February 11, 2019 Illinois Baptist

Illinois Baptist

Revitalize

ACP tallies show need for new ministry strategies

Springfield | Illinois Baptist churches celebrated 3,676 baptisms in 2018, an increase of 6.8% over the previous year. The increase is one highlight of the Annual Church Profile (ACP) reports completed by 97% of IBSA churches, a new record high.

Other indicators measured by the ACP reports are leading IBSA staff to focus increasingly on church revitalization and next generation ministry strategies, alongside the priorities of evangelism and leadership development, said IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams

“We are clearly in a time and a culture, especially here in Illinois, where just having church services is not enough to sustain a church’s health, much less reach the lost,” Adams said. “Churches that survive and thrive in

Abortion survivor

I’m so glad my mother chose to keep me

NATE ADAMS

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM

Snapshots from the world of Illinois Baptists

Slow to speak?

Barna asked pastors how often they feel limited in their ability to speak out on moral and social issues because people will take offense:

Our neverending task

In addition to a great faculty of Illinois pastors and church leaders, last month’s 2019 Illinois Leadership Summit welcomed Mark Clifton as its primary speaker. Mark has been a pastor, a church planter and replanter, and a director of missions for decades. He now serves churches through the North American Mission Board in the area of church replanting.

20%

11% 39% 30%

Frequently Occasionally

Rarely Never

“…Pastors are much more likely to say that they feel limited by those inside the church than those outside. In other words, the reactions of those in the pews are most on the minds of today’s pastors.”

– Barna Research, 2019

the cooperative program

Giving by IBSA churches as of 2/01/19 $550,962

Budget Goal: $476,923

Received to date in 2018: $479,527

2019 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.

The theme of our conference was “Reimagine.” I was hoping that leaders in general, not just church replanters and revitalizers, would benefit from Mark’s teaching. I was not disappointed.

As Mark began describing churches that should consider replanting, he clarified that he was talking about churches that, presuming they remain on their current trajectories, would probably need to close their doors in the next three to five years. And yet as he described the characteristics and needs of those declining or dying churches, I saw many, many pastors and leaders in the room nodding in empathy and agreement. Their churches may not have been five years from closing, but it was clear they recognized some of the same danger signs in their own settings. In a sense, all pastors must be revitalizers or replanters.

Churches that die, Mark asserted, tend to value their own preferences over the needs of the unreached. They cease, perhaps gradually, to be part of the fabric of the community. In fact, what was once a community church often becomes a commuter church.

As the church declines, some members tend to resent the community for not responding the way they once did. They may work harder and harder on church programs or activities, but these tend to be for insiders, and have little impact on the unchurched, or little relevance to the community.

Dying churches, Mark observed, also seem to have an inability to pass meaningful leadership on to the next generation, and they can often confuse caring for the church building with caring for the church and community.

Dying churches value the process of decision-making more than the outcomes of those decisions. And a few strong personalities tend to drive those decisions, while others remain silent or simply drift away.

Of course, it’s much easier to recognize those kinds of traits in churches other than your own. That’s why an outside perspective or consultant is often helpful. And as this experienced leader from outside Illinois described the churches with which he had worked over the years, it was as if he was holding up a mirror in which we could also see ourselves.

One thing I really appreciate about Mark’s background and experience is that he had invested 10 years in a Midwest, urban church that had declined to 18 people when he arrived and grew back to about 120 by the time he left. He spoke personally and lovingly, not of “small” churches, but of “normative” size churches, reminding us that 63% of SBC churches in America have less than 100 in worship, and 83% have less than 200. If we are going to penetrate the lostness of our nation, he reminded us, it will not just be through large churches, but through thousands of normative-size churches, both revitalized and newly planted.

My greatest personal takeaway from the conference was simply this. Especially in the normative-size churches of Illinois, the primary focus of a pastor or church leader must be to bring vitality to a church by leading it proactively out into its community. Replanting is only necessary when revitalization doesn’t happen in time. And revitalization is only necessary if we allow the church’s intended vitality to fade.

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

On today’s ministry landscape, all pastors must be ‘vitalizers.’

Pritzker expands abortion coverage

Governor’s executive order enforces controversial HB40

Springfield | Surrounded by state officials and Planned Parenthood representatives, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed an executive order Jan. 22 to enforce a law directing state employee health insurance plans to include abortion services.

Pritzker’s order directs the Department of Central Management Services to review all state employee health insurance plans for any barriers to abortion services. If any are found, recommendations are to be presented to bring plans into compliance within 60 days.

“On the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, I’m proud to declare under my administration, the State of Illinois will be the most progressive state in the nation when it comes to guaranteeing the right to choose for every single woman,” said Pritzker, who was inaugurated Jan. 14.

The move was disappointing to pro-life advocates wary of how the new governor could seek to expand abortion rights in Illinois. “It’s so discouraging to see Gov. Pritzker and state officials celebrate the anniversary of Roe v. Wade with Planned Parenthood,” said David Smith, executive director of conservative non-profit Illinois Family Institute.

“We really need to pray for Gov. Pritzker to have a change of heart and mind on this issue and to come to value the sanctity of human life.”

Before taking office, Pritzker was a vocal supporter of Illinois House Bill 40, the measure now enforced by his executive order. The controversial bill, which provides taxpayer-subsidized abortions for women covered by Medicaid and state employee insurance, was signed into law by then-Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2017.

The Thomas More Legal Society filed suit against HB40 in state court, arguing the law violates the Illinois Constitution’s balanced budget requirement by providing funding that wasn’t previously set aside by lawmakers. In December 2018, the nonprofit law firm appealed the case to the Illinois Supreme Court.

In Illinois, abortion is illegal once a fetus is viable, generally around 23 or 24 weeks. But the state’s expanding stance on abortion is drawing women from states with tougher abortion laws, Smith said.

“Two new abortion clinics have opened in the Chicago area,” he noted, citing a clinic in Flossmor, near the Indiana border, and one in Skokie. This comes at a time when

EXECUTIVE ORDER – New Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker smiles and poses with the measure he signed Jan. 22 enforcing a law directing state employee health insurance plans to include abortion services.

“people are fleeing Illinois because of economic conditions,” Smith added. In contrast, he said, “the preborn being aborted are potential taxpayers who would contribute to the government.”

Nationwide, abortion rates have declined in the 21st century. The Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights, found that between 2011 and 2014, total abortions performed in the U.S. fell 14%. More recent figures are expected later this year.

Meanwhile, the state of New York has approved the most liberal abortion legislation to date, allowing termination through all nine months of a pregnancy. Gov. Andrew Cuomo “celebrated” the Reproductive Health Act, calling it the most “progressive” abortion law in the nation. WORLD’s Emily Belz reported at the signing Cuomo was “wearing a pink tie, cracking jokes about how many years it took to pass the law.” And the Catholic church next to the N.Y. governor’s mansion “tolled its bells in mourning for the babies’ lives that would be lost.”

