2023 in RETROSPECT

in 2023 Revival Harvest Campaign extended to 8 weeks alone in TN, and then the Carolinas and Florida. This time, we ended up extending the length of the campaign four times, even after we were ready to close it at the end of November. Finally, in December, the Lord swiftly opened another door for us to present our new Bulgarian-Spanish New Testament in Honduras.

We’ve been able to keep our services along with our weekly Bible Broadcasts in Bulgaria. Without a central building, our Fall and Christmas services were held only in local churches. With the current COVID restrictions in play, it is virtually impossible to rent auditoriums for large gatherings as we have done in the past. As soon as the weather there allows it, we will return to open air and camp services for special occasions. The building situation is turning to be of concern and continues prayer focus in the post-pandemic reality. We are also working on several Bible projects in the spring, that will be finalized before the summer in time to aid our work on the Balkans in 2023. Revival must go on!

The text of the Bulgarian Bible is printed in the United States. The revision methodology used in the editing of the original text is patented and protected by PCT international patent law and may not be duplicated. Copyright © 1990-2023 by Bibliata.com.

English-Bulgarian New Testament

English Bulgarian New Testament Vol. 1 New Bible Diglot Series by Bibliata.com (2022)

The Darby Bible was first published in 1890 by John Nelson Darby, an Anglo-Irish Bible teacher associated with the early years of the Plymouth Brethren. Darby also published translations of the Bible in French and German. J. N. Darby’s purpose was, as he states in the preface to his English New Testament, to make a modern translation for the unlearned who have neither access to manuscript texts nor training and knowledge of ancient languages of the Scriptures. Darby’s translation work was not intended to be read aloud. His work was for study and private use. In his own oral ministry he generally used the English KJV Bible.

Nuevo Testamento Español-Búlgaro

Nuevo Testamento Español-Búlgaro Vol. 2 New Bible Diglot Series by Bibliata.com (2022)

The translation has been made directly from the standard Nestle-Aland Greek text. Its purpose is to be a faithful translation of its original meaning, without difficult or confusing terms. The style has been translated into contemporary English and Spanish, avoiding the use of slang or colloquial words, thus speaking to our modern society in a way that everyone can understand.

Neue Testament Deutsch-Bulgarisch

Neue Testament Deutsch-Bulgarisch Vol. 3 New Bible Diglot Series by Bibliata.com (2022)

The Luther Bible is a German language Bible translation from Hebrew and ancient Greek by Martin Luther, of which the New Testament was published in 1522 and the complete Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments and Apocrypha, in 1534. The language was updated in 1912.
This Bible is in the public domain in the United States. We are making it available in the same format in which we acquired it as a public service.

Nouveau Testament Français-Bulgare

Nouveau Testament Français-Bulgare Vol. 4 New Bible Diglot Series by Bibliata.com (2022)

The LSG was published in 1910 as the classic French equivalent of the English King James Version. Louis Segond French Bible – (October 3, 1810 – June 18, 1885), was a Swiss theologian who translated the Bible into French from the original texts in Hebrew and Greek. He was born in Plainpalais, near Geneva. After studying theology in Geneva, Strasbourg and Bonn, he was pastor of the Geneva National Church in Chêne-Bougeries, then from 1872, Professor of Old Testament in Geneva. The translation of the Old Testament, commissioned by the Vénérable Compagnie des Pasteurs de Genève, was published in two volumes in 1871 (Meusel has 1874 as the publication date), followed by the New Testament, translated as a private venture, in 1880. The text was then reviewed by experts. The result is the 1910 revision that is now freely available on Internet.

Nuovo Testamento Italiano-Bulgaro

Nuovo Testamento Italiano-Bulgaro Vol. 5 New Bible Diglot Series by Bibliata.com (2022)

An Italian translation of the Holy Bible according to the Roman Catholic canon, based on the original texts and meant to be typical for use in liturgy, approved by the Italian Conference of Catholic Bishops and published in 2008. The previous 1974 edition is taken into account, but it is often corrected, while trying to reflect recent advances in Biblical exegesis, and to respect the literary style of different Biblical authors. The Book of Esther offers two parallel translations (second translation is offered in module CEI2008-2), based on the Greek text and on the Hebrew text.

