2016 - 2017 Prayers of the People

Prayers People of the

The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s yearlong guide to prayer

2016-17 Bearing Witness to Jesus Christ

CBF Leadership Suzii Paynter

Executive Coordinator

Steven Porter

Coordinator of Global Missions

Bo Prosser

Coordinator of Organizational Relationships

Design Team Jeff Langford Editor and Designer Meagan Smith Ministries Assistant © 2016 Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

Calendar information is current as of June 2016 and will be updated June 2017. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches in the U.S.A. Used by permission.

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Contents Ways to Use this Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Sensing God’s Presence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Bearing Witness to Jesus Christ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Praying the Senses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Our Sense of Smell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Thanksgiving Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Christmas Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Our Sense of Hearing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Our Sense of Touch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Ash Wednesday Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Easter Reflection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Our Sense of Sight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Our Sense of Taste . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

FEATURED AUTHOR

Tina Bailey, one of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s field personnel, is a visual and performing artist and ordained minister. Tina holds a Doctor of Ministry degree focusing on art and spiritual formation. She lives in Bali, Indonesia, with her husband, Jonathan, and has studied several Indonesian forms of dance, traditional Balinese painting, batik and Balinese Gamelan music. Tina mentors prisoners through teaching painting, drawing and dance in Bali’s High Security Prison.

Ways to Use this Guide Prayers of the People is a yearlong guide to prayer that invites you to explore how your prayers intersect with those of CBF field personnel, ministries and partners around the world. This guide is a tool for forming together in shared ministry.

WORSHIP GATHERING

INDIVIDUAL SACRED SPACE

FAMILY TIME

Each day, create time and space in your home or workplace to consider the prayer requests. Pray for transformation and for the courage to be open to God’s love.

Discuss with God your connection with this particular ministry or a local variant.

SMALL GROUP EXPERIENCE Use Prayers of the People in a missionoriented group, a prayer group or a Sunday school class. Ask your group members to consider the prayer request within a section’s particular prayer theme.

Create a monthly “Mission Moment” in your worship, sharing a story or prayer request from the prayer guide. Use the guide to shape a children’s sermon or reflection time during worship.

Prayers of the People is a great tool to teach children about the various aspects and experiences of prayer. Allow each child to look at the photos and ask questions.

Explore other information about the culture of the people for whom you are praying.

CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS Mission teachers of Form and Spark can use the guide to make connections with the lessons they are teaching. Share copies of Prayers of the People with parents and families of children.

Get Prayers of the People on your E-reader Visit www.cbf.net/pray to get a copy of Prayers of the People for Kindle, Nook or other e-readers.

More Prayer Resources

To receive more detailed and current prayer requests from CBF field personnel, visit www.cbf.net/pray. Subscribe to CBF’s weekly e-newsletter to receive regular Prayer Associates updates. Download copies to share with others.

To Order More

Contact the CBF Store at www.cbf.net/OGMorder or 800-352-8741 to order more copies of Prayers of the People.

Include in welcome packets to church visitors and display on magazine racks.

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Explore CBF’s missional formation resources for all ages in the CBF store:

store.cbf.net.

Sensing God’s Presence

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he 2016-2017 edition of the CBF prayer guide invites you to use all of your senses to notice God actively at work in the world. As CBF turns 25, we are celebrating the generations of ministry led by people like you who have prayerfully supported the work of congregations and field personnel as they bear witness to Jesus Christ throughout the world.

Tina Bailey, CBF field personnel in Bali, Indonesia, is the author for this edition, and she will help you engage your senses and notice the full presence of God around you. Tina is a gifted artist whose love for God and God’s people is demonstrated through her own beautiful creations. You will love the paintings Tina has offered in Prayers of the People for you to meditate on as you pray. These works of art are reflections of her life and will help you engage your senses as you seek God’s presence.

These pages will inform you of prayer needs throughout the Fellowship and introduce you to the gifted people leading ministry in our CBF “denomi-network.”

The prayer guide can help you establish a rhythm of daily prayer — a rhythm of creating space for God to speak love and life into your whole being.

As you pray and use this guide to engage fully all of your senses, here is my prayer for each of you: May you smell the aromas of God’s creation, both pleasant and unpleasant, so that you’re fully aware of the creativity of God. May you listen to the God who speaks quite often in the stillness, encouraging us to remove ourselves from the tyranny of busyness.

May you dare to touch — to connect with another person, another soul — so that we remind ourselves that God created each and every person we touch in God’s perfect image.

May you open your eyes to see the world God has put before you — may you pray with your eyes wide open to see as God sees the world — as a beloved community full of God’s children.

May you taste something new, something different as you pray; for when you do it expands your ability to be open to the unknown, to be uncomfortable, and to let God lead you to a new place you may not go on your own.

And may God use all of your senses as you pray so that you are fully awake, fully alive to the work of God in you and through you in the world to bear witness to Jesus Christ today and always.

Grace and peace, Joshua Speight Missional Congregations Resources Manager Director, CBF Fellows

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Bearing Witness to Jesus Christ

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n the pages ahead, this new edition of Prayers of the People will invite you into the lives of an extraordinary group of people bearing witness to Jesus Christ around the world. Whether the prayer concerns at the heart of this guide come from church starters, chaplains, mission field personnel, pastoral counselors or CBF ministries and congregations, they will draw you more deeply into God’s heart for the world.

Bob Pierce, the American Baptist minister who founded World Vision International and Samaritan’s Purse, once wrote, “Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God.” Over the coming year, may his well-worn prayer become our own.

May we allow the burdens of our brothers and sisters across the Fellowship to break our hearts for the sake of the world.

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The theme for this year’s prayer guide is bearing witness to Jesus Christ, which also happens to be one of CBF Global Missions’ primary mission commitments.

We bear witness to the gospel through words that invite faith in Jesus and actions that embody the way of Jesus. In so doing, the Fellowship refuses to separate the Great Commission from the Great Commandment. We both confess Jesus Christ and follow the example of Jesus who healed the sick, fed the hungry and befriended sinners. Prayers of the People takes you on a world tour of witness over the coming year.

I especially am excited to introduce Dr. Tina Bailey, one of CBF’s Global Missions field personnel, as the author of this year’s guide. After serving in arts ministry for two decades in Bali, Tina’s heart was

broken afresh this year through her deep friendships with prison inmates. In Tina’s life, bearing witness to Jesus Christ has taken myriad artistic forms, but this year it required her to walk through the executions of her friends who were fellow artists and brothers in Christ. She knows a thing or two about being broken with the things that break the heart of God. I commend her as a trustworthy guide as we partner and pray together to renew God’s world.

Peace, D. Steven Porter Coordinator of Global Missions

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Praying the Senses

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uthentically bearing witness to Christ requires awareness to the world around us. I believe that God gave us the senses to be able to do that. We can exist without our senses, but perhaps we would not fully live without them.

It is mystical and amazing how interconnected they are. When one sense is damaged or lost, one of the remaining senses compensates. That in itself is a testament to the complexity of our existence.

For me, there is also a bit of delight in knowing that “speech” is not one of the five senses! Our five senses connect to an inner awareness and by quieting

…even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.

Psalm 139:12

ourselves, our senses are freed to experience what is going on around us.

When we take the time to pay attention by engaging our senses, we discover more about each other and learn to love our The range of subject matter is a neighbors and our world better. We begin reflection of my life and art journey, to connect. both creatively and spiritually. I hope the artwork and the meditations will help to As we explore meditations on the senses guide you in your prayer journey. throughout this prayer guide, we will discover different ways that we bear witness to Christ’s presence in the world.

The artwork accompanying each meditation is my own. I work in several different mediums, and art-making is part of my spiritual practice. When I create, it is because there is something that needs to be expressed.

Internal Peace batik on cotton

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Why Give?

When you give to CBF, you share in the ministry of Christians throughout the world. Your gift is a pleasing offering to God, meant to bless the world through all of our senses for the work of Christ Visit www.cbf.net/give

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September 1-8 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.”

Genesis 12:1-2

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BF field personnel Jenny Jenkins reflects on the many faces and places she has seen during her six years of service in Haiti: “God has blessed me to live and work among an amazing group of people in Grand Goave, Haiti. The Haitian people are strong and resilient. They have survived through many catastrophes and disasters — political, natural and man-made. Our prayers center on these people and faces.”

Pray for the children whose hope still shines in their eyes, that they may grow up to know Christ in a personal, real way. Pray that their journey will lead them to a close walk with God, that God will bless them with health, a safe home and a good education and a family centered in Christ.

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Pray for parents who know and love Christ first and strive to take care of their family with integrity and a Christlike character. Pray that through them God will change this country for God’s purposes.

Pray for church leaders who are trained and grounded in God’s Word and serving their congregations with courage, strength and compassion. Pray for young people who rise to stand on the truth of God’s Word and live it out in contrast to a culture that is opposing all Christ is about. Pray that God continues to allow Jenny and her partners to come alongside the work God is already doing, to participate in the lives of the Haitian people through health clinics, education, serving the widows and the community where Jenny lives.

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arrie Jarrell Tuning is a new church starter of HOPE Christian Fellowship Church (HCFC) located in rural Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. She is grateful to CBF for its partnership and for your prayer support.

Ask the Lord to bless the church’s leadership with wisdom, love and compassion and to sustain them on their journey of service to God’s people.

talents and financial support. Join them in their hope that the Lord will raise up a strong church where “Everybody is Somebody and Jesus Christ is in Charge.”

September 9-15 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12

Pray for the Lord to bless them with more opportunities to engage those who do not have a connection with a church congregation or do not know Jesus Christ. Please ask the Lord to build positive relationships and send partners who are willing to provide their time,

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September 16-22 Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

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BF Church Benefits is a ministry of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, created in 1998 by the General Assembly to provide retirement benefits for ministers and staff members of churches that partner with CBF, along with CBF staff in Decatur and field personnel worldwide.

This important ministry helps eliminate and simplify the administrative burdens of retirement planning, allowing churches and ministerial staff to focus on the daily mission to which they have been called.

Pray for the mental, physical and spiritual health of ministers and their families as they balance personal health and well-being with sacrificial service in God’s kingdom.

Give thanks for the ministers and staff serving your congregation. Thank God for their commitment and care.

Pray for the CBF Church Benefits staff as they work to serve the needs of churches and ministers across the country. As changes in healthcare and insurance continue, pray for wisdom for church leaders and ministers.

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ngel and Jason Pittman and Wanda Ashworth Valencia seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance as they continue their work at Touching Miami with Love in Overtown and West Homestead, Florida.

Touching Miami with Love provides year-round out-of-school programming, activities and support for children kindergarten through 12th grade.

education. Pray that young people come to know the God who loves them and wants peace for their weary souls. Pray that the staff will not lose heart as we wait for Christ’s Kingdom to reign on earth.

September 23-30 “I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!”

John 16:33

The epidemic of gun violence is like a plague on the communities of Overtown and West Homestead served by TML. The ministry’s programs create a safe haven from these negative influences, and the staff continues to work tirelessly so that all can know the God who loves them and wants only the best for them.

Pray for the children and youth of these communities as TML seeks to empower children, youth and adults through

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September Birthdays CH = Chaplain CST = Church Starter FP = Field Personnel

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Terry Eddinger, Winston-Salem, NC (CH) Lucy Hearne, 2013, Danville, VA (FPC) Bisser Ovcharov, Dallas, TX (CH) Ralph Stocks, Romania (FP) Bob Coons, Owensboro, KY (CST) Ruth Cuellar, Newnan, GA (CST) Dennis McDuffie, Atoka, TN (CH) Jenny Jenkins, Haiti (FP) Ann Owen, Viera, FL (CH) Vicki Lumpkin, Greensboro, NC (CH) Shirley Massey, Chapel Hill, NC (CH) Eddie Aldape, Spain (FP) Kelly Belcher, Asheville, NC (CH) Roger Benimoff, Grand Prairie, TX (CH) Becky Brannon, Gainesville, GA (CH) David Brown, France (FP) David D’Amico, Emeritus (FP) Alexandria Geovanni, Iowa, LA (CH) David Julian, Dublin, GA (CH) Carla Cherry, Worthington, OH (CH) Daniel Edward Tatum, Marietta, GA (CH) Martha Harper, Madison, MS (CH)

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FPC = Child of Field Personnel PC = Pastoral Counselor S = CBF Staff Member

7 Lee Hendricks, Greenville, NC (CH) 7 Lita Sample, San Francisco, CA (FP) 8 Daniel Hall, Pineville, KY (CH) 8 Trey Lyon, Atlanta, GA (FP) 8 Chad Mustian, Dallas, TX (CH) 9 Wayne Weathers (CST) 10 Timothy Brown, Dublin, GA (CH) 10 Nancy Campbell, Kansas City, MO (CH) 10 Matthew Hallenbeck, Liverpool, NY (CH) 10 Rick Jordan (S-North Carolina) 10 Sarah Montoya, San Fransisco, CA (CH) 11 Larry Hovis (S-North Carolina) 12 Ryan Berlin (S-Decatur) 12 Bryan Lake, Cumming, GA (CH) 13 Andrew Gee, Marietta, GA (PC) 13 Richard Morris, Lebanon, PA (CH) 13 Ron McCaskill (CST) 13 Scot McCosh, Hope Mills, NC (CH) 13 Alan Redditt, Georgetown, KY (CH) 14 Bart Grooms, Birmingham, AL (PC) 14 Priscilla Howick, Jacksonville, FL (CH) 15 Rebecca Holmes, 1994, Netherlands (FPC)

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Brandy Mullins, Manvel, TX (CH) Dick Allison, Hattiesburg, MS (CH) Jeff Ellison, Rowlett, TX (CH) Karen Heistand, Jacksonville, FL (CH) Byron Johnson, San Diego, CA (CH) Charles Leggett, Lawton, OK (CH) Angela Clark, Matthews, NC (CH) Jean Craddock, Lexington, KY (PC) George Rossi, Columbia, SC (CH) Susan Barnett, Green Valley, AZ (CH) Larry Baker, Commerce City, CO (CH) Josiah Maas, 2007, Belize (FPC) Wanda Ashworth Valencia, Homestead, FL (FP) David Bluford, Lenoir City, TN (CH) Katherine Moneypenny, Douglas, GA (CH) Renée Owen, Marietta, GA (CH) Tanya Parks, Slovakia (FP) Robert Randolph, Swannano, NC (CH) Mark Flores, Lynchburg, VA (CH) Timothy Wagoner, Carlisle, PA (CH) Kim Chafee, Virginia Beach, VA (CH) Josh Reglin, Tahoka, TX (CH) Becky Shoaf, Atlanta, GA (CH) Bo Prosser (S-Decatur) Donna Seay, Baltimore, MD (CH) William Stewart, Seabeck, WA (CH) David Christensen, Brownville, NY (CH) Angel Pittman, Miami, FL (FP) Randy Brookshire, Greenville, SC (CH) Sunny Mitchell, Milwaukee, WI (CH) Keith Parker, Brevard, NC (PC)

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Beth Sexton, Lincolnton, NC (CH) Lynwood Walters, Gainesville, FL (CH) Jeffrey Walton, Richmond, VA (CH) Gloria White, Pearland, TX (PC) Cathy Anderson, Kennesaw, GA (CH) Peggy Johnson, Hurst, TX (CH) Renate Kruklis, Braselton, GA (CH) Asbrubal Forte, Miami, FL (CST) John Harris, Pelham, AL (PC)

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eith Holmes and Mary van Rheenen, CBF field personnel serving alongside Roma people in Europe, share this story: “We had our usual Thursday night meeting,” the pastor in a Romany village reported. “What was unusual was the women’s responses. They had many, many serious questions. At least four of them want to be baptized!”

disciple these women so that they will become firmly rooted in Christ and so they, in turn, can evangelize and disciple other Romany, both men and women.