Cuomo’s own religious leaders in the Catholic church have questioned his faith. “Your advocacy of extreme abortion legislation is completely contrary to the teachings of our pope and our Church,” Albany Bishop Rev. Edward B. Scharfenberger wrote to Cuomo in an open letter. “I shudder to think of the consequences this law will wreak.”

– Lisa Misner, with additional info from Fox News and WORLD magazine

Changes predicted

Springfield | Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Democrat majority leading the Illinois General Assembly have on their legislative agenda moral issues that evangelicals and conservative voters will likely want to watch. According to Concerned Christian Ministries, 1,000 bills have been proposed to date, among them bills expanding health care, mental health instruction, and teaching of LGBTQ history in public schools. A controversial bill challenging parental rights in disciplining their children was tabled last Monday, shortly after introduction.

HB 902 Cannabis Legalization. One bill has already been unveiled to allow Illinoisans to purchase and possess up to 30 grams of marijuana, or to grow up to five pot plants per household. Two Chicago lawmakers, state Sen. Heather Steans and state Rep. Kelly Cassidy, say they will introduce formal legislation soon. In a public discussion at the Lincoln Library in Springfield Jan. 28, the audience was told marijuana “bars” would be prohibited and teens driving under the influence would lose their licenses. Illinois’ six Catholic bishops came out against the proposed legislation on Feb. 4, saying “the state should protect its citizens.” While opposing legal pot sales, the bishops agreed with supporters that marijuana infractions result in lives “trapped in the criminal justice system.” But, they said, recent reforms issuing fines rather than jail time should reverse that trend.

HB 246/SB 78 Gay Studies. These bills mandate public schools must provide textbooks and teach from those textbooks “the roles and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the history of this country and this State.” Both bills have had their first reading and are in committee.

HB 181 Parental Bullying. The bill, now tabled, states parental bullying occurs when a parent or legal guardian “knowingly and with the intent to discipline, embarrass, or alter the behavior of the minor, transmits any verbal or visual message that the parent or legal guardian reasonably believes would coerce, intimidate, harass, or cause substantial emotional distress to the minor.” The guilty parent would pay a fine which would be placed in escrow and paid to the child when he or she turns 18.

Additionaly, the Illinois Family Institute forecasts bills in 2019 related to assisted suicide, and a push to change the abortion parental notification law for minors. That expansion would allow clergy to give consent for a minor’s abortion, and simultaneously extend the definition of clergy to include Planned Parenthood “chaplains.” The current parental notification law remains stalled in the Illinois court system due to legal challenges.

– Lisa Misner, with info from IFI and State Journal-Register

Summit coverage coming March 4

Baptist dishwasher awarded $21.5M

Miami | A hotel dishwasher who refused to work Sundays so she could attend church was awarded $21.5 million in federal court, although her actual receipts will probably be less than $1 million because of legal limits on punitive damages.

Marie Jean-Pierre, a native of Haiti, has been a faithful member of the Haitian Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist congregation, for 20 years, according to her pastor.

“Being part of a church body, living out your faith, should make you a better worker, a more pleasant worker, on-task worker, and more loving worker. And in her case, that’s what she displayed at work,” said

Pastor Keny Felix

It was never about the money, said her lawyer, Marc Brumer. It was about the Conrad Hotel’s violation of her civil rights. “It’s just a great day for religious freedoms and protection of workers,” Brumer said.

The hotel will appeal the ruling.

Court refuses to hear praying coach’s case

Bremerton, Wash. | The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal from a high school coach who was fired for kneeling in prayer at the 50-yard line after football games. A lower court agreed with his 2015 dismissal, saying he was acting as a “public employee” when praying and encouraging students and others to pray as well. Coach Joe Kennedy had also led students in locker room prayer since 2008, according to the school officials who refused to renew his contract.

Associate Justice Samuel Alito wrote that the Ninth Circuit’s “understanding of the free speech rights of public school teachers is troubling and may justify review in the future.” But four conservative justices agreed the time isn’t “ripe.”

Court upholds Bibi’s acquittal

Pakistan’s Supreme Court ruled Jan. 29 to uphold the acquittal of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman imprisoned for blasphemy for almost nine years. Bibi’s Oct. 31 acquittal resulted in protests across Pakistan, and the Muslim cleric who originally accused her called on the judges to reconsider their decision. In January, they dismissed his petition, meaning Bibi is now free to leave Pakistan.

Bibi’s case is referenced in the “Islamabad Declaration,” a document signed earlier this year by 500 Pakistani Islamic clerics condemning religiouslymotivated violence.

– Baptist Press, USA Today, Christianity Today

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

Jobe starts as Moody president

Chicago | Megachurch pastor Mark Jobe began serving as president of Moody Bible Institute Jan. 2. The pastor of multisite New Life Community Church is himself a graduate of the historic Chicago school.

“I am honored and deeply humbled by the opportunity to serve as the 10th President of this world-class Christian ministry,” Jobe said in a release on the school’s website. “Moody has had a powerful spiritual impact on Chicago as well as countless people throughout the world for over a century. It continues to have a strong passion to train men and women of character who are biblically-grounded, gospel-centered, full

of faith, and ready to be agents of change in this world.”

Jobe’s tenure began one year after key leaders at the school resigned amid concerns over Moody’s direction and financial management. Former President J. Paul Nyquist resigned in January 2018 after declines in enrollment, financial stresses, and shuttering some distance learning programs and a costly campus in Spokane, Wash.

The new president, who grew up on the mission field in Spain, started New Life in 1986 with 18 people. The church currently meets in 27 locations around Chicagoland. Jobe will continue to serve as a pastor and preacher while leading Moody.

– Christianity Today, MoodyBible.org

Dockery to evaluate Missouri’s SBU

Bolivar, Mo. | Southwest Baptist University will submit to a review of its theology following the controversial firing of a professor who questioned the theological views of some fellow faculty members.

Theology professor Clint Bass was terminated Nov. 28 on grounds including “collecting evidence and ascribing views to [faculty colleagues] without personal interaction” and “use of non-credible information to formulate accusations against fellow faculty members,” according to a letter written by SBU President Eric Turner Bass’s termination resulted in an online petition that garnered more than 1,300 signatures from his supporters.

In a series of press releases Jan. 22-24, trustees announced the firing had been upheld by the board’s five-member Educational Policies and Personnel Committee, and also that the board “voted to affirm its longstanding commitment to traditional Baptist theology, including The Baptist Faith and Message (2000).”

SBU also has announced it will undergo an external evaluation of its theology led by

David Dockery, president of Trinity International University in Deerfield. Dockery previously served as president of Union University, a Southern Baptist school in Jackson, Tenn.

