THE NEW YEAR OFFERS FRESH OPPORTUNITY TO RESET FOCUS
Our
Executive Director urges Arkansas
Baptists to refresh our missions commitment and be more intentional about personal evangelism
BY DR. REX HORNE
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ARKANSAS BAPTIST STATE CONVENTION
This year marks a quarter of the way to 2100 just as we have put the hoopla of 2000 in the past!
The new year somehow seems to be distinctive or offer promise or both. It may be a replay of many of the past years or could hold significant differences. The key factor may be a commitment to different expectations,
disciplines, and results. The difference could be in our lives or our shared lives. You will read much about personal challenges and changes you can make if you eat right, sleep right, exercise right, save right, and on and on. This is helpful. Today, I am thinking more in line with our shared lives, specifically as Arkansas Baptists. In our recent Annual Meeting, I preached about the need to reset as a Convention. This applies to the ministries
we share with cooperating churches as well as the attitude we have of one another. It is not a hard task for those of us who serve through the Convention to understand and live out our purpose—to assist churches in their mission and encourage cooperative support of and involvement in our worldwide enterprise. I enter 2025 more committed than ever to our purpose. This is accomplished through our shared conviction of salvation
Arkansas Baptist Life is the official newsletter of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention
2025 statewide conference on evangelism + church health
Schedule | January 27–28
Monday
u 9:00 a.m. Check-in begins
u 10:00 a.m. Apologetics Workshop with Lee Strobel
u 1:00 p.m. Worship Session with Jeff Iorg, JJ Washington, and Ted Cunningham
u 7:00 p.m. Worship Session with Lee Strobel
Tuesday
u 8:45 a.m. Worship Session with JJ Washington, Nick Floyd, and Tom Richter
u 12:00–1:30 p.m. | Tuesday Lunch + Workshops
Pastors | Led by JJ Washington
Worship Leaders | Led by Mike Harland
Kid’s Ministry | Led by Jonathan Williams
Student Ministry | Led by Tom Richter
Ministers’ Wives and Women in Ministry | Led by Diane Nix
Church Administration | Led by Patrick Henry
Worship Leaders
david mcKinney + cross church worship
FEATURED GUESTS
JANUARY 27–28 2025
GEYER SPRINGS FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH LITTLE ROCK
BY WARREN GASAWAY
EVANGELISM + CHURCH HEALTH TEAM LEADER
Our annual Arkansas Baptist State Evangelism Conference (ECON) promises to be an impactful gathering, with a lineup of speakers whose passion for sharing the Gospel will inspire and equip pastors, staff, and church leaders to reach their communities. Whether you are looking for practical tips or needing to be renewed in fervor for the Gospel, we’re praying that this year’s conference will offer a time of equipping and inspiration for the Gospel. Six evangelism leaders will help us in thinking through how to reach a postChristian culture.
Jeff Iorg, President of the SBC Executive Committee, is known for his leadership and vision in preparing the next generation of Christian leaders and now leading our Convention to focus on missions and evangelism. He will bring a wealth of knowledge on how to engage in effective, missional evangelism.
Nick Floyd, Senior Pastor of Cross Church in Northwest Arkansas, is a respected voice in leadership principles and is asked to preach and speak in many leadership settings. His leadership and pastoral insight into reaching a contemporary culture with the timeless truth of the Gospel will resonate with those looking to connect with their communities.
Ted Cunningham, founding Pastor of Woodland Hills Family Church, brings a unique blend of humor and heart. As a speaker, Ted has a gift for making biblical truth relatable, especially when it comes to marriage and family. His perspective on evangelism within the home is sure to encourage families to see themselves as mission fields.
JJ Washington, Director of Personal Evangelism for the North American Mission Board, has a heart for equipping individuals to share their faith in everyday settings. His practical strategies for engaging others in
Gospel conversations and equipping the church for a Gospel culture will be invaluable for those eager to see immediate impact in their local areas.
Lee Strobel, best-selling author of The Case for Christ, is one of the most well-known apologists of our time. His journey from atheism to faith offers a powerful testimony that highlights the importance of reasoned evangelism. He will encourage believers to be bold in addressing the tough questions nonbelievers have.
Tom Richter, Pastor of Cullman First Baptist Church, is known for his energetic and passionate preaching. With a focus on relational evangelism, Tom will challenge and inspire the audience to share their faith with authenticity and compassion.
