October 21, 2013 Illinois Baptist

Floods cause ‘a tsunami of mud’

Illinois relief workers call Colorado devastation the worst they’ve seen

By Lisa Sergent

Lyons, Colorado | IBSA Disaster Relief teams have joined with teams from 22 other Baptist state conventions to help Colorado residents clean up their homes after they were damaged by recent flooding

The damage volunteers are seeing is severe In addition to floodwater and raw sewage, mud slides carried debris into living spaces, basements and garages According to Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, volunteers reported the water that rushed through the area they were working in was so strong it left boulders inside the homes

Mud-out teams from FBC Galatia, FBC Harrisburg, and Sullivan Southern Baptist have already completed their work and returned to Illinois, while two teams from Williamson Baptist Association will be serving in Colorado over the next few weeks

Butch and Debbie Porter are members of a team from Galatia FBC that completed seven jobs in five days in the town of Lyons

Continued on page 2

Springfield | The 107th IBSA Annual Meeting is November 13-14, but messengers don’t have to wait until they arrive at the Hilton in Springfield to register – they can pre-register online now

Information about online pre-registration was mailed to IBSA churches in early September Church members planning to serve as messengers should contact their church office to get the information needed for online pre-registration if they have not already received it Pre-registration will close November 4 at 4:30 p m

Messengers also may register in person at the Annual Meeting with a signed messenger card from their church E-mail CaroleDoom@ IBSA org or call (217) 391-3113 to request blank messenger cards or for registration assistance

North American Mission Board President Kevin Ezell and NAMB’s Midwest VP, Gary Frost, will join IBSA Executive Director Nate

Ezell Frost

Adams for the Wednesday evening session The theme of the 2013 Annual Meeting is “Mission Illinois: Churches Together Advancing the Gospel ”

Messengers may submit proposed resolutions to the IBSA Resolutions Committee prior to the Annual Meeting Send resolutions to Committee Chairman Wesley Hahn at pastorwjh1961@hotmail com or to IBSA at SandyBarnard@IBSA org

Childcare will be provided by IBSA Disaster Relief childcare volunteers during Pastors’ Conference and Annual Meeting sessions. To pre-register, contact Kendra Jackson at (217) 391-3111

Pastors’ Conference and Ministers’ Wives

Eric Mason, pastor of Epiphany Fellowship in Philadelphia and

Marriage debate begins again

Same-sex marriage could be on the agenda this week as the Illinois General Assembly returns to Springfield for their fall veto session Meanwhile, people on both sides of the issue plan to make their voices heard at the Capitol

At issue is SB10, or the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, which was passed in the Senate last spring but stalled when it wasn’t called for a vote in the House Supporters of the bill are calling on the House to vote on it during the fall veto session or in January 2014 when the regular session begins Due to legislative rules, if passed this fall, same-sex marriages could begin in June 2014 However, if voted on and passed in January, such marriages could begin in February.

In preparation for a possible vote, groups supporting same-sex marriage will rally at the Capitol October 22 for the “March on Springfield for Marriage Equality ” The next day, the Illinois Family Institute (IFI) will host a “Defend Marriage Lobby Day” for supporters of traditional marriage On the schedule are prayer gatherings in front of the Lincoln statue and inside the Rotunda, and an opportunity to

YA DIG? – IBSA Disaster Relief volunteers from FBC Galatia cleaned out the crawl space of a flooded home in Lyons, Colorado, earlier this month

Mason

the

Marriage decision could impact religious liberty, opponents say

Continued from page BRIEFING

lobby legislators on behalf traditional marriage

Senate chaplain: ‘Enough is enough’

Barry Black, chaplain of the U S Senate and a Seventh-day Adventist minister, has used his morning prayers during the government shutdown to admonish lawmakers “Lord, when the federal shutdown delays payments of death benefits to the families of [soldiers] dying on far-away battlefields, it’s time for our lawmakers to say enough is enough,” Black prayed earlier this month

In another prayer, Black referenced Psalm 51 “Create in us clean hearts, oh God, and renew a right spirit within us Deliver us from the hypocrisy of attempting to sound reasonable while being unreasonable ”

Bad choices dog many of us

Nearly half of Americans feel weighed down by a bad decision they made at some point, according to a new study by LifeWay Research The survey found 47% of respondents are still dealing with the consequences of a bad decision, including 51% of self-identified born-again, evangelical or fundamentalist Christians The better news: 84% of those surveyed believe God gives second chances.

Mormon missionaries reach 80,000

Relaxed age restrictions for Mormon missionaries have resulted in a drastic increase in the number of those serving, according to a report on The Washington Post’s On Faith blog The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced earlier this month 80,000 missionaries are now on the field, 22,000 more than last year On Faith reports the number of women missionaries has risen 140% since the age requirement was dropped from 21 to 19

Moody drops faculty alcohol ban

Moody Bible Institute in Chicago this summer lifted a ban on alcohol and tobacco use by its 600 faculty members and employees Marketing Vice President Christine Gorz told The Christian Post, “Employees of Moody are expected to adhere to all biblical absolutes, but for behaviors that Scripture does not expressly prohibit, Moody leaves these matters to the employee’s biblically-informed conscience ” Students at the 127year-old school are still required to abstain

Church repents of discrimination

First Baptist Church of Oxford, Miss , decided it’s never too late to right a wrong In July, the church nullified a 1968 decision to deny African Americans use of its building facilities and resources The policy hadn’t been enacted for many years, but it also had never been officially overturned Pastor Eric Hankins and deacons wrote a resolution to repeal the earlier decision and apologize for it, and the church has since met with African American congregations to talk about partnership opportunities

