How to Grow a Church—Is There a “Right” Way?

by Stephen Frank -February 10, 2020

Last Sunday, my son-in-law was visiting with the grandkids. At one point, I asked him how church went that morning. He explained that after the services a group of church leaders and members met to discuss how to grow the church membership.

They discussed serving better coffee after the service, forming more special interest groups, getting more involved in community events, and more service to the community. What interested me most was that one item was missing. What was missing was the purpose of the Church, a Biblical message, promoting the values of the Bible, as a way to expand membership.

Is it possible we now have two churches? One is a Biblical church that builds membership and respect in the community via teaching and living Biblical values. The other church is the “social” church. Showing it is a great place to meet people, to network, to fight for social justice, and intolerant of those with Biblical values. Is Church and faith about good coffee and social groups, or the word of the Lord—and promoting it?

We are in an era where everyone wants to be liked and loved. No one wants to appear to be intolerant or holding views that are demeaned by the media as old fashioned and out-of-touch with 2020. Worse, legislators who lack respect for Judeo-Christian values are trying to imitate laws in Great Britain. In that country, if a minister preaches from the Bible that marriage is only between a man and a woman, that is considered “HATE” speech.

This has been going on in England since 1986 when an “anti-hate” law was passed. As an example of the chilling effect on Pastors in England, “On 13 October 2001, Harry Hammond, an evangelist, was arrested and charged under section 5 of the Public Order Act (1986). He had displayed to people in Bournemouth a large sign bearing the words "Jesus Gives Peace, Jesus is Alive, Stop Immorality, Stop Homosexuality, Stop Lesbianism, Jesus is Lord." In April 2002, a magistrate convicted Hammond, fined him £300, and ordered him to pay costs of £395.[14][15][16]. TF from Wikipedia.

If a church in the United States wants to take on a cause, how about an effort to allow the Bible to be taught around the world? Here in California, we already had a law proposed in 2018 that would have prevented ministers from discussing Biblical views on sexual orientation. At the time, the California Family Council share this startling headline: “Assembly votes to violate the 1st Amendment: AB 2943 bans books, conferences, counseling advocating Muslim, Jewish and Christian views on gender and sexual orientation.”

The article instructed, “The California Assembly approved a bill today 50-18 that tells churches and other with traditional beliefs about gender and sexual orientation that advocating for their views could get them sued. AB 2943, declares, ‘advertising, offering to engage in, or engaging in sexual orientation change efforts with an individual’ is illegal under state’s consumer fraud law.”

Though the bill did not get out of the legislature, it sets a tone in Sacramento. A resolution later passed, ACR 99, a resolution opposing “conversion therapy.” Beware, AB 2943 can come up again.

Why do you attend a specific church? To meet new people and network, or to hear and live the word of G-d? If the legislature can declare sermons based on the Bible are subject to punishment and fines, how far will they go? It always interests me that when faith leaders marched for civil rights they were applauded as national leaders. Yet, when sermons promoting passages in the Bible about life, marriage and society are heard, true feelings by some reveal it as hate speech that needs to be stopped and punished. Yet, those rightly preaching in support of civil rights and those speaking on behalf of saving babies are using the Bible as the foundation of their values and actions.

Here is a great idea for churches looking to expand their membership. Stand for the Bible. Stand for the values and lessons of the Word of G-d. Stop being defensive. Stop withdrawing religion from the Church, replaced with politically correct conversation and actions. The Church needs to return to its roots—the Bible, and stop being just another community organization. I hope this opens discussions in every church.

Stephen Frank is Senior Contributing Editor of California Political Review. Read California news that is incisive, hard-hitting, and solution-oriented with a free subscription to Steve’s daily emails at http://eepurl.com/UAspv

NOTE: Blogs published on the Judeo-Christian Caucus website are the opinions of their authors and not necessarily those of the Judeo-Christian Caucus.

School Choice: Parents Decision, Not Government

by Stephen Frank -February 6, 2020

Allow me to define terms as I write this article about education for children. We have private schools, charter schools, homeschooling and government schools.  There are no public schools—they are government schools. Legislatures, unions and special interests, like Planned Parenthood, run the classroom. Parents are told they must send their children to school and have no say in curriculum, campus safety, or the values taught. So, the public does not own and run the schools (though we pay for them), outsiders that do not know your child will make legal, moral, ethical and educational decisions for them.

Think your child is safe in a government school?  In California, all of them are “No gun zones.” Penal Code 626.9 PC is what's known as California's Gun-Free School Zone Act. Enacted in 1995, this California firearms law prohibits you from possessing or discharging a firearm in a school zone. An area is a "school zone" if it is within 1,000 feet of public or private school grounds.That means a bad person can shoot it up knowing the kids are targets that cannot shoot back (unlike Texas were the targets are encouraged to stop the guns used against them).

On Sunday you take your child to Sunday school to learn Biblical values. Then five days a week your child is indoctrinated with anti-Faith values—anything goes, bullying is OK, ethics and morals are debunked and demeaned. You tell your children to listen to their teachers—then the teachers tell them not to listen to their parents or church.

