Making Disciples Magazine

Inside

Mission + Vision Strategy What is a Disciple?

Listening Gospel Conversations “That’s Abundant Life” Q&A with Bishop Joseph Walker, III FALL 2018

Mike Glenn Senior Pastor Steve Smith Communications Minister Darrel Girardier Creative Director Kate Akers Marketing Director

Would you like to learn more about our church or about Christianity in general?

Our Discover class will help you understand who we are and what we do as a church and as the body of Christ.

Tessa Morrell Editor Lindsey Baker Allred Designer Todd Evans Designer Lisa Bergmanis Editorial Assistant

CONTRIBUTORS Mike Glenn Steve Layton Paul Wilkinson David Hannah Jason Dukes Lydon Small Darrel Girardier

Learn more and register on your campus website: AveSouthChurch.com BrentwoodBaptist.com ChurchAtNolensville.com ChurchAtWoodbine.com HarpethHeights.org LockelandSpringsChurch.com StationHillChurch.com WestFranklinChurch.com

Katie Allred Ava Renner Amy-Jo Girardier Linc Taylor Beryl Corey Wade Owens Cliff Duren Ed Smith Gayle Haywood David Alan

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TABLE OF

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NEXT GEN

4 Our Mission & Vision Strategy Mike Glenn

21 VBS Statistics

6 Disciple Making Strategy: 2 Commands, 1 Promise,

22 Living Out the Gospel at School Ava Renner

1 Eternal Purpose Paul Wilkinson & Steve Layton GOSPEL CONVERSATIONS

24 The Generation Gap Amy-Jo Girardier 26 Inspire Desire Linc Taylor

8 Are You Listening? David Hannah

LIVING THE GOSPEL

10 Gospel Conversations: A Little Encouragement

20 Serving Saturday Tessa Morrell

Jason Dukes 12 LIFE Groups Encourage You To Have Gospel Conversations Lydon Small 14 How to Use the Brentwood Baptist Church App Darrel Girardier 16 How You Can Share Your Faith Online Katie Allred 18 Racial Reconciliation: A Conversation with Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III Mike Glenn

28 Camp SummerSign Beryl Corey 32 The Truth About Mentoring Wade Owens 34 That's Abundant Life: Q & A with Betty Wiseman Jason Dukes 38 Everyday Worship Cliff Duren 40 Supporting Teachers at Whitsitt Elementary Ed Smith 42 Ways to Pray Gayle Haywood

ON THE COVER

Illustration by Todd Evans

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LETTER FROM THE SENIOR PASTOR

Sometimes we think that it’s only serious Christians who become missionaries or go into ministry full time. Or, it’s those with the spiritual gift of evangelism who go out and tell people about Jesus. It wasn’t meant to be that way.

Every follower of Jesus is called to share the gospel right where they are. And that includes you. If you’re part of the family of God, you’re called to participate in the mission of God to go and make disciples.

I think we make this command too complicated. We get worried our friend may become uncomfortable, so we don’t bring Jesus up in conversation. We keep what He has done in our lives to ourselves because it seems easier that way. There’s no risk of rejection if we don’t try.

But think about it this way. If you discovered a great new restaurant in town, you’d tell your friends about it. You’d say to them, “Listen, you have to try this place. Trust me. It’s unlike anything you’ve ever experienced.” Your enthusiasm would drive you to talk about your experience.

“

That’s what following Jesus does, only the impact He makes in your life is infinitely more significant than a great restaurant discovery. When you encounter the risen Christ through salvation, your life is never the same.

You talk differently. You act differently. Your priorities change. Your dreams change. And you feel compelled to tell the people around you about it.

Why? Because it would be wrong to keep it from them! They’ve likely already noticed something is different about you, so it’s simply a matter of beginning a gospel conversation and telling them about how Jesus has made the difference.

Our mission at Brentwood Baptist Church is engaging the whole person with the whole gospel of Jesus Christ anywhere, anytime, with anybody. A key way we accomplish this mission is through disciple making. I encourage you to read through the following pages of this magazine and learn how you can answer God’s call to make disciples. You’ll find practical articles designed to give you the confidence and the tools you need to begin having gospel conversations with the people in your life today.

There’s a place for you in this mission. Make sure you’re part of it.

Mike Glenn

Senior Pastor Brentwood Baptist Church

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”

Our Mission

Engaging the whole person with the whole gospel of Jesus Christ anywhere, anytime, with anybody.

THE WHOLE PERSON We’ve often divided discipleship into compartments.

Either we study theology, but lose the warmth of the relationship, or we love intensely with our hearts and neglect our minds. Salvation involves the whole person—mind, body, and soul; our evangelism must do the same.

THE WHOLE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST The world has always challenged us to de-emphasize certain aspects of the gospel, but if we do that, we rob the gospel of its power. We have to remain courageous in communicating the full, good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Nothing else will help our broken and hurting world.

ANYWHERE, ANYTIME We often assume that conversations about Jesus happen on Sunday in churches. But as we know, if we’re observant, these conversations can happen and must happen all of the time and anywhere. Are we ready to do that?

ANYBODY We don’t save anyone. The Spirit does that. We simply respond as the Spirit leads us to be part of the process. Are we sensitive enough to join the Spirit where He’s working? Can we get past outward appearances to see the lost soul beneath?

Five-Year Vision

In response to God’s leading, we will pursue 10,000 “disciples making disciples” relationships as a result of initiating 500,000 gospel conversations in which we will share the whole gospel of Jesus Christ with our neighbors and nations; and we will create a church multiplication movement that results in 100 healthy congregations in Middle Tennessee and beyond.

DISCIPLES MAKING DISCIPLES A disciple is a person who believes and follows Jesus, is being changed by Jesus, and is living on mission with Jesus. Disciples of Jesus are mindful of the lost and searching around us, and we continually mature in our faith as we multiply by making disciples.

GOSPEL CONVERSATIONS Every disciple of Jesus is called to go and make disciples. This happens as we build relationships with the people around us and engage in gospel conversations on a regular basis. These conversations include sharing about the story of God, how His story has changed our lives personally, presenting the gospel, and helping people understand how the gospel intersects with their culture and lives.

CHURCH MULTIPLICATION We believe the local church is essential to our call to make disciples. That’s why we’re actively investing in the health of regional campuses, church plants, ethnic group congregations, and partnerships with existing churches in Middle Tennessee and beyond.

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2 C O M M AN D S, 1 P RO MISE, 1 E TER N AL P URPO SE

by Paul Wilkinson and Steve Layton

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efore Jesus ascended to be with God the Father, He left a mandate for His disciples, including you and me: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). This is a daunting, yet straightforward calling from our Lord.

Jesus calls us to obey Him and to teach others to do so as well. He summed up the essence of all biblical commands when he told the expert in the law to, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands” (Matthew 22:37-40). Jesus also leaves us the powerful promise that He is with us always.

If we mix those ingredients together, we get a singular, eternal purpose: become disciples of Jesus making disciples with Jesus. You might be wondering what that means, and there’s no better place to look than what Jesus Himself did with His disciples. Matthew 4:19 tells us that Jesus called His 12 disciples to, “Follow me…and I will make you fish for people.”

The diagrams to the right are a picture of this powerful verse. The three blades capture the essence of the three parts of this verse—that a disciple is one who believes and follows Jesus, is being changed by Jesus, and lives on mission with Jesus.

Mindful of Lost & Searching Around Us

Being Changed

by Jesus

Outflowing from Prayer, Scripture, & Sabbath

HOW DO WE EQUIP FOR

DISCIPLES M AK ING DISCIPLE S ?

• The Story of God • My Gospel Story • Gospel Presentation • Cultural Conversations

Mindful of Lost & Searching Around Us

Maturing While Multiplying

GOSPEL CONVERSATIONS

EL NT SP E GO GEM A ENG

try lly nis ion oca Mi at e L us plic ey/ erv mp lti rn g • S Ca h Mu Jou din n • O hurc onary y Sen • C issi onar • M issi M

The answer is yes, not because we’re asking you, but because Jesus is inviting you. What an invitation—disciples of Jesus making disciples with Jesus!

DISCIPLES of Jesus MAKING DISCIPLES with Jesus

Living On Mission with Jesus

DISCIPLES?

What would it look like if Brentwood Baptist were a people where disciples are made? How would our community and culture change if each member of Brentwood Baptist baptized one lost and searching person that they discipled? Isn’t that a vision worth investing your life in?

Maturing While Multiplying

Believes and Follows Jesus

DISCIPLES of Jesus MAKING DISCIPLES with Jesus

NSGO FO S P E RM L ATIO N

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DISC IP LE O F J ESU S?

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WHO IS A DISCIPLE OF JESUS?

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•S • M erm • G y H ons/ • M roup ome Sing en s ing tor ing /C oa chi ng

Remember the mandate from Matthew 28? We are to do these things while making disciples of others. The arrows surrounding the picture give us the vision for how to engage the lost and searching.

First, we must be mindful of the lost and searching around us. We do this by praying for God to show us people to disciple and praying for the eyes of the Holy Spirit. Second, we must accept that we mature as we multiply. We do not need a discipling license, certificate, or diploma before we engage the lost and searching. There’s always someone walking in the dust of your journey, so invite them along as you live your life.

Third, we can accomplish nothing on our own, so whatever fruit we bear must flow out of prayer, Scripture, and Sabbath.

Outflowing from Prayer, Scripture, & Sabbath

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During my first few years living in Italy, the thing that drove me crazier than anything else was listening to Americans tell me how lucky I was. The country was beautiful, certainly. Great food, history, and culture lay around every corner, without question. But it was also chaotic and dirty and inefficient—all of which were exceedingly frustrating parts of my everyday life.

Friends would visit from the States and comment on how funny it was when the Italian I wanted to introduce them to showed up an hour and fifteen minutes late.

Yeah, it’s funny and charming when you’re on vacation and want your day to look like all the movies you’ve seen; its maddening when you are trying to accomplish real-life tasks.

For me, the most difficult part was that my habituallylate Italian friends wouldn’t even make up an excuse that justified why the appetizer we slaved over was going to waste because it had been sitting out for an hour. They would simply tell us they had been hanging out with their roommate or they ran into an old friend. Did they not respect me enough to even lie about it? Shouldn’t they be telling me about the terrible traffic or the flat tire or the bus that didn’t come?