“The bottom line is that something has been done that is wrong,” Hankins told Baptist Press “We’ve recognized it, and we’re going to leave our gift at the altar until we go get this right so we can be correct in our worship ”

A major concern of pro-tra tional marriage groups is the ligious liberty of those w oppose same-sex marriag should the bill pass in Illinoi

Earlier this month, t Chicago Tribune hosted a d bate where Rep Greg Harr (Chicago), sponsor of SB1 told those gathered he believ the bill protected the rights of religious institutions opposed to same-sex marriage

Peter Breen, senior counsel with the Thomas More Society, countered Harris by sharing the story of Jim Walder, a bed and breakfast owner in Paxton, Ill , who is being sued for refusing to rent out his facility for a same-sex civil union ceremony

erned by the Human Rights Act, which forbids discrimination based on many factors, including sexual orientation

The Illinois Family Institute and others argue that the Human Rights Act and SB10 protect individuals from discrimination in regard to sexual preference, but not religious conviction

State courts also play a role in e ongoing debate An Illinois dge in September allowed wo lawsuits to move forward at challenge the state’s ban on me-sex marriage, according a Reuters report The suits ere originally filed on behalf 25 couples denied marriage censes in Cook County

Same-sex marriage is legal in 4 U S states and the District of Columbia Last month, New Jersey became the latest state to allow it after a judge ruled that because New Jersey already allows civil unions for same-sex couples, the state is illegally preventing them from receiving federal benefits Same-sex marriages officially began in New Jersey October 21

Volunteers meet physical, spiritual needs after floods

Continued from page 1

They are veteran disaster relief volunteers, having gone on their first “call out” after Hurricane Rita swept across the Gulf of Mexico into Texas in September 2005 They have participated in so many call outs since then, when asked how many they have gone on Debbie laughed and said, “We’ve lost count!”

Originally trained in chainsaw work, the couple decided it was time to receive training in mud out too, after much of southern Illinois was subject to heavy flooding three years ago “We thought, ‘We can’t just sit at home and not be doing things to help in our own area,’” Debbie said

With all the Porters’ disaster relief volunteer experience, it was sobering when Butch described what they saw in Colorado as “the worst devastation” he had ever seen.

“It seemed like a tsunami of mud came down from the mountains and destroyed everything in its path ”

With such destruction came a desperate need for assistance –physical and spiritual The people they encountered were ready for their help “We found the people to be extremely grateful,” said Butch “They were very warm and loving ”

Mary was one such homeowner Debbie described the situation when the team arrived “She had sewer back-up as well as flood water damage – it had been sitting in her basement for three weeks already – we actually had to cut her queen mattress in half to get the wet mattress out the basement window! A first for us!”

When the couple returned

home, they received an e-mail from Mary “You all are so giving You inspired me and taught me to be a better Christian You guys are a great example of grace,” she wrote

Debbie also shared the story of one young man, Brian, who needed help removing the waist-deep mud that had settled in his garage He and his aunt had worked for two days shoveling out the mud, but only had a small corner cleared

“When we pulled up and started getting out of the van he looked deflated,” she laughed “You could tell he thought, ‘All these old people, they can’t do anything ’”

The team spent two days working at his home, and removed all the mud

from his garage. His aunt, a Christian, had been witnessing to him and team members continued along the same track While he had not accepted Christ by the time they left to return home, Debbie believes he is very close

“I told him, “Your aunt is right, she’s trying to tell you that you need to get closer to God You need to accept Him ’ I have a feeling we made a big difference and that his aunt will finish the work ”

Said Debbie, “Sometimes if we are lucky we experience a soul being saved through our efforts in Disaster Relief – but more often and just as importantly, we just plant seeds and open people up to God’s amazing grace ”

DAMAGE SURVEY – Flooding is the second disaster Southern Baptist volunteers have responded to in Colorado recently Earlier this summer, teams helped clean up after wildfires near Colorado Springs (above) Photo courtesy of NAMB

The BIG Pic ture

Dr. Stanley, I presume

Wheaton | “God bless you!” was the oft repeated chorus at Charles Stanley’s book signing Oct 12 It was followed by “We love you!” from many in the line that curled from the famed pastor’s table, around and through the LifeWay Christian Store, out the door and down the sidewalk More than 500 were expected to walk the autograph maze

“It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet him,” said Esmaralda Alarcon, clutching her copy of Stanley’s new book, “Emotions: Confront the Lies, Conquer with Truth ” “He laughed when he saw my son,” she chuckled Nicky, 4, had his mouth packed with chocolate, his mother’s tool to keep him quiet while standing in line

“We were here at eight o-clock,” she said, two hours ahead of Stanley’s arrival, “and already there were two hundred or more people in line ” Alarcon, a member of a Hispanic Baptist church in Waukegan, drove over an hour for the event, as did Dee Lawrence, who attends Lighthouse Baptist Fellowship in Huntleigh “His preaching means so much to me,” she said

Dee was tenth in line at the front door After purchasing her book and navigating the trail, her momentary visit with Dr Stanley was made more memorable by an overturned coffee cup at the signing table “Will someone get her a new book?” Stanley asked, between handshakes and quick words of encouragement and gratitude Dee was all smiles after the meeting

“For the past 20 years, Dr. Stanley’s preaching has been a constant in my Christian walk,” said Chuck, who drove from Wisconsin He brought his “In Touch Study Bible” for Dr Stanley to sign too

Wheaton was the next-to-last stop in a 15-city tour that ended later that day in Indianapolis

Meetings set for pastors, ministers’ wives

Continued from page 1

‘DEFEND MARRIAGE’

writer of the Bible study “Manhood Restored,” will join a Pastors’ Conference lineup featuring Bobby Boyles, Jerry Cain, Micah Fries, Chuck Kelley and Jay Strother The Pastors’ Conference is November 1213 at the Hilton Springfield

