April 18, 2016 Illinois Baptist

Illinois Baptist

Will I see you in St. Louis?

Nate Adams on the upcoming Convention P. 2

Holding Out Hope

Illinois team aids impoverished women in South Asia

It’s a 3-way race for SBC President

St. Louis | It’s a three-man race for president of the Southern Baptist Convention. David Crosby, pastor of New Orleans’ First Baptist Church, has joined Steve Gaines and J.D. Greear in a trio of candidates messengers will consider when the Convention convenes in St. Louis June 13-14.

Fellow New Orleans pastor and former SBC president Fred Luter will nominate Crosby in St. Louis. “I have watched David the last 10 years here in New Orleans as he has taken the leadership of all the churches and pastors of our city in helping to rebuild New Orleans, which everybody knows was totally destroyed

[in 2005] in Hurricane Katrina,” Luter told Baptist Press.

“I saw how he was able to get a lot of things done to get the city back up and running,” Luter said, noting Crosby’s “passion for the Body of Christ and for our convention....I can see that same passion he had for our city leading the Southern Baptist Convention.”

Crosby’s fellow candidates are also southern pastors: Gaines leads Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tenn., and Greear pastors The Summit Church in Raleigh-Dur-

ham, N.C. Each candidate’s ministry was profiled in separate Baptist Press articles including their churches’ missions giving. Giving through the Cooperative Program— Southern Baptists’ unified program of supporting North American and global missions and ministries—is a key issue for Baptists as they elect leaders to the denomination’s top post.

The number most often reported is the percentage of its undesignated offerings that a church gives through CP. FBC New Orleans currently forwards 7% of undesignated receipts

Workplace Mission Field

DIANA DAVIS P. 13

NATE ADAMS

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM

“In a world where the blending of religion and politics is seen as increasingly dangerous and extreme, it’s not a surprise to see young people hesitant about granting political influence to a religious document of any kind.”

– Roxanne Stone, Barna Group

Culture: Bible makes for better politics

51% of Americans say politics would be more civil if politicians engaged in regular Bible reading.

Millennials: More skeptical than their elders

People who think the Bible has too little influence on U.S. society:

– Barna.org, March 2016

Budget Goal: $1,696,154

Received to date in 2015: $1,643,998

2016 Goal: $6.3 Million

The Illinois Baptist staff

Editor - Eric Reed

Graphic Designer - Kris Kell

Contributing Editor - Lisa Sergent

Editorial Contributor - Meredith Flynn

Administrative Assistant - Andrea Hammond

For questions about subscriptions, articles, or upcoming events, contact the Illinois Baptist at (217) 391-3110 or IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org

The Illinois Baptist is seeking news from IBSA churches. E-mail us at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org to tell us about special events and new ministry staff.

POSTMASTER: The Illinois Baptist is owned and published every three weeks by the Illinois Baptist State Association, 3085 Stevenson Drive, Springfield, Illinois 62703-4440. Subscriptions are free to Illinois Baptists. Subscribe online at IBSA.org

See you in St. Louis?

When the national Southern Baptist Convention convenes in St. Louis on June 14, I’m hoping there will be a record number of messengers from Illinois churches present. Among the cities where the SBC has met in recent years, St. Louis is certainly the most accessible to a majority of Illinois churches. But convenience isn’t the main reason I’m hoping to see hundreds, even thousands of messengers from Illinois.

First, this is an important SBC presidential election year. As President Ronnie Floyd is completing his second one-year term, three pastors have announced their intent to be nominated. As in the campaign for U. S. President, there are clear and important differences to be found in the leadership records, public statements, and declared priorities of each person seeking to lead the SBC into the future.

In fact, this year’s candidates have notable differences, not just in ministry experience, but in doctrinal conviction and missions cooperation. Messengers will want to study these in advance of the Convention, and arrive prepared to support the nominee who best represents not only their own churches’ practices and convictions, but also the direction they feel is best for our Great Commission cooperation as Baptist churches in the future.

Through the Illinois Baptist, IBSA.org, and other channels, IBSA is providing churches with objective information about and from the SBC President nominees and other issues anticipated at the Convention. IBSA will host a reception for Illinois Baptists at the St. Louis convention center on Monday night following the Pastors’ Conference and just prior to the convention’s start on Tuesday morning. So please, stay engaged and informed!

It’s also important that representatives from your church arrive as registered messengers, and not just as guests. Remember to elect messengers in advance at a church business meeting and register them online if possible. If you need help with this process, contact us here at IBSA.

A second important reason for coming to St. Louis is the evangelistic opportunity called Crossover that takes place just prior to the Convention. In fact, many Illinois churches could participate in Crossover on Saturday, June 11, return to worship in their own churches on June 12, and return for the Pastors’ Conference and Convention the following week.

Metro East Baptist Association Director of Missions Ronny Carroll and others have been representing the Illinois side of the river in planning this emphasis, which includes a variety of volunteer opportunities. You can find a complete listing online at meba.org/crossover-st-louis-2016/.

The people of the cities where the annual SBC is hosted certainly notice when Southern Baptists come to town. The Southern Baptist Convention is a major event, often covered in the news. Church messengers saturate the convention center, hotels and restaurants, and sometimes outside protesters try to step into the spotlight to advance their agendas.

This very public setting provides a wonderful opportunity for thousands of evangelistic volunteers to come and bring the host city both sacrificial service and the good news of the gospel. What takes place in the reporting, worship and business sessions of the SBC meeting itself is vitally important, and worth our time as messengers from Illinois churches, especially this year. And what takes place out in the streets at Crossover can be eternally significant to those who may meet Christ there. It’s well worth our time, both in St. Louis and in our own communities. And these are two very good reasons why I hope I will see you in St. Louis.

Nate Adams is executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association. Respond at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org.

Snapshots from the world of Illinois Baptists

What takes place at the convention is important— in the meetings and in the streets.

Judge rules against Illinois B&B

Paxton | The owners of an Illinois inn have one year to provide their facilities to a samesex couple to celebrate their civil union, an Illinois Human Rights Commission judge said March 22. The ruling also includes an $80,000 fine for Jim and Beth Walder, who own the Timber Creek Bed and Breakfast near Paxton.

In 2011 Todd Wathen contacted the Walders about holding a civil union ceremony at the B&B.

Walder used Scripture to explain why the inn wouldn’t host a same-sex ceremony.

Judge Michael Robinson said Walder’s statements and scriptural citations were evidence of discrimination, according to a report by World magazine, calling it “direct evidence of Walder’s discriminatory animosity towards their sexual orientation.”

Walder responded to the judge’s decision in an e-mailed statement, printed online by the Ford County Record in Paxton. “In our opinion, neither the state of Illinois nor the U.S. Supreme Court has the authority to tamper with the definition of marriage….We

may be out of step with an increasingly antiChristian culture, but we are in compliance with God’s design, and that is what ultimately matters.

