January 1, 2020 Illinois Baptist

election

The Nation | If the polls ahead of the 2020 presidential primaries had not already told us, the divisive and angry nature of American politics was affirmed with the impeachment vote in the U.S. House of Representatives Dec. 18. While the nation awaits a vote in the Senate to remove President Donald Trump from office—a move that seems unlikely given the partisan divide on the articles of impeachment—it may be pastors who are wondering how the arguments will be played out on their own turf.

It wasn’t enough that a few cars in the church parking lot had bumper stickers favoring one party or political position. Now the debate at church—if there is any—heats up ahead of the first primary elections.

USA Today reported in December that 9-in-10 Americans say it’s important that the U.S. try to reduce the current culture of divisiveness, and that was before P. 3

Nate Adams P. 2

The Illinois Baptist staff

Editor - Eric Reed

Managing Editor - Meredith Flynn

Graphic Designer - Kris Kell

Contributing Editor - Lisa Misner

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.

Understanding the world where we live and serve

Church needed here...

NATE ADAMS

Planting with Pat

Ididn’t recognize the phone number that appeared in my voicemail notification, but as soon as I began listening to the recorded message, I knew the voice of my old friend Jim. We hadn’t seen him or his wife, Pat, for a few years, though Christmas letters and occasional e-mails kept us in touch. Jim’s brief, soft-spoken message was to let us know that his dear wife, Pat, had passed.

Pat was one of the first people our family met when we moved to the little community of Wayne, Illinois, in the mid-1990s, in part to help start a new church near there. Pat came to our front door one day as part of a community “welcome wagon” program, one we later learned she had started personally, in order to meet everyone she could who moved into the community.

Location: West Elsdon Snapshots

Focus: Hispanic residents of this Chicago neighborhood

Characteristics: Located on the city’s southwest side, West Elsdon’s population is 78% Hispanic. Residents work in a variety of fields, including manufacturing, retail, hospitality, healthcare, construction, and education.

Prayer needs: Pray for a Southern Baptist Spanish-speaking church, and that Latino congregations nearby would reach out to West Elsdon.

– IBSA Church Planting Team

“Fundamentally, the U.S. economy is in a similar place that it was a year ago. Yet pastors are less optimistic about this outside influence on their church than they were in 2018.”

– Scott McConnell,

The share of pastors who say the country’s economy is having a positive impact on their church is down 15 percentage points from last year.

After a brief conversation about local shopping and schools, and the presentation of a few brochures and coupons, Pat asked pleasantly, “Are you interested in finding a church in the area?” Grateful for the opening, I explained that we were actually part of a small group that hoped to reach out to the community and help start a new church nearby. Pat then shared that she too was a Christ-follower and promised to do what she could to help us.

Over the next few weeks, I learned what an understatement Pat’s promise of help really was. Once she got to know us better and learned more about the vision for our church, she shared with us that, for some time, she had been intentionally meeting people in the community and organizing them into local Bible studies.

The church Pat and Jim attended was almost 20 miles away, and most of the folks she was meeting through her Bible studies weren’t interested in driving that far to church. So she was glad to introduce us, and to help us invite those who didn’t have a church home to consider being part of our new church.

the cooperative program

Giving by IBSA churches as of 12/13/19 $5,775,646

Budget Goal: $5,842,308

Received to date in 2018: $5,466,439

2019 Goal: $6.3 Million

Before we met Pat, we had four families committed to starting a new church. Soon after we met Pat, we grew to over 20 families. Our first baptisms were in the swimming pool of one of those families, and others hosted our first small groups. They became our first children’s ministry leaders and some of our strongest workers and givers. When we began public worship services a few months later, many of the families to whom Pat introduced us became the core of a church plant that soon grew to about 200 weekly attenders.

In Acts 16, the Bible briefly describes Lydia, a God-fearing woman who gathered with other women for prayer by the river, outside the city gate of Philippi. When Paul and Silas arrived with the gospel message, they found quickly receptive hearts, and help for the new church they would plant and grow to love there, thanks to Lydia and the women who were already gathered by the river, seeking God and praying.

At Pat’s memorial service a few days after Jim’s phone call, I described her as a “community missionary,” who loved God, loved others even before she met them, and was personally responsible for countless people coming to Christ or connecting with a church.

One of the most prominent pictures on display at Pat’s memorial service was one of her sitting in a lawn chair beside a small creek that ran through their property. I thought to myself how appropriate that picture “by the river” was, for a modern-day Lydia named Pat. And I wondered what could happen if every church planter was blessed with the help of such a remarkable woman.

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

Pat was personally responsible for connecting countless people to Christ and his church.

Pat (front row, blue sweater) hosted many women’s Bible studies in her home.

LifeWay Research

From the front: civility in political season

Continued from page 1

Trump became only the third U.S. president to be impeached.

The poll by Public Agenda/USA Today/ Ipsos also found 9-in-10 Americans said it’s important to them that the candidate they vote for “actively works toward unifying the country and making it less divisive.”

The desire for unity is even more acute at church, where Christians are called to rally around Jesus’ call to make disciples. What if the people in the pews have different political views? Should churches even engage in politics? What are some foundational principles for believers hoping to engage in politics graciously and redemptively?

The Illinois Baptist talked to three IBSA pastors leading their churches through the polarized political climate of 2020.

Weird, but winsome

Two-thirds of Americans told Pew that churches should keep out of political matters. A larger percentage said churches shouldn’t come out in favor of one candidate over another.

At Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Pastor Jeremy Byrd is careful to keep Christ’s power at the center, rather than the power of a political party or policy. “When I preach or teach, my intent is to demonstrate that Christ alone is the answer to the ails of our society.”

To be better neighbors to the people around us, Byrd said, Christians have to embrace the gospel, rather than a political platform. It’s not as simple as saying, “Just preach the gospel,” he said, because God and the gospel are definitely concerned with social issues.

“At the same time, I do not pretend that one party is going to better solve the issues facing Americans. Whenever politics are addressed in an official way through our pulpit or teaching ministries, it is in that our hopes cannot rest in Democrats or Republicans, but in Christ alone. He alone can right the wrongs in our culture, and he is accomplishing this.”

Nathan Carter recently led his church through a multi-week teaching series on being “winsomely weird.” One session focused on politics. “Christians have a great opportunity to be winsomely weird in our partisan climate,” explained the pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Chicago. The first way: setting our allegiance to the kingdom of God, rather than the kingdoms of the world.

Still, Christians are in this world and citizens of its temporal governments. As such, Carter said, believers should be the best citizens they can, voting for godly values.

“Our convictions about what is best for people and society won’t line up easily with one party or match an ideology,” Carter told his church. “We will bust those categories and confound the world.”

Big issues in small groups

“There’s enough sin on both sides of the aisle,” Pastor Belafae Johnson tells his congregation. It’s his way of warning believers not to anoint one political party as holier than another.

Johnson describes Purposed Church in Mascoutah as “mixed” in terms of ethnicity and political views. He doesn’t preach about political issues in a partisan way. He does, however, tackle issues that cross political lines when they surface in Scripture. In a recent sermon series through Ecclesiastes, Johnson’s church heard the writer’s frustration with the abuse of a certain group of people.

“We have to approach those things when we see it,” Johnson said.

In many churches, politics may take a break during Sunday services, but can surface quickly in smaller gatherings. Johnson recalled a community group meeting where an African American man confessed his struggle with being a black man in America. He confessed where his own sin played a role in his feelings, Johnson said, but also where he perceived sin from others.

“I think those are situations that will come up, and really honestly should come up,” Johnson said, “if we are truly creating a culture of believers coming together and being one.”

