August 27, 2018 Illinois Baptist

Illinois Baptist

Giving season

INSIDE Pages 5-7

Encouraging women

How to pray for state missions

Busy summer for gospel sharing missionillinois.org CHURCH

BACK TO SCHOOL

Off to a good start

Illinois | First Baptist Church of Bethalto’s “Backpack Blessing” started as a way to bless students and families headed back to school. It turned into a worship service dedicated to sending kids, teachers, and administrators into the new school covered in prayer.

Before the Aug. 5 morning worship service, students brought in their backpacks, which were then filled with school supplies and parenting resources provided by the church. Most important, though, was the prayer time, said FBC Bethalto associate pastor Tim Drury. During the service,

Churches ready families for fall with shoes, haircuts, and prayer P.

What I’m learning about what I don’t know

GO

As Illinois turns 200 in 2018, IBSA is seeking to engage at least 200 churches in each of these challenges.

Is your church one of them?

As of August 17

Churches

ENGAGE NEW PEOPLE – Evangelism 151

MAKE NEW SACRIFICES – Missions Giving

Churches Churches

DEVELOP NEW LEADERS – Leadership Development

Churches

Total Participating Churches: 161

Goal: 200

Read more about these challenges and register your church for one or more at IBSA.org/Pioneering, or contact IBSA’s John Carruthers at (217) 391-3110 or JohnCarruthers@IBSA.org.

BICENTENNIAL MOMENT

Happy 200th Birthday, Illinois!

Celebrating our state and Baptist work across two centuries

Church planter Steven Stilley’s grave marker is in a wooded spot near Herod, Illinois. He helped found churches in the area, including the oldest continually operating IBSA church, Big Creek Baptist Church, now called First Baptist Church of Elizabethtown.

the cooperative program

Giving by IBSA churches as of 8/17/18

$3,785,703

Budget Goal: $3,998,077

Received to date in 2017: $3,735,424

2018 Goal: $6.3 Million

The Illinois Baptist staff

Editor - Eric Reed

Managing Editor - Meredith Flynn

Graphic Designer - Kris Kell

Contributing Editor - Lisa Misner

Multimedia Journalist - Andrew Woodrow

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

Our journey together

Isuppose the most self-indulgent car I’ve ever owned was one we purchased just after Beth and I were married. It was a sporty little Honda Prelude, with barely any back seat and just enough trunk space for the two of us.

Then, as our family grew, we found we needed cars with bigger back seats and more trunk space. The arrival of our third son pushed us into a mini-van, and longer trips even required a cartop carrier for all the stuff that tended to go with us. Last spring, with two daughters-in-law now in our family troupe, our family vacation required the rental of something called a “people mover,” with nine seats plus cargo space.

Yes, it costs more and more and takes extra effort for a growing family to travel together. But it’s worth it. Sure, things like your destination and everyone’s comfort are important. But just as important are the relationships that grow, and the experiences you share, as you travel together.

That’s also how I feel about our journey and mission together as churches, here in Illinois. Sure, where we are going together is important: We want to reach people with the gospel, and to develop disciples and leaders who can help our churches grow, and start new churches, and go to the mission fields of the world.

But the relationship between and among churches and leaders is important too, and somewhat unique to state and local missions. Here we are close enough, not just to do missions together, but to grow together, and sometimes hurt together, as family.

State missions isn’t only about evangelism and church planting and training leaders, though we certainly invest a lot in those priorities. It’s also helping one another through pastoral transitions, or church conflict, or legal issues. It’s doing camps together. It’s planning mission trips or experiences for multiple leaders, or kids, or students, or churches, when one church can’t do that alone.

It’s answering the phone when a church has a need, and sometimes jumping in the car to bring some help or encouragement or resources. It’s celebrating big church anniversaries together, or the long tenure of a devoted pastor. Sometimes it’s crying together at a funeral.

When churches throughout a state decide not to travel alone, but to band together, and work together, and put a state staff and ministries in place, they are doing more than giving money to send missionaries, as important as that is. They are deciding to journey together in a shared mission field, and to do life together, for better or worse, in a way that isn’t really practical in North American missions or international missions.

I would never take anything away from the challenges that our sister, southern state conventions face. But I will say that when a few hundred Southern Baptist churches that average 75 in attendance take on a northern state like Illinois, with mammoth cities like Chicago and St. Louis, and with a population that is 175 times the total worship attendance of our churches, our journey together is a little more uphill than most.

But this is our mission field. This is where we journey together. It’s not always easy or comfortable. But it’s worth it.

Next month, churches across our state will receive a special offering, the Mission Illinois Offering. It helps provide what we need for the journey together. Please consider a generous gift, through your church or through the IBSA.org website, if your church isn’t receiving the offering. Every year we travel together brings new challenges. But, for the sake of the lost here, and the glory of our God, our journey together is worth it.

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

When a few hundred Southern Baptist churches take on a state like Illinois, our journey together is a little more uphill than most.

Developing a biblical worldview

Sometimes it starts in a cemetery, speaker says

Jacksonville | Dan DeWitt describes the term worldview as “a lens through which we see everything.” He wants Christians to stop and think about their own worldviews and that of others around them.

Like the lenses in a pair of glasses, he said, “We rarely stop and think about everything we see until we get a smudge.”

DeWitt, an associate professor of applied theology and apologet ics at Cedarville University, spoke Aug. 6 at Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church in Jacksonville. He was one of four leaders to present at the Engaged Church series, which ran each Monday evening in August. DeWitt, a former dean of Boyce College at Southern Seminary in Louisville, Ky., grew up in Jacksonville.