Join us, January 27 and 28, 2025, at Geyer Springs FBC for a catalytic time of Arkansas Baptists uniting our churches in the greatness of the Gospel. Discover more at absc.org/econ
Lee strobel
JJ Washington
Tom Richter
Jeff Iorg
Nick Floyd
Ted Cunningham
SPRING OUTREACH STRATEGY HELPING CHURCHES MEET NEEDS
Two-month outreach emphasis designed to purposefully move people toward the Cross
When the Lord called Jonah to go to Nineveh, Jonah ran in the other direction. In Jonah 4:11 God asks a question, “Should I not have concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than 120,000 people who cannot tell their right hand from their left?” About 800 years before Jesus, we see the heart of the Father as He looks upon these people with compassion.
Matthew 9 records how Jesus looked at Jerusalem, “When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Jesus demonstrates the heart of God when He was moved by compassion to continue the journey to the Cross, where He would die for the sins of the world.
This strategy begins with an invitation to share the message of John 3:16 on March 16 (3/16) and culminates with Statewide Baptism Sunday on April 27.
Between those two dates, churches are encouraged to select a day(s) during the week of April 12–19 to serve their communities, meeting practical needs and strategically sharing the Gospel. Serve Local is an opportunity for churches to demonstrate compassion through various ministries, opening doors for Gospel conversations. Serve
Local ministries typically fall into one of three categories:
7 Physical needs. A No Sale Yard Sale, food distribution sites, home repairs, and similar ministries demonstrate compassion through meeting a tangible need.
7 Community needs. Local schools, parks, first responders, and nursing homes create unique opportunities for ministry that often builds bridges for future ministry.
7 Connection needs. People have a need for a connection, for relationships with others. An event such as a Block Party or an Easter Egg Hunt meets the need of connecting with others. Prayer walking, canvassing, and doorto-door evangelism all foster connections.
A key part of the ministries performed at Serve Local includes an invitation to Big Day on April 20 which is Easter “Big Days” are recurring cultural days in the year that may be used to invite people to church. Contact Clint Ritchie or Warren Gasaway for resources to prepare for the Big Day through guest readiness, evangelistic preaching, and follow up.
LEAD DEFEND CONFERENCE EQUIPS STUDENTS TO SHARE TRUTH IN CHANGING CULTURE
A relevant way to reach the next generation
Psalm 145:4 reminds us, “One generation will declare Your works to the next and will proclaim Your mighty acts.” Each generation shares unique experiences, values, and beliefs. God’s design, from the beginning of time, is for each generation to pass on to the next the knowledge of His activity and ultimately of His greatest act of redemption through Christ.
In recent years, Pew Research has consistently revealed Gen Z (usually referring to those born between 1997–2012) as the least religious generation, with a third claiming no religious affiliation at all. This generation is also the most diverse in American history, interacting with friends from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs. Added to our culture’s slide down the
slippery slope of relativism (the worldview that there is no truth, and all beliefs are equally valid), Gen Z’s lack of any firm religious conviction is not surprising.
Even so, the American Bible Society found that 81% of today’s youth say they are curious about the Bible, 64% wish they read the Bible more, and 60% are interested in learning more about Jesus. Barna research has discovered that 82% of Gen Z Christians say it is important for them to share their faith, and incredibly, 80% of those have talked with someone about God within the past year. This is wonderful news!
All of this data reveals an incredible opportunity to engage Gen Z’s curiosity with the truth of the Gospel. Arkansas Baptists have taken the initiative to meet this need and opportunity head-on. The
Lead Defend Conference, coming up on March 8 at Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock, has become one of the premier apologetic conferences in the country. The goal of Lead Defend is to prepare students to be the leaders of today by engaging others where culture and faith collide. Two conferences in one, Lead Defend is for high school/ college students, and Lead Defend Foundations is for middle school/junior high students.
Speakers Lee Strobel, Sean Emory, and Drs. Jamie and Tara Dew will build the faith of Christian students and help break down barriers to belief for those who don’t yet know Christ. There will be powerful times of worship through music.
Registration for Lead Defend, conference schedule, and additional information is available at absc.org/ leaddefend. Each registration includes lunch. The cost is $35. The conference will kick off at 10:00 a.m. and conclude around 5:00 p.m. One way you can declare God’s mighty acts to the next generation is to help spread the word about Lead Defend and bring someone with you. Hope to see you there!
During the August 2024 meeting of the ABSC Executive Board held at Camp Paron, the decision was made to merge the Church Planting Team and the Missions Team into one team to more effectively serve Arkansas Baptists. Team Leader Sam Roberts is grateful to lead this incredible team of servants to assist Arkansas Baptist churches in fulfilling their mission and encourage cooperative support of and involvement in our worldwide missions enterprise.
