “the same, yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

It is certainly appropriate to call Jesus the Lord of history. He is a source of information that we can rely on, as we struggle to make sense of our frustrating and uncertain times. He promised us peace, but not as the world gives it (John 14:27).

In view of Jesus’ Lordship, the apostle Paul confidently gave this advice: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7). Peter gave similar advice: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

My comfort and peace comes in knowing the good news, and by this, I mean the genuine, cosmic good news of what Jesus has already done. The Gospel confronts us with that reality—not the contrived hype of so-called Reality TV.

I pray daily for the peace that transcends understanding to be upon you all, my brothers and sisters in Christ.

In Christ’s service,

Joseph Tkach

Tim Sitterley

For a couple years Tim Sitterley, senior pastor of GCI churches in Eugene and Salem, Oregon, spent as much time in a kilt as in jeans. No, he wasn’t living in Scotland; he was playing bagpipes with the MacCallum Highlanders, a group attached to the 127th National Guard in Ohio. Tim grew up in WCG. “My father was a member before I was born, but I was five when my mother and I started attending.” Tim spent the first 9 years of his life on a farm in Pennsylvania. “Then my family moved to a small town (Hubbard) just outside Youngstown, OH.” Tim claims his teen years were “rather colorful.” “I was voted ‘Most likely to be dead by age 30’ in high school, and I’m the only person I know who has been forcefully deported by a foreign country—but that’s a story for another time.”

After high school, Tim went to Ambassador College in Pasadena. Soon afterward his parents also moved to Pasadena so Tim never made it back to Ohio. It was in college Tim met his wife Linda and they married in 1979. “Our daughter Danielle and son Michael are both married and live near us. We have four grandchildren (two to each child), Logan, Ian, Noah and Asia. My daughter attends and is active in my Eugene congregation, and my son and his wife are on pastoral staff at Crossfire World Outreach in Springfield, Oregon.”

“After the college closed in ‘79 I was hired by the church; originally in the mail processing center, and later as a writer in the Personal Correspondence Department.” During a time Tim calls “insanity at HQ” in the early ‘80s, he and Linda decided to move to Eugene, Oregon.

“When we moved to Eugene in 1985, I was thoroughly burned out, and avoided any church-related responsibilities for a number of years. However, by the late ‘80’s I was back on the weekly speaking schedule, and when our senior pastor retired in ’95, I was part of the pastoral team in Eugene until another senior pastor could step in. After a couple of years as assistant pastor, I was offered the senior pastor position when our senior pastor retired. A year later Eugene and Salem were joined in a church circuit.”

Tim jokingly suggests that his favorite part of being a pastor is the ability to sleep in on most weekday mornings. But then he got a bit more serious and said: “I grew up an only child in a family that had little connection. With the exception of my mother’s funeral eight years ago, I haven’t seen any of my blood relatives in well over two decades. But as a pastor, you get to be a part of many families. Sometimes that means getting caught up in the drama. But other times it means getting to share in the joys and triumphs. I’ve stood bedside families as a loved one took their final breath…I’ve joined couples in marriage…I’ve blessed newborn children—all in the same week.

“Yes, when you are that intimate with so many people there can be a good deal of pain involved. But it is the pain that comes from loving and caring—the kind of pain that families share—and I wouldn’t trade it for the safe, distanced relationships that I see so many people living.”

When asked what Tim might like others to know about him, he said, “They already know too much. I get a fair amount of criticism for being too transparent. My congregations already know the details of my health and diet, what Tequila I drink and my favorite brand of cigar. They know I’ve gone through anger management classes and struggle with occasional depression. They know I’m a theistic evolutionist. And they know that I hate cats. There is not much left to reveal.”

Tim calls himself a Bible Geek. “Even during my misspent youth I was constantly in the library reading commentaries and books on early church history. When I was 15 I wrote a letter to a prominent WCG pastor telling him that what I was reading in Galatians regarding grace and the law didn’t seem to line up with what he was writing in WCG literature. I was asked not to attend services for several weeks until I came to see the error of my ways.”

Among his most memorable moments as a pastor, Tim shares this: “A few years back I attended one of the largest counter-culture festivals in the country, and while sitting in a wood-heated sauna I got caught up in a conversation comparing the teachings of Jesus with the writings of the Dali Lama. Later in the day I was walking through the craft market and I heard one of the gentlemen from the sauna yell, “Hey, it’s the preacher dude!” For the next hour or two I found myself surrounded by hippies (and hippy wannabes) who had questions about Jesus and the Bible. For that brief period, I knew what Paul must have felt when he preached in the markets of Athens and Corinth.”

