May 6, 2019 Illinois Baptist

Nate Adams P. 2

Do no harm

Pot opponents prep for legalization push

Springfield | Illinois lawmakers returned from their spring break poised to introduce legislation to legalize marijuana use for adults. The legalization effort is supported by Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who advocated it throughout his campaign and in his inaugural address.

Pritzker and other legalization supporters say marijuana would bring beneficial revenue to the state, including up to $170 million in fiscal year 2020. But others say the costs—financial and otherwise—would be much greater.

“Too many people are shrugging and saying, Will it really do any harm? Yes. Absolutely, it will,” wrote two Illinois law enforcement associations in a joint statement last year. The Illinois Chiefs of Police and Illinois Sheriffs’ Associations pointed to increased marijuana-related

NATE ADAMS

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM

Snapshots from the world of Illinois

Baptists

“Sharing the good news that Jesus paid for our sins through his death on the cross and rose again to bring us new life is the mission of the church, but it does not appear to be the priority of churchgoers.”

– Scott McConnell, LifeWay Research

How will they hear?

LifeWay asked Protestant church-goers how many times in the past six months they’ve shared with someone how to become a Christian:

Lessons from unexpected guests

During the years when our sons were younger and still at home, one of them asked me one evening, “Dad, what do you do all day?” No doubt I was distracted with whatever work I was doing at the time, and I glibly replied, “I attend meetings, talk on the phone, solve problems, and write e-mails.”

While a little sarcastic, my answer was not inaccurate. Administration is not just a big part of my job, it’s one of my spiritual gifts from God, so I accept it gratefully.

But some weeks, administration can feel more tedious than purposeful or personal. That was the case this past week, and in the midst of that drudgery, God sent me several unexpected guests.

55% zero times

55

– LifeWay Research, April 2019

the cooperative program

Giving by IBSA churches as of 4/26/19 $1,905,266

Budget Goal: $1,907,692

Received to date in 2018: $1,829,469

2019 Goal: $6.3 Million

The Illinois Baptist staff

Editor - Eric Reed

Managing Editor - Meredith Flynn

Graphic Designer - Kris Kell

Contributing Editor - Lisa Misner

Multimedia Journalist - Andrew Woodrow

Administrative Assistant - Leah Honnen

The general telephone number for IBSA is (217) 786-2600. For questions about subscriptions, articles, or upcoming events, contact the Illinois Baptist at (217) 391-3119 or IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org

The Illinois Baptist is seeking news from IBSA churches. E-mail us at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org to tell us about special events and new ministry staff.

POSTMASTER: The Illinois Baptist is owned and published every three weeks by the Illinois Baptist State Association, 3085 Stevenson Drive, Springfield, Illinois 62703-4440. Subscriptions are free to Illinois Baptists. Subscribe online at IBSA.org.

One guest was a man I have known for years, though we have often not seen things the same way. The last time we talked by phone was months ago, and our conversation then had ended professionally, but not cordially. The only thing that surprised me more than seeing him at my office door were his immediate apology and his request for forgiveness when he sat down. I gratefully accepted and reciprocated, sorry that I had not taken the initiative. We prayed together sincerely and parted, brothers again. And I remembered that my work is often administrative, but my real priority is people.

A second guest came to me via both phone and e-mail. He was brokenhearted and concerned for the church where he grew up, and where some of his family still attend. He described the problems, and sources of conflict, and the impasses. He asked for counsel, and for information and resources to help, and I did the best I could on the spot, offering to come or send others from our staff when the time was right. There was despair in our first exchange, and optimism and hope in our last. And I remembered that my work is often administrative, but my real priority is people.

My third unexpected guest just dropped in while she was in the area. I didn’t know her personally, though I knew her church. She quickly and quietly told me that she didn’t want to take much of my time, but her mother had recently died, and she found in going through her things documents from several Baptist meetings that were over a hundred years old. Rather than throw them away, she wondered if they might be as important to us as they were to her mother. I reverently paged through them with her, talking about what it must have been like to attend a Baptist association meeting in 1894, and why her mother would have treasured them. I gratefully agreed to receive them into our historical archives. And I remembered that my work is often administrative, but my real priority is people.

Other unexpected guests came into my life this week. One had been deeply hurt by his church, another by her pastor. Neither plan to return to their lifelong churches, but both were looking for reasons not to give up on church entirely. I know why one of them contacted me, but I have no idea why the other one did. But by the time they did, I remembered again that my work is often administrative, but my real priority is people.

What do I do all day? There are indeed a lot of meetings, and phone calls, and e-mails. But God used at least five unexpected guests this week to remind me, in the midst of my administration, that real life and ministry and purpose is found in people.

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

They reminded me of my real priority.

From the front: more pending legislation

Continued from page 1

traffic deaths and more teens being treated for marijuana use in Colorado, which legalized recreational marijuana in 2013.

Other opponents, including Illinois’ six Roman Catholic bishops, cite moral grounds for their disagreement. “As lawmakers consider this issue it is important to remember they are not only debating legalization of marijuana, but also commercialization of a drug into an industry the state will profit from,” the bishops said in February.

“In seeking the common good, the state should protect its citizens.”

Currently, recreational marijuana is legal in 10 states, and 22 others, including Illinois, have legalized medical use of the drug. The legislators writing the Illinois law—Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago) and Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago)—hoped to unveil it during the General Assembly’s first week back. A shell of the bill, SB 7, was filed in January, but details weren’t made available prior to legislators’ spring break.

The legislation would reportedly remove previous misdemeanor marijuana convictions, the Chicago Sun-Times reported, and would provide support for minority-owned businesses within the state’s future marijuana industry. The General Assembly’s Black Caucus is a key component of the legalization push, Politico reported, but in March, the Illinois president of the NAACP spoke against the measure.

“Just because something is legal doesn’t make it right and it doesn’t mean it’s healthy for our communities,” said Teresa Haley “It hurts our community.”

Supporters of legalization also face opposition from some fellow lawmakers. Prior to the General Assembly’s spring break, 60 members of the Illinois House—a majority—signed on to a resolution to slow down the legalization process. The resolution’s sponsor is Rep. Martin Moylan (D-Des Plaines).

“I believe more research needs to be done on the topic of legalization including hearing from experts, such as physicians,” Moylan told the Sun-Times last year, prior to his election. “I am worried about underage use as we’ve seen with alcohol. I do not want ‘normalization.’”

Other bills to watch Mandated reporters

SB 1778, sponsored by Sen. Julie A. Morrison (D-Deerfield), amends the Abuse and Neglected Child Reporting Act to add clergy to the list of mandated reporters of abuse and neglect.

Status: The bill passed in the Senate April 10, and was assigned to the House Adoption & Child Welfare Committee April 30. Its chief sponsor in the House is Rep. Bob Morgan (D-Deerfied).

LGBT-inclusive curriculum

In March, the Illinois House passed HB 0246, which requires public schools to include in their curriculum the roles and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. The bill’s chief sponsor in the House was Rep. Anna Moeller (DElgin).

Status: The bill, sponsored by Sen. Heather Steans (D-Chicago), was assigned to the Education Committee April 24.