Your newly formed Missions Team exists to assist Arkansas Baptist churches as you:
7 Mobilize for missions engagement in your community, throughout our state, and with national and global partners
7 Plant healthy, reproducing churches
7 Disciple new generations of believers to be on mission
7 Support our cooperative missions efforts through prayer and financial generosity to reach our state and the nations with the Gospel
Those who gathered last October for the 2024 ABSC Annual Meeting heard exciting reports of what God is doing in and through our churches, ABSC entities, and Executive Board ministries. Here is a recap of some of the highlights involving the Missions Team.
COMMUNITY MISSIONS
spiritual needs and share Jesus. Through ministries like block parties, medical/ dental clinics, food distribution, faithbased pregnancy centers, Serve Local, and One Day, more than 1,000 individuals placed their faith in Jesus during 2024.
We celebrate these new believers while realizing that countless Arkansans, like the three children who attended a block party in their Cabot subdivision during One Day, are living without the hope of Jesus. That was the first time they heard the Gospel and the first time they had even heard the name Jesus. Your Missions Team stands ready to assist you and your church in engaging your community with the Gospel. Contact Community Missions Strategist Clint Ritchie to learn how you can begin with the Spring Outreach Strategy to be a part of the aforementioned ministries in your community.
The Lord continues to bless the work of Arkansas Baptists as they engage their local communities to meet physical and
DISASTER RELIEF
In 2024, Arkansas Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers served in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. Teams deployed in Valdosta, Georgia, and Spruce Pine, North Carolina, to serve those affected by Hurricane Helene.
Sam Roberts Team Leader
Clint Ritchie Assistant Team Leader
Randy Garrett Disaster Relief Director
Francisco Gomez
Jay Ham
As our volunteers deploy, they not only assist with physical needs but bring the hope of the Gospel. We celebrate that during the late 2024 deployment in Georgia, at least 48 people responded to the Gospel through faith in Jesus. We also celebrate the deployment of an all-ladies chainsaw team from FBC Russellville: a first among Southern Baptist Disaster Relief. Contact Randy Garrett for additional information on how to be involved and assist Disaster Relief.
CHURCH PLANTING
As we assist Arkansas Baptist churches to plant healthy, reproducing churches through our Send Arkansas partnership, our four Church Planting Strategists are available to come alongside. Send Network Arkansas held two planter assessments in 2024. A total of 18 couples from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, and Louisiana were assessed. Also, five church planting residencies have been established and several others are in process, including a future residency in Helena that will impact rural church planting in the Delta. Contact Francisco Gomez, Jay Ham, Willie Jacobs, or Neal Scoggins to learn how your church can become a sending church or how to support church plants and planters in your area.
MISSIONS DISCIPLESHIP
Our desire is to assist churches by training and equipping Arkansas Baptists to be on mission every day of their lives and offer a variety of ways to accomplish this: on-going missions discipleship programs, drop-in missions education lessons, developing personalized missions discipleship strategies, and hands-on missions and ministry opportunities like Connect student missions weekends, Engage
Missions Camp, Man-Up, Children’s Missions Day, Christian Women/Men’s Job Corps, and more. If we can assist your church with Missions Discipleship, please contact Travis McCormick or Debbie Moore
PARTNERSHIP MISSIONS
Almost 80 people gathered for Missions Connection the Sunday prior to the Annual Meeting. There they met missionaries from Canada, Chile, Dominican Republic, South Florida, and Detroit. Scheduled for 2025 are three Vision Tours for Arkansas Baptist pastors and mission leaders:
7 Send South Florida (Miami): January 14–17, 2025
7 Brazil: February 13–20, 2025
7 Dominican Republic: April 9–16, 2025 For additional information on these opportunities, please contact Steve Lasiter
Our team is also assisting the IMB with an initiative called Church Connections. Each Arkansas Baptist church has been paired with an IMB missionary for prayer and personal connection. If you do not know who your IMB missionary is, please contact our office for assistance.
We are grateful for the privilege of assisting your church in fulfilling your mission. Together, let’s reach Arkansas and the nations with the Gospel.
Willie Jacobs Church Planting Strategist
Neal Scoggins Church Planting Strategist
Travis McCormick Men & Boy’s Missions Strategist
Debbie Moore WMU Executive Director
Steve Lasiter National/International Partnership Strategist
In fall 2023, the ABSC Executive Board voted to merge the Evangelism + Church Health Team and the College + Young Leaders Team into one team to more effectively serve Arkansas Baptists. Team Leader Warren Gasaway and a dedicated team of servants stand ready to assist Arkansas Baptist churches in fulfilling your mission. The Evangelism + Church Health Team exists to help Arkansas Baptist churches:
7 Evangelize,
7 Raise up biblical leaders,
7 Mobilize the next generation and
7 Connect churches for Gospel advancement.
They do this through facilitating camps and conferences, connecting church and collegiate partnerships, and offering training for churches in the areas of revitalization and church health. Opportunities for networking and roundtable discussion groups are offered for student ministry leaders, worship leaders, women’s ministry and coming in 2025, discipleship networks.