During his presentation on developing a biblical worldview, DeWitt said theologians, philosophers, scientists, and popular culture have always debated the existence of God. Their worldviews determine those beliefs. “Carl Sagan said the universe is all there is. The Berenstain Bears said nature is all there is,” he noted, giving two distinct examples of worldviews.

“God has a design,” DeWitt said. “The design has been broken because of rebellion. If you want to restore it, you have to go back to the biblical worldview. If we want a biblical worldview, we have to submit to his authority.” The easiest way to develop a more biblical worldview, DeWitt said, is to read the Bible starting with the Psalms, which he called “a survey of Christian life.”

DeWitt said when he taught in Louisville, he took his students on field trips to cemeteries and instructed them to study the headstones marking the graves as they discussed life and death, heaven and hell.

“These are the questions humans have asked throughout all of history,” DeWitt told his students. “These are questions with an expiration date and you can read it on these tombstones.”

When sharing Christ with others, he told the students to remember that just like those buried in the cemetery, “They’re not an angry atheist neighbor, [they’re] just

another human trying to figure things out before they die.”

DeWitt said he gives his students eight questions to answer about the nature of reality, human beings, death, truth, and the personal commitments that are consistent with the worldview they’re developing. Once the students can answer them and determine their own worldviews, they are equipped to ask others the same questions. Using those questions, they can start discussions and build relationships, which can lead to gospel conversations.

Lincoln Avenue’s Engaged Church series also included Adron Robinson, pastor of Country Club Hills Baptist Church in Hillcrest and president of IBSA; Carmen Halsey, IBSA’s director of women’s ministry and church missions; and Anthony Allen, president of Hannibal-LaGrange University. Pastor Jeremy Byrd said the series was designed to encourage and equip not just his Jacksonville congregation, but also other local churches and leaders.

Read more about Dan DeWitt’s presentation at IllinoisBaptist.org.

– Lisa Misner

50,000 baptisms

California’s Saddleback Church celebrated its 50,000th baptism Sunday, Aug. 12. The Southern Baptist congregation has 19 campuses and was founded in 1980 by Pastor Rick Warren (right). “Each of these lives represents an individual changed by and committed to a relationship with Jesus Christ,” the church tweeted about the milestone. “We are in awe of what God has done in the last 38 years and are hopeful and expectant for what he will do in the years to come. Thank you, God!”

Willow Creek meltdown

Pastors and elders at Willow Creek Community Church resigned in August amid new allegations of sexual misconduct against former pastor Bill Hybels. Heather Larson and Steve Carter had been named co-pastors to succeed Hybels.

After The New York Times published allegations this month from a former assistant to Hybels—the tenth woman to accuse him of misconduct— Carter resigned immediately. Larson followed on Aug. 8, and the Chicagoland church’s elder board announced it will step down by the end of the year.

“Trust has been broken by leadership, and it doesn’t return quickly,” Larson said. “There is urgency to move in a better direction.”

Meanwhile, the Chicago Tribune reported Aug. 13 that the church paid more than $3 million in lawsuits over the sexual abuse of two boys by a Willow Creek volunteer.

– Baptist Press, Christianity Today, Chicago Tribune

DEWITT

SUMMER SERIES – Pastor Jeremy Byrd (left) and Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church hosted four speakers during their Engaged Church series, including Chicago pastor and IBSA President Adron Robinson (center), who was interviewed by IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams during his presentation on the Christian’s calling to live counter-culturally.

ILLINOIS

Saddleback photo

In remembrance

Allen Mashbern | 1947-2018

Following his death Aug. 1 in Maryville, Tenn., former IBSA director of worship Allen Mashbern was remembered for his kindness, musical talent, and commitment to training the next generation of church musicians.

Mashbern, 70, joined the IBSA staff in 1986, after serving as minister of music to churches in Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Florida. At IBSA, he coordinated training for church musicians, camps for children and teens, and Illinois’ All State Youth Choir. He retired after 20 years of service to Illinois Baptist churches.

Mashbern earned music degrees from Memphis State University and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., where he received a Doctor of Music Arts. He was a member of The CenturyMen, a Dove- and Grammy-nominated men’s chorus, and edited hymns for the Southern Baptist Hymnal. “He had perfect pitch and was a wonderful tenor—the kind of person I can’t sing around because it made it so clear how off I am,” said IBSA’s Debbie Muller, who served as Mashbern’s ministry assistant.

“He was so sweet and caring about everyone he worked with. Children’s Music Camp, Youth Music Camp, and the All State Youth Choir were very important to him. He loved teaching students ways to worship God.”

He is survived by his wife, Jeannie; daughter, Tina (John) Cowsert; grandson, Matthew John Cowsert; granddaughter, Anna Elizabeth Cowsert; three sisters; and many cousins, nephews, and nieces.

William Ellsworth | 1932-2018

Long-time Illinois Baptist pastor William “Bill”

Ellsworth died Aug. 16 at the age of 86. A Navy veteran of the Korean War era, he was called into full-time ministry in 1974. He served as minister of music and youth at several churches in Metro East and southern Illinois, and sang with the Singing Churchmen and Singing Illinoisans. Ellsworth eventually served as a pastor and missionary to the Lakota Sioux on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. He later pastored several churches in the Metro East region, and in “retirement,” served as interim pastor whenever called.

