October 1, 2023 Illinois Baptist

Illinois Baptist

Many big decisions

Nashville, Tenn. | “Our needs at this moment are many, and they are profound,” SBC President Bart Barber told the Convention’s Executive Committee at their Trustees meeting Sept. 18-19. “We need God to raise up a prophet among us.”

If they were hoping the prophet would emerge at that meeting, he didn’t—unless it was Barber himself as he looked back a hundred years in SBC history to another period of trouble, moral failure, and near financial ruin to find inspiration for the denomination’s future. (More on page 3.)

The list of things that happened—and didn’t happen—in the EC meeting is long.

› The recently retired pastor from Paducah, Kentucky who was expected to replace the recently resigned Willie McLaurin as Interim President and CEO of the EC withdrew his name at the last minute. Dan Summerlin cited his wife’s health as a reason. She has battled cancer. Asked if Summerlin knew the depth of the EC’s troubles during the interview process, EC Chair Philip Robertson said the candidate was made aware.

The Illinois Baptist staff

Editor - Eric Reed

Graphic Designer - Kris Kell

Contributing Editor - Lisa Misner

Comm. Coordinator - Nic Cook

Graphics Assistant - Makayla Proctor

Team Leader - Ben Jones

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The BIG Baptist family album

Our Illinois mission field

Vasilii Ikizli (center) and his wife, Elena, planted Lighthouse Church in Mundelein just as Covid-19 broke out. They wondered if the time was right for their Russian language ministry, but God opened doors for a meeting place in the Chicago suburbs and people to reach with the gospel. The family of six are originally from Moldova, then they moved to Russia where Vasilii pastored for 16 years.

Pray the news: IBSA Annual Meeting

As preparations continue for the big gathering of Illinois Baptists in November, pray for many people to participate in the business of the state association. Pray for those who need spiritual refreshment to attend the Pastors’ Conference.

Cooperative Program at work: ERLC

October is Cooperative Program month. Many churches with new believers and new Baptists need new teaching on the historic system for funding missions around the world, such as this prayer meeting at a medical mission in Cambodia. Visit IBSA.org/CP for information.

Giving by IBSA churches as of 8/31/23

$3,528,678

Budget Goal: $3,868,937

2023 Goal: $6 Million

NATE ADAMS

FOR the Pastor

Ihave a friend, a long-time pastor here in Illinois, who occasionally calls me just to check in. We catch up on each other’s lives, and he often asks a thought-provoking question such as “What are you excited about these days?” or “What do you see out there that’s really working?”

The call always lifts my spirits and boosts my confidence, in part because he usually concludes our conversations by saying, “All right, hang in there, you know I’m for you.”

I’m for you. What a brief but powerful statement. I’m FOR you. I wish every pastor of every church could feel the encouragement I feel after a phone call like that.

Yet a recent Barna study might indicate otherwise. It revealed that 65% of pastors report feelings of loneliness or isolation, up from 42% just a few years ago. A separate Lifeway study found that 50% of pastors often feel the demands of ministry are greater than they can handle. Dealing with post-Covid church dynamics often magnifies these stresses. What a critical time this is to reach out to our pastors, to voice appreciation and love for them, and to tell them in no uncertain terms that we are for them.

October is Pastor Appreciation Month, and many pastors are already receiving expressions of gratitude. But I wonder if many pastors might find a monthly “I’m for you” call even more life-giving and sustaining.

In our Illinois network of churches, more continuous pastoral care and building a stronger pastoral brotherhood are emerging as needed priorities. IBSA very much wants pastors to know that we are for them. And we want them to feel encouragement and support in tangible, practical ways throughout the year.

So, starting this fall and continuing into next year, IBSA will be partnering with local associations and other Baptist partners to offer pastor retreats, pastor and wife getaways, confidential counseling services, pastoral health self-assessments, resources for pastors’ families, and more.

We will also be surveying pastors and gathering them in listening groups to help our network better know and understand their current challenges and needs. We will be seeking to add pastoral care elements to our training and gathering times. And we will seek to develop a closer comradery among pastors who share similar challenges and concerns.

Ministering more directly and personally to hundreds of pastors across our large state will stretch our IBSA staff and will require the investment or reallocation of additional resources. But we can’t think of a better investment in healthy, growing, and missionary churches than to invest in the care and encouragement of the pastors that serve and lead them.

Still, we will need to work on this together. Though many local Baptist Associations now have only part-time or volunteer leadership, they are well positioned to discern the ongoing needs of their pastors, to gather them for times of mutual encouragement, and to partner with IBSA and others to deliver care that may be beyond the association’s capacity or resources. And, of course, each local congregation is in the best possible position to alert the network when their pastor needs care beyond what they can provide.

A church’s overall health and effectiveness are directly tied to the health and effectiveness of its pastor. When a pastor is struggling, impatient or immature church members may find themselves thinking that he should just move on. But mature church leaders will understand that the church’s first instinct should be to understand and encourage their pastor, and to help him. They will make sure the pastor knows that they are for him, even when times are tough. And they may well find that kind of investment in their pastor will pay dividends for years to come.

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

In tough times, the pastor needs to know where the church stands.

NEWS

From the front: EC’s big decisions

Continued from page 1

› Jonathan Howe, the remaining EC Vice President who filled McLaurin’s post for a month will remain in the position for now, as required by SBC regulations, although the officers had wanted him to return to leadership of SBC Communications.

› The EC will not sue McLaurin for lying on his resume which resulted in his dismissal, and reported there was no financial mishandling during his 18-month tenure.

› The EC’s financial situation is worse, now at $4 million in reserves with $10 million in losses over two years. Publication of the audit has been delayed by the fact that the SBC Annual hasn’t been finished or posted yet. The EC is talking about selling their portion of the building the entity owns in Nashville.

“We are facing significant challenges,” Howe said in his report to the board. “Over the past few years, we have repeatedly heard of distressing actions that could not be ignored and the cost of addressing them has been very high.”

› Five EC staff members were terminated and two contract positions eliminated in September to save money. The staff now numbers 21 full-timers. Among those dismissed were two Associate Vice Presidents for Asian Relations and Hispanic Relations respectively. Howe called the week he had to dismiss these colleagues the worst in his career. The readjusted EC and SBC operating budget is $8,305,500.

› The search for an interim CEO will resume.

members, in part to quell bad behavior online and stop leaks about secret business. (More on page 4.)

History’s call to courage

During his message on the first day of the two-day meeting, Barber turned to news headlines from the 1920s to demonstrate how Southern Baptists have emerged time after time in cooperation after being rocked by economic disaster, doctrinal conflict, and leadership scandals. He specifically recalled when both the Foreign and Home Mission Boards (now the International and North American Mission Boards) were leveled with financial scandal after corrupt leaders not only stole money but also the trust of many Southern Baptists.

