Monthly Archives: August 2013

Join 1 Million Men in the War Against Pornography

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Pornography has been compared to the bubonic plague of the contemporary church, secretly destroying the spiritual health of individuals and families. It is crippling the ability of men to be the Christian, husband, father, mentor, spiritual leader, even friend that God intended for them.

Pornography is a subject we would rather not discuss at church, but here are alarming statistics that tell us we MUST be talking about this issue and its impact on families.

  • The majority of Christian men are struggling with the temptation to look at pornography
  •  One survey found that 91% of men raised in Christian homes, 96% of men raised in partially Christian homes, and 98% of men raised in non-Christian homes were exposed to pornography growing up.
  • Many surveys indicate that more than 50% of pastors are struggling with porn. In one survey, of 1,351 pastors surveyed, 54% had viewed internet pornography within the last year.
  • 50% of men and 20% of women in the church regularly view porn.
  • People who view porn will eventually start to act out, which includes visiting an adult-oriented business, visiting a prostitute, paying for sexual favors, cybersex activities, phone sex, or having an affair.

N134113_xlargeWhen a Christian is viewing pornography, his/her passion for God and influence for God will be virtually silenced, a place where Satan wants every Christian.   It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that one can break free.

Breaking free as well as protecting oneself from the temptation is what Join1MillionMen.org is all about.  The goal is one million men who have committed to live a porn free life.  Pastor Jay Dennis shares how this effort came about on the Our Hardcore Battle Plan DVD and his materials have been used by many to break the destructive cycle of pornography.

N134111_xlargeN134112_largeThe Battle Plan includes two new books for individual reading and use in small groups. These resources help people understand that breaking free from the lure of porn—whether just tempted, viewing occasionally, or addicted—is a battle we don’t have to face alone.  Our Hardcore Battle Plan: Joining in the War Against Pornography and Our Hardcore Battle Plan for Wives: Winning the War Against Pornography are insightful books and challenging both to families who struggle with porn issues and for those who want to protect their families. The DVD and books include testimonies of those who have been harmed by pornography and those who have broken free.

 

N134120_xlargeS144111_xlargeThere are also two booklets which provide concise information and helps in the war against porn.  Our Hardcore Battle Plan A – Z is a 32-page supplement resource which provides 26 key principles in an A-to-Z format for porn-free living.  Our Hardcore Battle Plan: 1 Million Women Praying offers 26 prayers that support the key Biblical principles men need for porn-free living.

Whether we realize it or not, porn is coming to church every week in the minds of many people in the pews.  It is a “secret sin” that many people engage in, thinking no one knows and there is no harm done.  But the harm is done through images that can never be erased from the mind.  The harm is done in a myriad of consequences that destroy families, isolates people, brings shame, and keeps people in self-destructive cycles.  And when we hear of Christian leaders who are involved in affairs, leave their families, or become sexual predators, we find most often that pornography was part of the moral failure.

Learn more at NewHopeDigital.com and Join1MillionMen.org.  You can also find information on Facebook.com/JoinOneMillionMen.  (Note that One is written out on Facebook.)

We are grateful to Jay and Cheryl Hatfield for developing an introductory conference to this material. (They will teach it again at the Super Saturday in Owensboro on September 7. )  Lee and I used their materials to lead a conference at the Super Saturday in Lexington on August 24.  Four people came the first time and two the second.  The man in our second conference said, “Why aren’t pastors here?  Why are men not getting behind this? Why has this fallen to WMU to lead the charge?”  Perhaps the statistics quoted at the start of this blog tell us why.

Through various Project HELP emphases, WMU has tackled social issues that affect our society.  From poverty to AIDS, from child advocacy to violence, WMU has challenged churches to respond to issues facing us today.  Project HELP: Human Exploitation is no exception.  Through this emphasis, WMU has challenged churches to become aware of human trafficking, bullying, labor exploitation, media exploitation, exploitation of natural resources, and pornography.

The issue of pornography has been one of the most challenging. The new resources by Jay Dennis and published by New Hope (WMU), provide an avenue to start talking about this issue.

See EBO at Work through a Kentucky Missions Vision Tour

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A great way to see the Eliza Broadus Offering at work is through a Kentucky Missions Vision Tour.  On a missions tour you will visit Kentucky missions points, meet ministry leaders, see various ministry settings, and learn about ministry needs.