“To be absolutely clear, we cannot host a same-sex wedding even though fines and penalties have been imposed by the Illinois Human Rights Commission. Our policy will not be changing....When the heavy hand of government tries to force us as Christians to embrace sinful behavior, we have a moral obligation to resist and stand for Biblical truth.”

– From Baptist Press

Defibrillators to honor DR worker

Galatia | An Illinois Disaster Relief volunteer died of a heart attack March 29 while aiding flood victims in Leesville, Louisiana. Don Fulkerson, 77, was a member of First Baptist Church of Galatia. He was serving with a team from his church, his fifteenth callout in four years of service.

“We appreciate so much Don’s and Margie’s service, along with so many other devoted Disaster Relief volunteers,” said IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams, “and we are confident that Don’s life and sacrifice will bring eternal rewards, both to him and to the lives he touched.”

A funeral was held Saturday, April 2, at the church. “The service was a genuine celebration of a life spent in service of Christ,” said IBSA’s DR coordinator, Rex Alexander. “Many testimonies were shared of his service in the local church as well Disaster Relief ministry. The family felt over-

whelmed by the support and encouragement of family and friends, the Louisiana Baptist Disaster Relief leadership, and North American Mission Board leadership.”

The Louisiana Baptist Convention assisted with return of Fulkerson’s body to Illinois. And Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards reached out to Fulkerson’s widow, Margie. “He called while she was at the beauty shop so he left her a message on the answering machine, which now she can play over to the kids and grandkids,” explained Debbie Porter, a fellow DR volunteer.

In honor of Fulkerson, DR volunteers are raising funds to purchase AED defibrillator machines for the Illinois DR trailers at a cost of $965 each. To contribute, contact Cathy Dudley from Williamson Association at (618) 889-0750.

Wins and losses for religious liberty

Three states acted on religious liberty bills with results that both cheered and dismayed:

Mississippi

The “Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act,” signed by Gov. Phil Bryant April 5, forbids the state to discriminate against anyone who declines to provide wedding services—photography, flowers, and such—based on religious grounds. The law also upholds gender-specific restrooms and locker rooms if the definitions are based on religious grounds. Christian leaders are pleased; homosexual and transgender activists are not.

Georgia

After corporations including Apple, Coca-Cola, and the NFL called for Nathan Deal to veto his state’s religious liberty bill, the Georgia governor did so on March 28, disappointing many Christian leaders. Deal, a Baptist, suggested the First Amendment and the Declaration of Independence are sufficient to protect religious liberty. Russell Moore, president of the SBC’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, tweeted that Deal’s “sell-out to big business pressure on religious freedom [is] one more example of what serving Mammon does to the common good.”

North Carolina

State lawmakers are standing up for anatomically correct restrooms with the Public Facilities Privacy and Security Act passed March 23. It prohibits discrimination against people based on their gender, but the bill defines gender as that on the person’s birth certificate. The legislature passed the bill to preempt local laws, such as a new Charlotte ordinance that would have barred discrimination in public accommodations based on “gender identity, gender expression” and “sexual orientation.”

The new state law already is facing a federal court challenge: Transgender activists filed a suit March 28 alleging the act violates the 14th Amendment and Title IX of the federal Education Amendments of 1972.

– From Baptist Press reports

Get breaking news in The Briefing online, posted every Tuesday at www.ib2news.org.

DON FULKERSON

Demands Christian innkeepers host same-sex ceremony

Platt denies endorsing Greear in rap video

International Mission Board President David Platt says he wasn’t aware he would appear on a campaign video for Southern Baptist Convention President nominee J.D. Greear, according to a report by the Louisiana Baptist Message. The video, made by Ashley Unzicker (creator of a 2014 Baptist history rap), features cameos by SBC leaders, including Platt, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission President Russell Moore, and Southeastern Seminary President Danny Akin, saying the line “It’s tricky.” (The rap is set to Run-D.M.C.’s 1986 song of the same name.)

According to the Baptist Message, Platt told an IMB trustee via email March 23 that he was overseas when Greear asked him to shoot the 2-second video clip, but he wasn’t aware how it would be used.

“Please be assured (and please assure anyone who asks you about it) that I am not personally (and we are certainly not organizationally) endorsing anyone for SBC president,” Platt wrote. He said he would “be thrilled” to serve alongside Greear or Steve Gaines, the pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tenn., who was announced as a candidate March 9, or “any other faithful Southern Baptist pastor who might be nominated to serve in this important role.”

The third candidate for SBC president, David Crosby, pastor of First Baptist Church of New Orleans, was announced on March 24, after Platt made his statement.

Passion band to play Pastors’ Conference

The Passion band will lead worship during the Southern Baptist Pastors’ Conference Monday sessions in St. Louis. The band is known for massive gatherings of young Christians, as well as some of the most familiar praise and worship songs sung around the world. Passion’s newest album, “Salvation’s Tide is Rising,” reached number one on Billboard’s chart of top Christian albums.

The SBC Pastors’ Conference begins Sunday evening, June 12, at the America’s Center in St. Louis.

From the front: SBC candidates & their churches’ CP giving

through CP, while Bellevue’s percentage in 2014 was 3.8. In 2013-14, The Summit Church reported $150,000 in CP giving—a combination of monies sent directly to the SBC Executive Committee and given through the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. The total amounted to 1% of undesignated receipts.

Great Commission Giving— a category that encompasses giving through CP as well as direct gifts to SBC entities, local associations, and state convention ministries— is reported by two of the churches on their Annual Church Profiles (ACP).

David Crosby

During the 20 years Crosby has pastored FBCNO, the church has given 7-15% of its undesignated receipts through CP. That level of CP giving persisted despite a major relocation effort and $3.5 million of damages sustained from Katrina, Crosby said. During the fiscal year that began a month following Katrina, FBCNO gave 10.4% through CP. Over the past five years, the congregation has averaged 9.5% giving through CP. Total missions giving for the congregation has been at least 22%, including 1% of its undesignated offerings to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary; 1% to the New Orleans Baptist Association; 0.5% to Baptist Friendship House in New Orleans (a joint ministry of the North American Mission Board and the New Orleans Baptist Association); and approximately 0.5% to a ministry to seafarers at the Port of New Orleans.

“I really believe in cooperation, and I believe the Southern Baptist Convention exists primarily to facilitate cooperation among our churches for the world mission of the gospel. Cooperation, to me, has a financial component, and my churches have always been deeply invested in the Cooperative Program and the special missions offerings. Cooperation also has a personal component.”

Steve Gaines

The finance committee at Bellevue Baptist is recommending that the congregation give $1 million during its 2016-17 church year through CP. That will total approximately 4.6% of undesignated receipts.

