August 14, 2017 Illinois Baptist

Baptist

Carbondale | When the sun goes dark Aug. 21, southern Illinois will be one of the best places to catch the first total solar eclipse visible from the U.S. since 1979. Churches in the region, along with others across the country, are planning to use the event as an opportunity to share the gospel.

Everyone in the contiguous U.S. will be able to see at least a partial eclipse, but the 70-mile-wide “path of totality,” in which a total eclipse will be visible, will pass through 14 states, including Illinois. Makanda, Ill., located just south of Carbondale, has been cited as the “greatest point of duration,” or the place where the eclipse will be visible the longest—2 minutes and 38 seconds, according to a city website devoted to sharing eclipse information. Lakeland Baptist Church in Carbondale hosted an area-wide prayer and worship rally Aug. 14 to spiritually prepare for the influx of people. And Nine Mile Baptist Association, through a partnership with IBSA, plans to distribute 50,000 gospel tracts during the weekend prior to the eclipse. Additionally, people will be stationed at each of Carbondale’s four entry points to pray over

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM

Snapshots from the world of Illinois Baptists

“Being friends across differences is hard, and cultivating good conversations is the rocky, uphill climb that leads to peace in a conflict-ridden culture.”

– Barna Trends 2017

Uneasy discussion

Which groups do you think it would be difficult for you to have a natural and normal conversation with?

Among U.S. adults Among evangelicals

the cooperative program

Giving by IBSA churches as of 8/04/17 $3,550,382

Budget Goal: $3,755,769

Received to date in 2016: $3,513,818

2017 Goal: $6.3 Million

The Illinois Baptist staff

Editor - Eric Reed

Graphic Designer - Kris Kell

Contributing Editor - Lisa Misner Sergent

Editorial Contributor - Meredith Flynn

Administrative Assistant - Leah Honnen

The general telephone number for IBSA is (217) 786-2600. For questions about subscriptions, articles, or upcoming events, contact the Illinois Baptist at (217) 391-3119 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

NATE ADAMS

The stand

Over the years, I’ve grown to love Aspen trees. They’re not that common in Illinois, growing in only about a third of the state’s counties, mostly in the north. But in cooler or higher-altitude climates such as central Colorado, they grow abundantly, often covering the mountains like wildflowers.

It was while vacationing there with my family this summer that I started asking myself why I find Aspen trees so beautiful and interesting. Is it the “quaking” leaves, which so freely alternate their green and silver sides in the breeze, and then turn bright yellow in the fall?

Or is it that those leaves are mounted on a beautiful white tree trunk, crisscrossed with black bands, that grow up to a hundred feet tall?

Perhaps it’s that these striking trees always appear so plentifully. Aspens grow in clusters or “stands” and multiply rapidly. Individual trees are actually part of a larger, singular organism that spreads rapidly in the form of new trees from a common root system.

As a result, one Aspen stand in Utah is considered by many to be the world’s oldest living organism. It’s more ancient than the massive Sequoias of the West, or even the famous Bristlecone Pines, some of which are said to be 5,000 years old. It appears that individual trees like those are not quite as enduring as the spreading organism of Aspens, which presents itself as many trees, yet underneath shares a unified root system that results in each unique tree being a genetic replicate of the others.

As you might guess, I find in these beautiful Aspen trees an encouraging metaphor for the equally creative work I believe God desires to do among Baptist churches here in Illinois. Like the diversely colored leaves that “quake” at the slightest breeze, our lives, stirred and filled by the Holy Spirit, should attract the attention of those we meet and invite them to know Jesus as Savior.

The bright, white-and-black banded trunk that holds us together is the local church that beautifully reflects the light of Christ and his word, not just one at a time, but in diverse sizes and shapes. Yet our churches should be united by a common root system of both doctrine and cooperation, one that makes us resilient and also allows us to multiply rapidly and spread throughout our region and the world. Aspens are the most widespread tree in North America, and there are varieties of Aspens found throughout Europe and Asia.

This year, September 10-17 is the week our “stand” of churches here in Illinois has set aside to pray for mission work here, and to receive a special offering called the Mission Illinois Offering. This offering is like a refreshing rainfall on our cooperative work as Baptist churches, work that takes place in a culture that can be as harsh on Baptist churches as mountain winters on a stand of Aspens.

But with that offering, we train leaders and church members in evangelism. We strengthen churches in multiple ministries that help them make more disciples and grow. And we provide the network of doctrinally sound cooperation that gives you confidence that the 20 or so churches being started in Illinois each year, though unique, are doctrinally united with all the churches in our “stand.”

Aspens grow all the time, even in winter. But many feel they are most brilliant and beautiful in the fall, when their golden leaves paint the mountainside with the glory of God. This fall, when you and I give a generous offering through the Mission Illinois Offering, I believe we have an opportunity to do the same.

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

Inspiration for Baptists from the mighty and prolific Aspen trees

Continued from page 1

From the front: eclipse every car that enters the city. “We want to cover our city in prayer,” said Lakeland Pastor Phil Nelson Elsewhere in the eclipse’s path, churches are utilizing the unique ministry opportunity to meet spiritual needs in their community—whether it’s inviting eclipse viewers to use their parking lots, or using the event to launch future ministries.

In Casper, Wyo., Mountain View Baptist Church and College Heights Baptist Church have partnered with Child Evangelism Fellowship of Central Wyoming to purchase copies of a DVD titled “God of Wonders,” which explains how creation reveals God and how salvation is available through Jesus Christ. Church members will distribute the DVDs during the eclipse along with 3,000 evangelistic bookmarks.

Relevant and relational Associational leaders meet in Springfield

Springfield | Local Baptist associations must respond to the changing dynamics in today’s world to be relevant, said the keynote speaker for IBSA’s annual Associational Roundtable Meeting Aug. 7-8 in Springfield.

Ray Gentry, director of ministries for Southside Baptist Network near metro Atlanta and executive director of the Southern Baptist Conference of Association Leaders (SBCAL), said the key to associational relevance is healthy relationships with churches. “We need to build dynamic relationships with pastors and churches. We need to know them and let them know us.”

totaleclipsecolumbiasc.com

“Additionally,” Mountain View pastor Buddy Hanson said, “if our parking lot is utilized for eclipse watchers, we will take that opportunity to try and share the gospel.”

In Lincoln, Neb., the launch of Hope City, a North American Mission Board church plant, is set to correspond with the eclipse. The congregation’s first service is slated for Aug. 20. That day and during the eclipse, the church will distribute 2,000 “college survival kits” at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

First Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tenn., will host a gospel concert on Sunday, Aug. 20, and is inviting people to watch the eclipse from their parking lots the next day. “We have already handed out over 4,000 eclipse viewing glasses and have several hundred more for those needing them,” said Executive Pastor Bruce Raley.

Beginning just after 10 a.m. local time in Lincoln Beach, Ore., the total eclipse will take approximately an hour and a half to pass over Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Viewers are strongly encouraged to wear eclipse glasses or other protective eyewear.