Sports gambling legalization

The House Revenue and Finance Committee held a second hearing April 25 on legalizing sports gambling in Illinois. Rep. Michael J. Zalewski (D-Riverside) filed a shell bill in February, but lawmakers haven’t yet introduced details of the legislation. Gov. Pritzker proposed a budget in February that includes revenue from sports betting, which is currently legal in seven states.

– State Journal-Register, Chicago Sun-Times, Politico

‘One GRAND’ April

Hundreds of baptisms reported

Across Illinois | IBSA churches baptized more than 700 people in April, according to reports from congregations around the state. The number is expected to increase as churches share their stories from One GRAND Month, a month-long, statewide emphasis on evangelism and baptisms.

According to initial reports, 260 people were baptized in IBSA churches on Easter Sunday, plus 446 others in April—for a total of 706. Pat Pajak, IBSA’s associate executive director of evangelism, encouraged churches to share their baptism reports and add to the statewide celebration.

“My hope is that this April push, plus the ‘Who’s Your One?’ emphasis, will continue throughout 2019 and we’ll see an increase in salvations and baptisms across the state,” Pajak said. “Who’s Your One?” is an effort across the Southern Baptist Convention to pray for people who don’t know Christ and start gospel conversations with them.

Churches around Illinois are utilizing the focus on baptism to renew their commitment to evangelism. Pajak recounted reports he received during a drive from Metropolis to Springfield—three pastors from northern Illinois called to tell him about salvation decisions or baptisms in their churches.

At First Baptist Church in Atwood, gospel conversations happen every Wednesday night among children and students engaged in a new ministry at the church. Through their Ignite ministry for kids and teens, Pastor Lanny Faulkner said the church has seen 24 people accept Christ. Seventeen young people, from age 8 to 22, were baptized in a church-wide service April 24. The church reported 15 baptisms last year.

The May 26 Illinois Baptist will feature a statewide report from One GRAND Month. To share your church’s baptism stories and photos, e-mail PatPajak@IBSA.org.

JOINING THE FAMILY – Students baptized at First Baptist Church in Atwood April 24 received certificates, Bibles, and a big round of applause from church members gathered for the Wednesday evening worship service.

SOLD HERE – Marijuana vendors such as this one in Colorado will become commonplace in Illinois if the legislation is passed.

Women trade ashes for beauty

Speakers encourage record crowd at Annual gathering: God’s power shines through the ‘gaps’

BY LISA MISNER

Springfield | Learning to embrace the gaps in our lives and how to use them for God’s glory was the focus of this year’s Priority Women’s Conference. Having outgrown its recent venue in Decatur, Priority moved to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield, where more than 700 Illinois Baptist women gathered April 26-27 for leadership training, worship, and fellowship.

Carmen Halsey, IBSA’s director of women’s ministry and church missions, explained how the “gap” theme materialized after a mission trip in London. Passengers on the city’s underground rail system are warned to “mind the gap” between the platform and the subway car.

After returning home, she kept thinking about those words, “mind the gap,” and how they relate to leadership. The leadership gap is the space between what you know and what you don’t, Halsey said. Minding the gap means acknowledging your dependence on God’s power to be able to lead well.

Each speaker at Priority carried the theme into their messages, sharing how God worked in and through gaps in their lives. Tami Heim, president and CEO of Christian Leadership Alliance and former head of the Borders Bookstore Corporation, said many of her corporate coworkers viewed her as strange because of her faith. Her gap was a crisis of faith.

“God told me, be what they (her co-workers) don’t expect,” Heim said. “Don’t take the baggage that they expect. Love me and love them.”

Later, as president of Borders Books, she would lead employees through another gap—the decline of their business. Then, her mother went into hospice care.

Heim kept looking to God and he told her to embrace the change. Soon everything was turned around at Borders, and then God told her it was time to leave. “Whatever gap we may be in, whatever we’re feeling, embrace that,” Heim said. “See

him in that, embrace it. Believe he is who he says he is—the God who is able.”

Suffering for his glory

Bible teacher Courtney Veasey, founder of Brunch Ministries, took attendees through Matthew 5, the Sermon on the Mount, reminding them about the “otherness” to which Christians are called.

Veasey likened it to finding the right road. “You have found the right road when you mourn because you had something so blessed to lose,” she said. “You have found the right road when you are trainable, when you are disciplined.”

It’s never easy to stay on the road, Veasey said. “Blessed, you have found the right road when you are pure in heart. But you have to fight to [keep pure in heart].”

Betsy Bolick, founder and director of Small Enough Ministries, shared about being born with physical disabilities and her experience in the gap. “What will matter is that he is King, and I will suffer for his glory,” Bolick said.

“The things that are seen are temporary. The things that are unseen are eternal. He is the God of the gaps. He just calls you to embrace them.”

Conference attenders also received several updates about women’s ministry and missions in Illinois, including:

• Missy Doyle of Chatham Baptist Church was named president of Illinois WMU. She replaces Jill McNicol, a member of First Baptist Church, Patoka, who served five years as president.

• The conference featured panel discussions on special needs ministries and the future of women in the Southern Baptist Convention.

• IBW (Illinois Baptist Women) University will now be known as IBW Academy. The online learning community will meet in Springfield once a quarter. For more information about IBW Academy and cohorts, go to IBSA.org/Women.

At the close of the Friday evening session, Halsey shared about the recent sudden death of her husband, Keith. The two had discussed her plans for the conference and ministry beyond it. “That man that loved me and protected me for 34 ½ years would want me to go on,” Halsey said with emotion. “The job is not finished.”

Halsey shared how she and Keith had gone to see the pro-life movie “Unplanned” and how the movie had inspired her to issue a challenge to them. Next to her on the platform stood a large wooden cross, bare except for some greenery.

“You’ve all been given a carnation when you came into this room,” Halsey said. “Many of you have given your life to Christ, but some of you all have never left the cross. If you have had some sort of sexual mishap in your past but you’ve kept it nice and hidden, you’re holding back from what God paid for. Do you trust God or don’t you?”

Women poured into the aisles, lining up to give their carnations to waiting attendants who placed them on the cross. Soon it was covered with carnations representing sins, hurts, pains, and traumas that had been left behind.

“It’s time for us to do some healing,” Halsey said. “I’m in a season of healing again. We have some business to do. Girls, it’s about being obedient to what God’s calling us to do.”

VEASEY

COME TO THE FAIR – (Above) The WMU WorldCrafts Ministries booth was one of several stops in the exhibit hall.

FULL HOUSE – (Right) More than 700 women attended the 2019 Priority Conference at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield April 26-27.

CARNATION CROSS – Attendants place the carnations representing sexual mishaps, hurts, and traumas that have been left behind on the cross by the women attending Priority.

More meals on wheels

Donated kitchen will increase capacity by 10,000 a day

Peoria | The American Red Cross has donated a 53-foot kitchen trailer to Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief (IBDR).

“Southern Baptists are excellent partners,” said Dave Stoner, a Red Cross logistics volunteer. “We wanted to give this unit to them as a gift because they prepare a lot of meals in disaster relief areas.”