As of 2012, Bellevue began forwarding all its CP giving through the Tennessee Baptist Convention. Previously, it forwarded approximately $200,000-$340,000 annually to CP through the TBC, according to ACP data, and designated about twice that amount to be forwarded directly to the SBC Executive Committee. The shift in giving methods resulted in an increase from giving 1.3% of undesignated receipts through CP in 2011 to 2.6% in 2012. Bellevue increased that percentage to 3.5 in 2013 and 3.8 in 2014. Between 2011 and 2016, the church has increased its CP giving by 278%, according to Baptist Press calculations.

The church’s Great Commission Giving (all missions giving including CP) totaled ap-

proximately $2.5 million over the past two years and is anticipated to be $1.3 million (6% of undesignated receipts) for the congregation’s 2016-17 church year, said Gaines’ nominator, Georgia pastor Johnny Hunt.

Bellevue also reported a $150,000 gift to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions last year and anticipated an equal gift for 2016. Total missions giving for next year is anticipated at 18% of Bellevue’s undesignated receipts, the church reported, and includes the “Bellevue Loves Memphis” initiative, a service evangelism campaign launched by Gaines in 2007.

J.D. Greear

In a press release announcing Greear’s candidacy, Florida pastor Jimmy Scroggins said The Summit Church “voted last year to give $390,000 to the Cooperative Program in 2016, making it one of the top CP giving churches in the state of North Carolina and the SBC.” He noted this marks a 230% increase in The Summit’s CP giving.

Three years ago, the congregation voted to increase CP giving over a five-year period to 2.4% of undesignated receipts. The Summit reached its goal two years early.

As of Jan. 1, 2016, The Summit began forwarding all CP giving through the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. Previously, it forwarded some funds it regarded as CP gifts directly through the national SBC Executive Committee.

According to ACP data, The Summit’s Great Commission Giving (for all missions) was 13% of undesignated receipts in 2014, 12% in 2013 and 15% in 2012. The church’s Great Commission Giving includes more than $1 million annually to IMB-related causes and more than half a millions dollars to NAMB-related causes, the church told Baptist Press. The Summit additionally is in the process of funding an endowed chair at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary to the total of $500,000.

“We want to see CP giving elevated, and we are doing that…but we also want to see Great Commission Giving celebrated, because that’s part of the autonomy of the local church,” Greear said. “Ideally, I want to see churches do what we are doing, which is give more sacrificially to the CP but then have the autonomy to direct [their] gifts to Great Commission Giving and have that not only be legitimate but celebrated.”

– Compiled from Baptist Press reports

PLATT

A little help from our friends

Metro St. Louis leaders ready for Crossover partners

BY KAYLA RINKER

St. Louis | As Southern Baptists across the country turn their eyes to St. Louis, Ronny Carroll is more than ready to receive a few thousand extra laborers in order to achieve a great harvest.

“With the manpower coming, our churches can really pull off something God-sized,” said Carroll, executive director of missions for the Metro East Baptist Association, which serves the Illinois side of the St. Louis area. “The preparation alone has already given our churches a boost of energy and excitement in anticipation of what God’s going to do.”

Crossover St. Louis will take place on June 11, prior to the 2016 Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) annual meeting, which will be held June 14-15 at the city’s America’s Center. Crossover will include more than 70 service and outreach projects throughout five counties in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Prior to the 2015 SBC annual meeting in Columbus, Ohio, thousands of seeds were planted resulting in at least 345 people who made professions of faith. Carroll is hoping to double that this year.

“We are praying for 1,000 souls to come to Jesus and for 27 new churches to be established,” he said. “I believe God is going to do his job, we just need to be ready for his movement.”

Carroll said that during the last few months and even years, God has been paving the way for an epic revival of hope and healing to break out in St. Louis. And he said God has used Southern Baptists every step of the way.

“Look at all that has happened, in particular the flooding that occurred around Christmas, where Southern Baptists have been the hands and feet of Jesus,” Carroll said, referring to SBC Disaster Relief efforts in St. Louis just a few months ago. “At one level, Crossover will tie into the work that has already been done and add one more dimension to the truth that Southern Baptists, as individuals and as churches, really care about the people and the communities and quality of life they have. They are primed and ready to receive the eternal hope and salvation that Christ offers.”

And to do that, Carroll said the plan for Crossover St. Louis is to

“keep it small, but make it huge.”

Crossover will affect churches in six different associations in both Missouri and Illinois. But, because of the unique needs within each association and community, the projects are customized to make the biggest impact in a given neighborhood.

“Each church has its own local vision and the 21 projects on our side of the river reflect the unique flavor of our communities,” Carroll said. “We are working with city officials and mayors for some of our cleanup projects and planning block parties, or fiestas in some of our growing Hispanic neighborhoods.”

Tom Firasek, ministry and partnership coordinator for the St. Louis Metro Baptist Association, said organization-wise they are already miles ahead of where past Crossover events were at this stage of the preparation process.

“We met with Rich Halcombe (director of missions in Columbus) and other Columbus Southern Baptist leadership and spent the day learning what works, what doesn’t, and what logistical needs might come up,” Firasek said.

“When you are about to support and rally behind 75 or so highly visible events at the same time, you want to be sure to orchestrate everything with excellence, while at the same time pointing to Jesus and proclaiming the gospel every step of the way.”

In addition, Firasek said between 100-150 seminary students will be

joining the effort in St. Louis during the week leading up to Crossover.

“We would love to see God open up the needs and challenges of St. Louis so that some of these folks would consider planting their lives here or making ongoing partnerships here,” Firasek said. “In the metro area we have one church for every 7,500 people. We need more church starts.”

With Crossover St. Louis just a couple months away, Carroll said their biggest need is for more volunteers to commit to join them.

“If God’s leading you to be a part of Crossover, please commit to join us soon so we can get you partnered with a project,” he said. “Also, we would love for you to join us in prayer. We are praying God will flood us with his mercy and grace and that he will prepare the lost people to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior.”

Carroll said they are also praying for churches to be ready to plug new Christians into their ministries and for church plants to grow quickly from the influx of new believers across St. Louis.

“God has already opened so many doors for the gospel to be presented in a mighty way here,” he said. “Pray that we will be faithful with the doors he’s opened.”

For more information on projects taking place during Crossover St. Louis, visit the Metro East Baptist Association website at meba.org and click on the Crossover St. Louis 2016 link, or visit namb.net/crossover.

Kayla Rinker is a freelance journalist living in Missouri.

With less than two months to go before Crossover St. Louis, here’s what you need to know now:

Q: What is Crossover?

A: Crossover is an annual evangelistic outreach held prior to the Southern Baptist Convention. This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, June 11, but some projects begin the week before.

Q: Who’s in charge?

A: Local Baptist associations and churches partner with the North American Mission Board to plan projects and recruit volunteers. On the Illinois side, churches in Gateway and Metro East Associations are hosting projects. For a list, go to meba.org/crossover-st-louis-2016.

To watch NAMB’s video about Crossover St. Louis and to view projects in Missouri, visit www.namb.net/crossover.