– From Baptist Press, with additional reporting by the Illinois Baptist

Speaking to associational leaders from across Illinois, Gentry also addressed a new national survey that found relationships between local Baptist associations and churches may be not be as close as they once were, but there is hope on the horizon. The study, organized by a Kentucky director of missions and released July 31, found most church leaders believe their financial contributions to local Baptist associations are “a good kingdom investment,” while others are struggling to see their relevancy.

According to the survey, 65.5% of church leaders think their local association is a strategic partner in helping their church fulfill the Great Commission, meaning that nearly one out of three church leaders do not think so.

The survey, led by Pike Association Director of Missions Jason Lowe, also found 58.5% of church leaders think their church would be negatively affected if their association failed to exist.

Lowe said the report shows some church leaders are questioning whether local associations are still vital or even relevant. But, “The research showed that most church leaders do believe that associations can have a future,” Lowe said. “That is if significant changes are made.” Church leaders said they’d be motivated to increase their financial support for local Baptist associations if they could demonstrate their relevance with a clear vision and strategy.

At the meeting in Springfield, Gentry said associations and churches should develop relationships with one another in order to have relevance. “Our associations are all unique—the rural, the urban, the suburban.” Many associations grapple with an identity problem. “Who are we? Why do we do what we do? Half of all associations can’t answer these questions,” he said.

He also shared the concern that the title “director of missions” confuses people. “Most pastors and church members don’t know what a director of missions (DOM) is or does, and why the position is needed. We need a new, better name that is more accurate and descriptive of what our mission is.” Gentry said the SBCAL will meet during the June 2018 Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas and discuss a title change.

The associations study showed the connection between strong relationships and relevancy. Ninety percent of church leaders that are extremely involved in the work of the local association said they would be negatively affected if their local Baptist association ceased to exist.

Lowe said the churches that are most involved in the work of associations and are most familiar with their mission and work are the most excited about their work. More than 90% of church leaders who are extremely involved in the work of the associations believed they were strategic partners in fulfilling the Great Commission.

For more information on the survey, go to jasonalowe.com.

– Reporting by Baptist Press and the Illinois Baptist

GENTRY

Disaster

respond after northern Illinois floods

Lake County | More than 2,000 homes were affected by July flooding in northern Illinois, resulting in a planned multi-week response by Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief (IBDR) volunteers and others from neighboring states.

One week after torrential rains pummeled Lake County, Disaster Relief assessors traveled to the region to start taking stock of the need. “Affected homes stretch to the four corners of the county,” said IBSA’s Dwayne Doyle. After two weeks, IDBR had received 292 requests for assistance, and leaders were working to assess homes and mobilize teams to help. IBDR has taken the lead in managing all efforts by non-governmental organizations responding in Lake County, Doyle added.

Illinois volunteers got to work quickly, helping homeowners clean up and prevent further damage to their houses. They also handed out flood relief buckets provided through the North American Mission Board’s Send Relief initiative. The buckets include a mold remediation solution that homeowners can apply to their houses.

“The need is great,” Doyle said, referring to a report from Disaster Relief Incident Commander John Blasdale, who estimated

IBDR volunteers will need to complete about 150 jobs over the next three weeks. “If we secure five teams per week, we can finish up in August,” said Blasdale, a member of Springbrook Community Church in Plainfield.

Another need, Doyle said, is food for volunteers. “Since this disaster was not designated as a federal disaster, the normal sources for food to feed response volunteers have not come through the Red Cross,” he said.

“The Lord has provided generously through Lake County Baptist Association churches [and] individual givers from the community, as well as Wildwood Presbyterian Church, who is hosting our housing for the response. Our prayer is that God continues to provide quail, as he did for the Israelites, so that we will be sustained during this time of response.”

Trained Disaster Relief volunteers can join teams as they respond in Lake County this month. For more information, contact Jim Weickersheimmer at (217) 419-1175 or jimkipp12@gmail.com. People can also support the flood response by making a donation to IBDR, Doyle said. To financially contribute to the work in northern Illinois and other DR projects, go to IBSA.org/dr.

Home improvers

Illinois Changers aid in Peoria

In early August, 27 volunteers spent a week on roofs and porches in metro Peoria, meeting physical needs and sharing Christ during the first-ever Illinois Changers project for adults.

The statewide initiative, modeled after World Changers missions projects, started several years ago as a way for junior high and high school students to experience hands-on missions and corporate worship over a weekend at Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp. The Peoria project was the first Illinois Changers week designed specifically for adults and college students.

Glen Carty, a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Carlinville, worked with a team of volunteers at the home of a mother and her children. They replaced the family’s back porch, which was rotted and falling off of the back of the house.

“She thanked us many times and her young son was so excited for it to be completed,” Carty said. At another home, the group worked on a woman’s roof, half of which had previously been replaced. “She was very grateful and her son helped with the project,” Carty said. “She shared that she had payed to have half of the roof done, but just did not have the funds to do the other half.”

The Illinois Changers volunteers worked on seven homes, including two roofs, four porches, and two drywall projects. In the evenings, they gathered for worship and a message by IBSA’s Jack Lucas

“Illinois Changers is a great opportunity to experience a mission project within a reasonable traveling distance,” Carty said. “There is just something about spending time with fellow Christians that revives the soul.”

The next scheduled Illinois Changers projects are for students in grades 7-12. Illinois Changers will be at Streator Baptist Camp Sept. 15-16, and at Lake Sallateeksa Sept. 22-23. For more information about the projects and other missions opportunities for children, students, and adults, go to IBSA.org/missions.

‘The need is great’

Relief teams

ASSESSMENT TEAMS – Disaster Relief leaders traveled to Lake County to evaluate needs after flooding in the area. In the photo below, DR volunteers work at the Red Cross’ Multi-Agency Resource Center in Round Lake.

HELPING HANDS – The inaugural Illinois Changers project for adult volunteers brought 27 short-term missionaries to Peoria, where they completed construction projects at seven homes.

Protection from embezzlement

Financial crime strikes 1 in 10 churches

Nashville, Tenn. | About 1 in 10 Protestant churches has had someone embezzle funds, according to a survey of 1,000 Protestant senior pastors from LifeWay Research. The group conducted the survey Aug. 22–Sept. 16, 2016.

likely to say funds had been embezzled (6%) than those with 250 or more members (12%).

A study of more than 2,400 fraud cases at businesses and nonprofits by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners found 2.4% of cases involved churches or other charitable groups. The average loss was $82,000.

As part of the LifeWay Research study, researchers also asked pastors how much cash their churches had in reserves. Researchers found a number of churches function with little margin for error when it comes to their finances.

One in 4 (26%) has operating reserves to cover seven or fewer weeks, according to their pastors. A similar number (24%) have between eight and 15 weeks; 15% have between 16 and 25 weeks of reserves; 12% have between 26 and 51 weeks; and 23% have a year or more. The study found smaller churches often have more weeks of reserves than larger congregations.

