March 16, 2015 Illinois Baptist

Postmodern Martyrs

Springfield | Admittedly, the numbers are not great But the tally of the 2014 Annual Church Profiles filed by IBSA churches shows the need in Illinois is growing, and the recent call to prayer for spiritual awakening is on target

“The job is getting harder, the climb is getting steeper, the leaders are getting fewer but the challenge is no less important,” said IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams prior to the report presented to the IBSA Board in its March meeting In fact, the challenge grows, as does Illinois Baptists’ responsibility in our large and significant mission field

The 2014 ACPs, completed by 95% of IBSA churches, showed declines in several areas including worship attendance (-10 5%), baptisms (-11%) and Sunday school/Bible study participation (-1 5%)

Adams expressed concern about the declines, especially in baptisms,

which had increased in recent years “The actual decline is about 3 4%” when comparing churches that reported in both 2014 and 2013 Several churches that reported baptisms in 2013 were “non-cooperating” in 2014, therefore their tallies were not included in the ACP tally

While total missions giving through the Cooperative Program was down slightly year-to-year, from $6 34 million to $6 1 million, the average percentage of undesignated offerings given by Illinois churches held steady from 2013 to 2014 at 6 8% The national average was 5 5% in 2013, up from 5 4% the year before and marking the first upward tick in over 30 years

The Board approved a plan to draft the 2016 IBSA budget based on projected CP giving of $6 4 million, and to hold the Illinois/national SBC split

Nashville, Tenn | The Southern Baptist Convention’s June meeting will feature an entire session devoted to prayer, according to a schedule released by SBC Life and SBC President Ronnie Floyd

The line-up for the June 16-17 convention in Columbus, Ohio, moves Floyd’s president’s message and most of the business reports to Tuesday morning and afternoon The evening session is designated as “A National Gathering of Southern Baptists for the Next Great Awakening and to Reach the World for Christ ”

The need for “extraordinary prayer” has been Floyd’s main plea to Southern Baptists since his election last summer in Baltimore

“Hopefully and prayerfully we’re going to see the Lord really impact

BRIEFING the

News updates every Tuesday at www ib2news org

Florist’s faith still strong

The Washington florist who came un fire for refusing to provide services f same-sex wedding said she would hug her accuser if he walked into her shop “The same faith that tells me that I can’t be a part of Rob’s wedding is the same faith that tells me to love him as Christ does,” Barronelle Stutzman (right) told Baptist Press The 70-year-old Southern Baptist church member was found guilty last month of violating her state’s nondiscrimination law She is appealing the verdict

Alabama Court rules on marriage

The Alabama Supreme Court has stopped the issuing of same-sex marriage licenses, following the January decision of a federal judge to overrule the state’s ban on same-sex marriage State law “allows for ‘marriage’ between only one man and one woman,” the Court ruled March 3 “Alabama probate judges have a ministerial duty not to issue any marriage license contrary to this law.”

The U S Supreme Court will hear related cases from four states April 28, and is expected to rule on same-sex marriage this year

Woman dons hijab for Lent

A Peoria, Ill , woman committed to wear a traditional Muslim head covering during Lent in order to “remember what it feels like to be an outsider ”

“People end up grouping all Muslims with extremists I want to remember that people are individuals, and so by doing this I’m remembering to welcome and include people no matter what they look like,” said Jessey Eagen The part-time children’s ministry director at Imago Dei Church is blogging her experience with the hashtag #40daysofhijab.

Spurgeon’s Psalter found

Researchers at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s Spurgeon Library have discovered in their collection a Psalter used by the 19th century pastor to create his commentary on Psalms, “The Treasury of David ” Baptist Press reports Charles Spurgeon’s handwriting is in the margins of the Bible, published in 1864

“Every once in a while, you get a glimpse of what God has accomplished in the past,” said Christian George, the Kansas City museum’s curator “This Psalter, along with other works in our collection, gives us a window through which God illuminates His amazing work in the life and ministry of Charles Spurgeon ”

Prayer-focused film due in August

The movie-making brothers responsible for Christian films “Fireproof” and “Courageous” will release their newest project in theaters August 28 “(War Room) is about the power of prayer, and the necessity of prayer in our lives,” Alex Kendrick says on warroomthemovie.com. Bible teachers Priscilla Shirer and Beth Moore appear in the film, which will be screened at the Priority Women’s Resource Conference April 24-25 at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Decatur

IBSA Board meets

Continued from page 1

on Cooperative Program offerings at 56 75/43 25% Gifts above the hoped-for goal will be shared evenly by IBSA and the national SBC at 50/50

Four goals for 2016 were recommended by the board’s strategic planning committee and approved They will guide planning for IBSA’s work next year, with a focus on the development of leaders who grow healthy, evangelistic, reproducing congregations Some goals may seem beyond our capability, said committee chairman Larry Wells, “but God can do it all through his people who pray and who work diligently for the kingdom ”

Adams explained the new focus on leadership development in his report to the Board, citing attendance of more than 300 Illinois church leaders at the January 20-22 Midwest Leadership Summit in Springfield as evidence of interest in, and hunger for, training and coaching “I think we have such a long way to go in true, deep leadership development,” Adams said “We’ve come a long way, but we have much more to do ”

Adams pointed to deployment of eight part-time zone consultants across the state and the work of the new Church Resources Team creating new conferencing opportunities and learning cohorts as ways IBSA is focusing on growing effective church leaders

Board members braved a winter storm to attend the March 3 meeting, with some traveling icy roads in Central Illinois to handle state association business That raised the question whether such meetings can be joined by telephone or over the internet With 27 members present, a quorum was easily reached, so the meeting proceeded A similar question about long-distance electronic participation in board and committee meetings was raised at the IBSA Annual Meeting in November Board chairman

to prove they generated 80% of their sales from food and beverages over the last two years

New prayer caucus

A bi-partisan legislative prayer caucus launched last month in Springfield. At their inaugural meeting, Sen Dale Righter (RMattoon) said members are “committed to protecting religious freedom ”

Sen Dan Duffy (R-Barrington) told those gathered, “If prayer has the power to move mountains, it certainly has the power to move politicians in Springfield ”

The caucus will meet at least once a week when the General Assembly is in session Illinois is the fifteenth state to form such a caucus

Gaming restrictions

Sen Darin LaHood (R-Dunlap) wants to amend the current video gambling law to require businesses applying for licenses

According to LaHood, “I’m saying we rein in some of these, what I call ‘broom closets,’ that get liquor licenses and then get video poker machines I didn’t think we intended to have Laundromats, flower shops and gas stations get these video gambling machines ”

His proposal also require businesses to place the machines away from areas where children would see them

‘Free’ health care?

Senators Michael Noland (DElgin) and Daniel Biss (DSkokie) are sponsoring SB 1564, which would compel health care providers who deny care based on matters of conscience or religious belief to give patients information on where to seek treatment

The bill’s opponents fear providers could be forced to give material support and assistance in obtaining abortioncausing drugs.

Chip Faulkner reported the issue is presently under consideration

The Board welcomed seven new members: Steve Hardin of Roland Manor Church in Washington, Curt Lipe of Faith Church in Galesburg, Scott Nichols of Crossroads Church in Carol Stream, Jay Simala of New Song Church in Zion, Sammy Simmons of Immanuel Church in Benton, and Daniel Wilson of Grace Church in Granite City

For 30 years of service to Illinois Baptists, Executive Administrative Assistant Sandy Barnard was honored with a standing ovation, a gift, flowers, and cake (Later, she was seen cleaning up after the party.) Cathy Waters was recognized for 10 years’ service She was recently promoted to the position of Ministry Coordinator for the Church Resources Team, organizing large events and conferences

Library web filters

Rep Peter Breen (R-Lombard) introduced HB 2689, the Internet Screening in Public Libraries Act The bill would require public libraries to install internet filters on public computers to block sexually explicit websites

Ultrasound bill

Rep Barbara Wheeler (R-Crystal Lake) is sponsoring HB 2701, which would require abortion providers in the state to offer an ultrasound picture of their unborn child to women considering abortion. Women would have the option of refusing the image

Prayer for leaders

Civil Servant Ministries has issued its 2015 prayer calendar for elected officials in Illinois The calendar can be found at www CivilMin org

–Sources: IllinoisReview com, IllinoisFamily org, Galesburg Register-Mail, CivilMin org

From Jessey Eagen s b og

TRAVELING MERCIES – Despite wintry weather, the IBSA Board met March 3 in Springfield, where Sandy Barnard (below) was honored for 30 years at IBSA

The BIG Picture Planting a life, and a church, in the northeast

Middletown, Del | It was jogging that first tuned Mark Lashey’s heart into his northeastern community

“There were times I would cry as I was running and praying for people,” said Lashey, a church planter in Delaware “When I started praying for the people in this community, I started loving them ”

It wasn’t always that way Lashey and his wife, Tammy, had moved to Delaware to be close to family But they longed for a church like the ones they visited on the weekends, when they traveled the country as musical evangelists

Lashey, working as an accountant, had dreams of moving his family south, but “God was saying to us, ‘No, you are to stay in Delaware ’” It turns out that the church Middletown needed was one Lashey himself would start

With Tammy’s sister and brother-inlaw, the Lasheys started a Bible study in their home that grew to 100 people They moved the meeting to a larger space and eventually launched a church, LifeHouse, in 2012 The church has about 650 in attendance on Sunday, and 150-200 people have been baptized

“I never had considered myself, or desired to be, a pastor or to plant a church,” Lashey says in a video for the 2015 Annie Armstrong Easter Offering “But we unknowingly were really kind of tilling the soil for a church plant for 10 years, as we built relationships with people, our neighbors, our friends ”

– From Jim Burton s report for the North American M ssion Board

“Trinity has a culture of being inclusive, of making a space for people who come from various denominational backgrounds. But increasingly today, Trinity is also an inviting place for those who cultural, and national backgrounds. We have a calling from the Lord to serve the broader global church.”

