2023/March

MESSENGER STAFF

>> Brian Hobbs | Editor bhobbs@baptistmessenger.com

>> Chris Doyle | Managing Editor cdoyle@baptistmessenger.com

>> Lori Coats | Subscriptions/Assistant lcoats@baptistmessenger.com

>> Tori Hamilton | Art Director thamilton@baptistmessenger.com

3 | Connect: Giving $1 Billion through CP by Todd Fisher

The Baptist Messenger (ISSN 0744-9518) is published monthly by the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, 3800 N. May, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112-6506. Periodicals postage paid at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Circulation last issue: 39,139. Individual subscriptions are available upon request. When writing for a change of address or a subscription renewal, please include a copy of your mailing label. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Baptist Messenger, 3800 N. May, Oklahoma City, OK 73112-6506.

While the Baptist Messenger attempts to provide advertisers of integrity who furnish quality products, it is recommended that buyers be cautious, do research and get references to any advertiser with which they are not familiar. Publication of an advertisement in the Baptist Messenger does not constitute an endorsement of the products, services or businesses.

Member, Baptist Press News, Christian Newspaper Association, Evangelical Press Association, Oklahoma Press Association.

4 | Sword & Trowel: Gen Z and thee by Brian Hobbs

5 | Upcoming Events

6 | Rite of Passage: Just one Moore by Walker Moore

10 | Pastor’s Page

BILLION in CP Giving

11 | Greetings from WatersEdge: Changing the method: Introducing investments for individuals, coming Summer 2023 by Robert Kellogg

12 | Crossword & Wordsearch

13 | Church News

8 | A Heart for Hope & Homes: James Swain selected as next president for Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children

by Brian Hobbs

14 | People in Focus: Trevor Bulls by Chris Doyle

19 | Flipping the Script: A fresh perspective by staff

ONECelebrating BILLION in CP Giving Connect: Giving $1 billion through CP

Oklahoma Baptists, I have some tremendously exciting news to share with you that is cause for great celebration! As many of you know, Southern Baptists created the Cooperative Program (CP) in 1925. The next year, Southern Baptist churches in Oklahoma started giving through the CP. Along the way, we’ve hit some great milestones in our CP giving.

The first time Oklahoma Baptists gave more than $500,000 in a single year was in 1946. In 1951, we gave more than $1 million in a single year for the first time. In 1974, we gave more than $5 million.

But here’s the big news I want to share with you—I asked our team to do some research, and we discovered that when you cumulatively add all the CP gifts Oklahoma Baptist churches have given since 1926, we have given $1 billion to Kingdom causes supported through the Cooperative Program! One billion dollars! We passed that mark at the beginning of February this year, and these numbers do not include gifts to special offerings like Lottie Moon and Annie Armstrong—just CP giving.

Let me take a moment and break that down a bit. Since 1926, Oklahoma Baptists have given just short of $198 million to what was then the Foreign, now International Mission Board. We have sent more than $83 million to what was the Home, now North American Mission Board, and more than $84 million to our Southern Baptist Convention seminaries.

And over the decades, Oklahoma Baptists, through their faithfulness to CP giving, have supported the work of Falls Creek, CrossTimbers, Disaster Relief and Baptist Collegiate Ministries right here in Oklahoma. Not to mention our affiliates such as Oklahoma Baptist University, Baptist Village Communities, Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children and WatersEdge have been supported.

Most of all, I like to think of this billion dollars in terms of the lives that have been changed through the generosity of Oklahoma Baptists. I like to think of the number of missionaries that have been put in the field taking the Gospel of Jesus Christ to some of the darkest, hardest to reach places through these gifts—or the number of churches that have been planted, or the number of those called to ministry trained in our seminaries and went on to serve in churches and the mission field.

Think of these one billion dollars in terms of the students who have come to faith in Christ and were called to ministry at Falls Creek, the children who had no home and were given one, the college student who found identity and purpose in Christ. Only the Lord knows the number of people and the number of ways in which those people were impacted for the Kingdom by the generosity of Oklahoma Baptists, but I assure you it is significant!