Capitol Hill Bible study

Several members of President Donald Trump’s cabinet are meeting for a weekly Bible study sponsored by Capitol Ministries, according to a CBN News report. “These are godly individuals that God has risen to a position of prominence in our culture,” said Ralph Drollinger, founder and president of the ministry that hosts Bible studies for government leaders. Regular attenders of the cabinet study include Health Secretary Tom Price, Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, and CIA Director Mike Pompeo.

President Trump is invited to attend the study, and receives a copy of Drollinger’s teaching each week, according to the report.

Win for religious liberty

That figure isn’t surprising, said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research. Most churches rely on volunteers to handle their finances, he said. Those volunteers are usually honest. But churches often lack systems to catch those who aren’t. As a result, he said, money that could have been used for ministry goes missing.

“Churches run on trust, but they also know people are imperfect and can be tempted,” McConnell said. “That’s why safeguarding a church’s finances is an important part of ministry.”

Overall, 9% of pastors say that their church has had funds embezzled; 91% say they are not aware of any embezzlement. Churches of Christ ministers are more likely to say their church had funds embezzled (16%) when compared to Baptist (7%) or Presbyterian/ Reformed pastors (6%).

Pastors of mid-sized churches—those with between 100 and 249 members—are less

“It takes a lot of faith to run a church, especially when finances are tight,” McConnell said. “But some churches may be missing out on ministry because there’s not enough money in the bank to respond to needs and opportunities that arise.”

– From Baptist Press

Among Protestant pastors:

A Wisconsin photographer received assurance from a judge this month that she won’t be required to photograph same-sex weddings.

Amy Lynn Lawson (above right), sole owner of Amy Lynn Photography Studio in Madison, had previously specified on her website that her religious views wouldn’t allow her to photograph same-sex weddings. After a client who disagreed with Lawson’s views cancelled her contract with the photographer, Lawson removed the statement from her website and stopped booking weddings. The lawsuit filed by the photographer this spring sought to bar enforcement of city and state public accommodation laws. Judge Richard Niess of the Dane County Circuit Court agreed to sign a statement that the laws do not apply to Lawson, who works on commission and doesn’t operate a physical storefront.

Divided loyalties

Americans are unsure how to balance religious liberty and sexual freedom, according to a new survey by LifeWay Research. The study asked 1,000 people, “When sexual freedom and religious freedom conflict, which freedom do you feel is more important?” Forty-eight percent sided with religious freedom, while 24% said sexual freedom is more important, and 28% weren’t sure.

“It’s clear Americans value religious liberty,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research. “But when it comes to sex, they aren’t sure religion should have the final word. That’s especially true for younger Americans and those who aren’t religious.”

– CBN News, Baptist Press, Wisconsin State Journal, LifeWay Research

Alliance Defending Freedom

Among Protestant pastors:

LifeWay Research

Modest proposal 2: more messengers, fewer meetings

There was one point during the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Phoenix when three thoughts of mine collided:

• How can this many people make a well-informed and well-reasoned decision?

• In the social media era, how can we make it possible for even more people to participate on a level that young adults have come to expect?

• And, then, how can we continue this very expensive system of having fewer and fewer people travel halfway or more across the country to attend?

The collision came late on Tuesday, when young messengers were pleading for the crowd in the hall to consider the weight of public opinion (read: Twitter) in their debate over alt-right racism. (“What will the people out there think of us?”) In my head, I could hear old people saying, “Who cares? This is not their decision, it’s ours—Southern Baptists— and in particular the ones who paid to travel to Phoenix to speak up and to vote.” (Maybe it was just me, speaking on behalf of old people.)

But to the young messengers pleading on behalf of the masses, it was important, because they are used to the hearing from the masses on every issue: like, heart, thumbs up, smiley face, colon/capital P tongue-sticking-out. (Yes, my emoticon reference is dated.)

Executive Committee President Frank Page told the messengers, proudly, that the Convention is an anomaly: “This is a deliberative body, the largest openly deliberative body that still exists,” Page said.

“But know that the Executive Committee also deliberates carefully at multiple levels dealing with each of the issues before they’re ever presented to you, from small groups to medium-size [groups] to the large plenary sessions. Our Executive Committee members are not rubber-stampers. They ask questions, they deliberate, they discuss and sometimes disagree. So know that we hold your trust carefully and we count it to be precious.”

TAKE ACTION:

Please Call Governor Bruce Rauner to VETO HB 40 & HB 1785

HB 40 removes all prohibitions on taxpayer-funded abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy under Medicaid and removes the ban from state employees’ insurance policies paying for abortions. Because a half million have been added to the Medicaid roll in the last 5 years, we could see 15,000 or more babies slaughtered with our tax dollars each year!

HB 1785 is a highly controversial proposal that would make it significantly easier for gender-dysphoric persons to obtain falsified birth certificates by changing the sex on their birth certificate, which is both a legal and historical document.

Please encourage Governor Rauner to VETO these bills: Springfield (217) 782-0244 Chicago (312) 814-2121

Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don’t stand back and let them die. Don’t try to disclaim responsibility by saying you didn’t know about it. For God, who knows all hearts, knows yours, and he knows you knew! And he will reward everyone according to his deeds.

—Proverbs 24:11-12 (Living Bible)

708-781-9328

Bulletin Inserts are available! Email us at Contactus@illinoisfamily.org.

That’s an uneasy balance for Baptists whose theology makes us accustomed to voting on almost everything—even changing the light bulbs.

The first national Baptist body in the U.S. was the Triennial Convention, founded in Philadelphia in 1814. They met every three years. When Southern Baptists broke off in 1845, they chose to meet every year, and to include as many people as possible by sending messengers rather than electing representatives. (It is a small but important distinction.)

But technology and airline costs are pressing on our expectations: Remembering conventions with 15,000 and more regularly in attendance, we want more participants than the 5,000 who flew to Phoenix. And technology would make that possible. Yet, we do not want our denomination making knee-jerk statements at every cultural twist and turn. Theology doesn’t demand an annual meeting cycle or populist group-think.

I know these impulses seem to be in conflict: more participation, and more-reasoned debate. But watching the clock tick as debate on an unexpected resolution took time from discussion on the decline in baptisms and a renewed call to evangelism, it became clear that a relatively few people in a distant city can make reactionary decisions. Next time, the outcome might not be so positive.

(Editor’s Note: Modest Proposal 1 on merging the mission boards can be read at IllinoisBaptist. org.)

– Eric Reed

Celebrating 25

Years!

Upcoming Events!

September 30 | IFI Faith Forum with Ray Comfort

Medinah Baptist Church, Medinah, IL

We are pleased to have Ray Comfort for an event we have titled “Equipping the Saints: Abortion, Homosexuality, Atheism and YOU!” Ray is the Founder and CEO of Living Waters ministry and the best-selling author of more than 80 books, including “How to Know God Exists,” “The Defender’s Guide for Life’s Toughest Questions,” and “The Evidence Bible.” Ray may be best known for his award-winning documentary “180.”

