May 5, 2014 Illinois Baptist

IB Insider

cupcakes, Annie Armstrong

page 2

What repentance has in common with nausea page 5

The littlest lobbyists page 7

5 church plants sprout in 9 days

Growing trends among second-generation and multi-site congregations

By Eric Reed

A c r o s s I l l i n o i s | Five new churches held their “grand opening” events during the two weekends before Easter

The congregations couldn’t be any more different: They are Hispanic, Korean, Anglo, and multicultural

They meet in the inner city, in new suburbs and older neighborhoods, and way out in the countryside

Yet their worship services are remarkably alike: all in English, all contemporary, all enthusiastic, and mostly loud

Collectively they show how some important ministry trends are reaching both main roads and back roads in Illinois:

Our monthly bread page 6

Tool for worship, or tool of the devil? page 15

updates

Throughout the week:

➢ After decades of planting ethnic language churches, English-language ministries may be the next wave as the grown children of immigrants aren’t feeling comfortable in their parents’ churches.

➢ Starting new churches is getting more complicated and expensive and harder for planters to do solo That is resulting in more multi-site churches

and in new networks among church leaders

➢ And in some situations, starting from scratch may prove a better strategy than reengineering a faltering ministry

Jonathan de la O was born in the United States, but his parents are from El Salvador. He is the product of two

countries “I wasn’t 100% Latino or 100% American, at least in the eyes of those around me,” he said “It made it difficult to identify with a people group ”

When called to pastor a church, he asked what kind? “I didn’t know where I fit in,” he said in a video

Continued on page 8

Summit shows

New tactics in culture war

By Meredith Flynn

Sign up for the weekly eConnection at www IBSA org/Communications

‘The joy of my salvation’

Church baptizes 103 in spring crusade

By Lisa Sergent

O ’ F a l l o n | Over a single weekend, more people were baptized at First Baptist, O’Fallon, than in all of 2013. The church’s crusade March 29-30 resulted in 103 baptisms, 17 salvation decisions, and 15 rededications

Tom Dawson, FBC’s minister of

adult education who helped organize the crusade, described it as “a wonderful event ” He called Texas evangelist Ronnie Hill “electric. He brought God’s Word straight to peoples’ hearts ”

Continued on page 3

N a s h v i l l e , T e n n | Southern Baptists’ generals in the culture war demonstrated their new strategy at an April meeting for church leaders But the tactic, softer in decibels but not doctrine, was met by criticism from opponents using modern weaponry – social media.

“The way that we are going to be able to speak to the people in our culture is not by more culture war posturing, but by a Christshaped counter-revolution,” said Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission

The conference on sexuality and the Gospel was the ERLC’s first major event since Moore assumed leadership from Richard Land, who served as the denomination’s main voice on issues such as abortion and first amendment rights

The event came with a sort of confession: the culture war as we knew it is over

Continued on page 7

Starting Point in Chicago: Pastor Marvin del Rios of Iglesia Bautista Erie (right) prays for the new congregation his church is sponsoring, led by Pastor Jonathan de la O and his wife, Emely, surrounded by leaders from Chinese, Korean, and Romanian church plants who attended the April 6 launch service

WORTH CELEBRATING – Sarah Schultz rejoices with Skip Leininger, associate pastor of FBC O’Fallon, after being baptized at the church’s March 29-30 crusade

Moore

BRIEFING the

News updates every Tuesday at www ib2news org

Bible skeptics on the rise

Barna reports the same percentage of Americans are Bible-engaged as are Bibleskeptical The annual State of Bible study, produced with the American Bible Society, found 19% of people say they read the Bible at least four times a week and believe it is the actual or inspired Word of God And 19% say the Bible is “just another book of teaching written by men that contains stories and advice ” The number of skeptics has almost doubled over the past three years, according to Barna org

Baptists may meet with gay author

Southern Baptist leaders who authored a response to Matthew Vines’ book “God and the Gay Christian,” said they’re willing to meet with the author in person Vines’ book was released April 22, the same day Southern Seminary President Albert Mohler and a group of professors released an e-book to respond to Vines’ belief that Scripture allows monogamous same-sex relationships

“I will be very glad to meet you in person and not merely in print I am thankful for a respectful exchange of beliefs,” Mohler tweeted in response to a message from Vines, thanking him for engaging with the book

‘Family Talk’ wins in court

A ministry run by Focus on the Fami founder James Dobson was issued a tem porary injunction against the federal government, meaning the organization does not have to provide abortion-inducing drugs in its employee health care plans Dobson’s “Family Talk” radio program, newsletter and website has 28 full-time employees, according to an Associated Press report The U S Supreme Court currently is considering a similar case involving craft retailer Hobby Lobby

Midwest leaders meet to pray

Around 100 Baptist leaders and church planters from the Midwest gathered in Wisconsin for an April prayer summit hosted by the North American Mission Board “It was a wonderful time of focused prayer for our personal life, in a small group, and corporately in a large group setting,” said IBSA President Odis Weaver “We prayed for personal holiness, for the Midwest Send cities, and for revival and spiritual awakening ”

Coach denies proselytizing charges

Clemson University football coach Dabo Swinney defended his program’s policies after the Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a letter of complaint detailing “constitutional concerns ” FFRF’s concerns include Swinney’s appointment of a chaplain for the team, scheduled devotionals, and the team’s attendance at a 2011 Fellowship of Christian Athletes breakfast

“Players of any faith or no faith at all are welcome in our program All we require in the recruitment of any player is that he must be a great player at his position, meet the academic requirements, and have good character,” Swinney responded in a statement CBS News reported the coach said in a teleconference he would continue to run the program like he always has

LifeWay sets goal for 100,000 new groups by year ’s end

N a s h v i l l e , T e n n . | LifeWay Christian Resources is challenging churches to start 100,000 new Bible study groups by the end of 2014

The new groups initiative, a partnership between churches, state conventions and LifeWay, is designed to help longtime churchgoers jumpstart their faith and new believers to grow spiritually, said Bruce Raley, director of church education ministry for LifeWay

Whether they meet on Sunday mornings or during the week, small groups are the best way to learn the habits of faith, such as prayer, Bible study and serving others, Raley said “Discipleship takes place best in the context of a relationship,” he said “And relationships are most likely to develop in a small group ”

A LifeWay Research study of 3,500 Protestant churchgoers in North America found that those who belong to a Bible study group are more likely to go to church at least four times a month (79%) and to read the Bible daily (28%) Being in a group helps them feel closer to God (69%) and understand the Bible better (74%), and become more loving in their relationships (47%)

Group members also develop deep friendships, often staying together for years

The LifeWay Research study, which was published in a new book called “Transformational Groups,” found that half of current group attendees have been in the same group for at least two years A quarter (27%) have been in the same group for more than five years But having tight-knit groups has a downside, Raley said It’s often hard for new people to join

“The reality is that many groups close after a few years,” he said “Relationships in a group go from being social to being personal. That’s good for the group but bad for people trying to get in the door ”

Launching new groups means more space for new people,

Raley said And churches will find a welcome audience for new groups

The LifeWay small groups study found that many churchgoers who aren’t part of a group are open to joining one So far, about 17,000 new groups have been registered at GroupsMatter com, which includes guides for starting new groups, resources for new leaders, and promotional materials Raley and other organizers say the new groups can be started at any point in the year But they suggest the first Sunday in September as one of the best options That way, he said, churches can spend the summer months getting ready

By Bob Smietana, LifeWay

–

Which best describes your attitude toward attending a small class or group through your church in the future?