After shooting on base

Florida churches respond

Pensacola | Churches worked to bring comfort, hope, and love to their community after a gunman began shooting at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, killing three people and wounding eight others Dec. 6.

“When tragedy strikes in a place like this, we are a tight-knit community and everyone is proud of their military, it causes a huge ripple,” said Dave Snyder, pastor of First Baptist Church in Pensacola. The church will be launching an outreach ministry to the military in January. “This shooting has really shown us that we need to have a heavier presence there.”

At Olive Baptist Church’s campus in Warrington, Fla., nearly 100 people gathered for a vigil Dec. 7. The campus is located a mile from NAS Pensacola and was launched to reach military personnel.

At the conclusion of the vigil, more than a dozen active military personnel and veterans gathered at the altar, locking arms and joining in prayer. The congregation rose to pray in unity with those assembled.

“We thought it would be good just to gather together where we like to come and have a few folks share their hearts with us, read Scripture, and pray,” said Pastor Ted Traylor. “And that’s what this is about.”

– From Baptist Press

On the road again

Prayer tour on I-55

Chicago | In early 2019, a group of intercessors boarded a bus and visited four Chicagoland churches. They prayed with and for pastors and congregations, asking God to do mighty things in the city where millions of people don’t yet know Christ.

On Feb. 1, the mobile prayer experience will hit the road again, led by Chicago Metro Baptist Association prayer coordinator Cheryl Dorsey.

2020 marks the sixth year Dorsey and leaders in Chicagoland have gathered for a winter event focused on prayer. Before last year, they had held prayer training sessions at local churches, and even met atop the Willis Tower to pray over Chicago, literally.

The inaugural prayer bus tour included visits to established churches and church plants. Pray-ers heard about each community en route, and prayed specifically that God would work in those places. They also prayed in pairs on the bus for many of Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods.

For more information or to sign up for this year’s prayer tour, contact the Chicago Metro Baptist Association at (773) 278-4400 or e-mail Cheryl Dorsey at Pray@ChicagoBaptist.com.

JOHNSON

– Meredith Flynn

Act aims for ‘fairness for all’

A measure introduced Dec. 6 would prohibit anti-LGBT discrimination in employment, housing, and places of public accommodation, but also exempt churches, religious groups, and some small businesses from the anti-discrimination laws.

The bill sponsored by Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah) faces an uphill battle in Congress, Christianity Today reports, and also among LGBT advocates who oppose the exemptions. Some religious liberty advocates also disagree with the bill. In 2017, a group of evangelical leaders, including Southern Baptists Russell Moore and Albert Mohler, signed a statement opposing any law that would protect gender identity and sexual orientation because such measures “threaten fundamental freedoms.”

Pro-life law wins in court

Churches start ‘ReFocus’ journey

Leadership teams meet for first revitalization strategy session

The U.S. Supreme Court declined Dec. 9 to hear an appeal of a Kentucky law that requires doctors to perform ultrasounds before abortions. The law, passed in 2017, also requires physicians to show fetal images to patients, and to play an audible heartbeat.

The appeal was in response to a decision in favor of the law by the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, who ruled the ultrasound requirement provides relevant information to patients. The Supreme Court’s refusal to review the lower court’s decision, USA Today reported, leaves Kentucky’s law in place.

Worry tops verse searches

The Bible app YouVersion has announced its most shared, highlighted, and bookmarked verse of 2019 is Philippians 4:6. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (NLT). It marks the third consecutive year that worry was the theme of the year’s most popular passage. Another popular verse in 2019, 2 Timothy 1:7, also offers encouragement in the midst of fear.

“We’re encouraged to see so many people turning to the Bible in response to their worries,” said YouVersion founder Bobby Gruenewald, “remembering what God has done in their lives, and choosing to trust in his faithfulness.”

– Christianity Today, USA Today

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

Springfield | Seven IBSA churches gathered in November for a three-day meeting focused on revitalization. The churches are the first to engage in a ReFocus process designed to help churches rediscover their purpose and take new steps of obedience.

IBSA has made church revitalization a key priority for 2020. The Association is partnering with Rob Peters and the Corpus Vitae organization, which developed the ReFocus process. Scott Foshie joined the Springfield staff in November as leader of IBSA’s Revitalization Team.

“It is our prayer that each church that goes through ReFocus will experience a new chapter of life in fruitfulness in their ministries,” Foshie said. At the Nov. 11-13 meeting in Springfield, leadership teams from each of the seven churches developed a vision and mission statement, leadership development plan, and annual plans to work on the major areas God has led them to pursue. The churches left the intensive with a multi-year plan to grow in health and fruitfulness, Foshie said.

“There will be several coaching calls with Rob Peters and our revitalization team, along with visits and calls with our IBSA staff, to see how things are going and to provide coaching and ongoing support.”

Luke Henry’s church has been engaged in a revitalization process for the last two years. When the pastor came to Cornerstone Church in Savoy, the congregation had around 40 people. Over the past two years, they’ve doubled in size and made some key adjustments, Henry said.

“Revitalization, for me, is getting the church back to the focus of what we see in the New Testament,” he said. Cornerstone knocked down walls—literally—in their small building to create fellowship space. They also started praying intentionally for their neighbors using the “Everyone Hears” evangelism emphasis.

The church launched in-home community groups because their building didn’t allow them to host the number of small group Bible studies they needed throughout the week.

And the children’s ministry, which previously had a handful of attenders, can now see up to 20 kids on Sunday morning.

Although his church was in the process of revitalizing, Henry said ReFocus has brought structure, vision, and additional guidance to what they were already doing.

During his tenure at Cornerstone, the pastor he’s been surrounded by fellow leaders and mentors who have encouraged him along the way. He also credits his wife, Bri, for walking with him on the road to church revitalization.

Encouragement is important for pastors and leaders engaged in revitalization, Foshie said. “We’re giving careful attention to our pastors to support them as they undertake the rewarding, yet challenging process of leading through change.

“This effort is a marathon, not a sprint, for each church, and it will take some time to begin to see results from the adjustments and improvements God is leading in each congregation.”

For more information about ReFocus, contact IBSA’s Revitalization Team at (217) 3913122.

COLLABORATION – Pastor Luke Henry (second from left) and leaders from Cornerstone Church in Savoy work on their church’s strategy at a November meeting led by Rob Peters (pictured below), developer of the ReFocus revitalization process.

MISSION

illinois voices SANCTITY OF LIFE

A stand for life

I met Angela Michael outside an abortion clinic in October. It was a new experience for me, but nothing new to the former obstetrical nurse dressed in scrubs with a stethoscope around her neck. Michael and her husband are often outside abortion clinics, urging young women to come to their camper parked nearby and look at a sonogram of their unborn baby before deciding to end its life.

I was in Metro East to report on Illinois’ “progressive” abortion law, signed by Gov. Pritzker this year, making abortion legal through all nine months of pregnancy. A new facility was opening in Fairview Heights that would see up to 11,000 women a year— and abort many of their babies.

At another clinic in Granite City, I watched as young women exited the clinic in a daze, alone for the most part. It made me think back to the few times I’ve had out-patient surgery and was wheeled outside to a waiting car.

They seemed unsteady on their feet and appeared to be looking anxiously for their drivers. Only one young girl exited the building accompanied, leaning heavily on an older couple.

Later in Fairview Heights, I covered pro-life protests at the dedication of the new Planned Parenthood Clinic. Protestors prayed outside the fence, while speakers on the other side shared stories about their abortions. As the crowd applauded, one toddler would mimic their applause and laugh. It was poignant to watch that little boy who himself hadn’t been born so long ago.