The Minister ’s Wives Conference and Luncheon will be held November 13 at the IBSA Building, beginning

with registration at 9 a m The cost for lunch is $11 per person Make checks payable to Ministers’ Wives Fellowship and mail checks to Marietta Augenstein, 816 W Monroe St , Athens, IL 62613 by November 1 Please write the name of your local association in the check’s memo line For additional information go to www IBSA org/meeting2013

2013 IBSA Annual Meeting

SCHEDULE: IMPORTANT:

OUR HALF-MINUTE – After a two-hour wait outside, Esmaralda Alarcon reached the table to have a book signed by Dr Charles Stanley at the LifeWay Christian Store in Wheaton An aide snapped photos for appreciative attenders, including Alarcon and her children, Lillian and Nicky

Nate Adams

May I come to your church?

arlier this summer, I wrote about my desire to worship in every Illinois Baptist church Even though it would take years and years of attending a new church every week, I can’t think of a better way to invest my Sundays than to meet, and listen to, and worship with, as many Illinois Baptists as possible Since writing about that desire, I’ve already been invited to worship in eight new churches for the first time on a Sunday morning Some have been invitations to come and speak, and some have been invitations to simply join the church for worship, which I enjoy just as much But I am so grateful for each of these churches that responded to my simple question, “May I come to your church?” with the same gracious answer: “Sure, we’d love to have you ”

It’s made me wonder how many people are asking that same question every week about your church or mine They probably don’t ask it directly of us In fact, they probably don’t even ask it out loud But they drive past, or read abou haps hear someone talking a church And they wonder what it like to go inside

Of course, their question is really questions:

-What exactly happens in the Sunday mornings?

-How would I know where to go and when to do what?

-Would I know anyone, and do they know anything about me?

-How would I be treated?

-Would I like it? Would I want to go back?

-Do I know anyone who would go with me?

-What about my kids?

I think we would all like to answer the simple question, “May I come to your church?” positively and warmly Of course we want new people to come to our church! But if we really expect it to happen, we have to realize that these “questions behind the question” reveal potential barriers that may be keeping people from taking the first step

For example, my sons tell me that most people their age will not seriously consider attending a church that does not have a decent website It’s not necessarily that they are looking for a technologically sophisticated church It’s just that their generation gathers information that way. Whether they’re trying to answer a trivia question or shop for the best price or consider attending a church, they usually go he web first, to check things out An effective church website can be a wonderl tool for helping people anonymously answer heir questions about your church in advance

People in your community are asking the question

How are you answering them?

Happy Birthday, GA’s

Pray for the requests below and pass them along to your pastor or prayer leader to use as a guide for weekly prayer meeting, Sunday School classes or fellowship groups:

– Disaster Relief in Colorado, page 2

– African American church plants, page 7

Prayer prompts are provided by Phil Miglioratti, IBSA’s prayer consultant Contact him at phil@missionamerica org

The ILLINOIS BAPTIST Staff

Managing Editor •

Contributing Editor • Graphic Artist • Editorial Consultant •

Meredith Flynn

Lisa Sergent

Kris Kell

Eric Reed

For questions about subscript ons, articles, or upcoming events, contact the Illinois Baptist at (217) 391-3110 or IllinoisBaptist@IBSA org

On some Wednesday evenings, if I listen really hard, I can still hear it: Girls in action, girls in action, mission study and mission action Praying, giving money, so the world may know of Jesus’ love

The jaunty chorus bounced out of a third floor classroom at our church every Wednesday evening at 6:45, heralding the beginning of the weekly Girls in Action meeting. GA’s is where I learned most of what I still und about missions, m aries, and how Sou Baptists work toge to fulfill the G Commission

This year, GA’s celebrates its 100th birthday As the organization created by Southern Baptist Woman’s Missionary Union marks this special occasion, I’ve been remembering the most important piece of information I received from GA’s Every week our teacher, Mrs Briggs, taught us that we could do missions

But some people are going to look to the newspaper, some to the phone book, and some are going to want to call the church on Saturday night In other words, an effective, inviting church is going to do everything it can to answer the questions behind, “May I come to your church?” before they are ever asked out loud

Of course, just as important as answering these questions in advance is answering them on site at the church, especially on Sunday A first-time guest to your church needs all kinds of help that your regular attenders don’t need That would seem obvious, but I am sometimes surprised at how difficult it is to find a church’s service time, or address, or directions And even if the church is easy to find, it can be unclear where to park, or what door to enter, or where to go once you’re inside.

Fortunately, almost all of the churches I attend, even for the first time, do a great job of communicating in advance, and welcoming warmly when I arrive And if I’ve not yet been to your church on a Sunday morning, I would still love to come and join you in worship But far more important than my asking this question are the many people in your community who may be asking it silently every week: “May I come to your church?”

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

On Chuck Smith’s legacy

sometimes. So, as I grew up and became a normal person, I never questioned that if God so purposed, he could use me as a missionary That’s why missions education is still important, because we are far more likely to try the things we think we can do We GA’s (and the RA’s in the boys’ class next door) heard week after week that there is always something we can do to support the advance of the Gospel We lost the of “I can’t,” or “The oo big,” or “I’m just erson ” The ways ern Baptists cooperreach the world are elling, even to a third grader When we saw that we had a place within that cooperative system, the missions potential felt limitless.