“We want to reassure Missouri Baptists that our board stands for the same core biblical values that we all believe and share,” SBU trustee vice chair Ryan Palmer said in a Jan. 24 press release. “We are all committed Missouri Baptists.”

– Baptist Press

AT THE SUMMIT – Mark Clifton was the keynote speaker at the Jan. 22-23 Illinois Leadership Summit (ILS), which included large-group “collectives” and smaller “intensives,” led by Illinois ministry experts, including IBSA’s Mark Emerson (inset photo). Look for more from ILS in the March 4 Illinois Baptist.

PIERRE KENNEDY

JOBE

From the front: numbers show need for revitalization

Continued from page 1

these days are intentionally looking for ways to reengage their neighborhoods, and to provide relevant ministries that can lead to gospel conversations, and invitations into a loving, local community of believers.”

In 2018, IBSA churches engaged a statewide strategy focused on evangelism and baptism. One GRAND Sunday resulted in hundreds of reported baptisms during the Easter season. (Churches are invited to participate in One GRAND Month later this spring; see pages 6-7 for more information.) One of the four Pioneering Spirit challenges, issued in 2017 and adopted by churches last year, also called for a new commitment to evangelism.

gram (CP), the Southern Baptist Convention’s main channel for financial support of missions and ministry. However, the Mission Illinois Offering, collected annually to support missionaries and ministries in the state, fell by 4.1% to $349,507.

Adams pointed out that while CP giving increased by 1%, 2018 missions giving was still about 10% below its peak levels back in 2009. With that increase, per capita missions giving in churches is actually higher, even though other key indicators, including worship attendance and Bible study participation, were lower last year.

“There simply aren’t as many attenders or givers in church as there were 10 years ago,” Adams said. “Many churches are now finding a need to focus on intentional revitalization strategies, and our IBSA staff is eager to help with those efforts.”

IBSA hosted more than 200 ministry leaders at the Illinois Leadership Summit Jan. 22-23, featuring teaching from experienced church revitalization veteran Mark Clifton (see page 4). A second summit will be held March 15-16 in Chicagoland, with large-group sessions led by former Chicagoland pastor Jonathan Hayashi and J.J. Washington, a pastor and church revitalizer in Atlanta.

Churches identify ministry needs

In new online survey

Preparing people to share the gospel, making disciples, and developing leaders remain top concerns in the latest survey of IBSA churches. The 2018 Church Needs Survey, conducted online in October and November, showed few shifts compared to the previous four years.

Evangelism and the desire to reach young people rank high for a large majority of our Illinois churches, with respondents saying their church could use more assistance in those areas. Starting new churches to reach young adults and people groups is viewed as important, but not as many respondents said they feel their church is ready for the task.

Top 4

Evangelism 57.8%

Leadership development 53.2%

Spiritual renewal 47.3%

Discipleship 48.4%

Young People

Invest “more” or “much more” resources in ministry to

“We were encouraged to see baptisms increase by almost 7% in 2018, after four years of gradual decline,” Adams said. “I sense a renewed passion for evangelism among many churches, as evidenced by the 223 churches that committed to “Engage New People” as part of the Pioneering Spirit challenge, and by the 671 baptisms reported during last Easter season’s One GRAND Sunday.”

Missions giving was another area of growth in 2018. IBSA churches gave $5,991,634 through the Cooperative Pro-

“Holding the Illinois Leadership Summit in Chicagoland allows us to design our conference to match the context of our churches,” said Mark Emerson, IBSA’s associate executive director for the Church Resources Team. “Our guest speakers are two men who have had success developing leaders and growing churches in an urban context like Chicago.”

The Chicagoland meeting is at Brainard Avenue Baptist Church in Countryside and will also include breakout sessions designed to help leaders reach the next level of leadership potential. For more information or to register, go to IBSA. org/Summit.

Youth/students 65.5%

College/young adults 72.1%

Church Planting

Plant in Chicago and St. Louis metros 39.2% Plant in other Illinois communities 52.5%

My church is “ready” or “very ready” to help start a church 19.1%

COOPERATIVE

2012 $6,240,541.33

2011 $6,186,218.00

2010 $6,377,893.73

2009 $6,634,088.93

IN FOCUS

IBSA churches report uptick in baptisms

‘One GRAND’ emphasis returns this spring, plus a new one-on-one evangelism strategy

BY MEREDITH FLYNN

Chicago | When Pastor Kenyatta Smith’s church moved into their new building, an important piece was missing. The former Catholic church had no baptistry.

Another Chance Church, which Smith planted in 2012, got around it by bringing in an inflatable pool when someone was ready to be baptized. Last year, that was often. The church baptized 52 people.

The Chicago church’s increase in baptisms (up from 22 in 2017) mirrors statewide growth. In 2018, IBSA churches reported 3,676 baptisms, an increase of almost 7% over the previous year. The One GRAND Sunday emphasis last April resulted in 671 baptisms in churches intentionally focused on training people to share their faith, and inviting people to respond to the gospel.

At Smith’s church, the key to more baptisms was staying the course, the pastor said. “It wasn’t a planned thing; it was more [that] we just kept working and sharing the gospel, and it just kind of happened.”

Baptisms generate excitement and are a “big boost for evangelism,” Smith said. Another Chance does a lot of evangelism training to ensure that sharing the gospel is in the church’s DNA.

Across the Southern Baptist Convention, churches are being called to make a similar commitment to evangelism, with an emphasis on keeping things simple. In January, SBC President J.D. Greear introduced “Who’s Your One?” a convention-wide effort to pray for people who don’t know Christ, and intentionally look for ways to share the gospel with them.

The challenge comes at a time when membership and baptism numbers in SBC churches continue to decline. LifeWay Research acknowledges the de-

cline in baptisms nationwide is due in part to nonreporting churches. But even when the numbers are adjusted, churches are baptizing fewer people per member than they did in 1950, for example.

When Greear shared “Who’s Your One?” with Baptist association leaders Jan. 31, he referenced obstacles churches face in a post-Christian culture.

Top IBSA churches in total baptisms

“These are some challenging days for the Southern Baptist Convention,” said Greear, pastor of The Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham. “They’re challenging days for the church in general in the United States, but is God perhaps setting us up for one of the greatest evangelism explosions that we’ve ever seen?”

DECIDED – Pastor Michael Nave (right) baptizes Nathan Morgan at Cornerstone Church in Marion. The church celebrates baptism every third Sunday, and invites “spontaneous baptisms” when the worship service is focused primarily on salvation.

Top IBSA churches in baptisms per resident member

Continued from page

As Southern Baptists across the country and in Illinois look for effective ways to communicate spiritual truth with their neighbors, “gospel conversations” are key. A conversational approach to the gospel—sharing Jesus in the context of relationship—is the basis of many recent evangelism initiatives and training guides. And once Christians catch on, said IBSA’s Pat Pajak, and see how receptive others are to hear, the believer is encouraged to look for more opportunities to speak truth.