Like many pastors, Tim feels the strongest presence of God when he is preaching. “The speaking part is no big deal. When I worked in the public sector one of my jobs was to speak before large crowds. But when I’m unpacking Scripture, or trying to address a current need of a congregation, I never feel alone on stage. I may joke about many of the aspects of this job, but the moment I feel the sermon is now all about me, and not about allowing God to speak through me—that is the moment I look for another line of work.”

Guadalajara conference

On November 17-19, GCI Mexico held its National Conference in the city of Guadalajara. The purpose of the conference was to equip pastors and other leaders serving GCI congregations in Mexico. Over 40 attended. Mission director Lorenzo Arroyo and pastor Heber Ticas gave seminars on biblical preaching, personal evangelism and Jesus’ missionary model.

Through conferences like this, GCI’s leaders in Mexico are being helped to understand the importance of intentionally multiplying disciples and planting new churches. Newly appointed Mexico City pastor Natanael Cruz will open on December 2 a new mission work in Zumpango-Tizayuca (near Mexico City). Alfredo Mercado, pastor of GCI’s Guadalajara church and Mexico’s national leader, is “preparing the soil” to plant a new church by 2014. Both pastors are working with potential church planters who currently are leaders within their existing churches.

On Saturday at the conference, there was a ceremony in which credentials were presented to the Mexican pastors who were appointed this year. Receiving credentials at the conference were Ruben Ramirez, Luis Alberto Soto, Humberto Perez, Arnoldo Trigg and Natanael Cruz (credentials were sent to Rigoberto Pantoja who was unable to attend the conference).

Guadalajara-credentials presented — Mission director Lorenzo Arroyo (at left) and pastor/church planter Heber Ticas (at right) present credentials to newly appointed Mexican pastors

Guadalajara-Ticas — Pastor Heber Ticas preaching

On Sunday, a special worship service was attended by over 130 members from the area. Church planter Heber Ticas, pastor of GCI churches in Sun Valley and Los Angeles, California, gave an inspiring sermon on Jesus not allowing Peter to be sifted as wheat but rather to be strengthened in faith.

On Monday, Rita Arroyo and Xochilt Ticas led workshops for pastor’s wives and other women. The workshops were on devotional journal writing and decision making with Martha and Mary. The women were elated to receive seminars related to their needs—there were tears and much joy in sharing with one another.

Guadalajara-women meet — Rita Arroyo (at right) leading a women’s workshop

The Mexican youth are preparing to celebrate their second national camp to be held December 29-January 1. The camp, with the theme, “The call of the Master” will be held on the beach of Guayabitos (near Puerto Vallarta). GCI Generation Ministries secured scholarships for campers and invited Mexico’s national youth leader Samuel Mercado to attend the GenMin Converge summit in Southern California in February.

The next GCI Mexico National Conference will be in Guadalajara on March 29-31, 2013 (Easter weekend). Special guests will be Joseph and Tammy Tkach, and Gary and Cathy Deddo.

Preparing for Advent

Ruth Haley Barton writes about preparing for Advent in a recent eReflections post:

The seasons of the church year are meant to teach us something about the spiritual life we need to learn. Beyond mere information about the spiritual life, they offer us the opportunity to practice some of the key disciplines of the Christian life and to do it together as a community of faith.

You might find her article helpful in preparing yourself and your congregation for the Advent season. To read the article go to www.transformingcenter.org/2012/11/advent-leaders-in-waiting/.

You also might find helpful the GCI videos and articles about Advent and Christmas indexed at http://www.gci.org/category/topics/christmas.

Preaching is a team sport

Many GCI congregations are learning the value of team-based ministry, including using a team of several people for both planning and delivering sermons. For a helpful video advocating a team-based approach to preaching, watch this:

http://youtu.be/Zb7kpW1CTdY

John Biswas

John Biswas is presently on a Mission trip to Bangladesh where he will be visiting as many of our churches and key gospel workers as he can. These trips are never routine, and always have a degree of danger both in the cities and when he gets out to the villages. He would be grateful for our prayers for his safety and success.

Jason Richards

We are thrilled to report that a perfect heart match has been found for GCI pastor Martin Manuel’s grandson Jason Richards. As we publish this, Jason is undergoing heart transplant surgery. Please pray for the success of the surgery and a positive outcome.

Mission America update

Here is information from Mission America concerning trends in the church and society at large.