Q: What kinds of projects are available?

A: Block parties, community clean-up, door-to-door surveying and evangelism, and more. Crossover projects are done on behalf of local churches and church plants, to increase their visibility, presence, and gospel potential in their neighborhoods.

Q: How do I sign up?

A: Go to the links above and choose a project from the list. You’ll be asked to submit contact information, some basics about your team, and any questions you have about the project.

The Illinois Baptist staff will be covering Crossover on Saturday, June 11. Let us know where your team will be serving by e-mailing IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org.

EAST AND WEST — Both sides of the St. Louis metro area will welcome mission volunteers prior to the SBC’s annual meeting in June.

The best team ever

If this comes across as bragging, I hope you’ll forgive me, but I must say a few words about a recent achievement by the IBSA Church Communications team. The Illinois Baptist was named the top Christian newspaper in an annual contest held by the Evangelical Press Association. Considering the quality of our peers and fellow nominees, we consider this quite an honor.

To be candid, I thought our recent redesign might get some recognition (the IB placed second in that category), but I never dreamed we would win first place overall. I should not have been surprised. I work with gifted and dedicated people who are thoroughly committed to advancing the gospel through quality journalism. They are some of the best I have ever known, and on a daily basis they make my work a joy.

Thank you to

• Lisa Sergent, Kris Kell, Meredith Flynn, Andrea Hammond, and Morgan Jackson (who served with us last summer),

• Doug Fleener, a respected graphic artist who consulted on our new look, and

• Nate Adams, who entrusts us with these pages to exercise our craft and further Christ’s ministry, and who, with all our IBSA family, consistently supports and encourages our work. And we thank you, too, for faithfully reading the Illinois Baptist and making our venerable paper strong all these 110 years.

– Eric Reed

A different kind of education

Recently I had an opportunity to attend a conference at one of the schools in the Illinois State University system. The conference was very informative and what I learned should benefit IBSA churches. What I learned walking through the campus may have been an even greater education.

I always enjoy being on college campuses and find the atmosphere invigorating. It’s a world that’s insulated from the stressors of work, dedicated to learning, the exchange of ideas, and full of youthful energy. But as a Christian it seems less and less welcoming.

Posters on the walls of hallways advertised events featuring authors of books on “queer” studies and “Lavender Graduation” ceremonies which the Human Rights Campaign describes as “an annual ceremony conducted on numerous campuses to honor lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and ally students and to acknowledge their achievements and contributions to the University.” The ceremony was scheduled to take place in a few weeks in one of the rooms where my conference was meeting.

Different offices bore rainbow colored stickers emblazoned with the words, “Safe Zone.” Generally, they denote places where students can “safely”

THE ALL NEW 81 HOUR MDIV.

approach those inside about LGBTQ issues. I wondered how welcome I would be to walk inside and discuss Christ.

Like many of us, I consider myself well-read and informed, believing I know what’s going on in our country and culture. However, the reality of the situation hit me like a slap across the face. This is what many students from our churches encounter on their public university campuses everyday. Their beliefs are not celebrated and most likely not welcomed.

We must encourage and disciple the young people in our churches. We must do the same for them on our college campuses, and our churches must reach out to those on the campuses who do not know Christ. The culture is leading the next generation away from Christ, and we must speak truth into that culture—the truth that is Christ.

Christian college students can’t do it alone. Remember yourself as a student and the pressures you faced. Those pressures have only multiplied. Our churches must stand alongside them.

During a break between sessions, I found my way to the restrooms—one marked “men” and another marked “women.” I couldn’t help but wonder who I might encounter inside. – LMS

Take the next step.

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MISSION

Signs of Hope

Illinois women on a mission in South Asia see lives changed by the story many there had never heard.

BY LINDSAY McDONALD

In April, a team of women from Illinois traveled to South Asia to share gospel stories and witness how believers there are working to push back spiritual darkness.

Lindsay McDonald, a pastor’s wife from First Baptist Church in Casey, captured the trip in words and pictures.

“Okay, you can start,” Mim* says, leaning towards Gail Faulkner, who sits on the chair beside her. Having practiced the “Creation to Christ” story for months now, today is Gail’s opportunity to tell the gospel story that her team traveled nearly 8,000 miles to share.

“So, I should go ahead and start the story?” Gail confirms with Mim, a believer working to reach others in her country. About 20 women are gathered, clustered together on handcrafted floor mats. A Hindu woman offered her simple, empty home for today’s story. The room is dark and still.

Continued on page 8

PHOTO: REMEMBER THIS

At a mission center where girls receive education and marketable skills, mission team member Whitney Williams (right) teaches them hand motions so they can memorize the story of Adam and Eve

COVER:

Women gather in a small house to hear the gospel story.

McDONALD

Continued from page 7

Worth the risk

As Carmen Halsey walked the roads of this South Asian country, she challenged herself to a game of sorts. “I’m a make eye contact, smile kind of person,” said IBSA’s director of women’s ministry and missions. Halsey tried to lock eyes with women she passed and see if she could get them to smile. But it never happened.

“I’ve never seen the face of oppression like what I saw there,” Halsey said, remembering how she tired of the multiple calls to prayer at the mosque, ringing out daily and reminding her mission team of how many people are walking in spiritual darkness.

Halsey’s trip to South Asia was actually years in the making. When she joined the IBSA staff in 2013, she mobilized women in the state around awareness and prevention of human trafficking—a focus started by National Woman’s Missionary Union.

In Illinois, Halsey has continued that emphasis, putting in place a task force to study the issue, create resources for churches, and facilitate mission trips in North America and internationally to be involved in rescuing victims of trafficking. The trafficking focus is how Halsey met Kimberly Sowell and Bangladesh: For Faith and Freedom.

The April trip, led by Sowell, gave Halsey and Illinois women an opportunity to see up-close trafficking prevention and rescue at the Light of Hope Center. But they also saw the importance of encouraging national Christians—South Asian women who have come to Christ and are now risking persecution to reach others with the gospel.

Women here talk to each other

while they prepare meals, wash clothes in the village pond, and care for their children. When the women in the last village on the last day were asked about how to apply the story to their lives, they said, “If we spend less time gossiping, we will have more time to share the gospel.”

Out of darkness

Life in South Asia is hard.

“Oppression is real and hope seems distant,” says Amy Neibel, a mission team member from First Baptist Church in Carmi. In this country in South Asia, 80% of the people live on less than $2 a day, and 40% live on less than $1.

Poverty is real.

The women look expectantly at the visiting Americans and their translators and ministry partners—women from this country who have converted to Christianity.

“Yes, tell them. They are thirsty,” Mim responds with urgency.

Gail, a pastor’s wife from Bethalto, Ill., joined this mission team even when this part of the world wasn’t on her radar. She says God made it clear to her that it was her time to be on the team, and cleared her path of any financial obstacles to traveling thousands of miles from home.