IBSA’s Dwayne Doyle and two IBDR volunteers were onsite in Peoria to receive the unit.

Over the years, the Red Cross and Southern Baptists have often worked hand-inhand after disasters. While the Red Cross once prepared meals, they have, in recent years, focused more on food delivery while Southern Baptists provide much of the food.

“By giving them this kitchen, they will have more versatility,” Stoner said. “A mobile feeding area is more reliable than a fixed location that maybe isn’t as close as they might need to a disaster.”

IBDR previously has been able to serve 25,000 meals daily with their units; the new trailer will provide an additional 10,000 daily meals.

The gift is “an extreme blessing,” said Doyle, IBDR state coordinator. “This mobile kitchen is going to help multiply our capacity of serving meals, and will allow us to better provide comfort during disaster relief.”

Harold Booze, an assistant director for IBDR, said the gift will not only mean more meals, but also more convenience. “It even has a freezer and a walk-in refrigerator,” Booze said. “Typically, IBDR doesn’t have feeding units with this kind of setup that we’re receiving from Red Cross.”

“Southern Baptists serve as key partners with American Red Cross,” Doyle said. “As they are phasing out of the food preparation side, their gift allows us to focus on preparing meals in a more convenient manner.”

– Andrew Woodrow

Teams launch multi-week response

In Iowa town ‘decimated’ by flooding

Glenwood, Iowa | Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief teams are scheduled through mid-May to help homeowners clean up after massive flooding across the Midwest. Meanwhile, more recent flooding following a broken levee in Davenport is presenting new difficulties, and the possible need for more assistance.

In April, a team of 10 volunteers set up an Incident Command Center at First Baptist Church in Glenwood, located near the IowaNebraska border. The center will serve as the hub for Southern Baptist Disaster Relief work in and around Glenwood, including a nearby town where all 600 residents were displaced by flooding.

“There’s a little suburb called Pacific Junction and it is virtually decimated,” said team leader Dennis Felix. “One hundred percent under water.” Volunteers focused their efforts on Pacific Junction as Illinois teams began to arrive in late April. They are

scheduled to assist with flood recovery, and will staff a shower/laundry unit and a mobile kitchen for teams serving in Glenwood. They’ll also continue to serve at the Incident Command Center, as assessors, and as chaplains to offer emotional and spiritual support to homeowners.

Volunteers from New Mexico, Wyoming, and Colorado are also part of the response in Iowa.

Felix led a team of assessors in April who went out to meet homeowners and evaluate their needs. He anticipated the number of houses—already at 101 by the time he left— would grow once teams arrived in Iowa.

“Once they know you’re in town and know that you’re there to help, then they will start seeking us out.”

For more information about when and how Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief teams are serving in Iowa, go to IBSA.org/DR.

– Meredith Flynn

Adoption numbers drop

The number of intercountry adoptions between the U.S. and other countries decreased by 14% from 2017 to 2018, and is down 82% from a high mark of 22,000 in 2004.

The State Department cited improved economic conditions in China, which saw a 22% decrease in adoptions, as a reason for the decline, as well as mismanagement by U.S. adoption service providers, WORLD reported. But some adoption advocates claimed the State Department is to blame. Chuck Johnson, president and CEO of the National Council for Adoption, said, “This is what happens when you only impose overbearing regulations that make it increasingly difficult to facilitate intercountry adoption.”

High court to weigh in

The U.S. Supreme Court announced in April it will consider whether the country’s job discrimination laws apply to sexual orientation and gender identity. The Court will hear three cases, including a matter involving a Michigan funeral home owner who was sued after firing a transgender employee for intending to violate the company dress code.

The Court is expected to hear the cases during their session this fall.

Using ‘A.I.’ wisely

A new evangelical statement on artificial intelligence (A.I.) lauds “the unique creative abilities of human beings,” while warning against unwise or immoral use of technology.

“God alone has the power to create life, and no future advancements in AI will usurp him as the creator of life,” reads the statement facilitated by the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and signed by 70 Southern Baptist and other evangelical leaders. “The church has a unique role in proclaiming human dignity for all and calling for the humane use of AI in all aspects of society.”

– WORLD, The Christian Post, Baptist Press

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

MOVEABLE FEAST – Illinois Baptist Disaster Relief’s new 53-foot mobile kitchen includes three tilt skillets, two convection ovens, and a 60-quart mixer.

Peers honor Illinois Baptist media

The Baptist Communicators Association announced its annual awards in April, including a grand prize in religious newswriting for the Illinois Baptist. The newspaper was awarded the Frank Burkhalter Award for “Graham in Illinois,” a look at Billy Graham’s ministry and legacy in our state.

The IB also garnered first place in the state Baptist newspaper category, third place in design, and top awards for two individual news stories: “Graham in Illinois” and “What We Must Report,” an examination of how churches can best protect vulnerable people in their midst.

Illinois Baptist media also took home a first-place award for the Pioneering Spirit campaign, second place for the life-sized log cabin on display at the IBSA Annual Meeting, and third place for a video script celebrating Illinois’ bicentennial.

The Evangelical Press Association also gave out its awards in April, honoring the Illinois Baptist with an Award of Merit in the newspaper category and a fourth place award in the devotional category for “Confessions of a Community Skeptic.”

Resource, IBSA’s magazine for church leaders, won Awards of Merit in the Christian Ministry and Most Improved categories, as well as fifth place in Publication Redesign.

Thank you for sharing your stories with us, and for the opportunity to communicate how God is at work in Illinois!

– The Illinois Baptist team

Splash and Battle Ready are IBSA’s 2019 week-long summer camps for kids and students.

Kids Splash Camps:

Week 1 – June 17-21, Streator

Grades 3-12

Week 2 – June 10-14, Streator Grades 4-8

Week 3 – June 16-20, Sallateeska

Grades 3-6

Week 4 – June 24-28, Sallateeska

Grades 3-6

Week 5 – July 8-12, Streator

Grades 3-12

Week 6 – July 15-19, Streator

Grades 7-12

Student Battle Ready Camps: At Lake Sallateeska and Streator

Week 1 – June 24-28, grades 7-12

Week 2 – July 14-19, grades 6-12

LifeWay stores: losing trusted source

The announcement that LifeWay Christian Resources will close its brick-and-mortar stores by the end of the year dismayed many Southern Baptists who have long shopped the shelves for books, music, and Lord’s Supper wafers. The reaction was predictable—it’s sad to lose a trusted source of information and resources. What some seem to be missing even more, though, is a unique service LifeWay offered customers: vetting.

“I think one of the greatest competitive advantages LifeWay could have had, and had in some ways, was being trustworthy, where pastors could tell their congregations, ‘You can go into the store, and anything you buy is trustworthy,’” Indiana pastor Tim Overton told Baptist Press.

LifeWay, he said, “was unique [among bookstores] in holding very high standards and not simply allowing a profit to motivate all choices.”

In the weeks since LifeWay announced the closures, that quality has been celebrated by pastors like Overton, and lamented by some authors whose books weren’t sold in LifeWay stores. Others, though, praised the organization’s principled stand, even while not agreeing with its actual principles.