PETER CHA Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology

Pastor Mark Lashey (right) shares from the Bible with Bob Trovinger at the Middletown, Del , Peach Festival Lashey is a Week of Prayer missionary for the 2015 Annie Armstrong Easter Offering NAMB photo

Nate Adams

At the heart of giving R

ecently a bivocational pastor shared with me a difficult decision he needed to make, whether or not to stay as pastor of the church he was serving He had already accepted the reality that the small church could not afford both his insurance and a full-time wage, and that he needed employment outside the church to support his family What seemed to have him questioning whether he could stay were recent remarks by a couple of his church members

“We had to cancel Sunday services one week because of a snowstorm,” he explained, “and a couple of the members raised the question of whether or not they should still pay me that week, since I hadn’t actually preached ”

I could hear the hurt in his voice, and read the disappointment in his face He was still a few years away from retirement, and had recently lost his job outside the church At a time when being valued by the church was very important couple of unthinking church mem made him feel less valued than

But the pastor went on to expla his view, the problem probably r than a careless statement or tw ally think some of them think t way They aren’t giving generously to the Lord, or even to support me as their pastor

They feel they are merely

purchasing a service from me, and that if that service is not delivered, the church shouldn’t have to pay ”

After a few minutes of talking it through, it seemed clear to me that the pastor was going to stick it out. He loved his congregation, and I suspect that even the ones who made the hurtful statements loved him But he and I agreed that if he was going to feel appreciated, and perhaps even more importantly, if his people were to have their hearts matured and transformed into generous, godly givers, that he needed to provide some candid teaching, and loving but direct conversation, on tithing and giving

I think one of the reasons I was able to understand this pastor ’s hurt and encourage him to press on is that this same dynamic of consumerism can also affect our cooperative missions work as churches Not often, but occasionally, I will hear someone ask, “Why should we give to that? What do they do for ey could be referring to a mission offering, or the perative Program, or the local association, or any istry where the investment is largely in people

Reporter’s Notebook

Recently, I’ve had several opportunities to talk in IBSA meetings about “modern families” in our communities I often ask the group I’m speaking to if they know anyone who is gay Some say no, but others, especially younger people, begin to tick off a list

And a fair number choose to say nothing They appear uncomfortable But then, aren’t we all?

When we hear about a florist being sued for declining to provide services for a same-sex wedding, or former megachurch pastor Rob Bell telling Oprah the church is just “moments away” from accepting gay marriage, our heads spin We’ve come a long way from the early 80s when we were trying to figure out if singer Boy George was indeed a boy

Editor

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Contributing Editor

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Eric Reed

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Meredith Flynn

Lisa Sergent

Kris Kell

us at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA org to tell us about anniversar es special events and new min stry staff

As I share how the Illinois Baptist has covered the rapidly changing marriage culture in Illinois, I tell how I’ve met same-sex couples at the Capitol eager to be married I mention a former high school classmate who came out on his Facebook page In my own extended family, a second cousin recently married his longtime companion/partner

After the presentation, there are always a few people who come up and share with me in hushed tones about a family member or friend who has announced he or she is gay They whisper how they are struggling with this knowledge They want to minister to these loved ones but don’t know how And they’re afraid to bring it up at church They’re worried about how they will be looked at

that are doing ministry among and on behalf of the churches If there’s not some direct, tangible benefit back to the church, the value is questioned “If they aren’t here, helping us, maybe they don’t deserve our support ” If the sermon isn’t preached, the ongoing, continual ministry of the pastor isn’t valued

The next Sunday after that conversation, a snowstorm hit here in Springfield Several area churches cancelled services, but our church did not

With that pastor ’s pain still in the back of my mind, I got up early to clear the snow from our driveway, and make sure we could get to church As we headed out the door, I asked my wife to make sure we had our offering envelope with us I remembered in a fresh way that our tithe was the Lord’s, and that our church’s staff and ministries count on our support, whether we’re there benefitting from them or not

I also remembered that the portion of my weekly offering that goes through the Cooperative Program supports thousands of missionaries and other ministries that operate literally around the clock and around the world The Lord and they are at the heart of my giving, not the benefits I receive And I’m grateful for each one of you that feels and gives from that heart too

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

SOUND OFF

Current conversations on same-sex issues

by fellow church members On some level, there is a fear of guilt by association.

As the culture changes around us, we have to seek guidance from God’s Word, and be Christ-like in our actions People are trapped in sin and are hurting, even if they don’t recognize it themselves As a result, people in our churches are hurting for these friends and relatives

But they keep silent

“I realized that my choice of language does not reflect fully my heart on gay issues I do not pretend to know how every individual came to their sexual orientation I regret that my words to express that concept were hurtful and divisive For that I apologize unreservedly to all that were offended ”

– Dr Ben Carson to CNN, apologizing for saying being gay is a choice, based on the number of people who practice a same-sex lifestyle after being in prison

We need not only to minister to homosexuals, but also to the friends and family members who love them Figuring out how to minister to people who hurt, whatever the source, can’t be avoided

While the church is trying to balance Christ-like outreach to people who are gay with biblical truth about their lifestyle, we can’t forget the Christian aunts, cousins, grandmothers and parents who are wrestling with the same tension We need to create an environment in church where the relatives are free to talk about their struggle and receive biblical, loving counsel, so that they can in turn minister to their loved ones

We’re way past the time for keeping quiet

“Maybe, as a Christian, we haven’t been as articulate enough in describing what our actual stance is on homosexuality We love the people We disagree [with] the lifestyle That's the way I would describe it for me ” – NY Mets’ Daniel Murphy, after a presentation to his team by gay former player Billy Bean

“Every fiber in my being wants to run away from this but if I do I’m not being obedient to the Lord I need to stand up for righteousness and this is something I cannot walk away from ”

– Navy chaplain Wes Modder, of the Assemblies of God, explaining to Fox News’ Todd Starnes why he stands firm against allegations that he failed “to show tolerance and respect” in counseling sessions on homosexuality

Generous, godly giving must be more important that any direct, tangible benefit we receive

My gay cousin, and other things we don’t talk about at church

The queen of gospel hymn writers

February marked the 100th anniversary of the death of one of America’s greatest hymn writers and poets, Fanny J Crosby She lived nearly 95 years, from March 24, 1820, to Feb 12, 1915

At six weeks old, young Francis developed an inflammation in her eyes that was treated with a mustard poultice, a common treatment of the 19th century Whether because of the mustard or a congenital condition, blindness resulted But it rarely affected her attitude She was known in early years as the “happy little blind girl ”

Her first attempt at verse at age eight shows her outlook

Oh, what a happy child I am,

Although I cannot see I am resolved that in this world

Contented I will be

The attitude of gratefulness continued as a theme throughout her life “When I get to heaven,” she once said, “the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior ”

It is estimated that Crosby wrote more than 8,000 hymns, with more than 100,000,000 copies in print Many of her hymns include references to sight and light Notice the insight of one of her most well known songs, “Blessed Assurance ”

Perfect submission, perfect delight, Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;

Angels descending bring from above

Echoes of mercy, whispers of love

In addition to her hymns, Crosby

published more than 1,000 secular poems, four books of poetry and two best-selling autobiographies She also wrote a number of popular and patriotic songs of her day

During her long life she had the honor of reading her works in front of the U S Senate and Congress, and before Presidents John Q Adams and James Polk; she also was dear friends with President Grover Cleveland

Despite being one of the most popular personalities of the 19th century, Crosby’s most rewarding work was her service to immigrants and the less fortunate During her years as a mission worker she wrote, “Pass Me not O Gentle Savior,” “More Like Jesus,” and “Rescue the Perishing ”

Thousands of arrangements of her songs have been set for choirs, orchestras and praise teams The band Caedmon’s Call recently recorded “Draw Me Nearer” (I am Thine O Lord) using one of Mrs Crosby’s best texts The words tell her story well:

I am thine, O Lord, I have heard thy voice,

And it told thy love to me;

But I long to rise in the arms of faith

And be closer drawn to thee

Steve Hamrick is IBSA’s director of worship and technology

“We left our last 3 churches due to their overall lack of commitment ”

πA slice of life

In a survey on Christian media, LifeWay Research asked Americans:

Have you watched a Christian movie in the last year?