Both scandals caused “terrible damage to Convention finances and Convention confidence in the institutions that were leading us,” Barber said. “During this same period of time, Southern Baptists faced substantial internal conflict over doctrine.”

and courageous at the very moment when people would be tempted to hunker down and ride out the storms,” he said.

“Those are the things that have endured down through the years,” he added. “These two things represent more than a motion on the floor or bureaucratic program, and they represent a clear and compelling statement of a dream for cooperation among Southern Baptist churches.”

The question now, Barber noted, is how will Southern Baptists today be remembered decades from now for how they responded during times of trouble.

“Those who follow us a century from now will probably be disinterested in our debates, important as they are, just as you are probably disinterested about some of the things people fought about in the 1920s and 1930s,” he said.

At the same time, the committee responsible for finding a permanent EC President and CEO says they expect to have a candidate by the next Trustees meeting in February. The portal for submitting resumes closed Sept. 30.

› Trustees affirmed the recommendation of the SBC Credentials Committee to disfellowship another church for lack of “friendly cooperation.” This time the charge was racism, including the pastor’s portrayal of Ray Charles at a church banquet in 2017. (More on page 4.)

› Trustees approved a code of ethics for EC

And more troubles would follow, he noted. “What I’m describing to you is what the Southern Baptist Convention faced in the earliest days of its existence. This is where we started,” Barber said. “All across the Southern Baptist Convention, we rightfully wondered if our institutions, our people and our mission would survive.”

Barber also recalled how during those years, Southern Baptist churches sacrificed and responded in troubled times by creating the Cooperative Program, the SBC’s unified plan for supporting missions and ministry, and adopting the Baptist Faith and Message, the Convention’s statement of faith.

“Amidst all of these controversies, instead of allowing themselves to become embattled and distracted, Southern Baptists chose to be bold

“But I believe if we’re able to bring our churches back to the table and find a working agreement to cooperate—one that reassures our fears and concerns and prioritizes the beliefs and mission that unite us—that is something that will still be touching people a century from now. It will outlive us all. It will outshine us all.”

While Southern Baptists today have their challenges, many of those struggles pale in comparison to those Southern Baptists faced in the 1920s and 1930s, Barber said.

“We do not lack money,” he noted.” Look at the houses our church members live in, the cars we drive…. Compare that to what Southern Baptists owned in the 1920s and 30s when they stepped up and led us out of trouble.

“What we lack, God help us, is inspiration.”

Events summary by IB staff, Barber speech reported by The Baptist Paper

ERLC advises Congress’ spending

The SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission urged leaders of the U. S. Senate and House appropriations committees to keep taxpayer dollars from causes objectionable to Southern Baptists in a Sept. 19 letter as Congress prepares to debate 2024 appropriation bills. More than twenty items were listed, including prevention of military funding of abortions and gender transitions, repeal of assisted suicide in D.C, but encouraging funding of parental leave, HIV/AIDS research, and abstinence-based sex education.

“As a nation, our values and priorities are most clearly displayed through the allocation of our resources,” wrote ERLC President Brent Leatherwood

Illinois trustee aids

ERLC bylaw change

ERLC trustees approved bylaw revisions focused on the relationship between the president and the board, simplifying access to financial information and clarifying areas of decision making that require full board participation. Some of the issues were raised during the administration of former president Russell Moore and at the time of his departure. A workgroup including Scott Foshie of Illinois proposed the changes after a year-long review process. Foshie was elected to the post prior to starting his service with IBSA.

Trustees unanimously elected Kevin Smith as the first Black chairperson in the history of the entity. As the Christian Post reported, Smith sparked controversy in 2022 with comments about race and the Trump administration. Formerly a Southern Seminary professor and Executive Director of the Maryland/Delaware Baptist Convention, Smith serves as pastor of Family Church Village in West Palm Beach.

Ex-pastor pleads guilty

A former pastor in Southern Illinois pled guilty to one charge of child grooming and a second charge was dropped Sept. 11 in Jefferson County Circuit Court. Garrett Biggerstaff was arrested in January on two felony charges. At the time he had been working as athletic director for Spring Garden Consolidated Community School District. He was also pastor of Pleasant Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Fairfield, but he was terminated shortly after his arrest. Benton Police initiated the investigation in September 2022 after claims of grooming behavior were reported by a minor. A second claim caused the investigation to be expanded. Biggerstaff will be sentenced on the single felony charge Oct. 19.

—with information from Baptist Press, RNS, Judici.com, and WMIX

SBC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Another church disfellowshipped Pastor’s imitation of Ray Charles deemed racist

Matoaka Baptist Church of Ochelata, Okla., was ruled not in “friendly cooperation” with the SBC by the Executive Committee Sept. 19. The church failed to respond to inquiries regarding alleged racial discrimination when the pastor portrayed Ray Charles in dark make-up and a wig. The pastor, Sherman Jaquess, denied the racism allegation.

“I am most certainly not a racist,” Jaquess told Baptist Press. “My whole life’s work, I’ve worked with multiple different types of racial people. I don’t have a racial bone in my body.” He went on to say that he is part Cherokee. A photo circulated on social media of Jaquess at a Valentine’s banquet in 2017. Jaquess said the man next to him was playing Willie Nelson.

The SBC Credentials Committee sought information from the nearly 200-year-old church after a representative of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO) asked the committee to consider the church’s relationship “on the basis that the church affirms, approves, or endorses discrimina-

tory behavior on the basis of ethnicity.”

The committee made its recommendation based on Article III of the SBC Constitution, Section 1.5, which stipulates the “Convention will only deem a church to be in friendly cooperation with the Convention, and sympathetic with its purposes and work,” which “does not act to affirm, approve, or endorse discriminatory behavior on the basis of ethnicity.”

The BGCO stands by the Credentials Committee’s action, the state convention told Baptist Press.

EC Chairman Philip Robertson, who serves on the Credentials Committee on an ex-officio basis, said the committee attempted several times to contact Jacquess. The pastor’s response was they did not give him adequate time to reply.

Matoaka Baptist Church will have the right to appeal their dismissal to messengers at the 2024 Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis if they desire.

EC trustees adopt code of ethics

SBC Executive Committee trustees adopted a code of ethics at their September board meeting. In a season where posts on social media stirred much argument in SBC life, it was the post by a Wisconsin pastor and Associational Mission Strategist on the sexual desirability of a particular politician that resulted in the lengthy code.

Guy Frederick apologized in February after the distasteful post, saying he was “not the man portrayed in the Tweet stream.”

Frederick represents the Minnesota Wisconsin Baptist Convention.

The new code says trustees’ conduct “must not embarrass or impede the ministry of the organization.” And it prescribes a dis-

Abuse site progressing

The website for tracking credibly accused abusers in SBC churches is not functional yet, because the names have not been entered. But it’s coming soon, Oklahoma pastor Mike Keahbone of the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force told the SBC Executive Committee. “We do not have a projected date for when the original set of names will appear on the Ministry Check website,” he said. “However, we anticipate sharing the launch date for Ministry Check very soon.”