One evening, having scraped the bottom of my very shallow barrel of patience, I finally asked an Italian I knew that had spent several years in America to explain this phenomenon to me. Without hesitation, he told me that Italians live in the moment, meaning whatever is in front of them is the most important thing in the world. He was pleased for the opportunity to tell me the problem with 8

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Americans (which was kind, because most people didn’t feel the need to wait until they had an opportunity). “An Italian would never consider leaving in the middle of good conversation. But for an American, the most important thing in the world,” he not-so-gently explained, “is whatever is next on their calendars.”

Ouch.

I wanted to explain to him why he was wrong, why it was so rude and disrespectful to be late to a previously set engagement, and why whoever you were with before should be dropped in the name of punctuality. But I couldn’t. I realized he was right. Not only did I allow my calendar to set my priorities, I worshiped it. The busier I was, the more important I was. The more important I was, the luckier you were to have some time with me, even if it was only a few precious moments wedged in between two other very important meetings. The result was an inability to be fully present anywhere because I felt like I needed to be everywhere.

Like so many others, I was sacrificing intimacy on the altar of efficiency, prioritizing productivity over community. So many of my personal interactions had been reduced to an event on my agenda, a means to an end. The most terrifying part is that I was the rule, not the exception.

Never in human history has mankind had greater access to information and to each other, yet we are more disconnected than ever. Unprecedented access to what amounts to the sum total of human knowledge has led to rapid advancements in the fields of medicine, technology,

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listening?

by David Hannah

education, and communication. Ironically, it has also led to a precipitous decline in our ability to actually converse— to know and to be known by one another. We talk at each other in a desperate attempt to accomplish our goal for that particular interaction, but rarely do we listen, despite the fact that we all harbor a profound need to be listened to ourselves.

The ability to listen is a dying art—one that gives us a window into the lives of others. Their triumphs and struggles. Their thoughts and ideas. Listening allows us to borrow perception and grants us the right to be heard.

Brenda Ueland wrote that “listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force.” In her powerful essay, “The Art of Listening,” she asks us to consider our natural reactions to people in our lives. “Think how the friends that really listen to us are the ones we move toward, and we want to sit in their radius as though it did us good, like ultraviolet rays.”

How is it that being a good listener is a quality we so desire in others, yet a quality we so rarely strive to cultivate in our own lives?

Even a cursory glance at the Scripture lets us know the inability to listen is not a new phenomenon in human history. The book of Proverbs repeatedly admonishes the fool that refuses to listen. Jesus often had to remind crowds (and especially His disciples) to listen to what He was teaching them. But the gold standard for instructions on listening in Scripture is most likely James 1:19: “My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.” It’s

simple enough in principle, yet seemingly impossible in practical application. So many of us are naturally slow to hear, quick to speak, and quick to anger. While the desire to be heard is innate to all of us, the ability to listen is often a learned skill. It requires discipline and intentionality. It demands setting aside our desperate need to voice our own opinions and our crippling fear of missing out on “the next thing.” The question becomes, is it worth the effort?

The answer is an unequivocal and resounding “yes.”

Cultivating and emphasizing patterns of intentional listening not only gives others the opportunity to be heard and understood, but it gives us the opportunity to form intimate relationships—to know and to be known.

Listening produces intimacy and community. Listening often allows the gospel to breathe and to move.

Listening is a ministry in and of itself. There are days when the most important ministry we do is to square our shoulders to some hurting person, uncross our arms, lean forward, make eye contact, and hear their pain all the way to the bottom. There are days when all we wish for is someone who would do the same for us.

“When we are listened to, it allows us to unfold and expand,” writes Ueland. When we listen, it allows others to do the same. “It is through the creative process of listening that we at once love and are loved.” As followers of Christ, we are called to love. To love our neighbors as ourselves. To love because God first loved us. In order to fully love, we must be fully present. In order to be fully present, we must be able to fully listen.

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Gospel Conversations A Little Encouragement 500,000 Gospel Conversations.

That seems like a lot, but the truth is, if just 40% of us engage in gospel conversations, it’s about two gospel conversations per person per month.

Not that hard, right?

And yet it is. Some of us are afraid we don’t know enough, while some of us are just plain afraid. We need to remember that people often welcome meaningful conversation when we sincerely want to know their story.

Loving someone means caring about their story enough to listen intently for it. May we live these rhythms and listen for these cues as we engage in gospel conversations in our everyday encounters and ongoing relationships.

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Live These Rhythms Jesus had redundant rhythms in His disciplemaking life. These everyday rhythms provide the ideal environment in which gospel conversations can occur.

As you are going about your day, make disciples with Jesus.

Serve Every day, consistently in community.

Eat With family, with believers, and with those yet to believe.

Sabbath Pray, read Scripture, rest, remember.

Learn God’s story, your story, their story.

As you live these everyday rhythms, look for those welcoming you into their lives—friends, neighbors, coworkers, classmates—and invite them along into yours.

Well, this last weekend, my wife and I got away to celebrate our 20th anniversary. It was a really special time.

Man, I can’t remember the last time my wife and I got away, much less went on a date.

What do you guys do to stay connected? How do you get honest talk time together?

Listen for Others to Welcome Meaningful Conversation When you’re talking with someone in your everyday life, look for opportunities to point to the hope of the gospel. Often, people are looking for meaningful answers to the problems in their lives. Here are some examples. What would you say next to point these people to Jesus?

Hmm. Our honest talk time has been arguments, then silence for some time. What’s the secret, man? How do you get to 20 years?

Marriage is hard. The “secret” is even harder, but it’s worth it.

We committed five years in to learn love trying.

Example 1

What’s going on, Matt? You seem down. And don’t just say, “I’m fine.” What’s up?

I’m just stressed about the calculus test. My dad made it clear I better not botch it. He expects me to get into Vandy.

Since when did you care about math? You’ve never mentioned Vandy in your top choices. Is that new?

I feel like I can’t stop. It’s just one toxic relationship after another. Why do I keep falling for all the wrong guys?

What are you looking for?

You know guys are human.

They will disappoint you.

Tell me about it! I know that, so why do I keep looking for them to fulfill something they can’t? I’m so stupid.

You’re not stupid. We all want to feel like we matter to someone.

What I’m learning though, is that I can’t put that burden on those who are also insecure like me.

So, who do you put that burden on? :|

Example 2

As a mom, I can usually feel good about either how I’m doing as a wife or how I’m doing as a parent.

Right now, I don’t feel like I’m doing a good job at either.

I hear you. I know how you feel. I am learning that I have to remind myself of the truth that I live from an identity, not FOR one.

What do you mean? Where does your identity come from? And how do you remind yourself?

I know. And no, it’s not new. I feel like my dad won’t be proud of me unless I go somewhere like that. I really don’t think he’ll ever be proud of me. I really just want him to be proud of me.

I’ve been there, man. When I felt the same way, someone told me the story of Jesus’ baptism and what His Father thinks of Him. They said it’s what God thinks of me, too. Can I share that story with you?

Example 3

Example 4

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LIFE Groups Encourage You to Have Gospel Conversations

by Lydon Small

How do you go about having gospel conversations and making disciples?

Well, for one thing, you can’t do it effectively on your own.

The Bible doesn’t really describe or prescribe anyone trying to navigate the Christian life without other people.

Instead, the Bible is clear: “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV).

This is one of the major reasons that we have LIFE Groups.

LIFE Groups are communities that love one another, involve themselves in community, focus on God’s Word, and engage the world. These communities help you be changed by Jesus through connecting with other believers in Bible study and community service, while you invite others to be a part of your gathering.

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How do LIFE Groups fit into the mission and vision of all campuses of Brentwood Baptist? Let’s consider our mission. You’ve probably heard or seen it by now: We want to engage the whole person, with the whole gospel of Jesus Christ, anywhere, anytime, with anybody. If Jesus really is Lord (and He is), and He has commissioned the church to engage the lost to make more disciples of Jesus, then the church must mobilize to make this happen.

If you’ve been following Jesus for any amount of time or have been around a local body of believers, you know this. The issue doesn’t lie with knowing it; the issue lies with doing something about it. This is exactly where LIFE Groups come in. Instead of resigning to live inward-focused lives (which is our natural bent), LIFE Groups push us to be outward-focused. A LIFE Group is the venue and steady cadence that we need for mutual encouragement toward the mission, motivation when we become comfortable and complacent, and celebration when Christ works in and through those in our groups.

Tactically speaking, a LIFE Group encourages us to believe and follow Jesus, be transformed by Jesus, and live on mission with Jesus. A LIFE Group is successful if each member is moving toward Christ in each of these areas.

Having gospel conversations is what living on mission with Jesus means/looks like. It must be said, though, that living on mission will not happen unless the other two elements are happening concurrently. Otherwise, we can fall into the legalistic trap of doing things “for” Jesus because we think that He will like us more, instead of doing things “with” Jesus for our joy and His glory. Our best efforts to make disciples will not happen unless we are walking with Jesus.

Practically speaking, what does this look like in a LIFE Group? Well, it looks different depending on the group.

We’ve developed five clarifying questions that we want each unique group asking members regularly: 1. How are you being changed by Jesus?

2. How are you being discipled and who are you discipling?

3. When and where are you experiencing life-giving biblical community?

4. Who are the lost people you’re praying for and having gospel conversations with?

5. What is breaking your heart in the world and what are you doing about it?

Simply giving each person an opportunity to answer the fourth question, “Who are the lost people you’re praying for and having gospel conversations with?” on a regular basis provides gentle and needed accountability for those in your group. It places an emphasis on praying for, encountering, and reaching the lost. If those in your groups don’t have anyone to pray for and have gospel conversations with, they can begin praying for God to place these opportunities in their paths. Divulging who each person is having gospel conversations with allows the others in the group to join their brother or sister in prayer by pleading for God to bring about salvation in the lives of the lost and searching.

Asking the fifth question, “What is breaking your heart in the world and what are you doing about it?” allows for joint burdens to be shared. This may give opportunity for some groups to own a mission opportunity together. It could be an existing ministry or one that hasn’t been thought of yet.

Jesus does incredible things when we serve together.

Transformative life change happens when we can answer the second question, “How are you being discipled and who are you discipling?” Jesus took on twelve disciples over roughly three years. Throughout the gospels and the rest of the New Testament, we see the fruit of those relationships. Intentional discipling takes effort and time, but the results are worth it. Consider one or two people who are open to the gospel and ask them if you can walk alongside them and see what God does.