I am unlikely to consider regularly attending any small class or group in the future

I am open to the idea of attending a small class or group, but not actively looking

I am actively looking for a small class or group to attend LifeWayResearch com

SBC Annual Meeting is June 10-11

Baltimore | Restoration, revival and prayer are the themes of this year ’s Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting, scheduled for June 10-11 in a city known for its place in American and Baptist history And baseball and crab cakes

SBC President Fred Luter will preside over his final annual meeting as his second oneyear term draws to a close He told Baptist Press this year ’s meeting theme is similar to last year ’s – revival – with added importance given to prayer

The meeting also will include a Tuesday night revival service “ We just come for worship and the word,” Luter said “That’s it No business will be conducted ”

Arkansas pastor Ronnie Floyd will be nominated to succeed Luter as president, with no other nominees yet announced Clint Pressley, pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist in Charlotte, N C , will be nominated for first vice president, and Hance Dilbeck, pastor of Quail Springs Baptist in Oklahoma City, will be nominated for second VP

For the first time since 1940, the meeting’s host city is Baltimore, the home of missions pi-

oneer Annie Armstrong and a current Send focus city designated by the North American Mission Board

Baltimore’s missions past and present will be on display at the meeting NAMB will focus its fourth annual Send North America luncheon on the city on Monday, June 9 Woman’s Missionary Union will host a tour of Annie Armstrong-related sites during their annual meeting, which also includes a commissioning service for international and NAMB missionaries

Meeting attenders can once again engage the host city through hands-on mission projects during Crossover, an annual evangelism project that precedes the convention Go to w w w e m b r a c e b a l t i m o r e c o m / crossover Pastors’ Conference

“Show Us Your Glory” is the theme of the SBC Pastors’ Conference June 8-9 at the Baltimore Convention Center The conference is designed to be refreshing and renewing for leaders, said Pastors’ Conference President Bruce Frank

Speakers include pastors H B Charles, Tony Evans, Ronnie Floyd, J D Greear, Johnny Hunt, James MacDonald, Eric Mason, David Platt and Rick Warren, as well as author Francis Chan, performance artist Marquis Laughlin, and evangelist Clayton King. Worship will be led by Matt Redman, author of songs including “10,000 Reasons” and “Blessed Be Your Name.”

More information is available at www sbcannualmeeting com about all meetings surrounding the SBC in Baltimore, including the 20th anniversary celebration of the National African American Fellowship, and the annual Ministers’ Wives’ Luncheon featuring Priscilla Shirer.

Why we’re called ‘Baptists’

Continued

Dawson said the church did “quite a bit of preparation” in the month before the crusade. Prayer, training, and logistics were key Groups spent time praying for Hill and for those who would come and make decisions Church members were trained to be “encouragers,” or counselors, to talk with people as they came forward

Carol Cluff, adult ministries specialist, said the encouragers were trained a few days in advance of the crusade “We wanted to make sure every person who stepped forward had someone to come with them, to talk with them about what prompted them to come forward, and to make sure they fully understood the commitment they were making ”

She noted many of those who were baptized had come to understand they had been “baptized out of order Several people realized they had been baptized as a baby or even as a child without knowing Christ and wanted to be baptized now as believers in Jesus. Others had accepted Christ at youth events some time ago, but not taken that step ”

Hill urged the church to be ready to baptize people in each session and not make them wait until a later date In anticipation of a large number of baptisms, the church made sure to have plenty of T-shirts, shorts and towels on hand Plus, they placed two horse troughs filled with water on either side of the platform giving them three locations, including the baptistery, to baptize people in a single service

“We were ready to baptize people on the spot,” Dawson said

First Baptist has made follow-up a priority, stressing the importance of continued discipleship In a series of follow-up actions, encouragers are keeping in touch with those they counseled and are connecting them with small groups within the church. As part of the effort, Senior Pastor Doug Munton is leading a special sermon series covering the Good News and the importance of baptism along with why Christians should share their faith and be fishers of men

Munton is pleased with the crusade’s outcome “We had a great crusade,” he shared “The Gospel was preached clearly and the response was great

Many people trusted Christ as Savior and that never gets old to me And, it was such a privilege to see more than 100 people follow the Lord in believer ’s baptism ”

Dawson said church members are excited The momentum continued into Easter as the church had its largest Easter Sunday worship attendance –2,569 people

“The crusade was wonderful,” said Cluff “It lit us on fire ”

Pray through the

• Ask that each new believer will continue to follow Christ and deepen their faith through the direct discipling of a mature believer in Christ

• Implore the Lord to bring a reviving to more churches that results in many more baptized believers

May 16-17: Mother/Daughter

Weekend, Sallateeska and Streator

June 13-14: Father/Son Overnight Sallateeska and Streator

June 16-20: Missions Camp (South) Co-ed, grades 3-12 Sallateeska

July 21-25: Missions Camp (North) Co-ed, grades 3-12 Streator

NEW LIFE – (Top) After being baptized in a horse trough, David Vittetoe celebrates as John Howard, minister to students, assists The troughs gave the church three locations to baptize the 103 people who came forward (Above) Skip Leininger prepares to baptize Sonja Conrad Photos courtesy of FBC O’Fallon

Nate Adams

remember my dad writing once about an Easter Sunday that came long after we kids were grown and gone None of us were going to be home for the holiday weekend that year, so my mom suggested that she and my dad volunteer to work in the nursery that Sunday

In case my dad had doubts, my mom was ready with her reasons “There are likely to be several young families visiting our church that day Those who work in the nursery all the time deserve a break We’re available, and able Oh, and by the way, others took care of our kids on Easter for years Even this Easter, others will be taking care of our grandchildren ”

And so those two grandparents who hadn’t needed a nursery nor worked in one for quite a while sat and rocked babies that Easter Sunday As they did so, they prayed for the families of those babies, and for their own family I remember my dad saying it was one of the most memorable Easter Sundays he ever experienced

There is something especia it seems, about giving to othe gratitude for the way that you ceived yourself In fact, as Mo now approaches, I think of the ways I have benefited from godly, sacrificing mother And I think of how blessed our own children have been by

Paying it forward

my wife’s investment in their lives

One way to “pay it forward” to others in gratitude for the mothers who have blessed our lives is to give generously to the Mother ’s Day Offering for the Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services (BCHFS) Last year, BCHFS provided Christ-centered services to 1,417 individuals – 23% more than the previous year Through residential care at the Baptist Children’s Home in Carmi, maternity services at Angels’ Cove, multiple Pathways Counseling offices, the Safe Families for Children program, and ministry to orphans in Uganda, BCHFS lives out this year ’s Offering theme, “Families are worth fighting for!”

Sharing Christ is the central motivation for the services BCHFS provides Of course they provide ministry and healing that help families through troubled times But in doing so, the BCHFS staff also unashamedly shares the Gospel of Jesus with those they serve, and seeks to model His love daily to m Last year alone, 16 children from the Resitial Care program and from Safe Families made fessions of faith in Christ.

he BCHFS does not receive state or federal cont for care funding, and does not receive funding

through the Cooperative Program Their ministry is completely reliant on the generosity of Illinois Baptist churches and individuals who invest in the lives of those they serve That’s why the Mother ’s Day Offering is so important

From the BCHFS website (www bchfs com) your church can download information and materials to help you promote this year ’s Mother ’s Day Offering And if your church doesn’t receive an offering that particular Sunday, you can still use the website to donate directly to BCHFS’s important ministries

If you appreciate your own family, and especially your mom this Mother ’s Day, I can’t think of a better way to demonstrate your gratitude to God and “pay it forward” than to support this important ministry to hundreds of hurting families And remember, if your own family is facing challenges right now, the Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services is there for you too

Our family will be supporting the ministries of BCHFS this year, and I pray yours will too Whether it’s thanking our children’s workers with a turn in the nursery, or thanking our mothers by giving to help hurting families, it’s a good, good thing to “pay it forward ” As Jesus said in Matthew 10:8, “Freely you have received; freely give ”

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

The ILLINOIS BAPTIST Staff

The tweets came fast and furious They poured in, at least a dozen every 30 seconds or so, throughout the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission’s recent summit for church leaders

By the end of its first day, the conference on “The Gospel and Sexua ity” had become one of Twitter ’s to trending topics

Most of the pos were angry One might have guessed the subject matter would cause a stir, and indeed, many o the objecting tweets came from activists and others who don’t believe the Bible is the ultimate authority for marriage and sexuality

But not all the messages addressed what the speakers said Some pointed out that out of two dozen personalities who would take the stage during the three-day conference, only two were women The majority of the speakers were white and male Amid the tweets about homosexuality and gay marriage came a different complaint: Where was the diversity?

The topics covered certainly were diverse: pornography, pastoring church members through sexual sin, teaching kids about sex

Their messages echoed the ERLC’s current tone, described by President Russell Moore as “convictional kindness ” It’s what most Christians think when they hear the phrase “speak the truth in love ”

Or, as Moore told conference atrefusal to to conc i e n c e s , clearly and penly, is a efusal to

e men pope platform, ck of the room it was mostly female journalists who covered the summit. One of them blogged about the summit’s overall tone and applied it to the angry tweets about so few women at the podium

Chelsen Vicari of the Institute on Religion and Democracy wrote that while she would have appreciated more female voices, “it cannot be disputed that the ERLC’s tone is shifting in a genuine attempt to mirror the Gospel and balance a message of grace, respect for all women and men, repentance and reconciliation in a troubled post-modern world ”

On the same day author Matthew Vines released “God and the Gay Christian,” scholars from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary released a free, 100-page e-book to counter Vines’ argument that Scripture supports homosexuality and same-sex marriage.