We have learned through our faithful giving through the Cooperative Program for almost 100 years that we can do significantly more for the Kingdom together than we can apart. What one church may be unable to do, many churches partnering together can do!

So, way to go, Oklahoma Baptists! Thank you for one billion dollars! Your faithful and generous giving through the CP is making a huge difference for the Kingdom right here in Oklahoma and across the globe. Let’s keep our support through the Cooperative Program going, and if the Lord tarries His coming, give a billion more!

Todd Fisher Oklahoma Baptists Executive Director-Treasurer

Sword & Trowel

Gen Z and thee

This generation of young people—known as Gen Z—was recently referred to as the “revival generation” by evangelist Shane Pruitt, who seems to express a hope that the Lord is moving among this generation.

Amid this hopeful note, we also see that Gen Z faces significant challenges, too. They are growing up in a digital age, which offers continual distraction and destructive content.

Moreover, according to an American National Family Life Survey, “the majority of Millennials and Gen Z did not grow up attending church weekly.”

From this spiritual vacuum of church life, a whole wide array of harmful ideas and habits have crept in, which is discussed at length in a new Lifeway book, “Flip the Script.”

The book says, “Not only do 34 percent of Generation Z identify as religiously unaffiliated, they are also more likely to identify as atheist or agnostic than any other generation.”

Gen Z feels that the truth that “‘Jesus is the only way’ seems intolerant. They challenge that the biblical teaching about binary gender is bigoted and unsafe. They refer to ‘my truth’ rather than ‘the truth.’”

The book argues we must adapt, not truth, but our outreach to reach this Gen Z generation with the

Gospel. Like a good missionary studies the culture in which they serve, “we need to identify different starting points (with Gen Z) that help kids and students connect the felt needs they are experiencing as a result of their secular worldview to the message of Jesus.

“… Jesus offers the only identity that isn’t based on human whims or performance. Jesus offers an identity based on His character and His work on the cross.

“When we recognize the waters that kids and students are swimming in, and learn to meet them in the fishbowl, we create opportunities for them to feel heard, understood and receptive to what we have to share. A starting point like this lays the foundation for kids and students to be open to hear the Gospel.”

The challenge in reaching Gen Z can be overwhelming. Thankfully, visionary leaders with Oklahoma Baptists and churches across this state already realize these trends and are making headway at Falls Creek and elsewhere.

While the challenges are real, with God, all things are possible. He desires ‘who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth’ (1 Tim. 2:4). That includes you. That includes me. That includes Gen Z.

Brian Hobbs Editor of the Baptist Messenger

OBU Reception

7 p.m.

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

The National WWII Museum

945 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA 70130

This event is open to all Oklahoma messengers attending the SBC annual meeting, all OBU Alumni and all friends of the university.

Registration required –okbu.edu/alumni or QR code

Upcoming Events

MAR 26

APR 3-4

Advance Conference

OKC, Quail Springs oklahomabaptists.org/ advance

APR 21-22

Women’s Retreat Falls Creek Conference Center oklahomabaptists.org/ women

APR 28-29

Men’s Retreat Falls Creek Conference Center oklahomabaptists.org/ men

Singing and Praising at OKC, Southern Hills

APR 14

Falls Creek Spring Retreat at Falls Creek Conference Center

APR 17

Worship Leadership Summit at Oklahoma Baptist University

MAY 1 - MAY 3

NextGen Spring Leadership Conference

NCED Conference Center & Hotel, Norman

FEATURED RESOURCES:

FEEDING

Preaching the Gospel through all elements of the Worship Service

Seeking to ensure our worship services bring glory to the Lord and impact...

oklahomabaptists.com/category/feeding-and-leading/

LEADING

Pastors and Financial Integrity Ministry should be messy at times, but the same should not be said about...

oklahomabaptists.com/category/feeding-and-leading/

Rite of Passage Just one Moore

It was March of 1997. I was asked to write an article for the Baptist Messenger on parenting.