9%

40%

51%

“Pop culture” is often treated like a dirty word in the church thought to consist of mostly irredeemable entertainment produced to make money off the masses A common approach is to avoid secular music, films, art, and television, or at least to not admit to consuming it all that much

But that isn’t often what our real lives look like Most of us are at least closet pop culture consumers we indulge in one or two sitcoms, a favorite secular radio station, or a superhero movie every now and then

And maybe that’s okay

Popular culture is not the enemy; first and foremost, pop culture is a place for storytellers to, well, tell stories Moral discretion is important (And biblical! See 1 Corinthians 8:79 ) But we miss a wealth of spiritual and theological depth if we chalk up all entertainment created by nonChristians as irredeemable and misguided; we also miss out on the opportunity to identify and empathize from a distinctly Christian perspective (Acts 17:28)

Stories offer us insights into our culture’s longings, revealing God’s truth in the world around us In his excellent book “The Stories We

Tell,” Kentucky pastor Mike Cosper reminds us that a story is never just a story it’s a window into our culture’s imagination and longings (see Romans 2:12-15)

“Storytelling be it literature, theater, opera, film, or reality TV doesn’t aim at our rational mind It aims at the imagination, a much more mysterious and sneaky part of us, ruled by love, desire, and hope,” Cosper writes “When people, against their better judgment, find themselves hooked on a show, we can trace the line back to find the hook in their imagination ” Stories, according to Cosper, can reveal much more about a person, people group, or culture than a strictly informative presentation or a list of facts Stories communicate what people truly desire

Take, for example, a certain Best Picture nominee from last year The movie contains some strong language, an ambiguous ending, and other elements that might lead some Christians to believe that it has nothing to offer spiritually (and for some to wisely not engage the film) However, if we look closer, we can clearly see some distinct things the storytellers the director, writer, charac-

ters, etc believe about God, life, and themselves

Without spoiling the film, which centers on the relationship between a talented young jazz drummer and his demanding/abusive instructor, the characters have a very human desire: to be great The devotion of the characters to the pursuit of greatness, and its sway over their future happiness, is deeply identifiable Like the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11, the characters sacrifice their life for the pursuit of self-glory, predictably leaving themselves and others miserable

Ever since the Fall, man has been trying to claw his way back to perfection Everybody longs for his or her flaws to be taken away, and many of us think that if we just work hard enough, we will reach the promised land of perfection

As Christians, we know this is vanity (Romans 3:23), but the characters in the film sacrifice their lives and their sanity to meet every iota of their own personal law This pursuit is

hardwired into us and until we find personal and entire perfection in Christ, we will always fall short

That’s serious, biblical truth, communicated (probably unknowingly) in a 2-hour movie produced with a secular audience in mind The next time a movie, song, or TV show comes on that you are tempted to write off as irredeemable, consider if it might have something to teach us about God, the creator of all things

In Acts 17:22-27, Paul not only quotes Greek poetry, but also alludes to the radical truth that we’re put where we were (i e , in our cultural context) to speak eternal truth into subjective cultural contexts In his book, Cosper uses this example to illustrate a distinctly Christian way of story-listening

“As Christians living in the midst of these stories, we have an opportunity to both learn and bear witness Stories teach us a lot about ourselves and our neighbors, and they provide windows into how our world is wrestling with the effects of the fall

“They also present opportunities to respond with the truth ”

Nick Rynerson is a staff writer for Christ and Pop Culture and works for Crossway in Wheaton

Rynerson

We’re called to speak eternal truth in our cultural context

Crosby

Summit speaker outlines 7 phases of church revival

By Kayla Rinker

Editor ’ s note: This is the first in a series of articles from breakout sessions held during the 2015 Midwest Leadership Summit, Jan 20-22 in Springfield

The Great Revival of 1827 can be traced back to a Baptist church in Eatonton, Georgia, where pastor Adeil Sherwood spoke of salvation for all

“God desired it, and so there was a revival for church people and a spiritual awakening for lost people unlike anything they had ever witnessed before,” said Claude King, discipleship and church health specialist at Lifeway Christian Resources

During that Great Revival, a reported 16,000 people joined the kingdom of God The people of Sandtown, Georgia, even renamed their town Newborn because every person had committed his or her life to Christ

“With the huge moral decline we’re seeing in our nation right now, we need another great spiritual awakening,” said King, co-author of “Fresh Awakening” with Henry Blackaby

This kind of revival is attainable, he said Not only does God have a plan to fulfill the Great Commission on earth, but he has set forth a pattern for revival and awakening that can be documented in the Bible, as well as throughout more recent history King outlined seven distinct phases in this pattern:

Phase 1: God is on mission to redeem a lost world. He calls his people into a relationship with himself and he accomplishes

WAKE-UP CALL “One of the reasons churches die is that they refuse to repent, defaming God’s plan,” LifeWay’s Claude King said at the Midwest Leadership Summit "But repentance repentance leads to revival ”

people “Call on Me in the day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you will honor Me” (Psalm 50:15)

Phase 5: God calls his people to repent and return to him or perish. “One of the reasons churches die is that they refuse to repent, defaming God’s plan,” King said “But repentance repentance leads to revival ”

“Consider how far you have fallen!” says Revelation 2:5 “Repent and do the things you did at first If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place ” God’s people have a choice Like the church Paul addressed in Ephesus, God’s people needed to either return to their first love or they would be removed because of their lack of usefulness

News from our neighbors

The Dakotas

Baptists in North and South Dakota celebrated the 30th anniversary of their convention and an increase in Coo

convention and its 84 churches forwarded $334,5000 on to national SBC causes, almost $60,000 over the budgeted amount

Illinois

The IBSA Annual Meeting was all about prayer, culminating in a “concert of prayer” led by vocal quintet Veritas “If we’re going to push back the darkness,” said Odis Weaver in his president’s address, “we’ve got to ask to the question: How desperate is my church for spiritual awakening?”

Indiana

In response to rapid, sweeping culture change on marriage, Baptists in Indiana re-affirmed their commitment to A r t i c l e 1 8 o f T h e B a p t i s t F a i t h a n d M e s s a g e ( 2 0 0 0 ) , which defines marriage as “the joining of one man and one woman with the promise of being faithful to one another for life ”

Iowa

Executive Director Tim Lubinus announced the Baptist Convention of Iowa will mark its 20th anniversary this year by increasing its Cooperative Program allocation for national SBC causes from 20% to 50% He also reported Iowa now has 18 groups of pastors meeting “to encourage, support, pray and learn from one another ”

Kansas-Nebraska

his work through them In other words, Christ-followers indwelt with the Holy Spirit are Plan A

“The message of reconciliation is entrusted to us,” King said. “Jesus is in heaven now and we are the body of Christ for our world ”

Phase 2: God’s people tend to depart from him, turning to substitutes for his presence, purposes and ways.

King said the departure from God begins with the heart and reveals itself through behavior God’s people turn from his purposes and ways and substitute his ways with man’s ways a serious problem, especially when it comes to ministry The body of Christ serving without a true love of God in their hearts is futile

“Our best efforts to do God’s work without God’s presence and power end up being a waterless cistern,” King said “Dry and pointless ”

Phase 3: God disciplines his people out of his love for them. Just like a parent who scolds a child for running into the street, God chastens his people in order to bring them back to where they need to be

“God loves us too much to leave us in a mediocre life that’s fruitless,” King said. “God is never content for a lost world to die and go to hell He would prefer we repent at the warning and not wait until the disaster ”

Phase 4: God’s people cry out to him for help. God always responds to the cries of his

Phase 6: God revives his repentant people by restoring them to a right relationship with himself. God basically says, “Return to me, and I will return to you ” His people are not only reconciled with him, but there is also a unity in the church body as a whole

King said when people love each other, they start to see the needs around them and then they work to meet those needs He said this is also a time of devoted prayer A church starts to become focused outwardly instead of always inward

Phase 7: God exalts his son Jesus in his people and draws the lost to saving faith in him. The barrier is gone and lost people hear the good news of Jesus Christ and are redeemed This kind of spiritual awakening of the masses is possible It has happened, it is happening around the world, and God’s perfect plan is for it to continue to happen until Jesus comes back

Understanding the pattern of revival helps identify tools and ministry strategies in order to facilitate revival in a church and spiritual harvest in a community, King said The number one takeaway? No matter what a church decides to do, it must always seek to renew its first love: sharing Jesus

