2011 June/July fellowship! by Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

fellowship!

CBF

June/jUly 2011

Cooperative baptist fellowship | www.thefellowship.info

Serving Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission

Ministering in the city

In cities around the world, Fellowship Baptists are striving to meet the unique needs of people living in metropolitan areas.

Carla Wynn Davis photo

Learn more about how CBF field personnel, church planters and a partner church are being the presence of Christ among urban communities on pages 10 to 16.

Partner Timeline

CBF Timeline A consultation of Concerned Baptists The Baptist Cooperative Missions Program, Inc.

1990

CBF Florida started Associated Baptist Press started

Founding of Cooperative Baptist Fellowship; first General Assembly

1991

Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond started Baptist Studies Program at Candler School of Theology (Emory) started Baptist Center for Ethics started CBF Kentucky started CBF Missouri started CBF South Carolina started CBF Georgia started CBF Tennessee started CBF North Central started

Cecil Sherman became founding coordinator

1992

CBF Oklahoma started CBF Mississippi started CBF Virginia started Center for Congregational Health started CBF begins partnership with Duke Divinity School School of Divinity at Gardner-Webb University started

Appointed first missionaries Keith Parks became founding coordinator of Global Missions

1993

Passport Inc. started CBF Arkansas started CBF Louisiana started CBF Northeast started

CBF Foundation established

1994

Truett Theological Seminary (Baylor) started CBF begins partnership with Central Seminary CBF North Carolina started CBF Alabama started CBF Arkansas started CBF Mid-Atlantic started

Adopted first mission statement

1995

BWIM removes “Southern” from its name Christian Ethics Today started

1996

Campbell University Divinity School started McAfee School of Theology (Mercer) started CBF West started CBF Texas started

1997

CBF begins partnering with Logsdon Theological Seminary

1998

Baylor’s Center for Family and Community Ministries started

1999

Wake Forest University Divinity School started

Adoption of first Strategic Plan

2000

Current, CBF’s young leaders network, begins

10th anniversary General Assembly in Atlanta Church Benefits Board established Beginning of Together for Hope (CBF’s rural poverty initiative)

2001

“It’s Time!: An Urgent Call to Christian Mission” published Received first grant from Lilly Endowment

2002

Admitted to the Baptist World Alliance First large anonymous gift to global missions Peer Learning Groups begin

2003

Disaster response to Southeast Asia tsunami

2004

Disaster response to Hurricane Katrina

2005

Co-appointed 14 missionaries with Korean churches U.S. Bible Exhibition sponsored by the China Christian Council HIV/AIDS Summit held at General Assembly Became founding participant in Christian Churches Together

2006

Shared General Assembly with American Baptists Adopted UN Millennium Development Goals

2007

Participated in New Baptist Covenant Adopted new strategic priorities

2008

Relocation of CBF Resource Center “You’ve Got the Time” Initiative began

2009

Disaster response to Haiti earthquake Recognized by VOAD as a disaster response organization Appointment of 2012 Task Force

2010

Twentieth anniversary celebration

2011

Markers and milestones Scripture uses two words for time: “kronos” and “kairos.” The first describes a chronological unfolding of time. The second describes a unique manifestation in time. As we approach our 20th anniversary I want to offer a timetable of some markers and milestones that reflect God’s work among us in both of these dimensions.

Endorsed first chaplains and pastoral counselors Recognized by the UN as an NGO

Daniel Vestal CBF Executive Coordinator

Vol. 21, No. 3 executive Coordinator • Daniel Vestal Coordinator, Fellowship Advancement • Ben McDade Editor • Lance Wallace managing Editor • Patricia Heys Associate Editor • Carla Wynn Davis Phone • (770) 220-1600 Fax • (770) 220-1685 E-Mail • fellowship@thefellowship.info Web Site • www.thefellowship.info

fellowship! is published 7 times a year in Feb./March, April/May, June/July, Aug./Sept., Oct./Nov., Dec./Jan. and Special (Aug.) by The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Inc., 2930 Flowers Rd. South Ste 133, Atlanta, GA 30341. Periodicals postage paid at Atlanta, GA. USPS #015-625. 2

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Baptist Seminary of Kentucky started

CBF begins partnership with Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary

Editor’s Note: On page 16 of the February-March issue, the story “At the racetrack” incorrectly stated the status of Diann and Philip Whisnand. After serving as CBF field personnel and chaplains at the Emerald Downs racetrack in Seattle, Wash., for several years, they are now on off-field assignment. Brian Kahue, who is not affiliated with CBF, is now the chaplain at Emerald Downs. On page 15 of the April/May issue, the story “In the Neighborhood” incorrectly stated the population of Shelby, N.C. Shelby has a population of 21,500 residents. The neighborhood in which Cecelia Beck works has approximately 1,000 residents. We regret the errors.

Contents

9 10-16

In Canada, CBF field personnel Kim and Marc Wyatt are ministering among the immigrants and refugees living in the country’s largest cities.

Five Tips for telling your church about CBF

Ministering in the city • Wyatts practice hospitality, minister in Canada’s cities • Atlanta church start serves urban neighborhood • Orlando church opens Center for Life Transitions

17 18-24

Affect: June Missions Education Resource Serving locally • Louisiana: Town inspired by community’s grand past • South Carolina: Baptists adopt county bypassed by interstate, economy • Kentucky: Building houses, changing lives • Virginia: Mission Madness transforms church members

25 26 27 28 29

Affect: July Missions Education Resource

Photo courtesy of Ottawa Tourism

Partner Spotlight: Associated Baptist Press CBF Calendar Missional resources for the new church year CBF’s 20th Anniversary: Did you know?

FROM THE EDITOR

This issue of fellowship! features stories about people ministering to the communities at their doorsteps. You’ll read about CBF state and regional organizations bringing together Fellowship Baptists to serve their local communities in a variety of ways. You’ll also read about individuals, such as CBF field personnel Kim and Marc Wyatt, and churches meeting the needs of people living in urban settings. Amid the hurried pace and crowded streets of Canada’s largest cities, the Wyatts minister to one of the country’s most neglected populations — immigrants and refugees. Canada is known for its traditionally open immigration policy and support of refugees’ rights, but the challenges for families starting over in a new place are still numerous — loneliness, isolation, financial stress. For 12 years, the Wyatts have used their God-given gifts and skills to minister among refugees and immigrants, being the welcoming presence of Christ. They have embodied what it means to live missionally — finding where their passion meets God’s mission for the world. They have also embodied the Fellowship’s long-term commitment to the world’s most neglected people. As you read the story of the Wyatts’ ministry, remember that they need your financial support to continue. Their work is funded by the CBF Offering for Global Missions. This year’s offering goal is $5.5 million — the amount needed to keep CBF field personnel on the mission fields of the world. Please give faithfully. By giving you can keep the promises Fellowship Baptists made to refugees, immigrants and other neglected people 20 years ago.

Patricia Heys, managing editor pheys@thefellowship.info fellowship!

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Why we give... “My husband, Milton, and I believe in the CBF way of doing missions. It is not just about winning souls, saving people and making sure they get to heaven; missions is about professing what we understand about God’s love and His presence with us right here on earth. It’s also very important to time and money through our local church — to our children and our grandchildren.”

Kathy Martin Augusta, Ga.

or Kathy and Milton Martin, giving begins with their local church, First Baptist Church of Augusta, Ga. For the past 35 years, the Martins have been involved with church ministries. Milton, a local attorney, has served on the building committee, helping to construct a new fellowship hall and chapel. Kathy works with the benevolence ministry, prayer ministry and “Jesus’ Special Followers,” a group that works with 60 to 70 mentally challenged adults each week. “Our local church is where we live out

give 4

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Photo courtesy of Hillary Odom Photography

us that we pass along these beliefs — of giving of our

our faith, and I believe we as Christians are called to be Christ on earth,” she said. “Being ‘church’ means to minister corporately and individually to other people in any way we can.” The Martins also participate in global missions. They have traveled twice to Hungary to work alongside CBF field personnel in ministry among young Roma people, who often face discrimination in Europe. During one visit, Kathy met a 16-yearold girl named Audi and gave her a cross necklace. When Audi asked her why, Kathy said, “I told her that God loves her and so do I. She began to cry and told me that she

had never had anyone tell her that she was loved, and she had always felt unworthy and unloved.” As committed as they are about handson service, the Martins are also committed to consistent financial giving. “Part of giving of yourself is giving financially. You cannot talk about giving and leave that part out,” Kathy said. “We can rationalize anything, but I think that really tells what you are about. I look at my checkbook, and I know where my money goes. We show God how we love Him by what we do here on earth. And part of that is how we use our money.”

Please give. Your gifts to CBF enable life-changing missions and ministries around the world. To give, use the envelope included in this magazine or go to www.thefellowship.info/give.

Serve

Join CBF field personnel in ministry to immigrants in France

CBF photo

artha came to Marseilles, France, from Egypt several years ago, searching for a better life. With very little, she, her husband and three children had to adjust to a new culture and new language. Though life has been difficult, Martha has found friends and opportunities to serve through the ministry of CBF field personnel David and Julie Brown. Martha is just one of the thousands of immigrants who are building a new home in Marseilles, a city rich in history. Part of that history includes the persecution of Protestants during the reign of King Louis XIV in the late 1600s. Many Protestants were held captive in a prison just outside the Marseille port. Julie Brown, second from right, leads a weekly art activity with women from North Africa. “To this day, the time of persecution is remembered by back home. Many struggle with basic door to ministry opportunities. They are Protestants as if it were a recent event,” needs, leaving them among Europe’s most members of and work with a local FrenchDavid said. “A great challenge is the neglected and vulnerable populations. speaking church, partner with the Union reticence on the part of the churches to “Being a port city, Marseilles has always of Evangelical Reformed Churches and really move toward welcoming the world of been a city of migrants. This is especially work with Mosaic, the union of immigrant immigrants around them.” true today,” Brown said. “Over a third of congregations. The Browns have ministered among the inhabitants are immigrants, and if you They also minister to Muslim immigrants since 2002. In 2010, they moved count second and third generations, over immigrants through an association, to Marseilles, located on the southern half are. You will find immigrants from all Marhaban, which means “welcome” in coast of France. Many immigrants travel to over the world but the majority are from Arabic. Ministry includes a coffeehouse, Europe with the hope of finding a job and North Africa.” music, language classes, arts and crafts earning money to support their families The Browns see immigration as an open classes, concerts and youth activities.

serve

Are you interested in serving alongside the Browns in France? Check out these specific opportunities or to learn more, contact Chris Boltin at engage@thefellowship.info. Bible Study

Art and Crafts Ministry

Ministers or lay leaders needed to lead Bible studies for women, Vacation Bible School and other teaching sessions.

Individuals or teams with skills and experience in the arts are needed to lead art activities with local women’s group.

When: Various dates Length: One week

When: Various dates Length: A few days or a week

Music Ministry

Construction

Music groups are needed to perform at local immigrant and French churches.

Individuals and teams are needed to help with repair and renovation projects for immigrant churches.

When: Various dates Length: One week

When: Various dates Length: One week fellowship!

