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Archives For November 30, 1999

Personal belief, salvation, spiritual disciplines, formation

Colorado firefighters get impromptu concert from youth choir

Meredith Flynn —  June 24, 2013

Youth_choirHEARTLAND | Todd Starnes, via Baptist Press

As the sun began to fade behind Pikes Peak, firefighters trudging back to their command post at Pine Creek High School in Colorado Springs heard a most unusual sound.

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound …”

It was Tuesday, June 18. 8 p.m. Shift change.

“Twas grace that taught my heart to fear …”

The command center was a flurry of activity. Weary firefighters were returning from the front lines — looking for a hot meal. Their replacements were suiting up — fire engines rumbled, sirens wailed. But amid the clamor was that most unusual sound.

“Through many dangers, toils and snares …”

Many of the firefighters had been away from their families for days to wage war on the Black Forest Fire, a blaze that had killed at least two people, destroyed more than 500 homes and consumed more than 14,000 acres of land.

But for a brief moment on Tuesday, a group of young people from more than 1,400 miles away brought a bit of joy to the command post when they serenaded the firefighters.

The 100-voice student choir from First Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala., was in Colorado on their summer tour — performing at rescue missions, nursing homes and even at a Colorado Rockies baseball game.

On Tuesday, they had been invited to sing at Focus on the Family’s headquarters in Colorado Springs. After their performance, a staff member asked if they might consider singing for the firefighters.

“We said absolutely,” music minister Chip Colee told Fox News.

The Alabama youngsters were taken aback by what they saw. Local residents stood along the road leading to the command center cheering the firefighters, holding signs that read “We love our firefighters” and “Thank you.”

The group started off singing “The Star Spangled Banner” and then launched into a 20-minute concert.

“It was very moving — for all of us,” Colee said.

Caroline Elliott, 18, told Fox News it was an honor to be able to sing for the firefighters.

“I feel like it was something we had to do,” she said. “It almost felt like we had a duty to pay back to them for all they do for us.”

Chris Colee, the music minister’s son, said the choir felt compelled to extend their hours in Colorado Springs.

“These guys are putting it all on the line,” he said, referring to the firefighters. “It was the least we could do — to go out there and sing to the Lord for them.”

After their concert, they were asked to sing for firefighters eating meals in food tents.

“So we took all 100 of our kids and moved from tent to tent to sing for the guys who were eating,” the music minister said. “We were so touched. Here were these guys and ladies — hot, sweaty, exhausted. We just wanted to put a smile on their faces.”

The young choir members said they hope their songs were an encouragement to the community.

“All we’re trying to do is shine the light of the Lord,” the music minister said.

The choir went now back on the road, heading toward Wichita where they were to sing on Wednesday — but Colee believes what happened in Colorado Springs will be a lifetime memory.

“Our kids will never forget that,” he said. “They will never forget the looks on the faces of the guys fighting those fires.”

Before they left, one firefighter told the young people she had been away from her family and her church for days.

“She told us that when we started to sing “Amazing Grace,” she felt like she was back home,” Colee said.

“When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise, than when we first begun.”

Todd Starnes, with the Fox News Channel, is the author of “Dispatches From Bitter America.” This article first appeared at http://www.toddstarnes.com.

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Denomination’s decline is hot topic at Southern Baptist Convention

Meredith Flynn —  June 18, 2013
Southern Baptist Convention President Fred Luter was re-elected to a second term during the denomination's annual meeting in Houston last week. Luter is the SBC's first African American president.

Southern Baptist Convention President Fred Luter was re-elected to a second term during the denomination’s annual meeting in Houston last week. Luter is the SBC’s first African American president.

THE BRIEFING | Meredith Flynn

Southern Baptists arrived at the 2013 Annual Meeting in Houston expecting lively conversations about Calvinism and the Boy Scouts. But those issues took a back seat to a report released by LifeWay Christian Resources just before the convention, showing declines in baptisms, average attendance and membership in SBC churches across the country.

Concerns about the report and the denomination’s future were compounded by a low number of registered messengers in Houston – just 5,103 by the time the final total was tallied.