Joining her on the team were six other women from Illinois and three from the Carolinas. They came from a variety of life stages: young mothers, grandmothers, retirees, professionals. All prepared and trained for months to bring the message of hope Isaiah prophesied to the Israelites thousands of years earlier: a perfect sacrifice, Jesus.

It bombards all of your senses—the smell of waste in the street, as adults and children sift through it, looking for items to recycle and sell. Cars honk in the dense traffic, and rickshaw drivers pedal passengers to and fro for a minimal wage.

Darkness is prevalent.

“It is a place where you not only sense it, but also see the spiritual darkness on the faces of the people,” Amy says. The country is 98% Muslim and many haven’t heard about salvation through Jesus.

Almost 16 million people hear the Muslim call to prayer fives times a day; some stop and pray and others proceed with their day.

During their trip, the Illinois women saw in a new, real way the threats Christians face in other parts of the world. The awareness that believers in South Asia could lose their lives for their faith spurred the team on, Halsey said, and inspired “intense, beautiful” prayer. It also left Halsey wrestling with a bigger question: As Christians in the U.S., most of us don’t have a target on our backs. Why then are we not sharing here?

As the team ministered in a village one day, they were asked to pray for people who were sick. One woman went to get her son, a Muslim, so Halsey could pray for him. Halsey describes what happened next as her boldest moment. “I looked at him and said, ‘I will pray for you. But I have got to be clear: There is only one name I’ll pray to.”

In this place, where people are in desperate need of hope, only one Name can deliver it: Jesus.

For more information about IBSA mission opportunities, contact Carmen Halsey at (217) 391-3138 or CarmenHalsey@IBSA.org.

– Meredith Flynn

The Illinois volunteers came to partner with two missionaries serving in this densely populated country, and three national believers who served as their guides and interpreters. These Christians focus primarily on evangelism to Muslim women, who they can encounter more freely because of the culture here. The nation’s oral tradition is built on conversations and storytelling. Much like the story about to begin in this dark house.

“Though you can sense the darkness, they are just like us—they are hurting,” team leader Kimberly Sowell says during a morning devotional. Sowell’s ministry, Bangladesh: For Faith and Freedom, supports job training for women and girls, offering them a way out of the hopelessness that is so prevalent.

“All of God’s people are called to be used of him but why do some not go?” Kimberly asks the team. They answer, We’re comfortable where we are. The missions call is for “other people.” There’s plenty of spiritual need at home.

Most of all, this place is hard.

“God is working here. That’s why there is

While leaving the capital city

headed to our next area of work on Friday, we had just started to pray for the city when we drove by a mosque. Hundreds of men were lying facedown praying to Allah. Our hearts were sick to see the lostness right before our eyes. It’s everywhere—less than 1% are believers. You can feel the spiritual darkness.

A WHIRL OF COLOR – The Illinois mission team tries on pieces of the sari indigenous to the culture.

HALSEY

persecution, if God wasn’t moving there would be no persecution,” says Mim.

Kimberly challenges the team to accept the Lord’s invitation to sacrifice for the sake of their sisters on the other side of the world.

Into the light

Walking is a part of the daily routine here. While out one day in the capital city and a nearby port city, Gail says, “I noticed there was no life. The faces of the women passing me were stoic. No expression. The lack of hearing the voices of children crushed my grandma’s heart. I’ve never been to an area where the noise of children playing, yelling, running and crying could not be heard.”

Sights of daily life

whizzed past our van as we traveled the dusty, dirty, bumpy roads that are congested with chaos. Traffic, animals, people. Vendor after vendor sells fruit, meat and South Asian cuisine. Physically and mentally disabled adults lay on the side of the road, and beggars tap on the vehicle window looking for money.

Stepping into the Light of Life and Light of Hope Learning Centers is a different story. Within these walls, there is life! Young smiles greet the team as they enter. They play Twister, Phase Ten, and Old Maid with the girls to teach them colors, animals, numbers, and occupations.

The ministry Sowell began in 2013 supports efforts to provide nutrition, hygiene, education and vocational training to young women. Here, they also hear the gospel, so they can find faith and freedom in Jesus Christ.

“The Light of Hope Learning Center is an amazing place full of laughter and love,” says Connie Lang, a volunteer from First Baptist of Casey, on her first international mission trip. “It is run by an amazing missionary, Susan Kirker,* who loves the girls and their mothers.

“As we built relationships with the girls, I loved hearing them recite the Bible story that was being taught to them,” Connie says. “This trip has been life-changing. I have grown closer to the Lord and have seen the power of prayer at work.

“I would love to go back again.” Both centers are funded by the International Mission Board, but they are run independently from one another, with different directors and school formats. Light of Life, located in the capital, has a school for at-risk girls during the day and brings in Muslim women in the afternoons for sewing lessons.

Light of Hope offers similar activities. Girls have the opportunity to sew in the mornings while earning a daily wage, and then attend school in the afternoon.

Both centers give hope to hopeless lives of the girls living in the city slums. “Yet it is even more than that,” Gail says. “The girls are offered a daily clean shower, two meals for the day, an education, sewing skills, Bible teaching and love.”

Walking in new life

Back in the dark village house, the Hindu and Muslim women listen to the “Creation to Christ” story and then take turns repeating it, trying to commit it to memory. Since they live in an oral culture, many do not know how to read or write. Messages must

BFF: Friends offer a way out of poverty

When Kimberly Sowell led the team of Illinois women to South Asia, it was to a region that captured her heart several years ago. Sowell, a speaker and missions advocate, founded Bangladesh: For Faith and Freedom in 2013 to support the Light of Hope Learning Center. At the center, established by Christian workers in 2006, young women learn skills that can offer them a way out of the poverty that oppresses so many in their region.

The women craft colorful scarves, bags, bookmarks and other items that Sowell’s BFF team then purchases at a fair trade price. The goods are shipped to the U.S., where BFF party hosts invite their friends to engage the culture by hearing about the region, praying for the women there, and making a donation in return for a bag, bookmark, etc.,—a tangible prayer reminder for

South Asia. Later this month, women in Illinois will have an opportunity to attend a BFF party at the Priority Women’s Resource Conference at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Decatur. (The conference is April 29-30; go to IBSA.org/women for details.) BFF is currently exploring a new ministry, the Asha Project. (Asha is Bengali for “hope.”) The project, which could offer future partnership opportunities for Illinois women would provide further training and ministry opportunities to girls who age out of the mission center. The Asha Project would offer women a chance to learn a skill, like jewelry making, and hear the gospel through stories like those told by the Illinois mission team. For more information about Bangladesh: For Faith and Freedom, go to http://bffministry.wix. com/bffministry.

be verbally transmitted in speech or song among friends and family, and then passed down through generations.

More than 30 women accepted Christ after hearing the stories the team shared. Several who believed have already set up a time to be baptized—a big step of obedience in a place where the decision to follow Christ could bring persecution.