If our goal is to be disciples of Jesus who make more disciples of Jesus, LIFE Groups are a helpful and necessary place to be equipped, encouraged, and sent out to do just that.

Interested in joining a LIFE Group?

Contact the Discipleship Minister at your campus today!

Through local ministry partners, all of our campuses have the opportunity to meet many immediate, critical, and ongoing needs for the people of Middle Tennessee. There are many consistent needs for all of our ministry partners.

HERE ARE WAYS YOU CAN HELP:

Are you called to lead?

Talk to your campus' Discipleship Minister to learn more about leading a LIFE Group!

• Provide a meal • Take someone to an appointment • Walk with someone through decisions and processes, like how to get an I.D. • Be part of a prayer team • Mentor

• Tutor • Help someone fix a car • Help someone utilize resources they may not know exists • Care for a child • The list goes on and on

Reach out to a minister at your campus today to learn more about how you can use your gifts, passions, time, and/or resources to help someone in need of the love of Christ.

How to Use Brentwood Church App Unlike most traditional church apps, Brentwood Baptist Church’s app is focused around one goal: helping you become a disciple who makes disciples.

We believe that happens through gospel conversations with the lost and searching.

So, we’ve designed an app with content centered around helping you have those conversations.

DOWNLOAD THE APP TODAY! 14

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e the d Baptist

by Darrel Girardier

Record a Gospel Conversation

Ongoing Gospel Conversation

Click here to let us know about your gospel conversations as you have them. Whether it’s a one-time conversation or an update about an ongoing conversation, this will let us know how we can pray for you, equip you, and coach you while you have gospel conversations. It’s also an easy way for the church to keep track of our goal of 500,000 gospel conversations.

This is where we provide audio coaching on how to have an ongoing gospel conversation with someone who’s lost or searching.

Need Help?

Are you stuck, or do you just need some additional guidance? Click here and get in touch with a Gospel Conversations Coach. They’ll be able to help you engage the lost and searching with the gospel either in a one-time conversation or an ongoing one.

What is a Gospel Conversation?

This is a quick overview of what a gospel conversation is. Here you’ll learn the difference between a one-time gospel conversation and an ongoing gospel conversation.

You’ll also learn why we believe it’s important to our Disciples Making Disciples Strategy.

One-Time Gospel Conversation This is where you find audio coaching on a number of ways to have a one-time gospel conversation with someone who is lost or searching.

Give You can now give to the church right from your mobile phone! Click to give online one time or to set up a recurring gift.

Sermons

More

Missed last Sunday?

Click here to watch or listen to previous sermons.

Click here to select which campus you attend to get information specific to that campus.

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How You Can Share

Your Faith

Online There’s a lot of negativity online. According to Pew Research, “Roughly four-in-ten Americans have personally experienced online harassment, and 62% consider it a major problem. Many want technology firms to do more, but they are divided on how to balance free speech and safety issues online.” 1 Pew Research also reveals Americans are about twice as likely to share their faith in person as they do online. In an average week, onein-five Americans say they share their religious faith online while 40 percent shared something about their faith in an offline interaction.

by Katie Allred

Jesus called us to be salt and light everywhere— even on the Internet.

Surprisingly, although an average of one-in-four share their faith online, an average of one-in-two say they noticed someone else share their faith online. 2 Jesus called us to be salt and light everywhere—even on the Internet.

Here are a few ways you can shine light in the dark places of the Internet with your friends, family, and even strangers. These ideas are based on sharing through Facebook or another social media platform.

TELL PEOPLE ABOUT YOUR FAITH IN CHRIST This seems like a no-brainer, but there are many people who are hesitant to share their religious beliefs online. Honestly, why wouldn’t you?

Many people are afraid to share their faith because they aren’t sure how to tell their testimony. Fortunately, Paul formulated a three-step process when sharing his testimony in Acts 26:1-23.

Take a few minutes to read Paul’s testimony. Let’s make some notes about how you can share your testimony based on this example. First, give a brief description of what your life was like before Christ. Next, describe how God spoke to you and revealed the truth of the gospel to you. And finally, share how your life has changed since receiving forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

ASK FOR PRAYER REQUESTS This is probably the easiest and most meaningful thing you can do on social media. You can simply post, “How can I be praying for you?” on your feed. This immediately opens up the opportunity to have deep conversations with many people. When I do this, I often get up to 20 comments and 10 private messages. Many people are just waiting for an opportunity to pray with someone, but they don’t

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know how to ask or are too proud to ask directly. This gives you an intentional way to have several gospel conversations with your friends and neighbors.

SHARE YOUR LIFE—THE GOOD AND BAD Share a personal struggle or problem you’ve experienced or something you’re currently going through and how the gospel helps you deal with that issue.

SHARE THE GOSPEL OR SIMPLY READ THE BIBLE The gospel speaks for itself, but some people need reminding. You can share the gospel and Scripture through posts and images. You can even share the gospel or read a passage of Scripture and talk about what it means through a live video.

SEE A NEED, MEET A NEED I recently had a friend who saw that another friend on Facebook didn’t have the means to provide an Easter basket for her three small children. This friend who saw the need posted about it and asked others to donate. She was able to provide the three small children with Easter baskets, Bibles, and a few gift cards for the mom. Look for needs that you can meet through your network of friends online.

JOIN LOCAL GROUPS I’m a member of the “Nashville Girls Group :)” and in that group, every single day, there are women posting that they have lived here for a certain number of years, but they still do not have close friendships. What an amazing opportunity for the church to be the church! Many of these women are open to meeting new women in search of friendship or community. It’s an easy way to get involved in the lives of believers and nonbelievers who are new to town or just haven’t found a way to connect to others outside of work. Creating these relationships allows you the opportunity to have gospel conversations with strangers and invite them to church.

MESSAGE FRIENDS THAT ARE ONLINE I find it really encouraging when I get a message from a friend I haven’t seen in a long time stating that they’re praying for me and what they’re praying specifically for. It’s really easy to do. Open up Messenger on Facebook and look for the green dots of people who are currently online. Look at their profiles. Is there anything you could be praying about for them? Message them and let them know they were on your mind and you prayed for them. Ask them if they have anything else you could be praying specifically for.

INVITE YOUR FRIENDS TO CHURCH Share posts from our church’s Facebook page. We post sermon clips, graphics, and events regularly. Help us by not only “liking” the page but also by engaging with the posts and sharing them. By liking, sharing, and commenting on the church’s posts, you can help raise awareness of our church in our local community.

Also, each week, you have the opportunity to invite your friends to church. You can do this by sharing a recent sermon quote and saying something like, “Would love to have you sit by me next week!” _____ 1 Maeve Duggan, Online Harassment 2017, Pew Research Center, July 11, 2017, pewinternet.org/2017/07/11/online-harassment-2017/

Religion and Electronic Media, Pew Research Center, November 6, 2014, pewforum.org/2014/11/06/religion-and-electronic-media/ 2

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RACIAL RECONCILIATION A Conversation with Bishop Joseph W. Walker, III

Bishop Joseph Walker, III is one of the most impactful leaders and pastors in North America today. His books, social media engagement, and demanding preaching schedule have spread his influence from coast to coast. He’s funny, energetic, has a faith that’s been tested by fire, and he’s seriously committed to changing Nashville for the better with the power of God’s redeeming gospel. He’s one of my best friends.

He’s also African American.

Earlier this year, Joseph and I sat down for a series of Facebook live videos about racism and racial reconciliation. Here are a few highlights from those conversations.

by Mike Glenn

Understanding the Difference Between the Terms Racist, Racism, and Prejudice MIKE: You and I became friends about a year or so ago when I started doing some research to find pastors using social media effectively for their ministry. That led me to you. You are kind of a social media ninja. That started our conversation, which led to our becoming friends, and that has become a brotherhood.

Our friendship has deepened to the point where we are now able to have open conversations about our different perspectives. We began addressing the issue of racial reconciliation. Now, we know this is a hot topic, but you and I both firmly believe that the church has to be part of this conversation if it's going to make a difference.

You have certainly taught me a lot about an African American experience in Middle Tennessee and the nation.

I want to capture some of that. But, before we do, let's make sure we understand what we're talking about when we say racism and racist.

So, how would I know if I’m a racist?

BISHOP WALKER: I think a person is racist if you show prejudice toward a particular group of people from the perspective that you are somewhat superior to that group.

That is, you view yourself from a superior perspective, or you look down upon a particular group, and you have a level of bias toward them…

Racism, however, is when you can impact [others through] the way you preach or teach, the way you legislate, or develop policies that systemically affect culture in a way to marginalize people based on your perceptions of them, which could be erroneous perceptions…

MIKE: Okay, now...I want to get some clarification here, an African-American can’t be racist because— 18

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BISHOP WALKER: [Because] racism comes from a place of power…You can be prejudiced though...

That’s why awareness is so important. All of us carry bias, regardless of if it’s racist or prejudice; it’s implicit bias.

We carry certain biases around. We assume that all white people are this or all black people are that. That’s bias.

That’s based upon our own cultural upbringing, etc.

So, I think we have to be cognizant of our biases, own them, and be willing to educate those deficits in our lives. I think that’s part of what we’re trying to do is educate people about those deficits.

You have to own the deficit though. Sometimes you can get to a point [where you think], “It’s just the way it is. I feel this way. I feel that way.” And when you really want truth, Mike, I think it's coming to a place where you divest yourself of all your political affiliations, you divest yourself of all your social upbringing, and say, “Give me truth.”

Isn’t that ultimately what the Word of God does? It’s greater than all of these other things. You bring down all these imaginings, and you bring them under subjection to the Word of God. That's when truth happens.

So, I think we often make our political or our social affiliations our gods, and we worship them.

MIKE: The reason murder is wrong is because we harm the image of God that the person carries.

BISHOP WALKER: Exactly.

MIKE: So, the reason racism is wrong is because we damage or attack or disrespect the image of God that is within this person.

BISHOP WALKER: That’s good, Mike. That’s good.

The Personal Responsibility of Crossing Cultures MIKE: Let me give you a free shot. It’s important for a white person to know what?

BISHOP WALKER: It’s important for a white person to know that there is no manual to understand black people.

MIKE: There’s no book.