Kentucky Missions Vision Tours have been planned for eastern, central, and western Kentucky.  They are being offered by members of the Kentucky WMU Leadership Network as a way to introduce you to Kentucky missions.  After visiting Kentucky missions sites, you will be better able to pray for these ministries and will discover ways to get involved.

Information about one-day and two-day tours can be found on the Kentucky WMU website: www.kywmu.org/visiontours.  Churches, associations, and WMU groups are encouraged to plan a missions tour.  There are links on this web page to information about each missions tour and contact information for each tour leader is included.

If you would like to learn more about the tours, contact the tour leaders. Once you have decided on a tour, make arrangements for the tour directly with the tour leader.  Groups are responsible for the cost of lodging, meals, and travel expense for participants and the tour leader.  Tour dates are subject to the availability of the tour leader.

SMALLState Missions graphic 2013The 2013 State Missions emphasis is More Than Ever, Make a Difference. A planning guide and DVD was mailed to each pastor and WMU director in early July. Materials are also posted on the web: www.kywmu.org/ebo. Standing orders for posters, prayer guides, and offering envelopes have been filled.  If you need to update your order or place a first time order for your church, please contact the Kentucky WMU office.

Through a Kentucky Missions Vision Tour, you can see ministry sites first hand with the goal of getting involved in a Kentucky ministry.  Above  all, a Kentucky Missions Vision Tour will inform your praying and giving during our 2013 Kentucky state missions emphasis and Eliza Broadus Offering.  Our offering goal is $1,250,000.  Every dollar is needed for ministry. More Than Ever, Make a Difference!

WMU and the Cooperative Program

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Yesterday I received an email with an excellent article by Alan Witham on the Cooperative Program.  Entitled The Power of And, Alan wrote in response to the question “How does the Cooperative Program impact lostness in my part of Kentucky?” Alan’s list of things that CP is doing in Kentucky is a great reminder of what CP does in our state AND around the world.

In posting a link to Alan’s article on Facebook, I said, “This is an awesome article about the Cooperative Program and how it impacts lostness. In Acts 1:8, Jesus said that we were to be witnesses in Jerusalem AND Judea AND Samaria AND to the ends of the earth. I don’t see an OR in the list! CP and prayer are vital tools for fulfilling the AND of Acts 1:8.”

Then last night I spent time reading articles for the upcoming Winter/Spring issue of Missions Leader, a resource for all church and association WMU leaders that comes out three times a year.  One article in the Winter issue will be about the Cooperative Program.  While national WMU does not receive any CP funds and is self-supporting through the sale of missions education literature and resources, WMU has always been a supporter and promoter of the Cooperative Program.

The article I read is begins with a section on “Accomplishing More Together” and then explores the impact of CP in the world today. But what I like best – and why every WMU leader needs a subscription to Missions Leader – is the section called “Dress It Up!”  The new format for Missions Leader includes lots of creative suggestions for every missions emphasis.  This Cooperative Program article has great visual ideas, an interactive activity with children, a churchwide  object lesson with pieces of rope, and suggestions for connecting with the state convention.  Why is this so important? Because without missions education, our churches do not understand or value our cooperative ways of supporting and doing missions!

So, in answer to the question “How does the Cooperative Program impact lostness in my part of Kentucky?”, I would add that CP support for state WMU helps us “challenge believers to understand and be radically involved in the mission of God.”  In Kentucky, CP support assists in providing WMU missions consultants and resources to help Kentucky Baptists reach Kentucky and the world for Christ. Each time a WMU organization teaches missions to our children and they begin to share Christ with others, we are impacting lostness. Each time a missions group such as Women on Mission engage in a community ministry project and share Christ through the ministry, we impact lostness.  Each time believers respond to a WMU sponsored missions emphasis through praying and giving, we impact lostness. And each time we teach our churches to value the Cooperative Program, we strengthen the foundation of missions support which will help us keep impacting lostness until Jesus comes again.

The new Fall issue of Missions Leader has just been released and I urge all WMU leaders to get a subscription.  Missions Leader is a unique blend of magazine content, leadership tools, and color posters that come just when you need them. New sections include planning calendars for implementing programs, theme suggestions, and program ideas. Pages are loose-leaf and hole-punched, so you can easily make copies, distribute sections, and organize in a notebook for future use. The new design is easy-to-use and is set up like a personal planning tool to help make your job as a leader more organized and streamlined.

WMU and the Cooperative Program.  Both are great resources to help your church impact lostness in Kentucky AND around the world.