October 5 | IFI Christian Heritage Forum with David Barton Decatur Conference Center, Decatur, IL

We are pleased to have David Barton headline this special event. He is a beloved Christian minister, conservative activist, and the Founder and President of WallBuilders, a national pro-family organization that presents America’s forgotten history and heroes, with an emphasis on our moral, religious and constitutional heritage.

October 27 | IFI Faith, Family & Freedom Banquet

The Stonegate, Hoffman Estates, IL

This year we are excited to have Lt. Col Allen West keynote our annual fundraising event. During his 22-year career in the Army, he served in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, receiving many honors including a Bronze Star. In 2010, West was elected as a member of the 112th Congress representing Florida’s 22nd District. He is a Fox News contributor and author of “Guardian of the Republic.”

MISSION

Scenes from our travels, 2017

From Cairo to Chicago and beyond

Here is an album of Illinois Baptists’ mission adventures: teens working with church planters on the streets of Chicago, women helping women in a harsh southeast Asian country, and medical missions to children and families in the Caribbean. And read the story of believers bringing hope to a town it seems time forgot.

(At right) Members of the mission team prayed at the park in Cairo before heading out to work projects, to distribute Bibles, and to share the gospel.

Rites of Summer: Mission trips

A season for sharing Christ the world over

BY LISA MISNER SERGENT

Cairo | The town at the extreme southern tip of Illinois isn’t known for many positive events these days. Once-thriving Cairo, on the river banks where the Ohio meets the Mississippi, is marked largely by crumbling buildings. Down to just a couple thousand residents, the community has suffered racial divides and extreme poverty.

But this summer, more than 300 Illinois Southern Baptists set out to bring the hope of Christ to the beleaguered town. Teams went out into the community doing mission projects July 24-28, culminating with a festival in the park on Saturday, July 29. And the summer mission work wasn’t only in downstate Illinois.

Here… there…

In Chicago, students from seven IBSA churches teamed up with church planters in the city to survey neighborhoods and learn about the planting process. Judson University is a partner in the project, housing the students on their Elgin campus for worship and training sessions.

“We saw a significant increase in direct evangelistic engagement and the development of a core group for a new congregation,” said Dennis Conner, director of church planting in the northeast region.

This is the fourth year of the ChicaGO Week project, designed in part to develop a pipeline of young people who are interested in starting evangelistic congregations in the state’s largest metro. “Particularly from those groups that have been here consistently, I think there is openness in these students to investing the rest of their lives in Chicago as a mission field,” Conner said. “We tried to sharpen the focus: love Chicago, love church planters, and love church planting.”

One group of students from Clarksville Baptist Church and First Baptist of Church of Metroplis joined with Church Planting Catalysts Ken Wilson and Tim Bailey and IBSA staff members to serve on an Extreme Team. Their job was not to assist a church plant, but to start one.

Continued on page 9

Cairo: Door-to-door witnessing

Dominican Republic: The school supply giveaway included one toy per child

Southeast Asia: Telling a Bible story at a day center

On the GO: This is the fourth year that students from IBSA churches have teamed up with church planters in Chicago. They started and ended each day with training and worship at Judson University in Elgin, then ventured into the city for witnessing and work projects.

Cairo: Getting a haircut at the festival

Cairo: Teams offered free medical and dental screenings

Cairo: Enjoying lemon shake-ups in the park

Cairo: Festival in the park, lollipop tree fun

Continued

from page

Their target: Pingree Grove. This tiny community west of Elgin is witnessing a building boom, with 3,000 new houses expected by the end of 2018—and no church. Well, it once had two churches. Now the teeny town has a steepled community center and a Hindu temple.

“Many would say that going door-to-door no longer works,” Bailey said. “Well, we found a different response. This team of energetic teenagers and adults over the course of four days knocked on over 700 doors!”

The team invited people to a worship service on Thursday evening at a nearby charter school, with the intention of starting a new congregation. “We planned to just collect information and be done with it, but the Lord kept opening doors,” Bailey said. …and everywhere

IBSA teams also worked in Toronto, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic, staging Vacation Bible School for local children. And in June, a team of eight women and one man from Illinois went to southeast Asia at the request of the International Mission Board to host leadership retreats with national partners.

The Christians living in the country sometimes suffer persecution by the Muslim majority. “If our (Asian) sisters are sharing Christ without fear, we shouldn’t let our fear, which is often psychological, hold us back,” said IBSA’s Carmen Halsey. She said the need for more churches to minister there is great.

The team helped at day centers where girls and young women can go to bathe each morning, get clean clothing, and learn to sew. The items they sew are sold through Woman’s Missionary Union’s World Crafts Marketplace. By learning a trade, the young women are bringing money into the family and are less likely to be forced into arranged marriages to older men who are likely to already have multiple wives. They also learn about Jesus and are discipled in the faith.

A gospel flood in Cairo

Back in Illinois in July, Halsey, IBSA’s director of women’s ministry and missions, was one of the event coordinators in Cairo. She spent most of the week there and loved what she saw. “Our churches worked together, sharing resources, sharing contacts, all willing to help one another,” Halsey said. “Churches and associations were all bringing their best. It was wonderful.”

Through churches working together, 23 people came to Christ in Cairo. “Those 23 salvations—that to me is the evidence of discipleship,” she said. “We were there learning to be discipes as a hands-on experience. We were being Jesus’ hands.” And leading others to follow Christ too.

One team painted a playground and put seats in swings in the park early in the week so that it was ready for the festival on Saturday. Others cleaned the baseball diamond and worked on the river wall. More than 40 volunteers went door-to-door sharing Christ and prayer walking.

Local residents took advantage of medical and dental clinics hosted by Baptist doctors and nurses that included back-to-school health screenings. A team visited a local women’s shelter, where they cooked a meal and painted. On Friday evening, volunteers held an evangelistic worship service in the park.

Cairo Mayor Tyrone Coleman even helped promote the effort on local media, getting the word out about the festival on Saturday.

Continued on page 10

Cairo: Showing off painted faces in the park

Dominican Republic: Kids on their way home from VBS

Southeast Asia: Ministering to national partners

Southeast Asia: Making bracelets at a leadership retreat

Southeast Asia: Ministering in the inner city

even had their hair cut. Everyone who came to the festival received free food—a Christian motorcycle group from Marion and Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers joined forces to grill hot dogs.

Reflecting on the experience Halsey said, “Just to watch those faces come alive…To see them say, ‘Thank you so much for coming.’ It was great.”

Common factor: spiritual battle

While the Cairo mission trip saw some encouraging results, it also showed participants the real challenges community ministry can present.

Jacqueline Scott, a member of Dorrisville Baptist Church in Harrisburg, went door-to-door witnessing and saw the spiritual warfare that is taking place in the community.

“I could almost feel the oppression when I went under the overpass at the turn off from I-57,” said the retired Health and Human Services worker.

“The Holy Spirit showed me the spiritual blindness.” Going door-to-door, she encountered Jehovah’s Witnesses and Black Hebrew Israelites who were strong in their faiths.

