November 1, 2020 Illinois Baptist

It’s bigger than us

COVID CASES rise

Limits renewed

Churches

debate impact

Springfield | As Gov. J.B. Pritzker tightened COVID-related restrictions in suburban Chicago and the southeastern corner of the state, pastors debated their meeting plans and two churches continued their fight to stop the limitations.

Pritzker’s announcement Oct. 20 affects Zone 5, which includes Mt. Vernon, Marion, and the surrounding area. He also renewed limits on restaurants and public meetings in DuPage, Kane, Kankakee, and Will counties west of Chicago. The restrictions include limiting gatherings to 25 people, down from the previous cap of 50. Region 1 in northwestern Illinois returned to earlier restrictions Oct. 3. Across the country, faith leaders have noted churches provide an essential service in their communities, therefore falling into the category of establishments that can continue to operate amid restrictions. Many Illinois churches that have relaunched

Sammy Simmons

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM

MEASURING ONLINE ATTENDANCE

Barna Research found generation mattered in terms of church attendance during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data, collected April 28-May 11, shows Millennials were the most likely to stop attending church.

CHURCH NEEDED HERE

Location: North Park

Focus: College students

Characteristics: This community is bustling with students from North Park University and long-time residents of the neighborhood.

Prayer needs: Pray college students will be engaged through evangelistic conversations and community-building.

– IBSA Church Planting Team

Giving by IBSA churches as of 10/16/20

$4,250,274

Budget Goal: $4,938,462

Received to date in 2019: $4,493,770

2020 Goal: $6.3 Million

The Illinois Baptist staff

Editor - Eric Reed

Managing Editor - Meredith Flynn

Graphic Designer - Kris Kell

Contributing Editor - Lisa Misner

Administrative Assistant - Leah Honnen

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

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

POSTMASTER: The Illinois Baptist is owned and published every month by the Illinois Baptist State Association, 3085 Stevenson Drive, Springfield, Illinois 627034440. Subscriptions are free to Illinois Baptists. Subscribe online at IBSA.org.

NATE ADAMS

A rare adventure

he Wizard of Oz” is said to be the most viewed film in movie history. Made in 1939, this classic production has certainly had more years than most to gain that notoriety.

But it didn’t premiere on broadcast television until 1956. And as a pastor’s son growing up in the 1960s, “The Wizard of Oz” was still a rare adventure for me. You see, for years it was only broadcast annually, on a Sunday night. And though I confess to asking often if I might stay home and watch it on our black-and-white TV, I somehow always found myself in our Sunday night church service instead.

Finally one year I was lucky enough to get the chicken pox on Wizard of Oz weekend. In fact I was hospitalized, so I even got to see the wonderful land of Oz and all its amazing characters in living color!

Perhaps because color TV was so new to me, I focused a lot more on the Oz part of the story than I did the Kansas part. So it wasn’t until years later that I realized—spoiler alert —that the actors playing the everyday Kansas characters were the same actors that played the fantastic characters of Oz.

I was using the film as a teaching illustration one time and found myself viewing the closing scene with entirely new eyes. As a boy, I felt the return to drab, black-and white Kansas was a little anti-climactic. “What! You mean Oz was all a dream? Now Dorothy is back on a dusty farm with no witches or flying monkeys, no talking scarecrows and lions?”

But Dorothy doesn’t see it that way. As amazing as her adventure in Oz had been, she was overjoyed to be back with the real people she loved, in the real place she called home. Now we all gleefully quote her closing line in the film, “There’s no place like home!”

During our own current, rare adventure that we call the Coronavirus pandemic, I think we could all benefit from the lesson Dorothy learned during her adventure in Oz.

There will be a day when we wake up and realize that the pandemic is behind us. The masks and social distancing, the precautions and limitations, and even the public controversies and disagreements will still seem very real, yet like a dream.

What will really matter is the relationships we had before the dream, the way we handled those relationships during the dream, and the relationships that endure and continue after the dream.

Maybe some of the characters in our lives will take on new roles or be seen in a different light during the rare adventure of this pandemic. Maybe we will see a different side of some people, or even a different side of ourselves. The stresses and opportunities of an adventure have a way of revealing those things.

But when the adventure is over, we will find ourselves in the “home” of who and what is really important to us. That’s what we must value and protect, even during the adventure, because that’s who and what we will find surrounds us when the adventure has passed.

You see, there’s a sense in which not just the pandemic, but our entire lives here on earth, are the dream. And when we wake up in eternity, we will see clearly that “home” is the presence of our Savior, and the fellowship of others who were following him to heaven, including those we invited to come during the rare adventure of our lifetimes. And of course that’s when we will know for certain and for eternity, that there is no place like home.

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

Relationships will outlast this season. Let’s value and protect them.

– Barna Research

Pandemic ‘perseverance’ featured

Decatur | The 2020 IBSA Annual Meeting will kick off Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 1 p.m. at Tabernacle Baptist Church. The meeting, which has been abbreviated to one day due to COVID-19 limitations, will also be livestreamed on YouTube through a link available at IBSA.org.

“We are doing everything we can to make meeting in person for this year’s IBSA Annual Meeting as safe and responsible as possible, following state and CDC guidelines,” said IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams. Tabernacle can accommodate approximately 300 people properly distanced in their sanctuary, which normally seats up to 1,200. Masks will be provided for Annual Meeting messengers and guests; hand sanitizer stations will be posted; and temperature checks will be set up at the entrances. Masks will be required in the church building until attenders are seated.

“We also want those who need to stay home with health concerns to be able to participate as fully as possible online,” Adams said, “both with advance information on the IBSA.org website, and through the livestreaming and recording of the meeting.”

The 2020 Book of Reports is currently available at IBSA.org/IBSAannualmeeting. While the IBSA Constitution doesn’t presently allow for remote voting, viewers may watch the meeting live online. A highlights reel will be posted later for those unable to travel or gather in groups.

The IBSA Pastors’ Conference, traditionally held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting, has been canceled this year, along with other ancillary meetings and the exhibit hall. Childcare will not be provided during this year’s Annual Meeting.

“Pivot and Persevere” is the theme of the gathering, chosen to highlight how churches have responded to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jacob Gray, pastor of Ten Mile Baptist Church in McLeansboro, will preach the annual sermon, and IBSA President Sammy Simmons, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Benton, will bring the President’s message. Chris Gregg, worship pastor at Tabernacle, will lead in music along with the church’s worship team.