Praise God that Romany women, particularly in Moldova, are putting their faith in Christ. Pray for new Romany believers to grow in their faith and in their commitment to Christ and to one another. Pray For 10 years now, volunteers have especially for wisdom gone to Moldova to organize women’s in discipling and programs in this village. Christians there sharing the gospel had requested this because mostly men with the oftenand very few women attended or joined illiterate (or nonthis church. After years of prayer, visiting, literary) Romany in women’s programs, and teenage girls’ places like Moldova. camps, Romany women have begun to trust in Jesus. One lady even interrupted a church service in the middle of the sermon to ask how she could become a Christian! The challenge now is to

October 1-8 I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:6

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October 9-15 Our steps are made firm by the Lord, when he delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand.

Psalm 37:23-24

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rom discernment to search and call, the Reference and Referral ministry of CBF helps ministers and churches through transitions.

The sophisticated database — called LeaderConnect — matches CBF ministers with CBF churches along 14 criteria including budget, experience and theology.

Many know the labors of a search committee to be hard and holy work.

A church without a pastor has much to consider between the end of one ministry and the beginning of another.

Gaining closure following a minister’s departure, finding direction for the church, clarifying the church’s identity, forming a search committee, searching for a new leader, negotiating generous compensation, calling a new pastor, and celebrating the installation is an extensive process.

Consider also the perspective of the ministers straining to listen to God’s voice. The stress of juggling family and church life throughout the search and call process takes dexterity. Resigning from a church, possibly searching for a spouse’s job, listing a home and renting a house, balancing the equivalent of two and a half mortgages, looking for a new home in a good school district all while listening for the Spirit to bring clarity to the church’s call is not for the fainthearted.

Pray for anxious ministers and churches to find joy amid change and chaos.

Pray for new ministers seeking their first places of service and for seasoned ministers sensing God’s call to different settings. Pray for search committees and candidates to navigate the entire process with wisdom and discernment to inform each decision.

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osh James is a CBF church starter in Salisbury, Maryland, where he serves as one of the pastors of The Restoration Project. TRP meets on Sunday evenings and is currently sharing space with a Methodist church on the campus of Salisbury University.

This time and location has provided the church with the opportunity to minister with many college students. Pray for the discipleship of these students, the identification and development of passionate and committed leaders, and the continued cultivation of an intergenerational community in TRP.

in discerning TRP’s role in these opportunities.

Pray for Josh and his wife, Kate, and for their family. The ministry is very rewarding, but can also be quite rigorous.

Please pray for their marriage, their spiritual and emotional health, and for their children.

October 16-23 I am the vine, you are the branches.

Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:5

In addition, TRP has partnered with three other local churches in several community initiatives, such as the development of a community garden.

This partnership has opened up doors for further missional opportunities.

Pray for wisdom, guidance, and courage

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October 24-31 Out of his anguish he shall see light; he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge.

The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.

Isaiah 53:11

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he “B” people are a small ethnic minority group scattered across four countries in Southeast Asia. Living in remote areas, they had developed a deep distrust of outsiders,

especially Christians. But in 1996 they invited CBF field personnel to live among them, learn their language, and help create an alphabet and literacy materials in their previously unwritten language.

In April 2016, the dozen “B" believers gathered to celebrate the arrival of the New Testament in the language of their hearts. They told stories of how the gospel message had changed their lives, and how they hoped to share Jesus with their neighbors.

Please pray that the Word in the “B" language will bear fruit. Pray that believers will be encouraged and strengthened in their faith as they come to a deeper understanding of the Scripture and that others will be attracted to Jesus through his Word in print, audio and digital media.

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1 Tina Bailey, Southeast Asia (FP) 1 Ron Craddock, Evans, GA (CH) 2 Maha Boulos, Lebanon (FP) 2 Keith Holmes, Netherlands (FP) 3 Jonathan Bailey, Southeast Asia (FP) 3 Greg Long, Elgin, TX (CST) 3 Matt Norman, Spain (FP) 4 Matthew Eddleman, Travelers Rest, SC (CH) 4 Michael Metcalf, Evans, GA (CH) 5 Kate Blackshear, Austin, TX (CH) 5 Jo Ann Hopper, Emeritus (FP) 5 Gregory Thompson, Oakwood, GA (CH) 5 Christopher Towles, Pfafftown, NC (CH) 5 David White, Murfreesboro, TN (CH) 6 Gerald Richards, Apex, NC (CH) 7 Daniel Brockhan, Cheektowaga, NY (CH) 8 Lucas Dorian (S-Alabama) 8 Lisa Jeffcoat, Charlotte, NC (CH) 8 Robb Small, Geismar, LA (CH) 10 Larry Aaron, Danville, VA (CH) 10 Joseph Boone, Cold Spring, KY (CH) 10 Beth Duke, Smithville, TN (CH) 10 Amber Hipps, Gadsden, AL (CH) 10 Jay Martin, Woodland Park, CO (PC) 10 Tina Woody, Spartanburg, SC (CH) 11 Michael McGrath, Little Rock, AR (CH) 11 Laura Senter, Everett, WA (CH) 11 Sing Yue, Bakersfield, CA (CH) 12 Ben Newell, San Antonio, TX (FP) 12 Terry Newell, Zebulon, NC (PC) 12 Greg Sink, Kileen, TX (CH)

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Lloyd Blevins, Fayetteville, NC (CH) Bob Newell, Emeritus (FP) John Painter, Charleston, SC (CH) Fran Turner, Emeritus (FP) Gretchen Watson, Louisville, KY (PC) Janel Miller-Evans, St. Petersburg, FL (FP) Bruce Guile, Mexico, MO (CH) Karen Black, Fort Worth, TX (CH) Betty Drayton, Sumter, SC (CH) Greg Greason, Kansas City, MO (CH) Monty Self, Little Rock, AR (CH) Frank Broome (S-Georgia) Bob Cheatheam, Abilene, TX (CST) David Fambrough, Greenville, NC (CH) Hank Demous, Opelika, AL (CH) Danny Garnett, Irmo, SC (PC) Mike Hutchinson, Togo (FP) Carl Brinkley, Fayetteville, NC (CST) Chuck Hawkins, Pearland, TX (CH) Luke Langston, Durham, NC (CH) Keith Cooper, Lubbock, TX (CH) Paul Robertson, Sugar Land, TX (CH) Missy Ward-Angalla, Uganda (FP) Adele Henderson, Roanoke, VA (CH) John Lassitter, Martindale, TX (CH) Carl Price, Lebanon, TN (CH) John Roberts, Louisville, KY (CH) Michael Weaver, Beaumont, TX (CH) Ben Collins, Deland, FL (CST) Tawanda Hughes (S-Decatur) Charles Lumpkin, Greensboro, NC (CH)

October Birthdays CH = Chaplain CST = Church Starter FP = Field Personnel

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FPC = Child of Field Personnel PC = Pastoral Counselor S = CBF Staff Member

Wes Monfalcone, Casselberry, FL (CH) Robert Powell, Birmingham, AL (CH) Rick Ruano, North Miami Beach, FL (CH) Doug Cobb, McGregor, TX (CH) Suzie, Thailand (FP) Dean Dickens, Emeritus (FP) Robert Carter, Virginia Beach, VA (CH) Kathy Hope, Albuquerque, NM (CH) Terrell Moye, Palm Beach Gardens, FL (CH) Sam Scaggs, Dublin, GA (CH) Troy Todd, Sneads Ferry, NC (CH) Richard Brown, Troutville, VA (CH) Hazel Thomas, Houston, TX (CH) Phyllis Boozer (S-Northeast)

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Our Sense of Smell

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iving in Bali, the smell of incense reminds me where I am. It is a sweet morning aroma that marks the peoples’ acts of devotion to God. It quiets my spirit, and I miss the smell when it is not there.

Smells can flood our minds with memories. This was definitely true for me when I was back in south Georgia this past year. As soon as I smelled the marshlands, my mind was filled with memories of my childhood. Not all smells are pleasant; sometimes they jar us and make us want to be somewhere else.

The smells of impoverished places, with trash piled high are smells of life that we cannot or should not ignore.

I pray that we lean into the smells that come our way — all of them, the pleasant as well as the pungent. For these smells mark where we are and where our community is. Bali is full of smells as are many places around the world. The smells of the food are almost as good as the taste. Even the smell of durian, a fruit people either love or hate, fills me with anticipation of its flavors. It was not always this way; I learned to love it!

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 5:1-2

As you reflect on the sense of smell, take a moment to stop what you are doing and take in the smells around you. As you go through your day, allow them to inspire you as you pray.

Awakened Memories acrylic on canvas

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Why Give?

When you give to CBF, you add to the sacrificial aroma of all the saints who have gone before, working tirelessly to bear witness to Jesus Christ.

Visit www.cbf.net/give

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November 1-8 Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute.

Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Proverbs 31:8-9

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lease pray for Julie Gaines Walton as she ministers bi-vocationally as a chaplain at Lakewood Retirement Community and serves on the advancement staff at the Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond.

Pray that those in her community who are lonely would feel God’s presence with them through the hands of neighbors.

Ask that the students at the seminary would grow and be challenged to minister faithfully and with joy in their unique callings. And pray that Julie and her husband — who also serves as a CBF-endorsed chaplain in a local hospital — would faithfully follow God’s call in all areas of life together.

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BF church starter Ron McCaskill pastors Christ Church in Cairo, Georgia. He is thankful that God called this band of people together. Out of brokenness, God has shown them a path to wholeness for their hearts and for the glory to God. Thank God for leading the church to stand by missionaries who felt abandoned. The road for the church as well as those missionaries has been challenging, but they have found God greater than the circumstances. Pray that they will continue to sense God’s guidance and very present help in times of difficulty.

Pray that God will provide the creativity to bring the church’s dreams into reality.

Ask God to guide them, that others will be drawn by Christ’s love so the lost will be saved and the saved empowered to deeper discipleship.

November 9-15 The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word.

Morning by morning he wakens— wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught.

Isaiah 50:4

Ask that God will show the church how to reach the younger generation for Christ. Pray they will know how to reveal God to these young people, so they will grow to love God with all their hearts.

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November 16-23 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

John 6:35

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BF field personnel Anna and LaCount Anderson serve in northeastern North Carolina, where they spend a great deal of time working with the people of Halifax County. LaCount and Anna work with Together for Hope, CBF’s rural poverty initiative, helping the homeless with food and clothing and attempting to assist them with housing.

This year they helped to open a shelter for women and children called “Room at the Inn.” The shelter has been a project for the past four years. Please pray specifically for the women who live in the house as well as the volunteers who serve each week, providing much needed counseling and educational programming.

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A second activity concerns the counseling of individuals whom they call the working poor. These neighbors have jobs but do not make enough money to pay for utilities and food. They come to the Andersons for assistance just to get through the month.

Being in one of the poorest counties in North Carolina presents its challenges.

One great challenge has to do with the lack of funds to assist people with great need. Pray for grant funding that might be a lifeline to help the working poor in Halifax County. Pray for the Andersons, that they will have the wisdom and strength to meet the challenge of life in Halifax County.

Thanksgiving Reflection

by Bo Prosser, Coordinator of Organizational Relationships

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iving thanks is a daily prayer practice and today is the highlight of our thanksgiving prayers. What a blessing we have to gather with family and friends in feasting and fellowship! God has blessed us beyond all of our expectations. Pause today to give thanks for all that God has bestowed upon you, your family and our Fellowship. Our staff, our field personnel, our chaplains and pastoral counselors, our church starters, our pastors and staff ministers, our congregations and church leaders — how grateful we are for all!

As your day ends, do a mini-Examen, giving thoughts to your Thanksgiving Day. 1) Where did you see God today?

2) How did these glimpses of God bring you joy or cause you worry and sadness?

3) What might God want you to know from these glimpses and feelings?

4) How might your life be different from these glimpses?

Close your day with a prayer of thanksgiving for all that God has given you!

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November 24-30 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

Colossians 1:19-20

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BF field personnel Chaouki and Maha Boulos work with refugees from Syria and Iraq and well as the native people of Lebanon.

Lebanon is a great country, but so many things have changed after the 30–year war. The people want a decent living and hope to be able to take care of their children in a peaceful environment. They want affordable living where they do not have to be in constant debt.

Many Lebanese are fed up with their leaders and want to go somewhere peaceful and quiet. They have been raised with creativity, with good education, and with universities all around the country. They have have excelled in many ways.

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Pray that the Lebanese people may live peacefully, enjoying life in the absence of war. Pray that the country would regain stability after so many years of conflict.

Pray that the people will be able to find a decent life.

Please pray for the Syrian and Iraqi refugees in Lebanon who long to return to their home countries. Pray that their native lands will be able to experience peace or that they will be able to leave the Middle East for a more peaceful home.

Please pray for all the people of the Middle East, whether they are Lebanese, Syrian, Iraqi, Egyptian, or any other nationality. Pray for just rulers and an end to tyranny.