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Learn

Inspiring youth on their missional journeys

learn

help youth interact with real people,” Edwards said. “This interaction is grounded in youth learning about the context the field personnel minister in, the issues they face and the creative ways field personnel connect people with the mission of God.” Ignite is designed to challenge teens to love and serve others by using Scripture and real-life examples of missional Christians addressing poverty and justice around the country and the world. Edwards said it can be a great resource for churches that are planning mission trips or to prepare students for summer missional activities such as Passport, a CBF partner and an international ministry for children and youth that hosts summer Rob Simpson, a member of the youth group at FBC Carrollton, mission-oriented camps. paints a house during March Missions Madness, a CBF “The curriculum provides a Georgia event. framework with which to process doing the mission of God,” Edwards said. “It’s really something to see youth move “Youth need to be guided in their misfrom attending and going through the mosion opportunities, especially on mission tions to doing something with it,” he said. trips, to do proper reflection on their expeShackleford, who has attended Passriences. This reflection should also encourport Inc. camps for three years and CBF of age concrete ways that youth can replicate Georgia’s March Mission Madness for two best practices from a mission trip in their years, plans to stay involved in missions own lives and with missions.” work all of his life. While not everyone has had the “a-ha” “I hope to continue it next year when type of experience Shackleford had, EdI go to college,” he said. “Hopefully I can wards said it is encouraging to see so many come back and go on mission trips with teenagers “owning their faith.” the church.”

Ways to involve youth in mission action: • Start small — Look for opportunities to engage missionally in your local community. Choose activities that are ongoing ministries, rather than one-time options. • Involve everyone — Think about ways to involve the entire congregation and participate in mission experiences with people from all age groups. • Get going — After local and small mission experiences, your youth may be ready to take a mission trip. Choose areas of ministry that relate to your church’s interests and passions.

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Photo courtesy FBC Carrollton

hen studying about the ministry of David Harding, one of CBF’s field personnel who helps bring clean water to people in Ethiopia, youth at First Baptist Church, Carrollton, Ga., discovered how easy it was to impact someone’s life. By using CBF’s Ignite curriculum during Wednesday night Bible study, youth learned that for as little as $1, a person could provide access to clean water for one year. After their lesson, several youth broke into small groups to discuss what they had learned. “We were talking about it in our group, and I said ‘There’s a video game I’d like to buy that’s $70,’” said Andrew Shackleford. “‘If I sent that money to Ethiopia instead, it would provide water for someone’s entire life.’” Brian Edwards, who serves as associate pastor of students and education at First Baptist and a writer for CBF’s missions education resources, said the Ignite curriculum is material students can relate to and act upon. “It gives them concrete examples of change they can make happen themselves,” he said. “It shows youth how they can actually help the ministry of CBF field personnel in tangible ways.” Ignite is a youth Bible study with a missional focus. Each volume has chapters of undated content to give maximum flexibility to teachers and leaders. Material can be used in a variety of youth settings including Sunday mornings, Sunday nights, Wednesday nights, small groups or retreats. “The stories about CBF field personnel

• Be prepared — Help youth develop the skills they will need during their mission experience. Teach youth about listening to needs around them, working together as a team, and paying attention to God. • Keep it going — After a mission experience, give youth multiple opportunities to discuss the challenges of the experience, what they learned about themselves, about the world and about God. To learn more about Ignite or download a free sample visit www.cbfstore.info.

Pray Praying by name

By Bo Prosser, CBF Coordinator for Missional Congregations

sending him to Pharaoh. Jesus called his disciples by name. Paul was called to apostleship ames are by name. Many had their names important. changed as they moved into a Calling people deeper relationship with God. by name is Names identify us and label us Bo Prosser important. I in ways that are distinctive. have some friends who call me Praying by name is important, “buddy” or “friend,” but my real friends too. It’s fine to pray, “God bless all the miscall me by my given name or a name of sionaries listed on the page.” God knows endearment. Adam called each of the who these are and what you intend. And, animals by name. God came searching for God continues to richly bless all who are in Adam and Eve by name. Moses wanted service around the globe. to know the “name” of the one who was But, when you pray for someone by

Prayer Calendar CH = Chaplain FP = Field Personnel FPC = Child of Field Personnel GMP = Global Missions Partner PC = Pastoral Counselor PLT = Church Planter

June 1 Sung Kim, daughter, Central Asia (GMP) 1 Thong Lun, Houston, TX (CH) 2 Susan Hunter, Troy, VA (PLT) 2 Emily Morrow, 1990, Aledo, TX (FPC) 2 Gary Sparks, Tyler, TX (CH) 3 Susan Arnold, La Grange, KY (CH) 3 Rachel Brunclikova, Czech Republic (FP) 5 Stacy Sergent, Mt. Pleasant, SC (CH) 5 David Smelser, Lucedale, MS (CH) 5 Kody Witt, Lillington, NC (CH) 6 Erskine Alvis, Black Mountain, NC (CH) 6 Wayne Bruner, Augusta, GA (CH) 6 Conrad DeLaney, San Diego, CA (CH) 6 Sung Kim, son, Central Asia (GMP) 6 Greg McClain, Lillington, NC (CH) 6 Norberto Prado, Oak Ridge, TN (PLT) 7 Kiersten Glenn, 2006, Los Angeles, CA (FPC) 7 Diana Place, Tucson, AZ (CH) 7 Butch Stillwell, Candler, NC (CH) 7 Diann Whisnand, Seattle, WA (FP) 8 Janice Newell, Greece (FP) 8 Larry Lawhon, Front Royal, VA (CH) 8 Randy Parks, Sparta, NJ (CH) 8 Clay Porter, Stanton, TX (CH) 8 Joseph Primeaux, Pensacola, FL (CH) 8 Jeromy Wells, Great Falls, MT (CH) 9 Michelle Cayard, China (FP) 9 Richard Poindexter, Indian Trail, NC (CH) 9 Patricia Taylor, Tuscaloosa, AL (CH) 9 Doug Wiggington, Pineville, LA (CH) 10 Rob Edwards, Norfolk, VA (CH) 10 Cindy Goza, Little Rock, AR (CH) 10 Michael Osment, Martin, TN (CH) 10 Kim Wyatt, Canada (FP) 12 Mark Chambers, Protection, KS (CH)

12 Brady Lanoue, Silver Spring, MD (CH) 13 Richard Forest, Louisville, KY (CH) 14 Chaouki Boulos, Middle East (FP) 14 Tracey Lopez, Springfield, VA (CH) 15 Jack Brown, Dublin, GA (CH) 15 Robbin B. Mundy, Fairview, NC (PLT) 15 Melissa Whaley, Winston-Salem, NC (CH) 17 Linda Jones, Winston-Salem, NC (PLT) 18 Bill Hayes, Bogart, GA (CH) 19 Alicia Porterfield, Wilmington, NC (CH) 20 John Johns, Gulfport, MS (CH) 20 Jeff Lancaster, Cartwright, OK (CH) 20 Cherry Moore, Bryan, TX (CH) 20 Lonnie Turner, sub-Saharan Africa (FP) 21 Jim Cook, Salisbury, NC (CH) 21 Susan Harthon, Indianapolis, IN (CH) 21 Jeff Hoppe, Riverside, PA (CH) 21 Ken Lake, Fort Mill, SC (CH) 22 Kirk, Asia (FP) 22 Sharon Eldridge, Smithfield, NC (CH) 22 Joanne Henley, Winston-Salem, NC (CH) 22 Jin Joo Park, daughter, Senegal (GMP) 22 Brenda Lisenby, China (FP) 22 Jessica Reynolds, Atlanta, GA (CH) 23 Andrew, 1998, Asia (FPC) 23 Sarah Ballew, China (FP) 23 David Lowe, Fort Worth, TX (CH) 23 Helen McNeely, Emeritus (FP) 23 Jin Park, daughter, Senegal (GMP) 24 Zeke DeLozier, Bogart, GA (CH) 24 Robert Fulkerson, Lubbock, TX (CH) 25 Franklin Duncan, Roswell, GA (CH) 26 ________, North Africa (FP) 26 Michael Ferguson, El Paso, TX (CH) 26 Anna Jacks, Birmingham, AL (CH) 26 Kamille Krahwinkel, China (FP) 26 Otto Mazzoni, York, PA (CH) 26 Tim Myrick, Kenya (FP) 27 Roger Dobbins, North Charleston, SC (CH) 27 Lauren Turnage, Norman, OK (CH) 28 Michael Brainerd, Fort Leavenworth, KS (CH) 28 Mark Judd, Elizabethtown, KY (PLT) 28 Roger Rich, Lexington, SC (CH) 28 Scott Sterling, El Paso, TX (CH) 29 Kevin Adams, Cincinnati, OH (CH)

name, you are invested in that relationship. When you lift up one of these servants daily by name, you grow closer to them even as you grow closer to God. As you pray through the Prayer Calendar this month, lift up one or two names specifically. Pray for all those who are having birthdays, for all those who are serving, but pray purposefully for Steve or Claudia or Charles. Invest yourself more deeply, and pray daily for these by name. Let them know you are praying for them specifically. Grow closer and see what God begins to do in your own life as well.

29 Jeni Cook, Poquoson, VA (CH) 30 Stan Campbell, Nashville, TN (CH) 30 Margaret Guenther, Richmond, VA (PC)

July 1 Christopher Rose, Peru (FP) 1 Debra Walters, Lawrenceville, GA (CH) 2 Steven Smith, Houston, TX (CH) 3 Nathanael Ballew, 1994, China (FPC) 3 Ken Cook, Pinson, AL (CH) 3 Elizabeth Ellis, Crestwood, KY (PC) 3 Brenda Lee, Williamsburg, VA (CH) 3 Michael Maness, Woodville, TX (CH) 3 Ascanio Peguero, Fort Worth, TX (CH) 4 Rachel Coggins, Hurlburt Field, FL (CH) 5 Coy Callicott, Spartanburg, SC (CH) 5 Jeff Fryer, Murfreesboro, TN (CH) 5 Julie Maas, Belize (FP) 5 Bob Potts, Emeritus (FP) 6 Shelah Acker, Uganda (FP) 6 Sam Harrell, East Africa (FP) 6 Debbie Kubo, Arlington, TX (CH) 6 William Womack, Columbia, MO (CH) 7 Barbara Dail, Greenville, NC (CH) 7 Steven Flowers, Waynesboro, VA (PC) 7 Paulo Orea, 2005, China (FPC) 7 Julie Rowan, West Point, NY (CH) 8 Sherman Burford, Montgomery, AL (CH) 8 Renato Santos, Miami, FL (CH) 8 Steve Sexton, Lenoir City, TN (CH) 9 Miriam Dakin, Marion, VA (CH) 9 Robert Williams, Needham, MA (CH) 10 Tiffne Whitley, Spain (FP) 11 Allie McNary, 1995, Slovakia (FPC) 11 Steven Shaw, Jacksonville, NC (CH) 12 ________, M. East/N. Africa (FP) 12 Elizabeth Houser, 1990, Southern Africa (FPC) 12 Christopher Morris, Winston-Salem, NC (CH) 12 Mark Podgaisky, 1999, Ukraine (FPC) 14 John Deal, Emeritus (FP) 15 James Tippins, Fernandina, FL (CH) 16 Michelle Greer, Converse, TX (CH) 16 Mark Hart, Fair Oaks Ranch, TX (CH) 17 Caleb, 1996, Asia (FPC) 17 Wayne Boyd, Gaithersburg, MD (CH)

