B APTIST H ERALD J UNE 2013 E DITION
LAW SETS PRISONERS FREE
(used with permission by Scott Attebery via ScottAttebery.com)
“Law of Liberty.” What an interesting phrase. Notice how it juxtaposes two seemingly opposite ideas: Law and Liberty. Laws limit; Liberty releases. Laws restrict; Liberty unleashes. Laws say “no;” Liberty says “yes.” What an interesting oxymoron. So where does this phrase come from? James 1:25. “But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” Why do we have such a hard time reconciling the ideas of “law” and “liberty?” Probably because we live in a fallen world in which our laws are imperfect and lacking. But James is describing something different from our incomplete man-made laws. He is describing the law of God –the “perfect law.” In this sense, I think James is talking about “God’s Law” in a general sense –not necessarily the moral law, ceremonial law, or civil law found in the Old Testament. Instead, “God’s law” implies our complete obedience and submission to Him. God’s law has something man’s laws lack: complete transforming power. Man’s (“The Law…” Continued on page 8)
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F ROM THE E DITOR I’m continuing the series of lessons that God the Father has taught this father… Lessons from the Father “There’s no shame in retreating”. This past week myself along with several other men in the Association met at our new camp for a (hopefully annual) Pastor’s Retreat. The Camp Committee met at that same time to finalize plans for this year’s church camp & also get an idea of what to expect from our new location just outside of Weir, KS. It was a GREAT time of fellowship with close brethren & a chance to get away from the ‘daily grind’. I knew I would enjoy the event, but getting away is definitely out of the ordinary for me. In fact, Ange commented that this is likely the first time since Cameron’s birth that she would be handling all of the boys’ nighttime routine by herself. I have to remind myself repeatedly that it’s ok to step away & recharge my batteries on occasion. Not only will the marriage flourish because of it, but so will the other relationships in the family. Along those same lines, it’s also ok to retreat from ministry. Jesus dealt with ministry for several years & yet he had to retreat away from the ministry of the people to get away from the crowd that required yet another healing or a wise word of counsel. Ministry is an extremely demanding & thankless job & I implore each of you to admire the job that your pastor does. Remember though that he is also a husband & very likely a father. Encourage him to take care of his health, to take care of his marriage, & to take care of his family… encourage him to retreat. This year’s Encampment is July 15th-19th… come RETREAT with us!
C ONTACT I NFORMATION BAPTIST HERALD Adam Owen P.O. Box 218 Galena, KS 66739 Fax:620-783-1638 baptistheraldeditor@yahoo.com BMA OF KS & WESTERN MO OFFERINGS Paul Mooney P.O. Box 218 Galena, KS 66739 KOAM ENCAMPMENT OFFERINGS Adam Owen P.O. Box 218 Galena, KS 66739 BETHEL DISTRICT OFFERINGS Fred Vogel P.O. Box 75 Galena, KS 66739 KANSAS CITY DISTRICT OFFERINGS Clyde Lingelbach 436 S. Drury Kansas City, MO 64123
BAPTIST HERALD A Non-Profit Enterprise Official publication of the Baptist Missionary Association of Kansas and Western Missouri A national publication advocating world-wide missions, evangelism, benevolence, and Christian education Print subscription rate $10.00 per year in advance. Sample copies are available for the asking. Free full-color email edition also available. ADVERTISING RATES: $5.00 per column inch $50.00 one-fourth page $75.00 one-half page $100.00 full page
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M ISSIONS D IRECTOR R EPORT This is the final report you will receive before our state meeting coming up this next month. We want to encourage all our churches to plan to attend the annual state association this year which will be held at the Grace Baptist Church in Joplin, Missouri on June 22, 2003. I am sure you will receive more information later. Bro. Jamie Jones and the Northlake church are gearing up for the summer. They are expecting three service groups from three states, Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. They plan to work them hard "in Jesus
name". They will serve in His name, and share His love during June and July. Pray that through their help they make many new contacts and that God opens doors for new opportunities. Bro. Jesse Hales is continuing his deputation work and has remained very busy visiting church in Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, Texas and Oklahoma. He and John Herring were elected as missionaries during the recent national associational meeting. Continue praying for all the missionaries we are supporting at this time. Bro John Herring is now in Nixa, Missouri and getting settled in. He has some families
that are moving to Nixa as well to help with the work there. Pray they will all find jobs soon and get settled in as well. Please add the following birthdays and anniversaries to you list of our missionaries here in our state work. Jesse Hales – Jan 20 Rebecca Hales – Nov 24 Jesse & Rebecca* – May 22 John Herring – Aug 5 Alisha Herring – Aug 15 John & Alisha* – Mar 17 Dalton Herring – Jan 23
(six years old) Macey
Herring – 4/25 (soon to be 2) Fred A. Vogel
Anticipation Growing for SOAR 2013
SOAR, DiscipleGuide’s annual summer conference for students, promises to be the most exciting in the event’s 24-year history. “If room registrations are any indication, this could be one of our largest conferences in history,” according to Donny Parrish, DiscipleGuide’s Director of Conference Ministries. “The great team of speakers, worship leaders and artists really has everyone talking. I can’t wait for July 2 to arrive!” The SOAR theme is Discipleship and students will look at the lives of Christ’s disciples and the attributes that resulted in them becoming true disciples. Conference speakers include Scott Attebery, DiscipleGuide Director and youth leaders, Dustin Wisely & Tracey McMillen along with worship leader Aaron Williams. Special guest artists are Grammy Gospel Album of the year winner, Lecrae, the comedy of Panic Squad, The Rhett Walker Band, and song writer, Jordan Henderson. SOAR is scheduled for July 2-4 at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas. For more information visit our website at www.discipleguide.org/soar or call us at 501-513-3726.