“If the heart departs, everything begins to tilt off-course,” King said “Obedience is gone Substitutes and idols take God’s place We must be intentional to guide our hearts back to Jesus. We have to get that right or else nothing is right ”

Kayla Rinker is a reporter living in Southwest Missouri

Convention President Andy Addis urged churches to increase their baptisms in 2015, in hopes of reversing a long-term, national decline “Right here in the center of t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s , l e t ’ s t u r n t h e s h i p a r o u n d f o r t h e Southern Baptist Convention ”

Michigan

Michigan Baptists met for a Solemn Assembly prior to their annual meeting, led by Pastor Kerry Skinner and Gary Frost, Midwest VP for the North American Mission Board “In our day, confession of sin is common but repentance is rare,” Skinner said, according to a report in the Baptist Beacon

Minnesota-Wisconsin

In a prayer gathering before the annual meeting, Executive Director Leo Endel asked, “How can a small family of churches in Minnesota and Wisconsin really make a difference?” He showed five stones that came from the valley in Israel where David killed Goliath “God will accomplish His purposes even with the weak especially with the weak ”

Missouri

Baptists adopted a resolution urging Missouri’s attorney general to uphold the state’s constitution, which includes an amendment defining marriage as being between a man and a woman Three weeks before the meeting, a judge ruled same-sex couples married in other states could possibly receive benefits in Missouri

Ohio

Messengers affirmed six resolutions during their meeting, including an affirmation of the Cooperative Program; a commitment to pray for elected officials to make biblically based decisions; and support for the sufficiency of t h e B i b l e c o n c e r n i n g t h e a f t e r l i f e O h i o B a p t i s t s a l s o heard a report on Crossover Columbus, the evangelistic outreach that will precede this summer’s Southern Baptist Convention in Columbus

– Compiled from Baptist Press and state convention reports

Postmodern Martyrs

The gory execution of Christians in the Middle East may seem remote, but the growing threat worldwide makes believers everywhere assess their commit to follow Christ, even unto death.

““We stand convicted and convinced that terror and intolerance cannot, and will not, extinguish the light of God’s grace, truth and love We hope leaders around the world will join us in honoring those who have lost their lives, praying for those suffering and repudiating all acts of terror ”

– Samuel Rodriguez, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (BP)

“It’s a privilege to serve here in tough places, touching people’s lives in a way that will have lasting impact We have been able to have access to places no one has reached and to people’s lives in an amazing way ”

– Abraham Shepherd, director of Baptist Global Relief in the Middle East, on working with Iraqi Christians and Syrians forcibly displaced by ISIS attacks (BP)

“If God graciously visits this land in a powerful way, the current cultural trends will be immediately arrested, biblical values will return, and the threat of persecution will disappear. And you won’t need this book May we each fervently pray to that end.”

– Paul Nyquist, Moody Bible Institute President, in his book “Prepare: Living Your Faith in an Increasingly Hostile Culture”

The World | The scene is chilling, even a month after it happened: 21 men in orange jumpsuits are led along a beach in Libya by masked men holding knives over their heads, then to their throats. The men in orange are captives, Egyptians working in Libya; more important, they are Christians, Coptic Christians, with up to 20 million adherents, whose branch of the faith dates to the third century AD

The masked men in black are ISIS rebels, part of the radical faction of Islamic extremists marching across Iran, Iraq and Syria, and taking control of towns and regions ceded by Al-Qaida in the battle with American and indigenous forces over the past decade

The men in orange are forced to kneel, ordered to recant their faith in Jesus Christ, and when they refuse, they are pushed face down into the sand and the knife blades are placed against their throats

Mercifully, the video ends there for American television viewers, but for the men in orange there is no mercy

They are beheaded

And we, believers watching in disbelief, are little comforted by the great distance between us and the bloodstained beach as we come to the twin realizations that ISIS is on the move with a brutality that the world has not seen in a long time, and we have entered a new era of martyrdom

A growing threat here?

Sixteen past presidents of the Southern Baptist Convention joined current president Ronnie Floyd in sending an open letter to President Obama, urging the U S to “take the necessary actions now” against the ISIS terrorists They called ISIS “a continuing threat to world peace in a way unknown to us since the Nazis of World War II ”

”The March 1 letter came two weeks after the beheading of the Egyptian

Christians, and a week after the report that ISIS captured more than 200 Assyrian Christians, including women, children and elderly people “People are frightened, people are concerned,” concurred Frank Page, SBC Executive Committee President, who said he is often asked about the threat of ISIS Page’s signature was one of the 17 on the letter.

The concern Page cites is not only about the abominable acts by Islamic extremists abroad killing a young, female American aid worker, burning a Jordanian pilot alive it’s about the growing threat on our own shores as young adults, Americans included, are wooed, recruited, and radicalized via the Internet to join ISIS forces in the Middle East. And if not there, to carry out terrorist acts here

A Somali militant group, al-Shabab, released a video in late February calling for Muslims to attack malls in Britain, Canada, and the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn “Hasten to heaven,” the video advised, by disrupting the safety of “disbelievers” (meaning non-Muslims) “in their own land ”

U S Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said such groups are “relying more and more on independent actors to become inspired” and “attack on their own ” The threats should be taken seriously

If this seems like an exaggeration of the growing threat, one only needs to consider the Boston Marathon bombing in April 2013 On trial now is

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, charged with the attack that killed three people and injured 260

“The defendant’s goal that day was to maim and kill as many victims as possible,” said Assistant U S Attorney William Weinreb during opening arguments “He believed that he was a soldier in a holy war against Americans. He believed he had taken a step toward reaching paradise That was his motive for committing these crimes ” Tsarnaev, with his older brother, was said to be “self-radicalized,” not identifying with a specific terrorist group, but with extremist Islamist beliefs and the wars in Iraq and Syria

It is those new radicals who are hardest to identify and who may pose the greatest threat in the West. What seemed distant and improbable now feels near and possible And the threat causes Christians to ask, are we ready?

Wish we’d all been ready

Since we first saw the 1972 film “A Distant Thunder,” many evangelicals have expected their faith would bring them to this moment. Recall the Christian teenagers, converted after they were “left behind” in the rapture, are clad in white They are led to some secret place to face their death, and the film cuts from their horrified faces to their means of execution, the gleaming blade of a guillotine

Didn’t we all gasp at that point?

Naïve believers in the 1970s hardly

FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH – The brutal murders of 21 Coptic Christians has signaled a new age of martyrdom for believers around the world

imagined their deaths could be worse, but the untelevised portions of the ISIS video say otherwise

Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Church of Dallas summarized the terrorist threat in an interview with Fox News: “These Islamists will not rest until they’ve exterminated every Jew and every Christian from the face of the earth, and if you think that is hyperbole, just listen to what they said on that Libyan beach after they butchered those 21 Christians.”

And the Pew Research Center reports threats against Christians worldwide are on the rise In fact, “ Christians are at the top of the list,” researcher Peter Henne said “Christians were harassed in 102 countries when you look at either governments or social groups ” Pew also reports an increase in antiSemitism “Overall we found that Jews are harassed in 77 countries around the world when you look at both government and social harassments together….It’s also a seven-year high of the number of countries in which Jews were harassed ” Pew’s example: Europe, where Jews were harassed in 34 of the region’s 45 countries

We do not desire to traffic in fear, but the possibility of martyrdom on our own shores is increasingly real; and it forces us to consider what we may not have given serious thought in a long time: It could be us It could be me

And that demands a new theology of martyrdom

The end of symbolic martyrdom

When Jesus called his followers to take up the cross, he was issuing a call to follow him, even unto death

Many have done so The apostles died tragically at the hands of oppressors Scripture reports that James the son of Zebedee was executed by Herod

The deaths of others were told by early church historians and tradition:

Andrew was crucified.

Peter was crucified upside down

James the son of Alphaeus was stoned, then clubbed to death

Thomas was run through with spears

And Paul, it is believed, was beheaded in Rome, to name a few

Jesus, the Savior-Martyr, was followed willingly and courageously by many across the centuries

And in the 20th century, we have the witness of Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was hanged in a Nazi concentration camp for standing against Hitler ’s Third Reich But somehow, his forbearance in the face of a monolithic, systemic, political evil 70 years ago seems different from what we have seen recently

We ask, is the death of these Copts the harbinger of the ordinary-believer martyr?

Certainly we are witnessing the death of the symbolic martyr, where the faithful Christian is willing to sacrifice social approval or career advancement in the name of the gospel; where the dutiful believer picks up his cross and marches to the marketplace, willing to suffer the slings and arrows of foulmouthed and hedonistic co-workers but keeps his life After all, Paul told Timothy that “in the last days, perilous times will come” and those who desire to live a godly life will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:1, 12)

Many Christians have assumed the call to suffer for Christ meant the loss of religious liberties, particularly in the West But now, we’re talking literal

martyrdom Since the murders of 12 students at Columbine High School in 1999, including Cassie Bernall and Rachel Scott who were credited with holding fast to their faith at gunpoint, martyrdom in the postmodern era has had a new face

Today, the Christian faith really is a matter of life and death in ISIS-held regions of the Middle East, as several missions groups report the killing of indigenous children as their Christian parents refuse to deny Jesus.