Go to IBSA.org/IBSAannualmeeting for more information.

leadership

New director named Trascritti to join IBSA staff

Springfield | Fran Trascritti is IBSA’s new administrative director of Leadership Development and will join the staff Nov. 1. In addition to leading the Leadership Development team in Springfield, his role includes supervision of zone consultants across the state.

He and his wife, Teresa, will relocate to Illinois from the Nashville area, where Trascritti served at Lifeway Christian Resources, initially as a church partner, then as the brand manager for the “Explore the Bible” curriculum. Most recently, he served as the director of church partnerships. He holds a PhD in Leadership from Southern Seminary, and has previously served in various roles in the local church, including nine years as a senior pastor.

“We are excited about God’s direction in this decision,” said Mark Emerson, IBSA’s associate executive director, “and are looking forward to Fran helping IBSA deliver network value, inspiring each church to thrive in health, growth, and mission.”

Giving holds up

Nashville, Tenn. | Despite challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic, giving by Southern Baptist churches through the Cooperative Program (CP) totaled more than $192.9 million during the 2020 fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30. Giving for the year ended less than 2% below the national CP allocation budget, Baptist Press reported.

“The consistency and faithfulness of our churches giving through the Cooperative Program during this global pandemic has resulted in us being able to fund the vision of the Great Commission and the needed ministries to support it,” said SBC Executive Committee president and CEO Ronnie Floyd. “All of this begins with individuals and families who have been faithful to honor God with at least one-tenth of their income through their local church.”

A recent report from the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) compared giving in January and in April, after the pandemic had shut down most worship services. Almost half of pastors—47%—said donations were higher or about the same, while 25% said giving was about the same, The Christian Post reported. And 28% noted a decrease in giving between 20% and 40%.

The ECFA report also noted churches’ optimism about giving. When asked for their outlook in May, 58% of pastors said they were optimistic about cash donations to their church or ministry in May through July.

FRAN TRASCRITTI

– Baptist Press, The Christian Post

Capitol Hill wins in court

The District of Columbia cannot prevent Capitol Hill Baptist Church from meeting outdoors with proper safety precautions, a judge ruled Oct. 9. The church, which is led by Pastor Mark Dever, had previously filed suit against the district for pandemicrelated restrictions the church claimed had been applied in a discriminatory manner. Judge Trevor McFadden agreed, ruling the district’s present limitations “substantially burden [Capitol Hill Baptist’s] exercise of religion.” McFadden referenced Hebrews 10:25 in his ruling.

“It is for the church, not the District or this court, to define for itself the meaning of ‘not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together.’”

Religious liberty gamble

Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak raised the number of people who can gather for worship to 250 on Oct. 1, but religious liberty advocates argued the restrictions are unfair due to the state’s guidance for casinos. Those establishments are allowed to operate at 50% capacity, with no cap. “Churches cannot be singled out and treated differently from other gatherings simply because they are houses of worship,” said Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC). “That is out of step with the First Amendment and our long American history of free exercise.”

Ridgecrest finds a buyer

Revitalization process continues

As churches navigate COVID-19 pandemic

Springfield | In 2019, the Illinois Baptist State Association restructured its staff and ministry priorities in large part to help churches revitalize their own ministries. The 2020 global pandemic forced a pause on some key initiatives, said IBSA’s Scott Foshie, but churches across the state are still engaging in the revitalization process.

“Even though our process involvement has slowed during COVID, interest in revitalization has increased dramatically during 2020,” said Foshie, director of Revitalization. “We want each church to know that IBSA is committed to serving with you as you seek the Lord to energize your ministry in 2021.”

There are three key steps in the process presented by IBSA and partnering ministry Corpus Vitae, headed by Rob Peters: Free church health assessment: Every IBSA pastor is invited to take Peters’s Church Vision Receptivity Assessment free of charge. After the assessment is completed, a Revitalization Team member will meet with the pastor to review results, look at the church’s health trends, and talk about revitalization and what it would look like at that particular church.

ReFocus assessments and coaching: The IBSA Revitalization Team is ready to provide churches with comprehensive Pastor and Church Assessments from ReFocus. Pastor assessment results are confidential to the pastor, and the team will develop a detailed coaching plan to help pastors grow to be as effective as possible. In addition, the team will provide starting points

to help the church prepare for their next season of health and growth. (IBSA covers half the cost of the assessments; contact the Revitalization Team for details.)

ReFocus meetings with church leadership team: The IBSA team is available to meet with the pastor and four other members of the church leadership team (in person or virtually) to develop a revitalization plan for the church. A church can start this process at any time. Meetings take place once monthly for six months. After the 6-month plan development process is completed, IBSA Pathfinders continue checking in monthly and are available as needed for insight and support as a church continues to progress through the revitalization process during the months and years to come. (IBSA invests $1,000 into each church going through this process; contact the Revitalization Team for details.)

Foshie encouraged pastors to think of the revitalization process not as more work, but as more support. “Our team is not here to create more work for you. We are here to help you focus your church’s mission and resources around the Great Commission.

“Many of our pastors in the revitalization process are reporting that they are already feeling more focused and effective at what they do. The tools they’ve received have helped them navigate effectively through an extremely challenging year.”

For more information about IBSA’s revitalization process, contact Scott Foshie at ScottFoshie@IBSA.org or (217) 391-3122, or go to IBSA.org/church-revitalization.

with the lord

Marcus Randle

An independent, non-profit ministry called the Ridgecrest Foundation will purchase Ridgecrest Conference Center and Summer Camps, LifeWay Christian Resources reported in an October release. The newly formed foundation was created by individuals “who are passionate about the mission of the conference center and camps and are committed to supporting the ongoing ministries of Ridgecrest,” said Ben Mandrell, LifeWay’s president and CEO. LifeWay announced in April its intention to sell the conference center amid strategy changes, rising costs, and uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The parties plan to complete the transfer of the North Carolina property and ministries by the end of 2020.

– Baptist Press, The Christian Post, ERLC, LifeWay Christian Resources Get breaking news in The Briefing online, posted every Tuesday at www.ib2news.org.

Pastor Marcus A. Randle of Resurrection House Baptist Church in Dolton died Oct. 11 at the age of 60. Randle planted Resurrection House in 2009 to share the gospel on Chicago’s south side. In 2012, he led his congregation to relocate to a larger facility to allow more space for ministries to children and families.

When IBSA church planting strategists launched a student missions project in the city, Randle worked alongside a group of young people from his church, telling the Illinois Baptist, “when you help someone else, you’re helping to spread the gospel.”