“I genuinely respect them (or any company) that is driven by principles other than profit alone,” tweeted Tish Harrison Warren, an author and Anglican priest

whose book LifeWay declined to sell. “My book has sold well. LifeWay likely lost $ by not selling my book. Props for being willing to.”

When LifeWay stores close their doors this year, books and Bible studies and curriculum resources will still be available online. In fact, LifeWay plans to invest more in digital strategies to meet the needs of online customers. One aspect of the shopping experience they should consider is how to communicate to the buyer that the resources they’re scrolling through are held to the same standard as what was previously on LifeWay shelves.

In a world full of online bookstores, it may be hard to distinguish a sell-anything-thatsells mentality from a thoughtfully curated collection. The end of LifeWay stores puts more responsibility on readers to judge carefully what books are worthy of a place on their own shelves.

LifeWay stores weren’t controlled by profit, but as a Baptist Press article pointed out, finances were ultimately what brought the publisher to the decision to close. The stores lost money while LifeWay’s digital channels grew.

Faced with the numbers, the publisher made what they deemed to be the wisest choice. Now, smart phone in hand, it’s up to readers to do the same.

– Meredith Flynn

SBC PREVIEW

Meeting highlights

New leaders of three SBC entities share their first reports with the convention

Crossover volunteers aim to share the gospel with 20,000 people

SBC Women’s Network hosts inaugural event

WMU welcomes visitors with 131 missions activities at Birmingham headquarters

Pastor freed from prison shares hope at SBC Pastors’ Conference

Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission hosts candid conversation on the SBC and sexual abuse, featuring Beth Moore, Rachael Denhollander, and more

Midwestern Seminary’s annual “For the Church” luncheon to focus on denominational unity, collaboration, and mission

Baptists to safeguard the vulnerable

Actions on abuse, racism await messengers in Birmingham

“Gospel Above All” is the theme of the June 11-12 annual meeting of Southern Baptists.

“It is the gospel that is the source of our renewal, and it is the gospel that should be our defining characteristic as a people,” Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear told the SBC Executive Committee last fall. “[The gospel] should be what people think about and talk about when they think and talk about us.”

When Baptists arrive in Birmingham, however, several other topics—some of them highly charged—will also be on the table. Chief among them is the SBC’s response to a Houston Chronicle report detailing hundreds of cases of sexual abuse perpetrated by Southern Baptist ministers and volunteers.

Greear and other SBC leaders have said it is crucial that Baptists leave Birmingham with a clear position against abuse and churches that exhibit indifference toward it. They also need to make strides toward caring well for survivors. During the business session, voters at the meeting (called “messengers”) will consider an amendment to the SBC Constitution to designate churches indifferent toward abuse as not in friendly cooperation with the convention. Messengers will also consider a similar amendment on racism. In order to become part of the SBC Constitution, both measures must be approved by a two-thirds majority in Birmingham and at the 2020 meeting in Orlando.

New leaders on the platform

Paul Chitwood (International Mission Board), Adam Greenway (Southwestern Seminary), and Ronnie Floyd (Executive Commit-

tee) will each share their first reports as heads of Southern Baptist entities, although Floyd is a familiar face after serving two one-year terms as SBC president.

While in that role from 2014 to 2016, Floyd was known for consistent communication with fellow Southern Baptists through blog posts and social media. As newly elected president of the Executive Committee, he recently launched an online campaign to promote the annual meeting and get more Baptists to Birmingham by sharing 50 reasons to be there—one each day leading up to the convention.

Floyd’s new role positions him to play an integral part in the SBC’s actions on sexual abuse. After his election in April, he pledged to use the weeks before Birmingham to work with other SBC leaders on a unified response.

On Monday evening prior to the annual meeting, a study team appointed by Greear will co-host with the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission a discussion on sexual abuse in Southern Baptist churches. A new curriculum for churches—“Becoming a Church That Cares Well for the Abused”—also will be unveiled at the meeting.

While serving as SBC president, Floyd brought leaders together for a memorable worship service devoted to praying for racial reconciliation. Greear has made it a goal of his presidency for Southern Baptist leadership to reflect the diversity of Southern Baptist churches. The Birmingham meeting will feature a panel discussion titled “Undivided: Your Church and Racial Reconciliation,” as well as

Go to sbcannualmeeting.net for a full schedule, plus information on additional gatherings and events in Birmingham.

WMU’s SANDY WISDOM-MARTIN

two additional panels: “Gospel Above All: Keeping Secondary Issues Secondary,” and “Indispensable Partners: The Value of Women in God’s Mission.”

Room at the table

As the SBC and the culture at large continue to wrestle with the ramifications of #metoo, several new and revamped events in Birmingham will focus on the role of women in the church and the denomination:

The new SBC Women’s Leadership Network will be featured during a Women’s Session Monday morning, which takes the place of the former Pastors’ Wives Conference. Norine Brunson, wife of formerly imprisoned pastor Andrew Brunson, will speak during the session, along with author Kandi Gallaty and “SBC This Week” podcast host Amy Whitfield, among others.

Illinois’ own Becky Gardner will participate in a panel discussion on leadership development at the 5th annual Women’s Leadership Breakfast June 12. Gardner, superintendent of Peoria Christian School, is chair of the trustees for breakfast sponsor Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Last year’s meeting in Dallas marked the first gathering of Women & Work, a group dedicated to helping women pursue God’s mission through their vocations. Teacher and author Jen Wilkin will speak at this year’s forum June 11, along with Tami Heim, president and CEO of Christian Leadership Alliance.

The annual Ministers’ Wives Luncheon will feature Lauren Chandler, whose book “Steadfast Love: The Response of God to the Cries of Our Heart” will set the stage for the luncheon’s theme. Tickets are available at lifeway.com/en/events/ ministers-wives-luncheon.

Our shared mission

The Cooperative Program, Southern Baptists’ main channel for sending support to missions and ministry around the world, has taken center stage—literally—at recent annual meetings. This year in Birmingham is no different. The CP stage in the exhibit hall is set to host interviews and panel discussions on how Baptists work together to get the good news of Jesus to more people around the world.

On Tuesday afternoon, annual meeting attendees will hear from current International Mission Board personnel and new appointees at a missionary Sending Celebration.

Also in Birmingham, numerous Baptist fellowship groups will meet, including:

• Southern Baptist Hispanic Leaders Council

• Chinese Baptist Fellowship

• Council of Korean Southern Baptist Churches

• National Asian Armerican Fellowship

• Second Generation Asian American Fellowship

• Filipino Southern Baptist Fellowship

• Fellowship of Native American Christians

• Southern Baptist Messianic Fellowship

In addition to those groups, the National African American Fellowship (NAAF) will meet in

Sites to see in the Magic City

Birmingham’s nickname refers to the city’s boom between 1865, when it started as a town of 100 people, to 1878, when the steel industry had grown it to nearly 200,000.

Southern Museum of Flight

4343 73rd St. N, 7 miles west of Convention Center This aviation museum features more than 100 aircraft and an exhibit honoring Alabama’s Tuskegee Airmen, a group of African American pilots who fought in World War I.