1 Lynne Mouchet, Johns Creek, GA (CH) 2 Karen Alford, East Africa (FP) 2 Mark Elder, Spartanburg, SC (CH) 2 Jesse Hunt, Fort Drum, NY (CH) 2 Mickie Norman, Leland, NC (CH/CST) 2 Suzii Paynter (S-Decatur) 2 Ryan Yaun, Wetumpka, AL (CH) 3 Michael McCawley, Carthage, NY (CH) 3 David Reid, Boise, ID (CH) 3 Jeffrey Ross, Virginia Beach, VA (CH) 4 Cyndi Abbe, Waco, TX (CST) 4 Mary Stinson, Berea, KY (CH) 4 Mark Westebbe, Waynesboro, VA (CH) 5 ________, North Africa (FP) 5 Cameron Gunnin, San Antonio, TX (CH) 6 Emerson Byrd, Fort Bliss, TX (CH) 6 Jeff Lee, Macedonia (FP) 6 Meghan McSwain, Winston-Salem, NC (CH) 7 Craig Butler, Sugar Land, TX (CH) 7 Pat Coley, Sugar Grove, WV (CH) 7 Darrell Hudson, Georgetown, TX (CH) 7 Roland Kuhl, Round Lake Beach, IL (CST) 7 Zachary Morrow, 1995, Aledo, TX (FPC) 8 Jay Kieve (S-South Carolina) 8 Mark Weiler, Greeley, CO (CH) 9 Debby Bradley, Owensboro, KY (CH) 9 Charles Seligman, San Antonio, TX (CH) 9 Audrey Wilson, Durham, NC (CH) 10 Brooke, Southeast Asia (FP) 10 Kevin Crowder, Fredericksburg, VA (CH) 10 Angela Lowe, Lawrence, KS (CH) 10 Ralph Mikels, Jr., Seymour, TN (CH) 10 Jim Smith, Atlanta, GA (S-Decatur)

11 Phoebe Angel, 2010, Belgium (FPC) 11 Scott Blair, San Antonio, TX (CH) 11 Dana Durham, Sacramento, CA (CH) 11 Victor Perez, Knoxville, TN (CST) 11 Troy Petty, Palmyra, VA (PC) 11 Bert Sanders III, Winston-Salem, NC (CH) 11 Steve Sweatt, Birmingham, AL (PC) 12 Michael Cox, Elizabethtown, KY (CH) 12 John Lepper, Crestwood, KY (PC) 12 Harry Rowland (S-Decatur) 13 Shelia Earl, Emeritus (FP) 13 Earl Martin, Emeritus (FP) 13 Devita Parnell (S-Decatur) 13 Gail Smith, Hillsborough, NC (CH) 13 Cindy Wallace, Carpentersville, IL (CH) 14 Katie Anderson, Louisville, KY (CH) 14 Patterson Coates (S-Decatur) 15 Cris Avila, Newnan, GA (CST) 15 Marcia McQueen, Eden, NC (CH) 15 David Simmons, Harrisburg, PA (CH) 15 Eric Whitfield, Round Rock, TX (CH) 16 Anita Snell Daniels, Emeritus (FP) 16 Edwin Hollis, Odenville, AL (CH) 17 Chuck Strong, Olive Branch, MS (CST) 17 Elizabeth Thompson, Littleton, CO (PC) 17 Cade Whitley, 2004, France (FPC) 17 Dylan Whitley, 2004, France (FPC) 18 Elaine Greer, Frankfort, KY (CH) 18 Kristin Long, Richmond, VA (PC) 19 Will Kinnaird, Keller, TX (CH) 19 T. Nancy Cox, Georgetown, KY (CH) 19 Deenie Grubbs (S-Mississippi) 20 Chuck Christie, Loganville, GA (CH)

November Birthdays CH = Chaplain CST = Church Starter FP = Field Personnel

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Kevin Park, Bellingham, WA (CH) Steven Porter (S–Decatur) Dean Vonfeldt, Marietta, GA (CH) _______, Turkey (FP) Fred Madren, Indianapolis, IN (CH) Becky Smith, Atlanta, GA (FP) Dihanne Moore (S–Decatur) Julie Walton, Richmond, VA (CH) Will Barnes, Savannah, GA (CH) Carol Lynn Brinkley, Fayetteville, NC (CST) Peggy Gold, Durham, NC (CH) Will Manley, Johnson City, TN (CH) David Posey, Medina, TN (CH) Ruth Santos-Ortíz (CH) Gary Batchelor, Rome, GA (CH) Tony Biles, Richfield, NC (CH) Robert Cooke, Selma, NC (PC) Ed Farris, Topeka, KS (CH) Brad Hood, Knoxville, TN (CH) Chan Shaver, Jamestown, NC (CH) Sue Smith, Fredericksburg, VA (FP) Lee Weems, Pineville, LA (CH) Cassandra Wilson, Gahanna, OH (CH)

FPC = Child of Field Personnel PC = Pastoral Counselor S = CBF Staff Member

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Carol Fletcher, Athens, GA (CH) Blake Hart (S-South Carolina) Michael O’Rourke, Alexandria, VA (CH) Charles Reynolds, Vicenza, Italy (CH) Macarena Aldape, Spain (FP) Posey Branscome, Charlotte, NC (CH) Saul Burleson, Weaverville, NC (CH) Joshua James, Salisbury, MD (CST) Ronald King, Midland, GA (PC) Abigail Parks, 2004, Slovakia (FPC) Mark Tidsworth, Chapin, SC (PC) Joel Whitley, France (FP) Paul Mullen, Clemmons, NC (CH) Rick McClatchy (S-Texas) Lucas Pittman, 2003, Miami, FL (FPC)

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December 1-8 For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:6

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ray for the CBF Foundation as the Foundation seeks to encourage generous support and financial health for ministry through a number of services and activities with CBF and CBF partner ministries.

Pray for the churches that will work with the Foundation this year to develop income streams by establishing endowment funds and encouraging legacy-giving in their congregations.

Pray for over 200 ministries currently receiving investment management services through the Foundation.

Establishing long-term funds and investment management on behalf of ministry causes is a primary focus of the CBF Foundation. The Foundation assists ministry through providing sample documents, educating leadership about investment policy and

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options, asset allocation, and other issues related to prudent investment management of ministry assets. Pray for the Foundation’s staff and 15-member board of trustees and the professional advisors that develop funds and manage investments of nearly $50 million in assets for ministry.

Pray also for the planned giving services of the Foundation and its work with the CBF Heritage Society. The CBF Heritage Society is a group of individuals who have included CBF and CBF-partner causes in estate plans and planned gifts. The Foundation helps donors discover tax-wise ways to give to ministry and family, to make gifts and receive life-time income, and other planned arrangements to support vital ministries. Pray for the Heritage Society to grow. Pray for God to touch the hearts of donors to give generously through the Foundation to provide long-term permanent funding of CBF ministries.

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ivot: Turning Teams Toward God’s Mission Near and Far is a leadership development resource that challenges our traditional thoughts and beliefs about God's mission in the world and our role in that mission. Many of us have participated in short-term mission trips and wondered both about the impact on the local community as well as on our team. From the mission preparation, on-site experience and pivoting back home, this resource trains and equips individuals and congregations to think critically about mission engagement internationally, regionally and locally.

Jesus therefore said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” (John 20: 21) Pray this week for conversion: Pray that God will convert your need to control to a desire to befriend. Ask God to convert your need to fix others to the hope of solidarity with others. Pray that God will convert judgment into curiosity and suspicion to generosity.

December 9-15 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”

Isaiah 6:8

Pray that you will hear God’s call and know God’s transformation, through Christ's grace and mercy.

Our God is a God on mission. This mission is not ours. God is creating, renewing, reconciling and restoring our world. Many are now working through Pivot with small groups in order to reframe how they join God in that mission.

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December 16-24 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. Romans 5:1-2

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he Cooperative Baptist Fellowship relates to 18 autonomous state and regional organizations. Each organization has its own governing structure and unique approach to mission and ministry.

However, states and regions are naturally interdependent with CBF and strive to work in close partnership with each other and CBF Global. Please pray for close collaboration among all of CBF’s state and regional leaders.

State and regional coordinators, CBF coordinators and the current CBF moderator comprise CBF’s Movement Leadership Team (MLT). These leaders gather three to four times per year to foster effective communication, share information, learn from one another and deepen collegiality.

Pray that the group’s meetings will be effective in developing Fellowship-wide initiatives, networks and cooperation.

Pray for a spirit of unity as the MLT works toward fostering a seamless organization. Pray for discernment in implementing roles and relationships in mutually beneficial ways, for direction as the group explores models and best practices for resourcing congregations and for wisdom in developing creative ways to support the greater mission enterprise.

Christmas Reflection

by Bo Prosser, Coordinator of Organizational Relationships

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his is one of the high holy days for the Christian Church.

This is a day of celebration and optimism filled with family and friends and gift exchanges. This day of joy reminds us of the innocence and purity of our faith and the goodness of community. Jesus changed everything!

Don’t jump ahead to the “rest” of the story; instead, marvel at the miracle and the joy of a baby’s birth.

For many of us, Christmas is joyous and celebratory. For others, this may be the loneliest day of the year. Your awareness

of those around the world who are lonely and alone today is important.

Christ came to Earth for ALL of us, and Christ requires that we share community with ALL. Pray for our CBF staff as they celebrate with family and friends. Pray for our field personnel as they share a powerful Christian witness this day. Pray for our churches as many gather to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child. Pray that the witness of this day will be a source of strength and redemption for all who encounter the message of Jesus.

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December 25-31 “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.”

Matthew 1:23

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ianne and Shane McNary have worked among the Roma in Slovakia and the Czech Republic since 2004. They encourage and support local partners in ministry.

Context is perhaps the greatest influence on how ministry is done.

The difference between the Roma and the living conditions in Slovakia and the Czech Republic demand a shift in ministry. Though the value of personal relationship is the same, context shapes how ministry looks.

Rene began a new church plant in Decin, Czech Republic, after years of network building and nurturing relationships.

The church reaches out not only to Roma, but also has already impacted the lives of many homeless as well as addicts. One woman, who escaped abuse in her

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home only to find herself enslaved and abused by others, found acceptance in a beloved community filled with hope and the promise of new life. In coalition with other churches and individuals, Dianne and Shane help to provide funding as well as prayer and encouragement during this exciting and challenging time.

Pray that Rene will be strong and feel the prayer support from those lifting up him and his family. Pray for the health and well-being of Adriana, Rene’s wife, and their two young children. Remember the new church members and pray for their growth in the Lord. Pray for continued financial support until the church can become self-sustaining. Pray for others who may be rescued and come to faith in Jesus Christ.

1 Joseph Farry, Greenville, SC (CH) 1 Phil Miller-Evans, St. Petersburg, FL (FP) 2 Connie Madden, Kirkwood, MO (CH) 2 Laura Roach, Morgantown, NC (CH) 3 Ed Beddingfield, Fayetteville, NC (PC) 3 James Heath, Dry Prong, LA (CH) 3 Shane McNary, Slovakia (FP) 3 Travis Peterson (S-Decatur) 3 Gennady Podgaisky, Ukraine (FP) 3 Rachel Gunter Shapard (S-Florida) 3 Jim Tillman, Swansboro, NC (CST) 3 David Wilson, Chapel Hill, NC (CH) 4 Jose Albovias, Louisville, KY (CH) 4 Elizabeth Richards, Emeritus (FP) 5 Chuck Gass, Gainesville, FL (CH) 5 Kenn Lowther, Columbus, OH (CH) 5 Chris O’Rear, Nashville, TN (PC) 6 Joe Mills, Roswell, GA (CH) 7 Phil Hester, Emeritus (CST) 7 Robert Wilder, Jacksonville, FL (CH) 8 Tommy Deal, Dalton, GA (CH) 8 Edward Erwin, Pensacola, FL (CH) 8 Shane Gaster, Deland, FL (CH) 8 Virginia King, Columbia, SC (CH) 8 Donald Kriner, Canton, GA (CH) 8 Robert Pitts, Greenville, MS (CST) 9 Julie Brown, Paris, France (FP) 9 Wayne Hyatt, Spartanburg, SC (PC) 10 Cecelia Beck, Shelby, NC (FP) 10 Terri Byrd (S-Alabama) 10 Beth Roberts, Chapel Hill, NC (CH) 10 Gary Strickland, Sioux Falls, ID (PC)

10 James Williams, Montgomery, AL (CH) 11 Zechariah Maas, 2008, Belize (FPC) 13 Rick Landon, Lexington, KY (PC) 13 Scott Lee, Snellville, GA (CH) 13 Jim R. Smith (S-Decatur) 13 Frank Stillwell, Lexington, KY (PC) 13 Robin Sullens, Dallas, TX (PC) 13 Will Yarborough (S-Decatur) 15 Anna Anderson, Scotland Neck, NC (FP) 15 James Close, Louisville, KY (CH) 15 Sheree Jones, Winston-Salem, NC (CH) 16 Cayden Norman, 2000, Spain (FPC) 16 Lee Ann Rathbun, Austin, TX (CH) 16 Ina Winstead, Emeritus (FP) 17 Maria-Grace Angel, 2014, Belgium (FPC) 17 Craig Cantrall, Louisville, KY (CH) 17 Buddy Presley, North Augusta, SC (CH) 17 Ronald Wilson, Northport, AL (CH) 18 Loris Adams, Indian Trail, NC (CH) 18 Joel DeFehr, Oklahoma City, OK (CH) 19 Anna-Grace Acker, 2005, Uganda (FPC) 19 Bernard Morris, Chester, VA (CH) 19 James Palmer, Pensacola, FL (CH) 20 Robert Brasier, Queen Creek, AZ (CH) 20 Melissa L. Dowling, Austin, TX (CH) 20 Larry Glover-Wetherington, Durham, NC (PC) 20 Kyle Kelley (S-Louisiana) 20 Alan Willard, Blacksburg, VA (PC) 21 Lynn Hutchinson, Togo (FP) 21 Bethany McLemore, Roanoke, VA (PC) 21 Deborah Wall, Smithfield, NC (CH)

December Birthdays CH = Chaplain CST = Church Starter FP = Field Personnel

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Sarah Wofford, Mooresville, NC (CH) Candice Young (S-Decatur) Frances Brown, Surfside Beach, SC (PC) Robert Elkowitz, Cumming, GA (CH) Steven Ivy, Indianapolis, IN (CH) Hal Lee, Clinton, MS (CH) Linda Strange, Denton, TX (CH) Michael Carter, Dallas, TX (CH) Bogdan Podgaisky, 1997, Ukraine (FPC) Natalie Moore (S-Decatur) Freddy Hinson, Rocky River, OH (CH) Scottie Stamper, Charlotte, NC (CH) Larry Austin, Fredericksburg, VA (CH) Juan Luís Barco, Raleigh, NC (CST) Michael Mills, Spokane, WS (CST) Solon Smith, Louisville, KY (CH) Claudia Forrest, Cordova, TN (CH) John Halbrook, Pound Ridge, NY (PC) Thomas Holbrook, Berea, KY (PC) Maner Tyson, Waterbury, CT (FP) Art Wiggins, Triangle, VA (CH) Shay Greene, Raleigh, NC (CH)

FPC = Child of Field Personnel PC = Pastoral Counselor S = CBF Staff Member

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Revonda Deal, Emeritus (FP) James Garrison, Arden, NC (CH) Kenneth Kelly, Black Mountain, NC (CH) Ramona Reynolds-Netto, Orlando, FL (CH) Lex Robertson, Oklahoma City, OK (CH) Nathaniel Newell, 1998, San Antonio, TX (FPC) 31 David “Tod” Smith, Farmington, NM (CH)

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Our Sense of Hearing

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he sounds of music, wind in the trees, ocean waves breaking, car horns blowing.