“Just one,” they said. Then it became “just one more.” Now, 26 years and 1,250 articles later, I am still writing “just one more.”

With this article, I have completed 26 years, and I have seen lots of changes. When I started writing, WiFi wasn’t around, and neither was Google. There was no such thing as a smartphone, Kindle, Bluetooth, Facebook, or a flat-screen TV. We didn’t even have GPS! How did we ever get to Grandma’s house?

In the beginning, I was asked to write 300 words a week. I thought to myself, “This is like being back in school and having to do a weekly term paper.” I mastered the art of using filler words. Instead of writing my grandson’s name as “Titus,” I used his title, Titus the Honorable, and I did the same for his brothers, Cohen the Goodhearted and River the Peacemaker. Did you see how much space those titles took up? Then it dawned on me that God could use these names long after I’m gone to remind the boys of their character traits.

Later, they asked me to move up to 500 words. For a dyslexic guy who was advised in high school to seek jobs where I used my hands and not those that required writing or speaking, that required a miracle. Later, they moved my word count to 800 words. These days, I’m back down to 500 words a week, and my article comes out in print only once a month. But I still write each week; the other three are posted online, and I would love to send them to you. Go to back40. org, put in your email address, and I will make sure the articles come your way.

As I look over the last 26 years of writing, my message has always been the same: the need for Jesus and His Word in our lives. I’ve written it from a gazillion different angles, sometimes through humor, sometimes with a more serious tone, but in the end, it’s all about Jesus. My goal each week is to give your spirit a lift and your heart a laugh.

Through this journey, I have fallen in love with my readers. We have become family; we care for each other. Just the other day I connected with one of my longtime readers, Carlene Fisher King, who happens to be the mother of Todd Fisher, my new boss. Connections like that are my joy. They may happen on this page, through an email or in person, but I find great joy in connecting with you.

I am not sure how much longer I am going to write this column. I have used up nearly all the words in the dictionary, and I may have to start inventing some. Nonetheless, it has been a joy and privilege to serve you all these years. God bless you, my friends!

Walker Moore

Author & Messenger Columnist Email | walker@back40.org

I have written articles from the four corners of the world. This is me writing an article from the ancient city of Petra.

Edmond First Baptist Church

LIFE CONCERNS: Child/Family, Marriage, Stress, Depression, Anxiety, Anger, Grief/Loss, Aging, Relationships SPIRITUALITY

Dr. Ron Cruse, Ph.D. Psychology

Dr. Craig Robison, EdD LMFT/LPC

James Swain Selected as Next President for Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children

The Board of Trustees for Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children (OBHC) on February 25 voted to approve James Swain as the new president of the 120-year-old organization.

Swain, who most recently served as associate executive director for church relations for Oklahoma Baptists, is no stranger to Oklahoma Baptists.

He has served Oklahoma Baptist churches and ministries both administratively and on the community church level throughout his life of ministry. He first served as a youth minister in Marlow and Purcell and was then served as the pastor of churches in Medford, Sulphur, Chickasha and Kingfisher before making the transition as director of conference enters for Oklahoma Baptists in 2010.

Since then, he has also served as the equipping team leader and currently as the associate executive director where he leads the church relations group that includes regional ministry part ners and the affinity ministry partners. He also served as the liaison with the associational leaders of the 40 local associations throughout the state.

Support for the appointment of Swain as OBHC president was immediately shared among Oklahoma Baptists, including by Todd Fisher, executive director-treasurer of Oklahoma Baptists.

“I have known James Swain for more than 20 years and appreciated him as a pastor and team member of our state convention. Yet, in the course of a little more than a year of working closely with James, he has become a close friend. My wife Jamy and I are incredibly grateful for his support and encouragement to our family as we began serving Oklahoma Baptists. James will be an indescribable loss for our team— his institutional knowledge of and relationships with Oklahoma Baptists churches and pastors are surpassed by none.