I’ve collected change in baby bottles for pro-life pregnancy centers. I’ve prayed for the end of abortion in the U.S. But the most important lesson I learned outside the abortion clinics is that we can’t give up. With the Michaels and others like them, we have to stand for life in Illinois. There are 40 or more facilities providing abortions in Illinois, and state leaders are still working to make Illinois the abortion hub of the Midwest. But, as Paul told the Galatians, “Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.”

Lisa Misner is IBSA’s social media and public policy manager.

Image bearers

Pregnancy centers use ultrasounds to help women in need

Amory’s life changed forever when she saw those two blue lines on the pregnancy test. Thinking it was a false positive, she took it again, and again, three more times.

She had just finished graduate school, accepted her first job as a speech-language pathologist, moved into her own apartment and finally found a guy who she believed liked her back. However, their relationship was rocky, and Amory had no idea how he would react to the idea of being a father.

Terrified of potential judgement and ridicule and almost too afraid to even seek help, she scheduled an appointment with Liberty Women’s Clinic, a pro-life pregnancy center in Kansas City, Mo. Thanks to the clinic’s ultrasound machine, Amory saw her baby’s heartbeat for the first time. The emotions that flooded her heart were surreal, overwhelming. She knew she was going to be a mother. There was no doubt she was keeping her baby.

Ryder entered the world, and Amory says he brings her incomparable joy. When he says “I love you,” she cannot imagine her life any other way.

Amory’s story is not uncommon for women who receive care at Liberty and other pregnancy centers dedicated to saving lives. Ultrasound technology is often referred to as a window into the womb, giving mothers a vivid picture of the life they carry inside them.

Vital technology

For the past 16 years, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) of the Southern Baptist Convention has donated ultrasound units to clinics like Liberty across the country through the Psalm 139 Project. So far, the project has funded and placed 20 machines (photo left).

The machines are fully funded through direct monetary gifts and the Cooperative Program, Southern Baptists’ unified giving plan to support national and international ministry causes.

Bobby Reed, chief financial officer of the ERLC, said the project is a very practical way for those passionate about the sanctity of human life to get involved and make a real difference.

SOUND DECISION – Flora Lopez (right), director of Greenspoint Pregnancy Assistance Center in Houston, counsels client Sebastiana

ON DUTY – Pro-life advocate Angela Michael of Small Voices Pregnancy Center.

illinois voices

What a difference a year makes

Last year at this time, I was in shock. God had just taken us through a time of mourning after a miscarriage. We were planning our next step toward a family, which included surgery for me. This surgery was supposed to finally answer why we could not conceive.

Last year at this time, all of that changed. Instead of a pre-operative appointment, we got our first sonogram. Instead of being cut into, I saw my son’s heartbeat for the first time. Instead of preparing to rest after surgery, we began preparing a pregnancy announcement.

Last year at this time, we couldn’t believe the miracle God had worked.

As I write this, our life has flipped upside down. Owen Charles entered the world May 31, 2019. Instead of counting the cost of the fertility clinic, we are counting the cost of diapers. Instead of scheduling my next shot, we are scheduling Owen for his shots. Instead of crying over monthly disappointment, I am overcome with joy at the sight of my child.

My son’s existence is a miracle. Through Owen’s story, God has taught me more than ever before that I cannot possibly control my world. When John and I were married, we planned to wait a couple of years before we started trying to have children. We even took a trip for our second wedding anniversary to celebrate our time as “just a couple” before we became parents.

God had other plans, though. We stayed “just a couple” for a few more years. We were blindsided by our inability to get pregnant. I felt less than. John did too. It didn’t make sense. I searched for anything to fix my broken body.

Then, when we lost our first child, the doctors had no answer. It was called “spontaneous.” It made no sense. We pursued more treatment, but my faith in the treatments was wary at best.

A few months later, we joined a Bible study called Faith in Fertility. John and I asked each other the hard questions. We prayed. We sought the Lord together. We met with other couples who have sought other ways to make a family—whether through medical treatments or fostering and adoption. God used this time to heal us together. I didn’t need to fix my broken body. I needed to lean into the husband my healer has provided. I needed to pray with John to the one who knows all things. Together, we needed to bring our sorrows to him.

Last year, when we became pregnant with Owen, the doctors had no answers again. We weren’t supposed to get pregnant between treatments. It made no sense. I had a lot to learn. About me. About my husband. About our family. About our Lord.

This time this year, we are dealing with a slew of new, unforeseen circumstances that won’t make sense. We don’t know if Owen will be our only child. We don’t even know if we’ll sleep through the night. But even with these new unknowns, we can look back at how God was always in control and trust, with more certainty then ever before, that he is in control now.

“Is anything too hard for the Lord?” we’re asked in Genesis 18:14. No, but God doesn’t simply do “anything.” He gives only his best. Our minds can’t comprehend it, but we praise him for it.

Leah Honnen serves as administrative assistant with IBSA’s communications team.

Continued from page 5

“A lot of times people who become passionate about it, their follow-up question is ‘Well, what can I do?’” Reed said. “One way to be involved in valuing human life is to be involved in the Psalm 139 Project.”

Carol Graham, founder and CEO of Liberty Women’s Clinic, said that in the 12 months since they received the ultrasound machine, the clinic has provided nearly 4,000 services to more than 650 women. Nearly 300 of those women had a positive test result, 231 were eligible for an ultrasound, and 209, to their knowledge, chose life for their child. That’s a 90% rate of choosing life for those who saw their unborn child on an ultrasound.

“Ultrasound is truly what makes a difference for young women who are teetering on the edge of a decision between life and death of their child—the quality of that image is vital,” Graham said. “The truth presented in the ultrasound image and the compassion of his people poured out on the broken, provides an avenue to set captives free from their current anguish and the future despair of a decision to end their pregnancy.”

Undeniable evidence

Greenspoint Pregnancy Assistance Center is staffed by just eight volunteers and one ultrasound technician. But even with the small staff, director Flora Lopez said 102 women gave their lives to Jesus in the past year through the ministry.

Lopez recounted the story of a new mother she recently served. The mother was 14 and came into the clinic with her grandmother. The grandmother was encouraging her granddaughter to have an abortion because she also had one when she was younger. Both of them were con-

fused and hurting.

Lopez said the grandmother told her granddaughter she could get an abortion but it would all be OK in the end because God would forgive her. “That statement broke my heart,” Lopez said.

But the pair agreed to an ultrasound appointment for the very next day. Lopez said the grandmother told her if, in the ultrasound image, the baby appeared developed, then her granddaughter would not have an abortion.

The rest of the day, that night and the morning, the staff of the center spent time in prayer asking God to work in the hearts of the two women, to change them and convince them to choose life for the child. When the time came for the ultrasound, both grandmother and granddaughter were moved to change their minds about the abortion.

Lopez recounts what the grandmother told her after the appointment. “I cannot deny, I saw it in the ultrasound. That’s my great-grandbaby.”

Lopez said 97% of the women who come into the clinic and receive an ultrasound choose life for their baby. Even through this small center, the director said 50 lives of unborn children are saved in a year, averaging one child—one life—a week.

“When we encounter a woman that does not know the Lord, and we’re able to share the gospel, not only the person is being saved, but also their souls are being saved,” Lopez said. “That’s the main focus—sharing the gospel and the good news of Jesus Christ.”

For more information on the Psalm 139 project, visit psalm139project.org.

– From Baptist Press

Celebrate life all month long

How your church can help in January

Connect with Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services (BCHFS) to find out how your church can help families in need in Illinois.

Collect change in baby bottles to help a local pregnancy care center. Many centers sponsor an annual bottle drive; contact one in your community.

Invite a speaker to share during the worship service on Jan. 19, Sanctity of Human Life Sunday. Contact a pregnancy care center or BCHFS for ideas.

Host a baby shower for a pregnancy care center. Ask what their urgent needs are and create a simple registry sheet for church members to use as they shop.