Weeping, laughing, screams of joy and of heartbreak. They overlap and can become so overwhelming that to focus and really hear takes work. If we are not careful, we can stop listening.

The ability to listen as we hear is a great gift. To hear the stories of life, to play music and hear the melody — these become a practice of intention. The sounds around us begin to matter; they have something to teach us.

The Balinese NewYear is called Nyepi. It is a day of silence; the island goes quiet

to the sounds of road noise and busyness, and all the lights are turned off. Even the airport shuts down. The island goes dark and quiet for 24 hours. The lessening of excess noise and light makes even the sound of a water pump coming on very loud, and the night sky shines brightly.

The sounds of people laughing or of a glass clanging that, on a normal day, would not be noticed become hard to miss.

The purpose of the day is to think and meditate in preparation for the new year.

The music of nature rings out and says, “Please hear me.” Families and friends spend time together without most of the normal distractions. We slow down. We engage.

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns…”

Revelation 19:6

When we listen, we value and show love.

Take time today to listen differently, letting all that you hear become the focus of your prayers. The music, the voices and, yes, even the noise of busyness.

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Why Give?

When you give to CBF, you act on what you have heard the Spirit of God saying in your life. Our Fellowship listens for God and responds to the needs of the world before us.

Visit www.cbf.net/give

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January 1-8 But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.

Isaiah 43:1

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s a brand new church start, Mosaic Fellowship is in need of many things, but prayer is, of course, at the top of the list.

Planting a relational, theologically moderate church in an extremely conservative small town is a long, slow process that requires much patience and a missional mindset.

Pastor Russell Jones and his wife, Victoria, moved to a city where they knew no one in order to build a church from the ground up. The prayer requests are many for a church beginning from nothing, from wisdom and discernment to a daunting list of material needs.

Please pray for the growth and development of a core team, expansion of ministry in ways that creates community, and the discovery of ways to represent God’s grace.

Pray, also, for more mundane material needs, such as a sound system. Please pray for Mosaic Fellowship as they strive to realize and fulfill the purpose God has in mind for them in Belton, Texas.

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t is January, the beginning of a new year. Externally our calendars call us forward into the future; internally our spirits are awakened to consider the possibilities, to dream new dreams and to renew our commitments.

collaboration to heal and sustain the church. They are also learning the practical aspects of building a life-long network that will carry them through their ministries.

As you pray, ask God to build deep This month, over 70 seminarians, faculty friendship among these seminarians who members and CBF staff members will will remain colleagues in ministry for gather at the annual CBF Seminarian many years ahead. Pray that God’s call Retreat. The energy of young minds full would become ever clearer and surer in of imagination and hope will be palpable. their lives and that the church (and As participants worship, pray, learn your church!) might and play together, stories of hope and be receptive to their excitement, as well as those of doubt and leadership as they fear, begin to emerge. These leaders are move into pastoral eager to talk about life and ministry with roles. new friends from across CBF life and from various seminary experiences.

January 9-15 I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come?

My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:1-2

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January 16-23 In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

James 1:18

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erhaps as many as three percent of Cambodia’s 16 million people call themselves Christian today.

While that does not sound like much, in 1975, when the Khmer Rouge crushed the suffering nation underfoot and took control, Christians numbered around 10,000 out of a population of seven million, or .0014 percent. Of that number, about 900 survived the fourand-a-half years of Maoiststyle brutality.

hands and compassionate souls. They have dedicated their lives to winning Cambodia to Christ and their work is all uphill against a cultural milieu of centuries-old religious tradition, heritage and nationalism.

The faith by which they serve the living Lord is firmly rooted in the book of Acts. Like the ordinary men and women who lived during that pivotal time of Christian history — proclaiming the story of the risen Savior — their works The Cambodian pastors and are nothing less than extraordinary. evangelists of today, many of They are extraordinary because of their them survivors of that dark perseverance, courage and devotion in and deadly period, certainly the midst of spiritual darkness. have their work cut out for them. Pray for pastorThese ministers bring the light of hope evangelists like Thoeur, the and peace with God through Jesus tuk-tuk driver, and Han, the Christ. Their kind are few and far rice farmer. They are tough- between. Say a prayer for them. minded, good-hearted, hardworking men with calloused

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he Cooperative Baptist Fellowship currently has more than 650 endorsed chaplains and pastoral counselors and recently celebrated its 1,000th endorsement.

CBF-endorsed chaplains serve in each branch of the United States Armed Forces, medical centers, correctional institutions, hospice organizations, police, fire and rescue departments, colleges and universities, businesses and industries, retirement communities, the Department of Veterans Affairs and Civil Patrol as well as in many other specialized settings. CBF-endorsed pastoral counselors serve in counseling centers, interdisciplinary settings and on church staffs.

Pray for Gerry Hutchinson, Chaplaincy and Pastoral Counseling Manager, as he provides personal and professional support to the Chaplains and Pastoral Counselors endorsed by CBF. Pray for these ministers as they embody the presence of Christ each day.

January 24-31 May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:23

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January Birthdays CH = Chaplain CST = Church Starter FP = Field Personnel

1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 4 5 5 5 5 5 6 7 8 8

Sam Bandela, Atlanta, GA (FP) Noy Peeler, Cambodia (FP) Christina Pittman, Summerville, SC (CH) Misael Marriaga, Greenville, NC (CST) Gabriella Newell, 2002, San Antonio, TX (FPC) Jon Parks, Slovakia (FP) Daniel Sostaita, Rural Hall, NC (CST) Tammy Stocks, Romania (FP) Christopher Bowers, Powhatan, VA (PC) William McCann, Madisonville, KY (CH) Joshua Hickman, Newnan, GA (CH) Richard Durham, Mount Pleasant, NC (CH) Charles Kirby, Hendersonville, NC (CH) Kevin Lynch, Spartanburg, SC (PC) Calvin McIver, Sacramento, CA (CH) Linda Serino, Memphis, TN (CH) Larry Hardin, Topeka, KS (CH) Denny Spear, Dunwoody, GA (CH) Rachel Hill, Shelby, NC (CH) Ethan Lee, 2009, Macedonia (FPC)

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FPC = Child of Field Personnel PC = Pastoral Counselor S = CBF Staff Member

9 Bill Cayard, China (FP) 9 Paul Hamilton, Lodge, SC (CH) 9 Patrick Moses, Mansfield, TX (CST) 9 Jeffrey Perkins, Knoxville, TN (CH) 10 Kenny Sherin, Mitchell, SD (FP) 10 Jill Zimmer, Columbia, TN (CH) 11 John Mark Boes (S-Decatur) 11 Ed Waldrop, Augusta, GA (CH) 12 Neil Cochran, Greenville, SC (CH) 12 Larry Connelly, Decatur, GA (CH) 12 Scott Smallwood, Englewood, FL (CH) 13 Dianne McNary, Slovakia (FP) 14 Thomas Cantwell, Paducah, KY (CH) 14 Steve Graham (S-Oklahoma/Kansas) 15 Keith Ethridge, Yorktown, VA (CH) 15 John Foxworth, El Paso, TX (CH) 16 Merrie Grace Harding, 1995, Orlando, FL (FPC) 16 Jerry Hendrix, Abilene, TX (CST) 16 David Hormenoo, Durham, NC (CH) 17 Matthew Hanzelka, Round Rock, TX (CH)

17 17 17 18 18 18 19 19 19 19 20 20 20 20 21 21 22 23 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 27 27 27 28

Donna Manning, Fort Worth, TX (CH) Aaron Norman, 2005, Spain (FPC) Glenn Norris, Sherwood, AR (CH) William Beaver, Fort Benning, GA (CH) Jeanell Cox, Camden, NC (CH) Justin Nelson, Mount Airy, NC (CH) Nicholas Hughes, Blountstown, FL (CH) Kaelah-Joy Acker, 2008, Uganda (FPC) Amoreena Jasper, 1997, Somerset, KY (FPC) Jackie Ward, Goshen, KY (CH) Marcia Binkley, Emeritus (FP) Marshall Gupton, Smyrna, TN (CH) Kevin Morgan, Pisgah Forest, NC (CH) Paul Tolbert, Scott AFB, IL (CH) Jim King, Newport News, VA (CH) Anna Kate Wilson (S-Decatur) Jim Hylton (S-North Carolina) Richard Atkinson, Bastrop, TX (CH) David Bass, Cambodia (FP) Brent Raitz, Cleveland, OH (CH) Heather Kaye Lee, Austin, TX (CH) Stephen Reeves (S-Decatur) Mich, New Jersey (FP) Chris Nagel, Houston, TX (CH) Sandy Hale, Lebanon, NH (CH) Darrell Bare, Charleston, SC (CH) Ben Sandford, Hampton, VA (CH) Eric Smith, Willow Park, TX (CH) Chuck Ahlemann, Des Moines, IA (CH)

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Christopher Bowers, Powhatan, VA (CH) Glen Foster (S-West Region) Darryl Jefferson, Charlotte, NC (CH) Matthew Benorden, Lawrence, KS (CH) Hal Ritter, Waco, TX (PC) Nathan Rogers, Anchorage, AK (CH) Rebecca Adrian, Irving, TX (CH) John Manuel, Fort Benning, GA (CH) Paul Smith, San Diego, CA (CH)

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hurchWorks is CBF’s annual conference for practitioners of education and spiritual formation. Held the last week of February, ChurchWorks creates space for renewal in ministry through practices of creativity, community and worship.

To teach the people of God, educators need a place to learn, reflect and laugh together. CBF recognizes that ministry is equally energizing and exhausting, which is why ChurchWorks invites ministers to take a moment to rest and renew themselves by gathering with other colleagues in ministry for fellowship. The schedule for ChurchWorks is built so that each person is encouraged to renew his or her self through spiritual formation, rest and fun.

as it continues to provide space for networking, fellowship and fun for all who participate. Pray for the ChurchWorks planning team and for the 2017 host congregation, Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Pray for CBF as it continues to celebrate the good work accomplished both by congregations and ministers throughout our fellowship.

February 1-7 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.

Isaiah 58:8

Pray that ChurchWorks will be a time of rest and renewal for each minister who attends. Pray for ChurchWorks

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February 8-14 God, who is enthroned from of old, will hear, and will humble them— because they do not change, and do not fear God. Psalm 55:19

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sdrubal Forte and Yarelis Montes de Oca are CBF new church starters. They ask for your prayers as they begin a new work in Miami, Florida.

To start a new church as emigrants has brought many challenges to their families. It is a commitment and calling that requires a lot of energy, wisdom,

patience, prayers, spiritual support, time and talents in relationship to God’s Kingdom.

Pray that God provides people with the call to serve and preach the Good News, people thirsty for God’s Word, people ready to be part of the new faith family.

Pray that God will touch hearts to be generous, to support financially the ministries that will help the new church to grow. Ask God to help the church to find the right location.

Pray that the pastors and leaders will be in deep relationship with God, so they can be aware and ready to listen to the spiritual needs of the new community.

Pray that they will be light and salt in the world and a testimony of faith and love to others.

Asdrubal Forte

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ira and Sasha Zivanov are CBF field personnel serving refugees and immigrants in St. Louis, Mo. A special focus of their International Fellowship ministry is the large Bosnian community in the area.

After years of prayer and preparation, International Fellowship was able to purchase a building for use as a ministry center. Located in the heart of the St. Louis Bosnian community, the building will be home to the Zivanovs’ growing after-school tutoring ministry, to sewing classes and to many new opportunities for spiritual conversations.

especially in the Family Food Pantry they organize each week. Pray for developing opportunities in their new ministry space.

February 15-21 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?

1 Kings 3:9

Please pray for the families the Zivanovs serve through the International Fellowship ministry. Thank God for the many volunteers and churches that currently partner with the Zivanovs,

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February 22-28 Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2

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unday morning, the church in Chengdu was filled to capacity.

It was a special day; forty people were being baptized. Forty new believers committing their lives to Jesus Christ!

A few days later, Lisa, a deacon in the church, sent an email to the other deacons. She wrote that her heart was filled with joy as a result of the baptisms but sorrowful at the same time. Sorrow?

Lisa realized that the church was doing a great job of sharing the gospel, but it was not effectively making disciples. Many new believers were baptized but quickly “disappeared” from worship and Bible study.

Lisa’s sorrow certainly reflects God’s own sorrow when we don’t grow in our relationship with God. She knows

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that the church must have a passion and plan for baptizing as well as making disciples, teaching all that Jesus taught.

Discipleship is now a great need among Chinese churches in Sichuan province.

Following baptisms with vibrant programs of discipleship is a joyful challenge to have, but a challenge that must be met.

Pray for Chinese church leaders as they work to address this growing need. Pray that new believers will recognize baptism as the first step in their faith journeys and will develop commitments to grow.

Pray that leaders for Sunday school classes, small group Bible studies and discipleship groups will emerge to help meet this need.

Pray for CBF field personnel Bill and Michelle Cayard as they seek to strengthen churches in China.