BISHOP WALKER: Yeah. You can’t say, “Black people want what?” You can’t do it. We're too diverse I mean, you have people doing some extraordinary things, but you have to not just think there is one way of understanding us. There are a lot of different ways…

MIKE: I think what we would want to express is that yes, we feel bad, but so many times we may just feel like it's our fault.

BISHOP WALKER: Your fault right, yeah. Yeah, and it’s not…

MIKE: I’ve [researched my lineage] back as far as I can.

We didn’t own slaves; we were poor, white trailer trash. I realized that was part of my culture. I mean, I grew up in Alabama in the late ’60s, early ’70s…

I’ve come to the place in my own journey that, okay, it may not be my fault, but, still, as a child of God—as a follower of Christ—it is my responsibility.

can we learn from each other?” You know what I mean? I learn so much from you, and I think that’s the reciprocity of the relationship…

You have to get to a point where you can’t blame this current person for the atrocities that happened three or four generations [back] in their family line. You can’t do that.

That’s just not a fair thing to do…

Also, [take] personal responsibility for your own destiny. I teach this in our church. You can’t sit back and just wait for the world to drop something in your lap because, “Oh, woe is me.” You have to be willing—particularly when you’re given opportunities—to really take advantage of those opportunities and do well with those and not exploit them.

I think that there’s a great opportunity in this community for us to really encourage each other, help each other. What I see happening between Mount Zion and Brentwood, I think, is such an organic thing. As we both said, if [racial reconciliation] is going to happen, it’s not going to happen in Washington. It’s gonna happen because the church takes the lead on it.

I THINK THAT THERE’S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR US TO REALLY ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER, HELP EACH OTHER … IF RACIAL RECONCILIATION IS GOING TO HAPPEN, IT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN IN WASHINGTON. IT’S GONNA HAPPEN BECAUSE THE CHURCH TAKES THE LEAD ON IT. We want to celebrate the diversity, because there is something about diversity that makes God known in a way that one of us—or even one type of us—cannot do that by themselves…

But what I would want to say to the white community is, “Hey, it may not be your fault, but it’s still our responsibility,” because we have children of great potential and great abilities who are literally growing up within blocks of here and not having a chance…

We are not the land of guarantees, but we are the land of opportunity. For a child to literally not have that opportunity is something I think we will be held accountable for.

BISHOP WALKER: Two things that I’d say. One is, and I mean it sincerely, one of the things that I’m so impressed by with you, with Brentwood Baptist Church and amazing folks in this congregation, is there’s such a genuineness to get it right.

I think that to have a leader like you who is really pushing this needle forward...and you have some amazing people who have great hearts. I think they really want to do the right thing.

My second point is that I say to African-Americans, nothing’s going to ever get done if we have a posture of us against them. This is not about drawing a line in the sand and making it ‘us against them’. This is about us saying, “How

Ending Racism Matters Because...

MIKE: If you’re a racist, you’re crippled. You can’t fulfill what God has in your life if you think God did not do good work in somebody else’s life. You’re crippled.

BISHOP WALKER: Wow. That’s it.

MIKE: I grew up in Alabama. Racism was the air I breathed.

And that was something that I had to get healing from and address in my own life.

BISHOP WALKER: Wow. That’s powerful. Well said.

MIKE: So, not only do you wound others, and that’s a whole generation of people wounded, but you are wounded by your own sin. I mean, it’s just flat out sin.

And, Now What?

MIKE: Now, here’s your homework. If you are a Caucasian, then be intentional about finding an African-American friend and listen to their story. Don’t talk; don’t wait to talk; listen to their story.

If you’re African American, then find a Caucasian friend and listen to their story. Don’t talk; don’t wait to talk.

The beginning of the friendship is always in listening.

I’ll tell you, just having Joseph Walker as my friend has made my life so much richer and so much better. Find a friend of another race who can do the same for you.

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Serving

Saturday For members at The Church at Avenue South, Serving Saturday is one way they live out the mission of the church, “Engaging the whole person with the whole gospel of Jesus Christ anywhere, anytime, with anybody.”

In the fall of 2014, The Church at Avenue South held their first Serving Saturday, an opportunity for church members to serve and build relationships within the community. Now, four years later, Serving Saturdays continue to be an integral aspect of the ministry of the Avenue South campus. Campus and Teaching Pastor, Aaron Bryant, shares why the campus began Serving Saturday, “Rather than serving in our community as a project or one-time annual event, we wanted to build in a natural annual rhythm of serving corporately on a consistent basis.”

The church has been serving for four years now, averaging seven Serving Saturdays per year with 45-50 people participating each time. In 2017, 393 people attended seven different Serving Saturday events.

For church members, Serving Saturday is one way they live out the mission of the church, “Engaging the whole person with the whole gospel of Jesus Christ anywhere, anytime, with anybody.” As they serve with local ministry partners that address the issues of poverty, education, and healthcare, the door is opened to share the love of Jesus and have gospel conversations with the people they meet. This shows the people they serve that they care about them as a whole person—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

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For one couple, Serving Saturday became more than an opportunity to serve their community.

Last fall, the Sunday after a Serving Saturday event, Chris and Abbey Lanigan met local ministry partners, Monroe Harding, at the church's local missions fair. Matthew Page, Discipleship and Missions Minister, shares “Monroe Harding’s services include foster care, providing housing for boys ages 8-18, and therapy/counseling among other things. After serving at Monroe Harding alongside some of the boys in transitional housing, [Chris and Abbey] determined that they wanted to become foster parents and currently are in the process to foster through Monroe Harding. Talking to both Chris and Abbey, they mentioned that without serving and the education they received on that day, the thought would not have crossed their minds to adopt or foster.”

Serving Saturday is more than just a few hours of serving the community. It has the ability to change lives, not only the lives of those served, but those who invest their time in their community as well.

If you’ve heard the name, Independence High School, you’ve more than likely heard the chant “Indy Nation.” As a freshman last fall, I quickly learned how much effort students put into everything they do.

by Ava Renner,

Student at Independence High School

This effort often centers around worldly and temporary things. Many students invest all their time into athletics. Others focus all their energy on getting perfect grades. There are other students who put time into out-of-school activities. And so many get caught in the trap of having the perfect social appearance. Indy is full of people who pour passion into everything they do; it just isn’t always centered around the right things.

Getting involved in the school was one way my Independence pride grew.

Through YoungLife and my sports teams, I got to know my school’s community better than I would have otherwise. A lot of upperclassmen participate in YoungLife, which is a Christian ministry that takes place in students’ houses. Within the first couple weeks of the school year, I started going to YoungLife, along with others in my grade. While Monday is normally the most dreaded day of the week, YoungLife made Monday night one of the most fun. I soon found that inviting others was an easy and fun way to share the gospel.

Also during my freshman year, I was lucky enough to participate in my school’s track and cross-country teams. During the season, I grew in community with my teammates and met people I wouldn’t have otherwise.

I got to see God working in big ways through pre-race prayers. By

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praying with my teammates, we all experienced God’s peace in a time when your nerves can often get the best of you.

Coming from the dramatically smaller of the two middle schools that feed into Independence, I had the opportunity to meet an overwhelmingly large amount of new people. At my middle school, the majority of people in my grade were believers and participated in a student-led Bible study on Sunday nights. In high school, being outnumbered by so many new people allowed me to meet and form friendships with many nonbelievers. While it’s not always easy to talk about Christ with them, I get to spread some of His love by simply offering my time and friendship whenever it’s needed.

While I did get to meet many nonbelievers, I also got to know others with a passion for Christ. As Christians, we made it one of our missions to encourage our classmates by making sure no one was ever alone at lunch.

In Independence, tables are sprinkled all around the cafeteria. On really hot days, the majority of the grade sits inside. Toward the back of the room there are big, glass doors that lead to outside seating. Since the doors are transparent, students are able to see some of their classmates sitting alone, outside the comfort of the airconditioned building.

One day, a couple girls in my friend group encouraged us to go outside and sit with those sitting alone on the outside. From then on, people didn’t sit alone for very long. At first this was a little bit outside my comfort zone, but it was the biggest way I saw God working in my school and in my own heart.

G

GOSPEL L I V ING OU T T HE

AT S CHOOL

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As you build relationships with other people and make disciples with Jesus, it helps to understand where they're coming from, how they view the world, and what matters to them. Here are some insights into each generation to help you learn how to engage in gospel conversations with people of all ages.

Builders (1925-1945)

Baby Boomers (1945-1964)

Gen X (1955-1979)

Key Events that Shaped the Generation: Great Depression WWII Communism

Key Events that Shaped the Generation: Vietnam War Neil Armstrong

How They Communicate: Face to face

How They Communicate: Face to face Telephone

Key Events that Shaped the Generation: Challenger explodes Berlin Wall Desert Storm

Teaching/Learning Environment: Disciplined, uniformed teaching Core Values/Generation Descriptions: Veterans Radio babies Moral authority Traditionalists Rule followers Savers Patriotic Responsible Priorities: Duty

Teaching/Learning Environment: Desks in quiet classrooms Core Values/Generation Descriptions: Respectful Work-centric Well-off financially Question everything Anti-war Ambitious Spend now, worry later Team-oriented Priorities: Work

How They Communicate: Email IM (back in the day) Text Teaching/Learning Environment: Round tables Relaxed ambiance Core Values/Generation Descriptions: Latch-key kids Skeptical/cynical of organizations Balanced Entrepreneurial High job expectations Think globally Highly educated Self-reliant Technologically literate Priorities: Family Interesting Fact: Generation X, while having high job expectations, is ironically lost between Boomers not leaving and Millennials stepping in.

by Amy-Jo Girardier

Gen Y (1980-1994)

Gen Z (1995-2010)

Gen Alpha (2010-present)

Key Events that Shaped the Generation: Columbine shooting 9/11

Key Events that Shaped the Generation: Wiki Leaks ISIS Iraq/Afghanistan War

Key Events that Shaped the Generation: Social Media Dominance Sandy Hook

How They Communicate: Text GIFs/emojis Collaborative platforms (e.g., Group Me and Slack) Teaching/Learning Environment: Café-style learning Activities and stations Core Values/Generation Descriptions: Online over brick and mortar Urban living Seek change Can be anything they want to be “Everyone's a winner” First kids with schedules Value excellent parenting Priorities: Friends Interesting Fact: Generation Y is more likely than other generations to say being a parent is extremely important to their identity.