17 Cindy Meadows, Roanoke, VA (CH) 17 Leanna Pearse, St. Louis, MO (CH) 17 Carolyn Sears, Shelby, NC (CH) 17 Kimberly Sheehan, Nashville, TN (CH) 18 Timothy Hunter, Gatesville, TX (CH) 18 Tom O’Neal, Charlotte, NC (PC) 19 Lyde Andrews, Fort Bragg, NC (CH) 19 Robin Cash, Student.Go intern, Uganda (FP) 19 Steven Hill, Knoxville, TN (CH) 19 Jason Pittman, Miami, FL (FP) 19 Joshua Rose, 2007, Peru (FPC) 20 Errol Simmons, Hattiesburg, MS (CH) 21 ________, daughter, Middle East (FPC) 21 Peter Arges, Durham, NC (CH) 21 Susan Lanford, Wichita Falls, TX (CH) 21 Twyla Nelson, Rockingham, NC (CH) 21 Matthew Pogue, Atlanta, GA (CH) 21 Keith Tekell, Beaumont, TX (CH) 21 Walter White, Arlington, TX (CH) 21 Lavonia Winford, Meridian, MS (CH) 22 Steve Abbe, Waco, TX (PLT) 22 Dorothy Potts, Emeritus (FP) 22 Bonnie Reedy, Lumberton, NC (CH) 23 Butch Green, Canada (FP) 24 Glynn Ford, Reston, VA (PC) 24 Laurel Link, Winston-Salem, NC (PC) 24 Ronald Oliver, Goshen, KY (CH) 26 Scott Jensen, Saint Joseph, MO (CH) 26 Richard Min, Dallas, TX (CH) 26 Rick Sample, San Francisco, CA (FP) 27 Diana Bridges, San Antonio, TX (FP) 27 Peter Ott, Oak Harbor, WA (CH) 28 Emily, 2000, Asia (FPC) 28 Jay Collins, Greenwood, SC (CH) 28 Barry Kendrick, Birmingham, AL (CH) 29 Christina Houser, 1997, Southern Africa (FPC) 29 Michal Patrik Brunclik, 2006, Czech Republic (FPC) 29 Wayne Morris, Lawton, OK (CH) 29 Karen Morrow, Aledo, TX (FP) 29 Martha Crocker Strong, Olive Branch, MS (PLT) 30 Paul Byrd, Birmingham, AL (CH) 30 James Francovich, Emeritus (FP) 30 Garnett White, Midlothian, VA (PC) 31 James Tille, Lakewood, WA (PC) 31 Cynthia Thorpe, Greenwood, SC (CH)

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fellowship People

Ben Collins

astor, campus minister, fundraiser, husband and soon-to-be father, Ben Collins wears many hats. In 2009, with support from his wife, Stacey, and the Fellowship, Collins and a group of friends started Canvas Church in Deland, Fla. The 30-member congregation met in a bar for a year and now gathers in the Bonkers Comedy Club. Collins describes the church as a “misfit faith community” that focuses on the pilgrimage of their faith journeys. Always one for casting visions and starting new projects, Collins recently signed on as director of the Stetson Cooperative Collegiate Fellowship (CCF). A campus ministry supported by CBF Florida at Stetson University in Deland, Collins hopes CCF will grow into a

student-led ministry. “CBF has been integral for both of the projects with which I serve,” Collins said. “Without their unfailing support and willingness to take a risk on us, we’d have two large groups of people, Canvas and CCF, with no solid sense of communal identity.” Stetson CCF is one of several CBF-affiliated student groups on college campuses, including Clemson University, Furman University, University of North Carolina, Mercer University, Georgia Tech University, University of Georgia and Winthrop University.

Ben Collins

Beverly Wood

everly Wood saw the potential in an empty, rundown house on the campus of Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio, Texas. With a bit of paint here and tearing down a wall there, Wood envisioned the house could be a stateside home for CBF field personnel on leave. “Whatever God calls you to do He’s going to give you the skill and the wherewithal to do it,” Wood said. “You just have to step out in faith.” Wood, who has been a member of Trinity Baptist for 52 years, led the church’s mission group to renovate the house in just four months,

providing a safe and welcoming atmosphere for field personnel and their families. This year CBF field personnel Eddie and Macarena Aldape, who minister in India, and Bob and Janice Newell, who serve in Greece, will stay in the house. “We’re really working hard at our church to instill a mission attitude,” Wood said. “We want to share the gospel along with the physical resources we have.”

Beverly Wood

Lucille and Richard Smith

fter retirement, Lucille and Richard Smith sold their home in Liberty, Mo., and traveled in their RV for five years. Their travels included extended stops to serve at CBF ministry centers, including Open House Ministries in Homestead, Fla., and Touching Miami with Love in Miami, Fla. “The CBF mission and goals to reach people groups in hard places is what we think is the right thing to do,” the Smiths said. “Twenty years ago when we needed a place to call our spiritual home CBF was there, and we felt clearly God’s leadership.” The Smiths’ passion for missions extends to financial giving as well. Last Christmas, the couple gave their four adult children an untraditional gift — they purchased a house through the Haiti Housing Network, a CBF partner

whose mission is to construct 1,000 permanent houses in Grand Goave, Haiti, by 2013. “We watched all the devastation in Haiti and felt the need to help in some way,” the Smiths said. “When we read about Haiti Housing Network and the partners involved, we knew it was the Lucille and Richard Smith right place. When given, our gift would get to the right place and in good time.”

Maria Stinett

s associate pastor for spiritual formation at First Baptist Church, West Jefferson, N.C., Maria Stinett walks step-by-step with many in the congregation — mainly children and youth — on the journey of spiritual formation. “Discovering who we are as God’s children allows us to live up to our fullest potential,” Stinett said. “It’s a privilege when people let you be a part of the process of building their relationship with God.” CBF has been a significant presence in Stinett’s faith journey. Her seminary experience at Wake Forest Divinity School in Winston-Salem, N.C., and volunteer work at First Baptist Church, Chattanooga, Tenn., a CBF partner church, helped shape her identity as a minister. Today

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she uses CBF resources such as “Becoming Like Christ: Helping Children to Follow Jesus,” and events such as CBF’s ChurchWorks Conference, to enhance her ministry. One of Stinett’s ministry goals is to equip parents for spiritual formation with their families. She reminds parents that their spiritual experiences like baptism, their profession of faith and favorite Bible stories, are Maria Stinett resources when nurturing children’s spirituality. In the future, she hopes to develop a resource to share with her faith community and other CBF congregations that will help families talk about spirituality.

for telling your congregation about CBF By Lance Wallace CBF’s Director of Communications

We live in the noisiest era ever. It’s not just physical noise, but the noisy distractions of our lives sometimes prevent us from hearing the still, small voice of God. Even among the most faithful Fellowship Baptists, the noise of our lives sometimes drowns out the message that part of God’s Order bulletin inserts at mission is happening through Cooperative www.thefellowship.info/ Baptist Fellowship and we are called to ogmorder. engage our ministry passions in that work in specific ways. How do you make sure the story of God’s work through the Fellowship is heard amid the noise? Here are five tips for telling your church about the Fellowship’s life-changing mission and ministries:

Bulletin inserts

The number one medium read by Baptist Christians in America each week is the worship bulletin in their local church. You can reach your church members with compelling stories from Fellowship ministries by ordering (www.thefellowship.info/ogmorder) or downloading (www.thefellowship.info/Give/ OGM/resources) free bulletin inserts on various CBF field personnel and their ministries around the world. These succinct and inspiring stories will help your congregation connect more deeply with God’s work through the Fellowship.

fellowship! magazine

Every other month, this free, full-color magazine delivers well-told stories and beautiful photography illustrating the powerful ways God is at work. It will not only inform your church about the ways lives are being transformed through their gifts to Fellowship ministries, but it will also give your church ideas about how to be the presence of Christ in your own community and beyond. You can sign up for a group subscription by sending your request to contact@thefellowship.info. You can also access fellowship! online at www.thefellowship.info/fellowship.

Prayers of the People

Prayer changes things, but more often, it changes us. As we dialogue with God about the concerns of our heart, we are led to take action. The annual free devotional prayer guide, “Prayers of the People,” helps you know how to pray for CBF field personnel, church planters, partner ministries, chaplains and pastoral counselors. By encouraging your congregation to use this daily devotional, you can connect them spiritually with God’s work in the world. Order today at www.thefellowship.info/cbfstore.

www.thefellowship.info

You can find the latest information on CBF ministries by visiting the Fellowship’s home page. If you’d like to dig a little deeper, you can meet CBF’s field personnel, discover resources to help your church fulfill its mission and find opportunities to serve in meaningful ways. From the home page, you can access thousands of ministry photos in the Fellowship’s online photo sharing service, Flickr, and hundreds of short, inspiring videos on the Fellowship’s YouTube channel. And if you like to hear the stories of CBF field personnel straight from the source in real time, you can follow their work on the Fellowship’s blog. Find the Fellowship community on Facebook to reconnect with old friends and share

ministry ideas. The CBF web site and its supplemental online tools can thoroughly inform and connect your congregation to the Fellowship.

CBF speakers

Even with all the communication technology available today, the most effective form of communication is still me talking to you and you talking to me. Face-to-face communication breaks through the noise of our lives better than any other method. So, contact CBF and schedule a missions speaker or other ministry expert to make a presentation to your church today through face2face, the Fellowship’s speaker’s bureau. Thanks to technology, you can also bring CBF field personnel into your church virtually through online conferencing tools. Talking with field personnel in real time from around the world will make a powerful impact on your church. A simple e-mail to face2face@thefellowship.info gets the ball rolling. Soon, you will be matched with a dynamic speaker who can help your congregation experience what God is doing through the Fellowship. These are just five ideas. If you have more, e-mail them to Lance Wallace at lwallace@thefellowship.info. He will share the best ideas on the CBF blog, www.thefellowship.info/blog. fellowship!

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‘Everyone from

Photo courtesy of Ottawa Tourism

CBF field personnel practice hospitality

im and Marc Wyatt serve as CBF field personnel among immigrants in Canada’s three most influential urban centers — Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. These cities rank among North America’s largest and most secular, increasing their diversity with nearly 200,000 new immigrants each year.

The Wyatts describe these areas not as a “melting pot,” but as a “mosaic, where all colors fit together.”

Every world religion and political opinion can be found here among internationals who have varied stories of how they came to Canada, a country known for its traditionally open immigration policy and support of refugees’ rights. “Those God is bringing by His hand from homelands far away include doctors, business professionals, refugees, internationals in academic settings and the trafficked,” said Marc. “’Everyone from everywhere’ is a good way to describe those we seek to serve in Canada’s cities.” Whether they come for a new job or to flee persecution, immigrants and refugees flock

Give 10

fellowship!