POSTMASTER: The Il inois Baptist is owned and published b weekly, Jan , March, May, July-Sept , Nov ; monthly in Feb , April, June, Oct and Dec , by the Illinois Baptist State Association, 3085 Stevenson Drive, Spr ngfield, Il inois 62703-4440 Subscript ons are free to I linois Bapt sts Subscribe online at IBSA org

GA’s encapsulates a lot of good things, especially when you’re in elementary school: International snacks, missionary stories, and the occasional letter from an overseas pen pal As we prayed and ate and learned and gave, missionaries became more real to us They were our heroes, yes, but they were also normal people who wrote us letters

And Mrs Briggs eventually saw results Several of those GA’s are now serving in full-time ministry Missions education has evolved over the years, and for some it has probably lost its importance But every Wednesday night now as I sit in my community group, I’m reminded of the lessons I learned more than 20 years ago. Those weekly GA meetings played a part in my decision to go on my first international mission trip this summer What I learned back then reminds me that I’m called and equipped to be on mission, here and now

Smith, who died Oct 3, led the Calvary Chapel church planting movement and helped usher in a new, once-marginalized generation of Christians

“Simply put, it is hard to overstate the significance of Calvary Chapel in remapping Protestantism, particularly evangelicalism And Chuck Smith was one of the main reasons for that impact ” – Ed Stetzer, president of LifeWay Research, ChristianityToday com

“He was an American hero who loved the Boomers when the Generation Gap was at its height He was the first to be ‘seeker friendly ’” – Dave Holden, training pastor at Saddleback Church, The Christian Post

“His impact can be seen in every church service that has electric guitar-driven worship, hip casually-dressed pastors, and 40-minute sermons consisting of verseby-verse Bible expositions peppered with pop-culture references and counterculture slang ”

– Brad Christerson, sociologist at Biola University, ChristianityToday com

“Physical death ushered him into God’s presence for eternity on Oct 3, but his earthly ministry will be remembered as impacting generations since the 1960s He taught the Bible from cover to cover –Genesis to Revelation – and verse by verse multiple times He believed the Word of God and lived by it ”

– Franklin Graham, president & CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

The Il ino s Baptist is seeking news from IBSA churches E-mai us at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA org to tell us about anniversar es, special events and new min stry staff

Voices

Happy, happy, happy…

By Justin Kinder

I recently started a sermon series at my church in the Beatitudes I first asked my congregation this question: “How many of you want to be happy?” Most of them raised their hands but a few did not I repeated the question again, just to make sure everyone had heard me Again, there were still some who did not raise their hands I was flabbergasted by their response Doesn’t every person want to have joy and happiness in their life?

Maybe some of them didn’t raise their hands because they were afraid to do so Others might have been embarrassed by my question Or maybe there were some who didn’t want others to see that they weren’t truly happy Christians at this point in their lives

I can understand how they feel

Believe it or not, there was a time in my life when I was not a very happy or joyful Christian When I was in college, I was a grump I knew I was born again by the Spirit of God but I didn’t have the happiness I saw in other Christians’ lives My roommate Luke, for example, was a very happy-go-lucky person He would often “torture” me by asking me over and over again, “Are you a happy person?” What was his secret to happiness?

I sought the answer in God’s Word, through prayer, and through a book titled, “Happiness is a Choice ” What I discovered was that my happiness was actually quite shallow My happiness was based on obtaining material possessions, achieving academic status, re-

Table

lationships with people, and the circumstances of life But those things were constantly changing! I needed something that could give me happiness consistently I discovered the joy of the Lord could help me to be happy even in life’s ever changing circumstances

You see, Jesus preached a happy, happy, happy, message in the Beatitudes Over and over again Jesus used the word “blessed,” which has as one definition, “happy ” Happy are the poor in spirit Happy are they that mourn What a great message to the world and to Christians who are very unhappy!

But the happiness and blessedness Jesus talks about in the Beatitudes isn’t shallow It has a deeper meaning than we usually give the word, according the Reformation Study Bible “It includes spiritual well-being, having the approval of God, and thus a happier destiny ”

We will never get anywhere in our search for happiness until we give up trying to find it by our own efforts The secret to true happiness is found in loving Jesus and following Him all the days of your life. We will not find true joy and happiness until we find it in Him

Justin Kinder is pastor of Main Street Baptist Church in Braidwood, Illinois

“I feel convicted to repair my relationship with the pastor let’s hope he feels convicted to apologize ”

A slice of life

Ancestry/culture

62%

Religion

15%

23%

Pew Research asked American Jews: Being Jewish is mainly a matter of Both

Stronger together: State Baptist conventions and the SBC

By R Albert Mohler, Jr

Fall brings the opening of the new school year, the energy of the season of autumn and, for Southern Baptists, the meetings of the state Baptist conventions In coming weeks, most of the state conventions will be holding their annual meetings Pastors and laypeople will gather from local churches and assemble as a convention of Baptist churches

There is a glory in these meetings, and they affirm our need for the state conventions and their ministries.

A younger generation of Southern Baptists may well be unaware of the importance of the state conventions and their work They would be welladvised to attend their state convention and catch a vision of what the Baptist churches in their states are doing together

Americans are regularly reminded that states matter Our political system respects the role of the individual states, and most Americans identify not only as citizens of the United States, but as residents of their respective states This does not make our nation weaker We are stronger because the states retain an

important role in building communities and building the nation

In Southern Baptist life, the same is profoundly true of our state conventions There is a need for Baptist churches within every state to coordinate and combine their energies for the cause of the Great Commission and the task of reaching the communities in their own state and region This does not weaken the SBC – it makes us stronger

Respect for the state conventions comes naturally to me As a boy, I participated in camps and programs for children and young people Soon after my conversion, I boarded a church bus and headed for Lake Yale, the assembly of the Florida Baptist Convention. The first real exposure I had to the scope and scale of Southern Baptist mission work came when I was a 9-year-old boy sitting in the auditorium at Lake Yale