Scott was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness and knows that religion well, especially what it takes to overcome the falsehoods it teaches.

“My heart was left there,” Scott said about her experience in Cairo. “God showed me the dilution and deception of the enemy. He helped me see beyond the darkness, behind the veil.

“The people we led to Christ were young and had the innocence of a child. The older ones are strong

in their faiths and won’t be so easily led.” Scott said more needs to be done; 10 minutes working through a tract won’t lead people who believe strongly in another religion to Christ.

“Jesus said we were once held captive and he set us free,” she declared. “We are called to share Christ and set others free.”

The story is the same in Cairo, Chicago, the Caribbean, and crowded streets in a distant Asian nation: People and places that haven’t heard a Christian testimony in decades (if ever) are open to the gospel, despite spiritual oppression. And witnesses from Illinois return home excited by the work of the Holy Spirit on the mission field, and eager to see it repeated in their own hometowns.

Tabernacle Baptist Church

Speaker: Brian Burgess

Band: Vertical Church

Comedy: 321 Improv

Speaker: Zane Black

Artist: Sixteen Cities

Illusionist: Harris III

Dominican Republic: Community health screenings

Dominican Republic: Fellowship after a pastor ordination

MISSION ILLINOIS OFFERING & WEEK OF PRAYER

SEPTEMBER 10-17, 2017

IN FOCUS Where Jesus is needed

New churches and renewed commitment to evangelism will win Illinois.

BY ERIC REED PAJAK

Pat Pajak will make you cry. Why? Because he cries.

Whenever there’s talk about how many people in Illinois don’t know Jesus, you can count on Pat to get choked up. And whenever Pat tells how he had the privilege of sharing the gospel with someone—and that someone accepted Jesus as Savior—tears will flow. His shoulders shake up and down. His voice cracks. And for a moment, the story stops. But he catches a breath, and continues. And invariably, the person he’s witnessing to agrees that they need Jesus, and prays to receive him as Savior.

The biker. The nurse. The couple at the gas station on the way to North Carolina. “I believe in witnessing opportunities wherever you’re at,” Pajak said.

Pat Pajak has a gift. Some would say his gift is evangelism, but that’s only part of it. Pat makes lostness in Illinois—vast, unfathomable, and seemingly almost too big to tackle— become real, and personal, and up-close. “Lostness” is people, and Pat knows them personally. Even if he doesn’t, he’ll sidle up to them and ask if they go to church anywhere. And that leads to real conversation about knowing—and believing in—Jesus Christ.

P.

Focus on evangelism

The Mission Illinois Offering supports evangelism training and planting new churches across Illinois, including the Quad Cities (above). With a goal of $475,000, the offering is vital to ministry and missions, equipment and supplies, planters, and the missionaries who equip and encourage them.

Watch videos related to this story at missionillinois.org. And use the daily devotions for prayer for state missions.

Pray for state missions

Plan a season of prayer for your church, yourself, or both

The Week of Prayer is September 10-17, but there are plenty of opportunities for prayer ahead of that week. In fact, all of September is a good time to focus on God’s work through Baptists in Illinois.

Continued from page 11

Pat can make believers cry over lostness, and thank God he does. Whether it’s 8 million people in a state of 13 million, or the nurse at the Decatur hospital where he had heart surgery, lost people matter to Pat, because they matter to God.

After three decades as a pastor of growing evangelistic churches, and another leading church strengthening in Illinois, Pat today serves as associate executive director of evangelism for IBSA.

Please consider these ideas for encouraging prayer.

Devote time to prayer every Sunday or Wednesday in September. Share mission facts and videos on the mission stories. Our main focus is evangelism and church planting in Illinois. Review the statistics about lostness in Illinois. These are not just numbers, they are people.

Of 13 million people in Illinois, at least 8 million do not have a faith relationship with Jesus Christ.

Pray for salvation. Check Wikipedia for the population of your county or town. According to the experts, more than two-thirds (say 65%) of those people do not know Jesus Christ. Do the math. Pray for their salvation. While you’re at it, make a list of people you know who need Jesus.

Pray for the missionaries by name. Use the daily devotions as brief prayer prompts in worship services and in personal prayer. They are in the MIO Prayer Guide/bulletin insert, online, and printed in the special Illinois Baptist wrapper on the outside of the Aug. 14 issue.

Schedule a special prayer meeting for state missions. Some churches use the Wednesday during the Week of Prayer, others use Sunday morning or Sunday night. Or pick another time, day or night.

Spread the responsibility. Ask Sunday school teachers and small group leaders to focus prayer on state missions during September. Ask the missions team or WMU or men’s group to pray for state missions in their September meeting.

Focus on Romans 10:14.

“How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher?” (CSB)

Pray each section of the verse:

• For the Holy Spirit to open hearts to believe;

• for the gospel to be shared; for the church planters;

• for gospel witnesses to respond to the call to missions and evangelism, especially in Illinois.

We could plant so many more new churches and reach so many more lost people in Illinois if there were more future leaders in the pipeline.

More about that later.

Humble risk takers

Lost people matter to John Mattingly, too, especially those who live in the northwest quadrant of Illinois. John served as a pastor in Joy, Ill., then as director of missions for Sinnissippi Baptist Association, and now serves as IBSA’s church planting director for the region that includes Peoria, Rockford, and the Quad Cities. John takes his role as a strategist for church planting seriously. John and his wife, Jacki, sold their home so they could be unencumbered and mobile.

“A pastor’s got to come and be part of the community,” Mattingly said. Currently, that’s in Sterling, where the couple has helped restart a faltering congregation.

“John and Jacki are just a unique couple,” said Van Kicklighter, IBSA’s associate executive director of church planting. “I think part of their passion for people in northwestern Illinois comes from a deep sense that God has planted them (there).”

Mattingly is one of eight IBSA church planting catalysts working with more than 80 church planters across Illinois. Last year, IBSA and ministry partners started 16 new churches. IBSA has identified more than 200 places and people groups in Illinois that need a church. (Their work is supported, in part, by the Mission Illinois Offering.)

New churches are needed because in some places, there simply aren’t enough. Of 102 Illinois counties, 10 counties have no Southern Baptist church, and another 12 have only one. There are large sections of the state with little evangelical witness, especially in northwest Illinois and in the cities. And new churches are needed in other places too, because new congregations are effective at reaching unchurched people.

“If we are going to reach northwest Illinois, I really believe that we’re going to have to develop an appetite for risk,” Mattingly said. “Risk means that we don’t know what’s going to happen.” And that makes

the northwest corner “a frontier area.” Part of his job is finding church planters who will come to this mix of cities and rural communities.

“People in northwest Illinois deserve every opportunity to hear the good news of Jesus just like someone on the other side of theglobe,” Kicklighter said of the area where factories once booming have closed, and churches once common have dwindled.

“Our communities are open to the gospel of Jesus Christ,” Mattingly concurred. “All we need are some people who will come and take some risks.”