Boyce College professor Denny Burk, one of the e-book contributors, blogged about Vines’ book and the group’s response:

“Vines argues that if the Bible were properly understood, everyone would see that there’s nothing inherently sinful about homosexual orientation or behavior Thus there is no biblical reason to prevent gay ‘Christians’ from entering into the covenant of marriage with a same-sex partner Gay couples can fulfill the marital norms of Ephesians 5 just like their heterosexual counterparts

“There is nothing fundamentally new about ‘God and the Gay Christian ’ Vines’s arguments follow a conversation that has been going on among biblical scholars for several decades Nevertheless, he has popularized revisionist interpretations of scripture and has framed them within a very compelling personal narrative

POSTMASTER: The Il inois Baptist is owned and published b weekly Jan March May July-Sept Nov ; monthly in Feb April June Oct and Dec by the Illinois Baptist State

The speakers handled their topics with sensitivity, encouraging church leaders that the best way to truly love people in their communities is to teach what the Bible says about sex and marriage

But on Twitter, and for the outside world, a new tone wasn’t enough The world is watching to make sure when we Baptists preach a Gospel for everyone, we really do mean everyone

“The danger of Vines’ book is that it pretends that one can affirm the authority of scripture while rejecting what the Bible teaches about sexuality In my view, that is why this book deserves an answer ”

The e-book is available at www sbts edu

Voices

Let’s go to the movies (Or should we?)

Everybody’s talking about this year ’s Christian-themed movies Your friends all saw “Noah ” Your small group planned an outing to view “God’s Not Dead,” and invited non-Christians “Heaven is For Real” is poised to capture the most attention from mainstream audiences

All this sounded great, until you read a blog calling these movies heretical and shaming you for supporting these blasphemous productions Now, what seemed like a missional opportunity for fellowship and outreach makes you wonder if you are denying your faith and disappointing your Savior

Here are some principles to consider when scouting Fandango:

1 Does this movie support or negate the need for a Savior? Scripture is clear that man is hopeless without God’s grace-filled intervention into life and eternity We tread into dangerous waters when a movie hints that man, apart from God, can better his life or eternity

2. Does it contradict Scripture, implicitly or explicitly? Some faithbased movies include scenes or dialogue that the Bible does not In “The Passion of the Christ,” Jesus “invents” the modern table and chairs We know He likely didn’t, but does this make the movie blasphemous? In my opinion, no It doesn’t contradict Scripture or teach a false belief affecting the

salvation of others. On the other hand take NBC’s 1999 miniseries “Noah’s Ark ” In one episode, Abraham’s nephew, Lot, attacks the ark, even though he appears in the Bible long after the flood This portrayal, and others like it, explicitly contradict Scripture

3. Is the goal of this movie to teach biblical doctrine, or to rebuff Christian thinking? Remember watching “Inherit the Wind” somewhere around your sophomore year of high school?

The movie about the Scopes Monkey Trial featured the Christian doctrine of creationism, but didn’t present the facts objectively Instead, it was written with the sole intent of defacing creationism, and should be viewed with the understanding that you are not interacting with facts, but with a movie as onesided as the belief it presumes to confront

4. Is the spirit affirming or rebuking it? Ask the Father to shed light into what you are watching Pray the Lord will affirm the truth and reject falsehood, all while leading you to a Spiritled conclusion about what you saw

I’ve come to this conclusion: If Hollywood chooses to produce these films, the church should be part of the conversation that follows Let’s forego the protests and boycotts in order to interact with those who have been exposed to the Bible at the movies, but need to hear the true Gospel

Mark Mohler is pastor of Second Baptist, Marion Read his full column at www IBSA org/iBeXtra

Table Talk: Theology, ministry, and things that matter

Evangelism is an intervention

You know the scene: A troubled family member arrives home to find loved ones in the living room. One by one, they read prepared statements of love and admonition

The subject, eyes brimming with tears or flashing with indignation, endures as much as possible before caving in, pushing back or storming out

An intervention is very uncomfortable but worth it, whether the addiction is drugs or drink, clutter or cussedness. They’re ruining themselves, as those around them are grieving if not outright harmed And they don’t much appreciate your suggestion that something is out of whack

I know that people can come to Christ in a lot of tender ways An immigrant wife is touched by her Christian neighbor ’s shopping and language tips A lost welder is disarmed by the warmth of a church softball team he’s been asked to join A “singing Christmas tree” rendition of “Joy to the World” brings tears to the eyes of a cranky, unchurched parent who shows up to watch his high school senior perform

But the Lord has also used Jonathan Edwards’ sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” and the chaste slap of a godly college girl knocking some sense into an unbelieving suitor, whose advances were unseemly, a jolt which caused him to reassess his secular worldview Or how about Mordecai Ham’s scathing anti-alcohol parades, which salvifically grieved some drunks standing outside bars on the roadside?

God may well use a sequence of happy and scary events and items to lead an individual to Himself (I think I heard late evangelism professor Roy Fish say the average was seven Gospel touches before conversion )

So Bob may have been providentially prepped for salvation by, in order, a Vacation Bible School lesson he heard at age 8; a highway sign reading, “Prepare to Meet God”; a Jack Chick tract named Holy Joe; the stellar performance of a homeschooled spelling bee champ who thanked Jesus for helping her; five minutes of a Joel Osteen sermon; and a friend who repeated something he heard in an Alistair Begg broadcast

Truth is, we risk looking silly when we declare, well beyond our competency and theological warrant, that all

My new church is so small, the adult Sunday school class is called “Dave and Julie ”

πA slice of life

Parents in New Jersey filed suit in March against their school district, arguing against the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance

LifeWay Research asked Americans whether the phrase should stay or go:

evangelistic approaches other than our own are tacky, pompous, dated, specious, trendy, dopey, sleepy, grumpy, sneezy and bashful

That being said, there is an irreducible kernel of awkwardness and agony in conversion – repentance I compare it to throwing up I hate it I fight it I suppress it with every fiber of my being But when it comes, oh, the relief – the blessed cooling of a sweaty brow, the relaxation of suppressed muscles

Yes, it’s that gross, as is repentance, as we hurl up and out the poison and rot of self and sin and damnable, willful stupidity – the sort of thing you find in James 4:8-10: “Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people! Be miserable and mourn and weep. Your laughter must change to mourning and your joy to sorrow Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you ”

Sometimes we hear that a witnessing Christian is “just one beggar telling another one where to find bread ” I’d suggest it’s more like a formerly-suicidal fellow who was talked off the ledge trying to talk a currently-suicidal fellow off the ledge Or it is like a repentant Taliban terrorist in Gitmo going on TV to dissuade current Taliban terrorists to cut it out

Of course, most don’t think that a law-abiding, philanthropic citizen –working the New York Times crossword in Starbucks on Sunday morning, sitting across from his wife Khloe enjoying a half double decaffeinated half-caf with a twist of lemon, beside their jogger stroller bearing little Nash – is a suicidal terrorist But he is just as we were He’s bound for a well-deserved sinner ’s hell, indifferent to the godly stewardship of his life, harming innocents along the way by his passive, aggressive and passive-aggressive defiance of the Kingdom and its gospel of grace, Khloe and Nash being his prime victims as his “spiritual leadership in the home” couples them to his downgrading train

And so we intervene If, that is, we love the person, are convinced of his plight and are willing to risk the alienation of affection It doesn’t take licenses or programs or eloquence, though those can help It simply demands compassion, courage, a firm grasp of the hard truth and, yes, a life that reflects a better way

Mark Coppenger is director of the Nashville extension center and professor of Christian apologetics at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky This column appeared at BPNews net

Mark Mohler Mark Coppenger

PEOPLE & CHURCHES

In Memory

Leo McClard, IBSA’s state music director from 1964 to 1966, died April 16 at the age of 88

McClard spent the majority of his ministry serving with the Baptist Sunday School Board, now LifeWay, where he helped produce three editions of the Baptist Hymnal