Civil Rights District

5th Ave. N to 7th Ave. N, between 15th St. N and 17th St. N

A mile from the Convention Center, Birmingham’s Civil Rights District is dotted with historic markers of the struggle for racial equality in the U.S. The district includes the city’s Civil Rights Institute and 16th Street Baptist Church, where four young girls were killed and 22 others injured in a bombing orchestrated by the Ku Klux Klan.

Vulcan

1701 Valley View Dr., 4 miles south of Convention Center

The city’s most famous landmark is an ode to its industrial origins. Vulcan, Roman mythology’s god of fire, is the world’s largest cast iron statue.

Regions Field

Birmingham to, among other goals, honor former slave and first North American missionary George Liele. NAAF will submit a resolution to add a George Liele Day to the SBC calendar and will ask SBC seminaries to consider creating Liele scholarships, NAAF President Marshal Ausberry told Baptist Press.

A 2012 SBC resolution formally recognizes Liele as the first overseas missionary from the U.S. Scholarships in his name could help train future African American missionaries, Ausberry said. For more information about the SBC annual meeting, Pastors’ Conference, and other Birmingham events, go to sbcannualmeeting.net.

– Meredith Flynn, with reporting by Baptist Press

What else to catch in Steel-ville

LifeWay Christian Resources will offer two screenings of “Overcomer,” the newest film from Christian moviemakers the Kendrick brothers, on June 11.

LifeWay will also host a breakfast panel discussion June 11 on the long-term impact of Vacation Bible School (VBS).

GuideStone Financial Resources will open its Wellness Center in the SBC exhibit hall June 10-12. Visitors can participate in a free personal health assessment valued at $150.

The Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists is inviting Baptists in Birmingham to a singa-long of favorite hymns and worship choruses on June 10 from 4:30-6 p.m.

Railroad Park

1600 1st Ave. S, 1.5 miles south of Convention Center

The city’s 19-acre downtown park has walking trails, a rain curtain, and a Birmingham history wall.

Stay cool

With average high temps near 90 degrees, June in Birmingham may have Convention-goers looking to beat the heat. Steel City Pops has three locations in the city, with flavors like Mocha Caramel Crunch and Lemon Icebox Pie.

1401 1st Ave. S, 2 miles south of Convention Center Michael Jordan’s break from basketball brought him to Birmingham for one season with the Barons, the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.

(See them in action against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp Wednesday evening after the SBC’s last session.)

GARDNER

One day, twenty thousand doors

‘Simplified approach’ for annual evangelism emphasis

2019 SBC PASTORS’ CONFERENCE Kingdom character

Real-life stories, sermons to illustrate the Beatitudes

A pastor imprisoned on false charges and a couple affected by severe health challenges will highlight the 2019 Southern Baptist Pastors’ Conference at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center June 9-10.

Southern Baptists will take the gospel door-to-door in Birmingham June 8 as part of Crossover, the annual evangelism and outreach event on the Saturday preceding the Southern Baptist Convention.

Over three decades, Crossover has included a variety of large-scale outreach projects, including city-wide evangelistic crusades the last two years. This year’s effort is focused on talking to people oneon-one about Jesus. Teams will spread out across the metro area, knocking on doors and sharing their faith with those who answer.

“This year we have a really simplified approach that will help us make as big of a concentrated push as we can make in one day,” said Joel Southerland of the North American Mission Board (NAMB), the national Southern Baptist Convention entity responsible for domestic missions.

NAMB and the Alabama State Board of Missions (the state’s Baptist convention) will mobilize 400 teams of volunteers from across the country to knock on 20,000 doors June 8. They’ll be seeking to have gospel conversations that point people to what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If they’re met with no answer, they’ll leave information about

local churches and an invitation to attend, plus a tract that explains the gospel.

“While we have a lot of churches—3,280 in Alabama Baptist life—there are a lot of people, a huge population in metro Birmingham, that are not connected to any church,” said Sammy Gilbreath, Alabama Baptists’ state director of evangelism. The Birmingham metro area has a million people, Gilbreath said, with 2 million living within 30 minutes of the city.

On Wednesday, June 5, Birmingham’s Church at Brook Hills will host an evangelism training rally featuring Johnny Hunt, NAMB vice president of evangelism and a former SBC president, and Bill Fay, author of “Share Jesus without Fear.” The rally will be simulcast at other local churches that evening and also will be turned into Saturday morning video training for volunteers before they go out with their teams.

Crossover will also include outreach to Birmingham’s inner city, including mobile health and dental clinics where volunteers will share the gospel with visitors.

For more information or to register for Crossover, go to namb.net/events/cross over-birmingham.

– Reporting from Baptist Press

Andrew Brunson was released last October after two years in prison in Turkey, where he had served more than two decades as a pastor and church planter before being falsely accused of espionage and terrorism. Katherine and Jay Wolf are the authors of “Hope Heals,” a memoir about her massive stroke and journey to recovery. The couple manages a ministry to families with disabilities. They will join eight other speakers at the annual conference preceding the Southern Baptist Convention, which this year is focused on the Beatitudes—eight character-focused blessings Jesus gave in his Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew 5. Other speakers include:

• Ed Litton, pastor of Redemption Church, Mobile, Ala.

• Dhati Lewis, pastor of Blueprint Church, Atlanta, Ga.

• Ben Mandrell, pastor of Storyline Fellowship, Denver, Co.

• Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, Nashville, Tenn.

• David Platt, pastor of McLean Bible Church, Washington, D.C.

• Jimmy Scroggins, pastor of Family Church, West Palm Beach, Fla.

• Robert Smith, Jr., Charles T. Carter Baptist Chair of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School, Birmingham, Ala.

• Martin Young, senior minister of Rising Brook Community Church, Staffordshire, United Kingdom

Musicians from three Birmingham churches will lead worship during the free conference. For more information, go to sbcpc.net.

Missions past and present on display at Birmingham HQ

Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) is inviting Baptists traveling to their home city to participate in a day marking the mission auxiliary’s 131 years of helping Southern Baptists share the gospel in their communities and around the world. At WMU headquarters in Birmingham on Monday, June 10, participants are invited to choose from dozens of missions activities.

“We are filling every square inch of space with a tremendous variety of missions experiences for all ages,” said Sandy Wisdom-Martin, execu-

tive director-treasurer for WMU. “As we celebrate 131 years of missions involvement through WMU, we are excited to offer 131 options throughout the day.”

Opportunities include an interactive refugee simulation; monologues from past missions leaders; a Royal Ambassador (RA) sailboat gutter regatta; self-guided audio tours of missions artifacts and history; packing

boxes for refugees; being part of creating a world mosaic using glass tiles; and more.

The WMU Missions Celebration and Annual Meeting begins June 9 at The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham. WMU also will host a dinner June 7 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Acteens, its missions curriculum for teens. For more information about all WMU events in Birmingham, go to WMU.com.

BRUNSON

WITNESSES – Door-to-door outreach resulted in 1,015 salvation decisions prior to the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting last summer in Dallas. Baptist Press photo

YOU'RE NOT CASUAL ABOUT YOUR FAITH

NEITHER IS BOYCE COLLEGE. Everything about Boyce — its theological core, its commitment to a biblical worldview, its community of discipleship, and its heart for the world — is rooted in the gospel and focused on transformation that goes beyond education.