Winning Illinois, one by one

For some people, simply walking across the room to start a conversation feels like taking a risk. Taking the next step—turning a conversation toward the gospel—may feel even riskier. But that’s what we’re all called to do. Share the gospel.

And for many IBSA churches and their members, that’s where Pat Pajak comes in.

Pat will train more than 200 churches in soul-winning this year. And through IBSA’s Pastor’s Evangelism Network, Pat will help mentor more than 100 pastors. Encouraging pastors who encourage their churches in faith-sharing is Pat’s specialty.

“The easiest way, I think, to impact lostness in Illinois, is to build friendships with people where they begin to trust you,” he said.

For Pat and his wife, Joyce, that level of trust was established in a crisis more than 30 years ago, when a house fire claimed their infant son and a pastor soon led them to Jesus. Not every conversion comes after crisis, but Pat finds opportunity to share Christ in tough times, even his own.

“After Memorial Day last year, I had a heart attack…and quadruple bypass surgery,” he said. And since he believes in sharing Christ wherever you happen to be, that included the ICU and later the cardiac rehab unit. Eventually, he led eight nurses to faith in Jesus Christ in a three-month period.

“I said, ‘Will you allow me to pray with you?’” he recalled from an encounter with Gina. “So I shared the Romans Road with her and asked if that made sense to her. She said yes, and she prayed and asked Jesus Christ to come into her heart.”

Pat wells up when he tells the story. “I saw her today and she hugged me and said, ‘I love you.’”

From complete stranger to sister in Christ.

“What a difference it would make if our church (members) decided, ‘I have the responsibility of sharing Christ, not just my pastor,’” he said.

With support from the Mission Illinois Offering and Week of Prayer, IBSA is equipping pastors, church members, and church planters to share the gospel. “Now is the moment,” Pajak said, because people in Illinois need Jesus Christ. “We just need to capture that.”

In other words, now more than ever.

Raising up ministers from the pews

Only recently have I realized a weakness in my ministry leadership is leading others into vocational ministry. Or rather, a lack of it. Looking over my 17 years in ministry, it seems I have influenced few to consider that path for themselves. While people must personally respond to a ministry calling, I think there is more that churches—and pastors—can do to create an environment that promotes vocational ministry.

Here are a few spark plugs I’m discovering:

Pray. “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields” (Luke 10:2, NLT).

I’m simply not doing this enough. Jesus had sent out the 12 disciples previously, and in Luke 10, he commissioned 70 more short-term missionaries. Despite this sizeable force, he challenges them not only to go into the harvest as workers and encouragers, but also to pray for others to join them. Knowing this verse isn’t enough. I must pray it.

Show ministry options. During my college years, our pastor often talked of his ministry call and time in seminary. His openness about that journey of discovering God’s will encouraged me to consider it as well.

As we create an environment of ministry awareness, I see two important areas of opportunity. First, we’re able to showcase broad categories of ministry. Once I felt certain of my ministry call, I presumed I would serve as a youth pastor until I finished seminary and “grew up” to become a lead pastor. But not everyone is built for those roles. We should show people the opportunities for parachurch, missionary, and church planting roles.

Speaking of missionaries and planters, we can also connect the people in the pews with people who are already serving in those important roles. Take time in your worship services to emphasize and pray for specific missionaries and planters.

My friend Stephen has been working with church planting in South Dakota for several years. Not only has my church prayed and learned about those efforts, but I am also inviting Stephen to our church this fall. My hope is that face-to-face interaction may increase awareness and even lead someone to consider such an

opportunity themselves. If you don’t know any missionaries or planters, the International and North American Mission Board websites are great places to start.

Pull back the curtain. Just prior to confirming my own call into ministry, the youth pastor at our church began asking me to assist him. At first I helped with some mission trips, and eventually even stepped in for a Bible study or two. Only later did I realize he saw something in me and was helping me to “fan into flame the gift of God” (2 Tim. 1:6); namely, gifts of teaching I was barely aware of at that point.

Kelly is an acquaintance from seminary, and a pastor in Arkansas that I recently reached out to on this subject. He too has seen only a few consider ministry as a vocation, but for those who appear to have the “hint of a call,” Kelly looks for opportunities. Allowing

the individual a chance to teach or join up with a mission work can bring them an awareness of a potential calling.

Most recently, while attending World Changers with our youth group, I met Michael. This high school junior from Oklahoma told me he is considering youth ministry or full-time missions as a career. I asked why he found himself leaning towards an uncommon call for his age:

“My church has definitely contributed so much in providing a culture of ministry,” he said. “People in my church have really invested in me, offering much advice. They’ve not only provided many mission opportunities, but also allowed valuable time with my youth pastor. He has shown me what his job consists of, even showing me how he schedules his time.”

When ministers of the church pull back the curtain, we demonstrate we’re not spiritual superheroes. God will provide the capabilities to those he calls.

Only one in every seven U.S. pastors is under the age of 40. I would guess similar trends exist in other ministry positions. So let’s pray more for God to raise up workers from our churches. Let’s expose our congregations to the people and ministries God is using to advance the gospel worldwide. And let’s look for every opportunity to pull back the curtain and invite people into the work of the ministry. Some may only stay for the short-term, but you may just awaken a new wave of ministers and missionaries to the exciting opportunities God has prepared for them!

Heath Tibbetts pastors First Baptist Church, Machesney Park.

fresh ideas

Get ready for kickoff!

A great beginning can set the pace for a great year. These tips to plan your women’s ministry kickoff event can be tweaked to launch youth activities, choir, or another ministry at your church. Get ready for an awesome kickoff day!

1. Invite. Invite. Invite. Plan for every female attender of your church to receive a printed and a verbal personal invitation. Create a Facebook event. Ask members to forward an e-invitation to friends. Publicize in your church publications, church website, and community newspaper.

2. Consider first impressions. Does your meeting space need fresh paint or updated art? Are restrooms and hallways spotless? Update directional signs. Create a quick registration process. Add fresh flowers, extra greeters, and extra seating.

3. Make it worth her minutes! Plan every meeting well, beginning on kickoff day. Keep a relaxed atmosphere, but be purposeful. Begin and conclude precisely on time. Put long announcements in print.

4. Make it special. Add an extra touch to the kickoff event, such as a unique guest speaker, brunch, a surprise decoration, or a gift.

5. Encourage friendships. Wear nametags. Draw names for prayer partners or assign mentors. Understand that a coffee break offers valuable conversation time. Introduce guests to new friends.

6. Add action. Explain how your group plans to impact your community and your world for Christ. Redirect your group’s focus from inward to upward and outward.

7. Point to Jesus. From kickoff day to year’s end, every action or spoken word must honor him. Be joyful. Pray. Share your personal Jesus story. Invite newcomers to Sunday worship.

8. Ask for a commitment. At the close of your kickoff event, ask women to register to join a group. Group leaders should call or e-mail their class members before next week. Have sign-up sheets for snacks, retreats, projects, volunteer jobs, etc. Snap digital headshots for an online directory. Provide a printed list of upcoming projects and events.