Ministry Positions

First Baptist Church, Cutler, seeks a full-time pastor Send resumes to: Pastor Search Committee, c/o Melvin Carrothers, P O Box 57, Cutler, IL 62238, or contact him by phone at (618) 497-2426

Calvary Baptist Church, Sparta, seeks a worship pastor. Send resumes to: Calvary Church, 1509 Melmar Dr , Sparta, IL 62237, or e-mail the church at spartacalvary church@yahoo com

Charity Southern Baptist Church, Greenfield, seeks a full-time pastor. Send resumes to: Charity Southern Baptist, Attn: Search Committee, 101 Prairie St , Greenfield, IL 62044, or e-mail rondowland@yahoo com

Zone News

•

Zone 2: Joe Oliver joined the IBSA staff in April as a zone consultant in Fox Valley and Lake County Associations Oliver will work with associational leaders to connect churches with IBSA training and resources

He has ministered in Fox Valley since 1974, pastoring churches in St Charles and Cary before he retired in 2005 Since then, Oliver has been on 28 short-term mission trips He and his wife, DeWanna, are members of Lighthouse Fellowship Baptist Church in Huntley

•

Zone 6: Havana Southern Baptist Church launched Illinois’ third chapter of F A I T H Riders, a motorcycle ministry designed to reach bikers with the Gospel

PAID ADVERTISEMENTS

Star Hope Baptist Church (Elsberry, MO) is looking for a full-time pastor who supports the Cooperative Program and embraces The Baptist Faith and Message (2000) Some seminary training preferred Please send resumé to shbc@starhope org Calvary Baptist Church (SBC) in Clinton, Iowa, is seeking a fulltime pastor E-mail resumes to CalvaryBaptistPSC@gmail com

Day of Service volunteers paint their towns

Elkville | Choose a need in your community, and make it a hands-on mission project, churches were advised when planning their April 12 Day of Service And they did just that

First Baptist Church in Elkville volunteered at a “color run,” where they squirted runners with paint as they ran toward a finish line (The runners knew what they were getting into ahead of time )

Bankston Fork Baptist and FBC Carrier Mills also used paint in their service project, but their focus was fire hydrants The churches partnered to rehab almost 100 hydrants in their community that hadn’t been tended to in more than a decade Later, they joined forces with New Salem Baptist’s Pastor Roy Dale Orr and his wife, Rita, to host a fire safety training day Firefighters grilled hotdogs, and Saline Association set up a bounce house and popcorn machine

The next day, three other Harrisburg churches celebrated the Day of Service by landscaping at the local high school Around 75 volunteers from FBC Harrisburg, Dorrisville Baptist and McKinley Avenue Baptist shared a meal together after the project, and then held their annual joint Palm Sunday worship service

“It was a really cool day,” said Chris Winkleman, pastor of FBC Harrisburg “We served together, we fellowshipped together, and we worshiped together ”

The day’s theme, Serving Across Illinois, is also the theme of this sum-

FRESH COAT – First Baptist Church, Elkville, marked a statewide day of service April 12 by helping their local parent-teacher organization put on a “color run ” (Volunteers were stationed along the course, and squirted participants with paint as they ran by )

Bankston Fork and Carrier Mills Churches concentrated their painting efforts on something that couldn’t get away – fire hydrants that hadn’t been painted in more than 10 years

mer ’s Missions Spectacular The annual missions day is scheduled for three different days this year, in multiple locations Participants can choose from projects on June 7, June 28 or August 16 For more information, go to www IBSA org/MS2014

Kindness by the slice

Church blesses community with free bread

L i n c o l n | When Joyce Pettijohn accepted a donated trailer load of bread last year, she knew she’d need help giving the 2,000 loaves away

“First thing she did was get on her phone and make some calls to

her church family asking for help to make this possible,” reports Louise Webster, secretary and clerk at Lincoln Southern Baptist Church

Pettijohn’s friends got on their phones too, inviting people from the community to come get the free bread Church members also made bread deliveries, and a year later, the ministry is still going On the first Thursday and Friday of every month, Lincoln gives away wheat and white bread, along with hamburger and hotdog buns

When people come in on bread giveaway days, church members are able to pray with them “Sometimes we just chat with them and get to know them better as they come to pick up their bread, and maybe have a cup of coffee,” Webster said

“What a wonderful blessing this has turned out to be, reaching so many church food pantries, nursing home workers, missions, and all those wonderful individuals out there in this community,” she said “As we give thanks for bread to nourish our bodies, we remember that Jesus is the bread of life to nourish our souls ”

Japanese Mission opens building

LABOR OF LOVE – Pastor Yugo Kobari and his wife, Keiko (center), celebrated the opening of a new building for their church, Chicago Japanese Mission The multi-year building project was completed with help from volunteer groups

NOT LOAFING AROUND – Joyce Pettijohn of Lincoln Southern Baptist Church kickstarted a new ministry last year when she accepted a trailer load of bread and enlisted her church’s help to give it away

ERLC summit addresses sex and the Gospel

Continued from page 1

“We’re all in agreement that the cultural war is over when it comes to homosexuality, certainly when it comes to gay marriage,” Florida pastor Jimmy Scroggins said at the ERLC’s summit In his urban context of West Palm Beach, Scroggins said, “The question is what are we going to do in the church ”

Some might call this “post-culture war America ” Others might conclude that we’ve entered a new phase, culture cold war, with new weapons such as Twitter and a new battlefield, ironically, inside the church

Embrace the strangeness

This new culture has been on the horizon for a while: Marriage rates across all demographic groups have fallen continuously since 1970, Andrew Walker of the ERLC noted during his summit breakout session Cohabitation rates are up too: USA Today reported last year that for almost half of all women between ages 15 and 44, their “first union” was cohabitation instead of marriage

Also on the rise: Approval for redefining marriage A recent ABC News/Washington Post poll reported 59% of Americans approve of samesex marriage

Addressing sweeping social and cultural changes was one emphasis of the April 21-23 meeting in Nashville, but speakers also talked about how church leaders ought to interact with increasingly specific questions arising at their churches Like what to do when a transgender person expresses repentance and belief in Christ. Or how to counsel college students when premarital sex is not only accepted, it’s expected on the first date

A few days before the ERLC summit, Moore appeared on ABC’s “This Week” to discuss religion and politics with a panel of evangelical and conservative leaders He talked about the falling away of nominal, in-name-only faith, and the increasing “strangeness” of Christianity Moore told moderator Martha Raddatz, “It’s a different time, and that means we speak in a different way ”

“We speak to people who don’t necessarily agree with us There was a time in which we could assume that

most Americans agreed with us on life, and on abortion, and on religious liberty and other issues And we simply had to say, ‘We’re for the same things you’re for, join us ’

“It’s a different day We have to speak to the rest of the culture and say, ‘Here’s why this is in your interest to value life, to value family, to value religious liberty ’”

During the Nashville meeting, social media provided plenty of evidence of the divide The meeting was one of Twitter ’s top trending topics on its first day Feedback from attenders was positive, but others watching the summit online spoke out, often harshly, against what speakers said

That Christian views are seen as strange isn’t surprising, Moore said on the ABC broadcast

“Many people now when they hear about what evangelical Christians believe, their response is to say, ‘That sounds freakish to me, that sounds odd and that sounds strange Well, of course it does We believe that a previously dead man is now the ruler of the universe and offers forgiveness of sins to anyone who will repent and believe.”

Reclaim the strangeness of Christi-

anity, he urged at the Nashville meeting, basing it on the death and resurrection of Jesus

So, what should we say?