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remembering us when you go before the throne of God and may He guide us as we proceed with sharing the truth.
NORTH LAKE CHURCH (SMITHVILLE, MO MISSION) Bro. Jamie Jones, Missionary
Dear Friends, Thank you for praying. I have personally been overwhelmed by prayer support the past two months. April and May were two months filled with prayer support, prayer requests, and answers to prayers. This has made for quite enjoyable times as of late. Please keep those prayers going as the Lord is at work drawing Smithvillians to hear the message of the truth through the ministries of GLENVIEW BAPTIST CHURCH 3101 Shrank Road Independence, MO 64055 Bro. Dan McGee, Pastor
North Lake Church.
We are also gearing up for the summer. We are expecting three service groups from three states, Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. We plan to work them hard "in Jesus name". They will serve in His name, and share His love during June and July. Pray that we make many new contacts and that God opens doors for new opportunities.
Right now we are working towards those 6 month goals that I shared about last month, and are well on our way to meeting some of them as I write this report. Thank you for Jamie Jones
Annabelle Griffin was Baptized on slide show of Mother’s and their Sunday, May 12th. Children and of Members of the Pastor Dan McGee and James and church with their Mothers. Mothers Joan McGee went to Norman, Okla- received a Bracelet and a Rose.
homa to attend the Annual Meeting Our Youth are looking forward to of the BMMA. They came back camp which is just two months Greetings from Glenview away. They are studying John preWe were excited to hear the news with good reports. that Annabelle Griffin was saved at We congratulate Tasha McGee upon paring for Camp Quiz. home. What a Blessing to lead your her Graduation from CBC in Con- One of our “Take-home Thoughts” child to the Lord. She came forward way, Arkansas. Her family traveled this month. We deserve death, but God offers us life. requesting Baptism. Sam Griffin to Conway for the Graduation. was Baptized Sunday, May 7th and Mother’s Day was observed with a Gladys Boatright FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH 17245 East Kentucky Rd. Independence, MO 64058 Bro. Joseph Smith, Pastor
Greetings from Faith Missionary Baptist Wow it’s been awhile since I wrote last. We have seen God moving in so many ways at Faith where do I start. We have three baptisms to be scheduled this month. We have
now officially doubled in size that is a God thing. We have just repainted our auditorium it is no longer known as the dark church. We are now working on our vacation Bible School which is scheduled June 24th -29th. We are hoping by having VBS before camp we may be able to reach more kids to bring to camp. We are just focusing on our mission here in independence letting God move us to a strong and spiritual
church that is able to reach the lost and hurting. Praise God for all He has done so far, in the spiritual strength that I see Faith becoming. I am truly blessed to be surrounded by great people in the BMAA that has taken the time to invest in me while I learn the role as a pastor. I am truly blessed I want to thank you all. Pastor Joseph Smith
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MEADOWSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH 1406 South Rouse Pittsburg, KS 66762 Bro. Aaron Polok, Pastor
Greetings to our sister churches! The cold, rainy weather could not dampen our spirits as we celebrated our Risen King on Easter! The children enjoyed an “inside” egg hunt and games the day before, and the joy continued on Easter as we were blessed with special music and a wonderful sermon by Bro. Jeff. We’ve had plenty to keep us busy the last couple of months. A bridal shower was given in honor of Danielle Dugan and Stephen Derfelt. With an upcoming June wedding, they received many nice gifts. And our kids had a blast at the annual Awana Grand Prix. Lots of cool cars, some fast and some not so fast, were raced to the finish line. Trophies and rib-
bons were awarded to winners and participants, and everyone had a really good time. Our pastors and their wives traveled to Norman, OK for the National Meeting. This was an especially meaningful meeting since our own Jesse and Rebecca Hales were formally elected missionaries to the Dominican Repuboic. While we will certainly miss them in their duties at FBC, we are so proud and excited for this next phase of their ministry. They are in the deputation phase of their work and are traveling each week to raise financial support for their ministry. You can keep up with them by clicking on the following link http://bit.ly/ halesmissionscalendar and when you do, please pray for this dedicated young couple. They will do great things for the Kingdom!