“But it all starts with just one conversati0n with one person,” said Pajak, associate executive director for evangelism. “We’re asking, ‘Who’s your one?’”

More than numbers

At Cornerstone Community Church in Marion, evangelism training is built into the church membership process. The final step in a four-pronged process is “Go.” In other words, said Pastor Michael Nave, how do you as a Christian bring other people with you?

Talking about the gospel “ought to be as natural as talking about the weather,” Nave said. Christians shouldn’t have to switch into evangelism mode; rather, the gospel should permeate the conversations and relationships we already have.

Even when evangelism is a natural outgrowth of a Christian’s spiritual development, church leaders still credit intentionality as a major factor in overall effectiveness. In 2018, Cornerstone celebrated 57 baptisms, up from 22 the previous year. The church saw the increase after implementing some intentional strategies around baptism, Nave said.

“First, we set a baptism weekend, the third weekend of each month,” he said. “We will gladly baptize someone on other weekends, but this gives us an opportunity to keep it in front of our people.” Explaining the importance of baptism is also a part of Cornerstone’s membership process. And, the church stays open to how God might work.

“From time to time, when the sermon is specifically about salvation and baptism, we offer ‘spontaneous baptism,’” Nave said. They don’t practice it frequently, he said, and are sure to give a full explanation of what baptism means. “We have simply found that some people need the opportunity to do it now!”

He recounted Peter’s Pentecost sermon in Acts 2, which stirred people to immediately respond by asking, “What shall we do?” Peter’s answer: repent and be baptized. The two acts went hand-in-hand, Nave said. “That water didn’t save them, but their public profession of faith came very quickly and naturally.”

Last year’s One GRAND Sunday initiative highlighted the links between hearing the gospel, responding, and following up that decision with baptism. As people shared their stories—on video or from the baptistry or afterward over e-mail—many talked about the journey they had taken to get to the point of baptism that day.

For some, the road was long. Others took a shorter route, like the father in Amboy who came to church for his daughter’s baptism, heard the gospel, responded, and was baptized that very day.

Counting baptisms is one way to measure health and growth, but Pajak said after last year’s One GRAND Sunday that the day was about more than numbers. As IBSA churches prepare for another One GRAND emphasis this spring, his position on last year’s statewide success is an important guiding principle.

“The great thing is that it sparked a fresh passion for evangelism across the state.”

– With additional reporting from Baptist Press

in Lake Michigan last August.

Get ready for April One GRAND Month!

Advice from IBSA’s evangelism leader Pat Pajak

NOW

Start promoting One GRAND Sunday. Encourage every church member to identify someone they can pray for on a daily basis, and to look for opportunities to share the life-changing gospel with them.

Train people to share. Pastors, focus on getting the church ready with evangelism training, such as 3 Circles: Life Conversation Guide. Contact IBSA for free training guides and student booklets.

Get out and start sharing the gospel. Leaders, take those with less experience along with you. Show them how to turn everyday conversations into gospel conversations. Consider starting a visitation night where church members gather at least monthly to share the gospel with friends and neighbors.

NEXT

Baptize. When people come to know Christ, celebrate! Invite them to commit to a baptism celebration during One GRAND Month (April 7-28). Find ways to connect with their families leading up to the celebration, including planning a dinner for the families before or after the baptisms.

Mark the occasion. During One GRAND Month, mark each baptism in a special way. Provide a Bible for every baptismal candidate. Record the baptisms all month long and give each person who was baptized a One GRAND Month DVD.

Celebrate salvation. Help your church celebrate along with the people being baptized. Make a bulletin board with photos from the month. Invite people who shared the gospel to join the candidates in the baptistry for their baptism.

For more information about One GRAND Month, and evangelism resources to help people in your church start gospel conversations, go to IBSA.org/ Evangelism or contact PatPajak@IBSA.org.

Cover photo: Church of the Beloved in Chicago celebrated baptisms

Prayer on wheels in Chicagoland

Intercessors spend a day lifting up the needs of the city

BY ANDREW WOODROW

“Abus tour is a good way to see the neighborhoods we’ll be praying for,” said Cheryl Dorsey, prayer coordinator for the Chicago Metro Baptist Association. “As we travel between churches, we will review the social and spiritual profile of the neighborhoods, praying en route for those communities.”

This was the fifth year Dorsey and fellow intercessor Phil Miglioratti have drawn together a band of people to pray for Chicagoland, but this was the first time the prayer meeting was mobile.

The group of 20 who braved sub-zero temperatures Jan. 26 visited four church locations scattered across the metro area. Throughout the trip, pastors shared concerns for their churches and communities while Dorsey and Miglioratti led prayer using a Chicago neighborhood prayer guide by John Fuder.

Stop #1 - Hillcrest Baptist Church • Country Club Hills

We are praying for you and with you as you go out and pray for your brothers and sisters across the Chicagoland area,” Pastor Adron Robinson told the prayer team as they met at Hillcrest to start the day-long journey. “Pray for us as a church,” he said, to fulfill the Great Commission. “And pray for Country Clubs Hills. There are about 16,000 people in our suburb and many who do not know the Lord,” he added.

As they boarded the bus, Dorsey encouraged the team to sit next to a prayer partner and to be “sensitive to allow whatever site you see along the way to prompt a prayer”— whether it’s a school building, house, store, or a family in a passing car.

Stop # 2 - Advent Church • South Loop

Gathered in the eleventh-floor community room of a South Loop condo building, the prayer team learned about the up-and-coming community Dennis Conner serves, as well as the barriers he faces planting a church in a high-rise. Conner called it a “very different mission field,” where “money and gatekeepers render door-to-door evangelism ineffective.”

The goal of Advent Church is to reach the working professionals in the city. “Pray for fruits for our labor,” he said, “because this is a place that until someone [who] has credibility, gives you their credibility, you don’t have it.”

PHIL

MIGLIORATTI

KINGDOM OF PRAYER – IBSA President Adron Robinson receives a gift from prayer leader Cheryl Dorsey. At each stop on the tour, she presented the church’s pastor with a book by Tony Evans.

“Chicago is still a very divided city rooted in a history of prejudice….We pray for greater unity in the church, which will lead to many more people becoming part of the family of God.”

Stop # 3 - Chicagoland Community Church • North Side

Nestled in a tight squeeze of low-rise townhouses and multi-unit complexes is Chicagoland Community Church. Here, Pastor Jon Pennington of the Lakeview church asked for prayer for the church’s success in sharing the gospel.

“We’re passionate to teach people in this neighborhood how to be Jesus-followers,” he said. “But what we really want to see happen in these next two years is 200 first-time visitors at our worship services who are curious about the gospel or our mission—and that at least 20 of them will become new members of the church.”

“The Holy Spirit was tailoring our prayer to suit the needs in each location. He opened our eyes that we pray without prejudice and bias. And being equal partakers of the inheritance of Christ Jesus is not going to happen if people don’t pray into the Kingdom.”