Throughout the summit, speakers stressed the supremacy of the Gospel and clarity of what the Bible teaches about sexuality Christians shouldn’t apologize for it, said Andrew Walker Preaching an almost-Gospel is not match for the sexual revolution, Moore said

Or, as Southern Seminary’s Denny Burk put it, “We have to be grave about these things ”

Scripture calls Christians to speak the truth, but to speak it in love “We have to reject ‘redneck theology’ in all of its forms,” Jimmy Scroggins said during a panel discussion on the Gospel and homosexuality “Let’s stop telling ‘Adam and Steve’ jokes ” (God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve )

As the audience chuckled, Scroggins continued, “Let’s be compassionate because these are people that are in our community, these are people who are in our churches, these are people who

have grown up in our youth groups, and these are people that we’re trying to win to Christ, and we want to care for them as a people created in God’s image ”

Speaking with “convictional kindness” has been a major part of Moore’s message in his first year as ERLC president “I hope to speak with civility and with kindness and in dialogue with people with whom I disagree,” he told Christianity Today last year

It’s a timely endeavor, especially when social norms run ever more contrary to the Gospel J.D. Greear pastors The Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, N C At a church that reaches a large number of college students, sexual ethics are a topic of constant conversation

“Sex gets at the core of who we are Its dysfunction and its damage is deep, but the Gospel goes deeper still,” Greear said. “Because where sin abounds, grace much more abounds, and the great brokenness of sex presents an even greater opportunity for the Gospel ”

The May 26 issue of the Illinois Baptist will examine in more detail how speakers at the summit addressed contemporary threats to biblical sexuality and marriage The ERLC also will look more closely at “The Gospel, Homosexuality, and the Future of Marriage” at a conference scheduled for Oct 27-29 in Nashville

Pray through the news

Petition the Lord for a revolution of love carried out by multitudes of praying, caring, Gospel-sharing Jesus followers

In the public square: Homeschoolers visit the Capitol

S p r i n g f i e l d | Carefully juggling cherry pies and packets of literature, a group of unlikely lobbyists navigated the Illinois Capitol’s winding hallways and steep stairs April 9

On “Cherry Pie Day,” homeschooling families in town for the annual Illinois Christian Home Educators’ meeting delivered pies and smiles to state lawmakers Alicia Mudd from Decatur shepherded her son and three grandchildren through the recently renovated Capitol as they found their way to Sen Kirk Dillard’s office, where a member of his staff accepted their pie (photo at right)

It’s a sweet way to thank state lawmakers for their service, and to encourage future legislation that keeps their educational freedom safe

In a devotional to open one day of ICHE’s meeting, IBSA’s Rex Alexander told a story about his friend, Al, who fought on D-Day While visiting Normandy years later, a boy on a school field trip came up to Al and thanked him for serving, and saving his country Christians won’t receive their full reward on earth, Alexander said, but one is coming And the world is watching “They want to know what we’re made of They want to know if the Gospel is still real when we’re faced with pain and defeat ”

NEW DAY – Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, has used the phrase “convictional kindness” to describe how Christians ought to engage a vastly different culture than the one their parents and grandparents knew

PANEL – Moore joined pastors Dean Inserra and Nathan Lino and Focus on the Family’s Kelly Rosati to discuss ministry in a sex-saturated society

New churches reach second-gen, ‘pioneer’ regions

Continued from page 1

That tension produced a new kind of church in the Humboldt Park neighborhood: Hispanic worship in English

It’s designed to reach people like him, second-generation young adults, the children of immigrants who are often more like the kids they went to school with than their own parents

De la O cites a statistic showing 60% of second-gen adults have markedly different culture, language, education, and income than first-gen immigrants If they don’t find a different kind of church than mom and dad’s, he said, they are likely to drop out

At home, and not at home

If the very different needs of younger people sound familiar, there’s good reason, said IBSA’s multicultural church planting specialist, Jay Noh. “The gap between first-gen immigrants and their U S -born second-gen children includes every challenge that the mainstream U S churches have faced, compounded by differences in languages and culture ” In his words, “The paternalistic assumptions of the first-gen won’t be accepted” by their children

“As soon as they are able to escape the world of their parents and other people of authority, they find a place that is somewhere between their ethnic heritage and the dominant American culture,” said Van Kicklighter, who heads church planting for IBSA

De la O hopes that place will be his new church Starting Point Church is meeting in the newly refurbished building owned by Chicago Metro Baptist Association Noh is assisting another second-gen church start that also shares the space, The Way Bible Church, reaching young Romanians

The Romanian congregation, and second-gen Koreans, Chinese, and international students from Moody Bible Institute, packed out the launch service to show support for De la O and the new church

Later that same day, northwest of Chicago in Mt Prospect, a worship band rehearsed prior to the first public service of Bethel Church On the plat-

form was the expected array of guitar players and drummers, plus one violinist Mostly Korean, they sang in English and the music was loud

“Is this typical of Korean worship services?” a guest asked two teenage girls who were thumbing their phones while sitting on the back row of the borrowed sanctuary

“No,” one girl said “Not the Korean-language services They are very traditional ”

“

Very, ” the other added, “but EM –that’s English Ministry – those services are contemporary Not as, um, Korean,” she said, smiling

“Not as, um, Korean” might be a good slogan for Bethel Church Pastor John Yi has led a multicultural community ministry to poor families in Maywood, about 15 miles away Now he is starting a new church, also multicultural, which is expected to draw several ethnic groups, but especially second-generation Asians Like the young women on the back row

“Our principal attention has been on

unchurched English-speaking people in our surrounding neighborhoods in Mt Prospect even though Bethel Church is made up of a largely AsianAmerican base,” Yi said “Interestingly, our ethnic affinity is difficult to dismiss and thus, we have attracted a lot more Korean-speaking people than we had planned ”

The disconnect between generations becomes evident as older people filled the pews, then attempted to sing English worship songs It’s not only the linguistic gap, there’s a musical gap that many churches have had to bridge

Their discomfort is evident, but clearly the older people support Yi and his effort to reach their children’s generation It’s all smiles and bows as about 300 people filled the fellowship hall after the service and shared an inaugural meal of stir-fried rice, Buffalo wings, and Italian spaghetti

“The first generation has a growing understanding of the necessity of having a gospel ministry that’s culturally indigenous for their U S -born second

gen,” Noh said “This may have come about belated as a result of a decade or more of the young generation’s silent exodus from their ethnic churches.”

New networks, new sites

In the far south Chicago suburbs, another church launched this day Meeting in a middle school amid large new houses, this church plant is a restart “First Baptist Church of New Lennox approached us asking for help,” said Scott Nichols, pastor of Crossroads Community Church in Carol Stream, another suburb 40 miles away “They sold their building and had been meeting in a school Unfortunately, they were near to closing the doors ” Nichols and his team did what they have done twice before: they brought in leaders and vision First they offered Saturday night services utilizing the Carol Stream staff. Then, after calling a campus pastor to lead the new work, they restarted Sunday morning worship

On opening day, Grace Point Community Church in Frankfort welcomed about 60 people from the area Their target is not based on ethnicity but proximity “Our target is anyone who will hear us,” Nichols said “We have gone door to door and mailed about 20,000 postcards to the area ”

Nichols recounts how he’s often said, “You could blindfold an ape and give him a dart Any place on the Chicagoland map he hits is a good place to plant a church!”

The Crossroads/Grace Point plant demonstrates two trends: the trend toward shutting down a foundering church, then allowing a stronger church to restart a ministry with new vision and new DNA; and the emergence of networks among churches that produce multi-site ministries

“I believe this is happening both out of necessity and a new valuing of multiplication and reproduction,” Kicklighter said “Necessity, because churches and pastors are hungry for connection with others,” but also from “a passionate commitment to impact lostness and to do whatever it takes to reach people and give them a local church in which to grow as disciples ”

Grace Fellowship in Davis Junction: This renovated electrician’s shop at an Ogle County crossroad is home to the church’s third site Brad Pittman (left) leads the new location, while pastor Jeremy Horton (right, greeting visitors after the launch service) leads the Ashton campus

New Hope in Rock Falls: Pastor Jon Sedgwick prays with IBSA church planting leaders Van Kicklighter (left), John Mattingly (right) and Jordan Van Dyke, a future church planter in Galesburg, prior to the launch service Later Sedgwick baptized a brother and sister

The next ‘Next Gen’: Young English-speaking adults, the children of first-generation immigrants, are the target group at Starting Point in Chicago

North by northwest

As at Crossroads, the leaders of Grace Fellowship have a broad vision On Palm Sunday weekend, in a small metal building in north central Illinois south of Rockford, that vision is becoming reality – for the third time

“I got my first job when I was 13,” Brad Pittman said, “tasseling corn Anybody know what tasseling corn is?” Hands shot up across the room, along with a few chuckles “Best job in the world,” he said, before describing his journey from corn tasseler to full-time church planter A member at Grace Fellowship for 13 years, Pittman eventually joined the staff with pastors Jeremy Horton and Brian McWethy. From the main campus in Ashton, the trio launched Grace Fellowship in Amboy in 2012, and next in rural Davis Junction

“This is a part of the state where Southern Baptists have had little presence,” said Kicklighter “When Baptists moved from the south, they settled primarily in the metropolitan areas of the north to work in industry They did not come to Illinois to buy farms so we have few churches in these kinds of settings ”