1 Susan Collins, Stone Mountain, GA (CH) 1 Carrie Dean, Atlanta, GA (CST) 1 Brad Jackson, Springfield, OH (CH) 1 James Touchton, Ithaca, NY (CH) 2 Joe Alverson, Nicholasville, KY (CH) 2 John Fogarty, Freeport, FL (CST) 2 Terry Tatro, Louisville, KY (CH) 3 Richard Dayringer, Grove, OK (PC) 3 William Elliott, Lexington, KY (CH) 4 Delores Kay Smith, Hickory, NC (CH) 5 Brian Cleveland, New Orleans, LA (CH) 5 Joanna Tarr, Norfolk, VA (CH) 6 Donn Poole, The Villages, FL (CST) 8 John Boyles, Lynchburg, VA (CH) 8 Biju Chacko, Morrisville, NC (CH) 8 Larry Johnson, Midlothian, VA (CH) 8 Taisha Seabolt (S-Decatur) 9 Shaquisha Barnes, Durham, NC (CH) 9 Nathan Cooper, Greenville, SC (CH) 9 Ray Johnson (S-Florida) 9 Jo Kirkendall, Biloxi, MS (CH) 9 Elizabeth Milazzotto, Louisville, KY (PC) 9 Willie Smith, Fredericksburg, VA (CH) 10 James Rentz, Spartanburg, SC (PC) 10 Sam Southard, Naples, FL (PC) 10 Cynthia Thomas, Houston, TX (CH) 10 Todd Toole, Burlington, KY (CST) 11 Lauralee Estes, Northport, AL (PC) 11 Tom Everett, Yorktown, VA (CH) 11 Katee Harris, Rose Hill, NC (CH)

11 Will Runyon, Maryville, TN (CH) 11 Rick Stevenson, Odenton, MD (CH) 12 Sasha Zivanov, St. Louis, MO (FP) 13 Dianne Swaim, North Little Rock, AR (CH) 14 Roger Bolton, Conyers, GA (PC) 14 Charla Littell, Burlington, NC (CH) 15 Tolly Williamson, Decatur, GA (CH) 16 Rebecca Hewitt-Newson, Glendale, CA (CH) 17 Nancy James, Haiti (FP) 18 Edward Fleming, Winston-Salem, NC (CH) 18 Jean Pruett, Charlotte, NC (CH) 20 Amanda Ducksworth, Columbus, MS (CH/PLT) 20 Younsoo Park, Aiea, HI (CH) 21 Rebecca Church, Louisville, KY (CH) 21 Linda McComb, Clinton, MS (CH) 21 Jeffery Thompson, Gainesville, GA (CH) 22 Stephanie McLeskey, Mars Hill, NC (CH) 23 Michelle Robinson, Columbia, SC (CH) 24 Danny Tomlinson, Belton, TX (CH) 25 Lindell Anderson, Fort Worth, TX (CH) 25 Rick Foster, Lynchburg, VA (CH) 25 Craig Janney (S-Decatur) 25 Mira Zivanov, St. Louis, MO (FP) 26 Christa Chappelle, High Point, NC (CH) 26 Rodney Craggs, Louisville, KY (CH) 26 Sheryl Johnson, Richmond, VA (CH) 26 Louise Mason, Richmond, VA (CH) 27 Linda Moore, Greenville, NC (CH)

February Birthdays CH = Chaplain CST = Church Starter FP = Field Personnel

FPC = Child of Field Personnel PC = Pastoral Counselor S = CBF Staff Member

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Our Sense of Touch

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ouch: the sensation of physical connection to another person.

For some, it is invigorating.

For others, it is frightening. As a dancer and visual artist, touch is important to me. It indicates trust, connection and acceptance.

When I dance with another person, trust is important. It is a partnership; we share a space; we connect and create shape, and we give support to ways of moving that can happen only with a partner. This mirrors life. A light touch or a hug from a friend says, “I am here and you matter.”

Through the sensation of touch, we find our space and our boundaries. We are

reminded of our physical bodies and the beauty of being human. It is no small thing that Christ had a body. It mattered that His presence was physical. It is a great reminder for us as we bear witness with our bodies — our hands and feet touching the earth and connecting to each other.

But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.”

Matthew 17:7

Take the risk today to engage in the dance of touch. Cross the barriers that separate; risk touching and being touched, both emotionally and physically.

Give your prayers hands and feet today.

Sometimes it seems we forget that we have a body. Our bodies are beautiful and need to be celebrated. As a dancer, I understand the need for both the physical connection of touch and the valuing of the body. Many people walk around each day, starved for even a light touch. When we dare to touch, we connect deep within our souls.

Moving Touch watercolor on paper

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Why Give?

When you give to CBF, you embody the hands and the feet of Christ in the world. The Fellowship, in numerous ways, touches the hands and the feet of people in communities throughout the world because of your gifts, helping to create a picture of God’s beloved community.

Visit www.cbf.net/give

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Ash Wednesday Reflection

by Bo Prosser, Coordinator of Organizational Relationships

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sh Wednesday, a day of fasting, is the first day of Lent and begins the Lenten journey in Western Christianity. Ash Wednesday occurs 46 days before Easter. There are actually 40 fasting days, the six Sundays not considered days to fast. Ash Wednesday is so called because of the tradition of rubbing ashes on one’s forehead in the sign of a cross to identify with Jesus.

Ash Wednesday is a day of “giving up” or “taking on” some action or ritual for the Lenten journey. Lent is intended to be a time of self-denial, moderation, fasting and the pondering of Jesus’ journey towards crucifixion, death and resurrection.

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Should a Christian observe Ash Wednesday? Since the Bible nowhere explicitly commands or condemns such a practice, Christians are at liberty to prayerfully decide whether or not to observe Ash Wednesday.

The observance of Ash Wednesday is a spiritual practice — not a source of spiritual pride. We do well to remember that no ritual can redeem us or reconcile us. Pray today as you are anointed with ashes, symbolically or actually. Pray that you will give up sinful ways and take on the heart and mind of Jesus Christ.

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or those attending the Advocacy in Action conference, pray for strength, clarity and courage as they work together to make this world look more like God's kingdom. Ask God to open their eyes to the injustice around them, to open their ears to hear the stories of their neighbors, and to open their minds to creative ways to address need.

model of God’s son Jesus, who lived his life oriented towards those whom he called “the least of these,” while challenging the powers of his day.

May we learn to follow confidently his example for the sake of the Gospel, for God’s people and the world God so lovingly created.

March 1-8 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

Romans 13:10

Give thanks that we live in a land where the voice of the people can still be heard. Ask God to grant us wisdom and patience to discern God’s word for the world. Soften hearts and prepare the ears of those who hear that Word.

Pray that God will give Advocacy in Action participants stamina so that they will not grow weary in well-doing. Ask God to grant them joyous companions for the journey. Give thanks for the

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March 9-15 The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

Isaiah 11:2

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usty roads, broken-down cars and houses, and cacti litter the terrain in which CBF field personnel Ben and Leonora Newell minister through Together for Hope, CBF’s rural poverty initiative, in south Texas. Though the terrain is rough, there are people who are suffering and surviving in this area that need help and prayers.

One such family is Moises and Norma Rodriquez and their daughter, Victoria.

They are survivors who have a skill and a desire to use that skill to take care of their family needs and try to make a better life for their daughter.

Moises and Norma work together in construction when

they can and cater Mexican food when they get clients. Their greatest skill is in the kitchen. They make some of the best pollo y mole (chicken with mole sauce) in all of south Texas. But they need help in growing their food business. They need both financial and spiritual partners in order to truly and successfully fly up and beyond.

Pray for their income generation opportunities so that they can be who God uniquely made them to be. From Mexican immigrants to Green Card holders, they have persevered and overcome all of their obstacles so far.

Moises and Norma want to start a mobile wood-fired pizza business in Laredo. Pray that they can find churches and individuals to lend operational capital to expand their business. Your prayers will help them move toward stability and sustainability.

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nland Church is a CBF church start in Spokane, Washington.

What began as a dream of a church five years ago has become a beautiful community for many that simply do not fit anywhere else. Inland Church hopes to be a welcoming family, committed to practicing the restorative way of Jesus for the good of Spokane.

The church’s journey has not always been easy, but God’s faithfulness has been proven time and time again. The past five years have been characterized by much discernment — always wanting to seek God’s next step for Inland Church.

While that will likely always be the case, the church’s leadership wants to be particularly attentive to God’s intentions for Inland Church and for Spokane.

the congregation and opportunities for redemption and restoration in Spokane.

In the same manner that Jesus taught his disciples to pray, Inland Church hopes to see God’s Kingdom come and God’s will be done, in Spokane as it is in heaven.

Join them in this hope and may this hope become reality.

March 16-23 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me.

Psalm 23:4

Please support Inland Church through your prayers. Pray particularly for wisdom and guidance for the leadership, continued momentum and growth in www.cbf.net/pray

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March 24-31 For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light — for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.

Ephesians 5:8-9

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ver 46.5 million people live in poverty in the United States, with at least half of them in rural communities. Poverty has been a long-term condition in rural America.

Many CBF churches and individuals have been seeking to transform rural poverty since 2001 through Together for Hope, CBF’s rural poverty initiative.

Together for Hope employs local assetbased community development as the ministry model for the long-term commitment of no less than 20 years working in each community. People living in rural America are the experts about their communities and, as such, are the most equipped to making their hopes into realistic

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plans for their future. Together for Hope practitioners are walking alongside people in rural communities who are dreaming new futures for their counties or parishes. Made up of CBF field personnel, state/regional personnel, local non-profits, churches and volunteers, Together for Hope is bearing witness to Christ in rural America.

Pray for Together for Hope practitioners as they seek to create bright futures for rural communities. Pray for local stakeholders in more than 25 counties and parishes in the U.S. who are partnering with one another and with CBF to eliminate long-term poverty for future generations. Pray for ways that your congregation can be a part of ending rural poverty in the U.S.

1 Brent Peery, Conroe, TX (CH) 1 Chris Scales, Lubbock, TX (CH) 2 Michael Patterson, Harker Heights, TX (CH) 2 Laurice Rogers, Hodgenville, KY (PC) 2 Hector Villaneuva, Siler City, NC (CST) 2 Glenn Williams, Louisville, KY (PC) 3 David Bosley, Vienna, VA (CH) 4 Kristin Akins, Maitland, FL (CH) 4 Ed Lemmond, Athens, TN (CH) 4 Jane Martin, Emeritus (FP) 5 Buddy Corbin, Asheville, NC (CH) 5 Ray Higgins (S-Arkansas) 5 Donnie Marlar, Rochester, NY (CH) 6 Ronnie Adams, Emeritus (FP) 6 Jarrod Foerster, St. Augustine, FL (CH) 6 Chad Hawkins, Pearland, TX (CH) 7 Duane Binkley, Emeritus (FP) 7 Laura Foushee, Japan (FP) 7 Wade Rowatt, Louisville, KY (PC) 8 Marian Boyer, Nottingham, MD (CH) 8 Isaac Pittman, 1999, Miami, FL (FPC) 9 Stuart Collier, Vestavia, AL (CH) 9 Sarah Mitchell (S-North Carolina) 9 Michelle Norman, Spain (FP) 10 Dean Akers, Schweinfurt, Germany (CH) 10 Cindy Bishop, Piedmont, SC (CH) 11 Julia Flores, Lynchburg, VA (CH) 11 Lisa Nisbet, Louisville, KY (PC) 11 Ronald Nordon, Frederick, MD (CH) 11 Beth Ogburn, Oklahoma City, OK (CH) 11 Rebekah Ramsey, Concord, NC (CH)

12 14 15 16 16 17 18 18 18 18 19 19 20 20 20 21 21 21 21 22 23 24 24 24 24 24 25 25 25 25 26

Jim Crumpler (S-North Central Region) Mary Beth Caffey, Lewiston, ME (CST) Mary van Rheenen, Netherlands (FP) Rebekah Ayers (S-North Carolina) Trisha Miller Manarin (S-Mid-Atlantic) Mary Gessner, Madison, AL (PC) Dodie Huff-Fletcher, Louisville, KY (PC) Gregory Qualls, Mooresboro, NC (CH) Beth Riddick, Fredericksburg, VA (CH) David Robinson, Newport News, VA (PC) Jennifer Bordenet, Orlando, FL (CH) Kim Schmitt, Fayetteville, GA (CH) Anna Allred, Asheboro, NC (CH) Cynthia Corey, Brunswick, GA (CH) William Hemphill, Stone Mountain, GA (CH) Walter Jackson, Louisville, KY (PC) Alan Melton, Waynesboro, VA (PC) Michael Strickland, Falls Church, VA (CH) Aaron Weaver (S-Decatur) Michelle Ballard (S-Decatur) J. Claude Huguley, Nashville, TN (CH) Michael Gross, Roswell, GA (CH) Kevin Quiles, Canton, GA (CH) Emory (Chip) Reeves, Martinez, GA (CH) Mark Spain, Canyon Lake, TX (CH) Todd Walter, Inman, SC (CH) Jade Acker, Uganda (FP) Bryan Cottrell, Abilene, TX (CH) Gary Nistler, Oak Ridge, TN (CH) John Thompson, Texarkana, TX (CH) Gale Dollar, Glen Carbon, IL (CH)

March Birthdays CH = Chaplain CST = Church Starter FP = Field Personnel

27 27 27 28 28 29 29 30 30 30 31 31

FPC = Child of Field Personnel PC = Pastoral Counselor S = CBF Staff Member

Ken Chapman, Jefferson City, MO (CH) David Gladson, Pendleton, SC (CH) Amy Karriker, Great Falls, MT (CH) Lynda Schupp, Corinth, TX (CH) Megan Whitley, 2002, France (FPC) Phil McCarley, Charles Town, WV (CH) Michael Shea, Mars Hill, NC (CH) Phyllis Borchert, Oakridge, TN (CH) John Emmart, Stoughton, WI (CH) Layne Rogerson, Winterville, NC (CH) Dale Cross, Lawrenceville, GA (CH) Tim Madison, Clearwater, FL (CH)

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April 1-8 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,� so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partners of Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end.

Hebrews 3:13-14

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ennard Weever is a CBF church starter who serves as the pastor of Innovation Park Church in Lawrenceville, Ga. Weever has a passion to help people discover their God-ordained potential and connect more deeply to the Kingdom of God. With degrees in counseling and theology, Weever has served in various roles within the church. He has also been the founding pastor of two congregations in New Jersey and North Carolina.

Pray for Kennard as he follows his vision to engage in cutting edge ministry. Pray that he will continue to expand the Kingdom of God by reaching out to un-churched and wounded people. Ask that God would begin to change the way these people think about church.

Pray that Kennard will remain dedicated to the work of community building and communicating the Word in a relevant way. Pray that God will help him to address the needs of Innovation Park Church and the community it hopes to reach.

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BF field personnel Scarlette Jasper was commissioned in 2014 and serves through Together for Hope, CBF’s rural poverty initiative. Scarlette strives to meet people’s physical, emotional and spiritual needs so they can move out of the cycles of poverty and crisis. As she ministers in one of the poorest regions of the United States — rural, central and southern Kentucky — she resources families in crisis, including the homeless, survivors of domestic violence and those in urgent medical situations. One of the ways Scarlette serves is through financial counseling with families and individuals.

Her goal is for low-income persons to become self-sufficient in managing their finances in order to be freed from their debts and so that they build more stable futures for their families.

Please pray for continued partnership development, especially in McCreary County, Scarlette’s TFH county. Pray

for the people that Scarlette ministers to — those facing addiction issues, housing instability, medical crises such as cancer and other chronic diseases and those in financial crisis due to lack of employment or other economic issues.

Pray for families in cycles of generational poverty, that opportunities will be presented to build sustainable budgets for their households and futures for their families.

April 9-15 I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9

Pray for Scarlette as she travels throughout rural Kentucky, ministering to the most marginalized populations.

Pray as she seeks additional church and individual partners who share her passion for building stable families and communities through financial literacy and economic development.