All About Bulgarian Chaplaincy in 2023

CHAPLAINCY MODEL WITHIN THE BULGARIAN ARMY (Submitted to the Manfred Wörner Foundation)

Celebrating 14 Years of Chaplaincy on the High Seas

We began our literal journey of ministry on the high seas in 2009. After exploring the opportunity for several years’ prior and submitting applications to various chaplaincy organizations which dealt with such ministry, the doors finally opened for Cup and Cross. This search for a ministerial identity and its proper…

Master’s of Chaplaincy Ministry Program in Bulgaria Renewed

Master’s of Chaplaincy Ministry Program in Bulgaria Renewed (2010-2023) We are proud to announce that the Master’s of Chaplaincy Ministry Program, we designed and launched in Bulgaria in 2006, has been selected to be part of the Social Service Program of New Bulgarian University. After being for years a valuable…

Reflection on on U.S. Department of State recognizing  the Bulgarian Chaplaincy Associations

Reflection on on U.S. Department of State recognizing  the Bulgarian Chaplaincy Associations BREAKING NEWS [October 8, 2007] Original source archive: U.S. Department of State: https://web.archive.org/web/20080709061910/http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2007/90168.htm For immediate release: Bulgarian Chaplaincy Associations Recognized by U.S. Department of State U.S. Department of State has released its annual International Religious Freedom Report for 2007….

Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association celebrates 26 years in Ministry

Our Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association celebrates 26 years of Military Ministry in Bulgaria since the first event co-hosted by the Bulgarian Armed Forces and government officials in 1997. 2018 The Road toward a Balkan Multi-Ministry Center and Legal Status 2017 Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association: Legal Case Renewed 2015 Revisiting the Integration Proposal with Local NATO Programs by Bulgarian…

• All About Bulgarian Chaplaincy in 2023
• CHAPLAINCY MODEL WITHIN THE BULGARIAN ARMY (Submitted to the Manfred Wörner Foundation)
• Celebrating 14 Years of Chaplaincy on the High Seas
• Master’s of Chaplaincy Ministry Program in Bulgaria Renewed
• Reflection on on U.S. Department of State recognizing  the Bulgarian Chaplaincy Associations
• Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association celebrates 26 years in Ministry
• The RISE of a CHURCH

Current Context of Chaplaincy in Bulgaria (2003-2023)

We are proud to announce that the Master’s of Chaplaincy Ministry Program, we designed and launched in Bulgaria in 2006, has been selected to be part of the Social Service Program of New Bulgarian University. After being for years a valuable part of the regular curriculum of the Bulgarian Evangelical Theological Institute and the St. Trivelius Institute in the capital Sofia, the chaplaincy program has received the highest level of recognition as successful graduates will be finally able to receive government recognized degrees and apply their knowledge and training in chaplaincy on a professional level. The chaplaincy program can also serve within the Integration Proposal of local NATO programs and be instrumental in dealing with the enormous wave of Middle East migrants crossing through Bulgaria today.

The fall of the Berlin Wall introduced a new reality that Bulgaria was not prepared to embrace. The end of Communism was unable to tear down the communist mentality. Today, an entire Bulgarian generation lives with the scars inflicted by their experience under years of the Communist Regime, while another generation lives with an immense historical gap that has formed a new political, social, economical and cultural reality.

Three points are worth noting about Bulgaria’s Postcommunist context. First, in the beginning of the 21^st century Bulgaria is left with armed forces, which were organized and influenced by the Soviet model and still act accordingly. The bureaucratic infrastructure disallows and discourages any changes apart from carefully chosen decisions that keep the army’s activities to the minimum possible. The two main factors needed for any change to occur, namely decision-making processes and chain of command, still operate under an Eastern Soviet paradigm.

Second, atheistic morale has gained the status of a positive military qualification in the Bulgarian military. This may sound familiar for any given army; however, in most cases it replaces a religious attitude with an atheistic one. In the Postcommunist context, atheistic beliefs pervade and even when a soldier experiences a genuine need for spirituality, in most cases s/he has no religious root to which to return. This lack of alternative or spiritual choice results in a pessimistic morale, intensified by the required mandatory military services.

Third, a Postcommunist mentality with definite Balkan characteristics rules not only the army but also the country as a whole. The economical, political and cultural crises have remained an undividable part of Bulgaria’s reality in the past 16 years. There, Postcommunist mentality holds captive every progressive thought and idea.

Chronology of Events:

2018 The Road toward a Balkan Multi-Ministry Center and Legal Status

2017 Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association: Legal Case Renewed

2015 Revisting the Integration Proposal with Local NATO Programs by Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association

2014 Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association: Vision and Resolution Reaffirmed

2012 First Class of the Master’s of Chaplaincy Ministry Program

2011 Master’s of Chaplaincy Ministry Program Continues

2010 Master’s of Chaplaincy Ministry Program begins in Sofia, Bulgaria

2009 Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association holds an introductory chaplaincy course in Yambol, Bulgaria

2008 The Case of a NATO Chaplaincy Model within the Bulgarian Army released

2007 Bulgarian Chaplaincy Associations Recognized by U.S. Department of State

2006 Registration for the Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association Rejected by Bulgarian Court

2005 The Bulgarian Chaplaincy Association presented before the Bulgarian Evangelical Alliance

2004 Three U.S. Bases in Bulgaria to be Built by 2010

2003 The Case of a NATO Chaplaincy Model within the Bulgarian Army

2002 First Balkan Chaplaincy Conference at the Central Church of God in Sofia, Bulgaria

2001 Church of God Chaplaincy Commission to visit Bulgaria

2000 Euro-seminar: Christian ethics in the military forces

1997 First Military Ministry Seminar in Veliko Tarnovo

7 LAST DAYS SIGNS in 2023

Russia recently announced a stoppage of the flow of gas to the EU through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline and that the flow will not be restarted until the EU cancels its economic sanctions on Russia.