Stop # 4 - Iglesia Bautista Erie • West Side

Heading into West Town, snow began falling as the bus reached its last stop, where Marvin Del Rios serves as pastor. “Pray for our community,” he said. “The last several years, our community has been going through a process of gentrification. Young professionals are moving back into the city while the working poor to middle class are moving out, changing our outreach strategy.

“The spiritual soil is tough at the moment,” Del Rios said. He hopes as these young professionals have families, “that might be the door to use for us to share the gospel— through their children.”

Between stops on the 8-hour bus tour, prayer warriors gather in pairs to pray for many of the 77 neighborhoods in Chicago.

CHERYL DORSEY

The prayer on the bus goes ‘round and ‘round

The New Exodus

“What worries me is that I think most Illinois churches are unprepared for what will happen—i.e., in an effort to meet pension obligations, legislators will raise taxes and reduce social programming, which will likely shift the safety net to churches…”

– Mike Woodruff, Chicagoland pastor

“…For several generations, pastors have not seen these issues as something they need to know anything about, so now they’re unable to do much because they don’t know anything….We need to play catch-up and fast.”

Church life in shrinking Illinois

Hard times hit the publishing industry in the early 2000’s. The president of Christianity Today International, for whom I worked at the time, called the confluence of 9/11, falling ad sales, and the rise of the internet “whitewater.” Apparently he enjoyed rafting, but he knew the river crashing against the rocks as placid waters turned swift was a dangerous situation, even for adventurous souls. He talked often about “whitewater” for several years. He told us to hold on tight.

We did.

It wasn’t easy. In the end, the organization was leaner, but publishers who survived met the crisis with creativity and invention. And the gospel mission was advanced.

I thought of that while reading an article on “the Illinois Exodus.” In it, a Chicagoland pastor used the same term to describe these tremulous times in our state. “I suspect we’re headed into some whitewater,” said Mike Woodruff. “The waves are going to knock us around a bit. But our foundations are strong.”

Woodruff was quoted by Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra at The Gospel Coalition. She asked about the future of Illinois in light of declining population and growing debt. More specifically, she questioned the impact of the resulting exodus on churches.

Some 45,000 people left Illinois in 2018, a trend mirrored in equally high-tax states California and New Jersey. In Illinois, the mounting debt is due in large part to

Illinois Leadership Summit (Chicagoland)

retirement promises—and the financial obligation to cover them—which now equals about $50,800 per household.

How will that affect our ministries? The first answer is obvious: population decline. Especially in troubled neighborhoods and dwindling rural communities, the loss of people hurts. As young people leave to find jobs and older people leave when they retire, the church loses reliable attenders, servants, and givers, and to some extent its future.

But beyond population loss, what happens when the politicians try to adjust the budget to cover the bills? The pastors Zylstra interviewed pointed to a different problem: efforts to cover the gaps could result in loss of services in failing communities, and increases the probability that local churches will be called upon to make up the difference for people in need.

Such a likelihood causes me to ask, Are we prepared? Evangelicals today say we are interested in social issues and in being the hands of Jesus for our community. That commitment will be tested in time and money. “There will be opportunity for pastors to lead well and offer hope,” Woodruff said. “Don’t build barriers and retreat inside and just take care of your own.”

Who imagined a call to local and state missions would be driven by the state’s financial and demographic crunch, but if that’s what it takes to spur the church to a new era of action, so be it.

– Greg Forster, Trinity International University, Deerfield

– Eric Reed

Jonathan Hayashi Pastor and author Troy, Mo.

J.J. Washington Pastor and revitalizer Atlanta, Ga.

MISSION

ANNIE ARMSTRONG EASTER OFFERING & WEEK OF PRAYER MARCH 3-10

Sending hope

Annual offering aids missionaries reaching the nations here at home

Minneapolis | Philip Nache could have given in to despair. Boko Haram, the jihadist militant group located in Nigeria, had threatened his life, martyred a convert to Christianity, and continued to intimidate Christians.

But despite the danger, Nache expected to return and work among the people he’d served for nearly 20 years. He had come to the United States to attend Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a moment of divine timing that coincided with Boko Haram’s first threats on his life.

As he contemplated whether and how to return to Nigeria, another divine appointment redirected his steps.

“At that time, God opened the door for me to come to Minneapolis,” Nache said. “When I was told about the need here in the Twin Cities, I was still thinking

of Africa, but after praying, I felt convicted to go to Minnesota.”

So, he decided to plan a visit. When he arrived, he was surprised by what he saw.

“It’s like I was in Africa—the northern part of Africa. Because I [saw a] basket full of people—Africans,” Nache recalled. Seeing fellow Africans opened his mind and heart, and Nache’s disposition toward Minneapolis changed. He sensed God’s leading and prepared to go.

Nache saw how the nations had come to North America. This year he is a 2019 Week of Prayer missionary for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions.

When he moved his family to the Twin Cities, Nache discovered a hunger for new churches among the various African populations. They lacked the

STARTING POINT

Church planter Philip Nache stands outside Hope of Nations Gospel Church in Minneapolis, the congregation he started and hopes will serve as a launching pad for more churches in his city and around the world.

Nache is one of the featured missionaries in this year’s Annie Armstrong Easter Offering and Week of Prayer, which supports missions and ministry in North America.

Resources for the Offering and Week of Prayer

Illinois Baptist churches have been mailed an Annie Armstrong promotional kit. Go to AnnieArmstrong.com for more resources, including:

Continued from page 11

means to make it happen until Nache arrived with the support of Southern Baptists.

“One pastor came to me,” Nache recalled, “and said, ‘Oh, there are a lot of South Sudanese and Ethiopians and so many Africans that are there. I’ve tried even to start a church with them, but I couldn’t because of resources.’”

That believer asked Nache if he was willing to reach out to those populations even though many of them were Muslim. Nache’s response was simple. “Why not? This is [why] God has brought me.”

He joined a group of believers, started reaching out to neighbors, and began house-to-house fellowships. And that’s how God opened the door and established his church, Hope of Nations Gospel Church.

A downloadable prayer guide with specific prayer requests for each day of the Week of Prayer

Bulletin inserts, a downloadable poster, and other promotion ideas

Mission study guides for children, youth, and adults

Social media kit for online promotion

Hope of Nations has grown to two services, one for South Sudanese and another for northern Nigerians. Nache and many of his church members have a vision to reach not only their immediate neighbors but the whole world. While in Nigeria, Nache pastored and planted churches, and now God continues to use his ministry in Minneapolis to reach the nations of Africa. In the Twin Cities, Nache said, “we are able to identify potential pastors who desire to go and reach out to their people and plant churches in their own countries.”