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not to Canada’s rural communities, but to its cities, where there is greater access to jobs and assistance from government agencies. “We look at this as God being involved — as part of God’s plan to bring people from distant lands within proximity of our own church fields to be touched and hear the gospel,” said Marc, who, has served with Kim in Canada for the last 12 years. Together they have coordinated social and evangelistic ministries for people from Pakistan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Burma, China, India, the Philippines and other countries. “We say to churches, ‘There’s a grand opportunity here. The city needs us. You

The Wyatts’ ministry is made possible through Fellowship Baptists’ gifts to the CBF Offering for Global Missions, which provides for their salary and ministry expenses.

everywhere’

as they minister in Canada’s cities

The Wyatts are based in Ottawa, where they facilitate ministries and partnerships for immigrants.

can be part of the solution to the needs of the city.’ What it takes is people saying, ‘I’m going to be a missional person, be outwardfocused, be responsive to the crisis of cities and communities, be salt and light.’ This is the way that God is bringing everyone in the same direction,” said Marc.

Matthew Houses, Furniture Bank provide basic needs Believing in the power of many hands working together to transform Canada’s cities, the Wyatts have built their ministry on networking and partnership. Two networks

they have helped create are the Matthew House network and the Furniture Bank of Ottawa. Matthew Houses, named because of Matthew 25:35 (“I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home”), provide temporary shelter and assistance with basic needs to newly arrived refugees in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Ft. Erie and Windsor. “In Canada, it takes refugees about two years to go through the process to determine if they meet the United Nation’s definition of ‘refugee,’” said Kim. “While they are being evaluated, Matthew Houses provide assistance. These are people

who, in the United States, would go to detention centers or not be allowed into the country at all.” Azeb is a young woman from Ethiopia whose brother was killed 13 years ago because he was known to be both politically active and from a minority people group. After her brother’s death, Azeb’s mother sent Azeb out of the country to protect her. When she made her way to the United States, she was detained for several months in a U.S. detention center. Last summer, Azeb was told that she would be deported back to Ethiopia. She was disheartened unContinue on page 12

This year’s Offering goal is $5.5 million, and you are a vital part of reaching this goal and keeping CBF field personnel in ministry. You can give to the Offering online at www.thefellowship.info/give or use the envelope included in this issue. fellowship!

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til she learned that one of her family members in Canada was able to convince the authorities to deport her to Canada instead. Arriving in Canada last August, Azeb was one of the first residents to live in the newly opened Matthew House in Ottawa. “It was her first time to speak English,” said Kim. “She stayed at Matthew House for about three months, and then we were able to help her rent a room within the Christian community. Two women in their 70s have opened their home to her, and now they are all just like family. She is cleaning the house and making breakfast, even though that is

CBF photos

The Wyatts have partnered with Eglise Evangelique Baptiste d’Ottawa to minister to Haitian refugees.

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not part of the arrangement. She is starting over, working on her English so she can get a job and attending a Friday night Bible study. She is joyful. She says that God has been with her on her journey to get here.” Azeb is just one of thousands of people that the Wyatts have been able to help during their transitional periods. Recently, Marc received a call about a Sri Lankan family who needed assistance getting settled into an apartment. The family had just arrived in Ottawa with nothing but two suitcases and their two young children, ages 8 and 5. The call

came from an associate who knew of Marc’s connection with the Furniture Bank of Ottawa ‒ a network the Wyatts started three years ago in partnership with 15 social service organizations, nine local businesses and eight churches to provide furniture and household items to those in need. After using his small van to deliver multiple loads of furniture from the warehouse to the family’s new apartment, Marc invited the family over for dinner and learned the family’s story. They had left their homeland for the sake of their children because they no longer felt safe.

They had experienced natural disaster, political upheaval and a lack of family support. Though they had no Christian background, through an ongoing friendship with the Wyatts, they began attending church and have become part of a Bible fellowship. “They think it’s because of our friendship, but they have been brought by the hand of God to this place,” Marc said. “These doorways have opened their hearts to talk about things they’ve never thought about.”

Urban ministries help newcomers build a new life in a new land As a part-time pastoral care counselor at a secondary school with 1,300 students, most of whom are newcomers to Canada, Kim sees families every week who are aching for a friend. “I meet people from every race and religion,” Kim said. “Folks want someone to pray with them. They’re trying to process [what’s going on in their lives].” The Wyatts resource churches both in Canada and the United States, seeking to match neighborhoods in need with Christian individuals who can support them financially, in prayer, and through handson service. Ultimately, their goal is to help churches understand their role in being on mission with God. “We challenge churches to invest in the needs of their communities instead of themselves; to network rather than go it alone,” said Marc. “We ask individuals to get back to the basics of hospitality, home meetings and volunteering in local schools and community programs.” First Baptist Church of Oklahoma City is one of the Wyatts’ partner churches, supporting the Wyatts in prayer but also engaging in international ministry in Oklahoma City, specifically with local Chin refugees and Sudanese immigrants and refugees. Because the church and the Wyatts are doing many of the same things in their respective neighborhoods — addressing critical needs such as housing, language learning, empowerment and job development — they share ideas with each other. “Our partnership with Marc and Kim serves as a vital part of helping our congrega-

Marc Wyatt, right, prays with two participants in CBF’s Student.Go program for college students. The students worked with the Wyatts in the Lower Town neighborhood of Ottawa, a mix of high end and subsidized housing communities.

tion fulfill the vision for mission that God has laid before us” said Tom Ogburn, senior pastor of FBC Oklahoma City. “In addition, we anticipate that the teams we will send to work beside them will come home with a stronger passion and deeper missiological understanding of what is required to serve as the hands and feet of Christ among refugees. The Wyatts are helping us gain a greater vision of what it means to walk beside refugees as a people of faith as they build new lives in new lands.”

Making friends, changing lives At its heart, the Wyatts’ ministry is based on the age-old idea of hospitality. “It’s really simple — if we go back to practicing the hospitality we did when we were younger, we can be missional without ever having to get on a plane,” said Marc. The Wyatts site statistics that among international students in the United States 70 percent are never invited into an American home and more than 80 percent are never invited to church. The Wyatts hope Fellowship Baptists consider everyday opportunities to reach out with hospitality to internationals in their own cities. “Think about it. Where do you go every day? Who do you encounter? A colleague, your banker, the parent of a child in your child’s classroom?” Kim said. “It’s our hope that every Christian in the United States would have a friend from another country.

About the Wyatts Both originally from North Carolina, Kim and Marc Wyatt have been serving with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship since 1996. They began in Thailand, and now serve in Canada where they have been for 12 years, ministering among refugees and immigrants in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. “To whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48). We have been given much and desire to share what we have been given with others.”

The story of who God is will come through in our friendship. In friendship, needs are met and lives are changed – the world is changed.” The Wyatts’ life-changing ministry is supported by the CBF Offering for Global Missions. The Offering funds their salary and ministry expenses, as they seek to reach out to internationals in Canada and resource churches as they reach out to internationals in their own communities. The CBF Offering is not an extra contribution to their ministry. The annual $5.5 million CBF Offering goal is the amount required to keep the Wyatts and many other CBF field personnel on the mission field. “God’s plan is unfolding every day, little by little, among the nations where CBF field personnel serve,” said the Wyatts. “Here in Canada, your gifts to the CBF Offering for Global Missions make a difference daily. Thank you being a part of this ministry. Be faithful. Give generously.” By contributing writer Laurie Entrekin fellowship!

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Edgewood Church

serves urban Atlanta neighborhood

ne Saturday morning last summer, Ms. Janice was sitting at her kitchen table wondering where her next meal would come from. Then a knock on her door brought unexpected hope. She found two people on her doorstep offering her a loaf of bread and an invitation to a new church in her urban Atlanta neighborhood. The visitors were two of 120 volunteers from three area Baptist churches who canvassed the Edgewood community that Saturday to deliver bread, spread the word about the new

Beth Fulton photoS

Located two miles from Atlanta’s downtown, Edgewood Church and co-pastors Carrie and Nathan (shown here) Dean serve a diverse urban neighborhood.

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church and pray with residents. Through tears, Ms. Janice explained that she wasn’t a religious person, but that she had been praying for food that morning. Ms. Janice also found spiritual nourishment through the invitation to Edgewood Church, which began holding services in a middle school auditorium in October 2010. She recommitted her life to following Jesus Christ and attends the church on Sundays when she isn’t working. “Thank you for loving me and reaching out to me,” Ms. Janice told Nathan Dean, who co-pastors Edgewood Church with his

wife, Carrie. “I’ve messed up in so many ways, but I’m starting over.” The Deans began thinking about starting a church inside Atlanta while taking an urban ministry class at CBF partner McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University, where they earned degrees. They learned about the decline of urban churches amid Atlanta’s growing population. The Atlanta Metro Baptist Association predicts that one-third of the churches in the city or nearby metropolitan area will close their doors in the next 10 years. CBF helped connect the Deans with churches

“We want to revitalize what church means to the city. Our dream is to bring the kingdom of God into the community.” and organizations, which have helped support the church. “We want to revitalize what church means to the city,” Carrie said. “Our dream is to bring the kingdom of God into the community. One part of that dream is racial reconciliation. The church is the best place to find common ground and begin discussion of those topics.” The Deans wanted to minister to a racially and economically diverse community, which led them to the Edgewood neighborhood. Located approximately two miles east of downtown Atlanta, Edgewood is home to mostly African-American residents (who account for 80 percent of the population within a half-mile of the church) and white residents. Single people young and old, including many single mothers, far outnumber two-parent families. Some professionals have moved into the neighborhood and renovated houses, but poverty and crime still exist. A police swat team recently raided a house, making arrests on prostitution and drug charges. “People want a community where rich and poor get along, but crime creates a lot of animosity between neighbors,” Carrie said. The Deans — who see themselves as ministers to the whole community, not just Edgewood Church — seek to create opportunities through community service and other events for neighbors from diverse backgrounds to meet and learn about each other. During a roofing project, a previously homeless man, who was also a recovering alcoholic, worked next to a man with a steady job. “They live in the same neighborhood, but they never would have interacted in the same setting,” Carrie said. The Deans seek to develop relationships with neighborhood residents who don’t attend the church, try to discover the felt needs of the community and meet them. They hope

LEARN

Carrie Dean, right, welcomes people to the Sunday morning service at Edgewood Church, which meets in a local middle school auditorium.

that their conversations and presence will begin to change people’s negative or apathetic perspectives toward churches. “Most people’s knowledge of church is gathered from [the negative stories] they see on the news,” Nathan said. “We want people in Edgewood to have a positive personal encounter instead.” About 25 to 40 people attend Edgewood Church’s Sunday morning worship service and nearly every Sunday someone expresses a desire to talk with the Deans about following Jesus. The spiritual hunger led to the church’s first baptism service in January in which 10 people ranging in age from 10 to 59 committed their lives to Christ. Among those baptized was 16-year-old Tyrone, who began reading the Bible after he was arrested and imprisoned for several weeks. Tyrone’s interest in faith continued when he was released on bail, and he began attending Edgewood Church with his

mother and sister. “His conversion happened when he was arrested,” Nathan said. “He needed a community of faith to help him embrace that decision and live into it.” Edgewood Church is one of more than 130 new churches CBF has helped start. Using a partnership model, the Fellowship resources individuals and existing congregations to start new churches and engage in missional ministry in their own communities. “Nathan and Carrie have exhibited a missional approach and an external focus from the beginning,” said Bo Prosser, CBF’s coordinator for missional congregations. “They’ve been very creative not only in how they would worship but also in how they would minister. We’re excited about continuing this partnership as the church continues to grow.” By contributing writer Charlotte Tubbs

The Fellowship is engaged in supporting church planters and new church starts in the United States in a variety of ways. Learn more at www.thefellowship.info/churchstarts. fellowship!