Born in Chicago, Randle was the youngest of seven children. He is survived by his wife, Mattie, daughters Dalena Hamilton and ShaTeisa Davis; sons Marcus Hamilton and Lamar Williams; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

George Kirov

Pastor George Kirov of Bulgarian Christian Church of Chicago died

Oct. 14 at the age of 51. A resident of Hoffman Estates in Chicagoland, he was born in Petrich, Bulgaria. Pastor Kirov moved to the U.S. and planted a church in a city with one of the largest Bulgarian populations in the U.S. The pastor’s mission in life was telling others about Jesus. He was blessed to bring his own three children to the Lord and baptize them, as well as other family and church members. He is survived by his wife, Milena, and their three schoolage children, Rebecca, Christiana, and Emanuel.

Correction

On page 5 of the October 1 issue of the Illinois Baptist, we incorrectly identified Misty LeBlanc’s church. She is a member of First Baptist Church in O’Fallon. The Illinois Baptist regrets the error.

RUSSELL MOORE

MARCUS RANDLE

GEORGE KIROV

Churches see smaller crowds

From the front: COVID SURGE TRIGGERS RESTRICTIONS

Continued from page 1

Nashville, Tenn. | While most Protestant churches in the U.S. are back to worshiping in person, a new survey of pastors found many aren’t back up to pre-pandemic attendance. LifeWay Research reported 87% of Protestant pastors in the U.S. say their church met in person in September, and most say their congregation has less than 70% of their pre-COVID crowds.

The research, conducted Sept. 2-Oct. 1, compared attendance in September with February, before most churches temporarily halted in-person worship services.

Prior to the pandemic, 45% of pastors say their typical weekend worship service attendance was less than 100. Now, 72% report a worship service crowd below that mark. In February, 20% of Protestant churches had crowds topping 250 people. In September, only 6% drew attendance levels that high.

While most churches have resumed inperson services, 13% did not hold physical gatherings in September, according to the research. A majority of African American Protestant pastors (60%) said their congregations did not meet in person in September.

“More and more churches across the U.S. have found ways to meet again, but things are not back to normal,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay

Survey says most report fewer worshipers since pandemic Your

Research. “The impact of regulations, caution, and hardships mean more than 1 in 10 churches are still not meeting in person for any type of worship service. Churches are living organisms, and when more than a third of their members are missing, they are not whole.”

– LifeWay Research

in-person worship are meeting with more worshipers than the 50-person limit for non-religious meetings, but with social distancing and other safety precautions in place.

In announcing the new restrictions, Pritzker cited increases in the testing positivity rate and hospitalizations due to COVID-19. A period of three consecutive days of a positivity rate at or above 8% triggers new mitigations. As the new restrictions went into effect in southeastern Illinois and Chicagoland, most other regions hovered around or above a 7% testing positivity rate.

In May, Pritzker relaxed restrictions on church gatherings and the Illinois Department of Health introduced guidance for houses of worship. The guidance encouraged churches to follow current gathering limits, but also recommended capacity limits when they cannot be followed.

Two Illinois churches have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review an appellate court decision to uphold Pritzker’s restrictions on worship gatherings during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. WORLD magazine reported a petition by Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church and Logos Baptist Ministries asks the court to resolve differences in how federal appeals courts have ruled on state restrictions during the pandemic.

In June, the Seventh Circuit Appellate Court ruled against the Illinois churches, deciding that the governor’s order capping the attendance number at 10 or less was constitutional. California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s restrictions also won in the Ninth Circuit, WORLD noted, but challenges from churches have found favor in courts in Kentucky and Mississippi.

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What is the September worship service attendance compared to February worship service attendance?

Churches fill gaps in unusual back-to-school season

Pastors build on earlier partnerships with community leaders

Across Illinois | Pastor Jason Plumer walks around the tables in his church’s fellowship hall, stopping every few seconds to talk to small groups of students eating a snack of cereal or carrot sticks. His church’s afterschool program, Tending the Vine, runs four afternoons a week for kids who need a place go after school dismisses in the early afternoon.

First Baptist Litchfield is one of many Illinois churches across the state that have adapted backto-school ministry to assist families with remote learning. In Jacksonville, Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church opened their building to students from Illinois College. And Reborn Community Church is hosting remote learners in Chicago’s Garfield Park neighborhood.

In Litchfield, as the last students walk through the doors and gather their snacks, Plumer calls the group to order and walks to a white board at the front of the room.

Students raise their hands and call out their observations about the sentence written there. It’s about Noah, and God’s provision for his family. This is “God and Grammar,” the introductory activity at First Baptist Litchfield’s afteschool program for 30 kids in their community.

His church has a big building with internet access, Plumer said. “Why don’t we open our building up and provide a safe place for these kids to get their homework done?”

FBC Litchfield had been in talks with a local school to start a mentoring program last spring. The pandemic halted those plans, but the church stayed in touch, helping with a summer lunch program. When the semester started with remote and hybrid learning, the church opened its doors, hosting around 50 students and mobilizing volunteers to help with schoolwork.

their work turned in and be successful, and hear the gospel, and really just kind of experience life.”

Opening the doors

Over the years, Jeremy Byrd’s church has built a strong relationship with the middle school across the street from their Jacksonville campus. So when students needed a place to hang out until their parents could pick them up, Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church was a natural fit. School dismisses at noon this fall, and the church opens its doors for middle schoolers waiting for a ride. Elsewhere in the building, Illinois College classes utilize the church building for meeting space (see photo on page 1).

The church’s back-to-school efforts are an extension of partnerships built before the pandemic. The church established a Fellowship of Christian Athletes group at the middle school. The school and the church have shared space at different times before, when either was undergoing renovations.

School is back in session during the morning now, but the church’s Tending the Vine program has continued during the afternoon hours. The ministry serves kids who need a place to get their work done, plus volunteers who can help them stay motivated in an unusual learning environment.

After God and Grammar, students split into two groups and head upstairs for homework help. Younger kids work on reading and worksheets; next door, older students work math problems on a white board. With each group, volunteers circulate around the rooms, often pulling up a chair and peering over school-issued tablets with the students. Tending the Vine works to follow the school district’s COVID-19 prevention procedures, including social distancing, masks, and cleaning protocols.

The program is “unapologetically Christian,” Plumer said, and the goal of Tending the Vine is to give kids categories for understanding God and the gospel. “The first time I prayed over them, they just kind of looked at me funny,” the pastor said.

“We try to create a very stable, routine, uneventful place for them to come and use our internet, and get

During this unprecedented back-to-school season, the church has tried to listen to what schools and teachers need, Byrd said. “We just try to make ourselves available to help them.”

