10 Commandments For Pastors and Church Staff

I saw this list on Tullian Tchividjian's blog. Rick Warren has gotten this one exactly right. Every day, it seems that another pastor or church staff member disgraces the name of Christ by engaging in scandalous behavior. I believe that few of those who find themselves in that situation originally intended it to be that way. Some are naive and many are reckless. The idea that, "It can't happen to me," is prevalent. Understanding that, pastors and staffs should hold themselves and each other accountable to these standards and churches should come alongside them and encourage them as they do.

Rick Warren's 10 Commandments for Ministry Staff at Saddleback:

1. Thou shalt not go to lunch alone with the opposite sex.*
2. Thou shalt not have the opposite sex pick you up or drive you places when it is just the two of you.*
3. Thou shalt not kiss any attender of the opposite sex or show affection that could be questioned.*
4. Thou shalt not visit the opposite sex alone at home.*
5. Thou shalt not counsel the opposite sex alone at the office, and thou shalt not counsel the opposite sex more than once without that person’s mate. Refer them.
6. Thou shalt not discuss detailed sexual problems with the opposite sex in counseling. Refer them.
7. Thou shalt not discuss your marriage problems with an attender of the opposite sex.
8. Thou shalt be careful in answering emails, instant messages, chatrooms, cards or letters from the opposite sex.
9. Thou shalt make your co-worker your protective ally.
10. Thou shalt pray for the integrity of other staff members.

[*The first four do not apply to unmarried staff.]

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Deep Riches: Persecution in Today's Church

It's hard to think about persecution as we sit in our comfortable churches with our "take-it-or-leave-it" attitude. But persecution is a daily fact in most countries around the world. See more over on Deep Riches.

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Persecution in Today's Church

Within the past several days, believers have been martyred all over the world, from North Korea, to the Middle East, to Indonesia, to parts of Africa. Practically everywhere there is persecution, Tertullian’s quote rings prophetic.

It has been said that when Chinese house church leaders discovered American Christians praying for the end of persecution in China, they were rebuked. They asked instead that people pray they would stand strong and that God would be glorified in the face of persecution.

This should not be taken as a call to prayerfully desire persecution. Clearly, persecution brings negative consequences as well as positive results. It does, however, put things into perspective. In America, most churches are clean, comfortable and casual (attitude, not dress). One tends to wonder what will happen when the persecution eventually hits close to home.

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Deep Riches: Developments from Persecution

Can anything good come from persecution? See if it has in the past over on Deep Riches.

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Development Resulting from Persecution

For the most part, persecution had a purifying effect on Christianity. It has been said that a person will die for something they know to be true. If the second and third century Christians knew they were going to die, they had to know what they were dying for was absolutely true. This pressure brought about the need to canonize Scripture. After all, no one wanted to risk death over something considered to be a spurious writing. The church grew phenomenally during this period. It grew to the point that Tertullian wrote, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” Despite the fact that many people denied their faith, the vast majority did not.

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Deep Riches: Historical Response to Persecution

Throughout history, men have sought to destroy the Church by persecuting her. How has she responded? Find out over on Deep Riches.

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