How They Communicate: Text Images GIFs/emojis Snapchat Social media Direct Messages (DMs) Collaborative platforms (e.g., Group Me and Slack) Teaching/Learning Environment: Lounge-style Multi-stimulus learning Core Values/Generation Descriptions: Digital natives Connected/live global Instant celebrity status is attainable Brand loyal Entrepreneurial Do not believe in the “American Dream” Mobile Revolutionaries

How They Communicate: Text Images GIFs/emojis Social media Teaching/Learning Environment: Technologically-centered Core Values/Generation Descriptions: One-child families may be a mark of this generation Interesting Fact: Generation Alpha may have a greater chance of growing up selfish and having to battle the desire for instant gratification without learning to share within a one-child world.

They are already social influencers.

In 2016, there was a three-yearold fashionista, Laerta, garnering millions of views as well as a thenfive-year old making toy reviews on his YouTube channel called Ryan’s Toys Review.

Priorities: Me Interesting Fact: Generation Z is the loneliest, but most connected generation. They struggle to connect with family and friends except through social media and text. Sometimes called “Mockingjay” or “Generation Katniss,” this generation also calls itself “The Founders.”

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7 ID EA S TO IN SP IR E AN D EN GA GE YO UR FA MI LY IN MA KI NG

DI

SC

IP

LE

S

Inspire Desire

by Linc Taylor

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Here are some ideas that can help you and your family engage in gospel conversations with those who need to know and follow Jesus. Many times, we simply need to recognize the opportunities that are already before us each day and season those opportunities with the gospel. In Ephesians 6:19-20, Paul asked the Lord to make the gospel clearly and boldly known to others every time he opened his mouth to speak.

May this list stir in your family a desire and a plan to have gospel conversations with the people in your daily life.

1. Start by praying daily as a family for the Lord to open your eyes to see the needs and opportunities around you. As you begin to regularly pray, journal about all the thoughts and ideas your family members share in response to these prayers.

Begin by asking God to answer these requests: • “God, where are you already at work in the people around us?”

• “ Lord, reveal to us the needs of people who don’t know You and ways we can minister in Your name. Help us talk to them about You.” • “ Father, when our family sees opportunities, give us the confidence and boldness to act on them.”

2. One evening over the next week, create a family mission statement that speaks to the purpose of your family in having gospel conversations.

Here are a few verses that can assist you: Matthew 4:1823; Psalm 96:3; Mark 1:17; 2 Corinthians 5:20. A mission statement serves to set the trajectory for your family and can create a resolve to stay the course in the business of life, keeping the main purpose of making disciples at the forefront of all you do. Place it in a visible spot in the house.

3. Serve others together as a family. Begin to build into the fabric of your identity as a family the characteristic of loving others by identifying specific actions that use your time and resources and allow you to share the gospel as you serve. Many of us were not raised in homes that modeled engaging the lost, and it might seem awkward.

The more this is done, the more observant and confident you will become.

4. Host a neighborhood brunch. Ask another Christian family to assist you in hosting brunch for your neighbors on a Saturday morning.

(Christmas is a great time!)

Set up a prayer request area in your home. It can simply be a bowl with paper and pens.

This will begin to open the door for further conversations with neighbors.

5. If your child is part of a travel team of any kind, your church involvement on Sundays might be affected.

Always remember that you are the church wherever you go. Be the parents that offer devotionals during these long weekends, encourage other families, be known as listeners, or offer team prayers before games. Be the church and be ready for when others come to you because you have shown yourself to be approachable and authentic.

6. Each Sunday night for four weeks, gather the family and pray for each family member as they head out to school or work on Monday. Pray that they would view these places as their mission fields the next day, and pray for the opportunity to have a gospel conversation with someone.

Monday night, circle up for a few minutes and ask each other how it went and share the names of those you talked to and the needs you can pray for as a family.

7. Prayer walk as a family around your neighborhood at least one night a week.

Build relationships with the neighbors you come across.

Journal about the various needs you see, stories of people that you might continue to pray for, or potential points of action for your family.

As a church, we utilize five values to frame up how to be spiritually intentional as a family: • Talk about the Lord • Build strong relationships • Defend each other from the world’s influence • Affirm each other’s uniqueness • Bless and empower each other to make Christ known

Serving together as a family and being united in mission to make Christ known can be a game changer for relationships and closeness in your family. It’s the richest and most powerful cause we can ever join. And don’t forget: wherever you are as a family in engaging those who do not know Him is a great place to start!

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Camp Summe Changing the Future for Children in

erSign Middle Tennessee

by Beryl Corey

Living in a Silent Movie For a deaf child, life can feel much like a silent movie.

Imagine a deaf child waking up in the morning, going downstairs, and seeing her parents talking in the kitchen.

She lives in silence. She doesn’t participate. She moves about her day as directed by the adults and children in it.

She is given a backpack and lunch box with a smile and a hug. She gets on the bus and watches the bus driver and children as they laugh, talk, fight, and cut up. She goes to school and watches teachers instruct and classmates interact. Most deaf children sit at a table during lunch and keep their eyes on their food while they sit alone.

Maybe they interact during gym time because it’s more physically inclined. Then it’s time to go home.

It’s now dinner time and the deaf child sits at the table, watching her family laugh, eat, talk about something.

The girl just sits there and eats. She doesn’t interact, she doesn’t share, and she doesn’t hear the conversation or learn and grow emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. She does not have access to the world in which she lives. This child does not participate or engage with those around her. She does not learn. She guesses and assumes. The doors to the world in which she lives are essentially shut, leaving her constantly feeling like an outsider. God opens a door to this world the moment a deaf child attends Camp SummerSign. It changes the dynamics of the family. We now can introduce American Sign Language to the entire family. Imagine now this deaf child becomes a vital part of the family. The volume is turned up via sign language and facial expression, and the family embraces and adapts to the child! Camp SummerSign impacts the entire family.

What is Camp SummerSign?

Camp SummerSign is an immersive, 7-10 week camp experience that helps students, regardless of their hearing ability, improve their communication skills through

learning American Sign Language, problem solving, and team building while having tons of fun! Each day is unique and carefully structured to create an age-appropriate, enriching, educational adventure. From field trips to in-class learning, from dancing to making new friends, each activity builds on the next, leading our campers to a higher-level of ability. A camper may arrive for the first time with little to no language skills, but by the end of camp, they will undoubtedly be better equipped to communicate and navigate through daily life.

On the 2018 Camp Staff, the director and six of the fourteen full-time staff grew up in camp. Five of them went through three years of junior staff training. Six of the seven junior staffers this summer began camp at the age of six.

Most deaf children walk through the doors of our church at age six with no language and expect their silent movie to continue. Then suddenly we greet them, and our mouths are not moving. Our hands are moving, and we begin pointing to things and gesturing. For the first time, they are not alone.

When the child realizes waving hands around is a language, and it’s the doorway to their world, the light bulb goes off, and they begin to connect. Language leads to knowledge.

The majority of children who attend Camp SummerSign come from eight surrounding counties, attend public schools, and live in homes of families who may know a few signs. Most of these children are the only deaf student in their schools, their neighborhoods, and within the realm of their immediate and extended families. Camp SummerSign parents recognize how unique this camp is designed. They recognize the importance of American Sign Language for their child. There is so much isolation for deaf children, and many say, “My deaf child comes to life at this camp.” It's such a sigh of relief to encounter children, youth, junior staff, full-time staff, and deaf church staff who instantly communicate with each other. » MAKING DISCIPLES

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of a deaf child if they were immersed in a signing environment year-round from birth?

Why does Camp SummerSign last the whole summer? Cheryl Bruffey says, “If summer was 15 weeks long, Camp SummerSign would be 15 weeks long!” Cheryl Bruffey started Camp SummerSign in the early 90s as a one-day deaf teen outing with a handful of kids and a 15-passenger bus. The Deaf Church became a collaborative partner in 1996. The other partners withdrew, and in 2002 the camp belonged to the Deaf Church. In 2003, we opened the camp to deaf children ages six to 16 because we saw a crisis in the Middle Tennessee area with deaf children and language deprivation. Our camp team agreed it was critical to reach deaf children as early as we could to provide language acquisition. We limited registration to the number of seats on the two minibuses and two minivans. This kept enrollment at 26 campers. We turned children away.

In 2014, Pastor Aric Randolph said, “Reach the community, and we will rent school buses to transport campers.” He and Missions Minister, Scott Harris, both said, “We will find the money.” Now, we average 65 campers each summer and 14 staff along with six to eight junior staff

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members. Pastor Aric shared, “I know what it is like to be the only deaf child at day camp all summer. It is so lonely.

It is frustrating. No one understood me. There was no communication all day, all summer. I went to day care from age five to 11. We need to reach as many deaf children as we can in the summer. What do they have if they don’t have Camp SummerSign?”

We are so grateful to the commitment of Brentwood Baptist Church in allowing us to launch this beautiful, life changing camp.

It takes time to develop a language.

If a six-year old comes to us with no language, it will take two years for the child to begin to communicate with those around them. An infant absorbs language for about 18 months to two years of age before saying clear words. If an infant is introduced to sign language early, the language develops in a similar pattern. There is babbling in sign language. There is development. Language deprivation delays this, which means it will take years for a child to process language to the level of expressing themselves.

Immersed in an eight-week signing camp speeds up the process, closing the gap. Can you imagine the growth

Access to language leads to mind, body, and spiritual development. It leads to deaf children interacting, participating, engaging, and learning about this world in which we live. They become the stars, the lead actors, take cash concepts classes, learn about money, learn about conflict, develop social skills, learn how to engage others, laugh, and develop lifelong friendships. And, as they experience God’s love, they begin to learn about God and study God’s Word through the deaf Bible we have launched. They learn that God created them deaf, and that is good. They learn about their identities and God’s plan for their lives.

As they develop staff/camper and peer relationships, they begin to understand the concept of relationships and that God invites them into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Parents see a change in their child.

There is an excitement. They are up at 5:00 a.m., begging to go to camp. They thrive. Teachers say test scores increase because of this camp. By week six, children see they are not alone. Deaf people use their hands, body, and facial expressions to communicate. By week eight they usually know their names and can introduce themselves. From there, the journey of learning, developing, and belonging begins.

Scripture calls us to care for the orphans. For deaf children in homes where no one signs, it is the equivalent to being an orphan. When working with these families, many deaf teenagers find themselves in a crisis of identity and sense of belonging. They will say, “My parents do not love me.”