The mainline denominations were better established here, but their churches are in steep decline So, there is potential here

“There are over 4 million people living in the non-urban context in Illinois,” said IBSA’s John Mattingly, who leads church planting in the northwest quadrant “I believe God has prepared many more churches like Grace Fellowship to step out in faith and do something remarkable ”

The three pastors targeted Davis Junction (called “DJ” by the locals) because there was only one faltering mainline church there to serve more than 4,000 people “We hung over 800 door hangers” in the week before the launch, Pittman said “We don’t know what the Lord is going to do; we’ll have to wait and see,” he said, before describing how deeply he feels the spiritual need in the area

“This is not the typical multi-site church plant,” Kicklighter said, “but a commitment to reproduction and, even more importantly, sending people who

will impact another place with the Gospel This is a value system commitment that says extending the reach of the Gospel and the church is at least as important as how many we gather in our own building on Sunday morning ”

More than 60 turned out for the first Saturday evening service, some from the church’s other locations, but many new visitors from DJ After the service in the brightly rehabbed building, there are lots of hugs, as at each of the launches, and cake

It is a birthday, after all

After closure, new hope

The next morning Jon Sedgwick is all smiles as he baptizes two new believers Sedgwick didn’t intend to plant a church in northern Illinois “I didn’t like Illinois,” the former Missouri pastor said emphatically Illinois was just a place to get through when traveling home to Indiana for visits with family.

“But God gave us a love for Illinois!”

“We love Rock Falls!” his wife, Rhadonda, added, equally enthusiastically

Mattingly had visited the Sedgwicks’ Missouri church describing the need for planters in the Northwest quadrant of Illinois After Mattingly’s second appeal – “Is God calling someone here to come and help?” – the couple realized, “It was us God was calling us God said, ‘Why not you?’”

In 2012, they arrived and began building a new ministry at the building that once housed First Southern Baptist Church of Rock Falls To the usual round of Bible studies and home meetings, Sedgwick added “Celebrate Recovery,” a faith-based twelve-step program originated by Rick Warren and Saddleback Community Church in California Reaching out to people with addictions, Sedgwick found doors opening that once were closed to Baptist ministry

At the worship service, greeters David and John freely told guests how

they came to be part of New Hope Church through the recovery ministry

Also in attendance was Jordan Van Dyke, a planter who is gathering a core group for a new church in Galesburg

It is commonly observed that ministry in northwest Illinois is especially challenging “It’s because of the soil,” Van Dyke said “It’s hard Sometimes I wish I’d been sent to southern Illinois where, when it’s Sunday, people go to church In the northwest, it’s Sunday and church is an option ‘Will I go to church?’ Maybe Maybe not ”

On this day they do, because there’s new hope in Rock Falls.

In the May 26 issue of the Illinois Baptist, we’ll continue our series on The Midwest Challenge with a focus on church revitalization Go to http://ibonline IBSA org to read past editions of the IB

Grace Point in Frankfort: Worship leaders from Crossroads Community Church in Carol Stream assist their new sister church, led by campus pastor Emanuel Istrate (center photo, right) After the service held at Hickory Creek Middle School, the equipment goes back in the trailer until the next week

Bethel Church in Mt Prospect: A multi-ethnic crowd feasts on an international menu following the first public service Pastor John Yi (in the green shirt) shakes hands and bows to almost every guest Yi has led a ministry to poor families in another Chicago suburb since 2008

– Photos by Eric Reed

COOPERATIVE PROGRAM GIVING - First Quar ter 2014

Januar y 1 - March 31

This repor t includes contributions received by the Illinois Baptist State Association through the first quar ter of 2014 For questions about this repor t, contact IBSA Associate Executive Director of the Business Team Melissa Phillips at (217) 3913104, e-mail MelissaPhillips@IBSA org or write to her at P O Box 19247, Springfield, IL 62794-9247

ASSOCIATIONS

Total Per Churches CP Capita

BAY CREEK

CLEAR CREEK

EAST CENTRAL

FOX VALLEY

FRANKLIN

GOSHEN TRAIL

GREATER WABASH

COOPERATIVE PROGRAM GIVING

Total Per Churches CP Capita

11

COOPERATIVE PROGRAM GIVING

Top 100 Illinois churches in Cooperative Program suppor t through the first quar ter of 2014

Top 100 Illinois churches in per capita CP suppor t through the first quar ter of 2014

A s e r i e s f r o m t h e I l l i n o i s B a p t i s t • V o l 4

W e s e r v e i n … R o c k f o r d K a r e n B a p t i s t c e e b r a t e d t h e r s i x t h a n n i v e r s a r y w i t h f r i e n d s f r o m F i r s t B a p t i s t , M a c h e s n e y P a r k , w h e r e t h e K a r e n c o n g r eg a t i o n h a s m e t s n c e 2 0 0 8

“ I t h i n k t h a t t h e y b l e s s u s m o r e i n t h e w a y t h a t t h e y e n c o u r a g e u s , ” T i b b e t t s s a i d , “ t h a n w e w o u l d e v e r b l e s s t h e m i n w h a t w e d o f o r t h e m p h y s i c a l l y . ” M a c h e s n e y P a r k ’s D o u g a n d R o b i n P r i c e s e r v e a s l i a i s o n s t o t h e K a r e n c o n g r e g a t i o n , c o m m u n i c a t i n g t h e i r n e e d s t o t h e m o t h e r c h u r c h . L e a d e r s f r o m t h e t w o c h u r c h e s m e e t p e r i o d i c a l l y , a n d t h e K a r e n c h u r c h i s w o r k i n g t o w a r d i n c r e a s e d i n d e p e n d e n c e , T i b b e t t s s a i d T h e o l d e r c h u r c h i s a l s o c h a n g i n g , h e s a i d , a s t h e i r v i e w o f m i s s i o n s e x p a n d s t h r o u g h t h e p r o c e s s o f g e tt i n g t o k n o w t h e K a r e n c h u r c h . “ M y h o p e a n d p r a y e r i s t h a t t h e y w i l l s a y , ‘ W o w, h o w m u c h m o r e c a n w e d o f o r p e o p l e g r o u p s a r o u n d t h e w o r l d ? ’ ”

–M e r e d i t h F l y n n R e f u g e e s f i n d a h o m e a t M a c h e s n e y P a r k

I m a g i n e b e i n g p u s h e d o u t o f y o u r h o m e b y a c i v i l w a r a n d f o r c e d t o l i v e a l o n g t h e e d g e s o f y o u r o w n c o u n t r y . T h a t ’s t h e p l i g h t o f t h e K a r e n , a m i n o r i t y p e o p l e g r o u p i n t h e c o u n t r y o f M y a n m a r, f o r m e r l y c a l l e d B u r m a M a n y h a v e l i v e d f o r y e a r s i n r e f u g e e c a m p s a l o n g t h e M y a n m a r / T h a i l a n d b o r d e r. O v e r t h e p a s t d e c a d e , t h o u s a n d s o f K a r e n h a v e r e l o c a t e d t o t h e U S t h r o u g h r e s e t t l e m e n t p r o g r a m s . P a s t o r E h S a y W a h w a s o n e o f t h o s e r e f u g e e s . H e l e d a c h u r c h i n a T h a i c a m p f o r n i n e y e a r s b e f o r e r es e t t l i n g h i s f a m i l y i n n o r t h e r n I l l i n o i s . W a h n o w p a st o r s K a r e n B a p t i s t C h u r c h , w h i c h j u s t c e l e b r a t e d i t s s i x t h a n n i v e r s a r y . T h e c o n g r e g a t i o n g o t i t s s t a r t w h e n B a p t i s t l e a d e r s i n t h e a r e a f o u n d o u t a b o u t a g r o u p o f K a r e n w h o n e e d e d a p l a c e t o m e e t f o r c h u r c h T h e y c o n t a c t e d F i r s t B a p t i s t C h u r c h i n M a c h e s n e y P a r k , w h o m a d e t h e i r b u i l d i n g a v a i l a b l e K a r e n B a p t i s t m e e t s o n S u nd a y s a t n o o n i n t h e c h u r c h ’s f o r m e r f e l l o w s h i p c e n t e r. H e a t h T i b b e t t s , F i r s t B a p t i s t ’s p a s t o r, s a i d t h e K a r e n c o n g r e g a t i o n w a s o n e o f t h e t h i n g s t h a t d r e w h i m a n d h i s w i f e t h e r e l a s t y e a r M a c h e s n e y P a r k h a d a l r e a d y o p e n e d t h e i r d o o r s t o t h e K a r e n , h e t h o u g h t , s o t h e y m u s t b e w i l l i n g t o g o o u t s i d e t h e c h u r c h a n d d o t h e s a m e k i n d o f m i n i s t r y . A t t h e i r a n n i v e r s a r y c e l e b r a t i o n , t h e K a r e n c h u r c h i n v i t e d l e a d e r s f r o m F i r s t B a p t i s t t o w o r s h i p w i t h t h e m T i b b e t t s d e s c r i b e d t h e g r a c i o u s n e s s a n d h u m i li t y w i t h w h i c h t h e y t h a n k e d t h e m f o r h o s t i n g t h e i r c h u r c h f o r t h e s e s i x y e a r s T h e y p r e s e n t e d t h e F B C m e m b e r s w i t h t r a d i t i o n a l K a r e n c h u r c h a t t i r e , a n d s h a r e d l u n c h w i t h t h e m a f t e r t h e s e r v i c e a t P a s t o r W a h ’s h o m e .