As a young man called to the ministry, I headed to Samford University where I received the gift of education for ministry from a school founded by Alabama Baptists

Later, I was elected editor of The Christian Index and shifted my min-

istry to the context of the Georgia Baptist Convention I was immersed in the life of that state convention, and I saw firsthand that it was doing important work that would otherwise be left undone

When disaster strikes, state disaster relief teams are first on the scene

When a pastor needs help, the state convention is close at hand When strategies for reaching America’s urban areas are developed, state conventions are on the front lines State conventions remember the rural churches and are there to combine strengths and walk alongside those congregations serving the heartland

At the same time, the state conventions have the world on their hearts

Increasingly, our leading state conventions are increasing their commitment to the support of national ministries and the reaching of the nations Many of these conventions have taken courageous steps to send a greater percentage of Cooperative Program funds to the cause of reaching the nations with the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Now is the time for Southern Baptists committed to the Great Com-

mission to show up and support our state conventions, to attend our annual convention meetings, and to support every effort to reach our individual states, our nation and the nations with the Gospel

As a committed Southern Baptist, I would not know who I am without the state conventions that have contributed so much to my life and ministry So, as the Southern Baptists in your state head for their annual meetings, determine to join them, to pray for them, to support them in Cooperative Program giving and to strengthen the Great Commission vision and energy you will find there Southern Baptists will never be bolder in mission and ministry than when we strengthen these bonds and stand together

R Albert Mohler, Jr is president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky This column was excerpted from Baptist Press; read the full version at www IBSA org/iBeXtra

– Pew Research Center 2013 Survey of U S Jews

AR OUND OUR STATE

New Faces

Jonathan Davis is the new pastor of Delta Church in Springfield

“I’m pressing hard on God’s sovereignty and praying His presence will lead us as we seek to make much of Jesus in this city,” Jon said Originally from Illinois, he and his wife, Tarah, spent the last few years in Louisville, Ky., where he studied at Southern Seminary and served at Ninth and O Baptist Church The Davises have four children: Rebekah, Jonathan, Judah and Malachi

Crossroads Community Church in Carol Stream has called Emanuel Istrate to pastor its campus in New Lenox

Emanuel and his wife, Melissa, have a daughter, Moriah Prior to joining the Crossroads team, he served as an associate pastor in North Carolina “We are confident God will bless Emanuel’s strong emphasis on the Gospel and Bible preaching,” said Crossroads’ senior pastor Scott Nichols

Ministry Positions

Alpha and Omega Baptist Church in Cicero is seeking a bilingual bivocational pastor to lead the congregation in its next phase of ministry – becoming an Englishspeaking Latino church Contact the committee at mea606@gmail com

Swansea Baptist Church is seeking a part-time music director to lead congregational singing and direct the choir For more information contact the church office at (618) 235-4000, e-mail nhodge@wisper home com, or email the pastor at wwickiser@swanseachurch com

Resources

Free: Grace Baptist, Palmyra, is seeking to donate folding tables and chairs, pulpit and pulpit chairs, and two pianos Contact Pastor Jim Allen at (618) 753-3506

Needed: Immanuel Baptist, Pana, seeks donated kitchen cabinets, nursery items, children’s chairs and tables, kitchen items and decorations Contact Pastor Dan Johnson at (217) 768-3050

Needed: At least two benches appropriate for use in a church foyer; contact Pastor J D Anderson, Centennial Missionary Baptist Church, at (773) 268-8000

Needed: Portable baptistery for Wasson Missionary Baptist Church, Harrisburg If you have one or know where one can be purchased at a low price, call (618) 273-2441

Centenarians remind church of its history

West Frankfort | Goebel Patton will turn 100 years old this week But he’s not the only one in his community, or even his church, to celebrate that milestone this year Maxine Ferrari and Georgia Griffin, fellow members of Second Baptist in West Frankfort, already celebrated their 100th birthdays in 2013

The unique situation – three centenarians in one church – has attracted the attention of a local newspaper and given the church cause to celebrate Together, the trio represents 238 years of church membership at Second Baptist Patton joined the church in 1926 as a 13-year-old. “Back in that day, the only social activities were at church,” he says Drawn to Second Baptist for the fellowship with other young people his age, he has stayed for 87 years, and still serves as chairman of the finance and properties committees He also started a men’s prayer group in 1991, and reports they’ve met every single Tuesday morning since then

Having Patton, Ferrari and Griffin as part of the church “ties us to our history,” says Pastor Brett Beasley

The 100-year-olds help younger people understand the church’s history, and give a perspective of what church life was like and how it’s changed

Their faithfulness is also a source of encouragement, Beasley says Two years ago, Ferrari arrived at church on a messy wintry morning when only about half of the church’s regular attenders were there Beasley remembers good-naturedly teasing his congregation: “Maxine made it today,

Training Oppor tunities Training Oppor tunities

so really nobody’s got an excuse ”

Each of the centenarians has already received a birthday party this year, but Second Baptist is hoping to celebrate the three of them together some time in the future

Happy Birthday indeed

October 26: VBS Preview Party, Pleasant Hill Baptist, Mt Vernon (217) 391-3124, CathyWaters@ IBSA org

November 1-2: AWSOM (Amazing Women Serving Our Maker), IBSA Building, Springfield The missions conference for girls in grades 7-12 will focus on human trafficking awareness, rescue and prevention Cost is $20 per person (217) 3913138, www IBSA org/Student

November 4, 5: plantMIDWEST Quarterly Gatherings for church planters and others interested in partnering to start a new church Nov 4: August Gate, St Louis; Nov 5: Armitage Baptist, Chicago; RachelCarter@IBSA.org.