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Easter Reflection

by Bo Prosser, Coordinator of Organizational Relationships

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aster is a climactic and defining moment for the Christian Church. This is a day of celebration and optimism, of resurrection and promise. On Easter Sunday, churches are overflowing with attendees, many of whom come only a few times a year. Pray today for your church and for your church staff as they lead and proclaim Christ crucified and resurrected. Pray for those who will hear the message, some for the very first time!

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This is another of those days when family and friends gather. Children hunt colored eggs in back yards all across the nation. Families share stories and revisit traditions of long ago. On this day, pray that families too might be resurrected.

Pray that Easter will mean new life and new traditions.

Pray that all who gather, whether in church houses, back yards, or dining rooms, will be impacted with the Good News of a Risen Lord.

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awn is that miraculous morning moment when darkness gives way to light. Like the start of each new day, life with God provides new dawns. Long dark nights are dissipated by the dawn. A stressful season can turn at the break of a new day. A joyful experience can begin with the rising of the sun.

CBF Dawnings offers churches the opportunity to live a lifetime of fresh new days through a congregational process of visioning, forming and engaging.

Pray for the churches who attended a Dawnings regional retreat this year.

Pray for the churches whose Dawnings Visioning Teams are presently being coached through the congregational visioning, forming and engaging design process. Pray that churches will lean into trusting the Spirit to discover the next step in their missional journey. Pray that churches will courageously seek to be shaped by the mission of God.

April 16-22 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…

Matthew 28:19

Rather than depending upon one’s ability to accurately predict the future then to plan and invent the next movement of the church, Dawnings encourages the congregational leaders, through prayer and preparation, to discover God’s next vision for the church. This process helps the congregation to shift from doing a church-shaped mission to being a mission-shaped church. www.cbf.net/pray

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April 23-30 But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5

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he Cooperative Baptist Fellowship values theological education as an important component of vocational ministry preparation. As a result, CBF invests in current and future ministry leaders by awarding up to 70 scholarships annually to Baptist students enrolled in a master’s or doctoral program at an accredited insitution of higher education, including those studying at a CBF-partner theological school or seminary.

Pray for CBF Leadership Scholars as they engage in theological inquiry that opens and expands their understandings of God, Jesus Christ and the Church.

Pray for guidance as they seek to discern the calling of God upon their lives. Pray that they might find new and creative ways to engage with others in dialogue about God’s love and redemptive work in the world. Pray that they might find a place to voice their hopes and dreams for the church, particularly in the life of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

1 Jennifer Dill, Pittsburgh, PA (CH) 1 Greg Smith, Fredericksburg, VA (FP) 2 Christie McTier, Dearing, GA (CH) 2 Leonora Newell, San Antonio, TX (FP) 3 Charles Mason, Mansfield, OH (CH) 3 Mark Reece, Elkin, NC (CH) 3 Wayne Sibley, Pineville, LA (CH) 3 Thomas Wicker, Salado, TX (CH) 4 Truett, 2011, Southeast Asia (FPC) 5 Patrick Baxter, Atlanta, GA (CH) 5 Darcie Jones, Columbia, SC (CH) 5 Eddy Ruble, Southeast Asia (FP) 6 Lauren Deer, Wallace, NC (CH) 6 Ka´thy Gore Chappell (S-North Carolina) 6 Steven Mills, Flat Rock, NC (CH) 7 LaCount Anderson, Scotland Neck, NC (FP) 7 Tricia Baldwin, Fort Worth, TX (CH) 7 Nathan Dean, Atlanta, GA (CST) 7 Bonnie Hicks, Woodstock, GA (CH) 7 Mary Timms, Hawkinsville, GA (CH) 7 Mary Wrye, Henderson, KY (CH) 8 Laura Johnson, New Bern, NC (CH) 8 Drexel Rayford, Birmingham, AL (CH) 9 Olen Grubbs, Hixson, TN (CH) 9 Jessica Hearne, Danville, VA (FP) 9 Scarlette Jasper, Somerset, KY (FP) 9 Jim Pruett, Charlotte, NC (PC) 9 Steve Vance, Charlotte, NC (CH) 10 George Hemingway, High Springs, FL (CH) 10 Ben Hodge, Winston-Salem, NC (CH) 10 Alan Rogers, San Diego, CA (CH)

11 11 12 12 12 12 13 13 13 14

Laura Broadwater, Louisville, KY (CH) Steve James, Haiti (FP) Ryan Clark (S-Decatur) Andy Hale, Clayton, NC (CST) Beverly Hatcher, Winston-Salem, NC (CST) Allie Kilpatrick, Milledgeville, GA (CH) Landon Alberson, Chula, GA (CH) Steve Sullivan, Little Rock, AR (CH) Brian A. Warfield, Spencer, OK (CH) Kerri Kroeker, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (CH) 15 _______, Turkey (FP) 15 Jeff Flowers, Evans, GA (CH) 15 Jeff Langford (S-Heartland) 16 Kaitlyn Parks, 2006, Slovakia (FPC) 16 Victoria A. White, Richmond, VA (CH) 16 Kay Wright, Virginia Beach, VA (CH) 17 Allison Anderson, Morgantown, WV (CH) 17 David Jones, Newberg, OR (CH) 17 Doug McKinney, Salisbury, MD (CST) 18 Cyrus Bush, Pfafftown, NC (CH) 18 Ray Cooley, Wallingford, CT (CH) 18 Susan Crumpler (S-North Central Region) 18 Mason Jackson III, Fort Myers, FL (CH) 18 Nathan Solomon, Swansboro, NC (CH) 19 Michael Lee, Hendersonville, NC (CH) 20 David Chan, Houston, TX (CH) 20 Susan Stephenson, Edmond, OK (CH) 22 Tere Canzoneri (S-Decatur) 22 Judith Wortelboer-Grace, Temple, TX (CH) 22 Lucas Newell, 1997, San Antonio, TX (FPC)

April Birthdays CH = Chaplain CST = Church Starter FP = Field Personnel

22 23 23 24 24 24 24 24 25 25 25 27 27 28 28 28 29 30 30 30

FPC = Child of Field Personnel PC = Pastoral Counselor S = CBF Staff Member

Barry Pennington, Blue Springs, MO (CH) David Kolb, Lexington, NC (CH) Isaac Lopex, Crowley, TX (CH) Brenda Atkinson, Greenville, SC (CH) Rhonda Gilligan-Gillespie, Wichita, KS (CH) Laura Mannes, San Antonio, TX (CH) Travis Smith, Forest City, NC (CH) Leslie Stith, Liberty, MO (CH) Connie Graham, Fitzgerald, GA (CH) Megan Francis (S-Decatur) Victoria Whatley (S-Decatur) Pat Davis, Baton Rouge, LA (CH) Pete Parks, Williamsburg, VA (CH) Joy Hammond (S-Decatur) Carrol Wilson (S-Decatur) Gary McFarland, Charlotte, NC (PC) Ted Dougherty, Winston-Salem, NC (PC) Joseph Caldwell, Alameda, CA (CH) Melissa Neal, Floyd, VA (CH) Charles Wallace, Fort Worth, TX (CH)

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Our Sense of Sight

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o see, to know, to witness, is risky. Seeing requires that we too are not hidden but can also be seen. I think about the idea of removing a blindfold and becoming aware in a new way. There are many realities around us that may be hidden in plain sight: the victims of domestic abuse or human trafficking; the lonely newcomer to our neighborhood who does not look or talk like us.

Seeing changes our perspective. For me, beginning to mentor in an art program in a prison was this kind of experience.

Before I went the first time, I had no real vision of the inmates or their lives. It did

not take long before I began to see them, to learn about who they are and to allow them to know and see me. The situation became very real, and I began to see them for who they are: people with pasts and futures.

When I began to see them, I learned of their joys, dreams, wounds and, for some, about their journeys towards death.

This seeing has changed me. I witnessed directly the trauma inflicted by the death penalty. I saw its effects, not only for those who were killed along with my friend, Myuran Sukamaran, but also for other inmates, families, prison guards and even journalists. Because I saw, I was changed.

Open my eyes, so that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.

Psalm 119:18

When you dare to see, you cannot un-see. Today and everyday, see. Remove the barriers to your sight and risk being changed. Pray with your eyes open.

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Why Give?

When you give to CBF, you open the eyes of our Fellowship to the refugee, the orphan, the hungry, the sick, the forgotten, the displaced. When our eyes are opened to those who are pushed out and ignored, Christ compels us to invite them in and offer our love.

Visit www.cbf.net/give

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May 1-8 But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.”

Mark 10:14

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he adolescent journey is one of physical, mental and emotional transformation. The change mirrors the disciples’ growth in the Gospels as they seek to follow Jesus’ way of love. Youth ministry provides important space for teenagers to learn from mentors, reflect on experience, seek God in life’s challenges and connect with the wider Body of Christ.

experience that following Christ can mean stepping out of one’s comfort zone and standing apart from the crowd.

Pray for those who struggle to be free from the lure of peer approval, academic success, human achievement and beauty standards. Pray for youth who struggle with illness, family instability and abuse.

Pray for all those who serve God by loving, leading and learning alongside CBF Youth Ministry Network works to youth in our congregations. Pray for encourage, support and challenge all youth ministers whose gospel work those serving God and youth competes with soccer schedules, parents’ within the Cooperative Baptist expectations and teens’ fickle approval.

Fellowship. The network unites Say a prayer of thanksgiving for all those congregations over the common adult volunteers who offer support as calling to connect youth with God they embody Jesus’ promise that love through ministry that is authentic, never stands alone. Pray for those adults formative, mission-focused, who are coming to realize that their gifts relational, safe and sustainable. could be transformed into instruments of supportive presence, spiritual guidance Pray for youth within CBF and Biblical interpretation. congregations and beyond. Pray for those who are learning by

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hristopher Jones is a CBF church starter who serves as the pastor of Restoring Hope Fellowship in Carrollton, Texas.

After years of ministry and efforts to promote justice and a loving adherence to the gospel, a small group in the North Dallas/Denton area gathered to envision a new, innovative ministry. The group sought to promote young adult leadership, to integrate the social and behavioral sciences and technology with theology and to remember God’s call for rest. Out of this pursuit emerged the Restoring Hope Fellowship.

Pray that Restoring Hope Fellowship will continue to be faithful to its call to colabor with Christ to promote abundant life. Ask God to empower their efforts to help persons envision their potential in Christ and take the necessary steps to realize it.

May 9-15 Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine‌ Ephesians 3:20

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May 16-22 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us‌ Hebrews 12:1

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or 10 weeks each summer, undergraduate and graduate students have the opportunity to serve with congregations, CBF field personnel or ministry partners in meaningful experiences to discover their place within God’s mission to change the world.

Student.Church places interns in CBF partner churches that care about calling out future ministry leaders.

While being mentored by seasoned ministers, students explore the breadth of congregational life, including worship planning, connecting with a wide variety of people and taking time to understand church.

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Student.Go is a missions program of CBF that provides opportunities for students to serve with CBF field personnel and ministry partners as they live out CBF Global Missions commitments—cultivating beloved community, bearing witness to Jesus Christ, and seeking transformational development.

Please pray for the students serving, that they will remain open to seeing and experiencing God in new ways and that they will give of themselves and truly represent the love of Christ. Pray for the congregations and field personnel they work with in life-changing ministry.

Continue to pray for them during their summer experience.

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esignated a couple of years ago as the number one city for human trafficking in the United States, Houston, Texas, is a place of pain and suffering for victims of trafficking.

The Department of Justice estimates that as many as one in four victims of human trafficking passes through Houston at some point during their trafficking experience. Major airports, one of the world’s busiest ports, the I-10 corridor passing through the city and the proximity to the Mexico border are all reasons for Houston’s prominence in the industry.

Cities (CCHT – TX). Pray for protection for pastors and leaders as they teach about and bring awareness to the issue.

Pray that victims identified will be able to receive help and begin recovery. Pray for a greater awareness of labor trafficking, which is often overlooked. Pray for the Greens as they connect people and resources to bring an end to the purchasing and selling of human beings for the purposes of labor and sexual exploitation.

May 23-30 I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.

I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

Psalm 9:1-2

To address the issue, CBF field personnel Butch and Nell Green have helped to form a coalition of church and civic leaders between Texas gateway (border) cities and destination cities.

Pray for the work and advancement of the Coalition Combatting Human Trafficking Texas Gateway/Destination www.cbf.net/pray

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May Birthdays CH = Chaplain CST = Church Starter FP = Field Personnel

1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 8 8 8

Michael Coggins, Navarre, FL (CH) Bob Whitten, Springfield, VA (PC) Karen Borchert, Talbott, TN (CH) Cathy Cole, Aiken, SC (CH) Stephen Murphy, Hull, MA (CH) Deborah Reeves, Atlanta, GA (CH) Matthew Sherin, 2004, Mitchell, SD (FPC) Lynn Walker, Chickasha, OK (CST) Terry Wilson, Mt. Pleasant, SC (CH) Johann Choi, Decatur, GA (CH) Gary Metcalf, Kingsport, TN (CH) Skip Wisenbaker, Atlanta, GA (CH) Austin, 2004, Thailand (FPC) Bruce Gourley, Bozeman, MT (CST) Karen Long, Birmingham, AL (CH) Carol Dalton, Swannanoa, NC (CH) Terry Maples (S-Virginia) Rusty Elkins, Edmond, OK (CH) Bruce Hunter, Midlothian, VA (CST) Brenda Pace Jones, Hendersonville, NC (PC) 8 Christopher Jones, Carrolton, TX (CST)

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FPC = Child of Field Personnel PC = Pastoral Counselor S = CBF Staff Member

9 Rich Behers, Lakeland, FL (CH) 9 David Harding, Orlando, FL (FP) 9 Leigh Jackson, Austin, TX (CH) 11 Larry Ballew, China (FP) 11 Leah Boling, Waipahu, HI (CH) 11 Robbi Francovich, Emeritus (FP) 11 Jonna Garvin, Manassas, VA (CH) 11 Cy Miller, Marion, NC (CH) 12 Lori Irons-Crenshaw (S-Decatur) 13 Tracy Dunn, Hereford, TX (CH) 13 Samson Naidoo, Denison, TX (CH) 14 Doretha Bailey (S-Decatur) 14 Scott McBroom, Charleston, SC (PC) 14 JoAnne Morris, Louisville, KY (CH) 14 Rob Norman, North Brunswick, NC (CST) 15 Paula Settle, Eastern Kentucky (FP) 15 Kennard Weever, Lawrenceville, GA (CST) 16 Lauren Bass, Cambodia (FP) 16 Lauren Hall, Wilmore, KY (CH) 16 Steven Harris, Salem, VA (PC) 16 John Reeser, Sautee Nacoochee, GA (CH) 16 Alex Ruble, 2001, Southeast Asia (FPC)

16 17 17 17 17 18 18 18 18 19 19 20 20 20 20 21 21 21 22 22 22 22 23 23 23 23 23 24 24

Barry Wright, Jacksonville, FL (CST) Jennifer Call, Salem, VA (CH) Robert Duvall, Lawrenceville, GA (CH) Nell Green, Houston, TX (FP) Filip Zivanov, 1998, St. Louis, MO (FPC) Ciera Maas, 2003, Belize (FPC) Clay Polson, Waco, TX (CH) Christa Sfameni (S-Decatur) Greg Slate, Littleton, CO (CH) Mary Ahn, Round Lake, IL (CH) Gwyen Driskill-Dunn, Fort Worth, TX (CH) Eddie Hammett (S-North Carolina) Micah James, 1994, Haiti (FPC) Julie Perry, Charlottesville, VA (CH) Marcy Thomas, Brentwood, TN (CH) Carson Foushee, Japan (FP) Pat, New Jersey (FP) Ron Winstead, Emeritus (FP) Jon Ivy, Tuscaloosa, AL (CH) Gabe Lyon, 2005, Atlanta, GA (FPC) Steven Unger, Falls Church, VA (CH) Travis Yelton, Prattville, AL (CH) Cheryl Adamson, Conway, SC (CST) Polly Barnes, Brandon, MS (CH) Jared Neal, Atlanta, GA (CH) John Schumacher, Smyrna, GA (CH) Stephanie Vance (S-Decatur) Harold Phillips (S-Heartland) Paulette Porter-Hallmon, Spartanburg, SC (CH) 25 Brady Dennis (CST)

26 26 26 28 28 29 30 30 31 31

Valerie Hardy, Loganville, GA (CH) Hunter, Thailand (FP) Gerry Hutchinson (S-Decatur) Kenneth LeBon, Fayetteville, NC (CH) David Smith, Alpharetta, GA (PC) Aleesa Naish, Birmingham, AL (CH) Randy Ridenour, Norman, OK (CH) Winston Shearin, Jacksonville, NC (CH) Stacey Buford, Murfreesboro, TN (CH) LouRae Myhre-Weber, Twin Bridges, MT (CH) 31 Kelley Woggon, Louisville, KY (CH)

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ustin Payne serves as the teaching pastor of The Forum Christian Church in Houston, Texas, one of CBF's new church starts.