In past years, the church has sent a team of volunteers to a local school each month to set up a snack area for teachers. With that opportunity unavailable this year, Lincoln Avenue found other ways to help, including donating 3,000 masks to the school system. At the beginning of the school year, Lincoln Avenue students sent notes and ice cream coupons to Jacksonville teachers, letting them know they were praying for them, Byrd said. “Just to let them know that they weren’t at it alone.”

Gospel opportunity

In a firehouse-turned-church building in Chicago’s Garfield Park, Pastor Jamie Thompson and Reborn Community Church help 20 kids each week with online learning. “We can’t do a huge number,” Thompson said, “because we have to keep things socially distanced and as safe as possible.”

Years ago, Reborn adopted a local school to assist students and families that were underserved and unsupported in their community. They started a tutoring program to help at-risk children, and when

those kids needed a place to be during the day this fall, the church adapted its program to host remote learning four days a week.

The students who come to Reborn during the day are kids the church already knows through its tutoring and mentoring initiatives. At the church, students can attend virtual classes and get help from adult volunteers. The church has worked with the school system to provide meals, and the program includes a Bible study component.

In Litchfield, Plumer and his church also see their current ministry as an opportunity to lay a biblical foundation, a change to bring some stability amid a lot of uncertainty.

“We mentor and we tutor and we provide that safe place for them to get their schoolwork done,” Plumer said, “and we get to share the gospel with them.”

– Meredith Flynn

LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS – First Baptist Litchfield’s afterschool program (above) starts with a “God and Grammar” session run by Pastor Jason Plumer (below left). Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church in Jacksonville opened their building this fall to Illinois College students. Photos below and on cover courtesy of Warmowski Photography

MISSION

Prayer and preparation

IBSA launches affinity networks to aid churches in missions planning

Collinsville | Pastor David Seaton’s church planned to send a volunteer team to Southeast Asia in 2020. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, shutting down most international travel and putting long-planned mission trips on hold.

“We want the people of God to take the story of God to people who don’t know it yet,” said Seaton, a pastor at Heights Community Church in Collinsville. As they await their next opportunity overseas, they’re joining a group of Illinois churches lifting up Southeast Asia in prayer. IBSA’s Mobilization Team launched the Southeast Asia mission affinity network in October, along with eight other groups designed to call churches to focused prayer for a specific region of the world.

“That’s one thing we can always do,” said Brad Lovin, who leads missions and mobilization for the state association. Along with prayer, the networks will help churches connect with missionaries and with future opportunities to go in person to the region. The affinity networks are one of several initiatives launched this fall to help churches strategize around missions. Others include online training opportunities and an assessment process to determine a church’s next steps in its missional growth. The goal is to equip churches to be ready in season and out of season to share the gospel, Lovin said, quoting Paul’s encouragement in 2 Timothy 4:2.

Continued on page 8

Women walk to the back of a mosque for midday prayers in this International Mission Board photo. Engaging unreached people groups like this one is a focus of the 2020 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and Week of Prayer (see page 10), and for Illinois churches preparing now for future missions opportunities.

IBSA has launched nine affinity networks to help churches pray now for regions where they may eventually send mission teams to engage with the gospel.

Unreached people group

BRAD LOVIN

Churches can work right where they are on how to communicate the gospel with neighbors, and with people who have a different worldview than their own.

“Right now, you can develop a strategy.”

Part of the bigger picture

Seaton cites his time on staff at Immanuel Baptist Church in Benton as when he developed a heart to reach unreached people groups. When he planted a church in Collinsville four years ago, that mission became part of its DNA. Heights has sent teams to Southeast Asia the last two years.

“There are so many unreached people groups there, and it’s a very dark place,” Seaton said of the place they serve. Getting other churches on board with praying for and taking the gospel to the region is exciting, he said.

The affinity networks focus on nine regions and/or groups: Americas, Central Asia, East Asia, Europe, Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Deaf peoples. Chris Nolin’s church will be part of the East Asia affinity group, following the pastor’s 12 years in the region. Nolin came to Emmanuel Baptist Church in Sterling in 2019, drawn largely by the church’s commitment to missions. The pandemic has made it difficult to know which approach to take, he said, and whether to take a step back or move forward.

“It can leave you looking around and wondering what to do,” Nolin said. The uncertainty can spur you to do more, he said, or to stand still. “I did not want our church to stand still.” The opportunities may look different, like the virtual Vacation Bible School his church hosted over the summer. “We still want to do missions,” Nolin said. “I don’t think God is going to tell us to stop.”

As part of an affinity network, Emmanuel will receive a monthly prayer guide for East Asia. As they pray, other churches in the network will be pray-

ing too, for the same requests. Nolin said bringing churches together to pray and engage in missions creates synergy and results that wouldn’t happen if individual churches are focused only on what they’re trying to accomplish.

“When you’re in a smaller church, you want to be part of the bigger picture. You want to be part of what God is doing all over the world.”

More resources for strategy development

In 2020, much of IBSA’s training went online. Churches and leaders can engage in several current opportunities to build or strengthen a missions strategy, including the Missions Assessment Profile. The online questionnaire looks at 12 key areas that can help a church take their next steps toward missional growth and effectiveness. After the assessment is completed, IBSA’s Mobilization Team will partner with church leaders to design and implement a missions plan.

IBSA’s Edge training initiative recently launched its first semester of courses, including the missions-focused Introduction to Mobilization. The 8-week course is offered in an asynchronous online format, meaning students can complete most assignments at their own pace. Classes also meet occasionally in a virtual classroom setting.

“If you’ve got a person who has a real passion to reach people for Christ, I think this is a great course to take,” said Ben Jones, director of leadership development. The course covers IBSA’s mobilization process, from reaching your neighbors (see below) to global engagement. Information about Edge courses is available at IBSA.org/ibsa-online-courses.

At IBSA.org/missions, churches can link to the Missions Assessment Profile or sign up to join a mission affinity network. For more information about upcoming missions opportunities, contact IBSA’s Mobilization Team at (217) 391-3131.

– Meredith Flynn

Won’t you be their neighbor?

Reaching the world starts on my sidewalk

Before Brad Lovin and his family moved into their home in Springfield, they prayed for dozens of their future neighbors. Using the free service available from BlessEvery Home.com, the family of six received a list of 30-40 homes close to theirs, and used the list to pray that they would have the opportunity to build relationships and eventually share the gospel.

Several months later, the Lovins are still committed to reaching their diverse neighbors, who represent a variety of religious beliefs and backgrounds. They’ve started a regular practice of inviting people over for dinner.