At the EC’s September Board meeting, Keahbone emphasized, “We’ve got to do this right. What happens if the wrong name gets put on that list the first time we launch it? The damage that could cause to the individual and damage to our convention would be astronomical.”

ciplinary process relying on Matthew 18 for violations.

Ultimately, non-compliant members could be removed by the SBC Committee on Nominations.

While the offesnsive tweet in February may have been the presenting problem, the search for an EC president and CEO which revealed many leaks in confidentiality in the EC is also addressed, albeit indirectly.

“The Member agrees to hold SBC Executive Committee business in strict confidence,” the code says. “The Member may not disclose confidential information to non-members, either in person, in written form, or on social media or similar sites.”

ILLINOIS REUNION WMU Executive Director Sandy Wisdom-Martin (right) catches up with Executive Committee trustees Sharon Carty of Carlinville and Adron Robinson of Country Club Hills at the September EC meeting in Nashville, Tennessee.

with reporting from The Baptist Paper, Baptist Press, and info from the Roys Report.

FOSHIE SMITH

Baptisms up, pastors initiative launched

Messengers to the IBSA Annual Meeting in November will be asked to affirm the affiliation of five churches with the state association. The churches have been interviewed by the Credentials Committee, including their support for the Cooperative Program and agreement with the Baptist Faith & Message

Four of the six churches are in metro Chicago. Empowerment Community Church and New Nazareth Missionary Church are located in the city. Anchor Church is in suburban Palos Heights, and Transformation Church is in South Chicago Heights.

Life Community Church in Hillsboro and Oreana Baptist Church in Oreana round out the new affiliations.

Springfield | The Illinois Baptist State Association Board of Directors held its fall meeting September 12 in preparation for the network’s upcoming Annual Meeting. Executive Director

Nate Adams introduced a new initiative, “For the Pastor,” designed to support and encourage pastors serving throughout the IBSA’s approximately 900 member churches. The board also passed a proposed 2024 budget, salary structure, and Cooperative Program ratio, which will be forwarded to messengers for their approval. Plus, the board heard a mid-year report from Adams that included a continued rebound in baptisms across the state.

The one-year “For the Pastor” initiative was born out of discussions between IBSA Board and staff members about their desire to increase connection with and care for pastors serving the network’s churches in intentional and practical ways, and to increase “pastoral brotherhood” throughout the state.

Adams said this network priority for the coming year will be expressed in multiple ways beginning this fall, with four key emphases:

› Empathy: Being For the Pastor by Knowing and Understanding

› Relationship: Being For the Pastor by Connecting and Caring

› Reach: Being For the Pastor by Expanding Network Capacity

› Brotherhood: Being For the Pastor by Delivering Value with Comradery

The initiative’s overall goal is to “deliver practical care, encouragement, and forward momentum, to at least 400 pastors.”

Adams said the Annual Meeting will be a “good launching pad” for the initiative, with its already announced theme of “Pursuing Health and Hope.” Several pastoral care events and resources are already planned for introduction this fall. Then in November, he will work with the board’s Strategic Planning Committee to prioritize and price several new initiatives for the coming year. The committee will formalize their recommendations by the end of February 2024 to present them at March IBSA Board meeting.

The board voted by acclamation to present the proposed 2024 budget, salary structure, and Cooperative Program ratio at the IBSA Annual Meeting. The budget is based on a CP goal of

$6,100,000 and a CP ratio of 56.5% for Illinois missions and 43.5% to be forwarded to the national SBC, excluding shared expenses not to exceed 10% of the CP goal. The CP ratio remains unchanged. The total proposed 2024 IBSA budget is $8,480,150, which is $16,200 less than in 2023.

Board members elected Bruce Kirke, pastor of Alpha Baptist Church in Bolingbrook, to serve as chair. Kirk, who previously served as vice chair, will replace Jeff Logsdon. Josh Bledsoe of Monticello, was elected vice chair. Paul Cooper, pastor of Marshall Baptist Church in Marshall, was elected to his second term as secretary.

The board recognized and thanked fellow members who are ending their rotation: Jerry Higdon (2017-2023), Brent Joy (2019-2023), Jeff Logsdon (2017-2023), Bill Simmons (20172023), and Carrie Tabor (2020-2023).

Adams offered a mid-year update on strategies and measures, including leadership development which continues despite staff vacancies in that area. To date, 681 pastors and leaders have been trained, with 1,992 leaders attending ministry skill training events. He also said 84 churches and 15 local associations are actively participating in a revitalization strategy.

Adams noted there are “encouraging signs that baptism recovery” is underway in the state. In 2022, both the total and student numbers of baptisms were up 41%. He pointed to anecdotal evidence that indicates continued increases in 2023. “We’re starting to hear stories of churches that are baptizing more, breaking loose and moving forward,” said Adams. “We think encouraging and facilitating that is the most valuable thing that the network can do.”

Staff have also been hosting several “Multiply” hubs around the state. “So far six regional hubs have drawn 221 pastors and planters from 86 churches,” Adams said. Eight churches have been planted this year with an additional two possible by the end of the year. Overall, there are as many as 50 church plants in progress. In addition, 1,210 students have been trained in “The Four” gospel presentations.

Over the summer, 93 salvations were reported at IBSA Baptist Camps, Lake Sallateeska and Streator, with about 1,100 students in attendance.

Lisa Misner

Michael Awbrey joined the IBSA Growth Team as a Leadership Development Director October 1. He has served as Associate Pastor for Family Discipleship at Tremont Baptist Church for ten years. The Texas native holds a Bachelors in Religious Studies from East Texas Baptist University, and a Master of Divinity from Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary in Jacksonville, Texas. Awbrey and his wife, Victoria, have three children.

Jonathan Peters is the consultant for Zone 8, covering Metro East and Gateway Associations. He has served as Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Columbia since 1998. The Chicago native became a Christian while a student at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He is a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Peters and his wife, Sheila, have four children and their families, including one grandson.

A DECADE! — IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams recognizes Carmen Halsey for 10 years of service as IBSA Leadership Development Director at the September Board Meeting.

Six churches to affiliate

New members join state staff

Where are we now, SBC?

Asian and Hispanic leaders object to EC staff cuts, loss of ministry connection

The story of David and the little ewe lamb comes to mind, as staff cuts at the SBC Executive Committee sink in. Among the five full-time staff and two contract workers terminated to save money, two were heads of ethnic ministries. For a denomination that has seen significant growth among ethnic groups and language ministries in recent decades, those losses are significant.

Asian and Hispanic pastors are pointing that out. And they’re asking, do you realize the impact of what you’ve done?