Assistant Team Leader Bob Johnson serves in church revitalization, smaller membership church strategies, Sunday school/ discipleship and small groups, and is a
liaison to the associations.
Collegiate Ministry Strategists
Chris Larmoyeux, Lynn Loyd, and Teresa “Bit” Stephens work to connect churches with 10 full-time campus ministers and 17 part-time/ volunteer campus ministers to foster relationships.
The Lead Defend and Foundations conference held each year in March seeks to introduce students from middle school through college to apologetics.
Next Gen and Discipleship Strategist Bill Newton leads a team of volunteers to plan Super Summer JV and Super Summer for a focused time of evangelism and discipleship each June.
Warren Gasaway Team Leader
Bob Johnson Assistant Team Leader
Chris Larmoyeux Collegiate Ministry Strategist
Lynn Loyd Collegiate Ministry Strategist
He is available to train youth ministers in the areas of evangelism and discipleship. Explore Your Call regional events let students hear from church staff about serving, partnering, and growing in a call to ministry.
Worship Ministry Strategist Jim Daniel directs the 200-plus member Master’Singers made up of music/ worship leaders, accompanists, and their spouses from Arkansas Baptist churches. He, along with a dedicated group of volunteers, plans and hosts PraizFest worship equipping weekend
each January and PraiseWorks/ JoyWorks worship discipleship camps each summer.
Evangelism Strategist/ Consultant
Mark Tolbert serves in church revitalization through EQUIP conferences and bi-vocational/ small church leadership consultation.
The Evangelism + Church Health Team seeks to assist churches in the area of kids ministry through quality training, consultations, and resources designed to support churches as they reach out and welcome children and their families.
From developing strategy, evaluating space and security issues, planning for outreach, equipping small groups, hosting special events, training leaders, and more, our goal is to help equip those who lead children.
Vacation Bible School and Bible Drill are just two of these ongoing equipping/ discipleship ministries.
Women’s ministry offers networking and encouragement through the yearly Arkansas Baptist Women Conference and Leadership Collective as well as assisting with ministers’ wives’ events at the annual Evangelism Conference and the ABSC Annual Meeting. Children and Women’s Ministry Strategist Morgan Fulcher is available to assist children’s ministry leaders and women’s ministry leaders who serve in Arkansas Baptist churches.
You can find contact information for each of these members of the Evangelism + Church Health Team on the website, absc.org/staff, or call 501.376.4791.
Teresa “Bit” Stephens International Student Consultant
Bill Newton Next Gen and Discipleship Strategist
Jim Daniel Worship Ministry Strategist
Mark Tolbert Evangelism Strategist/ Consultant
Morgan Fulcher Children and Women’s Ministry Strategist
PraizFest
JANUARY 31–FEBRUARY 1
There is eternal value in equipping the next generation in biblical worship and worship leading. Join us for this year’s PraizFest, a student weekend of worship and equipping led by Rhon Carter, Worship and Music Strategist, Georgia Baptist Convention, and hosted by First Baptist Church, Benton.
absc.org/praizfest
Worship Leaders Roundtables
JANUARY–APRIL 2025
A time for worship leaders to meet together for fellowship and networking.
January 9 | Central Baptist Church, Conway
January 16 | FBC Harrison
March 20 | FBC Greenwood
April 3 | Wynne Baptist Church
April 10 | FBC Nashville
April 24 | FBC Monticello
absc.org/wlr
MESSAGE FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
through Jesus alone, the Bible is God’s inspired truth and revelation given to us without error, and that the church is autonomous. We also believe there are ways and means to support and serve together in fulfilling our Lord’s commission. This allows us to do greater ministry effectively at home and around the world.
Block Party Workshops
JANUARY 25 & FEBRUARY 1, 8, 22
Block Party ministry is a great way to reach your local community with lasting effects, not only on the community, but also on the hosting church.
January 25 | FBC Hampton
February 1 | FBC Forrest City
February 8 | Bryant First Southern February 22 | ABSC NWA office
absc.org/blockparty
Explore Your Call
FEBRUARY–APRIL 2025
Our regional Explore Your Call meetings will be a time to learn from church staffs and pastors about serving in ministry, partnering together in ministry, and growing in your call to ministry.