“They’ve sat at our table for an hour and a half to two hours, just telling us about their life,” said IBSA’s missions director. The outreach is something all families can do, especially in this time of more hours at home and out in the neighborhood. Lovin offered a few encouragements for families considering a similar ministry to their neighbors:

1. Think of your family as a ‘universal adapter.’ Think of a local church as a European electrical socket, and a family in your neighborhood as an American power cord. Naturally, they don’t fit, Lovin said. But if a Christian family can serve as a universal adapter, the neighbor could eventually find a fit at the local church, and in the family of God. That’s why the Lovins pray over the meal during dinner with neighbors, and show what it looks like to live out the gospel in a family context.

“What if our family can be the adapter that allows them to eventually plug into the church?” Lovin said.

2. Capitalize on seasonal opportunities. Along with dinners with individuals and families, the Lovins try to host a larger gathering every six weeks. Watermelon and ice cream in the summer, s’mores later in the fall. Several families have participated, giving the neighbors another opportunity to get to know each other.

Muslims make up The group is expected to be the country’s second-largest religious group by 2040.

1.1%

of the U.S. population.

3.45 million

Muslims lived in the U.S. as of 2017, 2.35 million ten years earlier. up from

Illinois is estimated to have the largest per capita Muslim population among all 50 states, with more than – Pew Research, World Population Review, Religion News Service

350,000 Muslims calling the state home.

3. Engage in consistent, persistent outreach. The process of taking the gospel to a neighborhood is based on everyday conversations, Lovin said. The family takes regular walks together, meeting people and having casual conversations until they have an opportunity to invite people to their home for a meal. The ministry starts on sidewalks and driveways, and eventually brings people to the dinner table.

He encouraged other families considering a neighborhood ministry to make a similar commitment: What would it look for you to commit to have neighbors over once a week or every two weeks?

The outreach is consistent with how Christ spent his time, Lovin said. “What I see in the Bible is Jesus having a pattern of using the gift of hospitality to reach people.”

CHRIS NOLIN

DAVID SEATON

How sharing Christ overseas changed a church

This January, I got to watch God move again in a way that brings so much joy to this pastor’s heart. I was on the dusty, noisy street on the edge of a slum in Nairobi, Kenya, with two Kenyans who served as our translators and two church members from Immanuel in Benton, Brad and Judy. They are a husband and wife in their 60s.

It was our first day to share the gospel in Kenya. This was Judy’s first international mission trip and it was evident she was nervous and scared. Judy had prepared, she had prayed, but this was totally out of her element.

I had just modeled how to share the gospel with a group of two or three people. Brad, who is never shy to speak to anyone, shared as well. Now, it was Judy’s turn to share the message that had changed her life.

The translators found two men and a young woman who would like to hear the message these Americans had traveled so far to share. Though Judy was nervous, God spoke powerfully and eloquently through her.

Judy told the story of Nicodemus and shared the gospel using her five fingers to demonstrate coming to faith in Christ. The young woman who was listening attentively was convicted and got saved. I wish you could have seen the joy in that young lady and in Judy. Over the next several days, Judy’s confidence in sharing the gospel grew, her courage grew, her joy grew, and close to 50 people were saved through her faithful witness.

I love leading our church to answer God’s call to go to the nations. Not only have we seen God move powerfully in Africa, he has worked in our own hearts. Take Brenda, who openly confessed that she didn’t want to go on a mission trip, but felt God wanted her to go. After sharing the gospel in Africa, Brenda is much bolder in her witness back home.

Take Don, who is legally blind. After multiple trips to Africa, Don and his wife have become some of our most faithful members to share the gospel

with their neighbors. And the stories of how God has given our members a heart for the gospel through international missions go on and on with Clayce, Derrick, Carolyn, Shawn, and so many more.

Several months after returning from Africa, our worship pastor, John, had surgery that involved anesthesia. The gospel was so implanted in his heart from traveling overseas that as he was coming out of anesthesia, he was trying to share the Romans Road with the nurse watching over him. I love that!

Mobilize your church’s Gen Z missionaries

In our church’s ever-changing mission field, the entire population turns over every four years. But our church has seen success by sending out young members as missionaries.

Beloved Community Church has reaped the benefits of partnering with Gen Z for the sake of the gospel at the University of Illinois-Chicago and in the Illinois Medical District. These young believers have been faithful to take the gospel to their friends, and our church has reached people we never would have without their partnership.

One Muslim student began attending our social functions because she was invited by one of our student members, who continued to love, encourage, and invite her. After much

persistence and prayer, the Muslim student started to check out our Bible studies once in a while.

Both students continued their friendship and even became roommates in graduate school. Our church member started hosting a discipleship group in their living room, and eventually, her roommate joined in the discussions about the Bible.

I wish I could say she was converted to Christianity and baptized, but she hasn’t yet. We pray God will continue to draw her to himself, even though she has moved away to work elsewhere.

The truth is that many of the wealthy, bright, and influential minds of closed-door

Twenty years ago, I was convicted by God’s word that a follower of Jesus cares about taking the gospel to the nations. However, it was another four years before the timing was right to take my first overseas trip. Before going overseas, I was more focused on church growth than kingdom growth. Leading mission trips overseas helps me to stay focused on a greater kingdom and a greater vision than just our community.

Answering the call to go on mission ignites church members to share the gospel here at home.

Seeing our translator come to Christ, working with a former gang leader who is now a passionate church planter in his community, and seeing Muslims come to Christ—it changed me. I love seeing God at work in unmanipulated and unplanned ways. Going on mission revives my heart. It reminds me of the power of the simple gospel. And it helps me share with greater fervency when I return back home—and preach with greater passion too. It’s good for my soul to follow God’s call to share the gospel with the nations.

A global pandemic has changed much of our mission plans for 2020, but I hope to be able to lead another team back to Africa in 2021. In the meantime, we can be serious about praying for the nations, giving sacrificially to missions, and planning our next mission trip so others can hear the gospel.

Who knows what God will do with our obedience?

Sammy Simmons is pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Benton, and is serving as president of IBSA.

countries are coming to study at our colleges and universities. Imagine the endless possibilities for the kingdom of God if we could love them, learn about their culture, share the gospel, disciple them, and send them out. We may not know the results of our ministry on this side of eternity. But as the nations come to our doorsteps, I pray every church will make the effort to go and make disciples of the upcoming generation.

Daniel Chung is planting Beloved Community Church in Chicago’s University District.