One such example is Khemis Artema, a refugee from South Sudan. Artema traveled through refugee camps, where he endured physical suffering and lack of medication, before arriving in the United States. Nache said that Artema remained faithful to the Lord through those trials, and now he disciples him so that he can return to South Sudan and plant a church.

Sharing God’s glory on campus

Rob (right in photo) knows first-hand how the college years can be key in someone’s spiritual life. He became a Christian after his college roommate started sharing the gospel with him. The transformation that took place in his life is one the Warrens hope to see duplicated in the lives of countless college students.

“We’re super-passionate about seeing young people meet Jesus and have that change the entire trajectory of their life and take it into their towns, new states, and new countries,” said Lisa. “I can’t think of a more strategic group of people than college students to share Jesus with.”

Hope of Nations sent Artema on a short-term trip to South Sudan, which was the trip that solidified God’s calling for him to return. Nache continues to disciple and train future missionaries like Artema.

“Our desire is to keep multiplying and reaching out to more people groups, especially people from Africa,” said Nache. He sees donations to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering as a key part of that vision going forward.

“I must say that without the help of the Annie Armstrong support that we are getting from the North American Mission Board,” said Nache, “honestly speaking, I don’t think this work will be possible…So, I seriously appreciate and thank God for this offering. Thank God for the churches all over North America that are helping to support this work.”

Gifts made to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering go directly to support and resource North American missionaries in the field. To learn more, visit anniearmstrong.com.

Power of the pen

Madison, Wis. | Rob and Lisa Warren represent a growing church planting movement designed to send the hope of the gospel to underreached university and college towns in North America. The Warrens recently uprooted their family’s lives and moved to Madison to start a church among 40,000 college students. Together with their launch team, the Warrens are planting Doxa Church. The word “doxa” is a Greek word used in the New Testament that means “glory.”

The road to Madison took the Warrens through Ames, Iowa, where they trained with Cornerstone Church and became a part of The Salt Network, a group of like-minded Southern Baptist churches with a mission to see churches planted near college campuses across the Midwest. The North American Mission Board (NAMB) helps resource this movement through the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering.

“When people give to North American missions,” said Rob, “they’re literally giving to the future of reaching the next generation of North America.”

Annie Armstrong once handwrote more than 18,000 letters in a single year to advocate for missions and missionaries. The Baltimore-born Southern Baptist pioneer is remembered for her tireless service among people in her city, and among the Southern Baptists she urged toward greater missions engagement as the first executive director of Woman’s Missionary Union. In 1934, she became the namesake for Southern Baptists’ annual offering for North American missions.

Read more about Annie Armstrong at AnnieArmstrong.com

– North American Mission Board

Profiles of missionaries like Luis Soto (center in photo below), who is planting Iglesia Bautista Gracia Eterna in Salt Lake City, Utah.

MIDWEST MINISTRY – Philip Nache (center) regularly meets to pray with church members to encourage them as they reach out to their neighbors in Minneapolis.

I was supposed to die on a Tuesday in 1977. My 15-yearold mother had been scheduled to have an abortion despite her objections, leading her into the high school counselor’s office the Monday before that dreaded appointment. After hearing my mother’s story, Mr. Sheets called her mother attempting some mediation away from abortion, but to no avail. He hung up the phone and asked my mom two questions.

“You plan to keep this baby, correct? You know you may not be going home tonight?”

To both questions the brave 15-year-old responded, “Whatever it takes.”

Mom lived in a few foster homes around town for the next several months before and after my birth. She continued to go to school and wrestled with the idea of adoption. As the due date drew closer, she had decided to keep her baby and to be able to support herself within a year, which she did. Many people claimed my arrival would ruin her future, but she couldn’t bring herself to end an innocent life to correct a previous mistake. My mom wasn’t a Christian then, but she had no difficulty recognizing her unborn child as a life.

Leading on life

Moses concluded his leadership of Israel by giving them a final call to pursue God diligently. He gives the people two choices: “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live” (Deut. 30:19). As leader to the people, he called them to choose life for their sake and the sake of future generations.

Our leadership today pales in comparison on the issue of life. In our state and across the country, officials work toward the expansion of abortion rights, like the law passed recently in New York that allows abortion up until birth. What leads people to applaud such a law? They have forgotten the value of human life.

America has long struggled to properly apply that wonderful statement from our Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights.” If this truth was self-evident, how did we refuse rights to the thousands

of black slaves already spread throughout the colonies? The short answer is convenience. It was more convenient to exclude any mention of slavery from the Declaration, and later the Constitution, in order to unite the various states in one nation.

Issues of convenience continue to devalue life today. Abortion advocates regularly declare their concern for the health of the mother, but the top reasons for abortion in 2013 (as published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information) were “not financially prepared” and “bad timing.” Abortion is too often a procedure of convenience.

But the emotional scars carried by men and women who make this choice are anything but convenient. For years I couldn’t understand why I was my grandmother’s favorite grandchild. I’m not being a narcissist; everyone knew it was true. Only later did I learn Mom’s story and my grandmother’s role in it. My grandmother dealt

with the guilt of even suggesting an abortion for decades after I was born, trying to make it up to me my whole childhood. Being able to tell her as an adult that I forgave her was probably the best gift she’s ever received from me.

“Pro-life” is being rebranded by opponents as “anti-choice,” but nothing could be further from the truth. I support every women’s right to choose avoiding sex if she’s not ready for a child. Children are rarely convenient. Even the married couple intentionally trying to bring children into their family quickly finds the dynamics of life and relationship have changed. Yet any parent will tell you these little lives are worth it.

The rest of the story

My mom was able to introduce me to her former high school counselor, Mr. Sheets, in 2002. I found myself imagining how his Monday changed when Mom walked into his office. What if he had been out sick that day or had decided not to get involved in a messy family situation? Mr. Sheets was the advocate that encouraged her to choose life, a life that became the first in my mother’s family to go to college, partnered to create the three coolest kids ever and has been used to impact lives, souls, and churches.

I often thank God for allowing me to escape the abortionist that Tuesday in 1977. My hope is to be an advocate for every unborn life in some way, attempting to convince people that every pregnancy is a creation of the Creator. I was not a choice. I am a life and every life matters.

Heath Tibbetts pastors First Baptist Church, Machesney Park.

devotional

Thank God for a new heart

Read: Ezekiel 36:25–27, CSB

“I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place my Spirit within you and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances.”

On Thursday, Jan. 3, my family’s prayers were answered. My sister Esther needed a heart transplant. Her heart was not functioning properly and she was growing weaker and weaker each day.

ADRON ROBINSON

Our church was praying for her, our family was praying for her, and friends across the country were praying for her. And then came the phone call: Esther was crying and rejoicing to tell me that God had answered our prayers and provided a new heart for her.

We praised God together and thanked him for his faithfulness and his provision. And by the next morning, by God’s grace, my sister had a new heart, which is working perfectly. She grows stronger each day.