“However, those same qualities are what make him an exceptional choice as the next president of OBHC,” Fisher continued. “The strength and success of our state convention affiliates rely heavily on their relationship with Oklahoma Baptists. James’ experience and abilities will enable him to lead OBHC well and expand and deepen the organization’s relationships with churches and pastors. I greatly look forward to working with James as the new president of OBHC to further our organizations’ partnership to advance the Gospel.”

Heath Thomas, president of Oklahoma Baptist University, said, “What a fantastic choice. Godly man, great leader and treasured friend.”

Mike Geiger, OBHC board of trustees chairman, said “I am so excited that Dr. Swain has been selected to serve as the president of OBHC. James has an extensive amount of experience serving in leadership for Oklahoma Baptists. His experience and his ability to build relationships is second to none among church leaders in Oklahoma. There has never been a more critical time for Oklahoma Baptists to join together in our called mission to minister to those in need, to glorify God by sharing the Gospel and advocating for the lives of our most vulnerable. Dr. Swain serving as president of OBHC is a decisive win for the organization.”

About OBHC

Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children is the state’s largest and oldest childcare system and is Oklahoma’s largest private, not-for-profit residential childcare system.

In 2022, OBHC directly served 283 children through four campus locations across the state. OBHC leads out in caring for the unborn through their Hope Pregnancy Ministries in

James and Julie Swain

eight locations throughout Oklahoma. OBHC provides not only for their physical needs, but also their emo tional, educational and spiritual needs.

The mission of OBHC is to demonstrate God’s love by providing hope through empowering children and their families to follow Christ. OBHC is an affiliate of Oklahoma Baptists, which is comprised of 1,700 Okla homa Southern Baptist churches. OBHC operates on four campuses in Oklahoma through Baptist Children’s Home in Oklahoma City, Boys Ranch Town in Edmond, Baptist Children’s Home in Owasso, Baptist Home for Girls in Madill, as well as Hope Pregnancy Centers and other statewide ministries which support our local churches in foster and adoptive care.

Swain expressed thanks to the Lord for leading him to the role. “I am humbled to answer God’s call to be come the president of Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children,” he said.

James and his wife Julie have two children, a son and a daughter, as well as one grandson. The couple are members of Oklahoma City, Southern Hills.

“For the past 120 years, Oklahoma Baptists have been showing and sharing the love of Christ to children in need of hope,” Swain said. “I am honored to step into this rich legacy and look forward to the days ahead. I am excited to serve with the committed men and women who serve on the OBHC staff as we strive to empower children and their families to follow Christ.”

It is abundantly clear that the Lord prepared Swain for the role by giving him a “heart for homes and children.” The same heart that led to the ministry’s founding and flourishing through the decades.

The reach of the Resurrection

Death. It’s the shadow cast over every family. Its sting threatens our smiles and steals our joy.

I have just returned from sitting with a family as their loved one slipped peacefully into eternity. There have been a number of occasions when our God, in His providence, has allowed me into these most intimate of spaces. Each time, the same harsh reality sets in across the room: life is but a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

Even harsher is the reality that, to the lost world, death is the peak of hopelessness. To the lost world around us, death reigns as the only constant. So, what can I offer when a family feels the keen sting of yet another death? What hope is there in these fragile moments?

I am currently preaching through the Book of Acts with the dear people of Elk City, First. In our study it became immediately apparent that the early church knew exactly where hope is found. Their hope was not in emotional highs or experiential events. They found no hope in messages of moralism. Their hope was found in our resurrected Lord Jesus Christ!

The premise of Peter’s first sermon is just that. He preached that Israel might know for certain that Jesus, though He was crucified, has been made Lord through His resurrection. Further, in the first four chapters of Acts the disciples mention the resurrection no less than nine times.

When the 11 Apostles set out to find their 12th man, they set out to find, “a witness to His resurrection.” Later in Acts 3 Peter explains that although Israel killed the Author of Life, God raise Him from the dead, and it is to this that they are witnesses. Peter and John insist that, whether it is right or wrong, they cannot but speak of what they had seen and heard – namely, the resurrection. The early church knew precisely where their hope

could be found, and as disciples of Jesus, we hold a share in that ancient hope.