Join a March for Life event in January or February. Rallies are planned across the country, including Chicago, Indianapolis, and Jefferson City, Mo. Go to marchforlife.org for info.

Iwill praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.

– Psalm 139:14a

OWEN

Photo on page 1 by Sarah Carruthers

What’s ahead

Our annual review of the top news stories of the year gone by also serves to point out likely trends for Christians and the world. Highlights of our collection:

Illinois is the new Vegas. Legal and moral shifts are making our state the new Sin City—except that it’s a whole state. Eye on the Capitol.

SBC grapples with key issues. In addition to abuse prevention, issues of theology and polity are surfacing, including social justice and the role of women.

Eye on Orlando Convention.

Politics and pews.

Our lead story in this issue sums up the matter: How will churches handle divergent opinions on the presidential election? In this section: Evangelical are not a guaranteed voting bloc, and what about the Supreme Court?

Eye on D.C.

Optimism or doomsday.

What’s next for the Church in the new decade? And are believers still looking up(ward)?

Eye on the sky.

Read on.

2020 : IN FOCUS Eye on the CAPITOL

That odor you smell may not be burning autumn leaves or a new air freshener. It may be pot. The use of recreational marijuana became legal Jan. 1, thanks to the Illinois state legislature. The 2019 legislative session was called the most “progressive” by advocates for looser laws on pot, abortion, gambling, and more. More than 250 new laws were scheduled to take effect with the arrival of the new year. One, notable to Christians and pro-life advocates, is already in effect: the Reproductive Health Act, which prompted IBSA to join a religious freedom lawsuit seeking exemptions for religious organizations.

As for looser laws on marijuana, smoking in public is still illegal, but 35 medical cannabis dispensaries have been approved to sell recreational marijuana statewide. At this point, sales are restricted to operators who already hold medical dispensary licenses. Up to 75

licenses may be issued before May 1.

Several new laws concerning children and teens are of concern to Christians, including measures that allow minors 12 and older to get preventative STD treatments without parental consent, require students in sex education classes to be taught the meaning of consent, and require public schools to include the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons in their curriculums.

The “gay history” law goes into effect in July. School administrators tell the Illinois Times they are “awaiting guidance” on how the history will be incorporated into the curriculum, but so far, none has come from the State Board of Education or the General Assembly. Illinois became the fourth state to require teaching LGBT history.

Illinois’ Secretary of State is now required to add “non-binary” as a gender choice for

people applying for a driver’s license or ID card. Applicants can identify as male, female, or neither. And all single-occupancy public facilities are to be gender-neutral with the word “restroom” posted.

What to watch in 2020: gambling. You’ve already seen video gambling rooms in local restaurants and the proliferation of betting parlors with innocuous women’s names (Betty, Lucy, Elsa). Land-based casinos are next. Approval following 2019 legislation allowing it in Chicago is on hold while the 33.3% gambling tax, feared to discourage developers, is further debated. Applications are on file for three Chicagoland locations and three others outside the metro.

Application submissions for sports betting facilities opened in December.

Reported by the Illinois Baptist team: Meredith Flynn, Leah Honnen, Lisa Misner, and Eric Reed

Eye on the SBC

New Baptist leaders settle in

Baptisms in Southern Baptist churches declined again in 2018, along with church membership and worship attendance. Ronnie Floyd, new president and CEO of the denomination’s Executive Committee, called for a spiritual and strategic reset in the SBC.

“Prioritizing and elevating the advancement of the good news of Jesus Christ into every town, city, and county in America, as well to every person across the world, must be recaptured by every church,” he told Baptist Press (BP).

Southern Baptist churches baptized 7,680 fewer people in 2018 than in 2017. But the 3% decline was less drastic than the decrease the previous year, or the year before that. Missions giving, meanwhile, exceeded budgetary expectations for the fifth consecutive year. Baptists gave more than $196 million through the Cooperative Program in 2018.

In Illinois, CP giving increased 1% from the previous year. Baptisms were up 6.8%.

The increases and slowing declines could indicate the tides are beginning to turn, or at least flattening. After months of interim leadership at five SBC entities, new presidents are now in place at each. Current SBC President J.D. Greear’s “Who’s Your One” emphasis has given Baptists a clear focus and evangelism action plan. Floyd has long sounded the call to renewed commitment and unified vision around the Great Commission.

“Urgency is not an option for any of us as Christ-followers. People need Jesus and they need Jesus now,” he told BP last year. “Our generation of Baptists must believe and determine now that we will do whatever it takes to present the gospel of Jesus Christ to every person in the world and to make disciples of all the nations.”

Greear’s lasting impact

Beth Moore called J.D. Greear a “Mesther,” a term she coined for a male Esther, because he too was sent “for such a time as this.” At the Caring Well Conference on Sexual Abuse in Dallas, Greear was again front and center on the issue. And from all appearances, Moore was right. Greear has been an able leader through Southern Baptists’ most difficult trial in 40 years.

His presence in office at this point in our history, rather than two years earlier when he stepped aside that Steve Gaines might have the presidency in a narrowly contested race, raises thoughts about providence. But it also brings up the question of legacy.

Just 45 when elected, Greear could leave office with decades of opportunity ahead to influence the denomination. But the North Carolina pastor has already made laudable contributions:

Greear’s election marked the ascendance of Gen-X to the top levels of elected national SBC leadership. Begun earlier as David Platt headed the International Mission Board, more recently by incoming seminary presidents at Midwestern, Southwestern, and New Orleans, and in the June naming of Illinois native Ben Mandrell to lead LifeWay, the baton was passed it seemed. But Baby Boomer Ronnie Floyd’s election to head the Executive Committee and peer Al Mohler’s nomination to succeed Greear as SBC President (not a done

deal, but his election seems possible, even probable) indicate the generational shift is not complete.

With the “Who’s Your One?” evangelism campaign pioneered in his church, Greear has given Southern Baptists in thousands of churches a laser focus on sharing the gospel. However, lasting results of the lifestyle witnessing emphasis won’t be known for several years. Under Greear’s leadership, the SBC has made more diverse nominations to elected positions than ever before. But the role of women in Baptist life and church leadership, in particular, has swelled again, so that issue is not settled.

Greear brought energy and casual style to the convention platform. We remember fondly the Jordans (tennis shoes) he wore at his election in 2018. But his sartorial flair does not define him. It’s Greear’s work to address sexual abuse that sticks. He appointed a task force to explore the issue months before accusations of longterm and ongoing abuse by some SBC church leaders was reported by the Houston Chronicle. Since then, Greear has worked continuously (and his team has worked tirelessly behind the scenes) to bring truth to light and to give abuse survivors a voice for their pain and airtime for their warnings to inattentive churches. Ask again in a couple of decades, but from here, it appears meaningful ministry in the #metoo era will be the legacy of Greear’s SBC presidency. Providence indeed.

Gender roles in the SBC: Is civil debate possible?

John MacArthur’s two-word dismissal of Beth Moore took the complementarianism debate from its traditional home—Twitter— to church pews and Sunday school classes around the country.

In October, the venerated pastor told Bible teacher Moore to “go home.” His admonition came months after Moore tweeted suggesting she planned to speak at a worship service on Mother’s Day. “There is no case that can be made biblically for a woman preacher,” said MacArthur, an evangelical but not a Southern Baptist. “Period. Paragraph. End of discussion.”

In the aftermath, some on Twitter expressed support for MacArthur’s position. Others, including J.D. Greear, came to Moore’s defense. “You’re

welcome in our home anytime,” the president of the Southern Baptist Convention tweeted to Moore.

A month later, MacArthur doubled down on the admonition to all would-be women preachers.