GLOBAL TESTIMONY – On her first international mission trip, Judy (right) from Immanuel Baptist Church in Benton shared the gospel with a young woman and many others in Kenya.

Woman rejects fortune telling, chooses faith

Conversion is one sign of God’s work among unreached people groups

Central Asia | Anim* remembers the day when an old fortune teller told her mother that Anim had the gift of sight.

“My mother and my grandmother were both fortune tellers,” she said, “so my mom wasn’t surprised when the gypsy confirmed it.”

What did surprise her was the old woman’s declaration that Anim would pay a high price for this gift if she wanted it. The fortune teller said that if she continued to use this gift, it would cost Anim the life of someone she loved. Her mother decided it was worth the price.

Not long after, when Anim was 12, her father disappeared under very strange circumstances. “I decided right then that I didn’t want to follow in my mother’s and grandmother’s footsteps. I would not try to speak to the spirits if they would demand the life of a member of my family in exchange for their help,” she said.

Later, Anim studied law and found a job she enjoyed. However, after working for a while, she met a young man who wanted to marry her and, in Central Asian tradition, he kidnapped her to make her his bride.

“My grandfather was against the match, but my mother was for it, so I decided to submit and become his wife,” Anim explained. To refuse the arrangement after being kidnapped would have been seen as shameful in her culture. Anim instead became a part of a new family which was more committed to practicing Islam than her own family had been.

She began praying five times a day. “I knew God was real, and I wanted to please him. I tried to do what was right.”

Soon she became pregnant, and as children came along, Anim’s husband decided she should no longer work outside the home.

After her fourth child was born, when she was bedridden with complications from the birth, Anim first met Southern Baptist workers who were visiting her town. Seeing that she couldn’t afford medicine, the workers helped provide what she needed. Her condition slowly improved, and the workers continued to visit her every few months.

GREAT NEED – International Mission Board workers in Central Asia have identified 16 indigenous people groups sharing the gospel with other groups in their countries. But in 2019, five people groups reverted to unengaged status due to loss of engagement by IMB personnel or their partners.

The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering & Week of Prayer is Nov. 29 – Dec. 6.

hopelessness. As IMB representatives shared the gospel with her, Anim listened eagerly. She accepted the gift of a Bible and began reading it. Later the representatives visited again and listened as Anim explained the difficulties of her life. She wanted to divorce her husband because he regularly beat her. Her children were losing weight because the family couldn’t afford food. She wanted to help provide for her family, but her husband wouldn’t let her.

“I feel so much lighter!” she said to one of the workers. “It’s like I’m a new person…and like you’re my true sister!”

Not long after Anim became a follower of Jesus, she began reading Scripture with her mother-inlaw and children. When IMB workers recently visited Anim, they were able to help Anim lead her mother-in-law to Christ. Anim and her family are part of a minority ethnic group among whom there are very few believers.

Recovering physically, Anim began to talk with the workers about spiritual things. She shared her history and confessed feelings of confusion and

The workers listened. They offered help with food, which she reluctantly accepted. When they told her more about how to find peace with God, she was ready to confess her need and put her faith in Jesus. She wanted to know someone who loved her unconditionally. After praying and asking Jesus to be her Lord and Savior, Anim couldn’t stop smiling.

Lottie: Annual offering supports global work

Collected around Christmastime every year, the Lottie Moon Offering supports Southern Baptist workers serving around the globe through the International Mission Board. This year’s offering and week of prayer is focused on Revelation 7:9.

“After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands” (Rev. 7:9 ESV).

Promotional materials were mailed to IBSA churches and are also available at IMB.org/lottie-moon-christmas-offering:

Eight Week of Prayer stories and videos focused on IMB workers Posters to promote the offering at your church

Resources in Korean, Chinese, and Spanish

A Global Impact Guide focused on the vision to engage unreached people groups with the gospel

Last year, five Indigenous people groups in Central Asia reverted to unengaged status due to loss of engagement by IMB personnel or their partners. This sad statistic reveals the urgency in the task to reach the nations. The Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and Week of Prayer supports missionaries around the world who work to engage people groups with the gospel. This year’s Week of Prayer is Nov. 29-Dec. 6.

*Names changed for security

From the International Mission Board

–

The goal for this year’s Lottie Moon Christmas Offering is $175 million.

THE cooperative program • 3 rd quarter report jan. 1 - Sept. 30

This report includes contributions received by the Illinois Baptist State Association through the third quarter of 2020. For questions about this report, contact the IBSA Church Operations Team at (217) 391-3106, e-mail JeffDeasy@IBSA.org, or write to P.O. Box 19247, Springfield, IL 62794-9247.

Southern

Baptists stay committed $192.9 million

gave more than through the Cooperative Program in 2019-20, despite a global pandemic and economic downturn.

“It is their faithfulness that has carried us through this season; therefore, let us give glory to God alone and thank our cooperating churches for their giving through our Cooperative Program.”

Ronnie Floyd, president, SBC Executive Committee

Baptists have given more than through CP since it began 95 years ago.

$95 billion

56.5%

43.5%

Gospel advance of CP gifts stay in Illinois to start new congregations, equip churches for missions and evangelism, and develop the next generation of leaders. is forwarded to the Southern Baptist Convention for missions in North America and around the globe

3,565 missionaries and team associates are serving through the International Mission Board

3,057 missionaries and their families serve through the North American Mission Board, plus 3,758 chaplains working around the country

IMB photo

Top 100 Illinois churches in Cooperative Program support through the third quarter of 2020

Top 100 Illinois churches in per capita CP support through the third quarter of 2020