When asked why they would say such a thing, the response is always, “They don’t sign.” Children want to express themselves at an early age, and when they cannot, it can be frustrating, which often leads to anger and other behavior-related issues. As they enter early teenage years, they equate love with communication, and if they

can’t express themselves, they will share this common outlook on their hearing parents. They will say, “My parents don’t know me. They don’t ask about my day.

I cannot tell them anything.”

We can see that our church transforms deaf children’s lives. They reach milestones, equipped with the tools (starting with language) to do so.

Isolation and loneliness follow many deaf children until they encounter another deaf person, usually in their young adult years. Brentwood Baptist and the Deaf Church transforms a deaf child’s sense of loneliness and isolation to a sense of belonging. These children know you care and that translates love and connection, which in turn provides opportunities for deaf children to want a relationship with Jesus Christ. Two of our former Camp SummerSign campers are on staff this year. Their stories beautifully illustrate what we do here.

Camp SummerSign’s Job Readiness Training Program Deaf children, more often than not, are not picked to be the captain of the kickball team, be the lead in the elementary school play, be part of the middle school and high school debate teams, or any other team-related extracurricular activity. They are not often hired to be the dog sitters in the neighborhood or babysit neighboring children or have a small lawn mowing business. Camp SummerSign has a Job Readiness Training Program for campers, like AuQueche and Cornelius, who spent two to four years in a junior staff role. It prepares them for their future.

Meet Cornelius He started camp at the age of 6. He didn’t sign. He didn’t know he was deaf. He didn’t know he was coming to camp. He walked in the door with a lunch box, and we began the journey of trying to communicate with him. No one in his family signed. At week six, he caught on that he had a name. By week eight, he fully realized that he is CORNELIUS and began connecting signs as language.

He began to label the world in which he observed for so long. He began to step into the movie and engage his world. In 2014, we took the RocFish production of Daniel in the Lion’s Den and performed it for parents and the community. Cornelius played Daniel. He memorized the prayer and was the star of the production. He joined junior staff in 2015, continuing to serve in that capacity through 2017. We brought him on as a full-time staff member this summer, at the age of 19. He still faces struggles and challenges as he learns to communicate in English. He is challenged by technology. But his life is changed. This young man had no language until he entered the doors of Camp SummerSign. In July of 2016, he gave his life to Jesus Christ. He is on the journey of growing in Christ.

Meet AuQueche She began camp and attended our Wednesday after school program, Bible study, and worship time at the age of six. No one in her family signed. She saw sign language but didn’t have extensive communication skills. We fell in love with her, and this became her second home. She applied for the junior staff program and was in the job readiness program from 2015 to 2016. In 2017, she became a full-time staff member, gaining insight to all the behind-thescenes planning that takes place with staff on Sunday afternoons.

We provided a job coach as she learned how to lead recreational games every afternoon at Camp SummerSign. She is on staff full time this summer and is the leader in one of the classrooms. She is a natural leader. She graduated from Hillsboro High School in 2017. She attends Tennessee College of Applied Technology and is completing her practicum with us this summer. She will have a certificate in Early Childhood Education in August. Her family does not sign, but she is very close to them. When asked what her favorite memory is of camp, she said the times she went to Ms. Cheryl’s home and lived with her and her girls during the summers. Cheryl recalls AuQueche’s first night. They were having a meal together, and AuQueche was looking down at her plate. Cheryl waved to get her attention and signed, “We all sign at this dinner table.” From that moment on, AuQueche was fully engaged with Cheryl and her four children. She returned for several weeks each summer, and those are her best memories!

the truth about mentoring

by Wade Owens

We are called to be disciples who make disciples. This often happens through mentoring. The call can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to. Our tendency is to overcomplicate it and think of it as something it’s not. Here are common myths we believe about mentoring and some encouragement for the journey.

MYTHS ABOUT MENTORING I can’t mentor someone because I’m not “spiritually mature” enough.

I have to get all my discipleship from one place.

To be fair, there are some people who are not ready to mentor. However, most people sell themselves short. A Ph.D. in theology is not a prerequisite to meet with other believers and help them grow in their love for the Lord. As you step out and begin mentoring others, you will be amazed at the growth and joy God brings to you. Then, you can pass that along to others. Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. Remember, the vast majority of Christians know enough to pray with others, worship the Lord through song, and read the Bible. Get started. You won’t regret it!

Throughout my ministry, I have purposely sought out two or three mentors I wanted to learn from who each had different gifts and strengths. No one has all of the spiritual gifts, and therefore, one person is not going to provide all your spiritual growth.

With that said, don’t jump too quickly from mentor to mentor. I have spent 5-10 years with some of my mentors. In addition, I have received excellent mentoring from people I have never met. Books, podcasts, sermons, worship services, and conferences have all been places where I have received mentoring.

Discipleship is a holistic exercise that involves more than one venue.

I can’t be mentored by someone who isn’t considerably more spiritually mature than me.

Most are waiting for a Yoda or Gandalf figure to show up and radically change their lives.

However, that is not usually how it works.

Remember, we are imperfect, so it is okay to learn from those who are imperfect too. Don’t look for someone who is less spiritually mature, but don’t wait around until the Apostle Paul shows up. Seek out a mentor now.

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I can’t mentor others while I’m being mentored.

Actually, the opposite is true. We should always have a mentor in our lives, while at the same time mentoring others. Quite often, I am passing along to those I am mentoring the truths and spiritual development I am receiving from my mentors.

ENCOURAGEMENT God calls ordinary people to be mentors.

We tend to read the Scriptures and see the disciples as the Michael Jordans of their day. We see these men as superheroes with extraordinary individual strength, and we think that’s the reason God called them. They were mild-mannered, Galilean fishermen by day, but at night, they became superheroes of the faith. No, these were ordinary men who received an extraordinary call. Jesus walked right up to their fishing boat and invited a group of plain and ordinary men to do the extraordinary! Jesus called ordinary men, knowing He would give extraordinary power. That’s not something that stopped happening 2,000 years ago. The same God is still calling ordinary men and women from all walks of life. In fact, God makes a habit of calling people that you and I would look at and say, “There is NO way that God will use them,” and then using them in might and power. That is who our God is.

“

one of the best gifts you can offer those you are mentoring is transparency and authenticity – you don’t need to pretend that you are perfect.

”

Gospel mentoring flows out of weakness, not strength.

One of the best gifts you can offer those you are mentoring is transparency and authenticity. You don’t need to pretend that you are perfect. Most mentees would prefer that you don’t. If you give off the perception that you have everything figured out, you won’t encourage your mentee. In fact, they may walk away discouraged. Certainly, if you have wisdom and spiritual depth to offer, do that. But, you also have your struggles and what the Lord is teaching you to share as well.

Offer what you have.

My friend Keith was a mentoring machine.

In college, I watched him meet with two different groups of guys as well as several one-on-one meetings over coffee during the week. Plus, he served in several volunteer roles at the church. Keith was a college student with as much free time as he had responsibility. Fast forward 10 years, and I watched him, as a father, serve his wife and two children. He was pouring incredible energy into mentoring his family, but his margin for mentoring other young men was less. Struggling, one day he asked me how to accomplish more with other young men.

My advice to him was this: “Keith, offer what you have. Currently, you are prioritizing your family, and you will have less than before, but you still have something to offer.” Moving forward, he carved out one evening a week for mentoring, and during especially busy seasons, he met bi-weekly. He offered what he had.

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That's

Abundan

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ntLife

by Jason Dukes

A self-proclaimed country girl from Portland, Tennessee and proud of it, Betty Wiseman is an award-winning basketball player, an accomplished basketball coach, the founder of women’s sports at Belmont University, and a mentor to numerous student-athletes and coaches over the years. She asserts that her calling was simply to be a school teacher, which she has done faithfully for five decades. She is also a follower of Christ and disciple maker. In fact, she believes God gave her the platforms of basketball and teaching so that she could engage with others to fulfill the Great Commission. She may be just a country girl, but she's one who has helped countless men and women, now scattered all over the country, discover abundant life in Christ.

I sat down with Betty to talk about basketball, the mission of God, and the undeserved privilege all of us have to make disciples with Jesus.

Let’s begin with a really important question. How good are the Belmont Girls going to be this coming season?

j

Well, they rolled through their conference undefeated three years in a row and have gone to the NCAA Tournament three years in a row. However, we graduated three really outstanding players. There’s a great foundation of girls coming back, so we’ll see how the incoming recruits are!

b

j

When did basketball become part of your identity?

professional team locally that recruited me to play for them. I had a choice of either playing for them and going to school parttime or giving basketball up and pursuing my dream to be a teacher and coach. After much thought and prayer, I gave basketball up. In my story, though, I’ve given basketball and sports up two or three times, and God keeps giving it back to me.

Basketball is definitely a significant part of your story. When in that story did you discover your identity in Christ?

j

I received Christ as an 11-year-old on a Thursday night, April 17. I remember grew up on a farm just north of here. I was with my family. I could not wait until b IBack then, there were no sports for the next morning to go to school and tell girls other than basketball. I played for the my teacher. I was in the fourth grade. I said, first time as a seventh grader on the junior “Guess what I did last night? I invited Jesus high team. As an eighth grader, I started into my heart.” I’ve always loved telling playing on the high school team. I was people about Jesus. » tall and strong and became the leading scorer in the mid-state. There was a semi-

b

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QA You founded the women’s basketball program of Belmont. How did that come about?

j

I came to Belmont out of high school in 1961. I was a homesick girl just one hour away from home. My parents told me I had to stay and stick it out at least one semester.

Fifty-four years later, I retired from Belmont.

I never applied for any job. I am thankful.

God just seemed to open opportunities for me to stay.

b

When I was a senior there, the Belmont president called me in his office. I was getting ready to look for jobs. He said, “Betty, what would you think about staying here and leading our physical education and health program? I want you to live in the dorm, run the intramural program, and just go to Peabody to get your master’s degree.”

I had never filled out an application for a job.

Jason, that's a God thing.

My first year teaching, I asked the president for a meeting. I said, “Dr. Gabhart, it’s a shame there are no sports for women. I mean, I’ve played all the intramurals I can play. There are girls on this campus who can play some basketball. I'd like to start a girl’s basketball program.” He listened to me. For a man in his position in the late 1960s to listen to a 24-year-old female!