January 26 to February 1 was National School Choice week. This has been celebrated for years.  Imagine parents taking charge of the education of their children, not government or politicians.  How many are homeschooled?  Per the National Home School Research Institute, “McQuiggan and her fellow researchers estimated that there were 1,689,726 students of ages 5–17 being homeschooled during the spring of 2016. That is, they estimated 1.69 million.[2] They also reported this number represented 3.3 percent of all school-age children that year.”

Actually, I believe that is low.  I believe there are many parents that homeschool, with or without government “permission.” 

We live in a new era.  Most of the good jobs being created involve the use of technology. San Diego is now using streetlights for camera’s—they will install 4200 “smart streetlights” in the city.  So far the few they have installed have caused the arrest of rapists, kidnappers, car jackers and more. In a world of technology, why do you need to waste time in class learning that America is racist, white people are bad, and Christians are the cause of all these problems? Instead, how about math, real science and English—and then coding, computers and robotization.

In Simi Valley, we have a church-related private school that teaches all the kids about robots and computers. They have students that have gone to State and national competition—going against college students. That is an education for 2020 and beyond, not for 2020 and before.

Government schools provide cookie-cutter education. Every child is the same, gets the same information, indoctrination and the children are looked at as a mass, not an individual.  Homeschooling allows each child to progress on their own, with the education they need, along with the basics.

Billie Eilish is an 18-year-old Grammy winning singer and songwriter. She is an individual.  Her parents decided to give her an education based on her needs, not those of Al Gore or Jesse Jackson.

From The Netline, “Billie’s parents chose to homeschool her and Finneas to give them a better chance of developing their talents. Homeschooling was the best option for Maggie and Patrick because it gave the kids a chance to do what they loved without the hindrance of an academic schedule,” Maggie told Your Teen Mag;

“Everybody’s always out doing things, traveling, going places, meeting for classes, and organizing field trips. It’s like going to college. You take what you want, where you want it, and you find what you need. Plus, the kids participate in a lot of other things… Homeschooling allows us to let them do the things that they really love to do and not have a giant academic schedule on top of it.”

In about eight months, the new school year will start. Our children deserve their parents to put more thought into the school or education opportunity they use than the time spent determining where to go on vacation this summer. The children deserve to be treated as individuals, not just being moved from class to class by government agents without thought of the child as an individual.

As parents, we have great responsibilities. Shelter, food, moral values, and education. We should not automatically send out kids to schools that are not safe physically, emotionally or morally. As Judeo-Christian constituents, we have the choice to know which legislators share our values and support their bills, as well as find support for new ones that protect our interests. Yes, it takes time. But they are our children, and we are charting their shared future. If the parents and the taxpayers do not create the options, government will.

Stephen Frank is Senior Contributing Editor of California Political Review. Read California news that is incisive, hard-hitting, and solution-oriented with a free subscription to Steve’s daily emails at http://eepurl.com/UAspv

NOTE: Blogs published on the Judeo-Christian Caucus website are the opinions of their authors and not necessarily those of the Judeo-Christian Caucus.

President Trump Takes Leadership in the Protection of the Unborn

by Stephen Frank - January 24, 2020

“A sacred truth. Every child is a gift from
G-d.” That is how President Trump started his speech at the March for Life in Washington, D.C. He is the first President to speak at the event in the 47 years of its existence. It is not his words, but actions that brought the crowd to cheer for him. It was his appointment of two pro-life Supreme Court justices, plus, almost 200 Federal judges that are “originalists,” believing in the original meaning of the Constitution.

Earlier in the week, he signed off on family planning funds for the State of Texas. Importantly, while the funds are to be spent for the health of women, no money can go to Planned Parenthood or others in the abortion industry. Trump is the first President to address the United Nations and proclaim a worldwide support for the right to life. 

The issue is about abortion. But, it is bigger than that. Think about this:  If you do not have the right to life, there are no other rights. Who cares about property rights, Second Amendment rights, free speech, if you are not allowed to be born? The pro-abortion position on “life” is best stated by the Governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, who said this about botched abortions: “If a mother is in labor, I can tell you exactly what would happen,” he continued. “The infant would be delivered. The infant would be kept comfortable. The infant would be resuscitated if that’s what the mother and the family desired, and then a discussion would ensue between the physicians and the mother.”  From National Review, 1/30/19.“

President Trump is the first President willing to make life an issue, willing to speak out in clear language for the protection of the pre-born and those born. We are at a time in history that is polarized, belligerent and nasty. We cannot afford a mild support for the pre-born.  America cannot afford a one-sided debate, led by those who see no difference between Osama Bin laden and a baby in the womb.

The media is promoting those that support the abortion industry. The reason? A woman has the “right” to do anything she wants with her body. Actually, I agree totally with that statement. Left unsaid is, who stands up for the rights of the unborn and THEIR bodies? Who supports their civil rights, their right to free speech, who is protecting their rights? Today, at the March for Life, President Trump was clear, he is defending and supporting the rights of the unborn.