The Christian Post reported on his Nov. 10 sermon at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, Calif. “Women need to get themselves under control and realize they are not to speak in a church,” he said.

The debate over complementarianism (the view that men and women have different but complementary roles) has been focused on whether it can enable and fuel sexual abuse. As Baptists

come to terms with better strategies for preventing abuse and heeding the stories of survivors, gender roles will continue play an important role in the conversation. The heat around MacArthur and Moore has given rise to another, albeit familiar, question: When disagreement is a certainty, can the SBC have helpful, meaningful debate while still rallying around the mission of gospel advance?

As in past conversations about Reformed theology and the denomination’s name, the legacy of Baptists on complementarianism may not be whether we have the debate, but how we do it.

PAUL CHITWOOD International Mission Board

JAMIE DEW

New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

RONNIE FLOYD SBC Executive Committee

BEN MANDRELL LifeWay

BETH MOORE

J.D. GREEAR

EARLY DECLARATION – The October announcement that Southern Seminary President Albert Mohler (third from right) will be nominated for SBC President came much earlier than the usual springtime declarations. Discussions at recent convention meetings about revising The Baptist Faith and Message (2000) lead some to wonder if theologian Mohler could move in that direction.

ADAM GREENWAY Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Will evangelicals choose Trump again?

77% 50%

of white evangelical Protestants approve of the job President Trump is doing in office of them strongly approve

Approval rates among other groups:

54% White Mainline Protestants

48% White Catholics

28% Hispanic Catholics

14% Black Protestants

19% Religiously Unaffiliated

– PRRI, Oct. 2019

White evangelicals have continued to support President Donald Trump when other groups have backed off, The Washington Post reported in October. But the President’s decision last fall to withdraw U.S. troops from northern Syria, thereby ceasing support for America’s Kurdish allies, concerned some of his Christian supporters. Evangelist Franklin Graham urged people to pray the President would reconsider, tweeting, “Thousands of lives hang in the balance.”

POLITICO also reported on the relationship between the President and white evangelicals, referencing an Oct. 2019 FoxNews poll that found almost 3-in-10 want Trump impeached and removed from office. An NPR/Marist survey found 62% of white evangelicals plan to vote for him, down from the oftquoted 81% who supported him in the 2016 election.

In December, the President referenced faithful supporters in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, stating that her claims that she prays for him are “offending Americans of faith.” If the numbers are an indication, his support among them is less of a guarantee in 2020.

Weighing gospel proclamation and the pursuit of

The only announced candidate for SBC president so far is well-positioned to lead the denomination in a conversation on social justice.

Increasingly over the last few years, Southern Baptists have turned their focus to how the denomination ought to respond to racism, gender issues, and sexual abuse. Some have countered that those issues and others are overshadowing the need for evangelism.

Albert Mohler, president of Southern Seminary, declined to sign onto a 2018 statement condemning the social justice movement. However, he has also expressed concern about the liberal drift associated with the social gospel.

“I’m afraid we’re going to lose an enormous number of evangelicals to various kinds of social gospel,” Mohler said at a conference last year, “because that’s a lot easier to find satisfaction in than evangelism.”

At recent conferences on racial reconciliation and sexuality hosted by the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), Baptist leaders have stressed that these are gospel issues, and require a gospel-centered response. SBC President J.D. Greear and ERLC President Russell Moore have said the same of the denomination’s response to the sexual abuse crisis.

“Some evangelicals talk as though personal evangelism and public justice are contradictory concerns, or, at least, that one is part of the mission of the church and the other isn’t,” Moore wrote in an article about how to care about justice without losing the gospel. “I think otherwise, and I think the issue is one of the

Eye on the WORLD

Possible shifts on bench

Nicknamed after a rapper by late night comedians, Ruth Bader Ginsburg will be one to watch in 2020. The associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court is 86, has battled cancer, and was briefly hospitalized at the end of the year. Some question whether the liberal justice will remain on the court through the 2020 election and into the next presidential term. And in a similar vein, The Washington Post reported a rumor that conservative Justice Clarence Thomas was considering retiring in June 2020. Thomas has denied the report.

Pending actions: The court is expected to decide whether states can ban the use of public funds for religious schools, and if the Civil Rights Act extends to sexual orientation and gender identity.

They’ll also take up a Louisiana law that requires any doctor performing an abortion to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. The high court struck down a similar Texas law three years ago, but, an NPR report pointed out, now-retired Justice Anthony Kennedy cast the deciding vote. A Supreme Court with five conservative justices could go a different direction.

social justice

most important facing the church these days.”

As Baptists look for a balance between evangelism and justice, Moore said the short answer is simple: “Follow Jesus.” Mohler appears to believe we need to keep talking. The answers aren’t easy to come by, but we can’t avoid the questions. “Our answer to social confusion cannot be, ‘We’re not going to talk about this.’” – MF

BORDER MINISTRY – International Mission Board President Paul Chitwood (center) prays with IMB missionary Charles Clark and a Venezuelan woman who has crossed the border into Colombia. She is one of 5,000 people a day who leave the country in search of a better life. IMB photo

TRUMP BIDEN BLOOMBERG BUTTIGIEG SANDERS WARREN

Eye on the CHURCH

Gen Z looks for meaning in new places

Millennials have grabbed most of the spotlight over the last decade, especially among church leaders working to reach them (and keep them). But the country’s most recent crop of college grads are part of the next generation, Gen Z. Born in 1997 and afterward, they shared some characteristics with their forebears. But reaching Gen Z will also require new creative measures from churches.

According to a 2019 Barna survey, Gen Z rates volunteering/acts of service higher than any other expression of generosity. Barna noted in another study that Gen Z tends to derive their sense of self from achievements, rather than religious beliefs and other characteristics. The generation that values helping others may not connect servanthood with belief in Christ.

A lack of religious rootedness may also cause many to seek out and combine a mixture of belief systems for a sort of “have it your way” religious experience.

On social issues, Gen Z mirrors the Millennial generation and often goes a step further. Pew Research reports Gen Z is the most likely generation to say forms and online profiles should offer options other than “male” and “female” when requesting gender information. Half of them say society isn’t accepting enough of people who don’t identify as either a man or a woman.

While Millennials learned about technology bit by bit in their formative years, Gen Z-ers were born into a world with all current technology literally at their fingertips – prompting Barna to call them the “connected” generation.

Pundits somewhat optimistic

Reports about the growing persecution of Christians worldwide are cause enough to be pessimistic about the future of the church, but some observers say believers have reason to turn that frown upside down. In fact, facing into a new decade, there may be reasons for optimism.

Not all young people are leaving the church. Minnesota pastor and former head of the National Association of Evangelicals Leith Anderson says strength of number is not the only effective measure of evangelicalism. There’s also strength of faith. Surveys show that young Christians who take their faith seriously are more dedicated to those beliefs than the generations before them. The waning cultural identification as “Christian” serves to make those who remain stronger.

In a Christianity Today article, Anderson also point to two demographic shifts as positives: the aging of America and the rise of minorities to majority status. He says in some churches, calling a senior adult pastor rather than a youth pastor will become the trend: “Beginning in 2035, we will have more old Americans (78 million over 65) than young Americans (76.7 million under 18).”

And, separately, a recent Barna survey showed a rise in Boomers expressing an interest in spiritual matters as they reach retirement age.

As for minorities, the number of Anglo evangelical congregations has declined in the past 20 years, while ethnic churches more than doubled. Ethnic populations are expected to surpass the current white majority by 2044.

Multi-site churches are growing. Church health expert Thom Rainer is upbeat about the model where a church meets in multiple locations and on multiple days. The rising challenges of securing land and zoning approval, especially in metro areas, may be met by holding more frequent, smaller services. Rainer points to facility-sharing as an effective outreach to ethnic and language groups. And as construction becomes more expensive, and schools limit their rental options, new churches are finding homes by bunking in with existing churches.