And in the rest of the world, believers are challenged to take up the cross, not only in the spiritual sense, but in very real ways, here and now Paul’s words in Philippians, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain,” take on stark new meaning

So does Romans 8: “Because of You we are being put to death all day long ” And the need to hold to the promise written by a man facing his own execution: “For I am persuaded that not even death or life hostile powers or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!”

What to do now

In the meantime, we pray

“We ought, indeed, to pray for the gospel to go forward, and that there might be a new Saul of Tarsus turned away from murdering to gospel witness,” wrote Russell Moore, president of the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission

“At the same time, we ought to pray, with the martyrs in heaven, for justice against those who do such wickedness Praying for the military defeat of our enemies, and that they might turn to Christ, these are not contradictory prayers because salvation doesn’t mean turning an eye away from justice ”

By Eric Reed, with additional reporting

by

Lisa Sergent

How will we respond to persecution?

Jesus told us to expect persecution, teaching his disciples that unbelievers would hate us just as they hated him (John 15:18-20) Jesus predicted that some of those who kill us “will think” they are “offering service to God” (John 16:2)

Even though most of us won’t lose our lives for Christ’s sake, we should not be surprised if we do All of us need to be ready to surrender our lives for Christ “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26)

We are more than conquerers.

Jesus calls us “to be faithful unto death” to receive “the crown of life” (Rev 2:10) Jesus also calls us to rejoice when persecuted, for it is a great honor to die for our Lord and Savior, and our reward will far exceed our suffering (Matt 5:10-12; Acts 5:41) Naturally, we may be frightened and scared at such a prospect, worried that we don’t have the strength to suffer

And we don’t have the strength in ourselves, but God promises to be with us in the fire and the flood (Isa 43:2), and he promises to give us grace to endure the hardest things “God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” (2 Cor 9:8)

In dying for Christ’s sake, in not loving our “lives even unto death,” we are not losers but winners; we are not overcome by evil Instead, we are “more than conquerors” (Rom 8:37; Rev 12:11) Those who are slain for Christ’s sake come to life and reign with Jesus Christ (Rev 20:4)

We grieve with those who grieve.

Paul says that “to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Phil 1:21) Still, the matter is not simplistic, and life is not easy We “weep with those who weep” (Rom 12:15) Paul said that if Epaphroditus had died he would experience “sorrow upon sorrow” (Phil 2:27)

Grief floods the hearts of those left behind W e p r a y f o r b o t h o u r e n e m i e s a n d o u r suffering brothers and sisters.

We need a special grace to pray for the salvation of those who have done such a great evil We also pray for our brothers and sisters suffering around the world; we plead that God would grant them his joy and strength and perseverance to endure until the end

We pray that God would protect them and sustain his church

We plead for God’s just judgment.

At the same time, like the martyrs under the altar in Rev 6:9-11, we cry, “O Sovereign Lord how long?” When will you act and bring justice to this world? When will you vindicate your saints and judge the wicked for the sake of your great name?

The day of judgment is coming, the day when everything will be made right Meanwhile, God is calling out many more to be his children, even among those who persecute us We praise God both for his saving love and for his just judgment And we pray, “Come, Lord Jesus”

(Rev 22:20)

– By Thomas R Schreiner, associate dean of the School of Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary He is the author of a Broadman & Holman commentary on Hebrews, and he is currently completing a commentary on the book of Revelation for Crossway Books

This is excerpted from a blog post at The Gospel Coalition website the day after the Egyptian Christians were killed

DRAWN TO THE CROSS – Artist and Indianapolis church planter Kerry Jackson creates the artwork for “Postmodern Martyrs ” Jackson often paints pictures of Jesus during worship services www drawingtotherock com

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him.

– Romans 6:8-11 (NIV)

Continued from

us,” he told state Baptist newspaper editors meeting in Alabama last month.

The SBC’s second day is dedicated to missions, with reports from Woman’s Missionary Union, the North American Mission Board, and the International Mission Board followed by a “Church and Missionary Sending Celebration ”

Recording artists

Shane & Shane will lead worship during the session

One other new addition: Wednesday afternoon will feature a panel discussion on “The Supreme Court and Same-Sex Marriage: Preparing Our Churches for the Future ” Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, and Albert Mohler, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, are among the panelists who will be interviewed by Floyd Highlights of the meeting’s schedule are available at www sbclife net

With reporting from Baptist Press

Platt unveils ‘reset’ of IMB strategy, structure

Houston, Texas | International Mission Board President David Platt (right) proposed his plan for streamlining the agency’s strategy and structure during a Feb 24-25 trustee meeting

The IMB’s trustees voted unanimously to approve the plan, which is designed to get more missionaries to the field, despite fewer resources

“We want to empower limitless missionary teams to make disciples and multiply churches among unreached people,” Platt said “We need a strategy that doesn’t cap our number of missionaries merely based upon how much money we have ”

Platt noted the IMB operated “in the red” last year, with the agency’s operating expenses exceeding income by nearly $21 million

“Right now our funnel is really small such that we’re turning people away,” Platt said “And what I’m saying, what we know, is that we need to blow open this funnel and create as many pathways as possible for Christians and churches to get the Gospel to unreached people ”

Since his election in August 2014, Platt has stated his five biblically based desires for IMB are to exalt Christ, mobilize Christians, equip the church, facilitate church planting and play its part in completing the Great Commission As a result of these desires, Platt recommended to IMB trustees a “reset” of the agency’s strat-

egy, and realignment of its structure, to focus on five main areas:

Global Training, led by Zane Pratt, who was named vice president of global training during the November 2014 trustee meeting

Global Engagement, which entails work formerly called “global strategy,” to be led by John Brady Operations and Finance, which consolidates the current offices of personnel, logistics and finance Mobilization, which “re-envisions” the current Church and Partner Services team to more effectively mobilize Christians and churches for global mission Strategy, which overarches all the areas with a “relentless” focus to unify IMB culture. Some areas of the current Office of Global Strategic Mobilization will move under Global Engagement; other areas will report directly to Platt and Sebastian Traeger,

IMB executive vice president

The current Office of Prayer, led by Gordon Fort, will be “infused across this entire strategy,” Platt said

Clyde Meador, executive advisor to the president, noted IMB has gone through many minor and major “resets” in its history to adjust to changing needs Each “recalibration” of the organization “has been used by God” to advance his church, Meador said While changes can be difficult and painful, they are necessary for the survival of any organization, he added

Platt said the changes are intended to be reproducible through the IMB’s national partners around the world: making disciples among unreached people and seeing churches established, then seeing those churches, in turn, send Christians to unreached people, training them and supporting them as they engage the world with the gospel

“We want to fuel movement like this all over the world!” Platt said “But let me be clear Strategy and structure are not the ultimate answer to seeing Christians and churches engaging unreached people with the Gospel What that means is that more than we need a streamlined strategy or a simplified structure, we need the power of God to do what only he can do ”

– From Anne Harman’s report for Baptist Press, BPNews net

– Ask God to show messengers how to prepare for “extraordinary prayer;” pray that he will allow it in Columbus

IMB photo

VBS clinics launch ‘off the map’ outreach

Springfield | IBSA’s Church Resources Team wants to help turn your church into a rainforest this summer, full of opportunities to reach kids and families in your community

The transformation happened Feb 28 at the IBSA Building in Springfield Like a butterfly hatching from its cocoon, what once looked like a regular office turned into a jungle with brightly colored flowers, palm trees, and, yes, butterflies hanging from the ceiling all in preparation for the year ’s first Vacation Bible School clinic

The theme for LifeWay’s 2015 VBS curriculum is “Journey Off the Map,” based on Isaiah 30:21 Almost 160 VBS leaders gathered to get ready for what is in many churches a major summer outreach project

IBSA’s Mark Emerson and the Church Resources Team hosted the Central Illinois clinic, which was followed by a similar event in Mt Vernon The spring’s final clinic is at Uptown Baptist Church in Chicago on March 28

Training leaders is key in VBS, Emerson said, noting that LifeWay’s Jerry Wooley says statistics show for every person trained, one person makes a profession of faith

Along with the clinics, the Church Resources Team will provide further training for VBS leaders and teachers with a series of webinars, each starting at 7 p m

• VBS Bible study overviewApril 9

• Decorations - April 23

• Conquering your VBS craftsMay 7

• Connecting to unchurched families - June 4

To register for the webinars, go to www IBSA org/kids or Facebook com/ IBSAVBS Contact CathyWaters@ IBSA org for information

LEARNING BY DOING – Participants in the craft track made miniature chalkboards (above) and burlap banners, among other sample items The Central Illinois clinic also included music from the FBC O’Fallon children’s choir (below), dressed in their VBS finest

THE FUN STUFF – “Flutterflies” (trail mix in a baggie tied like a butterfly) is one of the snack offerings in LifeWay’s VBS curriculum The clinic also displayed decoration ideas, like treetop hideouts and a Jeep made for the rainforest (left)

P– Pray for a full team of leaders and workers, that many people will be introduced to the gospel and respond in faith, and for Christian children who attend VBS to surrender to the call of Christ on their life

PEOPLE & CHURCHES In Memory

Fern Gregg of Wentzville, Mo , died February 14 at the age of 93 She began working at IBSA in the mid-1950s, and also served as an office manager at the Baptist Student Union at Southern Illinois University “She always helped organize the international dinner,” said Gregg’s daughter, Linda Adams, “and loved working with the international students.”