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‘Missional imagination’

Orlando church opens center to help with life transitions

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fellowship!

The success stories of people taking advantage of training and landing new jobs began to roll in and the majority of the people served were not church members. When leaders looked for ways to further Acts 2 objectives, they decided to create The Center for Life Transitions and repurpose a part of the church building. In the fall of 2009, College Park received a $21,000 “It’s Time” Missional Ministry Grant from CBF to help fund the center. Through partnerships with organizations in the community, the center has expanded the scope of life transitions to include support groups, computer skills training and English skills training for job and citizenship requirements. The grant has also helped pay for computers and audio/visual equipment to facilitate training sessions. “I’ve watched this process arouse a sense of missional possibility within our

people,” King said. “Our Center for Life Transitions Coordinating Council has led the charge of what we try to do and how we want to partner with others. And it has stimulated individual members to think, ‘This may be a venue for me to draw from my experiences and turn this into my own ministry opportunity.’” Stuart has a very busy full-time job, but she said she manages to turn around the e-mail every day, spending about 10 hours a week. “What I give people is someone who will answer them within 24 hours,” Stuart said. “But the stuff I get back — the celebrations about people finding a job, the thanks from hiring managers looking for people — I get far more back from this than I give. It’s very humbling to be able to help someone else.” By contributing writer Bob Perkins

Photo courtesy of College Park

very day, Georgia Lee Stuart sends out a daily e-mail to more than 300 recipients about job openings, job training, seminars and job-search related information as part of College Park Baptist Church’s Center for Life Transitions. The Center is one way College Park, located in Orlando, Fla, is seeking to be the presence of Christ in its urban community. When the nationwide economic downturn hit in 2009, many College Park members found themselves unemployed for the first time in their lives. Lay leaders and ministerial staff organized a church-wide meeting to seek God’s will in the matter. Inspired by expressions of mutual love and ministries of care in the early church, they called it the Acts 2 Summit. “The church had completed CBF’s ‘It’s Time’ missional study several years ago, so the missional mindset was already in our soil of who we were and was something that we as a staff were simply cultivating,” said pastor Shaun King. “But when we realized how deep the recession was and how much it was affecting nearly everyone, that’s when we called for the Acts 2 Summit in order to engage the church’s missional imagination.” To leverage the skills of the congregation, and possibly help the job seekers, members created a database of congregational skills to help make connections between job seekers and companies. A web site was designed to post announcements, job searching tips and other helpful information. Soon after, the daily e-mail was born. “Our church has always wanted to be a redemptive presence in this culture,” King said. “Yes, we’re in an urban setting, but I think choosing to live out of a missional identity transcends whether a church is urban or rural.”

The Center for Life Transitions held an event for job seekers featuring an Orlando Business Journal representaive, who talked about how to network and find jobs through reading business news stories.

Established in 2006, the “It’s Time” Missional Ministry grant is available to qualifying churches to encourage their missional journey. Grants up to $25,000 are available for missional ministries that help to engage a church’s community. For eligibility information and a grant application, visit www.thefellowship.info/grant. To order “It’s Time: A Journey Toward Missional Faithfulness,” contact The CBF Store at (888) 801-4223.

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Opportunities to

Missions Education Resource How to use this page

April 2011

The suggestions below will be helpful for using the stories on pages 10-17 of this issue in the life of your church. Small Group interaction, Study Group or Reading Group options are given, as well as suggestions for other congregational or family settings. Go online to www.thefellowship.info/affectonline for more suggestions.

Ministering in the city

In Small Groups:

The following is an outline for adult mission groups, Bible study classes or other small groups. Share copies of fellowship! with group members prior to the meeting and have some extra copies available. These suggestions are for a 45-minute time frame. 1. Before the small group meeting try to find statistical information about internationals in your city or region. How many live there? Where are they from and why do they come? Gather supplies: colorful construction paper cut into triangles, markers, glue sticks and a large poster board.

6. Pass out construction paper triangles and markers to group members. Ask:

3. Kim and Marc Wyatt, CBF field personnel, minister to internationals in urban contexts in Canada. Hundreds of thousands of immigrants come to Canada each year. Share statistics about the internationals in your area. 4. Tell the Wyatts’ story of Azeb. 5. Marc Wyatt says, “It’s really simple — if we go back to practicing the hospitality we did when we were younger, we can be missional without ever having to get on a plane.” How do the Wyatts show people like Azeb hospitality? Kim Wyatt says, “It’s our hope that every Christian in the United States would have a friend from another country … In a friendship, needs are met and lives are changed — the world is changed.” Do you have a friend from another country?

Cooperative baptiSt fellowShip | www.thefellowShip.info

Serving Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission

• How can you cultivate a friendship with an international person in our community? (Write one way on a triangle)

• How can you show hospitality to those you already know? (Write one way on a triangle.)

2. Ask: Who are the internationals you come in contact with in our community?

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CBF

Have group members share what they wrote with the group and glue the triangles on the poster board, making a colorful mosaic.

Ministering in the city

in cities around the world, fellowship baptists are striving to meet the unique needs of people living in metropolitan areas.

Learn more about about how CBF field personnel, church planters and a partner church are being the presence of Christ among urban communities on pages 10 to 16.

7. The Wyatts say that the cities they work in are not a “melting pot,” but a “mosaic, where all colors fit together.” Pray as a group that God would help us to embrace the mosaic of international people who come together in our towns and cities and embrace God’s desire for us to be missional people — to cultivate friendships and practice hospitality with these people. Pray also for those listed on the Prayer Calendar (p. 7) with birthdays this month.

In Worship: Children’s Sermon 1. Invite a guest to role-play as Ms. Janice from Edgewood Church in Atlanta. The guest should hold a loaf of bread and tell Ms. Janice’s story from a first-person point of view in dialogue with the leader.

people could all come together and worship in my neighborhood. That is just what Edgewood Church is! Carrie and Nathan really want the church to meet needs in the community and to build friendships with us.”

• Leader: Introduce Ms. Janice from Atlanta, Ga., to the children and ask her to tell her story.

2. Have the children thank Ms. Janice for telling her story. Ask the children to think about how they might make a friend with someone who is different from them this week.

• Ms. Janice: “One Saturday morning last summer, I was sitting at my kitchen table wondering where my next meal would come from. I had no money to buy food. Then I heard a knock on my door. When I answered, there were two people on my doorstep offering me a loaf of bread and an invitation to a new church in my neighborhood in Atlanta, Ga. I was so thankful that I cried! I explained to my visitors that I wasn’t a religious person, but that I had been praying for food that morning.”

3. Thank God for the work of Carrie and Nathan Dean. Thank God for the lives that are being changed through Edgewood Church in Atlanta. Ask God to show your church and the children how they can meet needs and share God’s love in their very own community.

• Leader: “Did you go to visit the church they told you about?”

• Ms. Janice: “I did! The church is called Edgewood Church. It meets in an auditorium in a middle school nearby. I go every Sunday that I don’t have to work, and I have recommitted to following Jesus Christ each day.”

• Leader: “Can you tell us more about Edgewood Church?”

• Ms. Janice: “Carrie and Nathan Dean started Edgewood Church as partners with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. They felt God calling them to create a space where black and white, rich and poor, young and old, single and married

In Reading Groups Same Kind of Different as Me (by Ron Hall, Denver Moore, and Lynn Vincent) tells the story of Ron Hall, an international art dealer, and Denver Moore, a man who escaped virtual slavery in Louisiana only to live on the streets for 18 years. At the request of his wife, Hall reaches out to Moore at a homeless shelter in Dallas. Told in the voices of Hall and Moore, the authors illuminate the bondage faced by each man and the journey they finally make toward true freedom. fellowship!

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Every year, thousands of Fellowship Baptists

are actively

ministering among their local communities through the missions initiatives of CBF state and regional organizations. These organizations are facilitating long-term

engagement opportunities and partnerships through which individuals and churches can be the presence of Christ to neighbors in need. For example, churches are sharing resources related to providing a ministry of hospitality to refugees seeking a better life in the United States. Working alongside CBF field personnel, missions teams are helping some of the countryâ€™s poorest counties overcome the cycle of poverty. Fellowship Baptists are giving financially to support local ministries that serve people living with HIV/AIDS. Homes are being built, children are learning to read, the gospel is being shared and lives are being changed through the ministry of CBF state and regional organizations.

Photos courtesy KBF

On the next few pages, youâ€™ll read about a few of the ways Fellowship Baptists are serving in their states and regions. Learn more about how you can serve by contacting your local organization.

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Kentucky Building houses, changing lives

t age 86, Charlie Gatton is working and building for the future. For six years, Kentucky Baptist Fellowship (KBF) has pulled together mission teams to build an affordable house in one week for a family in McCreary County, one of the poorest counties in the United States. Every time, Gatton has been there, usually taking a leading role. “He is the heart of what we do in McCreary County,” says Josh Speight, KBF associate coordinator for missions. Building houses is Gatton’s passion. After he retired from the railroads in 1982, he and his wife, Clara, traveled. But in 1997, Gatton, a member of Buechel Park Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., attended a meeting of representatives of Baptist churches interested in sponsoring a Habitat for Humanity house. Gatton was recruited as a house leader, and during the next 10 years, he assumed that role on 50 houses. In 2005, KBF asked Gatton if he thought the organization could build a house in one week with 125 people helping. Gatton said yes, with a detailed plan. A year later, mission teams from KBF partner churches came close to completing a four-bedroom, two-bath home in a week. Additional teams provided the finishing touches. The family, a grandmother and three grandchildren, one of whom was severely ill, moved in that summer. That first build was such a success that KBF is in the midst of a 10-year commitment to build houses for families in McCreary County. The county is one of the focal counties of CBF’s Together for

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Hope ministry, a longterm commitment to working with people in 20 of the nation’s poorest, rural counties in order to affect change and break the cycle of economic disparity. Known as Extreme Build, the one-week house build involves extensive planning. KBF works with local and federal agencies to choose a family and arrange financing. KBF raises $20,000 toward the build in partnership with KBF churches. Churches in McCreary County Charlie Gatton, right, has been involved in coordinating Kentucky Baptist — Baptists and others Fellowship’s Extreme Builds since the beginning. Individuals and teams — join in to provide from Kentucky churches come together for one week to construct a food and labor. Local house, such as the one pictured on the opposite page. businesses donate materials. feel that you are doing something that is This year, mission teams will build going to last a long time.” a home for the Privette family. Parents, Extreme Build is one of several KBF Jerry and Geneva, who both have physical long-term mission initiatives in eastern disabilities, live in a mobile home on an Kentucky. Mountain Hope is KBF’s rural acre of land with their teenage children, poverty effort in Owsley and McCreary Kesha and Zachary. Gatton has seen that counties and Powell County’s Nada with a new home comes a hope for a community. Churches and individuals in better life. those areas partner with the communities “We couldn’t believe the changes in to change the culture of poverty. They attitudes in the kids [after they move in],” believe that even where jobs, education Gatton said. “Their self-esteem goes from and money are scarce their mission work bottom to nearly top. It changes their can make a difference. whole outlook on life. Pulling kids out of poverty is the best gift you can give. You By contributing writer Linda Brinson

Learn more about the work of Together for Hope at www.thefellowship.info/togetherforhope. You’ll find information about the five regions, including photo galleries, contact information and background information. Videos focused on the ministries of Together for Hope are available on CBF’s YouTube channel — www.youtube.com/cbfvideo. fellowship!