A great opening day requires lots of prayer, planning, and work, but when people come together to know and serve our Savior, it will be worth it all. Get ready for kickoff!

© Diana Davis is author of “Fresh Ideas for Women’s Ministry.”

www.dianadavis.org

DIANA DAVIS

When pastors pull back the ministry curtain, we demonstrate we’re not spiritual superheroes.

Bad news, Hank...The set-up and tear-down Committee you signed up for has nothing to do with the pastor’s sermons.

Remembering former DOM Verlee Eaker

A Clear Creek Baptist Association giant in the ministry has died.

Verlee Eaker, 88, who served as the association’s director of missions (DOM) from 1960 until 1995, passed away July 22 at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Eaker was born Nov. 15, 1928, in Grassy, Mo., and married Joyce Johnson on July 10, 1950. She preceded him in death on January 4, 2015.

Eaker began preaching at the age of 16 and was ordained at Perkins Baptist Church in Missouri. He attended Southeast Missouri State University and pastored churches in Essex and Anniston, Mo., and Whitewater, Lake Milligan, Miller City, and Mounds, Ill. In 1960, he moved to Anna, Ill., where he was director of missions for Clear Creek Baptist Association, and in 1995, he retired and returned to Lake Milligan Baptist Church.

Jerry Day, former Clear Creak director of missions and IBSA

associate executive director, shared how Eaker inspired him in his ministry. “The first qualities that come to my mind when I think of him are excellent character and utmost integrity,” said Day. “As a director of missions, one must sometimes walk a narrow path between serving the needs of the churches and serving the pastors. In my view, the DOM must be a person everyone can trust and Verlee engendered trust as much as anyone I have ever known, largely because of his character and integrity.”

Day noted, “When Brother Verlee retired from the association, he returned to the pastorate at Lake Milligan Baptist Church near Olive Branch where he had served many years before, and stayed there for another 20-plus years. By doing so, he taught me another lesson.

And that lesson is that no one ever really retires from ministry. Whether we are career ministers or volunteers, I believe we should make ourselves available for our whole lives. And Verlee set that example for us all.”

Eaker is survived by his daughter, Beverlee (Jim) Hastings of Cape Girardeau; sons, Shelby (Nancy) Eaker of Martinsville, Ind., and Mark (Penny) Eaker of Anna; six grandchildren; ten greatgrandchildren; and five siblings.

Along with his wife, he was preceded in death by his parents and three siblings.

Funeral services were held July 25 at Harvest Church in Anna. Pastor Tony Foeller officiated. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association.

Beloved trio performs final concert

West Frankfort | Gospel group Sons of the Father has decided to call it a career. The trio is retiring after 28 years of performing in churches around the Midwest and South, and particularly in their home state of Illinois, where their tour bus is a familiar sight.

The father-son act performed their final concert together on Sunday, July 23, in front of nearly 200 people at their home church, Grace Baptist Fellowship in West Frankfort. Les Synder and his sons, Brent and Chris, have averaged 150 shows a year since they began performing in 1989.

Highlights of the trio’s career include performing at the Southern Baptist Convention Pastors’ Conference and the SBC Evangelism Conference, but they are best known for their concerts in churches and at local association events. They’ve performed at numerous IBSA events and will be missed by Southern Baptists in the state.

NeTworkiNg

Elm Street Baptist Church in Murphysboro seeks a part-time minister of music. Located eight miles north of Southern Illinois University and less than two hours from both St. Louis and Paducah, Murphysboro is a charming community between cities. Send a cover letter and resume to: Music Minister Search, 1907 Elm Street, Murphysboro, IL, 62966, or e-mail kara.hobbs@outlook.com.

people

Welcome

Cornerstone Baptist Church in Savoy has called Luke Henry as pastor. Henry previously served as associate pastor for students at FBC Fairview Heights. A graduate of Olivet Nazarene University and Midwest Baptist Theological Seminary, Luke and his wife, Bri, have two children. Henry is replacing Steve Diehl who is retiring after 20 years of ministry at Cornerstone.

Celebrations

Wanda Ruyle celebrated her 95th birthday in June. Ruyle has taught Sunday school and served as the church pianist at FBC Ashmore for several years. On June 4, she gave a testimony of how God blessed her and her late husband, Dean Ruyle, in building FBC Ashmore as they pastored there for 28 years.

Bethel Baptist Church in Princeton celebrated its 60th anniversary June 11. They observed the date with a morning worship service, potluck lunch, and a special service in the afternoon. DOM Michael Durham spoke in the morning service, while Gerald Fields, a former pastor of Bethel, shared in the afternoon service.

Affiliating with IBSA

Churches that wish to apply for affiliation with the Illinois Baptist State Association must submit an application for membership by September 19. To request a packet that explains the application process, contact Sandy Barnard at (217) 391-3107 or e-mail SandyBarnard@IBSA.org.

Crossville Missionary Baptist Church seeks a full-time pastor to provide leadership, vision, and growth through preaching, music, and outreach. This church resides in a town of almost 1,000 nestled near other towns ranging to about 5,000. Please send a cover letter, resume with references, and video (if available) to P.O. Box 417, Crossville, IL 62827.

Resurrection Baptist Church, Benton seeks a bivocational pastor with a heart for the church body. The candidate should possess the skills to grow a church of varied ages and backgrounds. Send resume to resurrectionconnection@gmail. com or 108 S. McLeansboro St., Benton, IL 62812.

Heartland Baptist Network, headquartered in Springfield, seeks a part-time bookkeeper to work 3-5 hours per week. Contact David Howard at (217) 529-3429 or e-mail david@heartlandbaptist.net.

EVENTS

August 31

iConnect

What: Event for leaders who are new to Illinois, serving in a new ministry, or want to get better connected with IBSA and fellow Baptists in Illinois.

Where: IBSA Building, Springfield Register: BarbTroeger@IBSA.org

September 9

BCHFS Golf Scramble

What: Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services invites you to join them for the 20th Annual Southern Illinois Golf Scramble. Single shotgun at 1 p.m. with lunch served at noon.

Where: Green Hills, Mt. Vernon Information: BCHFS.com

Illinois Changers

9/15-17 Streator Baptist Camp

9/22-24 Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp, Pinckneyville

What: An opportunity for Illinois Baptist students to gather with other teens from around our state to participate in short-term mission projects and vibrant worship experiences.

Register: IBSA.org/Students

September 16

Beth Moore Simulcast

What: You’re invited to join Beth and thousands of women worldwide as she shares truth to guide your own journey of faith; 8:30 a.m. – 3:15 p.m.

Where: IBSA Building, Springfield

Cost: $10 per person, includes lunch.

Register: IBSA.org/Women

September 16

BCHFS Fall Festival

What: The Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services Fall Festival is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission, parking, and all food and activities (with the exception of the quilt and silent auction) are free.