“I love the way that Bill Ellsworth loved the local church, and gave himself to it over and over, in numerous settings, even after retirement,” said IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams. “He and his dear wife, Marge, have been my personal friends and prayer partners for years, and I will miss Bill with a smile, knowing how much he is enjoying heaven, and continuing to love Jesus.”

Ellsworth is survived by his wife, Marge; daughters Terry (Harold) Hughes and Marjean (Mark) Shofner; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held Sept. 8 at FBC Fairview Heights at 11 a.m. Visitation will be 9:30-10:30 a.m.

FROM THE FRONT: BACK-TO-SCHOOL OPPORTUNITY

families gathered in small groups across the sanctuary as church members prayed over them.

“I believe the real blessing was the directed prayer time for all the individuals in our church,” Drury said, “and watching the generations pray for each other.”

Across Illinois, churches used August to reach into their communities with ministries tailored to families with school-aged children. In Chicago, Another Chance Church held their annual back-to-school party Aug. 10, with free services for kids and families, food, and a bounce house provided by the Chicago Metro Baptist Association.

The party was the culmination of the church’s six-week summer camp for kids.

“We try to do the best we can to share Christ while keeping them safe for five hours a day,” said Pastor Kenyatta Smith. For Another Chance, which recently relocated to a new

church is still going on, said coordinator Judy Taylor. Once inside the building, they meet with counselors who offer to pray for specific requests as their families start the new school year. Then, they’re able to choose from services including haircuts, school supplies, and a massive shoe store set up in the church’s dining room.

The church realized the need for shoes several years ago when teachers told them kids were sitting on the sidelines in gym class because they didn’t have appropriate shoes to play on the gym floor. “We need to fix this” was Dorrisville’s response, Taylor said.

The church works with a local Payless ShoeSource to purchase the shoes—more than $11,000 worth this year. At the Aug. 12 party, they gave away 513 pairs of gym shoes and a pair of socks with each one.

campus in a different Chicago community, the party and the camp are ways to show their commitment to the neighborhood. The church is working to “keep on letting people know we’re here,” Smith said.

Near the church is a housing community with 2,000 children. At the back-to-school party, Another Chance gave away almost 500 backpacks, and more than 100 kids received free eye exams and haircuts.

At the other end of the state, Dorrisville Baptist Church in Harrisburg welcomed families to a back-to-school celebration they’ve hosted for 16 years. People start lining up for the Sunday afternoon event while

“We just stand in awe,” Taylor said of how God orchestrates the back-to-school ministry. In the room where volunteers served a meal of baked spaghetti, bread, salad, and ice cream sundaes, hostess Amy Craig met a young boy who was excited to visit the church’s Mercy Center to pick out gently used clothing. When he said he would choose clothes over the meal, Craig was able to tell him he could have both.

Taylor said the annual outreach really changes the volunteers as much or more than the people receiving clothes or haircuts or shoes.

“We think we’re serving people, and we are, but we’re more like Jesus at the end of this year than we are at the beginning.”

– Meredith Flynn

Continued from page 1

PILED HIGH – Shoeboxes nearly hide a volunteer at Dorrisville Baptist Church’s annual fall outreach. At Another Chance Church in Chicago, back-to-school ministry included haircuts (below, right), and at FBC Bethalto, families gathered for a special prayer service (below, left).

SEPTEMBER 9-16, 2018 &

Encouraging women

What happens when these Illinois Baptist women learn they are, in fact, leaders

BY LISA MISNER CRUSE

Carmen Halsey has a passion for educating and empowering godly women. As IBSA’s director of women’s ministry, she organizes leadership training cohorts, large equipping events, and mission trips in Illinois and abroad. Her desire is to help women find their God-given gifts, and to bring those gifts to build up the local church and carry the gospel to the marketplace. “We’re investing in you,” she tells women as they grow into leaders, “so you be ready to invest in others.”

Halsey (second from left in photo above) said she tends to see where “God has women versus where he doesn’t have women.” According to the U.S. Department of Labor, almost 47% of the

country’s workers are women and 70% of mothers with children under the age of 18 are in the workforce.

One of those women is Andrea Cruse. “When I met her, she was already a young mother, she was already a pastor’s wife, but one of the things that intrigued me about Andrea was re-engaging the workforce, and wondering where she was going to fit,” shared Halsey.

Cruse, who is married to Adam Cruse, pastor of Living Faith Baptist Church in Sherman and has three young children, has been the recipient of Halsey’s leadership through Illinois Baptist Women (IBW).

See more of Carmen Halsey’s story at missionillinois.org, part of the 2018 state missions story collection. Use the full set of videos and downloadable teaching materials to lead a state missions study.

P.

How MIO helps

Your giving goes far

It’s difficult to put a price tag on many of the ministries supported by the annual Mission Illinois Offering. A large part of the offering assists IBSA missionaries as they serve churches across the state, equipping them to reach out to their communities with the gospel. In addition to personnel, MIO helps provide ministry materials such as:

$1

One copy of the JESUS film in 24 languages

$6

Evangecube for sharing the gospel with kids

$50 $50

Case of Bibles for community outreach Backyard Bible Club kit for a local church

$160 Summer camp scholarship for a child or teen

$300 Evangelism training for an entire church

$300 3-on-3 basketball tournament to share the gospel with college students

$500

Technology/communication resources for Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief

For more ways to plan and promote the Mission Illinois Offering and Week of Prayer in your church, go to missionillinois.org.

“Carmen has taught me to be a leader in the marketplace and my church by just allowing me the opportunity and inviting me to participate in the cohorts that are available,” Cruse said. “I’ve just gained valuable knowledge on those foundational leadership skills that have proved significant in my own personal marketplace.”