Ministry Positions

Williamson County Baptist Association, headquartered in Marion, is seeking a part-time or bivocational director of missions. Please send resumes to Bob Dickerson, 401 W Union St., Marion, IL 62959, or pastor@fbmarion org

Island City Baptist Church in Wilmington seeks a full-time pastor Candidate must be an ordained Southern Baptist minister, strongly supportive of the Cooperative Program, seminary-educated, in agreement with The Baptist Faith and

Message (2000), and have 7-15 years experience Send resumes to the Search Committee at islandcity baptist@gmail com

Taylorville Southern Baptist Church seeks a bivocational or part-time pastor Send resumes or questions to Denny Hudson at denvic27@consolidated net

First Baptist Church, Le Roy, seeks a bivocational pastor who supports the Cooperative Program and embraces The Baptist Faith & Message Send resumes to: Pastor Search Committee, FBC, P O Box 21, Le Roy, IL 61752

First Baptist Church, Anna, seeks a full-time minister of music and youth Candidates should have at least four years of college and five years of church experience E-mail resumes to lessinks@hotmail com

Cristo Es Rey Baptist Church in Bolingbrook seeks a children’s minister Applicants are not required to be bilingual; e-mail info@ibcer org or call Pastor Carlos Jimenez, (630) 739-7914

Churches surpass Lottie Moon goals

Church Goal Total Calvary Baptist, Pittsfield $1,200 $1,576 Liberty Baptist, Harrisburg $1,200 $1,552

Meet the Zone Consultant

Zone: 8 (Gateway and Metro East Associations)

Other roles: Church member and LifeGroup leader, FBC Bethalto; Chairman, Bethalto Fire and Police Commission; Treasurer, Bethalto-Area Ministerial Alliance; Relief Chaplain, Alton Memorial Hospital

Birthplace: Dallas, Texas

Family: Larry and his wife, Laura, have one son, one daughter, and four grandchildren

Years in Illinois: 35 (including two years in the U S Air Force)

Places you’ve served here: West Gate Baptist, Trenton; FBC Salem; FBC Bethalto

What makes your zone unique: Zone 8 is very diverse in terms of culture Its churches, missions and church plants are in urban areas, small villages and town, and rural communities

“The challenge for our churches is to utilize basic principles of making disciples, using methodology which matches the culture in each setting ”

Favorite restaurants in your zone: Tony’s in downtown Alton; Bella Milano in Edwardsville; Bandana’s in Belleville

IBSA zone consultants work with directors of missions and churches across the state www IBSA org/Zone

The Cross in the Shadow of the Crescent: An Informed Response to Islam’s War

presented by at

(708) 781-9328

wShado Inf R ent:Cresc ar s W War o Islam’ Islam’s sponse t e ormed R y ed b tesenpr amily.org family.orwww.illinois

781-9328

www.illinoisfamily.org

7:00 - 9:00 PM

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Larry Rhodes

a s i c s f o

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T h r e e c h u r c h e s w o r k t o g e t h e r i n b a y o u m i n i s t r y

l e d h i m t o a n o t h e r c h u r c h , e v e n n o w, h e ’s c o n t i n u i n g w h a t h e h a s s t a r t e d , a n d p a r t n e r i n g w i t h u s t o c o n t i n u e t o m e e t t h e n e e d s t h e r e ” T h e t e a m a b o u t 3 0 p e o p l e i n a l l w i l l w o r k w i t h L i v e O a k t o h o s t V B S , a n d t h e y ’ l l a l s o p a r t n e r w i t h t w o o t h e r b a y o u c h u r c h e s A l l t h r e e c o n g r e g a t i o n s a r e c o n n e c t e d t o N at i v e A m e r i c a n t r i b e s , b u t t h e r e ’s a l s o a F r e n c h C a j u n i n f l u e n c e . T h e t r i b e s , S l o n e s a i d , t e n d t o t a k e o n t h e i d e nt i t y o f t h e p a r i s h t h e y ’ r e i n . “ T h e y ’ r e o n t h e b a y o u , s o t h e y ’ r e s h r i m p e r s , ” h e s a i d . “ T h e i r l i v e l ih o o d i s n o t i n d u s t r y [ o r ] f a c t o r y w o r k . I t ’s s h r i m p , c r a b b i n g , o y s t e r s , a l l i g a t o r s ” A l l t h r e e N a t i v e A m e r i c a n p a s t o r s a r e b i v o c a t i o n a l , s o t h e e x t r a h e l p w i t h V B S a n d s o m e c o n s t r u c t i o n p r o j e c t s i s e x t r e m e l y b e n e f i c i a l . I n t h e f u t u r e , S l o n e s a i d , h i s c h u r c h w a n t s t o p r o v i d e e d u c a t i o n c l a s s e s a n d l e a d e r s h i p d e v e l o p m e n t L a s t y e a r, h e c h a l l e n g e d L i v e O a k t o c o n s i d e r a N o r t h A m e r i c a n m i s s i o n t r i p S o t h i s y e a r, t h e L o u i s i a n a c h u r c h i s s e n d i n g a t e a m t o w o r k w i t h N at i v e A m e r i c a n s i n O k l a h o m a “ O u r g o a l i s t o n o t j u s t g o a n d d o V B S f o r t h e m , ” S l o n e s a i d “ O u r g o a l i s t o p a r t n e r w i t h t h e m t o f u l f i l l t h e G r e a t C o m m i s s i o n . ”

T h e P o i n t e A u x C h e n e i s a s m a l l g r o u p o f N a t i v e A m e r i c a n s i n d e e p s o u t h e r n L o u i s i a n a . T h e i r c h u r c h , L i v e O a k B a p t i s t , h a s 4 06 0 p e o p l e I t w o u l d b e h a r d f o r t h e m t o d o a s u m m e r o u t r e a c h l i k e V a c a t i o n B i b l e S c h o o l o n t h e i r o w n . T h a t ’s w h y F i r s t B a p t i s t C h u r c h i n E l k v i l l e , I l l i n o i s , s e n d s a t e a m o f v o l u n t e e r s t o h e l p T w o y e a r s a g o , E l k v i l l e w a s l o o k i n g f o r m i s s i o n t r i p o p p o r t u n it i e s t o s e r v e N a t i v e A m e r i c a n s . I B S A ’s R e x A l e x a n d e r c o n n e c t e d t h e m t o t h e P o i n t e A u x C h e n e n e a r M o n t e g u t , L a A t l e a s t , t h a t ’s t h e c l o s e s t c i t y y o u c a n f i n d o n t h e m a p , s a i d E l k v i l l e p a s t o r S c o t t S l o n e . “ I t ’s v e r y s m a l l t o w n U S A , ” s a i d S l o n e , w h o w i l l l e a d t h e c h u r c h ’s t h i r d L o u i s i a n a t r i p t h i s s u m m e r. L a s t y e a r, t h e y t o o k a l o n g a n o t h e r I l l i n o i s c o n g r e g a t i o n C r o s s r o a d s B a p t i s t i n I s l a n d C i t y T h i s s u m m e r, A n n a H e i g h t s B a p t i s t w i l l a l s o j o i n i n . T h e c h u r c h ’s s e n i o r p a s t o r, D a r r y l W i l l i a m s , w a s p a s t o r i n g t h e E l k v i l l e c h u r c h w h e n t h e y s t a r t e d t h e m i s s i o n s p a r t n e r s h i p i n L o u i s i a n a “ I t r e a l l y s t a r t e d o u t w i t h h i s p a s s i o n o f w a n t i n g t o m i n i s t e r t o N a t i v e A m e r i c a n t r i b e s , ” S l o n e s a i d o f W i l l i a m s . “ H e l e d t h e f i r s t [ t r i p ] , a n d e v e n t h o u g h G o d

C l ip an d Sha re B10 1 w i t h Pasto r s Chu r c h s ta f f Discip les hip leade r s Miss ions leade r s New me m be r s L o o k f o r B1 0 1 i n e v e r y i s s u e ! –M e r e d t h F y n n