The need to save money is understandable, especially after the EC revealed that it had lost another $2 million last year, with cash assets reduced from about $14 million two years ago to $4 million now—although we have not seen the audit yet, since publishing of the SBC Annual by EC staff has been delayed. Lawyers are expensive, some people have observed, given the assumption that the ongoing work around sexual abuse claims requires continued legal representation. But again, that’s speculation at this point.

Still, it falls to the EC to operate within their 2.99% of the Cooperative Program budget, so staff was cut to 21 full-time employees, including Baptist Press, which lost one reporter to pink slips.

The complaints are about the termination of Peter Yanes, Associate Vice President of Asian Relations and Luis Lopez, Associate Vice President of Hispanic Relations. Charles Grant, Associate Vice President of Black Church Relations was retained and his title broadened to include all ethnic mobilization.

As The Baptist Paper reported, “The positions held by Yanes, who came on board in 2019, and Lopez, who filled the position left vacant by Julio Ariola in 2022, were originally created in 2019 as a collaboration between the EC and the North American Mission Board. The EC/NAMB partnership, designed to reach and mobilize ethnically and racially diverse churches in the SBC and increase ethnic engagement, transitioned completely to EC positions in January of 2022, the EC announced.”

In other words, a reliable alternate funding stream was shut off.

Some 18 Asian church leaders have objected, pointing out the growth in their ranks while the majority of churches have declined. And three Hispanic leaders from Florida, Texas, and California representing 3,300 churches in the National Hispanic Baptist Network are joining them in asking for a meeting.

Peter Ramirez, executive director of the California Southern Baptist Convention wrote, “With a void in these important positions, where only diverse leadership can understand and minister to these specific differences, I’m not sure the EC will be able to fulfill this vital initiative.” He also pointed out there is no Hispanic representation among EC trustees now.

“This represents a step backwards in our communication and collaboration when we should be moving forward together to reach and disciple the lost in the U.S. and beyond (including the more

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than 52,000,000 lost Hispanics in the U.S.),” Ramirez wrote.

If this sounds familiar, in June the National African American Fellowship of 4,000 churches asked for a meeting with SBC President Bart Barber and others to discuss the role of women in church leadership and use of the word pastor after votes at the New Orleans convention. Barber met with them during Black Church Week at Ridgecrest in July. And Barber said he would meet with Hispanic leaders at the end of September and with EC interim president and CEO Jonathan Howe in November. Howe called the terminations a very painful action during what was thought to be his only month in the position.

“I think it’s fair to say I never expected to be in this spot,” Howe told the EC Trustees in his September report, while filling the spot left vacant by Willie McLaurin when his inflated resume was revealed. “I didn’t expect it a month ago, didn’t expect it a year ago, and I certainly wouldn’t have believed it a decade ago,” Howe said quietly. But after his potential replacement fell through, Howe is still there. And it will be up to Howe, with Barber and EC Chair Philip Robertson, to explain their actions to the Asian and Hispanic pastors.

Underlying all this is the simple message: Talk with us before you make big decisions that affect us. Representation means having a place at the table. And protect our ewe lamb.

Eric Reed is Illinois Baptist media editor

HOWE

IBSA Annual Meeting Preview

Cornerstone Church, Marion · Nov. 8-9

Days to refresh and renew

There are more than 400 IBSA churches within a two-hour drive of Marion. This speaks to the Southern Illinois roots of the network of Baptist churches, birthed in Pinckneyville in 1907 and now stretching statewide. The proximity to so many IBSA churches promises abundant opportunities to worship, connect, and learn alongside other Illinois Baptists as they gather for the 2023 IBSA Annual Meeting Nov. 8 and 9 at Cornerstone Church.

The “Thrive” theme, now in its third year, will again emphasize a different way IBSA works to “inspire each church to thrive in health, growth, and mission.” This year’s focus, sub-themed “Pursuing Health and hope,” recognizes the strain that many pastors and churches feel ministering during a time of rapid cultural change. Planners of the event seek to provide encouragement and support.

“We want to provide a life-giving relationship,” said Scott Foshie, who leads IBSA’s church revitalization efforts. “Pastors and churches need hope. Every time I come into a church, I see the unique potential and the unique DNA God has given that church. And our prayer is, Lord, how do we help them realize the potential that you have for them?”

The 2019 Annual Meeting, held in Marion and themed “Refocus,” launched IBSA’s intensive efforts to address the growing need of church revitalization as it welcomed Foshie to the state staff.

Thrive ’23 will celebrate progress made in helping churches across the state discover a new season of church health. It will also recognize the necessity of healthy pastors to lead healthy churches.

The Wednesday evening session will feature Guidestone President and CEO Hance Dilbeck,

who will speak to pastoral and church health. Dilbeck will discuss ways Guidestone helps pastors build and maintain spiritual, physical, and financial health.

The program will feature worship led by Dustin Keele and the Cornerstone Church worship band. Presiding over the meeting, as well as delivering the IBSA President’s sermon, is Michael Nave, Lead Pastor of the host church.

On Thursday morning Josh Crisp will bring the convention’s annual sermon. Crisp is Lead Pastor at First Baptist Bethalto in Metro East St. Louis. The Benton native is a former church planter and has served in Bethalto since late 2020.

One highlight of the meeting for many has become the many ministry affinity gatherings that take place across the two-day meeting. With ten different gatherings, pastors and ministry leaders can connect with and learn from others from across the state.

Located at the intersection of Interstate 57 and Illinois Route 13, Cornerstone Church provides abundant parking and easy access to numerous hotels and restaurants.

Buckets are back! Let’s bring missions supplies.

Awall of bright colored 5-gallon buckets greeted messengers at last year’s IBSA Annual Meeting. When asked to collect specific items to benefit four ministries dear to Illinois Baptists, messengers and churches responded in “Last year was amazing. The gifts that were brought and distributed to partners filled a critical need for their ministries,” IBSA Missions Director Shannon Ford said. “When we talked about doing it again this year, the decision was easy. Every one of last year’s recipients were eager to take part in 2023.” This year, the Baptist bucket brigade will have an additional option, Immigrant Care Packets. Over 1,000 immigrants to Illinois are being housed in temporary situations, most with few resources. These bright blue buckets filled with requested goods will assist local Chicago churches in meeting this need.

The recipients are

Churches can find all the details needed to request and pack a bucket at IBSA.org/buckets-of-blessing.

Pastors Conference aims to replenish the Spirit

Feelings of isolation or loneliness are not uncommon for pastors. “Eve got into trouble when she walked in the garden alone,” Martin Luther wrote. “I have my worst temptations when I am by myself.” Barna research shows that 65% of pastors report feelings of loneliness or isolation, a 23% increase since 2015.

The 2023 IBSA Pastors Conference is an invitation to walk shoulder to shoulder with others, connected to the true source of vitality.

“Healthy pastors are men who know their need for the empowering of the Holy Spirit,” says Jonathan Davis, who is organizing the event.