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Louisiana

Town inspired by community’s grand past

ake Providence used to be the place to go in the far northeastern corner of Louisiana — and in neighboring parts of Mississippi and Arkansas, too. “It was a place where, on a Saturday night, stores were open downtown until midnight so people could get all their shopping done because this was the closest town where you could get everything,” said Stephanie Vance, a CBF of Louisiana missionary who has been serving in Lake Providence for about a year. “If they needed a car, they came to Lake Providence. If they needed shoes, they came to Lake Providence. But now they drive an hour and a half for everything” to Monroe, La., the nearest city of any size. Lake Providence and surrounding East Carroll Parish have seen better economic days. The town was built on farming and

Every spring, football squads from the town’s two high schools — the overwhelmingly African-American public school, Lake Providence High; and the overwhelmingly white Briarfield Academy — meet together for a joint football clinic.

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river traffic. But as the latter has slowed down and the former has replaced jobs with automation and moved much of its profits to corporate owners based in other places, the economy has shrunk to a mere hint of the town’s halcyon days. East Carroll Parish’s population has dropped, according to official census figures, from a height of around 20,000 in the 1940s to less than 8,000 in the 2010 census. And the people who are left are mostly poor and African American. The perhousehold annual income is $20,723. The per-capita income is $9,629. Fully 40 percent of residents — and 57 percent of children — live below the poverty line. Nonetheless, Vance contends, there is hope. “There’s this feeling of how it used to be and can it ever be that way again?” she said. East Carroll Parish is one of the nation’s

20 poorest counties and one of the focus locations for Together for Hope, CBF’s 20-year effort in many of those counties to break the cycle of economic disparity and bring Christ’s good news of hope and healing not only to individuals but entire communities. Vance began her work in Lake Providence in early 2010, after CBF of Louisiana churches raised the funds to provide 80 percent of her support. Kyle Kelley, CBF of Louisiana’s associate coordinator, said that represents “a significant investment by a small state fellowship of only about a dozen churches. Our state fellowship, though, has shared a passion for this work and made a long-term commitment.” Before raising funds to place Vance on the field full-time, CBF Louisiana churches and partners had already established or begun supporting several projects in East Carroll Parish. One of those was “Bags of

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Photos courtesy of CBFLA

Hope,” a summer drive to collect bookbags and school supplies for children in the parish’s cash-strapped public schools. Lake Providence has hosted CBF mission teams from around the state and country for work on repairing houses, painting murals and other projects. Another ongoing project tackles the town’s racial divide. Every spring Fitz Hill, president of CBF of Arkansas partner Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock and a former college football coach, teaches a joint football clinic for the football squads from the town’s two high schools — the overwhelmingly African-American public school, Lake Providence High, and the overwhelmingly white, private school Briarfield Academy. But CBF Louisiana supporters wanted to go beyond their already good work in East Carroll by tackling the area’s economic problems at their root and finding a way to encourage job growth and create hope for a community that thought its best days were behind it. That’s where Vance comes in. In her first year, she’s focused on building coalitions and partnerships, but she’s also done a lot of listening and getting inspired. “I’m doing my best not to bring my ideas, but just listen for ideas here in the community because that’s where it’s got to come from,” Vance said. One idea she’s gotten comes from local farmer Grady “Bubber” Brown, whose mother makes a great pepper sauce. Recognizing that his farm workers were unemployed for four months of the year, Brown began bottling the pepper sauce and selling it. Panola Pepper Corporation now sells a variety of products to retailers across the nation. Vance hopes to replicate

CBF Louisiana collects bookbags and school supplies for children in Lake Providence’s cash-strapped public schools as part of “Bags of Hope,” a summer missions drive.

that kind of entrepreneurship across East Carroll Parish. “I am working with a local interfaith [group] to bring in a job intermediary to bring in employers and potential employees and to hook employees up with a job-training program,” she said. Among her dreams is to see once-bustling downtown Lake Providence become an incubator for small, creative businesses. U.S. Highway 65, a major north-south route, passes right through the middle of town; Vance envisions it lined with thriving shops and restaurants run by local entrepre-

neurs and artisans that would entice travelers to stop, spend a few dollars and soak up the local culture she’s grown to love. “It’s a really neat town; the people here are very welcoming,” she said. “And really, when I talk to them about what Together for Hope is about, which is breaking the cycle of poverty and helping with development principles and sharing the love of Christ in a way that will renew their lives and renew the community, people are excited about that.” By contributing writer Rob Marus

Are you or your missions team interested in serving in one of Together for Hope’s focal counties? Contact Chris Boltin at engage@thefellowship.info or go to www.thefellowship.info/serve to learn about specific opportunities. fellowship!

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South Carolina Fellowship Baptists adopt county bypassed by interstate, economy

now. In contrast, the state’s overall unemployment rate hovers around 10.9 percent. About 40 percent of the town of Allendale’s town population lives below the poverty line, including nearly 60 percent of children. When CBF started Together for Hope a decade ago to tackle poverty in 20 of the nation’s poorest counties, South Carolina wasn’t on the list. CBF supporters in South Carolina began looking for a povertystricken area of the Palmetto state on which to focus. “We did a demographic survey to locate South Carolina’s poorest county and learned that Allendale County was less than a percentage point away from Perry County in Alabama,” Greer said, referring to the Alabama CBF project that inspired the wider Together for Hope initiative. At the time, Greer was missions chair for the state group. First Baptist Church of Allendale put her in touch with a local transitional-housing ministry. “They needed help renovating their recently purchased house. Some of our

churches wanted to respond, and that was the beginning,” she said. Churches across the state stepped up quickly, sending missions workers who did home renovations, collected baby supplies, non-perishable food items, objects for a community thrift store and other contributions. Soon, the state organization started sponsoring an annual “Allendale Work Day,” and volunteers have poured in from every corner of South Carolina for each Work Day since. Approximately 150 Fellowship Baptists serve every year on projects that include roofing, building wheelchair ramps, painting, yard work, plumbing and camps for kids. Recently, Allendale Work Day has transitioned to a project with more local participation and leadership. Allendale residents and community leaders Frank and Lottie Lewis planned and directed this year’s work day, which they have renamed Operation We Care. “In whatever we do our goal is to be the presence of Christ, to come alongside the

Photos courtesy of CBFSC

llendale County, S.C., is relatively isolated today, but that wasn’t always the case. The county seat, also named Allendale, is home to a little under half of the county’s 10,000 residents. It’s about 90 minutes away from several larger cities on U.S. Highway 301. Forty years ago, the road was a heavily traveled north-south route along the coastal lowlands from Delaware to Florida, and bustling businesses lined it. But that changed quickly when Route 301 was largely supplanted. “The economy was predicated on the tourist industry — motels, restaurants and service stations,” said Beverly Greer, CBF of South Carolina’s missions coordinator. “When Interstate 95 opened in the early ‘70s, it bypassed Allendale, stopping the cash flow overnight.” Today, Allendale County is one of the nation’s poorest. At the end of 2009, its unemployment rate peaked at nearly 25 percent. It stands at more than 18 percent

Approximately 40 percent of Allendale’s population lives below the national poverty line.

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The annual “Allendale Work Day,” above and right, brings approximately 150 Fellowship Baptists from South Carolina to serve in Allendale.

Learn more about the missions work of CBF state and region organizations by visiting their web sites. Go to www.thefellowship.info/statesandregions for a complete list.

residents, build relationships and help them realize their own hopes and dreams,” Greer said. “More than once I’ve been told, ‘We want a hand up, not a hand-out.’” Other Allendale projects take place year round. CBF of South Carolina partners with a local program called the Salkehatchie Healthy Community Collaborative. The group’s Healthy Learners program, sponsored by the Sisters of Charity, helps fill gaps in health care for children in the county. CBF partner Oakland Baptist Church in

Rock Hill, S.C., sponsored and organized a two-day yard sale that raised money for a roofing project at a church that hosts a small food ministry in the nearby town of Fairfax. The yard sale netted $1,100 for the roofing project and also managed to give away thousands of dollars’ worth of clothing and home items to low-income residents who used vouchers provided by local service organizations to purchase them. But the Allendale project isn’t just about donating labor and goods. Greer serves on a steering committee identifying ways to

ameliorate the town’s economic and social problems. In the meantime, Greer notes, local leaders are happy for what CBF of South Carolina has been able to do so far. “Recently the director of a partner organization told me, ‘Everything you are doing or planning is for the future success of the county. There is a beginning of a ground swell [of interest in transformation here] and many years of CBFSC support are major contributors,’” Greer said. By contributing writer Rob Marus

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Virginia

who lived basically right around the corner could suffer from malnutrition and face so many challenges. He really took to heart the notion that we need to do more for our community.” Mission Madness marked its second anniversary this year with sites in Danville, hosted by West Main Baptist Church; Fredericksburg, hosted by Fredericksburg Baptist Church; and Washington D.C., hosted by Calvary Baptist Church. “What we’ve discovered is Mission Madness has really been transformational,” said Rob Fox, field coordinator for CBF Virginia. “It both gives back to our community, and it gives our people focus. It has helped us to build stronger relationships between individuals and

churches, and it helps define who we are as Fellowship Baptists. People really didn’t get CBF until we hosted Mission Madness.” Condrey said the impact of Mission Madness is still being felt in Richmond. Condrey works at Xpedx, a division of International Paper, which donated supplies for the CHAT tutoring program. “It’s hard to describe, but you can definitely say the entire church has caught the fever from these kids,” he said. “We’re starting to grow, and the youth group is starting to grow. It’s not the same people showing up for all of the church functions like before. There are more people who want to be involved.” By contributing writer Bob Perkins During Mission Madness, teenagers from Virginia assisted with gardening at the William Byrd Community House in Richmond.

Photo courtesy CBFVA

s a lifelong resident of Richmond and part of one of the founding families of Central Baptist Church, Merle Condrey learned something new about his city and church during Mission Madness, a spring break youth mission service project hosted by his church in 2010. “My biggest awakening that day was being around the church to see the energy these young kids brought with them,” Condrey said. “You hear so many bad things about young people these days, but here’s a group that had never met before, who came together to do this project. They didn’t get into trouble, and the energy they created around here was moving.” Sponsored by CBF Virginia, Mission Madness brought more than 300 young people from around the state to Richmond to volunteer throughout the city. Condrey participated with his two sons, Blake and Ross. He and Ross, who was 13 at the time, were part of a group that toured the Church Hill neighborhood of Richmond, which was less than 10 miles from the church. They learned about the challenges facing residents there and later, the group met at a Church Hill Activities and Tutoring (CHAT) house cleaning up the grounds and gardening. “We knew that was a part of town that you tried to avoid,” Condrey said. “Ross had never been there, so he never realized that someone

Mission Madness transforms youth, members at Richmond church

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Are you interested in serving alongside Fellowship Baptists in your state or region? Check out the web site of your local CBF organization to learn about upcoming opportunities — www.thefellowship.info/statesandregions. You can also go to the CBF Calendar at www.thefellowship.info/calendar for a list of mission events.