Just before the convention convened, LifeWay released the 2012 Annual Church Profile, which showed declines in baptisms, church membership, average attendance and total giving.

Almost every leader that stepped to a microphone or sat in on a panel discussion in Houston offered input on how to reverse decline in the Southern Baptist Convention. But their solutions didn’t necessarily offer hope that the downturned numbers will rebound. Rather, they encouraged Southern Baptists to look at the effectiveness of their own local churches.

“This is not a convention problem; this is a local church problem,” said David Platt, pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, at a luncheon for young leaders. “To bring it a little closer to home, this is a pastor problem.”

Are we making disciples, are we multiplying the Gospel, Platt asked. “I want to lead out in this by example.”

Fred Luter’s president’s message rang out across the convention hall with a similar theme: Lord, send a revival, and let it begin with me! And, let us be unified.

“Lord, revive us and make us one like the early believers in Acts 2 where the Scripture says that the believers and Jesus Christ were all together in one accord, in one place,” preached Luter, who was re-elected in Houston to a second term as SBC president.

“Let me say that again, that the believers were all together in one accord, in one place and as a consequence, because they were all together in one accord, in one place, the Bible says they turned the world upside down.”

Do Baptists have the opportunity to change the world, even a world that may not recognize them for the cultural force they once were? In his report, SBC Executive Committee President Frank Page offered an optimistic outlook:

“Some have said that doing denominational work and being a part of a denomination in the 21st century is like the Titanic, it’s headed for disaster. And the best you can do is rearrange the deck chairs,” Page said.

“I choose to believe that kind of analogy is not appropriate. I believe that we together can see victory moving forward and applying Christ-like selflessness, can see days of cooperation and days of victory ahead.”

Read all of the Illinois Baptist’s 2013 SBC Annual Meeting coverage in the current issue, online at ibonline.IBSA.org.

Other news:

Lottie Moon offering tops $149M
Southern Baptists did get a piece of very good denominational news: They gave the third-largest ever Lottie Moon Christmas Offering in 2012, sending more than $149 million to support International Mission Board (IMB) missionaries serving across the globe. The offering, more than $2.4 million more than the previous year, “is a reminder that missions is the stack pole around which Southern Baptists place their hearts, afire for the Gospel,” said IMB President Tom Elliff. Read more at BPNews.net.

Atheist group plans 1-800 hotline
Recovering from Religion, an atheist group in the U.S. and Britain, plans to launch a telephone hotline to offer advice and answers to spiritual doubters, CNN reports. In response to criticism that the 24-hour hotline is devised as a way to convert people to atheism, Recovering from Religion executive director Sarah Morehead said, “Most of the people who contact us are working their way towards disbelief, so of course we are very equipped to handle that. That is not the goal, though, or the job of the facilitators.” Read the full story on CNN’s Belief blog.

Majority says gay marriage ‘inevitable’
A Pew Research survey released this month found 72% of Americans say it’s “inevitable” that same-sex marriage will be legally recognized, compared to 59% who thought so in 2004. Of those in the nearly three-fourths majority, 85% are same-sex marriage supporters, and 59% oppose it. Read more at PewForum.org.

Book explores faith on the field

“Intentional Walk”, a new book by sports writer Rob Rains, explores the Christian faith of several members of the St. Louis Cardinals, including manager Mike Matheny and stars Adam Wainwright, Carlos Beltran and David Freese. The book, subtitled “An inside look at the faith that drives the St. Louis Cardinals,” chronicles the 2012 season. “These players realize how lucky and fortunate they are to play for the Cardinals and to play Major League Baseball in general,” Rains said, “but they also realize how lucky they are to have such a strong faith in God. Read the full story at BPSports.net.

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Looking at where you’ve been

Meredith Flynn —  June 17, 2013

pull quote_ADAMSjuneHEARLTAND | Nate Adams

I would love to have the privilege of worshiping in every Illinois Baptist church. When I began with IBSA, I remember calculating that if I visited two churches a week, it would take about 10 years to get to all 1,000 churches. Visiting one new church per week is probably more realistic, but that would require 20 years, longer than any IBSA executive director has served.