Christian Divorce—Updated Statistics

A recent article from the Gospel Coalition sets the record straight about erroneous statistics that have been published on the internet and used as illustrations from the pulpit. The statistic in question was that Christians divorce at roughly the same rate as the world. The research actually showed couples who regularly practice any combination of serious religious behaviors and attitudes (attend church nearly every week, read their Bibles and spiritual materials regularly; pray privately and together; generally take their faith seriously) have significantly lower divorce rates than mere church members, the general public and unbelievers. The research shows couples who are active in their faith are much less likely to divorce. Catholic couples were 31% less likely to divorce, Protestant couples 35% less likely, and Jewish couples 97% less likely. (Ed Stetzer, Church Report 9/28/12)

Digital Invasion

Dr. Archibald Hart, Sr. Prof. of Psychology at Fuller Seminary’s School of Psychology, maintains digital addictions have created a spiritual deficit. With 1 in every 9 people on the planet now on some form of social media, he calls it the “digital invasion.” Humans spend roughly 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook alone. Dr. Hart says, “It is making such an inroad to our lives that it is robbing us of the time that we need for spiritual discipline…to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). But we can’t be still anymore. People are not spending time in prayer as they used to because they are distracted all the time. It’s our misuse of technology that is the problem, and the misuse of it being reprogrammed for speed and not for content. But more than that, this wonderful technology that comes from the fantastic brain that God has given us is now actively coming between us and God.” He offers these suggestions: Do not check your smartphone until after morning devotions. End your digital day at 9:00 p.m. Do not check your smartphone when having lunch or dinner with a friend, or leave the phone in your car. Take a digital fast every Sunday. No digital gadgets at meal times. Limit checking e-mails or texts to once an hour. Try not to talk on your phone to virtual people when real people are in front of you. Pray daily for God to help you become a good steward of your virtual life. (OneNewsNow 10/13/12)

Big Birth Rate Decline

The number of U.S. births has been dropping since 2007, when they peaked at 4.3 million just before the economic downturn. But now, substantial declines among certain segments of women suggest a deeper and potentially longer-lasting change in childbearing. A demographer-anticipated mini-baby boom never materialized. Instead, 2011 National Center for Health Statistics stats shows: The number of births to teens 15–19 dropped 10%, the fewest since 1946. The rate has declined more than 3% a year since 1991. The number of births to women 20–24 declined 3% from 2010 to 2011, and the birth rate dropped 5%. The birth rate is the lowest ever recorded in the U.S. For 25–29s, the birth rate was the lowest since 1976. The pace of decline in the teen birth rate has accelerated since 2007, and since then there’s been a 25% drop. The total number of births to unmarried women declined 2%. In 2011, the non-marital birth rate dipped 3%. Since 2008, it has dropped 11%. In 2011 the rate of people starting families went down 2%. (USA Today 10/3/12)

Debt an Enemy of the Church

R. Albert Mohler Jr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, recently exhorted Southern Baptists, “If your concern is to get young people into the churches or on the mission fields, the greatest enemy other than Satan himself is educational debt, because there are far too many young people graduating who are slaves to that debt when they need to be unfettered slaves to Christ.” Student loan debt, which surpassed $1 trillion in late 2011, surpassed credit card debt ($975.7 billion) in 2008 as the leading cause of debt in the U.S. While credit card debt is decreasing, student loan debt continues to rise, with the average student amassing $25,250 in educational loans. Unlike card debt, which can be refinanced or wiped out with bankruptcy, student loans will not go away. Even in bankruptcy, the individual is expected to repay his or her loan. (Baptist Press 10/11/12)

Crushing Debt

USA Today reports that only 1 in 5 people use a monthly budget. As a result, the majority are swimming in debt. In fact, half of the families surveyed spend between $2,500 and $5,000 a month on debt payments alone! Meanwhile, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports Americans put barely 1% of their income in savings. (Thriving Pastor 10/1/12)

Shorter Life Spans

The most educated Americans are making the biggest gains in life expectancy, but now they say mortality data show that life spans for some of the least educated Americans are actually contracting. Four studies in recent years identified modest declines, but a new one that looks separately at Americans lacking a high school diploma found disturbingly sharp drops in life expectancy for whites in this group. The reasons for the decline remain unclear, but researchers offered possible explanations, including a spike in prescription drug overdoses among young whites, higher rates of smoking among less educated white women, rising obesity, and a steady increase in the number of the least educated Americans who lack health insurance. The steepest declines were for white women without a high school diploma, who lost 5 years of life between 1990 and 2008. White men lacking a high school diploma lost 3 years of life. Life expectancy for both blacks and Hispanics of the same education level rose. But blacks overall do not live as long as whites, while Hispanics live longer than both whites and blacks. (NY Times 9/21/12)