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Opportunities to

Missions Education Resource How to use this page

July 2011

The suggestions below will be helpful for using the stories on pages 18-24 of this issue in the life of your church. Small Group interaction, Study Group or Reading Group options are given, as well as suggestions for other congregational or family settings. Go online to www.thefellowship.info/affectonline for more suggestions.

State & Regional Missions

In Small Groups: The following is an outline for adult mission groups, Bible study classes or other small groups. Share copies of fellowship! with group members prior to the meeting and have some extra copies available. These suggestions are for a 45-minute time-frame. 1. Gather the following materials: a map of South Carolina — with Allendale County labeled, 50 index cards with a random food item on each one, whiteboard and markers. Ask one group member to be ready to tell the story of CBF work in Allendale County.

5. How could your group use some of the resources on this list to address issues and needs in your community?

2. Distribute four index cards at a time to groups of four or five people. Ask them to come up with ways to use all the ingredients in the same meal. When they’re finished with each set of cards, return them to the deck and reshuffle.

7. Ask the following questions: • What groups or churches are working in the community? What resources are they contributing? • What are the residents looking for? • Who should set the agenda in Allendale County? How long do you think it might take for the community to overcome the challenges of poverty and unemployment? Does it matter how long it takes? • Do people in your church have resources that could be of use there or perhaps in another community? Where and how might you put those resources to work?

3. In a pivotal scene in the movie Apollo 13, a group of engineers gathers in a small room. Boxes of equipment and supplies are emptied on the table, and they’re given a task: Use what’s on this table to build an air filter that can be replicated on the lunar module to save the lives of the astronauts. If possible, show this clip (“Let’s Build a Filter” on YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3csfLkMJT4). 4. As a group, generate a list of tangible and intangible resources you have. The list should include possessions as well as skills, talents and experiences that might be used to help others.

Around the Table ... at Church Who Gets Together? Supplies needed: paper and pens 1. In Lake Providence, La., one of the ongoing projects doesn’t involve economic development or meeting one of the more obvious needs of the community. Every spring, athletes from local public and private schools get together for a football clinic. The clinic brings in kids from the same community who might not otherwise spend much time together. 2. What are the great divides in your own community? What factors nurture the divisions? How long have they been in place? 3. Make a list of public and private organizations that bring people together in your community. When the list is complete, evaluate each one according to the barriers that are crossed — educational, political, socioeconomic, religious/denominational, ethnic, racial, etc. Which organizations are most successful at crossing barriers? Do they focus on a particular age range? How could (or does) the church support existing organizations that help bring the community together? 4. What places serve as crossroads for the community — public schools, parks, hospitals, shopping centers? Spend a few minutes imagining how

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CBF

Cooperative baptiSt fellowShip | www.thefellowShip.info

Serving Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission

6. Listen to the story of Allendale County.

Ministering in the city

in cities around the world, fellowship baptists are striving to meet the unique needs of people living in metropolitan areas.

Learn more about about how CBF field personnel, church planters and a partner church are being the presence of Christ among urban communities on pages 10 to 16.

8. Close with prayer for the ministry in Allendale County, as well as those listed on this month’s Prayer Calendar (p. 7).

In Reading Groups In Arrival City: How the Largest Migration in History is Reshaping Our World, award-winning journalist Doug Saunders scours arrival cities past and present to give readers insight into what is required for newcomers to integrate in their new surroundings. Looking at a broad range of global cities from Los Angeles to Rio to Mumbai, Saunders tells stories of those who make it and those who don’t, giving us insights that will allow us to welcome our neighbors and increase the health of our cities.

those places might become areas where people really get to know one another rather than just cross paths. What are two or three concrete steps that could be taken in those places to build community cohesiveness? How might your community be different if some of these dreams became reality? 5. Pray for insight to see barriers and turn them into bridges.

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Partner spotlight

Associated Baptist Press Associated Baptist Press (ABP) is the first and only independent news service created by and for Baptists. As an independent news service, ABP is free to report on Baptist life without the threat of censorship and coercion. The organization annually publishes more than 900 articles, which are distributed free to churches and individuals.

About ABP Founded: 1990 Web site: www.ABPnews.com Executive director: David Wilkinson Location: Functions as a virtual organization. It does not own or lease office space, enabling the organization to focus its resources on the process of gathering, reporting, editing and disseminating news and information for and about Baptist Christians and churches. Mission statement: “To serve Christ by Norman Jameson photo

providing credible and compelling information about matters of faith.” ABP utilizes multiple communications platforms, including publishing partnerships, e-mail and social media, to deliver timely and engaging content to Baptists and other Christians around the globe. ABP’s content is used by a variety of religious and secular media, from newspapers and magazines to

ABP covers a wide range of stories about issues relating to faith, such as the new soccer leagues hosted by First Baptist Church of Kannapolis, N.C.

web sites, blogs and social media.

“ABP’s partnership with CBF emerges from shared values

Partnership

that lie at the heart of CBF’s identity. Our partnership underscores the

• ABP serves Fellowship Baptists worldwide with timely news,

commitment to a free and unfettered flow of information for Baptists.

compelling features, engaging commentaries and aggregated

Truthfulness and transparency are important to Fellowship Baptists.”

information from a wide array of sources.

— David Wilkinson, ABP executive director

• CBF funds approximately 15 percent of ABP’s operating budget, and ABP invests part of its endowment in the CBF Foundation. • ABP hosts a dinner celebration during the CBF General Assembly.

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“From our beginning CBF has valued a free Baptist press. It’s in our Baptist DNA. I am very grateful for ABP and their strategic partnership. I am hopeful it will grow even stronger in the years ahead.” — Daniel Vestal, CBF executive coordinator

CBFcalendar 2011-2012 Mark you calendar with these deadlines and events … n June

8, 2011

Council on Endorsement Deadline CBF’s Council on Endorsement meets three times a year to review applications for CBF endorsement as chaplains and pastoral counselors. If you are interested in endorsement by CBF, please contact George Pickle at gpickle@thefellowship.info or (770) 220-1617. All application materials are due June 8 for the July council meeting. n June

22-25, 2011

CBF General Assembly Join the celebration of the Fellowship’s 20th anniversary. Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, Fla. www.thefellowship.info/assembly n July

22, 2011

Candidate for CBF Field Personnel Service Deadline Are you interested in serving as one of CBF’s self-funded field personnel? The initial component of the global missions candidate process involves a 10-week online cohort, beginning Aug. 1 and ending Oct.7. Register online. www.thefellowship.info/candidateform n Sept.

15, 2011

Council on Endorsement Deadline All application materials for chaplains and pastoral counselors desiring endorsement by the Fellowship are due Sept. 15 for the October council meeting. n Oct.

7, 2011

Candidate for CBF Field Personnel Service Deadline This global missions cohort, the first step to becoming one of CBF’s self-funded field personnel, begins Oct.17 and ends Dec. 23. Register online. www.thefellowship.info/candidateform

n Nov.

1, 2011

Student.Go Application Deadline Through CBF’s Student.Go missions program, college students can spend a summer or semester serving at a CBF ministry site or alongside CBF field personnel. The application deadline for the spring 2012 semester is Nov. 1. Learn more: www.studentdotgo.org n Jan.

13-16, 2012

Faith in 3D Orlando, Fla. Faith in 3D invites teenagers of three faith groups to explore their common faith in Jesus Christ through worship, education and community building. www.faithin3d.org n Feb.

27-30, 2012

ChurchWorks Conference Freemason Street Baptist Church, Norfolk, Va. Whether you serve in a traditional church setting or create aspects of church in non-traditional settings, come for a time of networking, renewal, fellowship and learning. The event is designed for young leaders and Christian educators of all ages. www.thefellowship.info/churchworks n April

9-12, 2012

The Call of the Wilderness Big Bend National Park, Marathon, Texas Come the week after Easter to kneel, walk and pray the countryside of Big Bend National Park in southwest Texas. Leading our discovery will be Belden Lane, author of “The Solace of Fierce Landscapes.” www.thefellowship.info/Wilderness2012 n June

21-23, 2012

2012 CBF General Assembly Forth Worth, Texas www.thefellowship.info/assembly

2012 Task Force

Find us on Facebook

Share your thoughts about the future of the Fellowship movement with the 2012 Task Force at www.thefellowship.info/2012taskforce.

Connect with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship on Facebook. Stay up to date on the latest events, news and resources.

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Start planning for next year... with CBF’s family of missional resources The Fellowship seeks to walk alongside individuals and congregations as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission. CBF’s family of missional resources is designed for various age levels, as well as for the entire congregation, explaining the missional journey through a unique CBF lens. The resources will take you on a journey from personal spiritual development through missional formation into missional planning and action. You will find examples of CBF field personnel, chaplains, church leaders, congregations and individuals demonstrating what it means to be missional.

Resources for Adults

Resources for Youth

Words That Shape and Form

Becoming like Christ: Grounding Youth in Jesus

This 40-day resource is ideal for the Lenten season and other

This resource helps youth reflect on their relationship

40-day periods of the Christian

to God through Christ and develop a personal

year. With reflection questions,

discipleship plan. Eight sessions lead youth to discover

this resource makes for an

God’s story, our communal story and their own story of

exceptional devotional piece or

their personal relationship with Jesus.

small group study.

Being the Presence of Christ Through personal transformation individuals can

Ignite™ for Youth Ignite™ Vols. 5 and 6 are available exclusively as downloadable resources. Each unit includes four

be agents of change in the world. Daniel Vestal sets

sessions that can be used in a variety of youth group

out a progressive approach to the study of Scripture

settings: Wednesday nights, Sunday mornings, small

and prayer. This personal growth enables individuals

groups or retreats. Ignite challenges teenagers to

to practice Christ’s presence, aiding in the ongoing

love and serve others by using Scripture and real-life

redemption of the world.

examples of missional Christians.

Klesis: God’s Call and the Journey of Faith The call of God is extended to every person; first to become a believer in Jesus, then to become Christ’s presence in the world. Klesis helps Christians consider how God might be calling them to be the presence of Christ.

Guide to Praying for CBF Missions and Ministries: The Prayers of the People Each month introduces contemplative prayer experiences and includes weekly prayer requests, Scripture and imagery that invite users to pray for CBF missions and ministries. It also features a birthday calendar.

For more information, visit www.cbfstore.info or call (888) 801-4223.

Resources for Preschoolers and Children Becoming Like Christ: Helping Children Follow Jesus This resource is designed to help 4th - 6th grade children make a faith decision for Jesus. Six sessions introduce children to Jesus and what it means to follow him. Designed for use in many differing contexts (Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, Backyard Bible Clubs, etc.), this resource works well with both churched and unchurched children.

Finding Hope: A Field Trip of Faith This resource is designed to share the Biblical concept of hope while leading children on a missional field trip to five U.S. communities.