But after seven years, I’ve learned it is more than time that limits the number of churches I can visit in a year. For one thing, I need to be in my home church at least occasionally, even if it’s only once a month. And then there are weeks when I must be out of the state, such as at the recent Southern Baptist Convention.

What would help me most of all to get acquainted with more churches, however, is simply an invitation. Sometimes people assume IBSA staff members are too busy to come to their church, or that their church is too small or too far away. That’s simply not true!

I absolutely love it when I receive an invitation to a church where I have never been before. The reality is that some churches tend to invite our staff to come over and over again, and of course we’re glad to do that too. But what really gets me pumped to drive on a Sunday morning is to know I’m going to meet some new people in a new place, even if I have to look up the town on a map to figure out where it is!

When I look at where I’ve been the past few years, I realize I could have been in a much higher percentage of IBSA churches. In fact, I would like to devote the next several months to worshiping in churches where I’ve never attended. If you pastor or attend one of those churches, please just invite me to come!

It doesn’t matter to me whether you need me to preach that day or not. I would enjoy worshiping with you and hearing a good sermon from an IBSA pastor just as much, if not more. Just invite me to church like I hope you do your neighbors every week!

That’s what I’ve been thinking recently as I’ve been “looking where I’ve been.” But let me also challenge you as a church to look where you’ve been as well.

When I get ready to visit a church for the first time, my assistant Sandy prints out for me the statistical history for that church, as well as the association it is in and directions, etc. These help me know a little about the setting into which I’m going.

Recently our director of information and support services, Drew Heironimus, has completed 20-year statistical summaries for every IBSA church. In other words, we can send you a brief report that shows your church’s worship and Sunday School attendance, baptisms, church program enrollments, missions giving, and more for the past 20 years. Recently my son Noah joined one of our church’s staff, and it’s the first thing he requested from IBSA. I guess he knew it’s easier to figure out where you need to go once you understand a little about where you’ve been.

Looking at where I’ve been these past few years makes me want to come to your church, especially if I’ve never been there before. Maybe looking at where you’ve been as a church over the past 20 years will give you some new insights, and new desires as well.

Nate Adams is executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association.

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Lessons from a striped shirt

Meredith Flynn —  June 6, 2013

pull quote_FLYNNCOMMENTARY | Meredith Flynn

Do you ever get the feeling everybody’s looking at you? It happened to me a week ago, when I spent the day at the Illinois Capitol waiting for an anticipated vote on the same-sex marriage bill.

Those of you who read the coverage on this blog know that vote never happened. The bill’s sponsoring representative, Greg Harris, announced that his fellow legislators needed time to go home and talk to their constituents before they could come back in the fall and vote “yes” for same-sex marriage.

That’s the official news, which you likely already knew. What you don’t know is that, in retrospect, I felt as if I almost caused an incident because of a fashion decision.

That morning I chose to wear a bright, multi-colored shirt with horizontal stripes. Almost like a rainbow. I chose it because it’s pretty, no other reason. During the course of the day, it became apparent that my apparel was making a statement I did not intend.

That day, advocates on both sides of the debate held rallies in the Capitol rotunda. The pro-traditional marriage group met first to pray together. An hour later, a larger group of same-sex marriage supporters met. And that’s where I realized my clothes might be talking for me.

I was snapping photos for the Illinois Baptist newspaper, like I’d done at the previous gathering, when a friendly lobbyist stopped to talk to me. I knew she was working for conservative groups that opposed the legislation, and I had noticed earlier how polite she was to some same-sex marriage advocates who had listened in on the prayer meeting. I complimented her on that, and she said something like, “Well I think we can disagree on some things and still agree on others…like you and I probably agree on lots of things.”

I thought, well sure we do, including this. But as she kept talking, I realized she assumed she and I were on different sides of the marriage debate. Then, I noticed someone taking a cell phone photo of me. I looked down at my shirt.

Oh.

Then, uh-oh.

In a matter of moments, my (overactive) imagination envisioned those photos posted on Facebook, then CNN, with people making all kinds of assumptions about me and my beliefs, based on my colorful shirt.

“I better call my husband,” I thought to myself. “And my mom.”