Then finally, he said, “Betty, you know I don't have any money. But I think you can do it.” I said, “Well, just give me enough for a little schedule and some uniforms, and I’ll make it work.” The next year, we started! That's how it began. Not only was it the beginning of women’s basketball, but it was the beginning of women’s sports at Belmont. We just celebrated 50 years of women's sports!

When did it click for you that you would be fulfilling the Great Commission primarily through basketball?

j

Missions has always been part of my journey because of the Women’s Missionary Union (WMU). Between my junior and senior years of high school, we had a lot of migrant workers who came into our small town to help harvest crops and strawberries.

The Baptist Association invited a young, Spanish-speaking missionary named Elvira.

They said, “We need a driver who can drive this woman on Sunday nights because she can't drive.” I said, “I’ll drive.” That’s how I first got engaged.

b

Later, I got out of coaching after 16 years.

I was teaching full-time, coaching tennis, coaching basketball, and leading intramurals.

I was burned out. It was a God thing because I got to take care of my mother through cancer. But still, it was kind of a wilderness journey for me. I kept teaching at Belmont

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and focused on her. After eight or nine years, the Tennessee Baptist Convention called out of the blue wanting someone to lead a sports team and said, “Betty, would you be interested in doing this?”

Scripture becomes so familiar to us. “Go ye into all the world” was just part of my mentality. But it hadn’t grabbed onto my soul yet. It just hadn’t come to fruition, and that's when it really did. I began reading everything I could on missions. I read one book that’s out of print now about the struggles of women as missionaries in the early 1700s and 1800s titled, Guardians of the Great Commission. When I read that, it was like God said, “Betty, that’s what you are. It’s what you’re supposed to be. You’re a guardian of that commission. Are you going to keep it to yourself?”

That first mission trip, we ended up going to South America with eight women from across the state of Tennessee. It changed my life. John 3:16 came to life; “For God so loved the world.” I’m a great admirer of Billy Graham and how he hung his hat on that one verse. I mean, he talked simple truth—the gospel. So, that’s what I committed to do.

What were some of the disciplemaking rhythms that became normal for you as you engaged with players and coaches?

j

Well, when you work with young people, you accept them wherever they are. Whatever they’re knee-deep in.

You love them and establish a relationship with them. You walk life with them. I think anybody that’s ever been around me at Belmont will say that my door was always open. If it was closed, I was in conversation with someone. They recognized I really cared and was nonjudgmental. I tried to be a good listener. I tried to gauge where they were spiritually. I prayed for them. I think my office became a place of prayer.

b

We also took athletes on mission trips. A lot of mission trip participants came out of those conversations in my office. I would remember a conversation, call somebody in, and ask, “You ever thought about going on a mission trip?” I would even invite student-athletes who weren’t sure about their relationship with Christ. Many would go and accept Christ on the trip. That is so satisfying. I tried to make a safe place for people to communicate and get in touch with their inner selves. Those moments have been life changing and non-threatening.

Let’s focus on that, taking players on mission journeys. It has been an intentional part of your disciple-making effort.

j

I became so intentional trying to give these college students the experiences I started having only in mid-life. We started taking the student-athletes who would go.

b

One of the things I always do, and I think it was the best part of all the trips, was at night time, after we’d been out working in the communities, we’d come in before we’d go to bed and gather together. I’d say, “Okay, let's talk about what we've experienced.” I called it processing. “Tell me what you're feeling. Tell me what you’re thinking from today.” It became some of the most powerful sessions I’ve ever been in. There was confession, healing, and forgiveness.

Students gathering together and loving each other through the moment. Then, the next morning—clean and free and fresh— they go back out to serve.

They learned how to pray for each other.

They came back renewed and healed, and in many cases freed up. They became friends.

Many of them today will tell you that they go on mission trips just to give those same experiences to others.

You have had a bunch of gospel conversations through the years. Can you highlight some of the ways those happened naturally?

j

For me, sharing the gospel has to be what’s comfortable with me. Each person, I think, has to find their own way. I’ve always been comfortable talking about Jesus, but I wasn’t always comfortable taking it all the way. And just as clear as we’re sitting here, God said to me in the middle of the night one night, “Betty, it’s what I've been trying to teach you. Do what’s comfortable for you. Share your life verse.” And so from then on, I shared my life verse AND asked people to follow Christ. I just had to find what was comfortable for me.

b

Scripture becomes so familiar to us.

“Go ye into all the world” was just part of my mentality.

You have to find your own way. But don’t just talk about who Jesus is. Don’t just talk about what He’s done, what He’ll do for you. Ask the question, “Do you want to receive Him today?” Realize you can pray with others to do that. There is absolutely nothing better

A than hearing somebody pray with you to receive Christ. There's not a game I’ve ever won or championship or award in my house better than hearing somebody pray with me to receive Christ.

j

Wrapping up, what are a few practical suggestions you would offer to others wanting to engage in disciplemaking relationships and everyday gospel conversations?

Be sure of your relationship with Christ. Don’t be afraid to just engage in conversation. Be intentional. There’s nothing to lose. Look for open doors to ask a question. I don’t quote Scripture that much.

I have basic Scriptures that fit into what I am comfortable saying. Listen and don’t be afraid of their questions. If somebody asked me a question I didn’t know the answer to, I’d say, “Let’s look it up together.”

b

You have to genuinely care about somebody’s future. There have been moments laying in the bed at night when I’ve wept over people. But I don’t weep enough. I guarantee you, if you weep over the lost, you’re going to care enough to say, “Let me tell you about Jesus. Let me tell you about the One who loves you regardless of what you've done.”

j

I heard you led somebody to Christ at the drive-through at Captain D's.

God stopped all traffic. I kept looking in my mirror and nothing was coming.

This girl was so bright and cheery. I said, “Well, you must know Jesus because you just have the best smile.” She said, “Well, I kind of do.” I said, “What do you mean, ‘kind of?’”

b

Ten or twelve minutes of conversation later, I was holding her hand, and I asked, “Do you want to pray? Do you want to ask Jesus to take control of your life?” She said, “Yeah.”

She prayed with me to receive Christ.

I was looking in the mirror during this whole thing, and the devil's saying, “You can't do this at a drive-through window.” And the Spirit was saying, “Do it. Do it.” There’s a battle going on, you know? Our order didn’t even come until after she prayed. Only then did the cars start coming behind me. That was a divine appointment.

j

Let’s get back to the basketball stuff.

What are you doing with Belmont now?

Well, I’m the 75-year-old mother of that program [laughter]. I have a lifetime—50 years—invested. It’s like birthing a child, watching it grow up, become successful, and standing back and applauding and saying, “Thank you, God, for this privilege.”

b

I’m a blessed woman. I have had opportunities most women don’t have. I’ve lived in a man’s world—sports. I’ve been pretty successful.

I have all the awards that you could win.

But the bottom line is that my platform of teaching and sports is just a platform for me to share Christ.

Don’t be afraid to just engage in conversation. Be intentional. There’s nothing to lose. j

You not only have made disciples with Jesus, but you’ve also seen some who now have become disciple-makers themselves.

b

Well, I think that’s what it means to give your life away.

j

[I mention Amy Brown, Belmont’s alltime leading scorer who now mentors lots of female athletes at Belmont and Vanderbilt.]

Oh, my goodness. Her. Yes. But not just girls. Guys, too. I have a group of guys; I’ve got all their babies sitting with me at one of their homes on the stairs. There must be 12 of them. Those boys value their experiences so much they have dinners occasionally and ask me to come, because they want their children to know me and for me to love their children. How am I so blessed like that?

b

I’m a single woman. Never married. No children. But I have the biggest family in all the world. I have all these children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with them.

I don’t. They have to keep up with me. [laughter]

That’s abundant life, you know? My life couldn’t be any fuller or richer.

Conclusion

After talking with Betty, I am struck by how “God so loved the world” sincerely and naturally flowed in her everyday relationships. I am struck by how, for 54 years, Betty has been steadfast and faithful to give away both the gospel and her life into a particular group of people in the same specific place.

Her conclusion, in case you missed it: “That’s abundant life.”

What if you and I reimagined our lives in this Middle Tennessee context to be like that?

What if, regardless of where we live, work, and play, we asked Jesus to help us see our everyday conversations as though we, too, are “Guardians of the Great Commission” with Him?

That’s abundant life: when we become disciples of Jesus who make disciples with Jesus.

May it be so. Like Betty.

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In 2017, I went on a Mission Journey to Nepal to teach a seminary course on the topic of worship. The seminary is hosted by one of our mission partners, Transformation Nepal.

(Brentwood Baptist’s Hope for the World Missions Offering covers the tuition costs for many of the students who attend this seminary!) After a week of teaching, the general consensus from the students was that they were expecting to talk about music for the entire week and were really surprised that music was only a small part of the course. We did talk about music and how to plan worship services, but we spent most of the week talking about the word “worship” and what it truly means.

Worship. If you ask ten different people for a definition, you’ll probably get ten different responses. That’s evident in the way we use the word in our vocabulary. “The worship was great today.” “I love listening to worship music.” “I attend the 11:00 a.m. worship service.”

The two most common themes when we use the word “worship” are music and Sunday.

That’s not a bad thing. Singing to the Lord is an incredibly effective way to worship God. Music, which was created by God, is a great vehicle for drawing us closer to Him as we worship. Likewise, the connection between worshiping and Sunday is an important one.

Worshiping together with other believers is biblical, transformational, and powerful. Matt Chandler once said, “Satan is reminded of his defeat every time your church meets. There’s something incredible about that—the church revealing the bankruptcy and futility of Satan’s plans in the heavenly realms.”

by Cliff Duren

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God’s definition for worship reaches far beyond music. In fact, Jesus focused on truth when He taught the woman at the well about worship (John 4:23-24). Music was never even mentioned!

One of my favorite descriptions of worship comes from John MacArthur in his book, Worship: The Ultimate Priority.

He writes, “Worship is any essential expression of service rendered unto God by a soul who loves and extols Him for who He is. Real worship, therefore, should be the fulltime, nonstop activity of every believer, and the aim of the exercise ought to be to please God.” Let’s break that definition down for a moment:

An essential expression of service. Worshiping is part of who we are. It’s what we were made to do. Therefore, we can’t turn it off. Something or someone will be the receiver of our worship. Also, worship is service. It’s more than words (sung or spoken), and it involves us taking action.