Anderson says ignore the worrywarts.

ER

Gen Z is already known for the strong belief that people must learn to care for the environment. They could be drawn to churches that make an effort to help that cause through recycling, buying local, and reusing items for ministry. Additionally, churches may need to adapt their outreach strategies to connect

Is 2020 the time for a renewed Messianic Hope? Whether it’s the countdown in Times Square, unrest in Washington, unrest in the Middle East, or the worldwide rise in terrorism, the need for relief and a lasting peace grows. And it will only come when Jesus does.

Starting in the 1960’s, we talked a lot about the imminent return of Christ. Preachers preached it; televangelists trafficked in it. The 700 Club was as much about the second coming of Jesus as it was the first coming of Pat Robertson. And the gospel songs of the day reinforced our dispensational worldview: The King is Coming, Jesus is Coming Soon, Soon and Very Soon, Wish We’d All Been Ready A Distant Thunder rumbled, and we knew Jesus would come like A Thief in the Night

The lost would be Left Behind.

Then talk of the Parousia subsided. The Cold War warmed; the looming threat of nuclear holocaust eased; our national anxiety calmed a bit; and we could breathe. Maybe we didn’t need Jesus to come back so soon. Until now.

Those unnerved by Y2K postulated Jesus would return in 2000. But that deadline passed. Here we are 20 years later. The world’s problems are great, almost paralyzing. If ever we needed the Lord’s return, it’s now. Yet, he tarries, giving us just a little longer to urge a few more souls to salvation.

Is this the year? Perhaps. Can we live in the hope of seeing Jesus soon? Yes. Eagerly. “So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those

with the so-called “connected” generation.

The challenge for churches: Take 2020 to purposefully mentor younger generations. Find ways to channel that volunteer energy so Gen Z can clearly understand that Christ’s love and sacrifice fuels our servanthood.

who are eagerly waiting for him” (Hebrews 9:28 ESV).

And what shall we do in the meantime?

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11-13).

If the Lord waits, we will face political upheaval in the U.S. and a presidential election, theological debates in the SBC and a presidential election, and the challenge to deal with the issues of our time— those we agree on and those we don’t—in a Christlike manner. As we lean into the new year, may our refrain amid its ups and downs remain, “Come, Lord Jesus.”

Wish we’d all been ready

Two Minutes to Midnight on the Doomsday Clock

The oldest of GEN-Z are turning 23.

John Yi met Jesus at a new church. Now, he plants churches for immigrants in Illinois, with your support through CP.

See John’s story and the whole video series at IBSA.org/CP

When dads cry

In a recent IBSA chapel when Nate Adams told the story his son’s coming home after a season away from God, there were sniffles. When he invited others to share stories of their own children who had returned, there were tears. And as expected, from my back-row seat, I could see our dear friend Pat Pajak on the front row, his head bent and his shoulders moving up and down. Pat always cries when he hears of someone coming to salvation. Decades later, his own amazing salvation story remains close. For those who sit behind him, Wednesdays prove emotional when the big man cries.

Nate’s account of being a prodigal’s father touched a nerve that day, as it did later when his column was published here. One after another, my friends and coworkers shared how someone special to them had strayed. Some had returned and are walking with the Lord again, but others who were the subject of many prayers had not. The common thread that ran through all the stories was their willingness to believe for a loved one’s repentance, and the unwillingness to give up.

And tears.

I thought of my friends who prayed for their daughter for many, many years. She had been reared in church, in Sunday school, in choirs, in youth group. She made a profession of faith and was baptized, but then she walked away. A prodigal daughter. Her parents were faithful and dedicated to their church. They often asked others to pray for her. They grieved—and prayed. Eventually a health issue in middle age threatened her life. God used it to get her attention and bring her home.

I was reminded of George Muller, the founder of orphanages in Bristol, England. In 1844 he committed to daily prayer for five lost people. A couple of them were children of his contemporaries. The first was converted after 18 months. The second came to faith five years later. In another six years, the third one was saved. Through it all, Muller never quit praying, for five decades. Soon after Muller’s death in 1898, the remaining two came to Christ. Jesus’ instruction in Luke 18:1 applies here: “Now he told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not give up.”

New chapter

IBSA celebrated Pat and Joyce Pajak Dec. 3 with a luncheon in honor of Pat’s retirement after 12 years of service. Pajak has led IBSA’s Church Strengthening and Church Consulting teams, and most recently served as associate executive director of evangelism. In that role, he facilitated state-wide baptism emphases that saw an increase in baptisms across Illinois.

Prior to his time at IBSA, he pastored Tabernacle Baptist Church in Decatur for more than 16 years. His first pastorate was Emmanuel Baptist Church in Marengo. Beginning in January, Pajak will serve as a part-time zone consultant in Zone 3, relating to Central, East Central, and Three Rivers Associations.

BFI scholarships

Baptist Foundation of Illinois will accept scholarship applications Jan. 1-31 for the 2020-21 academic year. Starting at $1,000 for Associate Degree candidates, $2,000 for Bachelor’s, and up to $2,625 for seminary students. Must be an active member of an IBSA-affiliated church. Awardees will be announced in April.

Start the application process at

Protection

– Eric Reed

Welcome home, son.

RESOURCE

An old year’s resolution

Jesus did it, so should we. Teach on money.

How many times have I heard pastors say, “I just don’t like to preach on stewardship!” Sometimes it’s an admission: “Well, I preach on stewardship once a year because I feel like I really ought to.”

And yet stewardship—the management of resources or property for a true owner—is a consistent and crucial theme throughout Scripture. The Bible discusses management of resources more than 2,300 times. Author Randy Alcorn notes more than 15% of Jesus’ teaching focused on this topic. That’s more than his teachings on heaven and hell combined! Obviously how God’s people manage his resources is very much on God’s mind. And it stands to reason, it should be on ours as well.

May I recommend teaching on ...

budgeting and wise saving, Proverbs 13:11

God’s ownership of what we manage, Psalm 24:1, Deuteronomy 10:14

the dangers of greed, 1 Timothy 6:17

the joy of generosity, Acts 20:35

But why would God care so much about this area of our lives?

In the culture of the Bible and in ours, the majority of our time is spent in making, managing, and spending money. It’s estimated that 75% of our waking hours are occupied in this way. When you consider all the time spent at work, planning, budgeting, shopping, investing, etc., it’s easy to see that three-fourths of our time isn’t far from the mark. And clearly, something that commands such a large portion of our time certainly commands our attention.

Money and possessions have an uncanny ability to exert control of our heart. This truth is at the heart (pun intended) of Jesus’ teaching in Mat-

PLAN AHEAD

Focus on families

thew 6:21: the Lord points out that where our treasure (literally a statement of value resides) is also the space our heart occupies. In case this truth is lost on us, he clearly reminds us this is an issue of discipleship and followship in verse 24 as Jesus says one simply cannot serve two masters, both God and money.

For ourselves and those we serve, we must recognize that generosity produces incredible joy. In contrast, a life without generosity produces great pain!

A quick example of the negative can be found in the story of the “rich young ruler” in Luke 18:1830. In the story, Jesus challenges a wealthy individual to “sell all he has and give it to the poor.” Luke tells us that instead of a positive response, the young man leaves Jesus crestfallen because of his wealth. His “things” simply meant too much to him.