“God showed himself mightily to the South Asians and our team,” said Niece Edwards from First Baptist, Carmi. “I was stretched as never before and learned more about God’s sustaining power.”

“Walking through this South Asian country during this season of my life, really displayed how I need to walk beside my husband with the purpose of harvest,” said team member Kathy Fullerton “We need to be intentional with neighbors, strangers, friends, and family because the gospel can permeate cultural bounds. Jesus died for those in burkas and overalls alike.”

*Names changed.

HOME GOODS – At the Priority Women’s Conference April 29-30 in Decatur, Illinois women can purchase craft items at a “BFF party.” IBSA’s Carmen Halsey hopes to see 20 more parties across Illinois next year.

SOWELL

THE cooperative program • 1st quarter report jan. 1 - march 31

Good news

6.5%

increase is reported in national Cooperative Program giving halfway through the SBC’s fiscal year, and just over 3% above contributions received at this time last year.

“We are surrounded by huge pockets of lostness across our nation and around the world. We praise the Lord for this continued rebound in support of our joint ministries through the Cooperative Program.”

Frank Page, SBC Executive Committee President

This report includes contributions received by the Illinois Baptist State Association through the first quarter of 2016. For questions about this report, contact the IBSA Church Cooperation Team at (217) 391-3106, e-mail EmilyMonahan@IBSA.org or write to P.O. Box 19247, Springfield, IL 62794-9247.

Every dollar given through CP helps fund missions, ministry and theological education: 50.41% International Mission Board 22.79% North American Mission Board 22.16% 6 SBC seminaries 2.99% SBC operating budget 1.65% Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission

Families of Faith, Channahon

Grace Hill, Bartlett

Illinois giving

of CP giving in Illinois will be forwarded to the national SBC starting in 2017. That is an increase by IBSA of 0.25%. The remaining 56.5% will fund work here in our pioneer state.

$15,000

more is projected to go to national and international cooperative missions.

42 state conventions forward a percentage of their receipts to the national Cooperative Program. IBSA ranks 8th highest.

“The compelling mission of Jesus Christ to be his witnesses regionally, statewide, nationally and internationally is what the Cooperative Program has been built upon, is built upon, and must be built upon in the future. This is why churches give through the Cooperative Program, not to the Cooperative Program.”

Ronnie Floyd, SBC President

Here, there, everywhere

CP supports missionaries doing missions in Illinois, North America, and around the world:

24,000+

people from Illinois went on a mission trip in 2015, facilitated in part by CP giving that provides training and resources for mission teams.

Top 100 Illinois churches in Cooperative Program support through the first quarter of 2016

5,653

missionaries serve through the North American Mission Board, including more than 3,800 chaplains.

4,000

missionaries are serving overseas through the International Mission Board, engaging 949 people groups.

3,201 people groups are still unreached.

“The potential exists in every single church no matter what size—13 or 13,000—to send somebody. If that’s the case, then how much more the beauty of how this picture in the Southern Baptist Convention works, because no one church can do this alone.”

David Platt, International Mission Board President

Top 100 Illinois churches in per capita CP support through the first quarter of 2016

Steeleville, Steeleville 32.23

Tabernacle, Decatur 31.78 Heyworth First, Heyworth 31.23 Lincoln Avenue, Jacksonville 29.65

Tinley Park First, Tinley Park 29.30 New Hope, Litchfield 28.83 Elkville, Elkville 28.46

New Song Ministries, Zion 28.14

Casey First, Casey 27.67

Sandy Creek, Tamms 27.62

Mt Olive, Dongola 27.58

Cornerstone Community, Marion 27.51

Effingham First, Effingham 27.34

Uptown, Chicago 27.01

Nashville First, Nashville 26.95

Samaria Missionary, 26.95

Harvest Church of Southern IL, Anna 26.92

Meadowridge, Zion 26.63

The Resurrection, Granite City 26.25

Shiloh, Bridgeport 26.16

Hoosier Prairie, Louisville 25.99

Prior Grove, Oblong 25.49

Columbia First, Columbia 25.27 Calvary, Morris 24.98

Louisville 24.97

Benton 24.75

Rightsizing the SBC tent

I often find myself at denominational functions looking around the room and wondering, “What is it that really brings us together here?” Is our unity based simply on an expressed common desire to reach the lost? Or do we gladly join together in mission because we have deeply shared doctrinal convictions?

I’ve found some guidelines in a couple of the smallest books in the Bible, 2 and 3 John. One way to read these short letters (which combine for a total of just 28 verses) is to put them side-by-side as two crucial lessons in cooperation.

First, here is some background to both books: a church planting movement is taking root in the Roman world furthered by traveling missionaries who depend upon support from other Christians, primarily in the form of food and lodging.

In 2 John the tone and feel is one of caution: “Many deceivers have gone out into the world.” “Watch yourselves.” The emphasis is on getting the gospel right. Specifically, some of these traveling missionaries “do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh,” what has been referred to as the “Gnostic heresy.” John speaks soberly of remaining in Christ’s teaching and not going beyond it. He then directs genuine believers: “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your home… for the one who says, ‘Welcome’ to him shares in his evil works.” In other words, don’t cooperate with everyone!

The tenor is different in 3 John. Here John is commending a “dear friend” for his generosity to certain missionaries. The emphasis in this mini-epistle is on getting the gospel out. “You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God.” These missionaries “set out for the sake of the Name” and trusted God to provide through his people. “Therefore, we ought to support such men,” says John. He even calls out a guy named Diotrephes for his independent spirit. “He not only refuses to welcome the broth-

ers himself, but he even stops those who want to do so.” Don’t be like Diotrephes. Don’t cooperate with no one!

2 John teaches us not to make our tent too big. 3 John encourages us not to draw our circle too small. We need both messages. Notice the disproportionate amount of times the words truth and love occur in these two short letters. We absolutely cannot disconnect them. There are people who have great drive, but do not have good doctrine. We have to be discerning about who we partner with. On the other hand, there are Christians who are cranky and overly separatist. We must be large-hearted and kingdomminded.

the “Conservative Resurgence” in the SBC. Is it not amazing that we have six top-notch seminaries that are committed to robust and orthodox theological training? At the same time, based on 3 John, I am pretty certain that the Apostle would thoroughly endorse the concept of the Cooperative Program and be thrilled with our North American and International Mission Boards. It is wonderful that we have state and local associations. And is it not telling that we have Directors of Mission and not District Superintendents? We are the people who come up with campaigns like “Million More in ’54.” And I love that I live in what was once a Strategic Focus City, now a SEND City. However, we have not always gotten this balance right. At times I have seen people approved for work in the SBC based on their passion without an examination of their doctrine. And at other times I have seen people who were well qualified turned away because of a technicality.