This miracle reminded me of the miracle of salvation.

Each of us was born with a heart disease called sin. This disease affects every area of our lives. It hinders our ability to function properly and fulfill our purpose by glorifying God. But thank God that, by grace through faith in Christ, he has provided a way for us to receive a new heart. Salvation turns our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh and gives us the ability to live for the glory of God.

Take a moment today to thank God for a new heart!

Prayer Prompt: Father God, your gracious provision to us is amazing. Truly you have provided all that we need. Thank you for giving us a new heart! Thank you for healing us! Thank you for giving us life!

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

“I’ll be happy to discuss my ‘overemphasis on team metaphors,’ right after your five laps around the sanctuary!”

She knew I was a life, not a choice.

When a mom says ‘whatever it takes’

Donors needed

To help pastor’s wife fight rare condition

Retired IBSA Pastor Brian Kenney and his wife, Terry, are seeking blood plasma donors to help fight an incurable blood disorder. Terry suffers from common variable immunodeficiency, which impairs her immune system and makes her susceptible to recurrent infections.

The treatment for her condition requires regular drug infusions, which boost her immune system and give Kenney much-needed energy. But the infusions she requires, made with blood plasma, are no longer available.

The Kenneys (pictured below) hope with more blood plasma available, the drug will go back into production. Blood plasma can be donated in Terry Kenney’s name at American Red Cross Service Centers.

Brand new ‘Street’

Logan Street Baptist Church in Mt. Vernon held the first worship service in their new building Feb. 3. The relocation process began in 1999 with the purchase of 30 acres of land, on which the church has constructed a multi-purpose pavilion, softball field, prayer garden, kitchen and maintenance building, and now the new worship facility.

The church, led by a staff team headed by interim pastor Alan Smith, had met at its prior location on Logan St. and 21st in Mt. Vernon for more than 100 years. The congregation celebrated God’s faithfulness to them in that location during their last service in the building.

“As we put a bookend on this part of Logan Street’s history, Lord…we ask that you bless us richly not because of a building, but because of our desire to do your will,” Worship/Media Pastor Chris Gregg prayed during the service. “God, we know that you are with us and you will go with us to 42nd Street, but today we celebrate who you are, and whose we are.”

Preach 2019 focuses on leaders’ spiritual health

Ecclesiastes 10:10 is a gentle word of warning for pastors: “Using a dull ax requires great strength, so sharpen the blade.”

At the Preach 2019 conference March 11-12, five seasoned pastors will speak to church leaders about the key areas that impact their leadership and personal spiritual lives: preach-

NeTworkiNg

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

Send NetworkiNg items to IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org.

people

Ministry Milestones

In November, Pastor Donald Sharp celebrated 54 years as the pastor of Faith Tabernacle Baptist Church in Chicago. As the church’s organizing pastor, Sharp led the small group that planted Faith Tabernacle on the city’s south side in 1964. He has served in numerous leadership positions, including vice president and president of IBSA. Dr. Sharp is married to Lurlie and is a graduate of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Higher Ground Baptist Church recently celebrated the ordination of their pastor, John Mancha. The Midlothian church hosted the service Jan. 13, which included Three Rivers Association Director of Missions Dan Eddington and a message from Dave Peterman, pastor of First Baptist Church, Manteno. The church also prayed over their pastor and his wife, Jennifer.

Graduates

Five students with ties to Illinois graduated from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in the winter commencement ceremony:

• Joel Levi Park, M.Div

• Grace Yaeseul Lee, M.Div

• Matthew Hutton Hartline, M.Div

• Kurt Michael Smith, M.Div

• Aaron Michael Smith, M.A.

ing, evangelism, prayer, and living with integrity.

Fred Luter, pastor of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans and former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, and Eddie Bumpers, pastor of Crossway Baptist Church in Spring-

Whitelaw Avenue Baptist Church in Wood River seeks a pastor to lead the congregation to function as a New Testament church according to The Baptist Faith and Message (2000). For more information, contact Brad Gaines at (618) 531-6634 or bradgaines@ charter.net.

Sterling Baptist Church in Fairview Heights seeks a bivocational pastor fluent in English and Spanish. Send

field, Mo., are among the speakers who will encourage leaders toward greater spiritual health and growth.

Preach 2019 is hosted and sponsored by Meadow Heights Baptist Church in Collinsville. The event is free but registration is required. Go to preachconference.com for more information and to sign up.

resume to Senior Pastor David Gray at 9204 Bunkum Rd., Fairview Heights, IL 62208 or 1pastordave@att.net.

First Baptist Church, Carterville seeks a part-time worship leader to work 15-20 hours per week. Interested applicants should contact Charity Lantagne at (618) 731-0445 or charity.r.jones@gmail.com.

CLASSIFIED AD SEEKING RESUMÉS

KBC Executive Director-Treasurer

The Kentucky Baptist Convention Search Committee is accepting resumés through Feb. 15, 2019, for the position of Executive DirectorTreasurer to work with the 2,400 churches in the Convention.

Education requirements: Required Master’s of Divinity Degree, or equivalent, from accredited institutions. Doctorate Degree preferred.

Skills required: Applicants must possess obvious call of God to ministry; have excellent oral and written communication skills, including proven ability in the pulpit; be enthusiastic supporter of the Cooperative Program; proven visionary leadership skills; strong personal relational skills to work with persons representing diversity in Baptist life.

E-mail resumés to kbcexecutivesearch@gmail.com

Mt. Vernon church celebrates relocation

LUTER BUMPERS

February 16

Church Technology Conference

What: Learn how to use worship technology to unite believers in corporate worship. This year’s focus is on sound, worship leading resources, video projection, Ableton, Loop Community, and more.

Where: IBSA Building, Springfield; 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Cost: $15 per person, includes lunch

Register: IBSA.org/Worship

February 17

Metro Peoria

Evangelism Rally

What: Evangelism training designed to equip church members to overcome fear when sharing their faith, in preparation for the One GRAND Month state evangelism focus this April

Where: FBC Washington Info: PatPajak@IBSA.org

VBS Clinics

• Feb. 23: FBC Carterville

• March 2: Chatham Baptist

• March 16: FBC Woodlawn

• March 30: Northside, Dixon

• April 6: Broadview Missionary

What: Training, ideas, and inspiration for 2019 Vacation Bible School Register: IBSA.org/Kids

February 28

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

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

March 2

Worship Leaders Skill Development Workshop

What: Skill training for worship leaders, keyboardists, guitarists, and vocalists

Where: Bethel, Bourbonnais; 8 a.m. –12:30 p.m. Register: IBSA.org/Worship

March 3-10

Annie Armstrong Easter

Offering and Week of Prayer for North American Missions

Resources: AnnieArmstrong.com

March 9

Children’s Missions Day

What: Hands-on mission projects make missions come alive for kids in grades 1-6 Where: Multiple locations Info: IBSA.org/Kids

