12 Topics the Church Is NOT Talking About

This past weekend I was blessed to be at a men's conference called Barnabas Renewal in Atlanta, GA where 25 ministers under the age of 40 came together for prayer, renewal, accountability, and building relationships. Men from all over the country came and even one youth pastor from Vancouver, Canada. God was encouraging each of us to hear His voice and be led by the voice of the Holy Spirit. 

Paul Muzichuk

One topic we discussed was: What is the Church (Body of Christ) either locally or around the world NOT talking about. Here are 12 things we must start addressing in 2014....

1. Sexual Immorality + Sexual Purity. This was the number one rated topic across all 25 men from various churches and ministries that agreed it MUST be taught, discipled, and discussed in the church. 

2. Personal & Family Finances. The growing problem of rising debt in families, in ministries, and lack of accountability with ministry leaders. A call to open transparency and financial committees. 

3. Discipleship. People yearn to be discipled not just preached at. People want real life relationships with mentors, spiritual fathers/mothers and accountability. People want to grow spiritually. Preaching alone will not make that happen.

4. How to Serve/Minister. Yes- as basic as it sounds. There is a need to train volunteers, staff, pastoral staff on HOW to minister. Don't just tell your youth or leader "Go serve". Teach them. Walk alongside and show them. Train up a new generation of HOW to serve. 

5. Practicing the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Much talk is said in churches about desiring the spiritual gifts but not much practice is done. Men are hungry to be trained to hear the voice of God, to be open to prophecy, and equipped with all the gifts available. The problem is the church does not practice them. If you want to impact a new generation lets start walking out our talk. 

6. Transparency. Men (and women) are tired of always hearing the perfect side of leaders, preachers, and missionaries. The deep desire is to be open, honest, transparent not only in the pulpit but more in person and in relationships. We need less glamor preachers and more men who are Barnabas'.

7. Parental Blessings. There has been a lack of understanding of how significant and vital parental blessings are in children's lives. Talk about the joy of receiving parental blessings.

8. Women in Leadership. The church for years has suppressed the leadership giftings of women. We need more women leaders trained and ready to serve. 

9. Being Flexible With Technology. At times there has been a struggle introducing technology in the church. Some feel it is "unholy" others feel it expands the kingdom of God. We cannot be blind to the fact that BILLIONS of people can be reached using new methods of technology. 

10. Science + Faith. Much of the church has pushed away from inviting science to play a role in the development of faith within a church. Science has been viewed as an unbelievers religion when in fact if we were to let science be voiced it would prove more of God's Word then without it.

11. Couples Ministry/Counseling. We must invest in not only counseling when things go bad in a marriage but when things are great and to keep it going. Couples ministry is a great need in many churches.

12. Miscellaneous. Topics like not defining a persons spirituality by the amount of ministries he or she is involved in, growing in knowledge and training is a good thing, respecting authority without constantly being skeptical, not being a church or people who are isolationists but investing in the Body of Christ. 

Let us prayerfully consider addressing some of these topics in 2014! 

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Celebrating Leadership Gifts in Women

"Preach it Sister! We encourage your voice and position of influence! Do great things for God by His Holy Spirit! We stand with you! We rally around you to celebrate what God is doing in you!"...These should be the statements of encouragement we should be shouting to our dear sisters in Christ. Somehow we have seen more voices like, "Sit down, your not allowed to preach! Women must be silent in the church! You have no authority to speak! Your task is to be home with the kids! You can only support your husband! Cook, clean, stay home, that is your purpose in life!" As the body of Christ, we must see EVERY member valuable, honorable, and functional for the glory of God. Then the question is raised, Why should we celebrate leadership gifts in women?

1. God gave EQUAL responsibility, authority, and promotion. 
Many take passages out of context to create theology based on what they grew up to be true and have never examined or questioned the scriptural basis of women in leadership roles. Jesus Christ broke the chauvinistic domineering curse over women at the cross. In Genesis 3:16 the second part of the verse it says this, "Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you." This was said as a curse for disobeying God's commandment to not eat any of the fruit. However, this curse's price was paid in FULL at the cross and restoration was brought back to the original design. The design to have male and female as co-equals working in the fields for the Lord. Women have the full authority, responsibility, and God's kiss of promotion to go and win souls. And yes that means they can publicly preach, sing, worship, lead a church, lead Bible studies, create sermon series, lead seminars. Say these words.."I celebrate godly women leaders!" 