Cruse began sharing the leadership skills she was learning with her supervisors at work, and when an opportunity for advancement came up, she was tapped for the position.

She credits Halsey and IBW, saying when she expressed doubts about accepting the new management role, her su pervisor told her, “Andrea, we can teach you what you don’t know, what we need is your leadership skills.”

“And it was at that moment,” Cruse said, “I was just so thankful that IBW and Carmen were willing to invest in me and provided me with the resources to develop those skills.”

Halsey’s work is possible, in part, because of support from the Mission Illinois Offering & Week of Prayer. Collected annually in September by IBSA churches and designated exclusively for ministry in Illinois, this offering supports IBSA missionaries and staff in missions especially needed within the state. That includes Illinois Baptist Women, the group within the IBSA Church Resources Team that focuses on growing women in their roles as disciples, missions mobilizers, and leaders. Under Halsey’s guidance, that has grown to include leadership at home, church, mission field, and in the marketplace.

That’s one main theme of the annual Priority Conference Halsey organizes for Illinois women. “Priority provides a safe environment for us to come and learn together. We can ask questions. We don’t have to feel foolish; we don’t have to shy away from some hard conversations,” Halsey said.

Her conferences have approached hard topics such as assisting refugees, human trafficking, and sexuality. And leadership. “Women are influential folks, and sometimes they just need someone to tell them that.”

Growing influence

Another woman who has benefited from Halsey’s leadership is Becki McNeely. She is a member of Lakeland Baptist Church with a rich heritage.

McNeely is the wife of Brandon McNeely, Baptist Collegiate Ministries director at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. She is also the daughter of Lakeland’s pastor Phil Nelson and the granddaughter of International Mission Board missionaries Jack and Ava Shelby. Even with that pedigree, taking on leadership roles in her church could be intimidating. Until she met Halsey.

“I felt like I was thrown into being a leader until I met Carmen,” NcNeeley said. “She poured so much into me personally through leadership cohort groups. If it had not been for Carmen, I wouldn’t have had the tools I needed to lead.

“I couldn’t put a price tag on how much I learned from her.”

Jacqueline Scott, a member of Dorrisville Baptist Church in Harrisburg, may be retired, but the natural born leader isn’t about to slow down. Since becoming active in Illinois Baptist Women, Scott said, “Carmen increased in me a sense of urgency to be serious about the Great Commission. The world is going so fast, we’ve got to catch up, get into the game.”

Last summer Scott joined Halsey on a mission trip at the southern tip of the state in Cairo. Scott said the experience taught her, “We need to be ready, better equipped. The Cairo mission trip was a learning curve for me.” She described how many of the people they met while going door-to-door said they practiced other religions. They “challenged” her.

Halsey noticed.

“Jacqueline just saw oppression that her eyes had never seen before,” she said. “And what I loved is that her inner leader just came out. There was a boldness, there was a confidence there that can only come from God.”

Scott agreed. “When I went to Cairo, it was good for me to be there.”

Halsey’s work includes encouraging women in missions mobilization. Her team has led mission trips to Chicago and New Orleans, Europe and South Asia, and has urged Illinois Baptist Women to engage their own neighbors and communities with the gospel.

“It does make me proud—you know, godly proud—when I see somebody succeeding,” Halsey said. And that encourages her in her work with Illinois Baptist Women all the more.

A call to prayer

Please encourage your church to pray for state missions during the Mission Illinois Offering & Week of Prayer, September 9-16. Pray especially for women’s ministry and missions across the state, and the development of leaders through Illinois Baptist Women. Pray for Carmen Halsey and all the members of the IBSA Church Resources Team as they equip churches and leaders for ministry.

See more at missionillinois.org

Continued from page 5

SCOTT

London calling

Carmen Halsey leads Illinois volunteers to diverse mission field

Praying with purpose

How will you intercede for Illinois missionaries?

Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains, so that I may make it known as I should.

– Colossians 4:2-4, CSB

The apostle Paul’s words to the church at Colossae are a blueprint for how we can pray for missions in Illinois, especially during this season when many churches will collect the Mission Illinois Offering:

STORYTELLERS – IBSA’s Carmen Halsey led two teams of mission volunteers from Illinois churches to London to work with International Mission Board missionaries and explore future mission partnership opportunities. While in London, one of the world’s most diverse cities, the teams prayer-walked and started conversations with people they met, in hopes of getting a chance to share a story from the Bible. Many of the volunteers literally took the Word of God with them everywhere through temporary henna tattoos that helped them tell Bible stories, including the woman at the well and Jesus healing a demon-possessed man in Mark 5 (pictured on Jacqueline Scott’s hand at right).

1. Be devoted to prayer. MIO is more than a monetary offering; it also calls churches to a week of intentional prayer for missionaries and ministries across the state. Find daily devotions for the Week of Prayer Sept. 9-16 at missionillinois.org. Use one each day to remind you to pray for state missions, and read them together during your church’s worship service and small group gatherings.

2. Pray specifically. Paul urged early Christians to pray specifically for him as he preached the gospel of Christ. In Colossians, he asked for open doors. In Ephesians 6:19-20, it was boldness.

As you pray for missions and missionaries in Illinois, pray specifically—for open doors for church planters working in communities without a church, and for boldness for campus ministers serving at colleges and universities. Pray also for perseverance for missionaries who are currently seeing few results, but trusting God to transform lives and build his church.