Some EU citizens are starting to suffer, and they know their suffering is going to get much worse when winter arrives.

It is not surprising:

• That the value of the Euro is at a 20-year low.
• That the high cost of utilities and food have triggered a cost-of-living problem, and many EU citizens are moving toward poverty (owning nothing but not happy).
• That more than 70,000 Czechoslovakian citizens recently marched on their capital (Prague) to protest the situation and to call for an end to the sanctions on Russia.
• That all the EU nations are anticipating more protests in the coming months.
• That this is happening and the rider on the black horse during the Tribulation Period is hyper-inflation, economic collapse, and famine (Rev. 6:5-6).

(More: On Sept. 7, 2022, EU Commission Pres. Ursula von der Leyen announced that the EU plans to impose mandatory electricity rationing and price caps on natural gas from Russia. Vladimir Putin called the plan “stupid” and said prices will go even higher.)

(More: On Sept. 8, 2022, it was reported that tens of thousands and perhaps hundreds of thousands of the sick and elderly will die; think population reduction.)

(More: On Sept. 8, 2022, it was reported that a failure of EU banks this winter will impact banks in the U.S. and the value of the dollar—major economic problems could be just months away.)

(More: On Sept. 8, 2022, it was reported that proposed legislation in Switzerland requires citizens in gas-heated buildings to keep their thermostat below 66.2 degrees F this winter. Intentional violators will be fined and could face up to three years in prison.)

(More: On Sept. 14, 2022, it was reported that the sale of appliances and other expensive items is in decline because poverty is spreading.)

Be aware that some reports say this is happening because the EU is following the World Economic Forum (WEF) agenda, and it will happen to every nation on earth (including the U.S.) because the WEF agenda is a global policy.

(My opinion: The problems in the EU and the WEF agenda guarantee that the mess this world is in will get much worse before the end of winter. The upcoming election could be critical for the survival of America.)

When asked about the signs of His coming (at the end of the Tribulation Period), Jesus replied that there will be distress of nations, with perplexity (Luke 21:25).

Many prophecy teachers have long expected global problems that will cause people to accept “the man with a plan” who will rise in the EU and be known as the Antichrist.

At the time of this writing:

• The media has reported that Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II has passed away, and Charles is preparing to take the throne as the King of England.
• Charles has attended globalist Bilderberg meetings, has been an extreme climate change fanatic, co-hosted a WEF meeting, and is a friend of Klaus Schwab, but he now says he is going to change because the King is not supposed to be political (his change may be questionable, but time will tell).
• At the UN COP26 meeting, Charles called for trillions (trillions, not billions) of dollars to be available to someone (a male ruler; some think he was referring to “the man with a plan;” the Antichrist) to immediately change the global economy, go green, and bring about the WEF Great Reset.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMRjfKhCpSo&t=17s

Here are more events that seem to indicate that we are getting close.

One, concerning climate change and going green in the U.S.: on Sept. 8, 2022, it was reported that “Californians are being asked to cut back on cooling their homes and using large appliances to prevent rolling blackouts as the state buckles under the weight of its outdated infrastructure and increasing reliance on unreliable ‘clean energy’ sources.”

Governor Newsom advised citizens to:

• Set their thermostats at 78 degrees.
• Turn off unnecessary lights.
• Avoid using large appliances.

According to the report, part of California’s power shortage problem is its shift to the WEF Great Reset plan.

The report quotes WEF founder Klaus Schwab as saying every “country, from the United States to China, must participate, and every industry, from oil and gas to tech, must be transformed.”

(FYI: On Sept. 1, 2022, it was reported that a power company took control of the smart thermostats in about 22,000 homes in Colorado, and the homeowners could not control the temperature in their own homes.)

Two, concerning deceit, Pres. Biden (the “big man” in the Biden criminal cartel) recently addressed the nation twice:

There are too many lies and too much deceit to comment on, but among other things, the “big man” said (words in parentheses are mine):

• “MAGA (Make America Great Again) Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our Republic.”
• “MAGA forces are determined to take this country backward — backward to an America where there is no right to choose (no right to an abortion), no right to privacy, no right to contraception, no right to marry who you love (no right to same-sex marriage).”
• “MAGA Republicans look at America and see carnage and darkness and despair. They spread fear and lies. Lies told for profit and power.”
• MAGA Republicans “are destroying American democracy.”