Schedule your visit today.

BOYCECOLLEGE.COM/VISIT

Higher Education: An Illinois Baptist Special Section Out of the bubble, into the world

Today’s Christian college students are challenging a common misconception

Spend any time on a Christian college campus and students there will probably fill you in on the major knock against their chosen school: it’s a bubble. The term is used to describe the sheltered environment that nurtures them while they’re in school, but may not prepare them for the real world once they graduate.

The commonly told tale isn’t merely an urban legend, said college senior Drew McKay

“It very easily could be a bubble,” said McKay, in his fifth year at Boyce College in Louisville, Ky. The theology student from Medaryville, Ind., is in Boyce’s seminary track, meaning he’ll earn bach-

elor’s and master’s degrees in five years.

“Part of going to a Christian university is a safe place to learn about the doctrines of the Bible without necessarily being challenged outright by faculty members and fellow students,” said McKay.

A 2017 analysis of data by Pew Research Center indicates a college education can bolster the faith of Christian students, particularly among evangelicals. Those who are college graduates are slightly more likely to attend weekly services and pray daily than those with some or no college. They’re also more likely to say religion is very important, and to believe in God with absolute certainty.

Taking that faith to the real world after college, though, is a different matter. McKay looked for an off-campus job where he could put into practice the things he was learning at Boyce. The school, which is the undergraduate arm of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, requires the same core curriculum of every student, whether they’re majoring in Bible or business administration. That means courses in world religions or apologetics—defending your Christian faith—help students understand how beliefs influence how other people think and act. For McKay, who’s planning to be a youth minister, another way out of the bubble is through time spent with experienced leaders and fellow students.

McKAY

“The education I’m getting is wonderful,” he said. “It’s great that I’ve got a theological base and a way to study the Bible. But that’s really half of what I need for ministry.

“Being able to spend time with professors in class and out of class, even to be able to see how to be a good father, husband, pastor, leader, has been one of the huge takeaways for me.” And while he may not share the same specific calling— youth ministry—with every Boyce student, they are all pursuing gospel service, McKay said.

“As ministry gets hard, because it will, I’ll have people to lean on.”

Sacred spaces

At Judson University in Elgin, Ill., Professor Stacie Burtelson’s students are learning how to approach their future vocation through a Christian lens. For the future architects, that means learning to create environments that communicate the value and dignity of human life. Judson was the first Christian university with an accredited architecture program, Burtelson said, because there was a need for Christians in the field to have a place to come together and think about the intersection of vocation and faith.

The next generation of architects is aware of what’s going on in the world, said the professor, who is in her 16th year at Judson. And they want

to help. Her undergraduate students focus on humanitarian architecture, the part of the field dedicated to helping people displaced by war, natural disasters, and poverty.

Instruction is still focused on code and the proper structures, Burtelson said, but there is also a focus on how the Christian architect can enter the conversation about what is happening in the world.

Her students are working to answer this question: What does Scripture say about how Christians can use their vocational skills to engage social issues and public need? This spring, sophomore architecture students designed models of emergency shelters. The exercise is based on a national competition sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse.

Students in Judson’s graduate program focus more on community-based architecture, thinking through how the Christian architect should approach each project with the goal of helping people thrive in the spaces they create.

“Looking at it from the Christian worldview lens, the ultimate goal isn’t about self or even about being thanked for the work you’ve done. It’s not about notoriety and getting published in

this journal or that journal, but it’s about answering the call and really glorifying God,” Burtelson said. The work of a Christian architect might look similar to that of a non-Christian, she added, but the Christian’s work is kingdom work. That work can build bridges—sometimes literally—to the gospel, Burtelson said, “when you show Christ caring through what you do for those in need.”

– Meredith Flynn

VISIT ON PREVIEW DAYS

October

November 8, 2019

February 16 – 17, 2020

March 27, 2020

THE DOOR YOU OPEN TODAY DETERMINES THE DOORS THAT WILL OPEN TO YOU TOMORROW. At Judson, we understand the importance of providing you with opportunities — for knowledge, experiences, spiritual growth, and preparation in your chosen field of study. Over 90% of our students intern in area businesses. Opportunity is knocking. Open the door to Judson.

FAITH AND PRACTICE – Judson University architecture students learn how Christianity and vocation intersect in a program designed to help them share their faith through the spaces they create, including emergency shelters showcased at a recent exhibit.

BURTELSON

devotional

My annual reckoning

Last month, I hoped my birthday would pass with little notice. It’s not that I don’t enjoy my birthdays. I used to anticipate them, but they just don’t hold the same level of excitement. They make me count and remind me that I am, to some people, an old person. I’m learning that too many birthdays can kill you.

Birthdays are milestones. They are mute reminders that more sand has passed through the hourglass. Birthdays give us a handle on the measurement of time, which, when broken into minutes, moves quickly. There are 60 minutes in an hour, 1,440 minutes in a day, 10,080 minutes in a week, and 525,600 minutes in a year. That means I experienced over 34,164,000 minutes by my birthday. My 65th birthday. No wonder I need more naps. The minutes often pass by so quietly, so consistently, that they can fool us. In C. S. Lewis’s “The Screwtape Letters,” the senior demon advises his protégé of the strategy of monotony: “The safest road to hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without any sudden turns, without milestones, without signposts….The gradual decay of youthful loves and youthful hopes, the quiet despair of ever overcoming chronic temptations…the drabness which we create in their lives…all this provides admirable opportunities of wearing out a soul by attrition.”

So, we mark our calendars and phones with deadlines, dates that set limits for the completion of objectives. If we ignore these deadlines, it brings unwanted consequences. Therefore, to live without deadlines is to live an inefficient, unorganized life, drifting with the breeze of impulse on the fickle way of our moods. We set deadlines because they discipline our use of time.

God is the one who brings about our birthdays, not as deadlines, but as lifelines. He builds them into our calendar once every year to enable us to make an an-

Will another birthday wear me out or wake me up?

nual appraisal, not merely of the length of life, but the depth of life. Birthdays are not observed simply to tell us we’re growing older, but to help us determine if we are also growing deeper.

Obviously if God has given you another year to live for him, then he has some things in mind. I have this strong suspicion that it includes much more than merely existing 1,440 minutes a day.

In a Psalm attributed to Moses, he prays, “Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts” (90:12). Is that not a perfect prayer for us to pray every year our lifeline rolls around?

There is, however, a warning: Don’t expect wisdom to come into your life wrapped up like a birthday present. It doesn’t come with song, candles, party favors, and fanfare. Wisdom comes privately from the Lord as a by-product of wise and right decisions, godly reactions, humble lessons, and

application of his principles in daily circumstances. “Gray hair is a glorious crown; it is found in the ways of righteousness” (Proverbs 16:31).

Wisdom comes not from seeking after a ministry, but from anticipating the fruit of a disciplined life. It comes not from trying to do great things for God, but from being faithful to the small and often obscure tasks few people ever see.