November 12-13: IBSA Pastors’ Conference, Hilton Springfield Panel discussions and messages from Bobby Boyles, Jerry Cain, Micah Fries, Chuck Kelley, Eric Mason and Jay Strother Begins 1 p m Tuesday, Nov 12 Free childcare will be provided for each Pastors’ Conference and Annual Meeting session To pre-register, contact Kendra Jackson at (217) 391-3111

November 13-14: IBSA Annual Meeting, Hilton Springfield, 700 E Adams Street Begins 1:30 p m Wednesday, concludes 11:30 a m Thursday Pre-registration information was mailed to IBSA churches in early September Messengers may

also register in person at the annual meeting with a signed messenger card E-mail CaroleDoom@ IBSA org or call (217) 391-3113 to request blank messenger cards or for registration assistance Pre-registration will close Nov 4 at 4:30 p m

November 15-16: Hispanic WMU Celebration, Oak Brook Hills Marriott Resort Cost is $110 per person, includes conference fees, two meals, and lodging for one night at the Marriott Resort AnaDeMelendez@ gmail com, (630) 712-3106

November 22-24: International Student Conference, Springfield

Southern Baptist For more information or to sign up as a host home, contact Cathy Waters at (217) 3913124 or CathyWaters@IBSA org

December 27-28: Youth Encounter, Prairie Capital Convention Center, Springfield Featuring Brian Burgess, 33Miles, Citizen Way, Loudmouth, 321 Improv and Bryan Drake Show Cost is $40 through the end of November, $45 until the week of the event, and $50 at the door All ticket prices include a Youth Encounter T-shirt Call (217) 391- 3127, or go to www IBSA org/ilstudentz

CELEBRATION YEAR – (From left) Georgia Griffin, Goebel Patton, and Maxine Ferrari, all members of Second Baptist in West Frankfort, turned 100 in 2013 Photo courtesy of Second Baptist Church

A risk worth taking

New study has encouraging news for African American leaders doing the hard work of church planting

A LifeWay Research report released in September shows many African American church plants are seeing a steady increase in worship attendance and dozens of new commitments to Christ within their first few years

The multidenominational study, which the researchers call the first ever of its size and scope, measured the progress of 290 African American churches planted prior to 2012

Among the findings: The average number of new commitments to Christ in the first year is 16, and the average first-year Sunday attendance of 37 doubled by the fourth year

It’s good news at a time when worship attendance across the Southern Baptist Convention is in decline, falling 3 1% in 2012 according to the Annual Church Profile report De-

But it’s only been within the last year and a half that Gray has been able to breathe a sigh of relief, assured his church is going to make it The secret to church planting, he said, is to “keep showing up ”

‘Tough ground’

The pressures of church planting can add up quickly: family, finances, workload And what if no one comes?

“Saturday nights are the loneliest times” for a planter, Gray says He laughs and adds, “I wrote my resignation letter to myself so many times ” But he persevered, along with his wife, Tedra, and the small church they built in the basement The Connection has as its main mission to reach people who have been hurt by the church, or have dropped out, or have little experience with church at all

Church planting economics

nominational leaders have pointed to church planting as the most effective way to reverse downward trends like fewer worship attenders and baptisms.

But planting isn’t easy, say many who have been there

“You can risk everything for years and you have no clue whether this is going to work out ” Ron Gray is the pastor of The Connection Community Church on Chicago’s south side His church which started as a handful of people in the basement of his family’s home, is now a church of 50 meeting in a building they purchased last year

Contributing factors

Six characteristics that affect attendance and commitments to Christ

1 Planter was compensated for his work (52%).

2 Weeklong boot camp or basic training was provided for the planter (42%)

3 The planter worked 60 hours a week or more on the church plant during the first two years (39%)

The church is tailored to the needs of the people it’s reaching For instance, Gray has realized most won’t come for Sunday School before church So, he moved it after the service. They’re meeting needs outside the body too Located in a middle class, residential area with many older residents, Connection hosts a health fair every other month

“Chicago is really tough ground,” Gray says “It’s hard to get past people’s preconceived notions, their misconceptions, their misunderstandings of the Word ” But they persevere, and earlier this month, three people were baptized at the church

There isn’t an exact formula for successful church planting, but the LifeWay study did find several common characteristics in growing African American church plants Three factors have the most positive impact on worship attendance: delegation of leadership roles to volunteers; leadership training for new church members; and a place of personal spiritual formation for the church planter.

That last characteristic is especially important when you consider planters often are trying to engage an area with little or no Gospel witness “Church planters face a level of spiritual opposition that is probably more intense and unique than what you find in our existing churches,” said Van Kicklighter, who leads IBSA’s church planting team

“For that reason, where they are with their own personal spiritual disciplines, their walk with the Lord, their faithfulness, is important for church planters because of the nature of the work they’re doing ”

The LifeWay study identified six characteristics that affect both worship attendance and commitments to Christ at African American church plants (see box, bottom left) Not surprisingly, several of those factors relate to economic concerns Of the church plants surveyed, 94% still exist, but among those that closed, lack of financial support was the most common contributing factor

According to the study, church plants received funding from core members (84%), affiliated denominations (62%), the planter or planting team (49%), and the personal financial support network of the church planter (44%) Among the churches surveyed, 29% were self-sufficient by their first year, half by the fourth year, and 60% by year 10.