Later, calmer, I began to consider this: As a reporter, I’ve tried to tell the Illinois marriage story fairly, while still holding firmly our convictions that God designed marriage as a union between one man and one woman. But in the moments when I feared my own identity might be in question, I realized how very personal the marriage debate is for the people who are involved.

For a moment, I saw the issue from a different angle. I considered from a new perspective why so much of the debate has been rancorous, why the atmosphere in the House gallery last Friday grew more and more tense as the vote was delayed, and why some same-sex marriage advocates are so angry with Christians.

And after my own brief fears that I would be identified as standing opposite my readers and my employer, I came to see how important it is that we as Christians have a loving attitude – compelled by how deeply we ourselves are loved by a holy God – toward those with whom we disagree.

This marriage business is a serious business; it’s emotional, and where we stand on it is closely tied to our identity. As people, as fellow citizens, as believers in Christ. Let’s walk in truth and in love – a precarious balance sometimes – so that others might look past the stripes on shirts, and see the One we’re called to reflect.

That said, I still think my shirt is pretty.

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Same-sex marriage bill a non-vote in Illinois House

Lisa Misner —  June 1, 2013

Could be called during summer or fall legislative sessions

NEWS | Lisa Sergent Same-sex marriage supporters filled the Illinois House gallery Friday night for an anticipated vote on SB10, the “Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act.”

Rep. Greg Harris was the lone legislator on the floor before Friday's session began. Harris, who is gay and living with HIV, is the same-sex marriage bill's House sponsor.

Rep. Greg Harris was the lone legislator on the floor before Friday’s session began. Harris, who is gay, is the same-sex marriage bill’s chief sponsor in the House.

The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago), had told the Windy City Times he would “absolutely” call the bill to a vote before session ended May 31 and that it would pass. “When I put it up on the board, it’s going up to win,” he said.

Instead, an emotional Harris addressed the House chamber. “As chief sponsor of this legislation, decisions surrounding the legislation are mine and mine alone. Several of my colleagues have indicated they’d not be willing to cast a vote on this bill today.

“And I’ve never been sadder to accept this request, but I have to keep my eye, as we all must, on the ultimate prize. They’ve asked for time to go back to their districts, talk to their constituents and reach out to their minds and hearts and have told me they’ll return in November with their word that they’re prepared to support this legislation.”

The General Assembly will meet in Springfield in November for the fall veto session, where the bill could come up again. The Illinois Observer reported it could also be an issue this summer, due to a last-minute move by House Speaker Mike Madigan. The Speaker extended the bill’s deadline for approval to August 31, meaning it could be up for discussion if a special summer legislative session is called.

“A deadline extension by itself resolves none of the political problems associated with the bill’s opponents, but it may give advocates an incentive to work to resolve them before summer’s end,” the online paper reported. Read that story here.

Pastor Danny Holliday has been an active voice against same-sex marriage at the Capitol. Holliday, who leads Victory Baptist Church in Alton, prayed during a rally organized by the Illinois Family Institute in the Capitol rotunda Friday.

Pastor Danny Holliday has been an active voice against same-sex marriage at the Capitol. Holliday, who leads Victory Baptist Church in Alton, prayed during a rally organized by the Illinois Family Institute in the Capitol rotunda Friday.

On Friday, shouts of “Shame!” and “Justice delayed is justice denied” could be heard from the disappointed and angry gallery.

For months, Christians of different denominations, from all walks of life and different races, had banded together to stop what many believed was inevitable when the Senate approved the bill February 14. Then, the momentum seemed to be moving in a direction that would make Illinois the tenth state to legalize same-sex marriage.

But throughout the spring, religious and conservative groups stood firm for a traditional definition of marriage. The Chicago area African American Clergy Coalition used automated phone calls to urge voters around the state to contact their local representatives and tell them to vote no.

Following the non-vote, Bishop Larry Trotter, co-chairman of the coalition, told WFLD TV Fox Chicago, “Today our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has won! We are so proud of the God fearing Black Caucus members who withstood the pressure of the LGBT forces.”

Sharee Langenstein, a lobbyist who has worked with conservative groups during the same-sex marriage debate in Illinois, told the Illinois Baptist, “The African American community is by and large socially conservative, and so it has been very important through this whole process, in fighting same-sex marriage, to make sure that we form alliances with our friends.