Davis, lead pastor of Delta Church in Springfield, and Dustin Haile, pastor of Gateway Church in Mt. Vernon and treasurer of the event, chose the theme “Life in the Spirit.”

The conference will feature a diverse slate of preachers who will exposit Romans 8. Two IBSA pastors will open the session.

Bob Dickerson is pastor of First Baptist Marion and a former IBSA president. He has served six IBSA churches during 40 years of ministry.

Jonathan de la O, who planted and leads Starting Point Community Church in Chicago, is a catalyst in immigrant and migrant ministry in the state. He is part of a group of Spanish speaking pastors from Chicago partnering with Southern Illinois churches to minister to migrant laborers working on downstate farms.

Conference speakers also include two SEND

City missionaries, Ryan Brice of New Orleans and James Westbrook of San Francisco. Both men are former church planters who now lead the NAMB’s church planting efforts in their respective cities. Rounding out the lineup are Jamus Edwards, a pastor and college professor from Owensboro, Kentucky, and Stephen Love, planting pastor of Redemption City Church in South Bend, Indiana. Worship will be led by Josh Jones of August Gate Church in Belleville.

“The aim is for fellow laborers of God’s Word to come and be fed from God’s Word,” Davis said.

The Pastors Conference begins Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 1 p.m. and will conclude at 11:30 a.m. Wed., just ahead of the IBSA Annual Meeting.

The annual preaching conference is a free event provided through the generous giving of IBSA churches and attendees. Pastors and churches that wish to help defray expenses may give online or mail a check payable to:

IBSA Pastors Conference

c/o Illinois Baptist State Association

3085 Stevenson Drive

Springfield, IL 62703

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DE LA O DICKERSON

DAVIS

Affinity Meetings

Young Leaders Luncheon

Nov 7, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Small Theater

A luncheon for developing leaders under 45, using coaching examples from local churches

Contact: KevinJones@IBSA.org

Illinois Baptist Women

“Sampler”

Nov 7, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Small Theater

All ladies gather to sample available resources for navigating hot button issues and cultural trends

Contact: CarmenHalsey@IBSA. org

Church Planter Dinner

Nov 7, 4:45-6:15 p.m., Rec room

For churches multiplying or being planted, includes dinner and ax throwing

Contact: KevinJones@IBSA.org

Ministers’ Wives Luncheon

Nov, 9 a.m. - noon, Small Theater

Who: Ministers’ Wives Fellowship, fun, and food with speaker Melissa Spoelstra

Cost: $25

Contact: Jennifer Carrothers at (217) 720-8110 or kevjen700@ gmail.com

Evangelism Luncheon

Nov 8, 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., Rec room

First 100 to register are welcome for lunch, fellowship, and a guest speaker

Contact: LisaHarbaugh@ibsa.org

Hispanic Leaders Luncheon

Nov 8, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Room 102

Discuss ministry to reach the growing Hispanic population in Illinois

Contact: Jorge Melendez, jmelendez14@comcast.net

Disaster Relief Dinner

Nov 8, 4:45-6:15 p.m., Rec room

All interested in IBDR come fellowship with DR volunteers and hear from the State Director

Contact: LisaHarbaugh@IBSA.org

Four Dessert Fellowships

Nov 8, after evening session

Next Gen Leaders, Comm. Room

Small Church Pastors, Rec. Room

Worship Leaders, Small Theater

Everyone, Lobby

Make Send Relief your one-stop shop for compassion ministry: Mission Trips, Training, Giving SendRelief.org

What if there was an event that would make the Bible come alive in a fun and creative way?

THERE IS! Discover Walk Thru the Bible’s otLIVE and ntLIVE events

We unpack the big picture story of the Old and New Testament in a fun, interactive, unforgettable way! After our live events, people are inspired to dig deeper into the Word of God, to grow in their faith, to fall in love with the Word … and its Author.

Find out more about our otLIVE and ntLIVE events!

IN FOCUS

What does the typical Southern Baptist church look like?

Snapshot

How does your church compare to other SBC churches?

Editor’s note: Here in the Midwest, we know that our churches are different from congregations in the Southern Baptist stronghold down south. And here after the pandemic, we know that church is different from the way it used to be. But how different? This report drawn from the latest data on SBC churches offers a snapshot. There are a lot of numbers here, but it’s information worth wading through.

More than 1-in-5 SBC churches is outside the South, according to analysis of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Annual Church Profile (ACP) by Lifeway Research. But the most growing churches are in a surprising location—the Northeast. Additionally, churches started since 2000 are the most likely to be currently growing.

“The trends revealed in this analysis confirm that Southern Baptists must prioritize church planting in our effort to reach people for Christ,” said Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board. “As we do that, not only will we see lives changed with the Gospel, we will also grow our base of churches which will expand our Great Commission efforts throughout the world. I’m grateful for every church that is planting new churches, but we need even more to take up this challenge.”

Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, noted that the largest Protestant denomination is growing in the least Protestant region of the U.S. “While it’s easiest to achieve high percentage growth in areas with fewer Southern Baptists to begin with, the growth is a sharp contrast to numerical

declines throughout much of the country,” he said.

The Southern Baptist Convention mostly reflects its name, as 78% of its churches are in the South. Far fewer are in the Midwest (10%), West (9%), Northeast (3%) or U.S. territories (less than 1%).

Not quite half (45%) of churches are in suburban areas with a population of at least 2,500 but less than 50,000. The remaining percentage are split between urban areas (28%) with at least 50,000 in population and rural places (27%) with less than 2,500.

Churches in the Northeast and West are more likely than those in the other regions to be in urban areas, while churches in the Midwest and South are mostly in rural and suburban places.

Most Southern Baptist churches (52%) were founded since 1950, including 23% that were started since 2000. Another 21% began between 1900 and 1949, while 27% trace their founding to before the 20th century.

The newest group of churches, those founded since 2000, make up an increasingly larger percentage of all Southern Baptist churches, climbing from 19% of churches in 2017 to 23% in 2022.

— Lifeway Research

“Southern Baptists are the most prolific starter of new churches, but older churches continue to close at a slightly faster pace,” McConnell said.

Almost 3-in-4 churches (73%) have an average worship service attendance below 100, including 46% who have fewer than 50 for a typical service. About 1-in-5 (19%) are between 100 and 249, while 5% average between 250 and 499. And 3% usually have at least 500 for their weekend worship service. Churches in the Northeast (53%), Midwest (55%) and West (53%) are more likely than those in the South (43%) to have an average worship service of fewer than 50 attendees.

The SBC is increasingly comprised of the smallest churches. From 2017 to 2022, the percentage of Southern Baptist churches that were below 50 in worship attendance grew from 36% to 45% of the convention.