But thankfully, the Bible doesn’t just describe the result of a lack of generosity. The Bible clearly states that we can know great joy when we are generous. Paul counsels Timothy to specifically warn the wealthy against greed and that they should be “generous and willing to share.” In 1 Timothy 6:17-19, Paul notes that when they are generous, they can take hold of “life that is truly life” (NIV and ESV). In other words, life lived completely, to the fullest, is marked by wonderful generosity! The New Living Translation is even more explicit: “that they may experience true life.” For the reluctant preacher, the key is turning once again to our call to serve the church. And the biblical witness is clear. To be effective disciples, we must live generously, as faithful stewards of all God has given us to manage.

Doug Morrow is executive director of the Baptist Foundation of Illinois.

February is a good month for a new Bible study. Consider how your church can reach out to people in the community through biblical teaching on love, marriage, and relationships. Think through when and where, Scriptures to study, which book or study guide to use, and who will teach the class.

The Spring issue of Resource magazine has more ideas for outreach, plus leadership articles, ministry planning suggestions, and information about upcoming training events for IBSA churches. Ask for it in your church office or read it online at Resource.IBSA.org.

The Learning curve

David Powlison

An awesome resource to help guide parents in teaching children how the gospel of Jesus Christ changes how we respond when life goes wrong. This book is in a series called “Good News for Little Hearts”—every parent of gradeschool kids needs this series on their bookshelf!

Daily Audio Bible

App

Each day has a Scripture from the Old and New Testaments, verses from Psalms, and a verse or two from Proverbs. The reading takes about 25 minutes, followed by a short devotion about one of the Scriptures read that day.

How Shall They Preach

Gardner C. Taylor

Taylor writes, “A person’s preaching is infinitely sweetened as he enters, actually or vicariously, into the plight and circumstances of human hope and heartbreak.” Thanks to YouTube, I often listen to him for inspiration.

– Don Sharp, pastor, Faith Tabernacle Baptist Church, Chicago

Jax’s Tail Twitches

– Sue Walker, Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church, Jacksonville

– Tim Drury, family pastor, First Baptist Church, Bethalto

Three plans for 2020

Michael Kramer estimates it takes 75 hours to read through the Bible. That’s a little over 1% of the average person’s waking hours, said the discipleship pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church in Benton.

“Consider reading the Bible in 2020,” Kramer encouraged in a Facebook post. If you’re looking for a reading plan for the new year, here are three ideas from Illinois church leaders:

Read through the Bible by section

Tim Bailey has used this 9-month reading plan to work through the whole Bible more than 20 times. He places bookmarks at the beginning of five books in his Bible (different colors of ribbon work well):

• Genesis

• 1 Samuel

• Psalms

• Isaiah

• Matthew

Every day, Bailey reads one chapter from each of the five sections, marking the finished chapters with small pencil marks. Underline verses or words that God uses to speak to your heart, Bailey advised, and journal about what God is teaching you. “Read the Bible as Jesus read it, expecting God to speak,” he said. “Expect to receive a fresh word from the Lord for each day.”

Four passages each day

Stephen Williams led several church members through the Discipleship Journal reading plan in 2018, and some used it again last year. The plan, available at navigators.org, includes four readings for each day, two from each Testament.

Williams, an IBSA zone consultant and pastor of Simpson Missionary Baptist Church, plans to read through N.T. Wright’s series of New Testament commentaries in 2020. “You can purchase these in paperback, but I have them on the Olivetree Bible App,” Williams said. “I will read the passage which is printed in the volume and then the comments.”

Five reading days a week

Barb Troeger’s discipleship group is working through the F260 reading plan developed by Robby and Kandi Gallaty. “Their whole premise is that life is so crazy and they want to get you in God’s word,” said IBSA’s executive administrative assistant. The plan goes through the entire Bible in 260 days, highlighting foundational passages. Readers are expected to read one to two chapters a day for five days a week, using the extra two days for catch-up.

F260 also has plans for students and kids, as well as a 260-day plan for reading through the New Testament. Find them at replicate.org.

One Bible’s journey

Over the years, I have purchased different versions of the Bible. I used The Living Bible for many years, writing notes and underlining passages in it. When my husband purchased a new Bible for me one year, I put my old Living Bible in the bookcase, using it only as a reference.

Several years ago, my husband’s brother was experiencing difficult times, both financially and emotionally. His wife had passed away unexpectedly and he was distraught. He called us several times, sharing his hopelessness and mentioning thoughts of suicide. Each time, I suggested he seek comfort in the Lord. I always go to my Lord for help. Since he did not own a Bible, I asked if he would like me to send him one of my older copies. So, I mailed my Living Bible to him in Chicago, and the journey began.

Several months later, my brother-in-law moved from the home he had shared with his wife to an apartment. His children helped him move and, in the process, boxed things to donate. Apparently, my Living Bible was among those boxed-up items.

About a year later, I received a phone call from a lady in Georgia. She had purchased a Bible from Amazon. When it arrived, she opened her package to discover the Bible she received was not the one she ordered. She glanced through it, saw my contact information, and called me. This woman shared she was going through a difficult situation with her husband—they were separated and contemplating divorce— and my notes and underlined Scriptures helped.

Another year or so passed. At 7:00 one morning, I received a phone call from another lady, Sharon, in Maryland. She apologized for calling so early, but

could not wait to tell me she had read my Living Bible. The previous night after steady rain all day, Sharon had gone to see her mother. Upon arrival, she saw my Bible lying on the front steps in the rain. Thinking her mother accidentally left it outside, Sharon took it inside and showed it to her mother. Since it did not belong to her mother, Sharon took the Bible home.

As Sharon looked through the Bible, she read my notes and underlined passages. Amazingly, the rain had done very little damage; no pages stuck together, none of the writing was illegible, and the page with my name and phone number was untouched by moisture. She called me and asked if she could keep the Bible for a while, saying she would mail it back. I told her to keep it. I was happy to know my Bible was helping someone.

After another year, I saw a brown paper package waiting for me in my mailbox. My Living Bible had come home with a beautiful letter from Sharon! She shared that reading my Bible filled a need in her life which, now, was going great.

I immediately called Sharon. I thanked her for returning my Bible and shared that I, too, received a blessing by knowing my Bible had impacted someone’s life. Then, I called and updated the Georgia lady on my Bible’s journey, sharing that it was back home. She informed me that she and her husband had reconciled and were very happy. God really does work in mysterious ways! The journey God’s word can take to be received by someone is both uplifting and inspiring. I wonder what other lives my old Living Bible touched along its journey. Only God knows.

Jane Smudrick Peacock is a retired teacher and school librarian. She attends Central City Baptist Church in Centralia.

Remember the big green Bible? We all had one. Here’s what happened to Jane’s.

“So my word that comes from my mouth will not return to me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.”

– Isaiah 55:11

dave says

Don’t use emotion to rationalize an upgrade

QMy husband will be finishing physician assistant school in December, just a few days before our first baby is due. We’ve got about $70,000 in student loan debt, and we’re trying to get everything paid off. Both our cell phones are pretty old, and I’d like to get a new one that costs $350 so we can have really good pictures of the baby. My job is the only income we have right now, and I’m making $45,000 before taxes. Is this a silly thing to do in our situation?

AThis is an important question. It’s not important because $350 is a big deal in the grand scheme of things, it’s important because you’re making a judgment call as to what you’re focusing on and what you value.

If you’re focusing on your husband finishing school so his income goes up and you’re trying to get out of debt, that’s fine. I love it when people are willing to work their tails off to have better lives. But if that’s your focus, and at the same time you’re trying to rationalize buying something you don’t really need, that’s a bad thing. You don’t need a new cell phone for a camera, especially if the camera is the only reason you’re buying it. You can find decent digital cameras everywhere these days for $50 or less.