A graduate of Truett Seminary at Baylor University, he felt called to Northwest Houston — a very diverse and eclectic area — and to the task of sharing life and the gospel with Millennials and Generation Z. The Forum is centered on authentic, Christ-centered community, discipleship, and the recreation of the city. Their vision is to be a Christian community working to live life to the fullest through the process of discipleship while engrossed in the beauty of God and the restorative work of Jesus Christ.

that they will believe that the God of the Universe, Cosmic Jesus, can reach out and touch the people of The Forum, causing transformation, renewal and healing.

June 1-8 Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven.

Matthew 18:10-11

Pray that the Forum Christian Church can see Jesus in all that they do. Pray

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June 9-15 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

John 14:27

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s a family, we gather each year for fellowship, for inspiration, for worship and to do the business of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

This annual event is called the General Assembly.

No matter where we meet, people come from all over just to be a part of the celebration. Our hope is that

everyone will find something of interest.

Great speakers, amazing musicians, gifted workshop presenters and unique resources can all be found at Assembly.

None of this happens by accident. It takes an entire year to prepare for the Assembly. Pray for staff and volunteers who endeavor to execute this massive event. Pray for members of CBF’s boards, councils and committees who gather to do the work of the Fellowship.

Pray for the attendees, that the fresh ideas and relationships that are discovered at Assembly will continue to impact local churches and the Kingdom throughout the upcoming year.

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inistry is a marvelous calling and journey, but too often it is one traveled in loneliness and isolation. By providing opportunities to connect with other pastors, Minister Peer Learning Groups (PLGs) help the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship live into the idea that “we can do this alone or we can be a fellowship.”

Pray for the ministers involved in Peer Learning Groups, that they will find encouragement and friendship within their calling. Pray for more Peer Learning Groups to form, and pray for those ministers who are still traveling alone.

June 16-22 Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful.

The Lord protects the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.

Psalm 116:5-6

Over 100 PLGs of 6-12 members — stretched across the United States from the Pacific to the Atlantic and from New England to Florida — gather monthly for worship, spiritual growth, learning, sharing, fellowship and, above all, friendship along the journey. PLGs come in all shapes and sizes — pastors, all ministers, male, female, coed, all Baptist, ecumenical and more. There is not a single model or a cookie cutter approach.

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June 23-30 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.

Romans 12:9-10

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thiopia ranks as the third poorest country in the world and suffers from chronic and acute disasters such as drought and lack of access to safe drinking water. The most vulnerable people live in villages on the edge of existence, enduring incredible hardship in extreme living conditions.

In the midst of this suffering, God loves them and has decked them with “majesty and dignity� (Job 40:10). Unfortunately, many have forgotten this great reality and have become trapped with a mindset of dependency and hopelessness. Since 2006, CBF has assisted in the formation of over 500 Sustainable Living Teams (SLTs) to reverse the mindset at the root of extreme poverty and to offer opportunity and hope.

SLTs are primarily comprised of 15 to 20 of the poorest women who selforganize to learn new skill sets that will increase their income and general wellbeing. They voluntarily gather weekly to learn how to save and loan their own money in a safe place where trust and love can grow. A dynamic learning process is integrated into team life that helps restore personal dignity, respect, responsibility and leadership for the common good. Once this transformation begins, SLTs become eager to learn other critical behaviors such as drinking clean water, practicing good sanitation and hygiene, producing more food and linking with government and church resources that were initially out of reach.

SLTs are a great example of forming for transformation by cultivating beloved communities in the Spirit of Christ.

1 Thong Lun, Houston, TX (CH) 1 Betsy Young (S-Decatur) 2 Carmen Beard (S-Decatur) 2 Caitlyn Furr (S-Decatur) 2 Susan Hunter, Troy, VA (CST) 2 Inakali Kuruvilla, San Antonio, TX (CH) 3 Susan Arnold, La Grange, KY (CH) 5 Stacy Sergent, Mount Pleasant, SC (CH) 5 David Smelser, Lucedale, MS (CH) 6 Erskine Alvis, Black Mountain, NC (CH) 6 Wayne Bruner, Augusta, GA (CH) 6 Linda Cross, San Antonio, TX (FP) 6 Todd DeLaney, Alexandria, VA (CH) 6 Greg McClain, Lillington, NC (CH) 6 Norberto Prado, Oak Ridge, TN (CST) 7 Bill Peeler, Cambodia (FP) 7 Diana Place, Tucson, AZ (CH) 7 Gary Skeen (S-Decatur) 7 Butch Stillwell, Candler, NC (CH) 8 Larry Lawhon, Stephens City, VA (CH) 8 Janice Newell, Emeritus (FP) 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 Sara Stubbs, Monroe, NC (CH) 9 Patricia Taylor, Tuscaloosa, AL (CH) 9 Doug Wiggington, Pineville, LA (CH) 10 Cindy Goza, Little Rock, AR (CH) 10 Christopher McDaniel, Charleston, SC (CH) 10 Ansia Picou, NY (CH)

10 10 11 12 12 12 13 13 14 14 15 15 15 16 17

Michael Osment, Martin, TN (CH) Kim Wyatt, Raleigh, NC (FP) Joshua Hearne, Danville, VA (FP) Mark Chambers, Ness City, KS (CH) Emma Jane Conley, Round Rock, TX (CH) Brady Lanoue, Danville, VA (CH) Richard Forest, Louisville, KY (CH) Kim Thompson, Columbia, SC (CH) Chaouki Boulos, Lebanon (FP) Tracey Lopez, Vienna, VA (CH) Robbin Mundy, Fairview, NC (CST) Josh Speight (S-Decatur) Melissa Whaley, Winston-Salem, NC (CH) Kimberly Emery, Hartville, OH (CH) Linda Jones, Winston-Salem, NC (S-North Carolina/CST) 18 Bill Hayes, Bogart, GA (CH) 18 George Linney, Durham, NC (CST) 20 Tim Johns, San Diego, CA (CH) 20 Wanda Kidd (S-North Carolina) 20 Jeff Lancaster, Cartwright, OK (CH) 20 Cherry Moore, Bryan, TX (CH) 20 Lonnie Turner, Emeritus (FP) 21 Jim Cook, Salisbury, NC (CH) 21 Susan Harthon, Indianapolis, IN (CH) 21 Jeff Hoppe, Albuquerque, NM (CH) 21 Ken Lake, Fort Mill, SC (CH) 21 Adam Page, Kingsport, TN (CH) 22 Sharon Eldridge, Smithfield, NC (CH) 22 Joanne Henley, Winston-Salem, NC (CH) 22 Kirk, Thailand (FP) 22 Jessica Prophitt, Palmetto, GA (CH)

June Birthdays CH = Chaplain CST = Church Starter FP = Field Personnel

23 23 23 23 23 24 26 26 26 27 28 28 28 29 29 29 30 30 30 30

FPC = Child of Field Personnel PC = Pastoral Counselor S = CBF Staff Member

Andrew, 1998, Thailand (FPC) Sarah Ballew, China (FP) David Lowe, Fort Worth, TX (CH) Helen McNeely, Emeritus (FP) Dustin Payne, Houston, TX (CST) Robert Fulkerson, Tulia, TX (CH) Elias Crosby, Lilburn, GA (CH) Michael Ferguson, El Paso, TX (CH) Anna Jacks, Birmingham, AL (CH) Alicia Lee, Macedonia (FP) Michael Brainerd, Alexandria, VA (CH) Roger Rich, Lexington, SC (CH) Scott Sterling, Whispering Pines, NC (CH) Kevin Adams, Cincinnati, OH (CH) Jeni Cook, Poquoson, VA (CH) Carrie McGuffin (S-Decatur) Ira Campbell, Nashville, TN (CH) Margaret Guenther, Richmond, VA (PC) Amy Holtz, Richmond, VA (CH) Gail McAlister (S-North Carolina)

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Our Sense of Taste

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h, the vastness of the experience of taste! The sweetness and bitterness balancing each other out as life is shared.

Taste is the doorway to expanding our palates, whether through the hospitality of sharing a meal or the willingness to experience the flavors of new cultures.

When Jonathan and I first moved to Indonesia, there were several foods that did not suit my palate, but now most of those foods are the ones I love best.

Exploring new tastes is like experiencing a different culture. Learning new ways to connect is often a struggle in the beginning of living in a new and

unfamiliar place. But just as my palate changed as I grew to love Indonesian food, new experiences — often uncomfortable in the beginning — may eventually become your favorites.

We see how important food was in the life and ministry of Jesus. He took time to eat, drink and hang out, building community in the most natural way — sharing life and food. We still have much to learn from his example.

O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him.

Psalm 34:8

for me to be willing to step outside the familiar to learn and love something not yet known and experienced.

May your prayer today be one that motivates you to expand your palate and savor the tastes of the unfamiliar. Savor it and let it settle into your awareness.

Savoring what is happening around us — sitting, waiting, watching — takes time.

Although it may not feel productive, it is the work of cultivating fellowship with others. It is at the heart of ministry Savoring Community watercolor on paper

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Why Give?

When we give to CBF, we empower our ministers and field personnel to offer grace and hospitality to everyone they encounter. Our gifts encourage them to invite people to Christ’s banquet table where everyone is able to taste the bread of life and the cup of salvation.

Visit www.cbf.net/give

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July 1-8 See, you shall call nations that you do not know, and nations that do not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you.

Isaiah 55:5

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BF’s Associate Coordinator of Global Missions Sam Harrell believes that the dignity of persons is enhanced when they are engaged in meaningful and productive work, work that is in harmony with their community and environment. Sam enjoyed his years working to engage African communities in expanding opportunities for sustainable livelihood that translates into more abundant life.

Through these activities, the health of children improves, opportunities for education for girls increases and the future is more secure.

One partner in this effort is a work among the Masai people bordering the Mara/Serengeti eco-system in Kenya.

The Maa Trust provides training for women in bead-making, helping them to enhance their skill in this craft while providing income for their families. Bee keeping is another activity that translates into a sustainable product that enhances

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environmental conservation in the region. Both of these provide alternatives to traditional cattle-keeping, the growth of which has begun to threaten the surrounding eco-system, and stretch available resources to unsustainable limits.

When the lives of people are enhanced, God is glorified. More abundant life can translate into fertile ground for giving and receiving, including the sharing of the love of Jesus. Sam and Melody Harrell are thankful to have played a part in supporting the development of opportunities and outreach that this and similar organizations are dedicated to.

Please pray that as skills continue to be enhanced, the benefit will spread to more families and to whole communities.

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abbath. Sabbatical. A time of rest, of stepping away from the work in order to renew. These are critical (and biblical) needs that many ministers are unable to make time for in our fast-paced, 24/7 world, where clergy are regularly exposed to new dimensions of stress. Study after study has shown that the health of ministers is on a downward spiral, and recent research has shown that ministers suffer from maladies like obesity, hypertension and depression at higher rates than most Americans.

Pray for our ministers experiencing sabbatical now. Pray for the ministers who are seeking rest and renewal.

Pray for our churches as they invest in the longevity of the minister through sabbatical. Pray for a time of renewal for the congregation during sabbatical.

July 9-15 I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!

John 16:33

CBF’s Sabbatical Initiative offers resources to both ministers and congregations to assist in planning this life-giving experience. Churches are making space for ministers to find rest and renewal. Ministers are taking time to do the precious work of caring for themselves. Together, they are investing in the health of both the congregation and the minister, leading to a longer tenure and renewed energy for ministry. www.cbf.net/pray

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July 16-23 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

Romans 8:31

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haplain Christensen serves as an army chaplain for the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment at Fort Drum, NY. As a battalion chaplain, Dave is responsible to provide religious support for over 800 soldiers and their families. He also serves on the pastoral staff of Chapel Next Fort Drum, where over 300 people worship every Sunday. He has been deployed to combat twice, serving in Iraq in 20082009 and Afghanistan in 2015-2016.

He has also been deployed to West Point, NY, where his unit led the cadet summer training for the United States Military Academy in 2016. Dave and his wife, Meredith, met in college and have been married for 17 years and have four children.

Dave asks that you pray for the physical, psychological and spiritual safety of his soldiers. He also covets your prayer for his counseling ministry as many soldiers come to him with heavy emotional and spiritual burdens.

Please pray for the families of his soldiers to have peace in times of anxiety, rest in times of exhaustion and hope in times of despair. Pray for Dave to have wisdom and discernment as he advises his commander on religion, morality, morale and ethics. Dave asks for you to pray for his family as they support him in a ministry that often requires long periods of separation and for his own spiritual health as he seeks to be more like Jesus.