March 11-12

Preach 2019

What: Teaching for pastors and church leaders from Pastors Fred Luter, Eddie Bumpers, and more

Where: Meadow Heights, Collinsville Register: preachconference.com

March 14-15

Crisis Intervention and Stress Management Training

What: Training for chaplains in how to provide effective spiritual and psychological care in times of loss, disaster, emergency, trauma, and crisis

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

March 15-16

Illinois Leadership Summit – Chicagoland

What: Training with top leadership practitioners from IBSA and Chicagoland Baptist churches

Where: Brainard Avenue, Countryside Register: IBSA.org/Summit

March 22-23

Refresh Ministers’ Wives’ Retreat

What: Weekend of fellowship and encouragement, featuring Mary Selzer, an award-winning author, Bible teacher, minister’s wife, and professional coach. Where: IBSA Building, Springfield

Cost: $20 local (no hotel); $67 shared room; $114 private room Register: IBSA.org/Refresh

March 26

Training Night

What: Quality, free training in women’s and men’s ministry, worship, students, outreach, exegeting your community, leadership development, Sunday school, security, and social media

Where: Tremont Baptist Church; 6-9 p.m. Register: IBSA.org/TrainingNight

April 7

Cooperative Program

Sunday Resources: IBSA.org/CP

A time of reflection and refueling for pastors

IBSA Building, Springfield 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

LindaDarden@IBSA.org • IBSA.org/Empty

February 22

dave says

Relationships and money

QMy father-in-law wants to help us with our mortgage. We’ve been working hard to pay off our home early, and we’ve reduced what we owe to around $35,000. His idea is to pay off the remainder, then let us pay him back over time. In the past, he has loaned us much smaller amounts and everything has worked out fine. What do you think about this?

AI’m sure this seems like a winning proposition all the way around. My concern is there’s a big spiritual and emotional issue that has been left out of the equation. The borrower is always slave to the lender, and nowhere is that more true than in a family.

I understand, too, you have a solid track record with this kind of thing. But anytime you borrow money from family you’re playing with fire. When you do something like this, especially with such a large amount, the money issue is likely to be a shadow hovering over your relationship. Family get togethers, special events, and holidays will feel different when you’re there with your lender instead of just good old Dad.

I assume your father-in-law is doing well financially, since he can afford to make this offer. And don’t get me wrong, it’s a very kind and generous offer. If I were in his shoes, I might offer instead to pay off the mortgage as a gift to my son and daughter-in-law for working so hard to attain a goal. But it would be a gift. No strings attached.

If you have a nice, stable family, this debt will always be there in the back of your mind. If you have a dysfunctional, control-freak kind of family, it’s going to be right there in front of you constantly. Either way, I don’t think it’s worth the risk.

Fight back against fraud

QWe recently learned that my wife’s ex-husband used her Social Security number to establish several credit card accounts. We’ve written and called the credit card companies, and we’re disputing the charges, but is there anything else we can do to protect ourselves and put an end to this?

AYou bet there is! File a police report immediately, and if possible, have this guy arrested. He has committed criminal fraud, and it’s not something you should take lightly. Also, put a fraud victim alert on your credit bureau reports today. Don’t stop with just alerting the credit card companies about this situation. You should be speaking with and communicating via e-mail—plus snail mail, if necessary—directly with the fraud victim division at every credit card company involved. Make sure they understand this is a denial of responsibility and not simply a dispute.

Let them know you’re sorry this happened, but explain that all these charges in your names are the result of a criminal act perpetrated against you. You may have to stand your ground with the credit card companies, because some of them might try to get you to pay it. Don’t do it!

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

DAVE RAMSEY

Understanding the world where we live and serve

Church needed here...

Location: Geneva

Focus: Residents (suburb of 22,000 people)

Characteristics: Located 40 miles west of Chicago, Geneva is a stop on the UP-W Metra train that runs from Union Station in the city. The community is home to monthly flea markets, the annual Kane County fair, and a vibrant downtown. A few churches thrive nearby, but none within the city limits.

Prayer needs: Pray the Lord of the harvest will send workers to Geneva. People are moving further out on the train lines to the suburbs and are open to new churches.

Outreach ideas: Combat winter woes

Digging out from a foot of snow a couple of times recently reminds us of this profound winter truth: it ain’t over til it’s over. So plan some snow days outreach.

To the rescue: Rescue cars stuck in the snow. Send out teams with four-wheel drive vehicles to help stranded drivers. Shovel out cars and sidewalks and people trapped in their houses. And offer hot drinks for cold souls. Be sure to give the rescued an invitation card for Sunday services.

Wee care daycare: The church can provide snow-day childcare for families in a bind when snowy weather cancels school. Connect with working parents by hosting preregistered students for a free day of VBSstyle activities. In fact, you can use the event as a preview for the summer’s Vacation Bible School. Ironically, the 2019 VBS is set in a toasty warm jungle.

Ready to serve?

QOne of our members has signed up for the summer mission trip, but some people think she is not healthy enough to go and will only slow the work. Should I tell her?

AIt would be wise to ask every person going on a mission trip to make an appointment with their doctor for a physical exam. The extended air travel, local transportation, loading and unloading of luggage, setting up equipment, church visits, long hours, time change, and non-stop demands can be very hard on anyone who is not in good health. Help the whole team understand what will be required, and the volunteer in question will be better equipped to know whether she’s ready to go, or if it would be wiser for her to stay at home as a prayer warrior for the team.

Protect the flock

QThe former student minister has returned and is dropping hints he wants his old job back. Most people understand it wasn’t a good match the first time. But there’s just enough dissatisfaction with the current leadership that it’s creating waves. Should I tell him to leave?

Can I get a volunteer?

Volunteering is considered more generous than financial giving by respondents in the Barna survey. About 6-in-10 called service generous, while less than 2-in-10 called giving (in this case $40 to church) a generous act.

– Adapted from the pages of IBSA’s Resource magazine Spring issue 1%

MOSTLY RURAL ILLINOIS

of pastors said it was OK for church members to serve instead of giving financially, while 18% of all Christians said it was OK.

Only Least generous acts on Barna’s list: teaching Sunday school and driving someone to the airport.

– Barna.org

Small towns and crossroads communities need churches. Even as rural areas lose population in favor of larger cities, the need for churches grows. Mainline churches have closed, and a gospel witness is needed.

AYour responsibility as the pastor is to watch over and protect the flock. At times that means doing the difficult thing. The problem you mention will not just go away. Have a meeting with the former leader and let him know the church has someone in that role. Let him know he is welcome to be a part of the church, but he cannot politick for a position that is not available. Make sure he knows if he continues, it will cause discord in the church, and it will be necessary to ask him to leave.

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

– IBSA Church Planting Team

PAT PAJAK

Nearly 80% of the state’s land area is farm land.