Notice that Biden (who calls himself a good Catholic):

• Opposes Making America Great Again.
• Champions abortion (against his Catholic faith) and same-sex marriage (against the Scriptures).
• Accuses MAGA Republicans of lying (even though he lied about uniting the U.S. during his campaign, has changed his position on abortion and same-sex marriage from against to for, is lying about Hunter, lying about inflation, lying about the U.S. border with Mexico being secure, etc.).
• Wants citizens to believe that MAGA Republicans are destroying American democracy at the same time that he is working to destroy American democracy by bringing in the New World Order.

“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!” (Isa. 5:20-23).

(Something to think about: During his presidency, Biden has spent more time and money trying to kill babies in their mother’s womb than he has spent trying to get baby formula for those babies fortunate enough to be born.)

Three, concerning Israel having silver and gold, cattle and goods in the latter years and latter days: Israel is expected to start pumping gas at its big Leviathan field in about two weeks.

Some prophecy teachers have long believed that Israel’s oil and natural gas could be the hook in Gog’s jaw that leads to the Battle of Gog and Magog.

Four, concerning the coming economic collapse: U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently warned that the Federal Reserve strategy to bring down inflation could launch the nation into a recession.

Five, concerning the economy and a coming global economic collapse during the Tribulation Period: on Sept. 13, 2022, it was reported that the U.S. inflation rate is up slightly to 8.3%.

This sent the Dow Jones Stock Market into a steep decline, and it lost 1276 points by the end of the day.

While this was going on, Biden was celebrating his $70 billion falsely named Inflation Reduction Act on the White House lawn.

Biden has now added $4.8 trillion to the national debt (which is now approaching $31 trillion) in less than two years, and he wants to keep spending.

Six, concerning persecution, censorship, and corruption of the DOJ and FBI: on Sept. 13, 2022, MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell was approached by FBI agents and asked questions about Dominion voting machines (possibly used for election fraud); they served him with a warrant and seized his cell phone.

(More: Just one day before the seizure of Lindell’s phone, the U.S. Dept. of Justice (DOJ) admitted that it recently served more than 40 subpoenas on associates of former Pres. Trump and seized the cell phones of at least two of Trump’s top advisors. The DOJ and FBI are supposed to treat everyone the same. They are seizing phones from Trump associates, but they helped Hillary Clinton destroy hers.)

Finally, are you Rapture Ready?

If you want to be rapture ready and go to heaven, you must be born again (John 3:3). God loves you, and if you have not done so, sincerely admit that you are a sinner; believe that Jesus is the virgin-born, sinless Son of God who died for the sins of the world, was buried, and raised from the dead; ask Him to forgive your sins, cleanse you, come into your heart and be your Saviour; then tell someone that you have done this.

Preparing for the Man with a Plan :: By Daymond Duck

In Memoriam: Martha Zaplishny Jackson (1926 – 2023)

South Attleboro, Massachusetts – Martha C. (Zaplishny) Jackson, 96, went to her heavenly reward on Saturday, May 6, 2023. She was the beloved wife of Rev. David V. Jackson. The couple would have celebrated their sixty-ninth wedding anniversary on May 8, 2023.

Born in Stamford, Connecticut, she was the daughter of Missionaries to Bulgaria, the late Dionisey and Olga (Popova) Zaplishny. Martha’s father died when she was eight years old. She had resided in Newport, Rhode Island before moving to South Attleboro, Massachusetts in 1966.

Martha was a longtime member of Crossroads International Church, the former South Attleboro Assembly of God, where her husband had been Pastor for thirty-three years. She was a kindergarten teacher at Dayspring Christian Academy, South Attleboro, for forty-two years until retiring in 2009.

Besides her loving husband, she leaves two daughters, Joy Jackson Marchione and her husband, Nicola, of Walpole, Massachusetts and Susan Faith Mayer and her husband, James, of North Attleboro; seven grandchildren, Jeffrey Jackson, Christina Bensley, Carley Jackson, Riley Marchione, Sara Marchione, Rachel Mayer and Christian Mayer; four great-grandchildren, Tristan Bensley, Kai Bensley, David Jackson and Christiana Jackson, and many nieces and nephews. She was the mother of the late Jonathan Roy Jackson.

VISITATION will be held on Friday, May 12, 2023 from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Crossroads International Church, 1052 Newport Ave., South Attleboro. Services will be held on Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 10:30 a.m. at Crossroads International Church, 1052 Newport Ave., South Attleboro. Interment will follow at Swan Point Cemetery, 585 Blackstone Boulevard, Providence, Rhode Island. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts to the Missions, C/O Crossroads International Church, 1052 Newport Ave., South Attleboro, MA 02703 would be appreciated.