“And I think for too long we have unfortunately kind of assumed that the African American community, which does traditionally vote Democrat, would not be with us on some of our social issues. And we have all learned…that in fact we have a lot more in common than we ever thought, and God has really worked well through this whole process in helping us work together and form alliances that before we never had thought were possible.”

Southern Baptists in Illinois actively opposed the bill. IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams told the Illinois Baptist Friday night, “I was greatly encouraged by the majority of our state representatives who stood firm for traditional marriage today, in spite of tremendous political pressure. I believe the voices and prayers of Illinois Baptist churches and church members made a difference, and have helped defend churches and Christians throughout the state from pressures, requirements and litigation that would certainly have flowed from the proposed legislation, if it had passed.

“I’m sure the political pressure to pass same sex marriage legislation in Illinois will continue. But today helped demonstrate that it is not a fore drawn conclusion, and that the religious liberty implications tied to this issue are being increasingly recognized.”

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Going into the family business

Meredith Flynn —  May 23, 2013

pull quote_ADAMS_mayCOMMENTARY | Nate Adams

When our family went out for a celebration dinner recently, it was with a larger than normal group. In addition to my wife, Beth, and me and our three sons, we were accompanied by two grandmothers, two girlfriends, and one new daughter-in-law.

That made our party large enough for a reservation and special table at the local Olive Garden restaurant. And as the host led our tribe of 10 to its table, he asked, “So what are we celebrating tonight?”

We informed him that our middle son Noah had just graduated from college. Our host responded with congratulations, and another question, this time directed at the guest of honor: “So what was your major, son, and what comes next?”

Noah didn’t hesitate to tell the friendly man that he was a Christian Ministry major at Judson University, and that he would begin June 1 as the Youth and Associate Pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Elgin.

Our host’s final question took me by surprise. “And do I take it that you’re going into the family business?”

I looked again, more closely this time, at our host to see if I knew him, or if perhaps he knew someone in our family, but neither was the case. I guess he just noted the pride in my smile when Noah told him what he would be doing.

That didn’t stop my mom from treating him like an old friend. “Well, I would never have thought to describe it that way, but you’re right. His grandfather, my husband, was in ministry for years. And this is my son Nate, and he’s in ministry. So yes, I guess Noah is the third generation of ministers in this family, and that’s sort of like going into the family business.”

“I thought maybe that was the case,” our host replied with a smile, and then excused himself to leave us in the hands of our server.

That brief encounter left me thinking about what it means for someone to enter “the family business” of church ministry here in Illinois. My son and I certainly aren’t the first. From time to time I meet sons, grandkids, even great-grandkids of ministers here in Illinois who are now serving as pastors or other leaders in IBSA churches.

“Maybe you know my dad,” they often say. Or sometimes, “I don’t know if you knew my grandfather or not. He’s gone to be with the Lord now, but he served churches here in Illinois for years.”

When I meet multiple-generation Illinois Baptists like that, I usually find I’m in a church that is being blessed with a deeply committed leader, one who serves out of spiritual motivation, but also with a deep sense of family heritage. Their eyes twinkle with the idea that their dad or their granddad would be proud of their church leadership. They are building on the foundation of his life’s service. And they are often raising their own children with the hope that they will lead well in the church some day too.

Not every pastor’s child chooses to go into ministry, any more than every farmer’s child or every coal miner’s child or every teacher’s child chooses to follow in their parent’s footsteps. God leads us individually in our life callings, and the world needs devoted Christians in all walks of life. But there is something unique and meaningful, something to be uniquely celebrated, when church leadership becomes the multi-generational pattern of a family’s life.

Our server at Olive Garden that night didn’t know our family personally. But somehow he sensed that what we were celebrating that night was Christian, and church-related, and multi-generational, lasting, and special. And every time it happens here in Illinois, we should all celebrate.

Nate Adams is executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association.

Nate Adams is executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association. Respond to his column at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org.