For most SBC churches, most of their worship attendees are also in a Sunday school class or small group Bible study. Still, 35% of churches have fewer than 50% of those who gather for worship also participating in a small group. Almost 2-in-5 churches say their participation rate runs between 50% to 74%. Slightly less than 1-in-5 (18%) report 75% to less than 100% are involved in a small group. Around 1-in-10 (9%) have 100% or more involvement.

The smallest churches, those with fewer than 50 in attendance for a worship service, are the most likely to have 25% or less of their congregation involved in small groups (21%). They are also among the most likely to have at least 100% participating (10%).

An increasing number of churches have few small group participants. From 2017 to 2022, the percentage of churches that had fewer than 25% of their worship service attendees involved in a small group jumped from 5% to 16%, a 219% increase.

A 2022 Lifeway Research study found the average U.S. Protestant church had 44% of attendees involved in a small group, down from 50% in 2008.

“Declines in Sunday School and small group participation is not a short-term problem. It also does not bode well for the future,” McConnell said. “Having a higher percentage of your attendees attending small groups each week is one of four measures that predict higher worship attendance five years down the road.” The other factors named in a 2022 Lifeway study are commitment to evangelism, assimilation of new members, and current worship attendance.

Pockets of growth

The most recent Annual Church Profile of the Southern Baptist Convention highlighted continued membership decline since 2006, falling to 13,223,122, the lowest number since 1978. The analysis comparing 2017 and 2022 indicates declines in most types of churches with occasional areas of membership and attendance growth.

Membership in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont churches together grew by 1% from 2017 to 2022. Every other area saw a numerical decline for Southern Baptist churches.

The regions with the smallest declines were the Mid-Atlantic which fell 5% (New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania), and the East South Central which dropped 7% (Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee). Every other area had a double-digit percentage decrease over the past five years, with the largest decline happening in the Pacific region (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington) which fell 22%.

“The West has the most churches with declining membership. And the Pacific portion of the West has the most dramatic declines among reporting churches,” McConnell said. “California churches had particularly low reporting on the ACP in 2022, making their numbers less reliable.”

Newer, larger churches grow

Grouping churches according to their percentage change in membership since 2017 gives a picture of which types of churches are most likely to be growing and which must overcome the trends surrounding them. Those who saw an increase in total membership of 10% or more are classified as growing, a decrease of 10% or more are considered declining, and those in between are plateaued. Overall, 18.5% of Southern Baptist churches are growing, 42.5% are plateaued, and 39% are declining.

Newer Southern Baptist churches are more than twice as likely to have grown than churches started before the 21st century. More than 2-in-5 of those

founded since 2000 are growing churches (42%). The younger the grouping a church falls into, the less likely they are to be plateaued, ranging from 52% of those founded before 1900 to 22% of those founded since 2000. Churches founded in the 20th century are the most likely to be declining—45% of those started between 1950 and 1999, and 39% of those that began between 1900 and 1949.

Specific analysis was conducted on churches started within the past five years. At least twothirds of churches founded in those years are either plateaued or growing. Within the 2017-2021 timeframe, the longer a church has existed, the more likely it is to be a growing congregation. For those founded in 2021, 33% experienced at least 10% growth by 2022, while 2-in-3 churches planted in 2017 (67%) are currently growing.

The largest churches are the most likely to have grown. More than a quarter of churches with an average attendance of 500 or more (26%) report a membership increase of more than 10% in the past five years. Those churches are also among the least likely to have declined (35%).

City churches decline, rural steadier Churches in larger population areas do not automatically equal growth. Southern Baptist churches in urban areas are the most likely to have grown since 2017 (22%), but those churches are also the most likely to have declined (46%). In fact, the likelihood of a church growing and declining increases moving from a smaller population grouping to a larger one. While rural churches are the least likely to have grown (16%), they are also the least likely to have declined (35%).

Similar extremes are also found in the regions of the country. Southern Baptist churches in the Northeast (36%) and the West (29%) are the most likely to have grown, but they are also the most likely to have declined (46% and 47% respectively). Churches in the South (45%) and Midwest (40%) are the most likely to have plateaued.

“It is increasingly difficult for a church to see growth today,” McConnell said. “Southern Baptists have never had more declining churches and fewer growing churches than we see today. As the majority of churches decline, they have fewer resources to invest in ministry. But the God who gave past growth is no less capable today.”

By Aaron Earls, Lifeway Christian Resources. More information on the 2022 Annual Church Profile report is available at LifewayResearch. com.

GROWING

MEET THE TEAM

table talk ‘Move’

How my Bible study ‘word of the year’ changed everything

John Yi

Church Planting Catalyst

Hometown: Maywood is my current hometown, but I grew up in Skokie.

Family 411: My wife of 28 years, Gloria, is most godly person I know. She was my best friend before I fell in love with her, and she remains so. We have three children: Abigail (20), Jabez (9), and Lyric (5).

Higher ed: M.Div. from Southwestern Seminary

Before IBSA: I was a church planter. Now I help church planters.

My salvation story: As most Korean Christians are Presbyterian, I am frequently asked how it is that I’m Southern Baptist. Though I did grow up in faithful Presbyterian churches, it was in an SBC church plant that I heard the gospel clearly and compellingly presented, plus was urged to respond in faith. I did; that’s why I’m SBC today.

Life verse: 2 Timothy 4:6-8; Joel 2:25

Favorite Bible person: Moses was called to the Lord’s service later in life. He served the Lord well and accomplished much during the years some people consider the second half of their careers.

Illinois discovery: Jacob and Katie Kimbrough from Streator Camp introduced us to Matthiessen State Park. (Thank you!)

Favorite snack: Fruity Mentos is the most delicious candy in the world.

Books: The Cost of Discipleship (Bonhoeffer) and Desiring God (Piper)

Movies: Rocky and Forrest Gump

A quote I find myself saying often: “There’s no substitute for hard work.”

Every one of us at one point has likely prayed, “Lord please move or move me.” It might be the Monday morning prayer of many a pastor. I am encouraged by what Job said, “The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger” (Job 17:9). If anyone could say that, sure enough Job could.

God has blessed me through the spiritual discipline of journaling. Back in the day, I heard former IMB president Tom Elliff share how he would have a word of the year. He would then focus on that “word” in his Read the Bible Through Plan, the sermons he listened to, the books that he read and, you get the gist. I’d strongly encourage you to adopt this practice in your life and write down what God shows you.

My word for 2023 is “move.”

That includes any variation of that word such as motion, movement, forward, feet, and even the very word go. It’s amazing the way God puts us in motion. He often comes to us when we’ve become too comfortable or secure in a situation. It also occurs when we are wandering around or lingering like the children of Israel.

In Deuteronomy 2:3 God tells his people, “You have been wandering around in this hill country long enough; turn to the north.” God clearly told them to go. For the Israelites, the direction was north. For my wife, Dana, and me,

it was east and specifically moving back to my hometown, to the place of my roots to serve as the Associational Mission Strategist for Salem South Baptist Association.