Global Network of Bulgarian Evangelical Churches outside of Bulgaria (2023 Report)

Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in the European  Union (2019)

• Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in Germany
• Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in Spain
• Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in England
• Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in France
• Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in Belgium
• Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in Italy
• Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in Cyprus
• Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in Crete

Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in America (2019 Report)

• Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in Chicago (2019 Report)
• Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in Texas (2019 Report)
• Bulgarian Evangelical Churches – West Coast (2019 Report)
• Atlanta (active since 1996)
• Los Angeles (occasional/outreach of the Foursquare Church – Mission Hills, CA)
• Las Vegas (outreach of the Foursquare Church – http://lasvegaschurch.tv)
• San Francisco (occasional/inactive since 2012, Berkeley University/Concord, CA)

Bulgarian Evangelical Churches in Canada (2019 Report)

• Toronto (inactive since 2007)
• Toronto/Slavic (active since 2009)
• Montreal (occasional/inactive since 2012)

CURRENTLY INACTIVE CHURCHES/CONGREGATIONS:

• New York, NY (currently inactive)
• Buffalo, NY  (occasional/inactive)
• Jacksonville, FL  (occasional/inactive since 2014)
• Ft. Lauderdale / Miami  (currently inactive)
• Washington State, Seattle area (currently inactive)
• Minneapolis, MN (occasional/inactive since 2015)

READ MORE:

• First Bulgarian Church in Chicago Opened in 1907
• Gateway Cities for Bulgarian Evangelical Churches
• How to Start a Bulgarian Church in America from A-to-Z
• Unrealized Spiritual Harvest as a Paradigm for Cross-Cultural Ministries among Migrant and Disfranchised Ethnic Groups in America Today

The 2023 CHURCH

1. Christian America died. And the leaders who kept looking back never moved forward.

The pastors who kept looking back imagined a culture governed by Christian values and refused to see the world for what it was increasingly becoming.

Over the last decade, Christian America died.

As much as some Supreme Court decisions in the early 2020s made religious conservatives think they were winning the culture wars, any sense of victory was short-lived.

The overwhelming identification of Generation Z and Generation Alpha as having no religious affiliation transformed America into a thoroughly post-Christian culture.

All of this put Christian church leaders into one of two camps: Leaders who wanted to move forward and leaders who wanted to look back.

The pastors who kept looking back imagined a culture governed by Christian values and refused to see the world for what it was increasingly becoming. Churches led by those leaders saw a decline.

And the culture wars of the early to mid-2020s that conservative Christians believed they were winning by ensuring their candidates ran for Congress and Governor positions proved only to momentarily shore up a dying worldview. Power and coercion couldn’t reverse the tide.

In the process, that faction in the church alienated the next generation of unreached people from Christianity even more deeply.

The leaders who looked forward acknowledged they were in a post-Christian culture and decided to advance a decidedly alt-Kingdom centered around the Gospel. They saw renewal and growth.

Bottom line? The leaders who kept looking back never moved forward.

2. Growing churches are now digital organizations with physical locations

In the last decade, dying churches saw digital church as an obstacle. Growing churches realized it was an opportunity.

As little as 15 years ago, most growing churches were primarily physical organizations with a nominal or underdeveloped digital strategy.

Throughout the 2020s and early 2030s, the dual trend of declining church attendance and decentralized attendance changed everything for growing churches.

Growing churches stopped treating church online as an afterthought, realizing that since everyone they’re trying to reach is online, becoming a digital-first church made them more effective.

The paradox, of course, is that the more leaders built community online as a church, the more it resulted in growth in their physical locations.

Ironically, churches that focus primarily on physical attendance only saw declining attendance. Churches that focused on digital connection saw the opposite.

Over the last decade, dying churches saw digital church as an obstacle. Growing churches realized it was an opportunity.

3. The majority of church attendees are no longer in the room.

Dying churches confined ministry to their buildings. Growing churches didn’t.

As the digital revolution exploded over the last ten years, almost everything shifted out of central locations.

Everything from work, to shopping, to food, fitness, and entertainment shifted to digital and distributed access (i.e., accessed by people when they wanted and where they wanted.)

Dying churches confined ministry to their buildings. Growing churches didn’t.

Pastors of expanding ministries long ago made peace with the idea that the number of people not in the building on Sunday now greatly outnumbers the number of people who are inside the building.

They got over their insecurity about smaller in-person crowds and saw the expansive potential of reaching people wherever they were and connecting them with each other.

Pastors of growing churches long ago realized that full rooms never guaranteed a fulfilled mission.

Another shift happened regarding how church leaders think about church buildings:

Pastors of dying churches kept using church online to get people into the building.

Pastors of growing churches used their buildings to reach people online.

4. On-demand access now greatly surpasses live events.

On-demand sermon access reaches people when they’re ready, not when you’re ready.

Live events still have a great role in the life of a vibrant church, but they’ve long since been eclipsed by people who access content and schedule gatherings on demand.

Leaders who released control of a centralized calendar to allow people to figure out for themselves when they wanted to meet saw a far greater impact than leaders who didn’t.