The study also found 36% of church plants received funding from one or more sponsoring churches But in many cases, sponsors do more than provide funding The church planters surveyed said 79% of sponsoring churches provided active prayer support and 53% provided mentoring to the planter or planting team

In Illinois, every Southern Baptist church plant has at least one sponsoring or partnering church, Kicklighter says The goal is for the existing church to claim a sense of responsibility for the church planter, providing mentoring, inviting him to report to the congregation, and sometimes sending teams to help

Volunteers from partnering churches helped church planter Barnicio Cureton and Light of Christ restore their church building in East St Louis “…Our partner churches, those churches who wanted to be a part of the work going on in East St Louis, they brought doors, door handles, paint, drywall ” Cureton told an IBSA video crew this summer And they didn’t just bring materials; they came to work too

“A lot of the great things we do in the community would not be able to be done, if it were not for an organization of people who have the heart of Christ,” Cureton said

Willing to step out

The majority of church planters in LifeWay’s study arrived on the field as a single staff member Only 6% of the church plants had a paid, staffed team of more than one person to start the church

More than two-thirds (69%) were bivocational the first two years of their plant’s existence, but 63% still worked 40 or more hours a week at the church

It’s busy, hard work Often in tough ground And it’s a risk, Gray says But from urban Chicago to rural Illinois towns, millions of people in the state don’t know Christ And reaching them is worth the risk

“ You have to be willing to step out in faith and risk failure,” Gray says “And that’s what every church plant does ”

4 A sponsor or mother church permitted the plant to meet in their building (32%)

5 Plants had their own facilities during the first five years (20%)

6 A contemporary worship style was incorporated (13%)

Pray through the news

– Pray God will bless African American churches as they minister in their communities, particularly in the sometimes tough ground of urban settings Ask God to make them effective, and to give them favor with people unfamiliar with church

By Meredith Flynn,

with additional reporting from Baptist Press

By the numbers...

55% of planters received church planting training before starting a church, but only 16% received specific training on the dynamics of the African American context 69% said they would benefit from that kind of training today

52% of the planters surveyed received some financial compensation for their work, but only 38% termed the compensation adequate to meet their family’s basic needs

68% of the churches said they focused on reaching African Americans More than 80% of planters said they also intentionally sought to reach a cross-cultural or multiethnic audience

45% of the churches utilized a blended worship style, followed by contemporary gospel, contemporary, and urban contemporary, ranging from 12-14%. Church plants with a more distinctive style had higher attendance than churches using a blended style

“You can risk everything for years and you have no clue whether this is going to work out ” –

Ron Gray

BUILDING A CHURCH – Gray’s congregation moved into their church facility in Chicago a year and a half ago, after spending several years meeting in his basement and at a local restaurant

COOPERATIVE PROGRAM GIVING - Third Quar ter 2013

Januar y 1 - September 30 8

This repor t includes contributions received by the Illinois Baptist State Association through the third quar ter of 2013 For questions about this repor t, contact IBSA Associate Executive Director of the Business Team Melissa Phillips at (217) 3913104, e-mail MelissaPhillips@IBSA org or write to her at P O Box 19247, Springfield, IL 62794-9247

BAY CREEK

CLEAR CREEK

EAST CENTRAL

VALLEY

GOSHEN TRAIL

COOPERATIVE PROGRAM GIVING

COOPERATIVE PROGRAM GIVING

It all starts with one One call One decision One percent That one lets us do more, together Watch the new Cooperative Program video here, or go to www IBSA org/cp

Top 100 Illinois churches in Cooperative Program suppor t through the third quar ter of 2013

Top 100 Illinois churches in per capita suppor t through the third quar ter of 2013

New and recent releases

1. My Hope: Songs Inspired by the Message and Mission of Billy Graham by various artists (Sparrow Records) | worship, pop, rock

2 God’s Great Dance Floor, Step 2 by Martin Smith (Gloworks) | electronic

3 We are Young and Free (Live) by Hillsong Young & Free (Hillsong Church T/A Hillsong Music Australia | worship

4 Royal Flush by Flame (Clear Sight Music) | hip-hop

5 Women of Faith Presents Gateway Worship, A Collection by various artists (Gateway Create) | worship

6 The Declaration by Kevin Lemons and Higher Calling (360MusicWorX) | gospel

7 The Water & the Blood by Justin Kensrue (Mars Hill Music, under exclusive license to BEC Recordings) | pop/rock

8. God of Every Story by Laura Story (Laura Story) | pop

9. #LITO by Press Play (Dream Records) | electronic

10. Kingdom Come by Bryan and Katie Torwalt (Jesus Culture Music) | worship (iTunes, Oct 2013)

This is your college fund

Q: Our daughter is 11 years old, and we s a v e $ 5 0 a m o n t h f o r h e r R i g h t n o w , we’ve accumulated $4,200 for college, a car or just savings in general Should we be investing this money, instead of putting it in a savings account?

A: If I was in your shoes, I’d choose college as the focal point over the other things you’ve mentioned My advice would be to move that money into a 529 Plan with mutual funds inside That way, it will grow tax-free from this point forward Then, if you continue to set $50 a month aside for her for seven more years – and the stock market averages 11 to 12 percent – you’d have about $16,000 sitting there when she turned 18. That wouldn’t fully pay for college, but it would be a great start Plus, she can apply for scholarships and grants and work and save to help make it happen

As far as a car is concerned, I’d set up a separate savings account and agree to match whatever she saves That way, if she can put aside $3,000 to $4,000, with the match she’ll have a pretty nice car But keep in mind, college is the most important thing here If you guys can afford these

October 24-27

City Gazebo, Chester, IL

Financial advice from Dave Ramsey

contributions, and she wants to go to college and will hold up her end of the deal, you can work together as a family and make the idea of a college education a reality!

Paying kids for chores?

Q: Should families who are struggling to pay off debt still give their kids commissions for doing chores?

A: Yes, but it doesn’t have to be a lot of money Kids seldom get paid an amount that is equal to what the chore is worth To be perfectly honest, the chores most kids do – especially the little ones – aren’t worth that much I wouldn’t pay a kid $5 a day, or even per week, to feed the dog I mean, it takes less than 30 seconds to scoop the food into the bowl!