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Why cancer doesn’t scare me

Meredith Flynn —  May 20, 2013

pull quote_DAVENPORTHEARTLAND | Dale Davenport

You know it’s not a great prognosis when your doctor schedules an oncology appointment for the very next day.

My move to Chicago had necessitated a new doctor, who had seen me once, determined I was anemic, and said she wanted to run more tests. After those tests came her initial diagnosis – multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer. The oncologist confirmed it and told me I probably had two years to live, but that we were going to fight this aggressively. Then, he did a bone marrow biopsy right there in his office.

And I decided I’d probably rather die from the cancer than experience that again.

I don’t like pain. Up to the moment of my diagnosis, I hadn’t really been fearful about my death, except that it might happen painfully.

As a pastor, I’ve spent hours in hospitals with sick people and their families, reminding them to trust the Scripture, trust the Lord. After my doctor’s announcement, I quickly realized that if that advice had been good enough for them, it had better be good enough for me.

New heart, new eyes

I really wasn’t ever scared of dying. We’re all going to go some time, and I know where I’m going next. I thought, if I get better, that’s great. But if I don’t get better, it really gets better. My wife, Sharon, was on the same page as me, but telling our sons and my mother was harder.

My boys eventually got on board and helped me make a “bucket list” of things to do before I, well, kicked it. And life went on. I started 20 weeks of chemotherapy, with few side effects. My doctor’s aggressive treatment plan included a bone marrow transplant using my own stem cells, which was successful, with a few more side effects. Now, 55 pounds lighter and with my hair growing back, I look back on my cancer journey as one I probably wouldn’t have chosen, but I’m grateful for it.

Because my heart and my eyes are open in a way they haven’t been before.

Over the last year, the Lord put all of these people right in front of me who were struggling spiritually, or who didn’t have faith in Him. And they would ask me questions. “Why are you so cheerful? How can you stay so upbeat?” Their wondering gave me an opportunity to say, “It’s only the Lord Jesus in my life.”

Throughout the past year, I’ve realized that if my faith doesn’t separate me – in visible, obvious ways – from people who don’t know Jesus, then why would they need to know Him? If I can’t see His goodness and His care and His trustworthiness through cancer, how am I any different from anyone else? So many of us know about God’s providence in our heads, but it’s not rooted in our hearts. My illness showed me how strong God is when I don’t have any strength on my own.

I’m compelled to share that with other people.

New resolve

I’ve had more opportunities to share my faith in the past year that at any other time in my life. Not just that God is good in difficult circumstances, which He is, but the whole Gospel. My cancer made me a better evangelist, mostly because I started seeing opportunities everywhere, and knew I had nothing to lose by seizing every opportunity.

One Sunday morning on the way to church, I stopped at a McDonald’s across the street. The lady behind the register noticed I had my Bible with me, and she asked me if I really read it, and if it really helped me. I told her I couldn’t live a day without it. We finished our conversation, I went on to church, and it wasn’t until I was sitting in the service that I realized what I needed to do. After the service, I walked back across the street and gave her my Bible. She hesitated at first, saying that it was mine and she couldn’t take it, but I assured her that the Bible was hers now.

There are people everywhere that need the hope we have. I knew it before I was diagnosed with cancer, but I see it in even sharper focus now. I gave away four or five Bibles in the space of two weeks.

Now, I’m a few months into remission, something my doctor has admitted he thought we’d never see. My sons have told me I can’t play the “cancer card” anymore. But I do go in for monthly blood work and chemo, and I still see the doctors and nurses who were so helpful to me. I tell them they were like angels in my life. And I use the time I have to tell them again why I’m so hopeful.

Dale Davenport is IBSA’s education director and zone consultant in Chicagoland.

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‘Robocalls’ and protests keep marriage debate going in Illinois

Meredith Flynn —  May 14, 2013

Tuesday_BriefingTHE BRIEFING | Lisa Sergent and Meredith Flynn

Exactly three months ago, the Illinois Senate passed the “Religious Freedom and Marriage Equality Act.” On February 14, the state seemed poised to become the tenth to legalize same-sex marriage. But today, the bill is still awaiting a vote on the Illinois House floor.