And when centralized gatherings happen, leaders of growing churches quickly got over the fact that, despite a full room, far more people accessed their ministry at other times. And as a result, their mission kept growing.

Pastors of growing ministries quickly understood two underlying realities behind on-demand access.

First, they knew that on-demand access reaches people when they’re ready, not when you’re ready.

Second, when it comes to accessing messages and ministry content, they realized people don’t care if a message is new nearly as much as they care if a message is great. Hence, access to their message archive continued to grow, and they positioned it for that.

5. Growing churches shifted their focus from gathering to connecting.

In the 2020s, churches that gathered people kept falling behind, while churches that connected people continued to grow.

In the 2020s, churches that gathered people kept falling behind, while churches that connected people continued to grow.

The shift wasn’t that hard once the pastors of effective churches realized that for years, the culture had increasingly relied on services that leveraged existing infrastructure.

For example, what small groups accomplished for churches in the 1990s and 2000s changed how churches approached gathering people mid-week. Essentially, a decade before Airbnb and ride-share services like Uber and Lyft emerged on the scene, innovative church leaders stopped building massive Christian education buildings and started ‘Airbnbing’ people’s homes for community.

The home-based small group model morphed into micro-gatherings and home-based gatherings for worship and other church events.

Leaders of growing churches never felt threatened by the fact that they couldn’t ‘see’ the people they were ministering to. They built the structures and systems that led to the church being ‘one’ wherever it met, much like multi-site churches have done for decades.

Connecting people eclipsed gathering people for the same reasons that on-demand content eclipsed live content. You gather people when they’re ready, not when you’re ready.

Insecure leaders, operating out of power and control and needing to ‘see’ the results of their ministry, could never make this transition. Healthy leaders did.

6. Community and connection matter more than content.

Growing churches made community and connection the goal of their ministry, not content consumption.

Growing churches made community and connection the goal of their ministry, not content consumption.

In a world that started drowning in content in the 2010s, adept church leaders realized that great content was no longer the compelling advantage it used to be. Sure, bad preaching could kill a church. But great preaching alone no longer guaranteed its growth.

Here’s what astute leaders realized in the 2020s. Scarcity drives value. The more scarce something is, the more value it has.

When something is scarce, it has enough value to make people change their patterns (physical, financial, or time patterns, to name a few). Conversely, mass availability drives down prices and perceived value.

For centuries, attending a local church was the only place most people could access a sermon. The 21st century changed that forever.

What became increasingly scarce were community and connection. So among growing churches, all of their content drove people to community and toward connection.

Growing churches made community and connection the goal, not content consumption. Declining churches continued to make in-person and online content consumption their main goal (Watch this!!! Don’t miss this!!!) and paid the accompanying price.

7. Growing churches staffed for digital

Make the goal of all staffing (digital or in-person) community and connection.

Because, after all, that’s far more at the heart of what the Christian church is all about than content consumption ever was.

A final but important point.

Dying churches kept staffing for a world that no longer existed. Obsessed with getting people into a building, they continued to make digital ministry an afterthought.

Growing churches didn’t abandon physical gatherings. They continued to make their in-person services deeply personal and meaningful and staffed accordingly.

But they also doubled down on digital, realizing that everyone they wanted to reach was online and that many they would reach wouldn’t live near a campus or, if they did, would be willing to drive to one.

So pastors of growing churches followed Craig Groeschel’s advice back in 2020: They went 100% in on digital ministry and 100% in on physical ministry.

Then they went a step further: They made the goal of all staffing (digital or in-person) community and connection.

Because, after all, that’s far more at the heart of what the Christian church is all about than content consumption ever was.

Change, Critics, and Coaches

The leaders we criticize today will be the leaders who coach us tomorrow.

Snap back to today. Will all of this happen? Who knows. But if even parts of this are remotely true, it’s clear that the next decade will involve massive change.

Change also comes with a lot of criticism. But as the wiser leaders realized, the leaders we criticize today will be the leaders who coach us tomorrow.

The sooner you start to change, the brighter the future becomes, and the more effective your ministry will be. Change is hard, but irrelevance is even harder.

CAREY NIEUWHOF 

5 NEW BIBLES published in 2023

The text of the Bulgarian Bible is printed in the United States. The revision methodology used in the editing of the original text is patented and protected by PCT international patent law and may not be duplicated. Copyright © 1990-2023 by Bibliata.com.

English-Bulgarian New Testament

English Bulgarian New Testament Vol. 1 New Bible Diglot Series by Bibliata.com (2022)

The Darby Bible was first published in 1890 by John Nelson Darby, an Anglo-Irish Bible teacher associated with the early years of the Plymouth Brethren. Darby also published translations of the Bible in French and German. J. N. Darby’s purpose was, as he states in the preface to his English New Testament, to make a modern translation for the unlearned who have neither access to manuscript texts nor training and knowledge of ancient languages of the Scriptures. Darby’s translation work was not intended to be read aloud. His work was for study and private use. In his own oral ministry he generally used the English KJV Bible.