3. Pray outside the box. In the passages in Colossians and Ephesians, Paul reminds his readers that he’s in chains for the gospel. Hidden in his prayer requests for the ministry is a personal request of sorts—remember me in prison.

Missionaries still need prayer for things that aren’t directly related to their work, said Kathy Deasy. She served with her husband, Jeff, in Kenya and Brazil before they moved to Illinois, where Jeff leads IBSA’s Church Cooperation Team.

“When we were serving overseas, we were constantly asking for prayers for the non-missionary work things that totally affected our ability to do our ministry,” Kathy Deasy said. Housing, transportation challenges, children adjusting to a new culture, marriage, money, diet, time—personal things everyone deals with are made even more challenging in a different cultural context than your own, she said.

When they asked for prayer on the field, the Deasys listed ministry challenges, goals, accomplishments, and progress, Kathy said, “but we felt ministered ‘to’ when people went above and beyond to pray for our families and our personal lives and walk with God to remain strong, in the midst of attempting to accomplish those things we felt called to do.”

Go to missionillinois.org to order free MIO prayer guides and bulletin inserts for your church.

On Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh

Ed Stetzer on his Christianity Today blog:

As a person of faith who cares about life (in and out of the womb), and as one who is concerned about continual government overreach as our society moves in a more secular direction, I am thankful for a more conservative court….Even if you did not support President Trump, you can support a Supreme Court that will have a positive impact on the sanctity of life in all its stages and the religious liberty that should matter to us all.

John C. Richards, Stetzer’s co-worker at the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College, was invited to respond:

As a Christian person of color, I approach Brett Kavanaugh...with a bit less enthusiasm than my colleague (Stetzer).

Besides the fact that the President missed the opportunity to change the narrative of a court dominated by white male appointments (only six of the 113 judges in the court’s 228-year history have been minorities or women), I long for the days when Supreme Court judges weren’t viewed as representing a particular ideology.

Your gift to missions through Southern Baptists’ Cooperative Program is

more than a drop in the bucket.

reporter’s notebook

Supreme debate: How did we get here?

The plight of the young soccer players in Thailand trapped in a flooded cave for 16 days in July produced important questions: How did we get in this predicament? And more important, how do we get back?

I found myself asking those questions while doing some research prior to the announcement of Brett Kavanaugh as President Trump’s nominee for Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Even before the pick was named, pundits were saying the next justice would be elected by just a vote or two, with the Senate split down party lines.

But in the past several decades, the votes have gotten closer, the argument has gotten louder, and the grilling has gotten longer. For example, in 1975 John Paul Stevens was confirmed after six hours of questioning before the Senate judicial committee, while last year Neil Gorsuch was on the hot seat 20 hours.

It hasn’t always been this way.

As recently as 1987, Reagan nominee Anthony Kennedy (the one now being replaced) was elected 97-0. Not a single dissenting vote. There were only three votes against Clinton nominee Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 1993, and nine votes against Stephen Breyer, another Clinton pick one year later.

After 1994, every confirmation election has drawn between 22 and 45 negative votes. How did it get this way?

This is not to imply that every confirmation has been smooth—or even successful. Nixon had two nominees rejected outright, Reagan lost the vote on Robert Bjork, and the election of George H.W. Bush-nominee Clarence Thomas was a squeaker.

We can be fairly certain that conservative Kavanaugh will meet a long interrogation and perhaps a hair’s breadth confirmation; but, given his anticipated impact on a more right-leaning court as it rules on right-to-life and religious liberty issues, the fight will be worth it. Still, we can’t help but wish the civil discourse in America were more civil. There was a time when public argument over important issues carried some respect for the offices involved and the weightiness of the issues, if not for the nominee on the grill. When Hansel and Gretel ventured into the forest, they left a trail of bread crumbs (or popcorn, depending on your childhood version) to follow on the way back out. Of course, their edible GPS was gobbled up by some woodland creatures, and the pair soon found themselves lost and at the mercy of an ancient crone. Like that endangered pair, we munch on gingerbread shingles, speculate about the temperature of the oven, and hope to find a way out.

Here are the ministries Illinois’ CP supports:

1% SBC Executive Committee, Operating Budget

1% SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission

9% SBC Theological Education

10% SBC North American Mission Board

22% SBC International Mission Board

6% IBSA Camps, Student Centers, BFI Subsidy

7% IBSA Church Cooperation Services & Operations

8% IL Church Planting

8% IL Baptist Media, CP Development

12% IL Evangelism and Missions

16% IL Church Strengthening Ministries

When your church gives a percentage of the weekly offering to missions through CP, the ripple effect is felt all over the world. IBSA.org/CP

KAVANAUGH IBSA.org/AWSOM

September 28-29, 2018

IBSA Building, Springfield

IBSA.org/Expo

– Eric Reed

Bring your missions teams and church leadership to Missions Expo, an opportunity to develop a missions strategy for your church and explore short-term mission trips.

$10 registration fee includes lunch and resources

As a recent graduate of Southern Seminary in Louisville, Ky., I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting on the past two years and what the Lord has done in my life.

I grew up in a gospel-centered family that constantly encouraged me to walk with the Lord.

I was humbled by opportunities he allowed me to be part of as I grew older. A couple of years ago, when I was presented with the idea of attending seminary, I wasn’t overly excited. I didn’t want to move again and, quite honestly, didn’t see the value of getting a theological education.

That’s what made the next two years so surprising. I can sum up my time in seminary this way: I didn’t realize how much I didn’t know about God.