Dear friend, whether you stand in a pulpit this Easter or you have divine appointments standing in the check-out line at the grocery store, can I beg you to forsake self-help doctrines? Pastors, can we stop crafting Easter worship gatherings around the feelings of the masses and bring them the message of resurrection? The hope of new life is the only way to break up the routine of a world stuck in a cycle of death.

Lay down the invitation to church attendance. Reject the idea that hope is found in a large Easter crowd and invite people into eternal life through Christ Jesus. As we approach Resurrection Sunday, avoid the empty, feel-good platitudes of religious experiences. Instead, bear witness to the resurrection. Simply stated, in a world filled with death, give them LIFE.

Dear friends, know that I am praying for you this Easter. Lord, may revival fires sweep across our land. Amen.

Duncan Blackwell

Pastor, Elk City, First

Greetings from WatersEdge Changing

the method: Introducing investments for individuals, coming Summer 2023

I often think of a passage in 1 Corinthians 9, where Paul speaks about his evangelism methodology. One specific statement stands out: “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” Paul is talking about adapting his methods without sacrificing his mission.

Leadership is a process of constantly maturing and adapting. When I became president of WatersEdge in 2002, I had a specific vision for accomplishing our mission. The years have brought blessings from the Lord, allowing WatersEdge to multiply our impact as we continued pursuing our purpose of financially empowering donors and ministries to transform lives with the Gospel. Time has brought growth, too. I’ve realized that, as Paul taught the Corinthian church, sometimes the methods must change.

There’s a significant change coming to WatersEdge this summer. For the first time in our organization’s 75-year history, we will begin offering investment opportunities to individuals. Similar to the investments we already provide to churches, these cash growth opportunities will feature above-market yields and a variety of short- to mid-term investment windows to meet the unique needs of our clients.

It’s been a long journey to reach this point. What encourages me as we embark on this new chapter are the many Oklahoma Baptists who have inquired about individual investments over the years. They proved that many believers aren’t simply looking for the best return possible for their money—they’re looking to invest in something that impacts eternity.

That’s why we’re calling this new opportunity “Kingdom Investments.” WatersEdge will use the invested funds we receive from individuals, like you, to provide competitive loans to Southern Baptist churches seeking to purchase, build, renovate or refinance their facilities. The loan interest paid by these congregations provides the return on your investment.

The need for church financing continues to grow, and Kingdom Investments are crucial to providing for this need. Your investment allows WatersEdge to continue to offer loans to congregations in Oklahoma and across the country, often at better rates than are available from traditional, for-profit lending institutions. It’s a win-win—individuals get a great rate to grow God-given assets and the chance to invest in Kingdom work, while local churches get the funds they need to continue changing lives with the good news of Jesus Christ.

We’ve adapted our methods, but we haven’t lost sight of our mission. Join our email list to receive updates about the launch of Kingdom Investments and your opportunity to be among the first investors at WatersEdgeServices.org/invest.

Robert Kellogg CEO, WatersEdge

TRIBUTES

Bobby Burch

Bobby Burch, 96, died Jan. 16 in Walters. He pastored several Oklahoma Baptist churches over a span of more than 40 years, including 25 years at Okmulgee, Second.

Garnet Cole

Garnet Cole, 95, died Feb. 7. He served as pastor of Choctaw, First and then Tulsa, Red Fork before serving as director of missions of Tulsa Association for 17 years.

Peggy Lovejoy

Peggy Lovejoy, 89, died Jan. 30 in Richmond, Va. She was the widow of Bob Lovejoy who served Oklahoma Baptists as a pastor, director of missions and convention leader.

Kim McGehee

Kim McGehee, 71, died Dec. 7. He retired as bi-vocational pastor of Bushnell in Bryan Association after 27 years.

Betty Ussery

Betty Ussery, 92, died Feb. 3 in Muskogee. She served many years as a houseparent for Oklahoma Baptist Homes for Children.