James R. Sizoo said, “Let it never be forgotten that glamour is not greatness; applause is not fame; prominence is not eminence. The man of the hour is not apt to be the man of the ages. A stone may sparkle, but that does not make it a diamond; people may have money, but that does not make them a success.”

As we number our days, do we count the years as the grinding measurement of minutes, or can we find the marks of wisdom— character traits that were not there when we were younger?

As I look back over my life, I recall some of the things I did, that I said, that I believed. If I think long enough on them, I have regrets. But I thank the Lord that he was able to soften the hardness of my heart to help me become a better learner, a clearer thinker, and a corrected believer. If he should decide that April 18 was my last birthday, he has made my life full. He has forgiven me of my sin. He has blessed me beyond words. I pray that I have pleased him.

Milton Bost is pastor of Chatham Baptist Church.

Pastor’s priority

Read: Acts 6:4 (ESV)

“But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

There are 168 hours in a week, and most weeks they seem to go by way too fast. Each week has a variety of good things you can do to fill those hours: community meetings, phone calls, pastoral care, staff development, membership concerns, teaching, sermon preparation, and the list goes on. But how do you determine how much time to spend on each of them when there are so many options?

In Acts 6:1-4, the church was growing rapidly, and because of this, the disciples had to make some hard decisions about how to divide their time. There were people in need and ministry to be done, and they had the same 168 hours a week that you and I have. But they made a decision to prioritize their time by focusing on what God called them to do and to delegate to capable people that which was not their calling.

The apostles said: “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.” And pastor, it is not right for you to serve tables at the neglect of prayer and preaching the word.

Prayer and preaching are the pastor’s priority. You must discipline your time to allow for prayer and the ministry of the word. If you are not intentional about spending time with God and his word, you will find yourself giving God your leftovers instead of your first fruit.

It takes time to pray and it takes time to study and craft biblically sound sermons. So, set aside the hours to do what God called you to do and delegate the things that others can do. Every Christian can serve, but the pastor is called to preach the word.

Prayer Prompt: Lord, Sundays seem to come so fast and there is so much work to do. Grant us your wisdom and discernment to make prayer and preaching our first priority, so that we can commit our time to our calling.

Club Hills and is president of IBSA.

Doug was one of those pastors who believed in preaching the entire Bible.

Adron Robinson pastors Hillcrest Baptist Church in Country

ADRON ROBINSON

Pat’s Playbook

Double the space

QOur church needs an additional building, but I don’t think there’s adequate financial support for it. What would you do?

AIf financial constraints are keeping you from moving toward a new building plan, think about whether you could double your space in the same building by adding a second Sunday school and/or worship service. By doing so, you will find that traffic will be coming and going, making additional parking more available at different times. Also, consider using a large room for children’s church, making more seating space available in the auditorium.

A building is a huge commitment of time and finances; the decision to build should be weighed very carefully.

Own your age

QAll the churches want a 30-yearold pastor with 10 years’ experience and a cute family. What’s an older preacher to do?

AIf you’re an older preacher, embrace your years of experience. Many of the greatest Bible teachers of our day are well into their 60s, 70s, and even 80s. Older preachers bring with them years of training and experience. They have already gone through many of the conflicts, problems, difficulties, and experiences that the 30-year-old pastor is just learning to deal with.

If an older pastor has a heart for evangelism, good leadership skills, is a strong communicator, and can genuinely love a congregation, he might be a perfect fit. Church search committees should not base their choice on age alone.

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

Egg-ceeding expectations

Church hosts community Easter celebration

people

Welcome

After a few years of what he labels semiretirement in Arkansas, Bill Haas is now serving as pastor of Athensville Baptist Church in west central Illinois. Haas and his wife, Marilyn, are former schoolteachers who have served in ministry locally and globally. He was pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Streator (now New Beginnings Baptist Church), and also pastored in Wisconsin. Prior to that, the Haases were International Mission Board missionaries in Pakistan, where they helped install water wells, among other projects.

Elmwood Park | A community-wide Easter egg hunt April 13 featured fire trucks, face painting, and the main event: more than 11,000 hidden eggs. Elmwood Park Community Church and Pastor Sean Stevenson (right in photo below) sponsored the egg hunt in their community’s Central Park. Stevenson estimates at least 1,000 people were there.

The former International Mission Board missionary has pastored the church since June of 2018. His congregation is currently in a replanting process, trying to establish who they are and how best to reach their community. They realized many in their community of 24,000 didn’t know the church existed, Stevenson said.

“One of the things we’ve been trying to do is make the invisible church visible.”

They worked with the Village of Elmwood Park on egg hunt logistics, building a working relationship with local leaders that has already positioned the church as a potential partner for future events.

“It exceeded anything we ever thought it would be,” Stevenson said. “It was just amazing.”

NeTworkiNg

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

Send NetworkiNg items to IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org.

First Baptist Church, Mulberry Grove is seeking a bivocational pastor. Please send resumes to First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 254, Mulberry Grove, IL, 62262.

Grace Baptist Church in Granite City is seeking an administrative assistant to work 35 hours each week. Send resumes and further inquiries to dwpreacher@gmail.com.

Recently, Haas told the Illinois Baptist, he sent out “fleece letters” to see if any churches were in need of a pastor. “Would you be interested in having a 76-year-old man as your pastor?” Haas jokingly quoted himself. “I felt compelled to get back into the pastorate,” he said. “God opened the door marvelously.”

Haas reconnected with state leaders at an iConnect event at the IBSA Building in Springfield. The next iConnect, designed specifically for leaders who are new or returning to Illinois and IBSA, is Aug. 29. Contact MarkEmerson@IBSA.org for more information.

CLASSIFIED AD

First Baptist Church, Maryville, Mo., seeks a full-time pastor. Must agree with the doctrinal statements in The Baptist Faith and Message (2000). Could you be the one God is leading to us? Send your resume to Pastor Search Committee, 121 E. Jenkins, Maryville, MO 64468, or by e-mail to fbcmaryvillemo@ gmail.com. Cutoff for receipt of applications is May 31, 2019.

Temple Baptist Church in Canton is seeking a full-time pastor. Contact Dale Shaeffer at (309) 338-7000 for more information; e-mail resumes to TBC_RESUMES@yahoo.com.