My first semester, I took a Systematic Theology class and was blown away by things that I had never heard about before. I simply hadn’t known what I didn’t know. It wasn’t as if my church

We have biblical evidence that there is always something more to know about God. Consider Ephesians 3:18, where the apostle Paul says, “I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Over the past two years, I have taken what I learned that first semester and built upon that foundation of realizing how deep and wide are the things I don’t know about God. At seminary, I learned alongside people of all ages and backgrounds who are being equipped to be sent all over the world to share the gospel. When you stop learning about God and think that you know all there is to know, you are cutting yourself short, as well as those you are leading and teaching.

God is so much greater than we could ever imagine. Realizing we have so much to learn should humble us to read God’s Word every day, and to rely on him to open our eyes to the truths of the gospel.

Sometimes the realization that I have so much still to learn is overwhelming, but it’s also exciting. Here in Louisville, I attend a church where I’m involved in women’s ministry. This fall, we will dive into a study about creation, how things once were, and how they are now, after the fall. At first glance, the material looks like something the average churchgoer could easily explain. But by taking a deeper look into the Scriptures, I have been realizing so many new truths that I never saw before in the creation account.

When we understand how little we actually know, it creates a passion in us to dig deeper into the Bible. This can be challenging at times and discouraging when we don’t understand what we are supposed to be learning. But over time, God reveals his truth to us. This is true for every Christian, not just the seminary student or theologian. We all have something to learn. We all have things that we don’t know, we don’t know. But God, in his kindness, is always teaching us new things. We just have to be willing to get to know him more.

Carrie Campbell is a graduate of Southern Seminary and currently serves as an admissions counselor. She was a member of Delta Church in Springfield before moving to Louisville, Ky., to attend seminary.

devotional

Spirit-led social media

Read: James 1:19-20

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”

Over the years, social media has become a large part of Christian culture.

had neglected teaching the gospel, but I was made aware of the greatness of God and his neverending attributes. God became so much bigger than I had made him out to be in my everyday life.

Personally, I started to realize my smallness towards God, but also how deeply he loves each and every one of his created beings. Every person is not only made in the image of God, but can also have a relationship with him. We hear that a lot in our churches on Sundays, but how often do we really grasp what that means, especially when we look at all the attributes of God?

ADRON ROBINSON

Churches are using Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and more to reach their communities with the gospel. But it’s not just churches; more and more Christians are using social media to share their personal thoughts and beliefs.

Some posts are inspirational and encouraging, but sadly some are anything but Christ-like. Brothers and sisters, what we say on social media displays not only the content of our hearts; it also demonstrates to the watching world what we believe about our Savior.

To this end, James gives us some guidelines for Spirit-led social media. Christians should be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Why? Because human anger does not produce the righteousness of God. It is no coincidence that God gave us two ears and one mouth; let us be mindful to listen twice as much as we speak.

Let us ask God for wisdom before we speak, then submit our words to the Holy Spirit.

Before you hit “send” on that next post, ask the Lord if the words you have written glorify him. Do they promote the Kingdom of God? And are they a reflection of the person and work of Jesus Christ? This will help us ensure that our lips and our lives line up with our Lord. “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Romans 12:18).

PRAYER PROMPT: Father, as your ambassadors, we represent you with our words and our deeds. Because of this, we need your Holy Spirit to sanctify our hearts and to govern our thoughts. Help us to align our words with your will, that they may glorify you, edify the saints, and evangelize the lost. Amen.

Adron Robinson is pastor of Hillcrest Baptist Church in Country Club Hills and president of the Illinois Baptist State Association.

If his wife’s coffee got cold, he’d preached too long. She called it her “Yeti signal.”

God, in his kindness, is always teaching us new things.

I didn’t know what I didn’t know

Living history, looking to the future

Two IBSA churches mark milestone anniversaries

Zif Missionary Baptist Church

Zif Baptist Church in Clay City marked its 150th anniversary July 8 by celebrating “150 years of God’s blessings” in their Sunday morning worship service and at a special service that afternoon.

They also welcomed musical group “All in the Family,” some of whom grew up at Zif, for a special concert.

The church is led by Jimmy Beam, who became pastor early in 2018. He previously served as pastor of Community Southern Baptist Church in Clay City, and Freedom Baptist Church in Olney.

First Baptist Church, Zeigler

About 100 miles to the southwest of Clay City, First Baptist Church in Zeigler celebrated its 100th anniversary July 22. IBSA zone consultant Larry Rhodes was on hand to present the church a plaque of appreciation for its century of service.

“The church was planted in July 1918 in response to the fact that

Porter to direct Disaster Relief

Butch Porter is now serving as state director for Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief (IBDR). Porter, a member of First Baptist Church, Galatia, has more than 10 years of experience as a Disaster Relief volunteer. As a “blue hat” unit supervisor, he has consistently mobilized teams from his church and Saline Baptist Association, said Dwayne Doyle, IBSA’s director of Men’s Ministry and Mission Mobilization and administrative director for IBDR. Porter and Doyle will work together to facilitate IBDR’s ministry in the state, region, and across the country.

NeTworkiNg

there was no church in the community at that time,” Rhodes said, “and new families were hesitant to move into the community unless there was going to be a strong Christian witness.”

The Zeigler church is pastored by Larry Shacklee (pictured at left with his wife, Jean), who has served 50 years in Illinois Baptist churches and ministries.

people

Welcome

Matt Robbins

is the new pastor of Marshall Creek Baptist Church in Odin. Previously, he served churches in the area as a pulpit supply preacher and has experience in youth ministry. As a bivocational pastor, Robbins also works for an agency dedicated to helping elderly Illinoisans. He and his wife, Amy, are originally from Centralia.