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uman trafficking is the slavery of our time. Women who have been trafficked often have been subjected to profound trauma, both physical and mental. They also face social rejection, discrimination and humiliation in their own society and in the one for which they are forced to work. In our communities, there are urgent needs and great opportunities to provide these women with various forms of assistance.

It may be just a smile or small gift to let them know they are not forgotten, or it can take the form of health care, occupational training or emotional support.

of the differences they are making in the local community is to reach out and minister to the prostitutes who work the streets. This “ladies-in-waiting” ministry has already made an impact in the lives of over 30 prostitutes coming from the countries of Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, France, Ghana and Nigeria.

Please pray for the “ladies-in-waiting” ministry. Pray specifically for the prostitutes who have found themselves trafficked or trapped in this profession and for the women working to make a difference through this ministry.

July 24-31 We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 1:2-3

In Strasbourg, France, a group of international women from local churches have joined together through “The Difference” international women’s ministry. This group of women aims to recognize the difference God makes in their individual lives and then to make a difference in the lives of others. One www.cbf.net/pray

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July Birthdays CH = Chaplain CST = Church Starter FP = Field Personnel

1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 7

Alysia Pennington (S-Decatur) Debra Walters, Lawrenceville, GA (CH) Jennifer Dockum, Ashland, VA (CH) Aaron Mussat, Shreveport, LA (CH) Steven Smith, Springfield, MO (CH) Kyle Tubbs, Round Rock, TX (CST) Nathanael Ballew, 1994, China (FPC) Elizabeth Ellis, Crestwood, KY (PC) Brenda Lee, Williamsburg, VA (CH) Ascanio Peguero, Fort Worth, TX (CH) Meagan Smith (S-Decatur) Coy Callicott, Spartanburg, SC (CH) Jeff Fryer, Murfreesboro, TN (CH) Amy Dills-Moore, Atlanta, GA (CH) Bob Potts, Emeritus (FP) Mark Snipes (S-Virginia) Shelah Acker, Uganda (FP) Sam Harrell (S-Decatur) Debbie Kubo, Arlington, TX (CH) William Womack, Columbia, MO (CH) Barbara Dail, Greenville, NC (CH) Steven Flowers, Waynesboro, VA (PC)

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FPC = Child of Field Personnel PC = Pastoral Counselor S = CBF Staff Member

7 Julie Rowan, Washington, DC (CH) 7 P. Randall Wright, Rockhill, SC (CH) 8 Ruth Perkins-Lee (S-Decatur) 8 Renato Santos, Miami, FL (CH) 8 Steve Sexton, Knoxville, TN (CH) 8 Robert Summers, Lexington, KY (CH) 9 Miriam Dakin, Lynchburg, VA (CH) 10 John Helms, Jefferson, GA (CH) 10 Heather Rothermel, Lilburn, GA (CH) 10 Whitney Edwards Russell, Whiteville, NC (CH) 10 Tiffne Whitley, France (FP) 11 Allie McNary, 1995, Slovakia (FPC) 11 Steven Shaw, Jacksonsville, NC (CH) 12 ________, North Africa (FP) 12 Christopher Morris, Winston-Salem, NC (CH) 12 Stacey Pickering, Laurel, MS (CH) 12 Mark Podgaisky, 1999, Ukraine (FPC) 12 Jerell Wesley, Rembert, SC (CH) 13 Craig Stevens, Saluda, SC (CH) 14 John Deal, Emeritus (FP)

14 15 15 16 16 17 17 17 17 17 18 18 18 19 19 20 21 21 21 21 21 21 21 22 22 22 22 23 23 24 24 24

Denise Massey, Lilburn, GA (CH) Jean Randolph, Swannanoa, NC (CH) James Tippins, Fernandina Beach, FL (CH) Mark Hart, Fair Oaks Ranch, TX (CH) David McDaniel, Kansas City, MO (CH) Wayne Boyd, Honolulu, HI (CH) Caleb, 1996, Thailand (FPC) Cindy Meadows, Roanoke, VA (CH) Leanna Pearse, St. Louis, MO (CH) Kimberly Sheehan, Nashville, TN (CH) David Graves, Atlanta, GA (CH) Timothy Hunter, Gatesville, TX (CH) Tom O’Neal, Charlotte, NC (PC) Steven Hill, Knoxville, TN (CH) Jason Pittman, Miami, FL (FP) Tim Mayhall, Birmingham, AL (CH) _______, daughter, Turkey (FPC) Peter Arges, Durham, NC (CH) Susan Lanford, Wichita Falls, TX (CH) Twyla Nelson, Jackson Springs, NC (CH) Keith Tekell, Beaumont, TX (CH) Walter White, Arlington, TX (CH) Lavonia Winford, Doraville, GA (CH) Steve Abbe, Waco, TX (CST) Jessie Kearns, Abbeville, SC (CH) Dorothy Potts, Emeritus (FP) Bonnie Reedy, Lumberton, NC (CH) Butch Green, Houston, TX (FP) Mark Traeger, Peoria, IL (CH) Glynn Ford, Reston, VA (PC) Jeff Huett (S-Atlanta) Laurel Link, Winston-Salem, NC (PC)

24 26 26 27 27 28 28 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 30 30 30 31 31 31

Ronald Oliver, Goshen, KY (CH) Scott Jensen, Saint Joseph, MO (CH) Rick Sample, San Francisco, CA (FP) Peter Ott, Oak Harbor, WA (CH) Sandra Smith, Moore, SC (CH) Emily, 2000, Thailand (FPC) Daniel Fairchild, Goldsboro, NC (CH) Michal Patrik Brunclik, 2006, Czech Republic (FPC) Wayne Morris, Lawton, OK (CH) Carrie Tuning, Roanoke Rapids, NC (CST) William (Butch) Wise, Spokane, WA (CH) Karen Morrow, Aledo, TX (FP) Martha Crocker Strong, Olive Branch, MS (CST) Briana Whaley, Clearwater, FL (CH) Paul Byrd, Birmingham, AL (CH) James Francovich, Emeritus (FP) Garnett White, Midlothian, VA (PC) Amber Blackwell-Childers, Inman, SC (CH) Cindy Thorpe, Greenwood, SC (CH) James Tille, Lakewood, WA (PC)

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ho am I? What am I to do with my life? How do I find my place in God’s world?

These are the perennial questions that face every generation of college and graduate students seeking to be faithful followers of Jesus. Many factors and influences make it difficult for students to process life experiences and to wrestle with such questions. Society at large, family members, professors, and even church leaders place expectations on their lives, making it confusing at times to pursue their callings, much less to hear the voice of God. In the context of Selah Vie, CBF’s annual end-of-summer retreat for young adults in college and graduate school, participants are encouraged to put their lives on hold in order to regain balance and find their center.

Throughout the unhurried rhythms of the retreat, students worship, pray, reflect in small groups, play and have

intentional conversations focused on the particular stage of life in which they find themselves. Some students will process a particular experience like a church internship, mission placement or camp staff assignment. These students will be anxious to let down their hair and breathe after a long and intense summer of service. Others will come ready to meet God and to be refreshed for the next stage of their journeys.

August 1-8 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

1 Peter 2:9

Pray that students will meet God at Selah Vie. Pray for this year’s leaders as they help students understand the all-demanding nature of discipleship. Pray also that the small groups will be able to form deep spiritual community to allow for healing and growth. Thank God for the opportunity that Cooperative Baptists have to walk alongside young adults in their exploration of faith. www.cbf.net/pray

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August 9-15 Therefore, brothers and sisters, holy partners in a heavenly calling, consider that Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses also “was faithful in all God’s house.”

Hebrews 3:1-2

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avid and Lauren Bass are recently-appointed CBF field personnel serving in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The Basses are partnering with the Cambodia Baptist Union, supporting its country-wide church planting movement. Christians make up less than one percent of the population of Cambodia, but the CBU has a goal to plant churches in each of Cambodia’s 13,869 villages.

David and Lauren are working to equip Cambodian churches to engage their communities holistically through developing church leadership programs for pastors and church planters and through exploring opportunities for economic development projects.

Pray for David and Lauren as they learn to speak, read and write the Khmer language. Pray that God would raise up a community of people around them who will provide emotional, spiritual and ministry support during the transition phase of their lives in this country. Pray for Cambodian pastors as they minister to their churches and share the gospel throughout Cambodia.

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ayne Weathers, a CBF new church starter, serves as the pastor and organizer of Vision of Hope Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Pa. Vision of Hope is a multigenerational church that focuses on inreach and out-reach ministry, providing hope in Jesus Christ to members of the congregation and community through practicing spiritual disciplines.

Thank God for the joy Wayne has experienced during his journey to organize and establish Vision of Hope.

Pray that the church will continue to walk by faith. Pray that they will always seek to find innovative ways to show others the Kingdom of God.

August 16-23 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

John 10:11

While pastoring another congregation in Philadelphia, Weathers felt a call from God to launch a church in the city that would provide hope to individuals dealing with challenges and despair in their lives. The mission of the church is to go out into the city to create disciples who can minister to both the congregation and the Strawberry Mansion community of Philadephia.

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August 24-31 When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be left for the alien, the orphan, and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all your undertakings.

Deuteronomy 24:19

K

im Wyatt, CBF field personnel working in North Carolina, first met Abdul, a 50-year-old refugee, when he came unannounced to her English as a Second Language class. He had been resettled in the U.S. about a year prior. Until recently, he had a job and was taking care of himself.

But his job ended and with it came the realization, once again, that he was not from here. He spoke very little English.

He could not read or even write his own name.

The first hour of class, it was obvious that Abdul did not want to be there.

He was there because he had to learn the language of his new homeland.

On that day the lesson was on making introductions.

“My name is Kim. What is your name?”

The class took turns practicing these simple sentences. Abdul stood up, opened his wallet and took out a small

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piece of paper. On the paper, a friend had written Abdul’s name. If and when he needed to share his name with someone, he would show them the paper.

He had done this for most of his first year in Raleigh.

By the end of that first morning, Abdul was able to introduce himself to his classmates. He didn’t need that folded piece of paper anymore.

These small steps Abdul is taking are bringing him closer every day towards an understanding of what it means to be created in the image of God. Please pray for Abdul and others like him who have found their way to safety at the end of the Refugee Highway.

Pray for Kim and Marc Wyatt, CBF Advocates for Internationals serving the needs of immigrants and refugees in North Carolina’s Research Triangle.

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Steven Safreed, Waynesville, NC (CH) Stephen Saunders, Live Oak, TX (CH) Mike Beach, Knoxville, TN (CH) Mina Podgaisky, Ukraine (FP) Scott Uzzel, Marietta, GA (CH) Mary Ellen Yates, Louisville, KY (PC) Hannah, 1999, Thailand (FPC) Paisley, 2012, Southeast Asia (FPC) Mark Pruitt, Martinsburg, WV (CH) Diane Stamey, Clyde, NC (PC) Matthew Wysocki, Augusta, GA (CH) Susan Allen, Midway, KY (CH) John Henson, Shreveport, LA (CST) Ronald Howard, Tuscaloosa, AL (CH) Donald Lederer, Kingsport, TN (CH) Mary, Thailand (FP) John Oliver, Durham, NC (CH) Larry Hamm, Greenwood, IN (CH) Deborah Jenkins, Novato, CA (CH) Merrie Harding, Orlando, FL (FP) Janée Angel, Belgium (FP) LuAnne Prevost, Knoxville, TN (CH) Donald Robinson, Spring, TX (CH) Jon Wyatt, 1995, Raleigh, NC (FPC) Elizabeth Sample, 1998, San Francisco, CA (FPC) 10 Elliott Sample, 2004, San Francisco, CA (FPC) 11 Robbie Byrd, Fayetteville, NC (PC) 11 Justin Murphy, Leesburg, FL (CH) 11 Karen Rector, Jacksonville, FL (CH) 12 Charline Berry, Baltimore, MD (CH)

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Chris Boltin (S-Decatur) Rudolfo Rodriguez, Kernersville, NC (CST) Clyde Angel, Indianapolis, IN (CH) Rodney Bolejack, Denton, TX (CH) Thomas Dougherty, Mechanicsville, VA (PC) Martha Kate Hall (S-Georgia) Wayne Maberry, Alturas, FL (CH) Fortino Ocampo, Siler City, NC (CST) Johnny Taylor, Plano, TX (CH) Mike, Southeast Asia (FP) Daniel Shadix, Prattville, AL (CH) Don McNeely, Emeritus (FP) Joe Moffitt, Wetmore, CO (CH) Susan Rogers, Jacksonville, FL (CST) Anna Sample, 2001, San Francisco, CA (FPC) Ben Craver, San Antonio, TX (CH) Ron Fairley (S-Decatur) Thomas Riley, Wilson, NC (CH) Brickson Sam, Charlotte, NC (CST) Jennifer Graham (S-Decatur) Kaela Ruble, 1998, Southeast Asia (FPC) Adam Stovall (S-Decatur) Joyce Cleary, Emeritus (FP) Reid Doster (S-Louisiana) Jim Ivey, New Albany, IN (CH) Sharon Spivey, Wilmington, NC (CH) Alice Tremaine, Corbin, KY (CH) Doug Brown, Franklin, IN (CH) Daniel Hix, Maryville, TN (CH) Ana Podgaisky, 2001, Ukraine (FPC)

August Birthdays CH = Chaplain CST = Church Starter FP = Field Personnel

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Mike Bumgarner, Norman, OK (CH) Keith Little, New Bern, NC (CH) Allen Williams, Rising Star, TX (FP) Richard Woodall, Memphis, TN (CH) Marc Wyatt, Raleigh, NC (FP) Timothy Boschen, Waynesboro, VA (CH) Craig Klempnauer, Hewitt, TX (CH) Brian Wilson, Louisville, KY (CH) Arville Earl, Emeritus (FP) Robert McMillan, Oklahoma City, OK (CH) Cindy Ruble, Southeast Asia (FP) Alan Tyson, Rogers, AR (CH) Bernie Calaway, Franklin, NC (CST) Jim Kirkendall, New Orleans, LA (CH) Verr Dean Williams, Rising Star, TX (FP) Sarah Greenfield, Richmond, VA (CH) David Morrell, Jacksonville, FL (CH) Randal Walton, Lynchburg, VA (CH) Pam Foster, Haslet, TX (CH) Teresa Darnell, Louisville, TN (CH) Becky Buice Hall (S-Decatur) Stacey Painter, Charleston, SC (CH)

FPC = Child of Field Personnel PC = Pastoral Counselor S = CBF Staff Member

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Karen Sherin, Mitchell, SD (FP) Karr La Dickens, Emeritus (FP) Michael Pimpo, Grayslake, IL (CST) Cecelia Walker, Montgomery, AL (CH)

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