T h e f i r s t e v d e n c e o f h i s a r r v a l w a s t h e s o u n d o f a r u s h i n g w i n d N e x t t h e r e a p p e a r e d o v e r t h e h e a d s o f t h e p e o p e g a t h e r e d a t t h e t e m p l e s o m e t h i n g t h a t o o k e d i k e f l a m e s . T h e n t h e d i s c i p l e s p r e a c h e d . P e o p e o f a l d f f e r e n t a n g u a g e s h e a r d a n d u n d e r s t o o d t h e G o s p e ( S e e A c t s 2 ) S o o n t h o u s a n d s w e r e s a v e d F r o m m a n y n a t i o n s a n d l a n g u a g e s , a l t h e y h a d i n c o m m o n w a s n e w f a i t h n J e s u s T h a t w a s p l e n t y T h e c h u r c h w a s b o r n

M A N Y T O N G U E S , M A N Y L A N G U A G E S

P e o p l e f r o m a l o v e r w e r e g a t h e r e d i n J e r u s a l e m f o r t h e c e l e b r a t i o n o f P e n t e c o s t O r g n a l y m a r k n g t h e f i r s t f r u t s o f t h e h a r v e s t , t w a s o n e o f t h r e e m a o r f e a s t t i m e s w h e n p l g r i m s j o u r n e y e d t o t h e i r s p i r i t u a l c a p i t a l t o o f f e r s a c rf i c e s F i f t y d a y s a f t e r P a s s o v e r w h e n J e s u s w a s c r u c i f e d a n d r a i s e d f r o m t h e d e a d , a n d o n e w e e k a f t e r h e a sc e n d e d n t o h e a v e n , t h e p r o m i s e w a s f u f i l l e d t h a t G o d w o u l d s e n d t h e H o l y S p i r i t

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

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 !

R e s o u r c e s f o r B1 0 1 C O M I N G S O O N

• L e a d e r s g u i d e s f o r s t u d y g r o u p s

• S e fg u d e d t u t o r i a l s o n S B C m s s o n s , B a p t i s t b e l e f s , d s t i n c t i v e s , a n d t h e C o o p e r a t i v e P r o g r a m • T h e w h o e 2 0p a r t s e r i e s w l l b e a v a l a b l e f o r d o w n l o a d i n t m e f o r f a l d s c p l e s h p c l a s s e s a n d s m a l g r o u p s . A v a i a b l e s o o n o n l i n e a t w w w . I B S A . o r g / B 1 0 1 .

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E S L p o i n t s n e w c o m e r s t o J e s u s

L u t e r . A r o u n d t h a t s a m t i m e , t h e c h u r c h s t a r t e d h o s t i n g c o n g r e g a t i o n o f K a r e n r e f u g e e f r o m M y a n m a r. T h e E S L m i n i s t r a p e r f e c t w a y f o r t h c h t o m i n i s t e r t o t h o m e r s S i n c e t h e c l a s n , 1 0 p e o p l e c o n n e c t e e m i n i s t r y h a v e b e e U . S . c i t i z e n s . L u t e r ’s c l a s s u s e s c u r r i c u l u m b y t h e S o u t he r n B a p t i s t N o r t h A m e r i c a n

N o v e l l a

O I S I N S I G H T A f t e r a l m o s t 3 5 y e a r s o f t e a c hi n g E n g l i s h t o b e g i n n e r s , G l a d y s

M i n e r k n o w s h o w h a r d i t i s t o s p e a k a d i f f e r e n t l a ng u a g e t h a n e v e r y o n e e l s e . S h e ’s h e a r d s t o r i e s o f h o w h e r s t u d e n t s h a v e b e e n m i s t r e a t e d , a b u s e d o r u n a b l e t o m o v e u p i n t h e i r w o r k b e c a u s e o f t h e i r t e n u o u s g r a s p o f t h e l a n g u a g e . E v e r y

M i s s i o n B o a r d , w h i c h w o r k s w i t h a n e t w o r k o f s t a t e l e a d e r s t o p r o v i d e t r a i n i n g a n d r e s o u r c e s f o r E S L a n d s e v e r a l o t h e r l i t e r a c y o u tr e a c h e s , l i k e t u t o r i n g a n d a d u l t r e a d i n g / w r i t i n g T h e c u r r i c u l u m i s b a s e d o n t h e G o s p e l o f M a r k , s o L u t e r u s e s t h e t e x t t o t e a c h p a r t s o f s p e e c h , s e n t e n c e s t r u c t u r e a n d v oc a b u l a r y T h e c l a s s e s a t b o t h c h u r c h e s d e si g n a t e t i m e f o r p r a y e r a n d r e a d i n g t h e B i b l e , g i v i n g t e a c h e r s a n a t u r a l w a y t o s h a r e t h e G o s p e l M i n e r h a s k n o w n s t u d e n t s f r o m J a p a n a n d T u r k e y w h o h a v e a c c e p t e d C h r i s t t h r o u g h E S L c l a s s e s , a s w e l l a s a m i g r a n t w o r k e r i n s o u t h e r n I l l in o i s . “ W h y a r e y o u d o i n g t h i s f o r m e ? ” s h e r e c o u n t s t h e q u e s t i o n s t u d e n t s h a v e a s k e d “ I ’ m d o i n g t h i s b e c a u s e G o d l o v e s m e , H e l o v e s y o u … . L e t m e t e l l y o u a b o u t m y J e s u s ”

T u e s d a y n i g h t , M i n e r d o e s w h a t s h e c a n t o l e a d i n g a s m a l l g r o u p o f E n g l i s h s t u d e n t s t h r o u g h t h e i r n e w v o c a bu l a r y w o r d s f o r t h e w e e k

H e r c l a s s i s p a r t o f t h e E n g l i s h a s a S e c o n d L a n g u a g e ( E S L ) m i ni s t r y h o s t e d b y I g l e s i a B a u t i s t a

P r i n c i p e d e P a z , a c h u r c h i n S p r i n g f i e l d , I l l . K n o w l e d g e l i f t s p e o p l e u p ,

M i n e r s a y s ; t h e y c a n g e t b e t t e r j o b s , t h e i r s e l fe s t e e m i m p r o v e s , a n d t h e y k n o w s o m e b o d y c a r e s a b o u t t h e m A n d t h e r e ’s a n o t h e r, s i m p l e r r e a s o n w h y s h e k e e p s t e a c h i n g : “ I f I w e r e i n a a n o t h e r c o u n t r y , I ’ d w a n t s o m e o n e t o h e l p m e ” N e a r R o c k f o r d , I l l . , F B C M a c he s n e y P a r k s t a r t e d a n E S L m i n i s t r y s i x y e a r s a g o . T h e y i n i t i a l l y t h o u g h t t h e y ’ d b e t e a c h i n g S p a ni s hs p e a k e r s “ T h e L o r d h a d d i f f e r e n t t h i n g s f o r u s , ” s a y s v o l u n t e e r t e a c h e r

L o c a t i o n : J e r s e y v i l l e , J e r s e y C o u n t y T a r g e t : M a t u r e s i n g e s a n d c o u p l e s i v e i n t h s s m a l t o w n w i t h r u r a l n e i g h b o r h o o d s C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s : T h s c i t y o f 8 , 5 0 0 i s o n t h e f a r n o r t h e r n e d g e o f t h e M e t r o E a s t S t L o u i s r e g o n H i s t o r c a l y , J e r s e y v i l e w a s a s t o p o n t h e U n d e r g r o u n d R a i l r o a d . P r a y : F o r c h u r c h e s t o p r a y a n d p a r t n e r t o p l a n t a c h u r c h n t h i s a r e a 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

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

Baptist godparents?

