Gender Roles at SLCC

At his annual State of the Church Sermon on January 5, 2020 Pastor Frank shared that SLCC will ordain five women to serve as deacons. Here is the church’s official statement on gender roles in SLCC:

We believe that “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, New Living Translation). The Bible provides examples and principles that give us insight into how we should live out our faith.

The controversy surrounding gender roles in the church often arises from efforts to determine when a scriptural example or principle applies to all cultures and when it applies only to the culture for which it was originally written. Additional debate occurs due to differing views on translation and interpretation.

When it comes to spiritual authority, we believe God's Word gives only one clear and distinct restriction of a gender-specific role in the church. The elder overseers of the church are to be males (1Timothy 3, Titus 1:6). They exercise spiritual authority and accountability over the congregation just as Jesus does to the church. They serve and lead in spiritual growth.

We are all servants. The Greek word that is translated as the English word servant is the same word that is transliterated as the English word deacon. In Acts 6, some men were set apart to serve as deacons, and Paul prescribed qualifications for deacons in his letter to Timothy. (1Timothy 3) His instructions to Timothy regarding deacons were not as specific with regard to gender as his instructions to Timothy regarding elders.

After prayer and study of the scripture, the Elders have concluded that the role of deacon is not restricted to men only. We will, therefore, consider appointing as deacons qualified men and women who have the desire to do so and who meet the scriptural qualifications outlined for service as a deacon.

Safety Team

You may have noticed some changes on Sunday mornings relating to our new Safety Team. They’re the folks in the green shirts in and around our lobby. I wanted to write you to let you know what we’re doing and why.

First the why. We’re deeply committed to the safety of our church family. We want to do everything we can to keep you physically safe while you experience spiritual growth. To accomplish that, we developed a safety team and sent the leaders of that team to training put on by the Michigan State Police. Since then we have implemented their “best practices” in an effort to avoid a violent encounter similar to some that have taken place in U.S. churches throughout the past few years.

Now for what we’re doing. Once our worship service begins we are limiting the number of ways into our building. The main doors will remain unlocked during worship, but all other entrances are being locked ten minutes after worship begins. That way our safety team can visually see every person coming into our building after worship begins. We have also increased the number of people at our Kid’s City entrance and have stopped allowing anyone without a child check-in sticker to be in that space without being accompanied by a safety team member.

Our safety team is also prepared for medical emergencies. For instance, a woman in our church began experiencing chest pain one Sunday. Medical professionals from our safety team assessed her and determined she should be transported to the hospital. And ambulance was called and I am happy to report that she is doing fine.

I know change is difficult and it might be inconvenient to have to reroute to a different entrance if you’re running late some Sunday. I just wanted you to know that I appreciate your flexibility. I feel better knowing we have a safety team that has been trained in specific areas to enable them to make South Lansing Christian Church a safer place to worship, serve and play. And I hope you will, too.

Blessings,

Pastor Frank

Smart Phones Require Smarter Parents

In 1998, only 2 or 3 of my friends owned mobile phones in high school. Minutes were limited and features were few. No camera, no data, no texting and no internet! The phone made phone calls. Parents’ reasoning was simple: “I want to know where you are and I want to know you are safe.”

Last week, I heard a parent state the same reasons for giving a smart phone to their middle school aged child. Their concern was for the physical safety of their child, and yet they were unaware of where they were or what they were doing on their mobile phone.

When parents gave phones to their high school students in 1998, they made it possible to call home without having to use a payphone. When parents give their kids (8-10 year olds are getting them) smart phones in 2018, here’s what they’re getting:

• Texting

• Camera (think selfies)

• Video game system

• Movies & TV Shows

• Internet Access

By the way, unless parents have intentional accountability and filtering systems in place, the internet access is unlimited. This means they can ask Google about anything. Anything. As a parent I want to believe my son or daughter would never ask “that” question or search for “those” images. But it could be innocent too, they might simply wander off into pornographic images or websites. It happens and research shows it happens a lot.

With all these features in mind, can you honestly say you know where your student is online? Do you really know what they’re doing? Do you know who they are interacting with? What apps are on their device? When is your kid’s phone “off”?  Can you define the term “Fortnite”? If not, you aren’t alone, but you’ll need to step up your game to outsmart the smartphone.

As an aside, I’m not advising you to relocate to eastern Oregon and live in a cave. Smart phones are incredible tools can be extremely practical and helpful. We’re talking about helping our kids navigate technology and avoid some dangerous and unhealthy habits. Remember, their brains aren’t fully formed, so lend them yours.

You’re probably feeling some discomfort or fear at this point. That’s healthy as long as you do something good with that sense of urgency and concern. Here’s 3 ways you can take action and help protect your child and your family.

1.) Learn about the device. If you don’t know what all their device is capable of, research it. If you don’t know exactly what year, make and model it is, talk with your phone rep. They can help fill in the blanks and explain what it does. Remember, they do this for a living and it’s free information. Depending on your mobile plan and accessibility, you might even find out what apps (games, & social media) they’re using. This can help build trust with the next step.

2.) Talk with your kids. Ask about their apps, ask about their friends and online interactions. It may be their phone, but in the meantime, they live under your roof and eat your food. Just as you provide for their physical needs, explain that you care for their mental and emotional health too. Break the ice by investing in some genuine face time. The more you talk openly, the easier it becomes over time.

3.) Set some boundaries. How much time does your kid spend on their device? Should your child be spending time on a device? Have you set rules for when your kid’s device is turned off for the night? (Do you have a rule for yours? Looking at you, parents!) Are there times your family is making eye contact and not zoned out making i-contact staring at screens? Maybe a device free dinner is just what you need!

Parents, you can do this! You love your kids, you want the best for your kids and you want your kids safe. Take your next step and tell us about it here!

Additional Reading & Watching
8 Do’s and Dont’s for High Schoolers on Social Media
Social Media & Loneliness
Technology Addiction & Teens