Ron Fellows is the new pastor of Crossville Missionary Baptist Church. A pastor in Indiana for more than 25 years, he is a graduate of Clear Creek Baptist Bible College and Trinity Seminary, with studies from Southern Seminary in Louisville, Ky. He and his wife, Renee, have two children and five grandchildren.

With the Lord Loralyn Celesta Sanders, 25, died Aug. 7 in Greenville. Her parents are Karen and Greg Sanders, who pastors First Baptist Church, Pocahontas. Along with her parents, Loralyn is survived her grandparents, Dr. Everett and Jane Sanders, and five siblings: David Sanders, Melody (Jim) Owens, Tiffany (Jake) Schlemper, Dwight (Ashley) Sanders, and Dellon Sanders.

Long-time IBSA pastor’s wife Marjorie Dillow died July 8 in Ozark, Mo., at the age of 85. She worked as a nurse and nursing instructor, and also served alongside her husband, Myron, as he pastored churches in Harrisburg and Carbondale and authored “Harvesttime on the Prairie,” a comprehensive history of Southern Baptists in Illinois. Along with her husband, she is survived by her children, Mark and Beth, and three sisters.

Find more information on ministry positions at IBSA.org/connect Send NetworkiNg items to IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org

University Baptist Church in Charleston seeks a lead pastor. Send resumes to: University Baptist Church, Attn: Pastor Search Committee, 2831 Whitetail Dr., Charleston, IL 62920, or to John Cabage at jvcabage@eiu.edu.

Faith Baptist Church in Marissa seeks a bivocational pastor. Send resumes to: 1225 Schoolview Dr., Marissa, IL 62257, or to Pamela Welshans at pami_5@yahoo.com.

Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services is seeking a married couple to serve as relief houseparents in two boys’ cottages, and a single female to serve as a relief houseparent in a girls’ group home. Applicants must be 21 or older, with high school diploma/GED. Positions are full-time with benefits. Apply at BCHFS.com/employment.

Affiliating with IBSA

Churches that wish to apply for affiliation with the Illinois Baptist State Association must submit an application for membership by September 18

To request a packet that explains the application process, contact Sandy Barnard at (217) 391-3107 or SandyBarnard@IBSA.org.

YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND – Butch Porter swaps boo-boo stories with a young man whose grandparents were assisted by Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers serving in South Carolina. IB file photo

EVENTS

September 8

Sunday School Director Training

What: Training from Wayne Poling, former LifeWay Sunday school specialist

Where: IBSA Building, Springfield, 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Cost: $10 per person, lunch included Register: IBSA.org/discipleship-groups/ events

September 9-16

Mission Illinois Offering & Week of Prayer

Info: missionillinois.org

September 11, October 16 Training Night

What: Quality, free training in a variety of ministry specialties

Where: Sept. 11: FSBC, Colona; Oct. 16: FBC Marion; 6-9 p.m. Register: IBSA.org/TrainingNight

September 14

Chicagoland Pastors & Spouses Date Night

What: An evening of fellowship and entertainment by IBSA pastor and comedian Ken Schultz

Where: Broadview Missionary Baptist Church Register: IBSA.org/LeadershipEvents

September 15

Living Proof Live Simulcast

What: Teaching by Bible study author and leader Beth Moore

Where: IBSA Building, Springfield

Cost: $15 per person Register: IBSA.org/WomensEvents

September 18

iConnect: IBSA/Pastors Meet-Up

What: Introduction to IBSA staff, ministries, training, and opportunities, for pastors and church staff members

Where: IBSA Building, Springfield Info: LindaDarden@IBSA.org

September 20-21

Women’s Ministry Essentials

What: Discipleship-focused training for new local church women’s ministry leaders

Where: IBSA Building, Springfield Register: IBSA.org/WomensEvents

September 21-23

Illinois Changers

What: Hands-on mission projects for students in grades 6-12

Where: Lake Sallateeska and Streator Baptist Camps

Cost: $50 per person Register: IBSA.org/il-changerprojects-2018

September 24-25

Leadership & Revitalization

What: Retreat for pastors and leaders

Where: Streator Baptist Camp

Cost: Free for pastors and church staff members; $30 for all other leaders Register by Sept. 17: IBSA.org/LeadershipEvents

September 28-29

Missions Expo

What: Get resources for developing a missions strategy and planning short-term mission trips

Where: IBSA Building, Springfield

Cost: $10 per person Register: IBSA.org/Expo

October 8-9

Pastors’ Prayer Retreat

What: Retreat includes hours of personal prayer time; optional activities include corporate worship and prayer training

Where: Lake Sallateeska and Streator Baptist Camps

Cost: Free for pastors and church staff; $30 all others Register: IBSA.org/LeadershipEvents

October 11-12

Chaplaincy Training Course

What: Training in C.I.S.M. (Critical Incident Stress Management)

Where: IBSA Building, Springfield

Cost: $50 per person Register: IBSA.org/CISMTraining

October 19-20

Disaster Relief Training

What: New volunteers are required to take Disaster Relief 101 on Friday evening and Saturday; chaplaincy class begins Friday at 1 p.m.; specialty classes offered Saturday

Where: Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp Register by Oct. 5: IBSA.org/DR

October 23-24

Leading on Empty

What: Free retreat for pastors; preregistration required

Where: Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp Register: IBSA.org/LeadershipEvents

dave says

A burden to help?