Q: Our daughter married a Catholic boy H e h a s n ’ t b e e n t o t h e C a t h o l i c c h u r c h i n years, and he doesn’t object that we want our future grandchild to have a dedication service at our church, not a christening But h e w a n t s g o d p a r e n t s D o B a p t i s t b a b i e s have godparents?

A: Many Baptist churches have another trusted, mature, godly couple stand with a family during a baby dedication, and some churches refer to them as godparents But the meaning should be clearly explained by the pastor In the event some tragic circumstance claims the lives of the child’s parents, those standing with them are making a promise they will do their best to see that the child hears the Gospel, follows the Lord in baptism, and is raised in a Christian home It is not a responsibility that should be taken lightly, but a privilege to commit one’s watch care over the dedicated child and his or her family

In fact, during a baby dedication, I always made it known that not only were the parents promising to raise their child as a Christian, but the

LIFE AND LEADERSHIP

church family was promising to help do the same thing From the nursery through the youth department, we were promising to provide the support, training, equipping, and discipleship skills this little child would need to become a mature follower of Jesus Christ

Secret shoppers

Q: My wife wants to visit Willow Creek on our way to the Wisconsin Dells this summer I’m not sure there’s a lot I can learn at a megachurch that fits our church Where would you go to church on your vacation?

A: My recommendation is to visit a church that averages 75-100 more than your church See what they are doing that you are not Pay attention from the moment you drive onto the parking lot until the final Amen, and take notes What songs are they singing? How did their greeters greet you? What does their bulletin look like? Did they do something special to recognize guests? What were the five things that caught you or your wife’s attention?

In the long run, you will probably not be able to implement the practices of a church running 18,000, but you

might discover that changing, tweaking, adding or removing something you learned from a church of just a little larger size than yours could really make a lasting difference!

Sound off

Q: W e ’ v e t r i e d t h e v i d e o a n n o u n c e m e n t about turning off cell phones, and still, they r i n g d u r i n g w o r s h i p ( I p e r s o n a l l y t h i n k they’re a tool of the devil ) What do you do when that happens?

A: Even the most obedient and diligent member sometimes accidently forgets to shut off his or her cell phone. It even happens to pastors, who have the advantage of being able to announce that the Lord called just to say “Good Morning!”

With the proliferation of smart phones and tablets, many members now carry those instead of Bibles and follow along on YouVersion, Logos, or some other Bible app I think the days of asking for them to be turned off are over; however, people can be reminded with an overhead slide, bulletin reminder, or even a brief announcement to please switch them to silent

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

Rearranging the deck chairs

Q: Why do you think debt consolidation is such a bad thing?

A: Debt consolidation is a bad thing because it makes you feel like you really did something to get out of debt and change your financial world when you didn’t People come to me all the time saying stuff like, “Dave, I got a second mortgage I paid off all my debt!” Well, no you didn’t pay off all your debt You just moved it around That’s part of the catch when it comes to debt consolidation If you get a lower payment and move things around a little bit, you feel like you actually accomplished something The problem with that is you don’t do anything to address the real problem, which is you

Interest rates aren’t your problem, and the number of payments isn’t your problem Your problem is the person you look at in the mirror every morning Until you fix that person and get mad enough at your financial situation and the real cause of it, you’ll never make any progress toward getting control of your finances

Trying to borrow your way out of debt is not a good plan!

For more financial advice from Dave Ramsey, go to www IBSA org

Training Oppor tunities Training Oppor tunities

May 5: plantMIDWEST in Chicago and St Louis Topic: The Gospel and Money Chicago: Armitage Baptist, DennisConner@IBSA.org. St. Louis: August Gate, CharlesCampbell@IBSA org

May 11: BCHFS Mother’s Day Offering Go to www bchfs com for more info

May 12-13: IBSA Golf Scramble, Oak Terrace Resort, Pana Pastors, church staff and leaders can bring their own foursome or join a team www IBSA org/Church Health

May 16-17: Collegiate Ministry Workshop, IBSA Building, Springfield 7 p m Friday to 5 p m Saturday Registration is free JennaNickelson@IBSA org

May 16-17: Mother/Daughter Camp, Lake Sallateeska and Streator Camps 4:30 p m Friday to 3 p m Saturday Cost is $75 for moms, free for daughters www IBSA org/Children

May 22-26: Rally to Ridgecrest. Motorcyclists leave at 9:30 a m May 22 from Mt Vernon, and the group will return after the annual conference in North Carolina www IBSA org/Motorcycle

May 23-24: Men of Valor, Lake Sallateeska For young men in grades 7-12;

teaching the biblical definition of manhood through warrior-type games Contact Scott Slone at (618) 303-2130 or pastorscott95@yahoo.com.

June 7: BCHFS Golf Tournament, Edgewood Country Club, Auburn www bchfs com/events

June 7, 28: Missions Spectacular. Choose from hands-on ministry projects in Decatur, East St Louis and Alton (June 7) and Cairo (June 28) Cost is $25 for adults and $7 50 for kids under 12 www IBSA org/Missions

June 13-14: Father/Son Camp at Lake Sallateeska and Streator Camps For fathers and sons of all ages; $75 for fathers and free for sons www IBSA org/Children

June 16-20: Co-Ed Missions Camp, Lake Sallateeska For boys and girls in grades 3-12; $110 per person www IBSA org/Children

June 24-28: Super Summer, Greenville College For students who have completed grades 7-12 and are looking for fresh ways to develop as a Christian leader www ilstudentz com

i n s pi r a t i o n s

Check out our Pinterest boards for more .

POSTCARDS FROM THE EDG

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

Missionaries: Tony & Aleyda Munoz (with Antonio, Isabella and Emilia)

Church Plants: Iglesia Bautista Latina in Effingham, Centralia and Champaign/Urbana

Focusing On: Hispanic population

Pray: For more disciples that could become church planters, and for the non-reached areas yet to be discovered

Potluck Blogger

Skewers

i, packaged ese, cut into chunks

mer sausage

whole

s ives

o skewers

To prepare: Cook tortellini according to package directions and let them cool Alternate meat, cheese, pasta and vegetables to fill the skewers; then, place them in a shallow baking dish Drizzle with Italian dressing and refrigerate until serving And add your own favorite ingredients!

Submit recipes to MeredithFlynn@IBSA org

“I say ‘Bravo to those women who have the courage to buck the 20thcentury feminist script that women can only find fulfillment in the workplace ” –

Cathy Cleaver Ruse, Family Research Council

Trending

More moms stay home

29% of mothers are the stay-home variety, according to a new Pew survey

That’s up from 23% in 2008, at the height of the recession In contrast, 41% of kids in 1970 were raised by stay h

ican moms are more e home, while 10% c moms stay home

REST ASSURED

“Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and incomprehensible things you do not know

One of the great truths of the Bible is that God invites you to pray, to talk with Him You don’t have to master a method or follow a formula We have studied prayer, taught about prayer, and preached on the subject of prayer We talk about the urgent need for prayer and we hear the calls to pray But there is one thing that needs more attention, the practice of prayer I say this not to condemn us but to encourage us

This verse from Jeremiah is a portion of the Word of the Lord that came to the prophet while he was confined in the courtyard of the palace of Judah It contains both an invitation to call upon God and a promise that God will answer Let us not think that we are illequipped to pray There are no stipulations in this verse that would halt or hinder our prayers In fact, Romans 8:26 reminds us that in those times when we don’t know what we should pray for, the Holy Spirit of God intercedes for us

PRAYER PROMPT: Let us rejoice in our God who delights in our conversation with Him and “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:22)

Odis Weaver is pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Plainfield and is currently serving as president of IBSA

GIFT CERTIFICATE

Mom, take this coupon to the welcome desk to pick up a gift basket just for you.

Happy Mother’s Day!

for May

SBulletin tuffer

(BTW:momslikesoaps, lotions, chocolate, and freechildcare.)