The pro-abortion advocates claim what is in the womb is NOT a human, not a baby. Do they think a woman is carrying a monkey, a donkey or a fish? How silly is the argument. When birth happens, a live human enters the world, not a guppy. Few are willing to correct the immature arguments, the arrogance of those who want to take lives.

The Pro-Life movement is a grassroots movement. Yes, support groups have leaders, but it takes a national figure to galvanize and coalesce support for the unborn. President Trump on Friday took that role. His economic, military, foreign policy positions have been winners.  His support for the unborn is the biggest winner.

Stephen Frank is Senior Contributing Editor of California Political Review. Read California news that is incisive, hard-hitting, and solution-oriented with a free subscription to Steve’s daily emails at http://eepurl.com/UAspv

NOTE: Blogs published on the Judeo-Christian Caucus website are the opinions of their authors and not necessarily those of the Judeo-Christian Caucus.

Time to Reconsider Government Schools

by Stephen Frank - January 16, 2020

First, we need to be clear.  Public schools do not exist.  These are government schools, run by the government, which in turn are run by special interests like unions, Planned Parenthood, the ACLU and more.  Public schools are run by parents, teachers, administrators.  Our government  schools do not allow parents control of the curriculum, even when the classes abuse parental rights and prerogatives.

That brings me to SB 673 by Senator Morrell.  A few days ago the bill was heard at a hearing in the Senate and immediately voted down.  Why was this bill so important to parents, freedom of choice and religious freedom?

From WhatMatters, 1/16/20. :  https://calmatters.org/newsletter/newsom-to-get-a-supreme-court-pick-while-lawmakers-fight-over-sex-education-and-corporate-taxes/

“Scores of Christian ministers, parents and grandparents packed a Senate hearing Wednesday urging passage of legislation that would have given parents greater power to shield grammar school children against what they fear is inappropriately explicit sex education.

The Democratic-controlled Senate Education Committee rejected the bill by Republican Sen. Mike Morrell of Rancho Cucamonga.

Under the bill, public schools would have required parents’ signatures specifically opting into sex education for children kindergarten-6th grade. 

• Senate staff analysis: “Comprehensive sexual health education in lower grades has always been, and remains, optional.”

Supporters: California Catholic Conference, California Family Council, Islamic Shura Council of Southern California and California Right to Life Committee.

Opponents: California Medical Association, PTA, ACLU, California Federation of Teachers and Planned Parenthood.” 

The California government schools MANDATED sex education starts in kindergarten.  Many school districts, like the Oak Park District in Ventura County tried to hide this from the parents by announcing it at the last moment and making it difficult for parents to see the curriculum.  It should be noted that government schools teach sex-ed in EVERY class, from biology to English, math and history.  While there is a main curriculum for sex-ed, it flows into all the classes, making it impossible for parents to take their children out of the class for lessons that could only be described as pornographic.

In some grade levels they teach kids about how to reach Planned Parenthood in many schools Planned Parenthood actually “teaches” the class), how to avoid pregnancy, not by abstinence but by “other” sexual activities graphically  described.

There are two problems.  First, government schools keep information to a minimum  from parents.  They wait till the last minute to inform parents about curriculum and classes that emotionally abuse the children.  Abused?  Government schools use curriculum to challenge and oppose what children learn from parents and their Faith.  Government schools work hard to normalize what many religious institutions, oppose.  Indeed, what the Bible warns against.  How confused are the kids when on Sunday they learn about morals and values.  Then on Monday told by their teacher what they learned in Church and by their parents is wrong and immoral.

Second, government schools use one sided curriculum to indoctrinate the students—against the wishes or knowledge of the parents.  State law is clear—parents are allowed to opt out their kids from such classes.  That is the wrong attitude.  The law, and what Sen. Morrell wanted was a change in the law, so parents had to opt-in to the curriculum,.  Even then this sexual expression of government values is pervasive in almost all our classes—sometimes as a lesson, other times at part of a lesson.

The bottom line is that parents that want quality education for their children need to rethink government schools.  Can they be trusted?  Are they safe? Do they provide education or indoctrination?  Do government schools promote or depress vigorous thought and debate?

As parents we have the first responsibility to our children and their future.  We pay the penalty for poor schools, bigoted classrooms.  Promotion of hedonistic sexual mores are paid for by parents raising their childrens, childrens, handling the promotion of disrespect and abuse of those who disagree with them.

Failed government schools can no longer be ignored.  Parents, and the community need to speak up, vote against those who have harmed our kids. At the end of the day, we need to decide the community we want our children to learn in. That is our responsibility.  It is time to rethink our support of government schools.  They have failed us and our children.

Stephen Frank is Senior Contributing Editor of California Political Review. Read California news that is incisive, hard-hitting, and solution-oriented with a free subscription to Steve’s daily emails at http://eepurl.com/UAspv

NOTE: Blogs published on the Judeo-Christian Caucus website are the opinions of their authors and not necessarily those of the Judeo-Christian Caucus.