QDo you believe the adult child of a senior citizen, who is physically and mentally healthy but has neglected to plan for retirement, should be burdened with providing financial assistance to that parent?

ABased on the wording in your question, I can only believe you don’t think the adult child should be “burdened” to provide this assistance. My guess is you’re talking about one of your own parents. I understand that you might be aggravated with a parent who has been irresponsible with their money. But in my mind, there’s a bigger question. How big is the burden?

I talked to a guy recently who was making $1.5 million a year. He was questioning whether he should help his dad—an older man in poor health, who didn’t handle his money well—by giving him $1,000 a month. There’s no question you give that guy money. You’re making millions, but you don’t want to help your sick dad? Come on! But if you bring home $2,000 a month, and your family is barely getting by, you’re not morally required to financially take care of a parent who was irresponsible with their money.

It’s all relative. Do you have the money? Can you provide this help without placing an undue burden on your family? If the answer is yes, you may be asking more about your own aggravation than any sort of moral obligation.

But no, you’re not morally obligated to destroy your own life, or your family, to take care of a relative who didn’t take care of themselves financially.

Emergency fund?

QI’m going to be debt-free with a full emergency fund in place by the end of the year. I’m going to get a dog after that, but I wanted to make sure I did it the right way and was in good financial shape before making that move. Is a separate emergency fund for pets a good idea?

AYou go through some expense as a pet owner, along with happy, wonderful times and heartbreaking things, too. We lost our golden retriever recently, and I can tell you that was really hard on everyone. You love them like they’re family, but you still have to use common sense sometimes, and remember that they’re animals and not human beings. Part of that includes spending reasonable amounts of money on them—and in some unfortunate cases—doing things with the animal’s best interest, not our own desires, in mind.

What is a reasonable amount? That depends on how stable you are financially. It’s really a ratio question of expense to means. But no, I wouldn’t recommend a second emergency fund just for pets.

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

OCTOBER 5

Chicago South: Connection Community Church

OCTOBER 6

Chicago North: Starting Point Community Church

OCTOBER 7

Decatur: Tabernacle Baptist Church

OCTOBER 7

Marion: Cultural and Civic Center

NOVEMBER 11

O’Fallon: First Baptist Church

Choose from 5 locations: For more information, go to IBSA.org/Students.

DAVE RAMSEY

Set the rules

QOur office worker effectively shuts down every new initiative. I don’t understand why she is against everything. What can I do?

AAn office worker is a hired employee, not the ultimate decisionmaker. The pastor, staff, and/or church members will decide on what new initiatives need to be implemented, and her job is to provide the support necessary to see those things are a success. If she cannot do so, she should be given a timeframe to adjust, or to begin looking for a new place to work. One person cannot be allowed to hamper the work of the whole church.

Give it a chance

QA man who has bombed out many times wants to start another ministry in our church. Do we let him?

ARomans 11:29 says “the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.” If this man has been called by God, it’s possible that the location was wrong, the people were resistant, the timing was not right, or a dozen other reasons why a particular initiative wasn’t successful. Perhaps taking time to coach him, provide training, set strategic goals, and hold him accountable could make a real difference.

Wouldn’t it be great if those things resulted in him being used to lead a very successful ministry? What a shame it would be for him to just sit on the sidelines because a few failures.

Manage expectations

QWhen I took the new leadership position, I thought the pastor and I would be great friends…but not so much. Should I feel disappointed?

ASome pastors are very relational, and others are more task-oriented. In this case, it is probably not fair to judge him as being unfriendly; instead, work on learning his personality type and making sure you have a reasonable expectation of his friendship. Because he’s the pastor, there may be times he’ll have to critique or even correct you. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t like you, it’s just a simple fact of leadership. Give it some time and don’t forget the admonition of Proverbs 18:24.

Pat Pajak is IBSA’s associate executive director for evangelism. Send questions for Pat to IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org.

Exegete the culture

Understanding the world where we live and serve

Church needed here...

Location: Clearing

Focus: Hispanics

Characteristics: One of Chicago’s 77 official community areas, Clearing is located on the city’s southwest side and is home to part of Midway International Airport. Nearly half of the community’s 36,000 residents are Hispanic.

Prayer needs: Pray for a new Hispanic congregation in Clearing, and that a Southern Baptist church nearby would partner by sending a church planter and mission team to start the new church.

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM

Snapshots from the world of Illinois Baptists

WHAT CHURCHGOERS WANT

Three-quarters of American churchgoers say their church has been “extremely” or “very” helpful in their spiritual growth. Here’s how they said their churches can continue to help them grow:

Help them understand more about God and the Bible 27%

Help them find new ways to serve

Provide more Bible study groups

Help them get to know more people in church

Provide forums to answer their spiritual questions

Give them more chances to serve

Provide worship experiences that fit their needs

Provide more interaction with the pastor

Provide them with a mentor

– LifeWay Research, June 2018

1/ 3

of the population of metro St. Louis lives on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River. That’s about 900,000 people.

There is ONE SBC church for every 7,866 residents in the metro.

God is at work in Metro East. Our new and younger churches report significant baptisms and growth in attendance. There is also a fresh spirit among our church planters demonstrated in new fellowship among them, sweet times of prayer, and connecting in joint projects without fear of competition. It’s more than just human success.

– IBSA Church Planting Team

PAT PAJAK

– Van Kicklighter, head of the IBSA Church Planting Team