First, Salem 104.89

Beginnings, Streator 104.50

Camino Al Cielo, Joliet 102.15

Grace Fellowship Davis Junction 100.81

Calvary, Monticello 100.38

S I Country, Makanda 100.00

Red Hill Church, Edwardsville 97.99

Island City, Wilmington 97.44

New Prospect, Broughton 96.90

Starting Point Community, Chicago 92.31

Wisetown, Greenville 91.68

Eastview, Belleville 89.28

Casey First, Casey 89.00

Calvary, Pittsfield 88.97

Millstadt, Millstadt 88.89

Liberty, Harrisburg 88.67

Grace Fellowship Ashton, Ashton 87.62

Sandy Creek, Tamms 85.92

Altamont First, Altamont 85.81

Nashville First, Nashville 84.91

Flat Rock First Missionary, Flat Rock 84.55

Charity, Carlinville 83.30

Highland Avenue, Robinson 82.84

Mt Zion First, Mt Zion 82.61

Mt Olive, Dongola 82.40

Effingham First, Effingham 82.21 Union Grove, Eldorado 81.89

Immanuel, Chicago 81.82

Erven Avenue, Streator 81.76

Macedonia Missionary, Harrisburg 81.55 University, Charleston 80.92

Bethalto First, Bethalto 80.50

Immanuel, Benton 79.26

Steeleville, Steeleville 78.80

Carmi First, Carmi 78.69

Prairie Grove, Oblong 78.13

Indian Camp, Stonefort 77.32

Zion Hill, Centralia 76.85

Redeemer, Urbana 75.78

Machesney Park First, Machesney Park 75.71

Cristo Es Rey, Bolingbrook 75.70

Grace Fellowship Amboy-Sublette 75.62

Farina First Southern, Farina 75.47

Celebration Community, Pana 75.17

Tinley Park First, Tinley Park 75.06

Clarksville, Marshall 74.54

Prairie Du Rocher First 74.26

Mulberry Grove First, Mulberry Grove 72.69

Mascoutah First, Mascoutah 72.67

Beaucoup, Pinckneyville 72.67

‘We cannot retreat’ Go to to

RESOURCE

Lifting our shields of faith, together

Sharing our scars is a ministry opportunity

I love being in a room where I’m meeting women in our IBSA family. As I talk to them and learn more about their stories, I start to get a sense of their scars—those things that have cut deeply, caused trauma, and left a mark.

We all have multiple scars, and in those rooms, I can also sense the different stages of healing that women are in, and the areas of scarring they share. Our scars can be a valuable tool as Christ works in us, and in others.

I use the term “scar ministry” a lot. It’s the idea that people who know Jesus will have scars, certainly. But as he heals and restores, those scars can be used to point other people to him. I’ve developed a mental rolodex of scars, so that I know what struggles women have walked through before. When I see a woman in the middle of trauma, there is nothing better than for someone who is wearing that exact scar to walk alongside her.

Someone with the same scar knows how to stop the bleeding. They speak into the situation from experience. Their scar is such a picture of hope for the person whose trauma is fresh.

I desperately sought that kind of match in my own life after my husband died. No matter the scar—a prodigal child, divorce, addiction, financial hardship—God can redeem and restore, and give us opportunities to leverage it for his glory.

One potential pitfall of scar ministry is that we

would exploit a powerful testimony simply for the sake of a good story. If someone has walked through trauma and bear the scars, may we be mindful of their personal stage of grief and healing. It’s critical that we focus on Jesus as healer in chief, who binds up our wounds and restores our souls.

Trauma can shake our faith. Throughout this journey, I have found myself praying like the desperate father in Mark 9:24. “I believe; help my unbelief!” In that struggle, the shield of faith has been such an important visual for me. It’s meant to defend against the arrows of our enemy, but sometimes we don’t feel strong enough to lift it.

God has been showing me the shield of faith hasn’t gone anywhere. And when I’m weak, my brothers and sisters in Christ can lift their shields next to mine. I still have my shield of faith, they’re just bringing theirs too.

In this season of ministry, I’m determined to leave it all on the table. That includes leveraging my scars for the glory of God.

Carmen Halsey is director of leadership development for IBSA.

The Learning curve

Gentle and Lowly

Dane Ortlund

In 2020, this book has been a daily solace to me. Ortlund takes the reader on a journey through some Puritan writers regarding the friendship and companionship Christ offers to the believing soul.

A Praying Life

Paul Miller

This excellent book on prayer has made a major impact on my spiritual life. I’m reading it a second time right now!

Doris Kearns Goodwin

The author looks at four U.S. Presidents who led during difficult times in American history and offers challenging lessons that current leaders can learn from their lives and leadership.

“The deacons said my biggest responsibility as your preacher would be to draw people.”

– Bill Weaver, pastor, First Baptist Church, Altamont

– Bobbi Jean Geosling, ministry leader, Delta Church, Springfield Leadership in Turbulent Times

– Drake Caudill, pastor, First Baptist Church, Carmi

people

With the Lord

Dorothy (Dottie)

E. Tribble, wife of long time IBSA minister Richard Tribble, died at home Oct. 21 after a brief struggle with Alzheimer’srelated medical issues. Together they served Bethel Baptist, Danville; First Baptist, St. Elmo; First Southern Baptist, Taylorville; and Church of the Open Door, Springfield, as well as numerous churches in Central and Capital City Baptist Associations.

Condolences

Pastor DeRienzia Johnson and his wife, Vernice, lost their son, Joshua, 18, in a car accident Oct. 15. Pastor Johnson leads Greater New Hope Baptist Church in East St. Louis.

CLASSIFIED AD

Worship and Media Pastor Miner Baptist Church

Sikeston, Missouri

Send resumé to jbarnhart@minerbaptist.org.

Anniversary

Dan Eddington

celebrated 15 years as director of missions for Three Rivers Baptist Association in August. He and his wife, Debbie, began their ministry as Missions Service Corps volunteers, serving with the Baptist Convention of Iowa. He later pastored in that state and in Missouri, Nevada, and Canada, where he led a multicultural church that planted seven other congregations.

In Three Rivers, he facilitates church planting, church strengthening, and missions among a diverse association of churches in Chicagoland. The Eddingtons have three grown sons and seven grandchildren.

CLASSIFIED AD

FBC Lake Saint Louis, Missouri, is seeking an Associate Pastor of Worship and Outreach Visit fbclsl.org/job-opportunities for more information.

PLAN

Home for the holidays

Even though most churches have started regathering in person, this year will be different. Ahead of the holiday season, consider what kinds of contact your church can make with people who are staying close to home.

Schedule a pie delivery just before Thanksgiving. Or host a virtual Thanksgiving meal through Facebook Live or Zoom. The pastor can bring a message and families can watch and eat together remotely. Consider ushering in the Christmas season with virtual caroling Record the worship team (at a safe distance) or solos of favorite Christmas carols. Choose songs for which everyone knows the first verse and maybe the last. Send links in a series of emails during the two weeks before Christmas.

Find more outreach ideas in the Fall 2020 issue of Resource magazine, online at Resource.IBSA.org

neTworking

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

Send NetworkiNg items to IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org

First Baptist Church of Elk Grove Village seeks a bivocational, part-time pastor to lead in pastoral care and our Sunday morning worship service. Contact the search committee at fbcegv590@gmail.com, or send resumés to 590 Tonne Rd., Elk Grove Village IL 60007. Please, no phone calls.

First Baptist Church, Patoka, is a small but loving, mission-minded congregation of 50-60 active members who are in search of a full-time pastor. Resumés may be sent to chairperson Tom Chapman at 595 East 100th Ave., Patoka, IL 62875.