The hold-up could be due in part to the efforts of religious leaders and groups like the Illinois Family Institute (IFI), who have made known their opposition to the bill. IFI has organized recent rallies in front of the offices of state representatives, and a coalition of African-American pastors in the Chicago area are using automated phone calls to urge voters around the state to contact their local representatives and tell them to vote no. The calls are voiced by Rev. James Meeks, a former state representative and influential Chicago area pastor. In the calls he states, “In my view, same-sex marriage should not be the law of the state of Illinois.”

Reports in March and April indicated the bill was as many as 12 “yes” votes short. But Rep. Greg Harris, the bill’s sponsor, told Chicago’s ABC News last week that proponents of same-sex marriage are “very close” to passing the legislation.  According to a Sunday Chicago Tribune editorial, “Harris needs 60 votes, and we’re told he’s a mere three to five short, with plenty of fence-sitters.”

Governor Pat Quinn has expressed his impatience with the House’s failure to vote on the bill. “It’s time to vote,” he said last week. “Illinois passing marriage equality in to law, I think, sends a great signal to the people of our state and the people of America. So it’s important to Illinois (that) the House of Representatives get going.”

The Illinois General Assembly’s session ends May 31.

Just last week, legislators in Rhode Island and Delaware voted to legalize same-sex marriage in their states, and yesterday, Minnesota became the 12th state to legalize same-sex marriage. Governor Mark Dayton is expected to sign the bill into law today.

Other news:

Bill would change state’s abstinence-focused curriculum
A bill that would change sex education curriculum in Illinois is awaiting a vote by the Senate. Heather Steans, a Democratic Senator from Chicago, is sponsoring the bill that would replace the state’s abstinence-based model of sex-ed with curriculum that would also emphasize contraception and awareness of sexually transmitted diseases. Opponents, including the Illinois Family Institute (IFI), say the legislation would subject young children to “graphic sexual information to which most parents would find highly objectionable and inappropriate.” According to an IFI press release, “If the ‘comprehensive’ sex education bill, HB 2675, is passed, it will establish a one-size-fits-all approach to sex education and remove local community control over choosing true ‘age- appropriate’ curriculum, another term used in the bill.” Read a Chicago Tribune story about the issue here, or visit the Illinois Family Institute’s website.

After guilty verdict, Gosnell could face death penalty
Notorious abortion provider Dr. Kermit Gosnell was convicted on three counts of first degree murder Monday, and could face the death penalty. Gosnell, 72, was charged with ending the lives of babies born alive at his Philadelphia clinic. He also was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of 41-year-old Karnamaya Mongar. During the trial, pro-life advocates waged a “Tweet Fest” to raise awareness about the charges against Gosnell, which had gone unmentioned by most mainstream media outlets. Read more at ChristianPost.com.

Politics plays a role in pastors’ environmental views
Pastors’ views on the environment are largely linked to the political party they identify with, according to a new study by LifeWay Research. The survey of 1,000 Protestant pastors found 43% agree with the statement, “I believe global warming is real and man made,” while 54% disagree. But the numbers are more extreme along political party lines: 76% of pastors that are Democrats strongly agree with the validity of man-made global warming, but only 7% of pastors identifying as Republicans express the same belief. Pastors also weighed in on whether their churches are actively taking steps to reduce their carbon footprint; read more at LifeWayResearch.com.

Barna study explores mass exodus of Millenials from the church
Barna’s extensive research on the Millenial generation has resulted in some alarming statistics, like the fact that 43% of church-going Millenials drop out of church sometime between high school and turning 30. The research also generated some interesting distinguishing characteristics of these “spiritually homeless youth.” Read about Barna’s three categories for Millenials who have left the church – nomads, prodigals, and exiles – at Barna.org.

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Does it matter if parents are – or aren’t – Christians?

Meredith Flynn —  May 9, 2013

Parenting_chart_LifeWayCOMMENTARY | By Russ Rankin, LifeWay Christian Resources

Most Americans believe good mothers and fathers must be loving, supportive and protecting, but fewer see the necessity of parents having a commitment to Christianity or religion, according to a LifeWay Research survey released May 7.