New Preaching Resource from CBF

This Vacation Bible School

Preaching for the Missional Journey Charles Bugg explains the relationship of “missional” to preaching and brings together more than 20 diverse proclaimers to illustrate the power and potential of missional preaching for individuals, congregations and communities. In addition to definitions of missional terms, a bibliography of missional resources and a scripture-sermon index, this resource provides ideas, illustrations and insights for sermon preparation, small group content, leadership groups and Sunday School classes.

summer mission programs. Sold as a downloadable

resource can also be used for children’s day camps, backyard Bible clubs and PDF, this resource is user-friendly and cost effective. View a sample or order at www.thefellowship.info/vbs.

Form™ for Preschoolers Form™ engages all five senses to help preschoolers learn about God, others and themselves. Each session incorporates learning centers, including blocks, art, music, nature, puzzles, books and group time. Lesson plans incorporate activities for both younger and older preschoolers. Form is a quarterly publication with weekly sessions.

Spark™ for Children Spark™ helps leaders plan fun and effective activities for children’s missional learning. Each issue includes six interest areas — Using the Bible, Meeting the Field Personnel, Tasting the Food, Enjoying the Arts, Playing the Games and Experiencing the Culture. Spark is a quarterly publication with weekly sessions.

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Did YOu

KNow

BF celebrates its

20th anniversary by looking back

at some interesting facts from the organization’s history.

Mercer University

in Macon, Ga., is home to the Fellowship’s archives. The University library has been the repository for CBF records and documents since 1992.

In the past 10 years, Fellowship Baptists and missions teams have completed approximately 448,587 hours of service through CBF ministries.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter was the keynote speaker at the 1993 CBF General Assembly in Birmingham, Ala., and 2001 Assembly in Atlanta.

In 2000, a survey

conducted by

the Associated Baptist Press and Baptist state newspapers recognized the formation of CBF as the decade’s top story.

The Fellowship’s first mission study series

The theme

for the first CBF Offering for Global Missions campaign was “Keeping the Promises.” The goal that year (1992) was $2 million.

CBF field personnel

debuted in 1994. It was called “Doing Missions in a World Without Borders.” Today, the Fellowship produces monthly missions education resources for Baptists of all ages.

have served in 63 countries.

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2011 CBF Gene June 22-25 Tampa, Fla.

God’s mission, your passion:

Dynamic worship, practical ministry workshops, warm fellowship and new ideas for you and your congregation. Here you’ll find important information about the Assembly, including the schedule, special events you won’t want to miss and a step-by-step guide to making your Assembly plans. More information about the Assembly, as well as free online registration, is available at www.thefellowship.info/assembly.

Special Events at this year’s General Assembly Celebrating the Fellowship Dinner Party — On Wed.,

Leadership Institute on “Prophetic Preaching for Anxious People” —

Essentials Conference — Designed specifically

June 22, the Fellowship will celebrate its 20th anniversary with an evening dinner party featuring music from Ken Molly Marshall Medema and a reflection from Molly T. Marshall, president of CBF partner Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Shawnee, Kansas. Ken Medema Tickets are $20 per adult, $10 per child (12 years old and under). Register online now at www.thefellowship.info/assembly/events.

On Wed., June 22, 1-4 p.m., Jim Sommerville, pastor of First Baptist Church in Richmond, Va., and Wendell Griffen, pastor of New Millennium Church in Little Rock, Ark., will preach and four professors will lead a “preaching intensive.” Register at www.thefellowship.info/assembly/events#leadership.

tee members and teachers, the conference offers four 75-minute workshop sessions on nine ministry topics. Register for the topic that interests you; then learn essentials for effective ministry from experienced leaders. This event is held Fri., June 24, and the morning of Sat., June 25. Learn more and register online for just $25 per person at www.thefellowship.info/assembly/essentials. • New Testament for Church Leaders and Teachers • Old Testament for Church Leaders and Teachers • Essentials for Developing an Effective Leadership Team • Preaching and Speaking Essentials for Deacons and Lay Leaders • Inreach Essentials: Closing the Backdoor on Member Loss • Ministering to Your Minister: Essentials for Good Starts and Long Tenures • Disciple Development Coaching • Waging Peace: Essentials for Congregational Conflict Transformation • Practical Pathways to Abundant Living: Wellness Essentials for Congregational Leadership

Tampa Sessions for College Students — June 20-25 is an action-packed week of hands-on missions, meaningful reflection, authentic conversations, fun-filled socials and participation in the Assembly. www.tampa.cbfsessions.org

Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace: Praying the Prayer of Francis — Explore Franciscan spirituality at this retreat with speaker Chris Webb of Renovaré and Bo Prosser of the Fellowship. www.thefellowship.info/assembly/retreat

Events for children and youth — While you’re enjoying the Assembly, your children or teenagers can engage in fun and meaningful activities of their own through child care, Children’s Assembly or Youth Assembly. Learn more and register at www.thefellowship.info/assembly/children or www.thefellowship.info/assembly/youth. Golf on Tuesday — For an avid golfer, no trip to Florida is complete without hitting the golf course. Play where the pros play – TPC Tampa Bay on Tues., June 21. Advance payment of greens fee required at www.thefellowship.info/assembly/ events#golf. Club rental available on site.

Missions Opportunities — Several projects will be available for you to put your faith into practice. Missions Picnic — On Thurs., June 23, you can have lunch with CBF field personnel from around the world. Learn how you can join them in ministry.

Visit www.thefellowship.info/assembly for complete event schedule, more information and to pre-register for free.

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for church leaders, including deacons, staff, commit-

Evening Worship — On Thurs., June 23, the Fellowship sends new field personnel to the mission field during the annual Commissioning Service. On Fri., June 24, Kyle Reese, pastor of Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Fla., will preach.

Kyle Reese

ral Assembly

Celebrating our 20-year journey toward faithfulness Auxiliary Events Sponsored by CBF Ministry Partners. At General Assembly you can connect with specific CBF ministries and CBF ministry partners at auxiliary events. Learn more at www.thefellowship.info/assembly/auxiliary. Annual Council Meeting of Together for Hope, CBF’s Rural Poverty Initiative — Monday (3-5 p.m., 7-9 p.m.), Tuesday (9 a.m.Noon, 6-9 p.m.), Wednesday (9 a.m.-Noon) — Celebrate Together for Hope’s 10th anniversary and strategize for the second decade of this 20-year rural poverty initiative. Visitors are welcome.

Baptist Women in Ministry Worship and Lunch — Wednesday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. — 10 a.m. worship at Bayshore Baptist Church in Tampa, Fla., features Veronice Miles, and 11 a.m. luncheon features Susan Sparks. Cost is $20. Register at www.bwim.info/events.

Academy for Spiritual Formation Alumni and Friends Breakfast — Thursday, 7:308:45 a.m. — Academy graduates and those interested in spiritual formation in Baptist life are invited to a breakfast featuring Gary Furr, Loyd Allen and Johnny Sears. RSVP to dbryant@upperroom.org or (877) 899-2781 ext. 7233.

Annual Luncheon of the Baptist Center for Ethics — Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. — Features BCE’s forthcoming documentary on immigration. Plus, Baptist philanthropist Babs

Baugh will be recognized as EthicsDaily.com’s pick as Baptist of the Year for 2010. Cost is $14. Register online at www.ethicsdaily.com.

Luncheon for CBF-endorsed Chaplains and Pastoral Counselors

Mercer University McAfee School of Theology Alumni Reception — Thursday, 9- 10 p.m. Breakfast for Alumni & Friends of Duke Divinity School’s Baptist House of Studies — Friday, 7-9 a.m. — Come for food,

— Thursday, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. — Featured speaker is James M. Dunn, a professor at Wake Forest University’s School of Divinity. CBF-endorsed chaplains, pastoral counselors and seminary students interested in chaplaincy are invited. Register for $10 at www.thefellowship.info/assembly/chaplains.

fellowship and updates about the Baptist House of Studies. RSVP to Callie Davis at cdavis@div.duke.edu.

Ministers on the Move — 2-3:30 p.m. (Thursday) and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. (Friday) — Are you serving on a minister search committee? Are you a minister seeking a new position? Meet CBF representatives and see how CBF can be a resource for you.

Baptist Joint Committee’s Annual Religious Liberty Luncheon — Friday,

Truett Seminary Alumni Reception — Thursday, 8:30-10 p.m.

Global Missions 20th Anniversary Reception in the Resource Fair — Thursday, 9-10 p.m.

Friends of Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America Peace Breakfast — Friday, 7:30-9 a.m. — Julie Pennington-Russell, lead pastor of First Baptist Church in Decatur, Ga., is the featured speaker. www.bpfna.org

11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. — Celebrate BJC’s 75th anniversary with speaker James M. Dunn, a professor at Wake Forest University’s School of Divinity and this year’s recepient of the J.M. Dawson Religious Liberty Award. Cost is $35. www.bjconline.org/luncheon.

2nd Annual Friday Night Dance — Friday, 10 p.m.-Midnight — We’re celebrating 20 years! So, kick off your Sunday shoes and come shuffle a cupid or slide a cha cha ... even if you have no idea how. Cost is $5 at the door.

Make your Assembly plans in three easy steps: online at www.thefellowship. 1 Pre-register info/assembly — it’s easy, free and takes less than five minutes.

Make your hotel reservation. CBF has special discounts at five downtown Tampa hotels, all of which are within walking distance of the Tampa Convention Center —

Embassy Suites Tampa Downtown, located next to Convention Center, accessible via skywalk — rates from $139 per night.

from Convention Center — rates from $127 per night. Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk Hotel, located 0.4 miles from Convention Center — rates from $119 per night.

Tampa Marriott Waterside, located next to Convention Center — rates from $139 per night. Hyatt Regency Tampa, located 0.3 miles from Convention Center — rates from $129 per night. The Westin Harbour Island, located 0.3 miles

Find Assembly events that interest you. Some special events and auxiliary events require additional registration.

fellowship!

J u n e / J u ly 2 0 1 1

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship 2930 Flowers Road South, Suite 133 Atlanta, GA 30341 www.thefellowship.info â€˘ (800) 352-8741

Come celebrate 20 years of the

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2011 Cooperative Baptist Fellowship General Assembly June 22-25 in Tampa, Florida Learn more and register for free: www.thefellowship.info/assembly or (800) 352-8741

Highlights include:

CBF 20th Anniversary Dinner Party, Wed., June 22

Inspiring Evening Worship, Thurs. and Fri., June 23-24

Praying the Prayer of Francis Retreat, June 20-22

Leadership Institute on Preaching, Wed., June 22

Tampa Sessions for College Students, June 20-25

Ministry Resource Fair, Thurs. and Fri., June 23-24

Missions Commissioning Service, Thurs., June 23

Golf with Fellowship Baptists Tues., June 22

Practical Ministry Workshops, Thurs. and Fri., June 23-24

Essentials Conference, Fri. and Sat., June 24-25

Plus: Childrenâ€™s and Youth Assemblies, Auxiliary Events with CBF partners, music by Ken Medema and featured speakers Pam Durso, Molly Marshall and Kyle Reese

2011 June/July fellowship!

Published on Apr 25, 2011

2011 June/July fellowship!

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