February 2 | Jonesboro BCM Building
February 23 | Second Baptist Church, Conway
March 3 | Indian Springs Baptist Church
March 18 | Cross Church, Fayetteville
April 1 | Monticello BCM Building
absc.org/eyc
One area that we desperately must address together is the clear need of intentional evangelism in all of our communities. The decline in baptisms over the years is alarming. I mentioned that we are up in baptisms in 2023 over the previous three years. That is good. The truth is the previous three years, 2020–2022, we were coming out of Covid. If you do not include the low baptism numbers of the Covid years, the baptisms in 2023 were the lowest since 1931. Please read that last sentence again. The lowest baptisms in 92 years. Compounding this sad fact is that in 1931 there were 820 cooperating churches in the ABSC while we now number over 1,450. The population in Arkansas in 1931
was approximately 1.8 million people. Today’s population in our home state is over 3 million. We cannot say we have stayed even or that we are steady. We are losing ground, and lostness is growing here at home.
2025 will be a different year for me. I am committed to personal evangelism. When I preach in places across our state, I want to challenge the believer and the church to be intentional, consistent witnesses of Jesus as we share the Gospel in our needy state. Will you join me? I am here—we are here to serve in assisting and encouraging you as we serve the One Who saved us and now sends us into our communities and beyond with the Good News.
EQUIP Conference
FEBRUARY 1
Equip! That is the mandate given in Ephesians 4:12: “To equip the saints for the work of service.” The Equip Conference is designed to assist normal-size Arkansas Baptist churches in equipping their members to minister in their communities. Held on the campus of Williams Baptist University, the conference is free but registration is required. Contact Mark Tolbert (mtolbert@absc.org) for more information.
absc.org/equip
Leadership Collective
FEBRUARY 8
Leadership Collective is a one-day workshop at the ABSC Building for women’s ministry leaders in Arkansas. This will be a focused time for women who serve their local church as the leader of women’s ministry events, discipleship, small groups, and other activities for women. This event offers opportunities for ministry leaders to receive training and be equipped to serve as they connect with one another in an interactive setting.
absc.org/abwcollective
Abuse Prevention + Response Conferences
FEBRUARY 10, MAY 1
Protecting minors and those vulnerable from sexual abuse remains a top priority for the ABSC. Join us as we walk through the essentials to actively assist and encourage Arkansas Baptist churches to train, screen, protect, report, and care when it comes to abuse prevention and response.
February 10 | First Baptist Church, Fayetteville
May 1 | ABSC Building, Little Rock
absc.org/apr
CISM
FEBRUARY 21–22
Responding to crises is second nature to First Responders. It is vital that they be trained to handle the stress and emotions that these incidents elicit. The Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) training event equips first responders to minister on the scene and to work through the stress they face as a result.
absc.org/cism
CONNECT MISSIONS WEEKEND
April 11–13 | absc.org/connect
CAMP SILOAM
Camps begin June 2 and run weekly through August | campsiloam.com
ENGAGE MISSIONS CAMP
June 16–20 | absc.org/engage
SUPER SUMMER JV
June 21–24 | absc.org/supersummer | Registration opens February 1.
SUPER SUMMER SENIOR HIGH
June 24–28 | absc.org/supersummer | Registration opens February 1.
JOYWORKS
July 14–18 | absc.org/pwjw
For students who have completed grade 3–6. Registration opens March 1.
PRAISEWORKS
July 14–18 | absc.org/pwjw
For students who have completed grade 7–12. Registration opens March 1.
SPEAKER VICKIE BANKS
Stay connected to us on social media, watch and listen to our videos and podcasts, sign up for our monthly eNews, and find all things Arkansas Baptist on our website. Get started at:
ABSC.ORG/ UPDATES
March 2-9 Week of Prayer for North American Missions 2025 Disaster Relief Trainings
March 15 Jonesboro, Nettleton Baptist Church
April 26 North Little Rock, Central Baptist Church
August 9 Alexander, New Life Baptist Church
September 6 Rogers, First Baptist Church, Olive St.
The ministries of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention are funded by the generous giving of Arkansas Baptists to missions through the Cooperative Program and the Dixie Jackson Arkansas Missions Offering.
If you would like to receive a monthly electronic newsletter with links to these events and more, go to absc.org/subscribe or call 501-376-4791 ext. 5153.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SPECIFIC EVENTS, CALL 501.376.4791 OR VISIT ABSC.ORG/CALENDAR FOR COMPLETE EVENT INFO