Buddy Hunt East Regional Ministry Partner Oklahoma Baptists

As your regional ministry partner for eastern Oklahoma, one of the most amazing things I have witnessed is how God works through the transition process when a church is without a pastor. I am beginning an interim at Muskogee, Eastern Heights, my fifth interim as a regional ministry partner.

It is wonderful to see how God works through transition teams and churches as they prepare for new pastors. I have witnessed God work as churches took the Gospel to their community during the transition process.

God led these churches to call Christ-like men as their pastors, and the churches are flourishing and growing as God continues to bless them and their new pastors.

We have revamped the transition process into a three-to-four month development called the “Moving Forward Interim.” The Moving Forward Interim strategy aims to assist churches in maximizing the interim period and focus on God’s preferred future for each church. The strategy leads the church through assessing strengths and weaknesses, aligning ministries with the church’s mission and encouraging church revitalization.

The “Moving Forward Interim” is a strategy that any size church can use as they are searching God’s will for their next pastor. I recommend it to every church when they are in the process of searching for the pastor God desires.

CHURCH STAFF CHANGE

RICHARD MANNING is pastor of Swan Lake in Caddo Association.

Oklahoma Baptists support Ukrainian churches

Tulsa, South Tulsa coordinated a missions gift to Tulsa, First Slavic for their partnership with Ukrainian churches. Pictured, from left, are James Nance, interim minister of music at South Tulsa; Victor Loboda of Tulsa, First Slavic and Jerry Williams of Atoka, Harmony. Supplies and food were collected through the Singing Churchmen and Singing ChurchWomen of Oklahoma.

Since 2020, I have served Oklahoma Baptist ministry wives as the ministry wife ministry partner. One of the biggest struggles ministry wives face is loneliness. I know this well because I was a ministry wife for 20 years.

Lifeway Research says nearly three out of four ministry wives feel lonely. Loneliness deters ministry wife healthiness, which impacts her family’s wellness. My mission is to meet loneliness with connection. One way is through Zoom Coffees.

Ministry wives often don’t have time to connect, which further accentuates their loneliness. They juggle home life, parenting, ministry, work and everyone else’s needs. Zoom Coffees are an excellent solution to this struggle.

Zoom Coffee is a one-on-one conversation over Zoom, completely confidential, come-as-you-are, bring your own coffee and one hour tops! If you are a ministry wife, I’d love to hear your story, offer ministry life coaching, and pray with you. We are all so busy, but we still need connection.

If you are a ministry wife and would like to schedule a Zoom Coffee, visit our webpage oklahomabaptists.org/ministry-wives, scroll down to “Ways to Connect”—“One-onOne”—“Zoom Coffee Request” button—and submit. I hope to see your face!

Amy Petersen Ministry Wives Ministry Partner Oklahoma Baptists

In Focus:Trevor Bulls

Trevor Bulls has served in full-time ministry for 22 years. He served as the youth pastor and then family pastor at Guymon, First for 13 years, and he has been the lead pastor at Boise City, First for the past nine years.

In 2018, the Baptist Messenger featured an article on Bulls and how Boise City, First confronted “brokenness” of drug use in their community with an enhanced vision for evangelism.

“With drug abuse comes a whole new level of brokenness— issues from marriage breakdowns, to young kids getting in trouble, to all kinds of problems,” Bulls said in the previous article. “I have tried to make it a point to speak to the reality of what we see going on in our community.”

Boise City, First continues to embrace brokenness in trying to find other ways to connect with people.

“We keep our eyes open for opportunities to love, serve and help in broken situations,” Bulls said. “As a church, we have adopted a mindset that we are not afraid to try a new ministry. We are presently placing an increased emphasis on personal evangelism and discipleship, seeking to encourage and equip church members to engage their neighbors with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Bulls and Boise City, First also knows how important it is that they remain faithful supporters of the Cooperative Program (CP). Located in the Oklahoma Panhandle, this committed church understands the impact they are making in many facets of ministry through CP giving.

“We are in a very isolated part of Oklahoma,” Bulls said. “It makes connecting with others ministering challenging. The Cooperative Program enables our church to be a part of training pastors in seminaries, sending missionaries around the world and planting new churches. We are grateful to be a part of Oklahoma Baptists and to advance the Gospel in our state and around the world.”