PAT PAJAK

EVENTS

May 14

Training Night

What: Quality, free training in women’s and men’s ministry, worship, students, outreach, leadership development, Sunday school, safety, and more

Where: Northside, Dixon Register: IBSA.org/TrainingNight

May 20-22

Southern Illinois

Collegiate Retreat

What: An opportunity for students to connect with their peers, and be encouraged to fulfill the ministry Jesus has given them

Where: Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp

Cost: $25 per person Register: IBSA.org/Students

Splash Summer Camps

June 17-21, Streator

June 10-14, Streator

June 16-20, Lake Sallateeska

June 24-28, Lake Sallateeska

July 8-12, Streator

What: Exciting Bible teaching, hands-on activities, and fun recreational experiences for campers in grades 3-12

Cost: $165 per person

Register: IBSA.org/Kids

June 1-August 3

Missions Spectacular

What: Summer missions emphasis with projects for children and adults, developed by local churches and associations

Where: Locations across Illinois

Cost: $20 per person

Register: IBSA.org/Spectacular

June 8-12

SBC Pastors’ Conference and Annual Meeting

What: Annual gathering of Southern Baptists, beginning with day-long Crossover missions emphasis June 8

Where: Birmingham, Ala. Info: sbcannualmeeting.net

June 14-15

Father/Son Camp

What: Weekend of fun, fellowship, and superheroes

Where: Lake Sallateeska and Streator

Cost: $40 per person Register: IBSA.org/Kids

Student Battle Ready Camp

June 24-28, Lake Sallateeska

July 14-19, Lake Sallateeska

What: Exciting Bible teaching, hands-on activities, and fun recreational experiences for students in grades 7-12

Cost: $165 per person Register: IBSA.org/Students

June 25-29

Super Summer

What: Training experience for students who have committed their lives to Christ and are seeking fresh ways to develop their fullest potential as Christians

Where: Eastern Illinois University, Charleston

Cost: $235 per person Register: IBSA.org/Students

July 8-12

Summer Worship University

What: IBSA’s premier worship, music, and arts events for students who have completed grades 6-12

Where: Hannibal-LaGrange University, Hannibal, Mo.

Cost: $245 per student Register: IBSA.org/Students

July 13-20

Illinois Changers

What: Challenging, hands-on missions opportunities for students who have completed grades 6-12

Where: Peoria

Cost: $180 per person Register: IBSA.org/ILChangers

Coming soon

Be intentional with your time

dave says

QAs a business owner, how do you find a life balance between work and home? I have my own small business, and sometimes I feel like I’m putting in too much time at the shop and not spending enough time with my husband and kids.

AThe idea of everything being in balance, on an everyday basis, is a myth. It’s simply not possible to perfectly juggle every aspect of our lives every single day.

The key, I think, is to strive for an overall balance over time. You know first-hand the long hours and how work can interfere with other things if you’re not careful. The answer lies in really being into whatever you’re doing.

When you’re not at your shop or taking care of work-related matters, actively participate in conversations with your spouse and kids—and listen. Spend time with them! Turn off your cell phone when you go on dates with your husband and when you take your kids on outings. When you’re with your family you should really be with them. Then, when you have to work, chances are they won’t be so upset, and you’ll feel better about things, too!

Don’t go too far

QOur son is 17, and he is in school. He has a good part-time job, and my wife and I started teaching him basic money management at a young age. He understands the importance of saving, giving, and spending, plus he is setting aside money for technical school after he graduates from high school. Do you think it would be an appropriate real-world exercise if we started charging him a very small amount in rent each month to prepare him for life when he leaves home?

AI appreciate the fact that you’re looking for teachable moments, but I really think charging a teenager rent while he’s living at home is going too far. Now, if he was 28 or 29, that’d be a different story. But as parents, it’s still your responsibility to provide a home for your 17-year-old child. It sounds like you’ve done a fantastic job already of helping your son grow into a responsible young man. He knows how to work, and he has grasped the basic concepts of managing money. I meet people three times his age on a regular basis who still haven’t done that. With this kind of start, I’ve got a feeling your kid will be fine. I also think, with this kind of start, he has a great chance of becoming wealthy some day!

A one-day youth evangelism event offering great music with Christian artists and top speakers for teens

For more information, go to IBSA.org/YE2019

DAVE RAMSEY

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

Understanding the world where we live and serve

Table for one

Church needed here...

Location: New City

Focus: Latino residents

Characteristics: One of Chicago’s 77 official neighborhoods, New City is on the city’s southwest side. There is a climate of violence, drugs, and gangs. Some schools have closed, causing problems for students who need to be relocated.

The Latino population of New City is 25,100 (57.3%). Half of them speak Spanish.

Prayer needs: Pray for the wellness of New City, that God would bring his blessing and healing over this neighborhood. A new church must build bridges to reach this suffering neighborhood.

Religious landscape More non-members

Half of all Americans are members of a church, Gallup reported this month. The number, an all-time low, represents a steep decline over the past 20 years. U.S. church membership was at least 70% until the mid-1970s, and hovered in that range until 1998, when it started to fall—and kept falling.

The decline in church membership is closely connected to the rise in non-affiliation, Gallup noted. Twenty years ago, 8% of U.S. adults claimed no religion.

The current share of non-affiliated Americans is 19%

Connected teens

80%

of teenagers (13-18) have a social media account, compared to

1/3

of adults in any community are single. Why not form a topnotch team to pray and plan multiple small groups, events, and ministries for singles? Kick off with a single adult retreat and ask church members to invite their friends.

– Facts & Trends magazine

Pray for local politicians

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness”

(1 Timothy 2:1-2).

As Christians, we are called to pray for our leaders (even if we don’t agree with them). Here are some very simple ways you can be an encouragement to those in leadership.

• Do your homework and know your city, state, and national leaders. Make a list of their names and jobs so you can pray specifically for them.

• Adopt your mayor or city council members. Meet them in person and tell them,

fresh ideas

“Thank you for your service—I’m praying for you.” Purchase a Bible to give them as a gift and write in the front a verse you are praying over them.

• Sign up at Public Servants’ Prayer (www.thepsp.org) to receive regular e-mails encouraging you to pray for politicians in your state. You’ll receive a photo of one of your politicians, some information about them, and their e-mail address. Read the e-mail, pray for them, and then let them know you are praying.

• Attend city or county meetings as regularly as possible. Be a presence in the room and introduce yourself before or after the meeting, with the goal of thanking them and telling them you’re praying for them.

• Meet your senators and representatives. Stop by their office or call to set up an appointment, then go in and meet them. Let

of pre-teens (6-12).

The average age for opening their first online account is

23% 121/2

– Common Sense Media, CNN.com

Connected parents

Iwas new to student ministry when the pastor asked, “Why don’t I ever see you interacting with parents?” I discovered a youth minister’s job was (and is) to minister to families—students and their parents. For me, the answer was church softball. Playing on a team with dads opened doors for relationships with whole families. That led to football-watching parties at our tiny, crowded house. The partnerships we built were especially helpful when kids struggled with big decisions or big mistakes. And the same is true today— especially as students face increasingly complex questions about gender identity, relationships, and living out their faith in a post-Christian culture.

Jack Lucas is IBSA’s director of next generation ministries. Excerpted from a column in Resource magazine, Summer issue.

them know you are praying for them as they lead in your state.

• Become a commissioned chaplain! Chaplains serve in hospitals, jails, military bases, and more. Become a chaplain to your local fire department, police station, or state legislature.

• Ask your children to draw pictures or write thank-you notes and deliver them to local leaders and first responders.

The most important thing you can do is be consistently present. As you show your face over and over and consistently encourage your politicians, God will open doors for you to be a support for them in ways you never knew possible.

Autumn Wall and her husband are planting a church in Indianapolis. She is coauthor with her mother, Diana Davis, of “Across the Street and Around the World: Ideas to Spark Missional Focus” (New Hope Publishers).

– IBSA Church Planting Team

AUTUMN WALL