In all of our missional zeal, may we never fudge on doctrinal clarity. And in making sure we are all on the same page about what the gospel is, may we make sure we are doing whatever it takes to get the gospel out. If we are truly faithful to Scripture, we will heed the lessons of both 2 and 3 John. But there just might be something to the fact that 2 John comes before 3 John.

fresh ideas

You can do this

Let’s suppose that your boss is not a believer, and you are personally assigned to tell him or her about God. This is not an imaginary story; it’s a fact. God has commissioned every believer (that’s you) to share his plan of salvation with those who don’t know him.

Sharing Jesus with others is really much easier than you may think. Lost people are often more anxious to hear God’s good news than we are to tell it!

DIANA DAVIS

Begin today by taking this simple three-question quiz:

1. In your normal pattern of life, where do you mingle with non-Christian people?

Is it around the water cooler at work? At your tennis match? In your neighborhood, or favorite coffee shop or gym? At your cancer treatment center? Could it be at your children’s ball games or on the playground?

Remember that the first word of the Great Commission is “go.” If you truly don’t ever have contact with unbelievers, perhaps it’s time to take a class, join a club, or meet your neighbors.

2. As a Christian, can you express some ways God has affected your life this week?

Because of

2 John I know that the Apostle John would applaud

Nathan Carter is pastor of Immanuel Baptist in the University District of Chicago.

“After 6 months of planning, we’re ready to launch our step-by-step small group curriculum on how to form less structured, more spontaneous relationships.”

It’s one of the most effective ways to share Jesus—just tell your personal story. In everyday conversations, give God the glory for blessings, and tell about how he helps you through difficult circumstances. As you live for God and tell stories about how God works in your life, “many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the Lord” (Psalm 40:3b).

3. Do you count it a privilege to share Jesus with others?

Sharing about Jesus is not a punishment; it’s an enormous joy and privilege. You are God’s representative! Paul said, “Though I am the least deserving of all God’s people, he graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ” (Ephesians 3:8).

You can do this. Today, look at the mission field around you. Tell your personal God-story. Treasure the privilege of representing God to those who don’t yet know him. God has entrusted you, his follower, to share his salvation plan. In 2016, will you tell others about your Savior?

© Diana Davis is an author and minister’s wife.

John’s smallest letters shed light on the tensions affecting Southern Baptist unity.

people

Welcome

First Baptist Church of Ridgway has called David Auxier as pastor. A graduate of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Auxier is currently working on his doctorate. He and his wife, Jenny, are from Kansas City, Mo. FBC Ridgway is his first church, and he will begin his new role in June.

Brian McNamara is the new associate pastor at Faith Fellowship Baptist Church in Milan. Originally from West Liberty, Iowa, McNamara has pastored two churches in that state, including one—FBC Bluegrass—that is part of IBSA. He has served on the IBSA Credentials Committee and as brotherhood director (men’s ministry) for the state. He and his wife, Tina, have four grown daughters and five grandchildren, with two more on the way.

With the Lord

Randy D. Dempsay, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Monticello, died April 6 at age

58. Dempsay, born in Joliet, married Deana Williams in 1985. He served as pastor of Families of Faith in Channahon, Ill., and Chatham Baptist Church before taking the pastorate at Calvary in 2009. He served as moderator of the Three Rivers Baptist Association, and as a member of IBSA’s Nominating Committee. He was also a member of the Monticello Ministerial Alliance, and had traveled on mission trips to Chile, England, Bulgaria, and Kazakhstan.

He is survived by his wife, Deana; son Austen; daughters Shelby (Craig) Harris and Jenna (Kyle) Dulworth; father Paul; and six siblings.

NeTworkiNg

Find more information on ministry positions at IBSA.org/connect

Send NetworkiNg items to AndreaHammond@IBSA.org

New facility dedicated

Walnut Street relocates to “the Ridge”

Carbondale | On the one-year anniversary of meeting in their new building, The Ridge Church dedicated the facility with help from local officials and members of the Illinois Baptist family.

IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams gave the keynote address during the dedication on Sunday, April 3. Other guests included Nine Mile Association Director of Missions John Baker, U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, State Sen. Dave Luechtefeld, State Rep. Terri Bryant, and Carbondale Mayor Mike Henry.

The Ridge, formerly Walnut Street Baptist Church, was founded more than 93 years ago. Pastor Wes Henson shared a responsive reading the congre-

gation used during the dedication celebration, highlighting the church’s past, present and future—the decision to build a new building, the purchase of land in 2008, and the beginning of the building process in 2014.

“The Lord provided in ways we had not imagined,” the reading said, noting the people who gave of their time and resources to help the church secure a new location and build its facility.

“On Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015, we celebrated our first service of worship. A new beginning in a new location.”

Now, dedicated to the Lord. “We give all glory and honor and praise to God—AMEN!”

Gift of building blesses church

Churches surpass Annie Armstrong goals

First Baptist Church, Sesser, is seeking a bivocational pastor for youth and music. Salary is $20,000. Must agree with The Baptist Faith and Message (2000). Please send resumes to sesserfbc105@yahoo.com or call (618) 558-9927.

State Park Southern Baptist Church seeks a bivocational pastor to lead a dedicated congregation in a community with lots of opportunity for the gospel. Send resume to Norma Davis, 3220 Harvard, Collinsville, IL 62234, or e-mail Nancy1241@ ATT.net.

Colona | Rivers Edge Fellowship has been in search of a permanent home for more than 12 years. In March, the church received a big gift from Eagle Summit Community Church and the Baptist Foundation of Illinois—its very own building.

BFI assumed ownership of the property earlier this year when Eagle Summit closed. As part of an agreement with Rivers Edge, the church will contribute $100,000 over time to the Eagle Summit Legacy Fund, which will support the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, Mission Illinois Offering, IBSA Disaster Relief, Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services, and IBSA Church Planting in Northwest Illinois.

The building came with another gift—an ink and pencil drawing of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. BFI Executive Director Doug Morrow presented Rivers Edge Pastor Dale McCaulley with the framed drawing at the IBSA Building in March (pictured).

“The drawing is actually more than a drawing,” said Morrow. The words of Jesus as found in the Gospels form the image of him in the garden. “It’s actually one of the most creative pieces of art I’ve ever seen.”

In an e-mail to the legacy members of Eagle Summit, Morrow recounted how Pastor McCaulley said that his “nomadic congregation” was already feeling at home in their new building.

“What you’ve done wasn’t an easy thing, but it was the right thing,” Morrow wrote. “And because of the courage of the remaining members, the gospel will continue to go forward from the location in Colona.”

PAID ADVERTISEMENT

Ridgecrest Baptist Church in St. Charles, Missouri, seeks a senior pastor. See blog.ridgecrest.org for details, or contact Bob Fagan at PSC@ridgecrest.org or (314) 630-5463.

CELEBRATION – IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams (center) lunches with members of The Ridge Church following the dedication of their building in Carbondale (photo at right).