S u m m e r S c h o o l ’ s i n s e s s i o n

–B l y G r a h a m o r g

B l l y G r a h a m o f t e n p r e a c h e d “ t h e B i b l e s a y s , ” a n d p e o p l e i n h s d a y l e a n e d f o r w a r d t o l s t e n A g e n e r a t i o n a g o , e v e n u n b e i e v e r s s a w S c r i p t u r e a s h o l y a n d t r u s t w o r t h y B u t t o d a y , f e w e r p e o p l e a c c e p t w h a t S c r i p t u r e h a s t o s a y a b o u t i t s e l f , e v e n w h e n t h e v e r s e s c o m e w i t h g r e a t p r o m s e ( S e e 2 T i m 3 : 1 61 7 ) I n c o n v e r s a t o n s w i t h s k e p t i c s , t h e 2 1 s t c e n t u r y C h r i s t i a n a p o l o g e t i c o f t e n h a s t o b e g i n w i t h t h e r e i a b l i t y o f S c r i p t u r e W e m u s t t e l s t r u g g e r s a n d d o u b t e r s t h a t t h e B i b l e s t r u e , t h e t e x t h a s n o t b e e n c o r r u p t e d t h r o u g h c e n t u r i e s o f t r a n s m i s s i o n , a n d t h a t t h e r e a r e m o r e m a t c h i n g c o p i e s o f b i b l i c a l m a n u s c r i p t s d a t e d c o s e r t o t h e t i m e t h e y w e r e w r t t e n t h a n t h e r e a r e o f m o s t a n y o t h e r a n c e n t l i t e r a r y w o r k s , i n c u d i n g S h a k e s p e a r e ( w h c h w a s w r t t e n o n l y f o u r c e n t u r i e s a g o ) T h e r e a r e h u n d r e d s o f p o r t i o n s o f t h e 6 6 b o o k s o f t h e B i b l e h a n d e d d o w n o v e r c e n t u r i e s w i t h 9 9 5 % a g r e e m e n t i n t h e c o p i e s W h e n i t c o m e s t o t h e B i b l e , t o b e l e v e o r n o t t o b e l e v e : t h a t i s t h e q u e s t o n T h i s i s a 2 0p a r t s t u d y o n t h e b a s i c b e l e f s a n d m i s s i o n s o f o u r d e n o m in a t i o n I t i s d e s i g n e d f o r n e w b e i e ve r s , n e w B a p t s t s , a n d t h o s e w h o w a n t a r e f r e s h e r C i p i t o u t o f t h e n e w s p a p e r, f o d i n t o a f o u rp a g e e a f e t , a n d s h a r e w i t h t h e p e o p l e w h o w o u d b e n e f i t f r o m t h e n f o r m at o n Y o u m i g h t e v e n l e a d a s t u d y B1 0 1 c a n b e u s e d f o r : • N e w m e m b e r s c l a s s e s • S t u d y o n m i s s i o n s i n I l l i n o i s a n d a r o u n d t h e w o r l d • E x p l o r a t i o n o f d o c t r i n e s i n T h e B a p t i s t F a i t h & M e s s a g e M a k e a s m a n y p h o t o c o p i e s a s y o u n e e d f o r s t u d y g r o u p s , c h u r c h m e m b e r s , a n d w o r s h i p a t t e n d e r s O r d o w n o a d t h e P D F s a t w w w . I B S A . o r g / B 1 0 1 . P r o d u c e d b y h e e d t o r s o f t h e l i n o s B a p t s t : E r c R e e d , M e r e d t h F l y n n L i s a S e r g e n t D e s i g n e d b y K r s K e l

W e s e r v e i n … N o r t h A m e r i c a V o u n t e e r s f r o m a n I l l i n o i s m i s s o n t e a m w o r k o n a c o n s t r u c t i o n p r o e c t a t a c h u r c h i n L o u i s i a n a . W h a t a r e y o u d o i n g o n W e d n e s d a y n i g h t s ?

T h e g r a y s c h o o l , f o r r e c e n t l y g r a d u a t e d s e n i o r s , m a y f o c u s o n h o w t o t a k e y o u r f a i t h w i t h y o u t o c o l l e g e ( O n e f u n n o t e : T h e g r a y s c h o o a l s o h a s d e s i g n e d t h e i r o w n s p e c i a e n t r a n c e o n t o t h e r e c f i e l d W h i l e t h e o t h e r s c h o o l s r u n a n d y e l l , g r a y s c h o o l e r s , a s t h e o l d e s t S u p e r S u m m e r p a r t i c i p a n t s , w a l k a s s l o w l y a p o s s i b l e ) S t u d e n t s a l s o d i v i d e i n t o s m a l l e r “ f a m i l y g r o u p s ” f o r t h e w e e k V i s i t S u p e r S u m m e r i n t h e e v e n i n g , a n d y o u ’ r e l i k e l y t o f i n d c i r c l e s o f s t ud e n t s p r a y i n g t o g e t h e r o n t h e q u a d . H e r e i n G r e e n v i l l e , e v e n t h e q u i e t m o m e n t s a r e i n t e n t i o n a l . S u p e r S u m m e r 2 0 1 5 i s J u n e 2 3 -

T h e “ o r a n g e s c h o o l ” p r e p a r e s f o r r e c r e a t o n a t I B S A ' s S u p e r S u m m e r , h e l d e v e r y y e a r a t G r e e n v l e C o l l e g e

I B S A ’s a n n u a l , w e e kl o n g d i s c ip l e s h i p e x p e r i e n c e f o r s t u d e n t s i s a s t u d y i n c o n t r a s t s . O n e m i n u t e , t h e y ’ r e s e a t e d i n a c h a p e l s u rr o u n d e d b y s t a i n e d g l a s s , l i f t i n g t h e i r h a n d s i n w o r s h i p A n h o u r l a t e r, t h e y m i g h t b e r u s h i n g t h e r e c r e a t i o n f i e l d d r e s s e d h e a d t o t o e i n t h e c o l o r o f t h e i r “ s c h o o l ” f o r t h e w e e k W a t c h o u t , o r y o u ’ l l g e t r u n o v e r b y t h a t t e e n a g e r i n t h e b a n a n a c o st u m e . O r t h e o r a n g e o c t o p u s .

2 7 a t G r e e n v i l l e C o l l e g e , a n d t h e t h e m e i s M e e t N e e d s , S h a r e C h r i s t O n l i n e r e g i s t r a t i o n o p e n s M a r c h

1 6 ; g o t o w w w I B S A o r g / s t u d e n t s

A t S u p e r S u m m e r f o r s t u d e n t s w h o h a v e c o m p l e t e d g r a d e s 61 2 , e v e r y t h i n g i s f u l l t h r o t t l e . B i b l e s t u d y , w o r s h i p , r e c r e a t i o n , e v e n m e a l s t h e r e ’s n o t m u c h t i m e t o s l o w d o w n d u r i n g t h e w e e k i n J u n e w h e n I l l i n o i s s t u d e n t s f l o o d G r e e n v i l l e C o l l e g e D i v i d e d b y a g e i n t o c o l o rc o d e d s c h o o l g r o u p s , t h e s t u d e n t s g e t s e ve r a l h o u r s o f t e a c h i n g o n a s p e c i f i c t o p i c f r o m t h e i r “ d e a n , ” a n I l l i n o i s p a s t o r o r c h u r c h l e a d e r. “ T e e n s a r e w o n d e r i n g , ‘ H o w d o e s G o d ’s W o r d r e l a t e t o m y l i f e ? ’ ” s a i d J o s h M o n d a , a S u p e r S u m m e r i n s t r u c t o r a n d p a st o r o f F i r s t B a p t i s t C h u r c h i n W a s h i n g t o n . “ … S o w e ’ r e t a k i n g t h e s e t o p i c s , l i k e s t e w a r d s h i p , l i k e o u r e m o t i o n s , l i k e m i s s i o n s a n d e v a n g e l i s m , r e l a t i o n s h i p s , d a ti n g … h o w d o e s G o d ’s W o r d a dd r e s s t h o s e i s s u e s ? ” O n e s c h o o l s t u d i e s d i s c i p l e s h i p f o r t h e w e e k , w h i l e a n o t h e r t a l k s a b o u t s h a r i n g t h e i r f a i t h a t s c h o o l

r a y e r n e e d s : P a n t e r s t o l e a d a n e w w o r k n t h i s a r e a , a n d p a r t n e r n g c h u r c h e s t o w o r k a l o n g s i d e t h e m m i s s i o n i l l i n o i s P r a y f o r a n e w c h u r c h

L o c a t i o n : Y o r k v l e , K e n d a l l C o u n t y F o c u s : Y o u n g f a m i i e s C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s : T h s a r e a i s g r o w n g f a s t , w t h a p o p u l a t o n i n c r e a s e o f

–F r o m h e I B S A C h u r c h P a n t n g T e a m

1 9 1 % s i n c e 2 0 0 0 .