God had given us a wonderful season of serving through the North American Mission Board for over 22 years. I’m so grateful for this privilege. I must confess there was comfort and maybe even lingering on my part.

When I retired on April 4, my thought was my ministry would shift. I had my ideas. But then, after a short-lived retirement God clearly said to us, come over to serve the pastors and churches of Salem South Baptist Association. He has graciously allowed us to go full circle and my heart is to see God move in a way as only he can. The key for being on the move with God is being immediately obedient to God. A meaningful quote that I recorded in my 2023 journal on this subject is from Richard and Henry Blackaby. “When the Lord gives you instruc-

tions, obey immediately. Don’t wait until you have it all figured out, until everything makes perfect sense to you. Sometimes God will lead you to do things that you will not fully understand until after you have done them.”

It has been said, “The Christian motto should not just be ‘let go and let God,’ but let’s not forget the ‘trust God and get going’ part. If we’re honest, the latter is a pain point for most of us. Watch for that word “move” in the Bible.

I have a friend who has coined the term “missional agility.” The problem is that we are not very agile when it comes to being on mission with God and going where he leads. God called the patriarch Abraham to leave the comfortable and go into the unknown. Likewise, Philip the evangelist and deacon went to the desert to share the gospel, reminding us that sometimes God calls us to leave a place where things are going great. The apostle Paul said he forgot the things which were behind and kept moving forward, pressing onward to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

These three are examples of moving forward, but the greatest move of all was when Jesus Christ left the glories of heaven and came to earth—fully God and fully Man—to die for our sin as the perfect sinless sacrifice. Death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, now that’s the ultimate move!

How is God moving you? How have you been wandering, and what might be that “long enough” place in your life? God might be saying this same thing to you and your church that he said to Abraham (and to me): It’s been long enough. Let’s now head in the specific direction that I tell you.

Bob Burton has moved to Mt. Vernon, where he is the new Associational Mission Strategist for Salem South Baptist Association.

Mattoon church marks 75th

First Southern Baptist Church of Mattoon celebrated 75 years in a special service Sept. 10. Pastor John Coin preached and also provided smoked meats for the anniversary dinner. IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams was on hand to present a plaque honoring the milestone. Also present were John and Julie Calio who served the church for 18 years, until his retirement as pastor last year. Calio joined the staff of IBSA as a zone consultant for zone 3. Coin had been serving as part-time youth minister before succeeding Calio. As part of a series called “Back to Basics,” Coin preached a message called “Back to the Future” from Acts.

NeTworkiNg

Send NetworkiNg items to IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org

Martinsville First Baptist Church seeks bi-vocational pastor. This fall we will celebrate our 144th anniversary. We are seeking an energetic candidate to work with a motivated congregation to grow programs for all ages. Send resume to MFBCpastorsearch@yahoo.com.

Old DuQuoin Baptist Church seeks bi-vocational pastor. Please send resume to Pastor Search Committee, 8831 Old State Route 14, DuQuoin, IL 62832.

Bankston Fork Missionary Baptist Church seeks bi-vocational pastor. Contact attorneyninabrown@gmail. com, or write to Pastor Search Committee, 5890 Highway 13 West, Harrisburg, IL 62946.

Search more church openings at IBSA.org/pastor-search or scan this code.

CLASSIFIED AD

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It was only the beginning

How two days of service can turn into a lifetime of ministry

How do you feel about being served? Some people really struggle with it, like Peter did when Jesus started to wash his feet. It’s awkward. It offends our pride. In many ways, we’d prefer to be the one serving.

But at bottom, being a Christian requires a recognition of our deep need, an admission of our inability to meet our need ourselves, and a glad

Tour. They were able to bless 16 churches, 7 local schools, 5 bi-vocational pastors, and helped put on over 20 different community projects from painting viaducts to feeding the homeless. In the end, 2,800 construction hours were logged. And in the process 982 gospel conversations were had.

As amazing as all this was, it was only a drop in the bucket when it comes to meeting the needs in Chicagoland. There are 9.4 million souls up here, the vast majority are not in a vital relationship with Christ. Most of our churches are stagnant or in decline. And there are massive opportunities for displaying Christ’s compassion.

For example, over the past year more than 13,500 migrants have arrived in Chicago. Thousands of them are currently sleeping on police station floors. One of our churches, Starting Point Community Church, is housing 16 men. But again, this just scratches the surface.

So Chicago will always be a major destination of mission teams and on the receiving end of service projects. We welcome anyone who wants to come here and serve!

ter Coordinator here in Chicago, laid out a threepart vision.

First, we will continue receiving together. Part of Jason’s job is to help connect people outside Chicagoland with the needs here and create a winwin experience for the churches that come and the churches that receive.

reception of Jesus’ work on our behalf. We all must be content to be recipients of Christ’s gracious service!

And receiving tangible help from others can be a great reminder of this essential gospel truth.

In August, Chicagoland Baptist churches had the experience of being served. People came from ten other states to descend on Chicago over two days and do dozens of different projects in the name of Jesus. It was part of Send Relief’s Serve

We definitely can’t do it on our own. Our church has a few medical professionals. We wanted to provide care to the low-income housing residents in our neighborhood during the Serve Tour. But how? The North American Mission Board provided us with fully outfitted, state of the art medical and dental trailers for the weekend. I told the members of our church that this is the beauty and one of the benefits of being part of the bigger Baptist family. They were impressed and grateful.

At a recent pastors’ lunch, we talked about how to continue the momentum we sensed at the Serve Tour. Jason Stuckey, the Send Relief Ministry Cen-

Harvest time in Auburn

Auburn | For Pastor David Van Bebber, this summer was all about investing in the lives of young people in his community and then watching as God prepared the harvest. His church sent 22 students to summer camp in late June, and by mid-August saw nine students accept Christ with six already having been baptized.

Van Bebber pastors Meadowbrook Baptist Church in Auburn, which averages about 40 on Sunday mornings. According to Van Bebber, church members “prayed and worked hard” putting “a lot of emphasis on VBS and summer camp.” And God rewarded their efforts.

The camp theme was “I am a Follower” taken

from John 10:27. “We talked quite a bit about what it means to be follower of Christ,” said the pastor. “Some of the kids been thinking about it for quite a while and those where the ones I baptized.”

The church laid the groundwork for camp on Wednesday nights in the spring through Team Kid and youth group. He described church members as “faithful” in how they followed through with their hard work and prayer throughout the spring and summer.

Van Bebber said the nine students who came to Christ “were from families we’ve been working with. The Lord was moving. He started working in their lives.”

One of teens had also been talking with her Sunday school class about accepting Christ. The girl, who had been dealing with anxiety issues, expressed concern about walking down the aisle of the church during the invitation time to make a public commitment to Christ. Van Bebber said, “Her Sunday school teacher told her she didn’t have to walk the aisle to be saved.”