Nuevo Testamento Español-Búlgaro

Nuevo Testamento Español-Búlgaro Vol. 2 New Bible Diglot Series by Bibliata.com (2022)

The translation has been made directly from the standard Nestle-Aland Greek text. Its purpose is to be a faithful translation of its original meaning, without difficult or confusing terms. The style has been translated into contemporary English and Spanish, avoiding the use of slang or colloquial words, thus speaking to our modern society in a way that everyone can understand.

Neue Testament Deutsch-Bulgarisch

Neue Testament Deutsch-Bulgarisch Vol. 3 New Bible Diglot Series by Bibliata.com (2022)

The Luther Bible is a German language Bible translation from Hebrew and ancient Greek by Martin Luther, of which the New Testament was published in 1522 and the complete Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments and Apocrypha, in 1534. The language was updated in 1912.
This Bible is in the public domain in the United States. We are making it available in the same format in which we acquired it as a public service.

Nouveau Testament Français-Bulgare

Nouveau Testament Français-Bulgare Vol. 4 New Bible Diglot Series by Bibliata.com (2022)

The LSG was published in 1910 as the classic French equivalent of the English King James Version. Louis Segond French Bible – (October 3, 1810 – June 18, 1885), was a Swiss theologian who translated the Bible into French from the original texts in Hebrew and Greek. He was born in Plainpalais, near Geneva. After studying theology in Geneva, Strasbourg and Bonn, he was pastor of the Geneva National Church in Chêne-Bougeries, then from 1872, Professor of Old Testament in Geneva. The translation of the Old Testament, commissioned by the Vénérable Compagnie des Pasteurs de Genève, was published in two volumes in 1871 (Meusel has 1874 as the publication date), followed by the New Testament, translated as a private venture, in 1880. The text was then reviewed by experts. The result is the 1910 revision that is now freely available on Internet.

Nuovo Testamento Italiano-Bulgaro

Nuovo Testamento Italiano-Bulgaro Vol. 5 New Bible Diglot Series by Bibliata.com (2022)

An Italian translation of the Holy Bible according to the Roman Catholic canon, based on the original texts and meant to be typical for use in liturgy, approved by the Italian Conference of Catholic Bishops and published in 2008. The previous 1974 edition is taken into account, but it is often corrected, while trying to reflect recent advances in Biblical exegesis, and to respect the literary style of different Biblical authors. The Book of Esther offers two parallel translations (second translation is offered in module CEI2008-2), based on the Greek text and on the Hebrew text.

How to Detect a Pedophile: Characteristics, Mannerisms and Personality in 2023

By Kathryn N. Donev, LPC/MSHP, NBCC.

Pedophilia is a medically diagnosable disorder typically “defined as a psychiatric disorder in adults or late adolescents (persons age 16 and older) characterized by a primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children (generally age 13 years or younger, though onset of puberty may vary)”(Wikipedia). It is a disorder that does not discriminate by race, class or age. The Department of Justice estimates, approximately 400,000 convicted pedophiles currently reside in the United States (Snyder). The following will attempt to present a profile of a pedophile in order to make aware their tactics and typical personality traits used as part of a strategy to take advantage of innocent children.

SOCIALLY CHALLENGED
According to the American Psychiatric Association the overwhelming majority of pedophiles are male. They are typically more religious than not and over the age of 30 (Montaldo, Ruggles). Researcher reports a correlation between pedophilia and certain psychological characteristics, such as poor social skills (Emmers-Sommer). Pedophiles are typically antisocial with few friends and not in a relationship. If in a relationship, they will more likely be in a superficial one with a person whom has a child of their preferred age range whom they can target. If married, the relationship is more “companion” based with no sexual relations and is typically dysfunctional providing only a façade to their real identity (Montaldo).

INTROVERTED CHARACTER
Being an introvert, they will prefer to keep personal information limited. They are often vague about past history. If closed off to real intimate relationships then they do not have to share their real identity from which they are hiding. This achieved goal of avoidance is considered a great personal accomplishment and is one of the ways they compensate for low self-esteem. However, they will present such an overwhelming caring personality that purposes to form “intimate” bonds in which they will invest in listening to the lives of those around them. This bond will appear so real that one overlooks that there is no reciprocity of sharing and in reality you know nothing to very little about the pedophile with whom you feel close.

DEMONSTRATIVE PERSONALITY
Pedophiles may also demonstrate increased personal affection. You may observe that this type of person is “a hugger” or will constantly enter ones personal space and do so at times without invitation. This characteristic is accepted as a personality trait and innocently overlooked and excused. After time, one begins to subconsciously let their guard down as systematically the pedophile becomes closer to you and your loved ones entering an intimate realm. They also may attempt to exaggerate situations to test the limits of an individuals understanding. For example if another protests the initial reaction or exaggeration presented by the pedophile then this information give an insight to ones awareness level and how easily they may be manipulated.