According to the survey, “Loving” is the No. 1 characteristic deemed mandatory for mothers (85 percent) and fathers (79 percent). After “loving,” four of the next five characteristics are shared, including “supporting,” “protecting,” “encouraging” and “involved.”

What Americans don’t necessarily see as mandatory traits of good mothers and fathers are religious convictions, including being a committed Christian.

Parenting_chart_2_LifeWayFor mothers (35 percent) and fathers (31 percent), being “Religious” garnered a slightly higher return than being a “Committed Christian” (26 percent for both mothers and fathers) on the survey of desired traits.

“Clearly Americans who are not Christians themselves would not be expected to value a Christian commitment among parents today,” noted Scott McConnell, director of LifeWay Research. “However, 3 out of 4 Americans indicate their religious preference is Christian, Catholic or Protestant. This means only a third of these people appear to value parents modeling a commitment to Jesus Christ to their children.

“For many who indicate a Christian type religion, this preference simply reflects something they were born with rather than something they feel they must nurture in the next generation,” McConnell explained.

Read more about the survey at LifeWayResearch.com.

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Disaster Relief volunteers respond to flooded communities in Illinois

Meredith Flynn —  May 7, 2013

Tuesday_BriefingTHE BRIEFING | Meredith Flynn

The days start early for Disaster Relief volunteers helping to feed families displaced by recent flooding in Illinois. Around 5 a.m., the small team tasked with preparing 1,000 meals a day starts on lunch. It’s cooked and packed before most people have eaten breakfast. Then, they start on dinner.

For more than a week, Disaster Relief blue cap Jim Weickersheimmer has led the effort out of Woodland Baptist Church in Peoria. The team is using a mobile kitchen owned and operated by Illinois DR, and also has full run of the church’s kitchen facilities.

“And we are quite an imposition,” said volunteer Jamie Kincaid. “I mean, they have stuff going on every day and we’re kind of in their way, and they have been unbelievable.”

Disaster Relief volunteer Betty Stone prepares meals to be delivered to victims of recent flooding in Illinois.

Disaster Relief volunteer Betty Stone prepares meals to be delivered to victims of recent flooding in Illinois.

Woodland is sharing their building with more than just the Disaster Relief volunteers – twice a day, Red Cross ERV’s (Emergency Response Vehicles) pile into the church parking lot, waiting to be filled with meals that will be distributed around Peoria. The feeding effort will close down today, but relief efforts are far from finished.

A “mudout” team also is expected in Peoria this week to help residents begin the process of cleaning their homes, and similar work is taking place 90 miles to the northeast, in Marseilles. Illinois teams will continue to work in those locations and others, likely with help from Disaster Relief crews from neighboring states. Since flooding began in mid-April, nearly 50 counties in Illinois have been declared State Disaster Areas.

To donate to Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief, click here.

Other news:

ESPN’s Broussard ‘resting on the scriptures’ amidst controversy
After ESPN’s Chris Broussard came under fire for comments about homosexuality, he thanked Christians for supporting and praying for him. “I believe God is getting all the glory from this and I’ve been resting on the scriptures, ‘blessed are you when you are persecuted for righteousness sake.’ So I know this is a blessing,” the basketball analyst said during a teleconference hosted by the K.I.N.G. Movement, a ministry he founded. Broussard shared his view – that living a homosexual lifestyle is “open rebellion to God” – in the wake of NBA player Jason Collins’ announcement that he is gay. Read more at ChristianPost.com.

Ravi Zacharias: From attempted suicide to life in Christ
Author and Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias writes about his early struggle with failure, and how it led him to attempt suicide, in a column for ChristianityToday.com.

More like Jesus, or more like the Pharisees?
New research from Barna shows 51% of people who identify themselves as Christians are “Pharisaical” in their attitudes and actions, where only 14% are characterized by the actions and attitudes of Jesus Christ. Read more at Barna.org.

‘Experiencing God’ – the movie
The “Experiencing God” discipleship study authored by Henry Blackaby and Claude King is subject of a new documentary film and the inaugural release of LifeWay Films, a division of LifeWay Christian Resources. “Experiencing God” was first published in 1990; it has since sold 7 million copies and has been published in more than 45 languages. Read more at BPNews.net.

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