2. Women are more generous in financial giving.
Some men maybe saying, whoa whoa whoa hold on there. But let me shed some light or perhaps let me ask you some questions. Who were one of the first financial supporters of Jesus' ministry? Who was the one that helped start a church in Philippi because she opened her home? Who had more passion during the times of Jesus' ministry? Who poured out more than a year's worth of salary onto Jesus' feet? Yes, it was women. We cannot deny the fact that women love to give and support not only Christian causes but community causes too. I recently had a breakfast meeting with a prominent women in our city of Jacksonville, FL. We sipped coffee at Starbucks and she shared an interesting study she came across recently. The study said that as more women CEO's, VP's, Presidents', Executive Directors get positioned into those roles the higher the giving to the local community outreaches and nonprofits go up. Also the trend stated that as women leaders are replaced with men in the corporate world less community giving is tracked. For men tend to spend on their personal wants, like high priced vehicles, houses, vacations, on and on. Boy toys you can say. If we as men decry the notion of feeble giving in our churches and missions organizations perhaps we should let women ministers attend our board meetings and financial committees? (And all the women said amen!) 

3. Compassion vs. Strategy is advanced 
We love the gift of visionary strategy that advances a church, a missions organization or an international ministry. Yet, Jesus called us to reach the lost with compassion. We cannot deny that we need vision and strong leadership but I cannot find in the Bible a quote where it says, "Peter be a strong leader! or "John stop hugging me already, where are the business plan models for growth of disciples?" Jesus walked with great compassion and humility while on earth. There is no doubt that women have a more tender, compassionate, loving, and gentle heart. However, that does not mean they are not strong enough or bold enough to lead congregations or ministries into the will of God. This world is suffocating from a drought of pure compassion. We need more compassionate hearts in leadership roles. Women can teach us much about this! 

4. Men are NOT enough to advance the kingdom 
Jesus used the Samaritan woman at the well to preach to her village and call the men and women to meet Jesus. Deborah in the book of Judges was a leader of the Israelite's and led them to victory. Esther was given a queen's position to influence law and order for the Jewish nation. When the Holy Spirit was poured out in the upper room, it was in full measure given to men and women equally. We must understand that women must be encouraged and given the platform and opportunity to develop their leadership giftings in the body of Christ. My heart cries for the many women young and old who feel tormented inside for being discriminated and neglected in being able to serve in the body of Christ fully. Dear sister, we NEED You! 

5. Healing Flows from Broken Strongholds 
Religion loves to take hold and never let go. Religion loves control but the Holy Spirit loves liberty! We must give the command over to the moving of the Holy Spirit to reach this world. Having recently visited Romania and Hungary a few weeks ago, I can personally tell you that Jesus through the Holy Spirit is equipping thousands of ready and willing women's hearts. When we as men can be humble enough to break tradition, culture, and religion to take our sisters hands and work together a healing flow of anointing begins to work in us all. We as men need to pray fervently for the Lord to break the yokes still set over many women leaders who have had much ridicule and wounds from pursuing the call of God in their lives. As men, instead of throwing stones, lets shield our sisters from the stones. Its time we stand up as men and not only protect our sisters financially and physically but we create a wall of fortified protection over those dear sisters, who are called to preach publicly, called to lead churches, called to be international evangelists, called to do radical things for Jesus Christ. I am one that stands with my sisters in Christ and say I am with you. Let's bring healing not only to this sin-filled world but more so to the body of Christ for all the self-inflicted wounds. Come Holy Spirit and heal! 

Heartfelt Forgiveness to ALL WOMEN LEADERS today: 

I want to close and feel pressed to make a public apology on behalf of men to all my dear sisters in Christ who have been marginalized, discounted, abused, neglected, mistreated, hurt, wounded, offended, discriminated against, rejected, or in anyway looked down upon for being born a women and having leadership gifts in you. I pray healing will begin here and right now and that the Holy Spirit will launch and raise you up into what God has called you to do! 

Please forgive men, including myself, if we have not seen the treasure inside you. Forgive us for being chauvinistic and not kind. Forgive us for not building you up but in wounding you. Forgive us for blocking your rightful position in the ministry. Forgive us for causing emotional and spiritual pain to linger so long and never receiving an apology. I ask for your forgiveness for all men for the way we have treated you in church. Forgive us for dishonoring your leadership gifts and not giving you a position of influence. I ask for the binding unity of the Holy Spirit to heal your heart with the love of Jesus Christ right now. I pray for you dear sister right now! I pray you walk with your head up high, your arms high to the sky and your heart full of joy for the calling God has given you. I pray you give new strength to my dear sisters who have been deeply confused and rejected in their culture and did not find any help or support from us as men. Dear Lord, minister to the deepest part of their soul and heart and bring reconciliation back into your people so we can walk hand in hand winning one soul at a time together. I see Lord a women who is reading this and is shedding tears for the pain she has endured. I pray healing over this women dear Lord. I pray she finds renewal in these words of reconciliation and put her into the proper position of preaching your Word! 

I CELEBRATE WOMEN LEADERS AND ALL YOUR GIFTINGS THE LORD HAS GIVEN YOU!

Twitter: @PaulMuzichuk