One Sunday in August, the teen overcame her anxiety and walked down front. “I told her it was a brave thing to do,” said the pastor. “Then her brother came forward the next week.”

Second, we want to grow in serving each other. The Serve Tour wasn’t just comprised of people from the outside coming in. We saw Chicagoland Baptists serving in projects put on by other Chicagoland Baptist churches. There are many resources within Chicagoland and we want to grow in bearing one another’s burdens locally. And third, we need to do more serving together. One of my dreams is to see Chicagoland Baptist churches strengthened to the point that we are not always only on the receiving end, but actually send people out from here to “pay it forward.” Towards that end, we’re already starting to plan for a group from Chicagoland to go participate in the Serve Tour when it comes to Flint, Michigan, next summer. Mark August 9-10, 2024 on the calendar! That’s what receiving Jesus’ sacrificial service does to all of us, right? After Peter acquiesced to letting Jesus serve him, Jesus told him to wash others’ feet. By being served we are transformed into servants. And the needs are everywhere.

Nathan Carter is pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church and Associational Mission Strategist for Chicagoland Baptists, the local association serving metro Chicago churches.

This was the sixth year the church has partnered with IBSA to host its summer camp at Streator Baptist Camp. Students from First Baptist Edinburgh and Pasfield Baptist Church in Springfield also made decisions at the camp. “People were being faithful,” Van Bebber said. “The Lord was faithful and the Lord gave the harvest.”

The impact of the summer camp has led to decisions outside of the local youth, as well. After one student accepted Christ, her 67-year-old grandfather also accepted Christ.

“I’ve known known the grandpa and been working with him for 22 years,” said Van Bebber. Then, when his wife heard the news, she rededicated her life to Christ.

“It was very exciting,” he said. “It makes you want to see more and more folks come to Christ and be baptized. You don’t want it to end.”

THE WATER IS FINE Pastor David Van Bebber (left) joins Greg Alexander in baptizing Alexander’s grandson in the waters of Lake Jacksonville. Alexander is Associational Mission Strategist at Heartland Baptist Network.

BRIGHTER DAY

Mastering a new rhythm

At our 6-year-old’s first drum lesson, her teacher asked how long she’d wanted to play percussion. “I was born wanting to,” Molly replied, as I mentally scribbled down the story we’ll tell when she wins her first Grammy.

Drums are fun to play but also frustrating, her teacher warned her. Finding the rhythm can be a challenge.

We are in a different rhythm this fall, of back-toschool and new activities and, for me, a full-time job at our daughters’ school. Our new rhythm isn’t just faster than the old one; it’s wholly different than what we were doing before. On paper, the changes are mostly exciting, so I’ve been surprised at how I’ve struggled at times to keep up. It takes work to build new relationships, and humility to accept the inevitable missteps. Sometimes I miss the familiarity of our old routine. In drums and in life, new rhythms are hard.

I want to model for our girls what it looks like to adapt well, so I’ve been thinking about what it takes to get used to a new rhythm. At the core, it’s faith—that God is in control, and that challenges don’t necessarily mean you made the wrong choice. The challenges of a new rhythm are reminding me over and over that often, the way through is found by facing our

EVENTS

October 4

Church Planting Hub Chicagoland

Where: Chicagoland Baptists

When: 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Cost: Free

Info: IBSA.org/multiply-hubs

October 3 and 10

Equip Training Events

10/3 – First Baptist, Metropolis

10/10 – Metro Community, Edwardsville

What: Training in ministry skills for church leaders

Cost: Free Register: IBSA.org/equip

October 8

Youth Encounter

In two locations

Central, Bone Student Center, ISU, Bloomington

South, Cornerstone Church, Marion

When: 3 – 9 p.m.

What: Youth evangelism event

Cost: $35 per person

Register: IBSA.org/ye

weakness and leaning more on God’s strength.

Jeremiah 29:11 isn’t any less true because of how often it’s quoted, and I’ve been turning to it often to remind myself of God’s character amid upheaval. The Israelites were in the middle of the life-altering, drastically harder new rhythm of exile. Yet God promised them a hope and a future, and that they would find him again.

That hope arrives in human form—Jesus—in the New Testament.

Peter writes believers are born again to a living hope, and an inheritance that is “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1 Peter 1:3-4). Those are encouraging truths for anyone walking in a new rhythm for any reason. When grief and loss knock us down, there is hope. When new circumstances bring uncertainty and fear, there is hope. Even when the change is a happy one, our ultimate hope is in Jesus.

My daughter thinks about drums the way I’m aiming to think about our new rhythm—we’re born for this, to walk in faith fueled by hope.

Meredith Day Flynn is a wife and mother of two living in Springfield. She writes on the intersection of faith, family, and current culture.

October 21

Kids Ministry Conference

Where: IBSA Building, Springfield

When: 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.

What: Training and 2024 Lifeway VBS Preview

Cost: $10 per person (includes lunch) Register: IBSA.org/VBS

October 21

Trends from nearby and around the world.

$$Faith: Prosperity gospel grows

Belief in the prosperity gospel has increased significantly. In Protestant churches, the view is highest among church goers who are younger (85% under 50) and lesser educated (80% of high school grads).

69% 76%

% 52% 26% 45%

“It is possible the financial hits people have taken from inflation and the pandemic have triggered feelings of guilt for not serving God more. But Scripture does not teach that kind of direct connection” between giving and being blessed.

November 7-8

IBSA Pastors Conference

Where: Cornerstone Church, Marion

When: 1 – 8:30 p.m. Tuesday

8:30 – 11 a.m. Wednesday

Cost: Free

Register: IBSAannualmeeting.org/pc

November 8-9

Hispanic Ignite Evangelism Conference

Where: Iglesia Misionera North Avenue, Chicago

When: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Cost: Free Register: IBSA.org/igniteconference

October 22-23

Ignite Evangelism Conference

Where: First Baptist Church, Bethalto

When: 6 – 9 p.m. Sunday, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. Monday

Cost: Free Register: IBSA.org/igniteconference

November 3-4

AWSOM

Where: Tabernacle Baptist Church, Decatur

When: 7 – 9 p.m. Friday, 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. Saturday

What: Student girls in 5th – 12th grades

Cost: $25 (includes lunch) Register: IBSA.org/awsom-conference

IBSA Annual Meeting

Where: Cornerstone Church, Marion

When: 1:30 – 8:30 p.m. Wednesday

8:30 – 11:30 a.m. Thursday

Cost: Free

Register: IBSAannualmeeting.org

December 3-10

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and Week of Prayer

What: Offering for

International Missions

Where: Your church

Info: IMB.org/pray/ week-of-prayer

MEREDITH FLYNN

God wants me to prosper financially

My church teaches that if I give more money to my church and charities, God will bless me in return

To receive material blessings from God, I have to do something for God

Scott McConnell, Lifeway Research (Aug. 2023)