When it comes to paying kids commissions for chores, the biggest thing we’re trying to do is find teachable moments We want the kids to learn that money is tied to work Then, when they have some money, we

want to teach them about the three uses for money – spending, saving and giving

Teaching them wise ways to do those three things while you’re teaching them to work is the key And you can do that for a small amount of money

Don’t use a land contract

Q : W h a t ’ s y o u r o p i n i o n o n b u y i n g a house on a land contract?

A: I would never, under any circumstances, ever buy a property on a land contract

In some places this kind of thing is called a “contract for deed,” but the problem is you don’t have the deed The property is not in your name You could easily run into a situation where you’ve paid the balance down for 10 years, then the guy you’re paying gets into a car wreck or another kind of financial trouble and someone slaps a $500,000 lien against the property that’s supposed to be yours Don’t pay for property that isn’t in your name Land contracts, or contracts for deed, are dangerous for the buyer!

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

Potluck Blogger

Pumpkin Bars, sweetened

Editor’s note: In our last issue, we mistakenly left out a very important ingredient in these pumpkin bars: sugar! Many thanks to Merrillyn Brookman in Wayne City, who called after taste testing the batter to tell us something was amiss We apologize for the error, and for unintentionally making anyone’s fall a little less sweet Below is the full recipe, and we welcome your autumn favorites too Send your recipes to MeredithFlynn@IBSA org

This recipe is courtesy of Amanda Hubert, a member of Delta Church in Springfield For best results, she advises using Libby’s pumpkin and Watkins vanilla and cinnamon

Ingredients

2 c sugar

4 eggs

1 c. oil

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

16 oz can pumpkin

2 c flour

Cream cheese frosting

8 oz cream cheese, softened

4 T butter, softened

3 c powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

To prepare: Mix all ingredients for bars except flour Then, add flour gradually to fully incorporate Pour into a greased pan (an extra-long stone bar pan works best) Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean Combine ingredients for frosting, and spread over bars once they’ve cooled

Teaching kids about money doesn’t have to be expensive

@ the Crossroads

@ the Crossroads

Where ministry meets real life

The new ‘Si’-cholog y

We hear there’s a new trend developing in the marshes: “Duck Dynasty” Sunday A church in Mississippi is planning a high attendance day featuring a Duck Commander theme . Uncle Si Rober tson and his family from the hit reality series have a whole section of Bible-study and Christian lifestyle books at the nearby Lifeway Christian Store , so that’s a good place to star t when planning for “duck season ” Also consider these events:

• Give your wild game dinner a new flavor Invite duck hunters. Share the Gospel.

• Discuss Bible people who were good hunters and had great beards

• Poultr y BBQ

• Duck call demonstration

• Decoy-making lessons

• Best beard contest

Expect Pushback

Gertrude Ederle wanted to become the first woman to swim across the English Channel She tried once and failed She tried again As Gerry True tells the story:

“Swimming the English Channel is the ultimate long distance challenge Sea conditions change rapidly High winds give rise to six-foot waves and frigid saltwater drains energy Jellyfish are a constant threat Every

stroke comes with the likelihood of pushback ”

But Ederle succeeded She had to swim an “S” pattern rather than a straight line, but she made it

True then compares the pushback Ederle faced with her own attempts to update her church’s social media and website It may sound trivial, but pushback is real Projects that should have been completed in a few months took a year as colleagues and church members resisted. Like the swimmer, True adjusted her plan

“Whether you serve a church of 200 or 2,000, we all face significant challenges as we work toward strengthening communication clarity We’ve stepped into the water, and it’s our responsibility to help keep the church moving forward Your church needs your help to navigate pushback successfully This may require altering course or even adjusting the pace But we must never allow pushback to overwhelm us ”

POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE

X’s and O’s

“Football and ministry obviously are not exactly the same,” writes seminary professor Alvin Reid “Ministry matters a lot more Ministry is not a game: it’s life and death

But, just as Paul used a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer to describe a minister, football can teach us a lot ”

Some of Reid’s lessons from the gridiron: value sacrifice, risk and be rewarded, and keep a long term look

“Losing one game does not have to destroy a season Falling behind in one quarter does not mean you will lose the game A setback in ministry does not mean the whole future is bleak ”

BOLO

Be on the Lookout

compiled by Eric Reed

For required membership classes

of churches require prospective members to attend a special class before joining the church, according to LifeWay Research Another 21% encourage attendance, but do not require it

LifeWay President Thom Rainer says, “When I wrote “High Expectations” in 1999, I talked about the very early trend of churches requiring a class before granting membership to someone In other words, a membership class was an emerging facet of expectations for church members

“Today, membership classes are pervasive In an informal survey I did this year of churches with over 250 in worship attendance, more than 80% had some type of entry point class as a requisite for membership In 1999, that number would have been less than 10%.”

Rainer cites two other fast-growing trends, multi-venue congregations (as we reported here recently) and an increase in executive pastors who handle business and organization matters, even in churches with fewer than 200 in attendance

Clip

Missionaries:

Jonathan & Rhadonda Sedgwick

Planting In: Rock Falls

Focusing On: Single-parent homes in a rural, mostly Anglo community

Pray: For continued focus on Christ and His work in and through this ministry

Location: Mercer and Hancock Counties

Target: Broken and special needs families

Characteristics: This area is home to close-knit, rural towns and villages along the Mississippi River These communities are often financially depressed and dependent on larger communities for basic servi

Prayer Needs: A church planter and supporting churches that will love the people here and be willing to share the love of Christ in many venues