Teen’s spiritual doubts

Our daughter professed faith in Christ as a child, but now she’s having doubts about whether God even exists. The doubts have caused major upheaval in her life, and in our life as a family. What can we do?

the counselor Q A

The situation you describe is common with teenagers. It is all too easy to lay the blame entirely on cultural influences (which of course there are many), or our education system, or, most unfairly, on our teenagers themselves. The situation is also not new. Adolescence is designed to be a time of great questioning and reaching out of one’s family of origin for meaning and independence. The psychological term for this is “adolescent differentiation.”

to do with this information. Here are some really bad examples to avoid. Parents often think they can push harder and harder, making absolute concrete statements like, “If you don’t go to church you are moving out!” In some cases, the kid moves out, and the pain they feel from family rejection drives them into an extended period of sin. An equally unsuccessful strategy is to have no strategy at all, to ignore the problem, and miss out on building a relationship with your child.

MARK McCORMICK

It was once thought that teenage emotional and mental inconsistencies were the result of raging hormones, but the most recent medical research has found a more likely link between typical teenage behavior and brain development. Consider this: the human brain is not fully developed until the age of 26.

You say “the doubts have caused major upheaval in her life.” I would ask you to consider whether the doubts in her life are caused by the upheaval related to her developing brain, and her search for personal meaning. Of course, her search would be less futile if she put her faith in God to guide her. I firmly believe if she is truly a Christian she will return to her faith. God does not discard his own.

So, by now you are probably wondering what you’re supposed

After God adopts us into his family, he builds a relationship with his children. He is present with us through every mistake and in every victory he empowers. He continues loving us when we seem unlovable. I encourage you to work on the relationship with your daughter, to listen to her concerns, and to steer her gently in love by getting to know her better and entering into her journey.

As distressing as her doubts may be, modeling a Christ-like relationship with her will give her a loving example to embrace as her own. Continue to pray for guidance, while striving not to take the temperature of the situation too often. She has time to grow, and God has time to show her he exists.

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

Bethel Baptist Church in Vandalia seeks a full-time associate pastor of youth and young adults This is a new position in our church that includes youth ministry, college ministry, and young adult ministry. More information can be found at bethelvandalia.org, and resumes may be sent to bethelbaptistvandalia@gmail.com.

First Missionary Baptist Church of Albion seeks a full-time pastor. Submit resumes to FBC.Alb.Pastor.Search@gmail.com. Contact search committee chairman Bill Kinsey at (618) 599-9204 with questions.

First Baptist Church, Le Roy, seeks a bivocational pastor. Please provide an updated resumé with family, experience, ordination details, and three references. You must affirm The Baptist Faith and Message (2000) and be Southern Baptistaffiliated. Send all candidate material to firstbaptistchurchleroy@gmail.com, Attn: Pastoral Search Committee.

EVENTS

Edge Online Courses

What: Become a sharper leader right where you live and serve. Multi-week courses are instructor-led, fully online, and highly interactive. info: IBSA.org/ibsa-online-courses

Upcoming IBSA Webinars

Pastor Plus

On-the-job training for new pastors, or a refresher for any leader in need of it

Leading to the Next Level Equipping leaders in all areas of influence— relationships, marketplace, and the local church ReVision Revitalization

Helping pastors prepare to lead change and revitalization

Church Helps

Guidance on current topics for church leaders

IBSA.org/leadershipdevelopment

Weekend for teen girls

November 6-7

Virtual, and local! Go to IBSA.org/awsom-conference to host your own event.

November 4

IBSA Annual Meeting

What: “Pivot and Persevere” is the theme for the 2020 annual gathering of the Illinois Baptist State Association. Where: Tabernacle, Decatur Info: IBSA.org/IBSAannualmeeting

November 29-December 7

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering & Week of Prayer

Info: IMB.org/lottie-moon-christmas-offering

dave says

THE NEW REALITY

‘Virtual fishbowl’

Before 2020, church leaders were already living in a fishbowl, Jamie Aten wrote recently for Facts & Trends. The Wheaton College professor said that “it’s common for pastors to feel like their every word and action are under observation, being scrutinized, and regularly being judged by onlookers.”

But the virtual revolution sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic has only served to amplify the fishbowl effect, Aten said. Pastors are even more accessible now that everything has gone online.

“This can make it feel like it’s hard to let one’s guard down, leaving pastors feeling as though they always have to be ‘on.’”

– Jamie Aten

Zero-based budgeting explained Q A

What exactly is a zero-based budget?

Simply put, a zero-based budget is income minus outgo equals zero. If you earn $4,000 a month, and you’re doing a zero-based budget, every item you spend, save, give and invest should add up to $4,000. It’s a method of knowing where every single one of your dollars is going. Most people don’t live on a budget. They just cash checks, write checks, then they look up and wonder where all their money went. Not having a plan, especially for your money, is a bad plan.

List all your income from all sources for the month. Next, list every single expense you have each month. Rent, food, cable, phones, and anything else you pay for gets added to the list. Your expenses vary from

one month to the next, which is why you make a new spending plan each month. Now, here’s where it gets real. Subtract your income from your expenses. Ideally, this number will be zero. It might take some practice, so don’t be discouraged if everything doesn’t balance out perfectly the first few times. All that means is you need to find a way to bring one of the numbers up, the other one down—or both. But whatever you do, don’t spend a dime that’s not accounted for.

You’re the boss of the budget— in the beginning. Once it’s committed to paper, in a spreadsheet, or on an app like EveryDollar, the budget is the boss!

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

The virtual fishbowl could be one reason the emotional and relational well-being of pastors has declined over the past few months, according to research from Barna. In April, 65% of pastors rated their mental and emotional well-being as excellent or good, 21% said they were average, and 11% chose below average or poor. By mid-August, those numbers had shifted: Excellent 12% Good 38% Average 31% Below Average 18% Poor 2%

The contrast is “sobering and concerning,” researchers noted, especially compared to numbers from the 2016 State of Pastors survey that found 85% of pastors responded with “excellent” or “good,” and only 2% said their mental and emotional well-being was below average or poor.

Arguably, multiple factors are contributing to a decline in pastoral well-being, and not just the strain of virtual ministry. But for those experiencing Zoom fatigue, Aten encouraged improving boundaries and paying attention to the idiosyncrasies of virtual communication—like technical glitches and non-verbal cues that may not translate online.

– Facts & Trends, Barna Research

DAVE RAMSEY