Where: Residential Care Campus, Carmi

Information: BCHFS.com

September 20

Lunch and Learn

Webinar Series - “Life by the Slice”

Discover how viewing ordinary life moments from a different perspective can provide fuel for living forward in your life; 11:30 a.m. – noon.

Register: IBSA.org/Women

A bad move

dave says

QI have a whole life insurance policy with zero cash value due to loans I took out per the advice of my agent. I finally realized this wasn’t a smart move, as I now owe premiums plus interest every year. Am I still on the hook for the policy loans if I forfeit the policy to buy term insurance?

ANo, you are not. Get your term insurance in place first, then when you cancel the policy your cash value will offset your loans.

They won’t loan you more than your cash value. It’s seldom that they will loan you 100% of cash value, so you might actually have a cash value that is above your loan amount. If they have loaned you the full amount of your cash value, it’ll be an exact break even, and just canceling the policy means you cancel the interest and cancel the premiums.

It was bad advice to buy the policy, and even dumber advice to clean the whole thing out and sit there paying interest to borrow your own money and pay a premium to keep the loan open.

I recommend 10 to 12 times your income on a 15- or 20year level term policy. During that 15 or 20 years, of course, you should be getting out of debt and building wealth so that you have a big pile of money and no need for life insurance.

DAVE RAMSEY

First, get a real job

QI currently have student loans in deferment from earning a degree in hospitality management. My career goal is to own a mobile food vending company, so I’m putting most of the money I make from eBay and ride-hailing services—around $1,000 a month —aside in savings for that. Should I forego my business idea for the time being, and knock out the student loan debt instead?

AYou should put this business idea on hold for now, unless you can start it for less than $1,000. The first thing you need to do is go out and get a real job. I know you have this dream of being self-employed, but right now you’re not doing so well as an entrepreneur.

With a hospitality degree, you can make $30,000 to $50,000 a year within the industry, clean up your mess, and build out the eBay thing on the side.

While you’re doing that, you can clean up all your student loans and save up money for your food truck. Boom! You’re self-employed and you learned a lot of stuff you can use in your new business. Go make some real money, then follow your dream!

A prerequisite for personal growth, evangelism, mission trips, and church planting. A training course designed to help people better understand the path to lasting spiritual freedom, through Jesus Christ. Some topics include:

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The Battleground

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12-week course begins Sunday, Sept. 10, 6-7:30 p.m.

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

STAY WHERE YOU ARE. SERVE WHERE YOU’VE BEEN CALLED. STUDY WITH WORLD-CLASS FACULTY AND A GLOBAL STUDENT BODY.

Training provided by Bruce Kugler, member of the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists. A training ministry of God’s Courtroom. For more information go to: www.GodsCourtroom.org.

Pat’s Playbook

Church needed here...

Location: Rushville

Focus: French-speaking Togolese people group

Characteristics: Many people from Togo are migrating to communities in Illinois, including Rushville, where the estimated Togolese population is several hundred.

Prayer needs: Pray for a small group of Togolese people that are gathering weekly for worship, and that God would raise up a church planter to lead them. Pray for Emile Abaya, a church planter in Moline, who travels to Rushville weekly to share the gospel with them.

In a hostile culture

Read: Daniel 1

How does one deal with moral and ethical issues that challenge one to compromise his faith and values? Daniel and his three friends found themselves in a Babylonian culture that eagerly embraced false gods and personal pleasure. Nebuchadnezzar ordered these captive men to eat and drink from the royal provisions. “Daniel determined that he would not defile himself with the king’s food or with the wine he drank. So he asked permission from the chief official not to defile himself” (Daniel 1:8).

inspirations

pinterest.com/illinoisBaptist

Killer attitudes

Communities are suffering because churches aren’t as evangelistic as they were in the past, says LifeWay’s Thom Rainer. Statistics bear this out and there are a number of reasons why. But one of the key explanations is simply an attitude problem. Here are six of them:

1. “That’s what we pay our pastor to do.”

2. “Our church members are just not evangelistic.”

Don’t leave it out

QI heard a woman complain once that all her pastor preached was “get saved.” Almost all my congregation is long-time believers. How can I give them deep and challenging sermons, while still covering the basics of salvation on a regular basis?

AEvery sermon could and should conclude with a clear presentation of the gospel. Those who are already believers need to be reminded that there is a lost and dying world just outside the walls of the church, and a salvation message can challenge and encourage them to reach their friends and family members before it’s too late.

PAT PAJAK

Pastors are instructed to preach the whole counsel of God’s Word, but in doing so (because only the Lord really knows the condition of the listener’s heart), they should include the urgency for one to trust Jesus as savior. Members should be grateful for a pastor who encourages others to “get saved.”

Sugar-free fellowship

KEVIN CARROTHERS

They understood from their religious heritage that this food was unclean under God’s law and that it had been offered as sacrifices to pagan gods. Daniel wanted all to understand that only the one true God deserved praise, so he did not want to do anything that would give tacit approval to idolatry.

Daniel’s decision to disobey the king’s command came with risk of serious punishment, even death for him and his friends. However, Daniel also realized that to disobey the sovereign God and compromise his values would defeat the purpose of honoring the one and only God before a pagan society.

Perhaps the apostle Paul thought of Daniel when he wrote, “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Romans 12:2). Certainly Daniel and his friends refused to conform to the Babylonian lifestyle. They remained faithful to God, willing to suffer for him.

PRAYER PROMPT: Almighty God, give us courage to remain faithful in a hostile culture, regardless of the consequences. Amen.

Kevin Carrothers serves as director of missions for Salem South Baptist Association and is concluding his second one-year term as IBSA President.

3. “Our denomination does not help us.”

4. “We emphasize evangelism once a year in our church.”

5. “I don’t know anyone well who is not a Christian.”

The pastor is diabetic, yet people still give him cakes and pies when we have church dinners. One dear soul always sets aside a bowl of banana pudding for him. He eats some of it to be polite. Should I say something to the sugar-pushers?

6. “We don’t have the resources.”

Rainer says he has seen churches make dramatic turnarounds when just one person decides to be radically obedient to the Great Commission.

The question should not be: “What about them?” The question should be: “What about me?”

Q 71% 56%

A illinois religious landscape Afterlife? of adults in Illinois believe in heaven believe in hell – Pew Research

– Excerpted from ThomRainer.com. See the full article and more like it in IBSA’s weekly e-newsletter for church leaders, e-Connection. Sign up at Communications@IBSA.org.

It’s the pastor’s responsibility to speak up. There’s nothing wrong with him letting people know that his doctor has restricted his sugar intake and because of his health concerns, he’ll be passing on the sweets. I have no doubt that once the word is out, the ladies will continue to provide cakes, pies, and even banana pudding for everyone else to enjoy, but their motherly instincts might kick in, and they’ll ask the pastor (kindly), “Are you supposed to be eating that?” Especially if they see him sneaking a quick bite. Kindly encourage him to share his diabetes problem with the kitchen workers and see how quickly the word spreads.

– IBSA Church Planting Team