Change her tune

Q: Barb, our organist, got her feelings hurt when our worship leader started using a keyboard Now, Barb sits on the back row e v e r y S u n d a y w i t h h e r a r m s c r o s s e d What

should I say to Barb?

A: It’s time for you and the worship leader to make a visit together to thank Barb for her years of faithful service Be prepared to explain that much of the more contemporary music almost demands the sound of the keyboard, guitar, bass, drums, brass and other instruments the church may not have used before

Talk to Barb about the two purposes of a worship service: First, to help prepare members to open their hearts and minds to what the Holy Spirit wants to teach them; and second, to attract the unsaved into a relevant setting where they will hear the gospel and have an opportunity to respond.

Unless you sold the organ, ask your worship leader if there are certain praise and worship songs or a blend of familiar hymns on which Barb can play too Let her know when she will be used; although it might not be every service, she can still be a vital

LEADERS AND LIFE

part of the church’s music ministry. If she continues to refuse, you have done your part to let her know she has not simply been removed and replaced Finally, remind her that Matthew 5:16 teaches that we are to use our gifts and talents for God’s glory, and to sit on the back row and harbor hurt feelings is a waste!

Get them to the chapel

Q: I’m pretty sure this couple in our church is living together What would you do?

A: While this is certainly not a new problem in the church, unfortunately, many pastors avoid ever preaching on the subject of biblical marriage If you’re in a situation where you and your wife can visit the couple in their home, do so, and address the subject tactfully, honestly and biblically.

Be ready to show them God’s plan for marriage and be ready to handle some excuses as to why they are waiting (You may hear, “We can’t afford it!” But if they are already paying rent or buying a home, they have food on the table, they are paying separate taxes, etc , the truth is they would save money by getting married!)

Training Oppor tunities Training Oppor tunities

March 16, 17: Children’s Evangelism Conferences for parents and children’s ministry workers

Where: March 16–Bethel, Troy; March 17–Second, Marion; 6-8 p m Contact: TimSadler@IBSA.org

March 20-21: Ministers’ Wives’ Retreat

See ad on page 6 for details

Where: IBSA Building, Springfield Web: IBSA.org/womensmissions

March 20-21: Rekindling the Call Retreat for IBSA pastors and wives

Where: Lake Sallateeska

When: 6 p m Fri to noon Sat

Web: www IBSA org/church health

March 27-28: New Awakening Evangelism Conference

See ad on page 6 for details

Where: Tabernacle, Decatur

When: Friday 6:30 p m , Saturday 8:30 a m ; cost is $10 Web: www IBSA org/evangelism

April 10: Singing Churchmen Workshop for pastors, worship leaders, and other men who love to sing

Where: IBSA Building, Springfield

When: 9 a m to 5 p m

Contact: SteveHamrick@IBSA org

April 10-11: Worship Resource Conference; see ad on page 6

Where: IBSA Building, Springfield

When: Friday 7:00 p m , Saturday 8:30 a m ; cost is $10 Web: www IBSA org/worship

April 12: Cooperative Program Sunday, www IBSA org/cp

April 13-14: Resilient Call Retreat

What: Pastor leadership training

Where: Lake Sallateeska

Web: www IBSA org/church health

April 17-18: Disaster Relief Training

Cost is $30 for new trainees, $10 for renewals

Where: Streator Baptist Camp Web: www IBSA org/dr

April 24-25: Priority Women’s Resource Conference; see ad, page 6

Where: Tabernacle, Decatur

Web: IBSA org/womensmissions

May 11-12: IBSA Ministers’ Golf Outing at Oak Terrace Golf Course, Pana

Contact: AlexisDumire@IBSA org

May 14-16: Expository Preaching

Retreat at Lake Sallateeska

When: Check-in 4 p m Thurs , check-out 11:30 a m Sat ; cost is $55

Contact: TimSadler@IBSA org

May 16: Medical Missions training for medical personnel and church leaders

Where: IBSA Building, Springfield

When: 9 a m to 4 p m ; cost is $10

Contact: BarbTroeger@IBSA org

May 29-30: Collegiate Ministry Resource Conference for college ministry leaders and their key students

Where: IBSA Building, Springfield

Contact: DebbieMuller@IBSA org

Most importantly, firmly tell them they cannot be fully involved in the life of the church and represent its various ministries choir, music, childcare, Sunday school, outreach, student ministries, etc while they are cohabitating Express how glad you would be to perform their marriage ceremony (if they abide by the church’s marriage policy see below) Offer for the church to provide the worship center, fellowship hall, your services, and perhaps even a cake and refreshments free of charge, if they say that money is the issue holding them back

Pastors should have a written marriage policy that explains exactly how many pre-marriage counseling sessions a couple must attend, that you do not perform marriages for couples who are sexually active and/or living together, that alcoholic beverages cannot be brought on the church property, and any other restrictions And be ready to explain why!

Pat Pajak has pastored churches of all sizes across Illinois He presently leads IBSA’s Church Consulting team Send your coaching questions for Pat to IllinoisBaptist@IBSA org

Waste of money?

Q: I have a question about home warranties Are they a waste of money if you already have a fully-funded emergency f u n d , w i t h s i x m o n t h s o f e x p e n s e s o r more set aside?

A: In my opinion, they’re a waste of money even if you don’t have that much set aside for emergencies I recommend an emergency fund of three to six months of expenses to cover the unexpected things that life will throw at you. This amount of cash, sitting in a good money market account with check writing privileges, will give you easy access in the event of a financial emergency I don’t do extended warranties of any kind They’re not a good deal You’re better off to self-insure against things breaking down, and put what would have been profit and marketing dollars for the extended warranty company in your own pocket!

Dave Ramsey is a prolific author and radio host

Chart Toppers

Top 10 Easter songs

Cornerstone Multiple writers, Hillsong Music Publishing

Man of Sorrows Brooke Ligertwood, Matt Crocker

He Lives Alfred Henry Ackley

Resurrection Hymn Keith Getty, Stuart Townend

Easter Song Anne Herring

Jesus Is Alive Ron Kenoly

I Believe in a Hill Called Mount Calvary Dale Oldham, Bill & Gloria Gaither

Alleluia No 1 Donald E Fishel

Behold the Lamb Dottie Rambo

My Jesus Is Alive Jason Klein

THE PERIL OF LEFTOVE

“You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God Wh gain by carrying out His requirements ’”

These words from the people in Malachi’s heart-wrenching, but not surprising when yo tions that preceded their words We are told doubted God’s love, offered defiled sacrifice because of wrong teaching, disregarded thei covenant, justified evil, and stole from God ing their tithes and offerings

We see the same drift today, either through professing believers who re-interpret the Bible to justify sin and accommodate our culture, or in lives so filled with activity that only our leftover time and money are used to worship God and fulfill the Great Commission

In his book “Radical,” David Platt shares these words from a missionary friend: “The truth is, there will continue to be millions and millions of people who do not hear as long as we continue to use spare time and spare money to reach them ”

I can’t ever imagine saying that it is futile to serve God Neither do I want the actions of my life to send that message to those around me

PRAYER PROMPT: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way” (Psalm 139:23-24)

Odis Weaver is pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Plainfield and is currently serving as president of IBSA Pastors are invited to join the online “IBSA Pastors’ Prayer Room” by e-mailing oweaver7307@gmail com

POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE

Clip and save in a prayer journal, your Bible, or stick on the fridge.

Missionaries: John and Jacki Mattingly

logger

otatoes

d-up mashed mall group’s Easter next Sunday hem extra special ncy glasses with s, like shredded acon bits

ts

12 potatoes

16 oz sour cream

16 oz cream cheese

¾ stick margarine

Trending

Leadership lacking?

To prepare: Cut potatoes into chunks and boil in large pot Once soft, mash with sour cream, cream cheese and margarine Pour into a large baking dish, and cook at 350° for 20 minutes

Holiday

Serving in: Northwest Illinois, where John directs church planting for IBSA and Jacki is a music teacher

Pray: For church planting in the northwest region, still seen as a pioneer area for IBSA and evangelical churches Pray God will lead church planters and partners to the area, and for pastors of existing churches who are raising up leaders in their congregations

Welcome

40% of Americans say their boss is a bad leader say he or she lacks clear vision and direction

32% say bad leadership is their biggest source of job stress

33% say their boss makes them feel controlled, manipulated or defensive

31% 90%

It’s not just a workplace problem, Barna found of Americans say the country is facing a crisis of leadership

Application for church leaders: We need sermons on work and the gospel, authority and the gospel, and leadership as exemplified in the gospel

“Leaders have power, but power is safe only in the hands of those who humble themselves to serve ”

– John Stott, Anglican minister and evangelical leader

by Lee

“He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughter and like a sheep silent before her shearers, He did not open His mouth ”