Adyson Barber

She serves as a collegiate missionary with the BCM at the University of Oklahoma.

Missions Partnership

Oklahoma Baptists offeres missions consultaion for Oklahoma Baptists Churches.

Rusty Gunn

He serves as a church planting catalyst with Send Network Oklahoma.

Jason Yarbrough

He serves as the director of Oklahoma Disaster Relief and Chaplaincy.

Pray for Oklahoma Missionaries:

FLIPPING THE SCRIPT: A FRESH PERSPECTIVE

Imagine you’ve been asked to close your eyes and explain to someone how to run. You think for a minute, then close your eyes and call out, “First, take a deep breath. Then, lift your left knee. OK, now propel your left foot forward and put it on the ground.”

When it comes to reaching a new generation with the Gospel, a new resource from LifeWay helps churches develop a fresh perspective. Infographics to the right show how challenging times are in reaching a new generation.

You’re frustrated when your confused trainee argues with you. “Take a deep breath? Lift my what? What are you talking about? Why would I need this?” You open your eyes to discover you’ve been explaining how to run ... to a fish. You’ve assumed you and the fish have shared life experiences related to things you never even think about—oxygen, gravity, and knees! Because of that, your explanation has fallen on deaf ears. (Do fish even have ears?)

“Kids and students today are swimming in a worldview of secular influence—where belief in God is understood to be one possibility among several options. Many kids today do not approach the Bible with the same beliefs as previous generations on issues such as an absolute right or wrong, the existence of heaven and hell, or that there is an outside authority that supersedes personal truth.

SCRIPT FLIPthe

Imagine you’ve been asked to close someone how to run. You think for a and call out, “First, take a deep breath. OK, now propel your left foot forward

You’re frustrated when your confused “Take a deep breath? Lift my what? What Why would I need this?” You open your been explaining how to run ... to a fish. the fish have shared life experiences even think about—oxygen, gravity, and explanation has fallen on deaf ears. (Do

In this rapidly changing world, talking to kids and students about spiritual things can feel a little bit like explaining the mechanics of running to a fish. We assume a shared understanding of how the world works, and they stare back at us with gills sucking water, swish their fins, and swim on. We need to change our viewpoint—to climb into the fishbowl alongside kids and students and look out at the world from their perspective. The view may feel warped to us, but it can help us learn how to reach this generation in a way they understand.

“How do we reach this generation of kids and students?

“The Flip the Script book will ‘help you understand the cultural worldview kids and students are facing today and the challenges of ministering to this generation with traditional strategies.’” For more information or infographics, go to https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/ flip-the-script-digital-book-P005842462

It’s time to admit that we are reading from an old script. We are communicating the timeless truth of the gospel with old strategies that aren’t connecting with younger generations anymore. We need to flip the script!

In this rapidly changing world, talking spiritual things can feel a little bit like of running to a fish. We assume a shared the world works, and they stare back water, swish their fins, and swim on. viewpoint—to climb into the fishbowl students and look out at the world from view may feel warped to us, but it can this generation in a way they understand.

12% 14% 15% 22%

It’s time to admit that we are reading are communicating the timeless truth strategies that aren’t connecting with anymore. We need to flip the script!

The number of people who NEVER attend church increases in each generation.

While church each the Only That of Millennials Furthermore, services attendance reporting once Since generations, NextGen FEWER When and According attendance

CHURCH ATTENDANCE IS FALLING

In 2021, The American National Family how often people attended religious While Gen X, Baby Boomers, and the weekly church attendance at more than Millennials and Gen Z did not grow

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Application Deadline: April 1 BIBLICAL theology with a MISSIONAL approach for a GLOBAL impact

“The not rather population.”

While themselves successive in America identifying are grandchildren

DISRUPTING TRADITION FOR THE SAKE OF THE NEXT GENERATION

Fewer than half of Millennials and Gen Z attended church weekly while growing up.