Let’s go!

et’s go somewhere!” The request from our two-yearold granddaughter surprised me, because at the time we were sitting comfortably on the living room floor, surrounded by her many toys, books, and other amusements. She had our full attention in her playtime. Many of her favorite foods and snacks were nearby. We hadn’t even turned on any electronic distractions yet. But she was ready to go somewhere.

Ivy has been learning recently that the world is so much bigger than the comforts of her home, or even her grandparents’ home. She has learned to love the park, the mall, her church, and yes, Walmart. Even video chats with her cousins remind her how much fun it would be to go to Colorado again. And with more and more of those exciting places and experiences now stored in her memory, her toddler logic tells her that there must be countless others, if we would just go somewhere.

Going somewhere should be a growing desire in our churches too, all the time, but especially now as summer approaches. We should be talking about where the group or groups from our church might go to help deliver the gospel, or to work alongside a church or a church planting missionary that needs help engaging their community.

Mission trips can be times of great spiritual transformation. Certainly they can change for eternity the lives of those who hear the good news of Jesus Christ. And they can also reshape the lives of the participants. Many times, those who engage in short-term mission trips return newly motivated and empowered to live more missional lives at home.

Every church, regardless of its size or location, can provide life-changing mission trip opportunities for its members. Ask your pastor what opportunities your church may already have planned! And if your church needs assistance, your local association or our staff at IBSA can help you find a destination and partner that would eagerly welcome your group’s assistance.

Plan a trip that motivates people to live on mission.

If you don’t already have plans for this summer, let me invite you to join me and several of our IBSA staff on a special, short-term mission project right here in Illinois. On August 4-5, the North American Mission Board’s “Serve Tour” is coming to Chicago. For two days, multiple ministry projects are being pre-planned around four “hub” locations in various parts of the city, each hosted by an IBSA church. Whether you have a group from your church or just one or two individuals, you’re welcome to participate.

For more information, go to servetour.org and click on the Chicago project. Once you indicate your interest, you’ll be notified about how to register for more specific projects and locations.

There are several great things about this summer missions opportunity. It’s a chance to meet and work alongside hundreds of volunteers from other Baptist churches. The only cost is for your personal transportation and lodging. It’s relatively brief, requiring only one or two days off work for most people. And you can choose a project that best fits your skills or passions.

My wife, Beth, and I plan to participate, along with several IBSA staff. Volunteers from dozens of IBSA churches have already registered. If you can’t go personally on these specific dates, maybe you can help sponsor others from your church who can.

This summer let’s not be content to stay home and sit in the comfort of our routines and safe relationships. Let’s find ways to deliver love and service and the gospel message to those who are still far from God.

Let’s go somewhere!

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

From the front: new aed named

Continued from page 1

Westbrook joined the IBSA staff in May 2022 after serving as Senior Pastor of Metro Community Church in Edwardsville for 31 years.

The church has been instrumental in starting new congregations in Illinois since it was first planted in 1991.

Westbrook will lead the Health, Growth, and Missions Teams, and Zone Consultants, while Emerson will lead the Communications and Operations Teams. “I think it will put us in the next level for us to do what we’ve been doing so far,” Adams said. Westbrook and his wife, Melody, moved from Oklahoma to Illinois and started the church in a duplex along with six other couples. The church would eventually grow to more than 1,000 worshippers and support several church planters.

IBSA Board marks milestones

Springfield | The Spring meeting of the IBSA Board was part business, part celebration, as members adopted reports, welcomed good news from the Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services (BCHFS), and gathered for hors d’ouevres and a dedication ceremony in a newly renovated space.

“I look forward to celebrating this special day with you,” IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams told the Board. Calling the renovation of the first floor east wing a “generational improvement,” he noted it will cap an entire building renovation that began in 2011. “Our architect told us it would take about $10 million to build [the IBSA Building] again today.”

The meeting opened with Scripture and prayer from Drake Caudill, pastor of First Baptist Church of Carmi. “Burnout is real,” he told members. Citing Hebrews 4:12, he shared hope for endurance. “If God’s Word is the foundation of your calling, then God’s Word will sustain your calling.”

New BCHFS Executive Director Kevin Carrothers reported on his first three months in office, noting a surge of people needing help. As a society, “we’ve gone from 11% of people experiencing anxiety and depression pre-pandemic to 41%,” he said. “We would serve more people if we had more staff.”

Carrothers expressed gratitude for opening a second girl’s cottage, enabling BCHFS to serve 10 girls on its campus. He also reported Angels’ Cove Maternity Center recently welcomed a healthy new baby, although the mother is experiencing some post-natal complications.

In his report, Adams said 97% of IBSA churches completed an Annual Church Profile (ACP) showing rebounds over 2021, however most categories have yet to reach 2019 levels. The 2022 IBSA Church Needs Survey affirmed IBSA’s strategic direction, Adams said.

Stetzer leaves Wheaton

To lead Biola’s theology school

Wheaton | Missiologist Ed Stetzer will serve as dean of the Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, a nondenominational evangelical university in La Mirada, California. Stetzer is currently a professor and dean at Wheaton College and executive director of the Billy Graham Center.

In February, Adams met with the Board’s Strategic Planning Committee which approved the 2024 IBSA Goals and Celebration Metrics to be presented to the full Board. They included 15 “church facing” goals and nine that are “network” facing. Adams described church facing as “ministry directly to churches,” while network facing is work “you may not see directly but will make the network more effective.”

Adams called the ongoing refocus and revitalization process “the gold standard for how a church can focus on itself.” Also, he said the newly implemented Next Step Consulting Process continues to be a success already assisting nearly 15% of IBSA churches. However, Adams said the greatest need continues to be “church planting in Illinois and a more intentional process for helping churches hire pastors and staff” as many left during the pandemic.

In other business the Board:

• Approved the 2022 audit with a clean opinion conducted by Capin Crouse LLP.

• Approved the 2024 budget of $6 million and Cooperative Program ratio of 56.5% to be retained in Illinois and 43.5% to be forwarded to the Southern Baptist Convention, which will be submitted to messengers at the IBSA Annual Meeting.

• Heard how the IBSA staff is gearing up to host the Midwest Leadership Summit in January 2024 and preparing to mark the 100th anniversary of the Cooperative Program in 2025.

Prayer And Pinwheels

See the ‘reno reveal’ P. 6

He is a former vice president of Lifeway Christian Resources and previously served at the North American Mission Board. At Wheaton, he led the Billy Graham Center and frequently staged conferences related to evangelicalism and compassion ministry.

Stetzer has served as a church planter and pastor and has trained church leaders through his blog, books, and radio show. He is editor-in-chief of Outreach magazine and host of the Stetzer Church Leaders Podcast.

While in Illinois, Stetzer was a regular contributor to Christianity Today based in Carol Stream. He served in leadership roles at Chicago’s Moody Church and High Point Church in Naperville, which is a NAMB partner and former partner with the Harvest Bible Chapel network of churches.

Stetzer begins his new role July 2.

Trinity goes online-only

Deerfield | Trinity International University will end in-person undergraduate classes at its suburban Chicago campus after the Spring term and operate online only.

The move will help the school with a strong evangelical tradition continue to offer in-person classes for graduate level students at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Trinity Law School.

The Board set as a goal offering “fully online courses and programs intended for global audiences” on the undergraduate level by the fall of 2023. The college had 571 undergraduate students in 2020, and a total enrollment of 1,454 according to U.S. News & World Report, but more recent numbers are not available.

– info from Pioneer Press online