Rendered unto God by a soul who loves and extols Him for who He is. Biblical worship is directed and offered to the one true God. So, it not only requires action, but also an understanding of who God is. My all-time favorite A.W. Tozer quote is this: “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

Remember, we’re always worshiping, but choosing the receiver of our worship is up to us. God is the only One truly worthy.

The full-time, nonstop activity of every believer. Full-time.

Nonstop. Remember, worship is what we were made to do, so it is a constant part of our lives. Living with that truth in mind changes the way we live. It changes how we approach each day, how we work, how we respond in difficult situations, and how we treat others.

Worship also changes our attitude and perspective. If we know that Almighty God is the Maker of our days and has created us and given us the strength to continually worship Him through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us, then we know that His perfect plan is for us to worship Him—no matter what comes our way. That truth brings so much hope! He is always worthy of our worship and our aim to please Him. I love Sundays. I love gathering with other believers to worship God together. However, God’s design for worship reaches far deeper than the worship service and far beyond Sundays. May we all live each day intentionally, with a desire to worship God always with our lives.

With the help of the Holy Spirit, I believe we can preface everyday choices with the question, “Am I pleasing God?”

So, what does everyday worship look like on a practical level? Let’s go back to our definition. John MacArthur says that the aim of the exercise of worship ought to be to please God. That is the lens for how we can approach our days if we desire to worship God always.

Ask yourself these questions: • In the work place, is what I do and how I do it pleasing to God? • At home, is the way I love and disciple my children pleasing to God? Do I please God with the way I honor my spouse?

• In relationships and social media, do I please God in the way I treat others? Not only that, but do I give them a desire to worship God as well?

• In entertainment, do I please God with the content I pour into my brain?

• In my community, do I please God in the choices I make, the gospel conversations I have, and the integrity with which I live?

• Devotionally, do I please God with the time I spend pursuing a deeper relationship with Him?

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SUPPORTING TEACHERS AT WHITSITT ELEMENTARY AN INITIATIVE OF THE CHURCH AT WOODBINE

by Ed Smith

An Associated Press article on May 15, 2018 reported these findings:

Nearly all public school teachers report digging into their pockets to pay for school supplies, spending nearly $480 a year, far more than the federal $250 tax deduction available to teachers, according to a study by the National Center of Education Statistics released Tuesday…Ninety-four percent of public school teachers say they spent their own money on notebooks, pens, and other supplies in the 2014-15 school year without reimbursement, according to the study. The average amount spent was $479. About 44 percent spent $250 or less, while 36 percent spent $251 to $500.1 For over three years, The Church at Woodbine has been a community partner with Whitsitt Elementary School, located in the heart of Woodbine. Considered a highly ethnically-

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diverse school, in which many languages are spoken, Whitsitt is emblematic of inner-city schools—lacking in resources and part of a larger school system that is facing severe budget constraints. The Associate Press article continues,

The study also found that teachers in high-poverty schools were more likely to spend personal money on school supplies. Eighty-six percent of teachers in schools that don't participate in free or reduced lunch school programs said they paid for classroom needs, while around 94 percent to 95 percent of teachers in schools that did participate in the programs said they paid for classroom needs.

In consultation with Brian Dodridge, Executive Pastor of Brentwood Baptist Church, and others, a plan was created to support Whitsitt teachers in the purchasing of classroom resources using funds from the church’s Middle Tennessee

been instrumental in opening their doors for us to be able to partner with them.

I believe that we are just scratching the surface of what the Lord Jesus wants to do.

I am very excited to see how the Lord will continue to open the doors for The Church at Woodbine to partner with Whitsitt Elementary, by serving their staff, students, and families. This is just one example of engaging the whole person with the whole gospel of Jesus Christ, anywhere, anytime, with anybody.”

Initiative (MTI). These funds will come to the aid of teachers who are using personal, out-of-pocket (and non-reimbursable) dollars to meet muchneeded classroom expenses such as copy paper, pencils, glue, antibacterial wipes, magic markers, erasers, etc.

The Church at Woodbine has assembled a team of four people who are leading the charge, most of whom are current or former school teachers. With assistance from a local office supply store, personal gift packages are being assembled to award the teachers in early August, just before the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year. Teachers will be invited to The Church at Woodbine on a Sunday morning in which they will receive their supplies along with a time of prayer and commissioning for their work.

Pray for Whitsett Elementary School teachers as they begin the new school year, and pray for the children they teach. Pray also for the members at The Church at Woodbine as they continue to minister to their community with the love of Jesus.

Regarding this new ministry initiative, Woodbine Campus and Teaching Pastor, Doug Jones, remarks,

“I am so grateful for the opportunity that we have to partner with Whitsitt Elementary School. Justin Uppinghouse, the principal, and Chris Echegaray, the Community Achieves Site Manager, have

U P CO M I N G E VE NTS Mark your calendar for these events happening around our campuses this fall.

Maria Danilova, Study: Despite Modest Income, Teachers Pay for Class Needs, Published May 15, 2018, Markets, Associated Press, apnews.com/9139ac3fa28d414b974b5db75e1de6c3 1

MEDICAL DENTAL UNIT Giving back to the community by meeting healthcare and spiritual counseling needs.

THE CHURCH AT AVENUE SOUTH

REBOOT Combat Recovery Course begins Wednesday, August 22 | 6:00-8:00 PM

THE CHURCH AT STATION HILL

Night of Worship and Baptism Service Sunday, August 26 | 4:30-7:30 PM

THE CHURCH AT LOCKELAND SPRINGS Open Doors A time of personal prayer and reflection on the first Sunday of every month Sunday, September 2 | 4:00-7:00 PM

THE CHURCH AT WOODBINE

Medical Dental Unit Saturday, October 20 | 9:00 AM-12:00 PM

BRENTWOOD CAMPUS

THRIVE Presents: Fight Night with Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott Thursday, November 1 | 6:30-9:00 PM

Learn about these events and more online!

SERVICES

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Extractions, medical consultations, spiritual counseling, cleanings (select events)

• Healthcare: dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, nurses, MDs/NPs • Non-Healthcare: evangelism, patient data input, and more!

SIGN UP TO SERVE Contact Amy Fairchild at afairchild@brentwoodbaptist.com MAKING DISCIPLES

MedicalDentalUnit.com

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Prayer is such a simple act that can have a profound effect. There are many needs and many things to pray for.

Where do we begin?

by Gayle Haywood

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In his sermon on August 4, 2002, Senior Pastor Mike Glenn said, “We will not survive as a church or as individual believers without prayer.” This is as true today as it was 16 years ago.

If ever our church, our community, our nation, or our world needed powerful prayer, it is now.

Prayer activist, Dave Butts, maintains the only way that positive change is not possible is when Christians refuse to pray. Albert Richardson wrote, “We can accomplish far more by our prayers than by our work. Prayer is omnipotent; it can do anything God can do! When we pray, God works” (The Kneeling Christian). Scripture commands us, “...but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6) and “Rejoice always, pray constantly” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17).

Prayer is such a simple act that can have a profound effect. There are many needs and many things to pray for. Where do we begin?

Perhaps, we should begin praying for “our Jerusalem,” those people, places, and things closest and dearest to us—our families, our church, and our community.

Begin by praying for yourself, your family, your extended family, and the families in your neighborhood and our church. Pray you will become a more devoted Christ follower, more committed to practice the disciplines of prayer, Bible study, and worship. Pray you will be prompted or reminded to pray each day. Unite your prayers with others by joining a prayer group. For a list of prayer group opportunities, go to the prayer resource wall outside of Baskin Chapel at the Brentwood campus and pick up a Prayer Ministry Opportunities brochure or visit our website at BrentwoodBaptist.com/prayer.

Pray your family will be Christ-centered, motivated by unconditional love, a place where each family member is accepted and challenged to become all he or she can be, and a place where forgiveness extends and relationships are healthy and strong.

Pray for our church. Pray that our church stands as a lighthouse in our community. Pray it is a safe haven for people who are hurting, a place where God’s love is expressed and lavishly demonstrated, a place where individuals needing friends will find a place to belong, experience a sense of connection, and find family. Pray that the gospel message will be proclaimed powerfully and those who are spiritually lost will come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Pray that God uses our church and the Middle Tennessee Initiative to dramatically influence and change lives in the areas of healthcare, education, and property.

Pray that each member of our church is given a heart for people in their sphere of influence where they live, work, and play. Pray that each of us will be motivated to engage with others and that, through gospel conversations, they would not only learn of Jesus’ love for them, but come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. Pray that each of us is hospitable, inviting others to one of our campuses. Pray that our actions express Christ’s love. Pray that our attitudes are distinctively different, and people see Jesus Christ in us.

Pray for businesses, business owners, and government leaders in our community. Pray their business dealings will be conducted ethically.

Pray businesses and business leaders prosper and have a positive impact on the community.

Pray that our government leaders are men and women of noble character and make wise decisions for the well-being of everyone.

Finally, pray for revival—a great awakening to the ways and wonders of God! As our pastor prays that revival will begin through our church, Dr. A.T. Pierson has noted, “There has never been a spiritual awakening in any country or locally that did not begin in united prayer.”

PRAYER IS THE

OF OUR CHURCH Founding Pastor Bill Wilson and other church leaders established a special place at the Brentwood campus, set apart for the purpose of prayer, known as the Prayer Room. This sacred space was designed to have intercessors commit to pray for one hour each week.

The hope was our church would have someone praying each hour for the 24 hours of each day and each day of the week. Why not volunteer to be a Prayer Room Intercessor? For more information about the Brentwood campus’ Prayer Room, go to the Prayer Resource display outside of Baskin Chapel at the Brentwood campus and pick up a Prayer Room brochure.

MAKE PRAYER A

Some people find help in structure, in praying at the same time, in the same place each day, or using memory joggers and acronyms. Perhaps you could pray at 7:00 a.m. or 7:00 p.m. for our church. Many people across our nation pray the Lord’s Prayer each day at noon.

Some use the acronym ACTS (acknowledge, confess, thanksgiving, and supplication) or PRAY (praise, repent, ask, and yield) to guide their prayer time. Scripture promises us that the Holy Spirit will lead and guide us (Romans 8:26-27). The beautiful thing about prayer is that it can happen anytime and anywhere. The prayer doesn’t have to be eloquent or well-crafted, it just needs to be heartfelt and sincere. We simply need to ask. The most important thing is to just pray.

MAKING DISCIPLES

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