Our building program is nearing the end, with only carpet and a few small things left to do. We are so grateful that God has given us the people to fill these new spaces, and to our people for so generously stepping up to pay for it! We will definitely use every square inch of space. We continue to pray that the Lord will send someone to work with our youth, and we pray for our sister churches that God will be glorified in all they do. In His Service, Leigh Ryan, Reporter
A GREAT FIRST MONTH! It has been exciting to meet new people here in Nixa and have the opportunity to share about Refuge church as God has provided the opportunity. We are becoming more familiar with the area and are finding ourselves running into people at the grocery store or other community events that we know from the first month of being here. Dalton has settled into school and has really done well at making the change. We know it's because so many of you prayed for him during this time of transition and are thankful for your continued prayers. We have had the opportunity to do several outreaches to neighborhoods around us and are working on cultivating relationships from those outreach opportunities. Through those outreaches we have encountered a wide range of religious affiliations including Jehovah's Witnesses, Berean, Agnostic, Jewish, Assembly of God, Baptist, Catholic and more. Although we have encountered a variety of religions here, many of the people we meet aren't in church and don't place a huge importance on having a relationship with Christ. Keep in mind that only 1 out of every 3 people here claim any kind of religious affiliation and those who do include the above mentioned religions and others who are sporadic in their church attendance. Be praying that we would be able to build relationships in such a way that we will make an impact in the community here and beyond. ANOTHER FAMILY IS COMING Tyler and Jessica Tate will be moving to Nixa at the end of this month. We are excited to have them joining us on the field and to have them as part of this brand new church. They will be the third family (including our family) that has moved to Nixa to help start Refuge Church. There are other families that a praying about their level of involvement on the field here. Be praying for Tyler and Jessica as they make this move that God will watch over them and protect them. Also, be praying for the other families that God is still working with and leading to be a part of Refuge Church and all that He has planned for the weeks, months and years ahead! PRAYER NEEDS Pray for those that have moved to Nixa to help start this new work that they would be able to find jobs quickly in the area He would have them to work. Pray that God would add to our launch team in His timing. We're also praying that He would add a second pastor to our team who may also be able to lead worship. Pray for missions teams that are coming in June. Pray that God would continue to provide the partners needed to become fully funded. Pray for us as we continue to travel and share about the vision of Nixa with other churches. Pray for God to use us to reach the lost around us with the hope that only He can give.
As I was reading our last newsletter and thinking about the last month, I realized how busy we have been. Life seems to be busy for everyone in this culture. Rarely do we slow down or, as I recently read, “experience” life. We simply move from one task to the next. This morning as I was studying I was led to a passage in Ecclesiastes 5. I was reminded that as we approach God we should “guard our steps” and “draw near to listen.” (Ecc 5:1 NASB) We should not be “hasty in words or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God” but our words should be few. (Ecc 5:2 NASB) Even in our busyness we cannot become flippant in how we approach God. We cannot take for granted that He hears our prayers. We cannot mindlessly throw up a prayer and expect an immediate answer. Our theme verse has been James 5:16-- “…the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Fervent prayer is focused prayer. There does not have to be many words or always a long time devoted to the prayer. But it is not hasty or impulsive. It is a prayer where the mind is fully aware of what you are saying. And it is a heart that is intentionally drawing near to listen not just petition. At the end of April, Jesse and I experienced an answer to one of those prayers. We were officially elected and commissioned as BMAA missionaries to the Dominican Republic. And we began missionary status on May 1st. God is good. He has guided us through each step. He has helped us guard our steps. He has even strengthened our relationship through the process. There have been moments that He has reminded us to stop and experience this part of our lives. To set aside memories. To not get caught up in the busyness and forget to listen for Him. Much of this is because of our faithful prayer partners. Thank you. Thank you for helping us reach this goal. Thank you for touching our lives. A second blessing is that we are expecting a baby in October. God has chosen this time to grow our family. The busiest time of our lives thus far. But it serves as a reminder to lean more into Him. To listen more for Him. To stay grounded in Scripture and focused in prayer. God is good. God is so good.
(“The Law…” Continued from page 1)
laws merely manage people –God’s laws change people. That’s why the idea of a law leading to liberty seems foreign to us. To help gain perspective, picture yourself as a prisoner in an old penitentiary. Your body is worn and your eyes have failed. You sit every day obeying the laws of the prison: Get up, shower, eat, work, sleep, etc. One day, you hear the cell door open and a voice calls out to you, “stand up and follow me.” This isn’t the voice you’ve been accustomed to hearing over the years. Instead, there is a sense of hope in this voice. You stand and take steps forward. The voice calls out to you, “three steps to the left,” “turn right,” “stay straight.” After what seems like hours of obeying every command, you feel the warmth of the morning sun falling on your skin. You are free. After years of obeying one kind of law –the law that managed you in your prison- you had the privilege of following a better law –a law that leads to freedom! God’s “law of liberty” is like that. The more we obey, the more freedom we enjoy from this fallen world. God’s perfect law is in His Word. That’s why, in the context of this verse, James exhorts us to “be doers of the word, and not hearers only…” (James 1:22). So take a moment to rejoice –God’s law is not like man’s law. God’s law brings freedom! No wonder the psalmist exclaimed, “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97).