EVENTS

April 22-23

Disaster Relief Training

What: Classes in chainsaw, food prep, mudout, childcare, chaplaincy, and more; cost is $30 for new trainees and $10 for renewals

Where: Streator Baptist Camp Register: www.IBSA.org/dr

April 29-30

Priority Women’s Resource Conference

What: Ministry and missions training for women; including a special track for girls in grades 10-12

Where: Tabernacle Baptist Church, Decatur

Cost: $25 per person, includes Saturday lunch Register: www.IBSA.org/women

May 9-10

IBSA

Golf Scramble

What: For pastors, DOMs, church ministry leaders, and spouses

Where: Oak Terrace Golf Resort, Pana Register: Contact Oak Terrace at 1-800577-7598 or e-mail kohmes@oak terraceresort.com

June 11

Crossover St. Louis

What: Outreach projects in Illinois and Missouri prior to the Southern Baptist Convention Information: www.namb.net/crossover

June 12-15

Southern Baptist Convention and Pastors’ Conference

Where: America’s Convention Center, St. Louis Information: www.sbcannualmeeting. net

JUNE 17-18

Father/Son Camp

Where: 2 locations - Lake Sallateeska and Streator Camps

Who: Dads & lads of all ages Information: www.IBSA.org/kids (217) 391-3142

We're excited to announce the launch of four new programs at Trinity College, where we now offer over 70 areas of study. With so many options to choose from, you are sure to find a program that resonates with your academic pursuits. Find out more at tiu.edu/newprograms

Just be honest

dave says

QI took a new job less than a month ago. Just the other day, I was recruited by a huge company for the same position that pays twice what I’m making now. I didn’t sign a contract or promise to work a certain length of time with my current employer, but they’re good people and I want to do the right thing and handle things well. Do you have any advice?

AIn situations like this I always try to put on the other person’s shoes. Let’s pretend you own the company and you just hired a young guy. A few weeks later, someone comes in out of the blue and offered him double what he’s currently making. I can tell you what would happen here. I’d tell him to take it. As an employer I’m certainly not going to double his income that quickly.

I think you take the job. Just walk into your leader’s or supervisor’s office and tell the truth. Lay it all out there, and let them

know that while you feel awful about the situation, you had no intention of misleading them or causing problems, but you simply can’t pass up the opportunity. Be sure to show an extreme amount of gratitude, and promise to do everything possible to make the transition as easy as possible.

Truthfully, if an organization cares about its team members, and one of those has the ability to double his income and he’s not breaking a promise in the process, this type of scenario is perfectly reasonable

Financial advisor Dave Ramsey is a prolific author and radio host.

DAVE RAMSEY

Church needed here...

Location: Lake Forest

Reaching: Some of Illinois’ most affluent families live in this city of 19,000 at the northern tip of Chicagoland.

Characteristics: This picturesque suburb lined with large estates and mansions is home to Lake Forest College and many of Chicagoland’s most influential people.

Prayer needs: Pray the Lord will raise up workers to plant a church in Lake Forest that will positively influence Chicago for the kingdom of God.

inspirations

pinterest.com/illinoisBaptist

Our Own ‘Crossover’

Events and evangelism go hand in hand!

devotional

Inviting Others

[Andrew] first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which means “Anointed One”), and he brought Simon to Jesus. (John 1:41-42a)

i lead

3 places leaders hide

“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”

Jesus warned his followers that there would always be more work to do than people who were willing, yet he still commissioned them to make more disciples.

In the 21st century church, things haven’t changed much. Churches and pastors are often paralyzed by the inability to find and develop leaders. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

The great news is that if you have people, you have potential leaders. I’ve found there are at least three places to look for potential leaders:

1. People currently “doing” who need to be leading.

2. People serving in one area who can be leading in another.

3. People who perform leadership tasks effectively outside the church.

On the weekend before the SBC convenes in St. Louis in June, many churches will hold “Crossover” events, combining community outreach with witnessing. Southern Baptists from all over the USA will come and help these churches share Christ at their outreach events. Have you considered holding your own Crossover Weekend?

Take a group to Crossover in metro St. Louis. Sign up now at meba.org/crossover-st-louis-2016. Train a team to share their faith alongside the face-painters and construction crews on Saturday, June 11.

Come home and hold your own Crossover on June 18 or soon afterward using the techniques you learned.

In addition to Crossover, there are limitless ideas for summertime outreach events in the Summer issue of Resource. Look for the article “20 Great Weekends” and start planning your outreach events now.

The IBSA Church Resources Team can help train your association or congregation to share their faith. Outreach events are one of the “5 Building Blocks for Kingdom Growth” featured at the 2015 IBSA Annual Meeting. Read about all five commitments at IBSA.org/Five.

I like Andrew because he was always bringing somebody to Jesus: his brother or a lad with some fish and bread or some Gentiles who wanted to see Jesus. While Andrew lacked the name recognition that his brother Peter had, it was Andrew’s fervor and desire to share the exciting news, “We have found the Messiah!” It was an incredible message, but there was a simplicity in it that God used to bring Peter to Jesus.

I am reminded of the Andrews in my life who preferred the background rather than center stage, but loved God and shared a profound but simple message, “Jesus saves!” Edith Fern and Marie were faithful Sunday School teachers who consistently invited children of all ages to trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal life. They encouraged their students to memorize God’s Word and hide it in our hearts so that we might not sin against God. Their lives challenge me today to bring people to the Lord.

PRAYER PROMPT: Heavenly Father, may we all have a desire to bring people to Jesus beginning in our homes and communities. Lord, help us to share the good news clearly and effectively. Amen.

Kevin Carrothers serves as pastor of Rochester FBC and president of IBSA.

Pastors, join the IBSA Pastors’ Prayer Room on Facebook. E-mail oweaver7307@gmail.com.

Everyone has the capacity to be a leader. Through the Holy Spirit, God empowers individuals for leadership. The key is moving people from potential to actual leading.

Before you can unlock your church’s leadership potential, there are two important questions to answer: Why does your church exist? And what are you enlisting potential leaders to do?

The first question has a simple answer: The New Testament church exists to glorify God and to carry out the Great Commission. But don’t assume every potential leader knows that. Spend time with God to determine what it looks like for your church to glorify God, and once the church’s purpose is clearly defined, be sure to communicate it over and over again.

When you’re enlisting potential leaders, recruit them to a process, not a program. People want to be a part of something that matters. What programs are accomplishing God’s purpose? What needs to be revamped? What needs to be discontinued? It takes courage to say that though some ministries are nice things, they’re not the best things.

Once a leader is identified and they agree to the established vision, provide them with a clear understanding of the job description. And think longterm. Make it a goal to equip leaders for immediate tasks and responsibilities, but aim to develop them for a lifetime of leadership.

John Howard, student pastor of First Baptist Church, O’Fallon, presented this at the Illinois Leadership Summit. Written by Kayla Rinker.

JOHN HOWARD

KEVIN CARROTHERS