PROFESSIONAL MANIPULATORS
Even though some studies show that a pedophile has lower intellectual abilities and self-esteem (Marshall) they are skillful professional manipulators. They are so successful they are able to present a non-unlikeable persona. Meaning they are overly friendly and engaging to the point where one finds themselves in a relationship without even making a conscious effort. Their personality is so magnetic that it attracts children and adults alike. One allows themselves to continue with such relationship due to the appearances of trustworthiness and respectability presented by the pedophile. They are people who are in good standing in the community and will find themselves in a position of helping such as coaching, ministry leaders, volunteers, and so forth (Ruggles, Wooden).

PROTECTOR ROLE
Child molesters often make efforts to gain access to or authority over children (Wooden). Because the internal desire of a pedophile is for a child to become a possession, a child is the focus of great destructive obsession. A child is the focal point of the world of a pedophile and may often be referenced in terms which are drastically uplifting or angelic such as innocent, heavenly or divine (Montaldo). This strong child advocacy is often viewed as an innocent protective act and is one of the reasons why they are allowed to get close to children. You may also overlook all of the physical affection or photographs taken of a child because this is done in a manner which is portrayed as a service to children across the board. If a pedophile does take pictures in the open, others will be convinced that such are not for personal use but for the greater good perhaps being published in a child advocacy resource or so forth.

CHILDLIKE GESTICULATION
A pedophile, even though they charm their way into the lives of adults by trade, they prefer to be around children more so feeling more comfortable and understood. They surround themselves with items that will make them more appealing to children perhaps even including the way they dress. Some even control the way they talk and prefer to use a soft, slow, gentle, childlike, and more so feminine voice over a strong, threatening, controlling manly voice. They obsessively prefer childlike activities over adult ones. They may test the acceptance level of playing children’s’ games with children by first attempting to see if adults like to play such games as well.

UNDERDOG MENTALITY
It is true that some pedophiles are highly intellectual. Yet they will use any intellectual difficulty or perceived difficulty to their advantage and enjoy being the “underdog”. This allows them to reach out to even the most unaware unknowledgeable person for help with everyday tasks. It is a part of human nature to help those in need and a pedophile will use this to their advantage. This is how they get their foot in the door in order to silently but skillfully creep into your community, social network and ultimately your personal home. You may see this characteristic demonstrated in the constant reminder that they are from a different town and are not familiar with the local culture or area. Or they may obsessively seek your guidance, assistance or approval for even the smallest of tasks. They play off of ones need to be needed.

EPILOGUE
Remember pedophiles are professional manipulators and you will have to make a conscious effort to see through the sophisticated front which they have learned to master. Keep in mind that you should always trust your internal instincts. This is one area in which a pedophile has no advantage over you. Do not attempt to convince yourself that what you are sensing is not real for it is when you fall into this trap that you begin to slowly loose touch with reality and are bewildered and sucked into a lie one which is too dangerous to ignore. Never be afraid by the lies that I will hurt ones feelings if I make aware my observations or I am being too pushy by trying to get more history on a person who is so closed off. When all of the signs are present it is our responsibility as true child advocates to protect our children at any cost.

2011. Copyright. All Rights Reserved by Author and CCMI Consortium. Not to be reproduced in any manner without permission of author or CCMI.

Works Cited

American Psychiatric Association. Fact sheet: pedophilia. Available at:www.medem.com/index.cfm. Accessed March 01, 2011.

Emmers-Sommer, T. M., Allen, M., Bourhis, J., Sahlstein, E., Laskowski, K., Falato, W. L., et al. A meta-analysis of the relationship between social skills and sexual offenders. 2004. Communication Reports, 1–17.

Marshall, W. L. The relationship between self-esteem and deviant sexual arousal in nonfamilial child molesters. 1997. Queens University. Sage Journal Publication of Behavior Modification.

Montaldo, Charles. Profile of a pedophile. Available at: www.about.com. Accessed March 17, 2011.

Ruggles, Tammy L. Profile of a pedophile. Available at www.mentalhealthmatterss.com. February 2009. Last Updated on Tuesday, 28 September 2010 15:46. Accessed March 5, 2011.

Snyder, Howard N. Sexual Assault of Young Children as Reported to Law Enforcement: Victim, Incident, and Offender Characteristics. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics; 2000. Publication NCJ 182990.

Wikipedia. Article: pedophilia. Available at www.wikipedia.org. Accessed March 15, 2011.

Wooden, Ken, (with Rosemary Webb & Jennifer Mitchell). Think First & Stay Safe™ Parent Guide. A profile of the child molester. 2010. Publication Child Lures Prevention/Teen Lures Prevention.