I understand the joy that goes along with having a child. I have three kids, and we were absolutely ecstatic each and every time one was born. And, of course, we wanted good photos of them all. But right now, I think you’re trying to rationalize a phone upgrade based on the emotion of a new baby. As an exercise of your value system, that’s a tendency you need to break. This is a test. What you’re talking about here is a luxury, not a necessity. Rationalization is one of the prime causes of overspending.

Please understand, I’m not picking on you and I don’t mean to be harsh. We’ve all flunked this test at times. But this is an important moment where your judgment and values are concerned. It’s your call, but you really don’t need to blow $350 on a new phone right now.

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

Learning to trust

I’ve heard the effects of childhood trauma may make it difficult for those who have experienced it to connect with God, or the church. How might a church leader “bridge the gap” for someone who has experienced trauma, regardless of the cause?

People who have experienced childhood trauma are more likely to distance themselves from helpful resources of all kinds. When they do engage, they often do so without depth or meaningful interaction, to protect themselves from further harm.

Maintaining this self-isolating existence serves a purpose: being stuck in the “known misery” is safer than risking the promise of “unknown freedom.” The concept of a trustworthy God is too unpredictable and unsafe for someone living in fear.

In C.S. Lewis’s book “The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe,” Susan asks, “Is Aslan the lion safe?” The response is: “Safe? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the king.”

The lion is a representation of Jesus in this children’s story, and although Jesus is good, and king, the path he sets us on is unpredictable and full of the unknown. It’s unsafe at times. Those who have worked so hard, for so long, to avoid all perceived danger (reminiscent of past suffering) will struggle trusting themselves, others, and God. They will question God’s goodness, doubt his divinity, and avoid his unpredictable direction.

Anna First Baptist Church seeks a full-time youth and music minister for this congregation with a blended worship style. Send letter of application, resumé, and three letters of recommendation to Terry Grissom, Anna First Baptist Church, 409 Morgan St., Anna, IL 62906, or terrygrissom3@gmail.com.

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

Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Roodhouse seeks a part-time/bivocational lead pastor. E-mail resumés to Phbcsearch2020@gmail.com.

Waldo Baptist Church in Metropolis seeks a part-time or full-time youth pastor. Mail resumés to 6970 Waldo Church Rd., Metropolis, IL 62960.

Argenta Baptist Church is seeking a bivocational pastor to lead this enthusiastic congregation in central Illinois. We prefer a blended style of worship; a beautiful and spacious parsonage near the church would be immediately available. Please send resumés to Argenta Baptist Search Committee, Attn: Mark A. Roberts, P.O. Box 90, Argenta, IL 62501.

Ava Missionary Baptist Church seeks a bivocational pastor. Submit a cover letter and resumé with three references to Pastorambc@gmail.com.

Cornelia Avenue Baptist Church in Chicago seeks a bivocational pastor with a seminary background to lead a devoted and enthusiastic congregation. The qualified applicant will have strong leadership and outreach skills. E-mail letter of interest, resumé, and statement of faith to corneliabaptistchicago21@yahoo.com, or send to Pastor Search Committee, Attn: Cliff Osuji, P.O. Box 1993, Chicago, IL 60690.

First Baptist Church, Tinley Park, seeks a part-time pastor associate. Contact Pastor Harold Parsley at (815) 258-1357.

Westview Baptist Church in Swansea seeks a senior pastor for this elder-led congregation 15 minutes from St. Louis. We seek a seminary graduate eager to grow the church and reach the community, while sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. His theology must be based in The Baptist Faith and Message, and he should have 3-5 years of experience as a pastor. Please send resumés to Westview Baptist Church, Attn: Pastoral Search Team, 2500 Sullivan Dr., Swansea, IL 62226 or info@ westviewbaptist.net.

Forsyth Baptist Church seeks a part-time pastor to lead the church to fulfill the functions of worship, ministry, education, witnessing, and fellowship, and other pastoral duties typical of a Southern Baptist church. Resumes will be accepted through Feb. 29, 2020. Please send resumé to FBCjobs@ForsythBaptist.org, or mail to Pastor Search Committee, Forsyth Baptist Church, 138 E. Cox St., Forsyth IL 62535.

Their difficult questions are understandable: If God is good, why did I suffer? If God is king, why didn’t he prevent my suffering? If God is trustworthy, why isn’t he safe?

You are likely wondering how to answer questions like those. So am I. I do know that life’s most challenging questions are rarely answered with quick-fire resolution. Our questions are answered over time as we experience God’s grace and respond in gratitude. This is where we find growth.

Here are a few helpful points: Be a friend first. Enjoy their company. Listen, avoiding the temptation to fix them. Point them to God; he approaches us, reaches out to us, and delivers us. Put aside some of your expectations of how quickly, how smoothly, or how perfectly this journey will be for you, or for the ones you are trying to help. Your help to them may only be a small part of their journey. It’s helpful to remember you can’t do this alone, and neither can they. If change is good, God is behind it. Encourage them to increase their support system and consider seeing a counselor. Finally, please take care of yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually while you help others.

Mark McCormick is director of clinic operations for Illinois Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services. Send questions for Mark to IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org.

DAVE RAMSEY

MARK McCORMICK

TRAINING NIGHT

3/17 Journey, East Peoria

3/31 Emmanuel, Carlinville Free, quality church leadership training in topics including discipleship, missions, age-graded ministries, worship, and more.

EVENTS

January 13, 16, 28

Tax Seminars

What: Valuable tax info for current and retired ministers, treasurers, and other church leaders Info: LindaDarden@IBSA.org

January 13: Gateway Association, Edwardsville

January 16: IBSA Building, Springfield

January 28: Second Baptist, Marion

January 21-23

Midwest Leadership Summit

What: Focused equipping for leaders from Baptist state conventions across the Midwest Where: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Springfield

February 6

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

February 22

Church Technology Conference

What: Learn how to use worship technology to unite believers in corporate worship. Where: IBSA Building, Springfield Info: JackLucas@IBSA.org

March 7, 14, 28

VBS Clinics

What: Training, ideas, and inspiration for 2020 Vacation Bible School

Where: Six locations around the state; details coming soon Info: JackLucas@IBSA.org

March 17, 31

Where: March 17: Journey, East Peoria; March 31: Emmanuel, Carlinville Info: TammyButler@IBSA.org

March 21

Children’s Missions Day

What: Hands-on missions projects for kids in grades 1-6 Where: Multiple locations Registration coming soon: IBSA.org/kids

March 27-28

Disaster Relief Training

What: Training weekend for new and experienced volunteers and chaplains Where: South Region, location TBA Info: DebbieMuller@IBSA.org

THE NEW REALITY

‘Digital Babylon’

Barna Research president Dave Kinnaman has written we are living in an age of unlimited access, profound alienation, and a crisis of authority. These elements combine to create what Kinnaman and his team have named “digital Babylon.”

“…there are times when faith is at the center of society and times when faith is pushed to the margins. This transition— from faith at the center to the margins—is happening in North America and other societies in the cultural West right now.”

– Barna

One marker of this new reality is the effect of technology on young people. Barna found screen time far outpaces spiritual content for typical 15- to 23-year-olds.

Estimated number of hours per year

2,767 Using screen media

153 Taking in spiritual content

Even young churchgoers favor screens, 291 hours taking in spiritual content. spending a year

“The number of hours connected, learning, and being discipled in a close-knit church community is now a drop of water in the ocean of content pouring out of their screens.”

– Dave Kinnaman

Kinnaman says everyone in a digital Babylon—parents, pastors, and young people—must rethink spiritual formation.

“If we want to follow Jesus with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, all of us in modern exile must consider the total input and output of our faith. The input can’t simply be a few hundred hours of passive church attendance in a year.”

– Barna, Oct. 2019

An introduction to IBSA staff, ministries, training, and opportunities, for pastors and church staff members.