Resource Spring 2018

RESOURCE

EQUIPPING CHURCH LEADERS EVENTS & SERVICES

JANUARY – APRIL

SPRING 2018

ILLINOIS BAPTIST STATE ASSOCIATION

FOUR CHALLENGES for Illinois churches

1,000 BAPTISMS ON A SINGLE DAY Will your church join the movement?

INSIGHT FOR LEADERS

4 new columns

INTERACTIVE pages +

Will your church be a part of the challenge?

See more at IBSA.org/Evangelism, and look for the link to register your church.

Let’s make EVANGELISM a priority!

January: Set a baptism goal for 2018

February: Share the One GRAND Sunday plan with your church

March: Have witness training and a season for faith-sharing

Read more on pages 23-25

INSIDE

SPRING 2018

ILLINOIS BAPTIST STATE ASSOCIATION

EDITOR

Eric Reed

DESIGNER

Kris Kell

COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

Lisa Sergent

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS

Meredith Flynn

Leah Honnen

MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST

Andrew Woodrow

by Nate Adams

Published three times each year, Resource provides new information about IBSA ministries, equipping opportunities, and services. This periodical is sent free of charge to church leaders. To request more copies for your leaders, contact Communications@IBSA.org. Resource is also available online at http://resource. IBSA.org.

For questions about subscriptions, articles, or events contact the IBSA Communications team at (217) 391-3119 or e-mail: Communications@IBSA.org.

POSTMASTER: Resource is owned and published 3 times each year (Jan., May, and Sept.) by the Illinois Baptist State Association, 3085 Stevenson Drive, Springfield, Illinois 62703-4440.

THE FIRST BAPTIST MEETING HOUSE

in Illinois was at a riverside settlement called New Design. Just across the Mississippi from St. Louis, the church that met there was organized in 1796 by early pioneers and preachers. The building in this photograph dates to 1832 according to a sign over the door. The old log structure is gone now, but the cemetery is still there in the marshlands. The foundation stones have been moved to the campus of First Baptist Church of O’Fallon not far away. And the work of Baptist founders James Lemen, Sr., and David Badgely continues through us, their spiritual descendants, more than two centuries later.

New Design For the magazine, and more

You may have noticed that Resource has a new look starting with this issue. After five years of producing this one-of-a-kind publication for Illinois Baptists, it was time to freshen up our pages.

With input from a readers’ survey last year, we made a few adjustments in the editorial plan. You’ll find the annual feature on outreach ideas in every issue now. Some items scattered throughout the calendar section have been gathered together to make them easier to find. We hope you will use the calendar to plan your church’s ministries each season, and to connect with IBSA offerings that may be helpful. With the new arrangement, it may be easier to see the whole season at once.

With good response to our how-to articles, we offer more help with planning and execution related to the theme. Four directors from our Church Resources Team will appear in each issue with columns on leadership development, discipleship, missions, and next generation ministries.

We hope you like the new look. More important, we hope this new design will benefit your leadership team. IBSA supplies leaders in every church with this equipping and planning guide free of charge. There is no other publication like it in any Baptist state convention. We do so because fulfillment of our calling depends on good preparation—prayer and planning.

Executive

Please use the magazine in your leadership team meetings to encourage new ideas, shape your church’s vision, and facilitate planning.

New Challenge

This issue features the theme unveiled at the 2017 IBSA Annual Meeting, “Pioneering Spirit.” More than a slogan, it’s a call to fresh commitment to share Christ with lost people in Illinois, and grow strong churches. At the meeting, 53

Church Cooperation Team

churches accepted one or more of the four Pioneering Spirit Challenges. On the 200th anniversary of Illinois’ statehood, we realize how far we have come as a state, and how far we have to go as Baptists advancing the gospel in our cities and countryside. IBSA’s goal is for 200 or more churches to make these vital commitments in the years ahead.

Please read more about the Pioneering Spirit Challenge here. Consider your church’s role in bringing Illinois to Christ. And register your commitments online at IBSA.org/Pioneering.

Thanks for reading—and for leading.

Eric Reed, Editor

Church Communication Team

Church Resources Team

Mark Emerson Associate Executive Director (217) 391-3136

Rich Cochran Director Leadership Development (217) 391-3131

Dwayne Doyle Director Disaster Relief (217) 391-3134

Church Planting Team

Philip Hall Manager Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp (618) 336-5272

Carmen Halsey Director Women’s Ministry and Church Missions (217) 391-3143

Van Kicklighter Associate Executive Director (217) 391-3141

Tim Bailey Suburban Church Planting Catalyst Northeast Region (814) 221-4173

Jorge Melendez Strategist Fox Valley, Lake County (630) 710-3106

Eddie Pullen Strategist Gateway, Metro East (618) 751-0695

Steve Hamrick Director Worship and Technology (217) 391-3132

Jack Lucas Director Student/Next Gen Ministries (217) 391-3135

Barb Troeger Ministry Coordinator (217) 391-3138

Mike Young Manager Streator Baptist Camp (618) 336-5272

Zone Consultants

Tammy Butler Ministry Assistant (217) 391-3124

Ken Wilson Catalyst Central & Southern Regions (618) 697-1036

John Yi 2nd Gen. Church Planting Catalyst Northeast Region (312) 608-0349

IBSA Zones

Debbie Muller Ministry Assistant (217) 391-3126

Tammy Ratsch Ministry Assistant (217) 391-3126

Steven Glover Zone 1 (312) 805-3528

Joe Oliver Zone 2 (847) 754-0356

Rich Cochran Zones 3 and 6 (217) 391-3131

Brian McWethy Zone 4 (815) 901-2767

Joe Gardner Zone 5 (309) 369-1403

Bob Evaul Zone 7 (618) 567-6170

Larry Rhodes Zone 8 (618) 972-5683

Scott Foshie Zone 9

(618) 615-9095

Stephen Williams Zone 10

(618) 920-8545

Rachel Carter Ministry Assistant (217) 391-3101

E-mail IBSA Staff Type the first and last name (no spaces) @IBSA.org. Example: LisaSergent@IBSA.org

Local Associations

ANTIOCH (270) 816-5236

BAY CREEK (217) 779-7477

BIG SALINE (618) 252-1415

CENTRAL (217) 428-1730

CHICAGO METRO (773) 278-4400

CLEAR CREEK (618) 833-4481

EAST CENTRAL (217) 586-5599

FOX VALLEY (573) 579-8143

FRANKLIN (618) 439-3742

GATEWAY (618) 254-3953

GOSHEN TRAIL (618) 643-2937

GREATER WABASH (618) 847-3041

HEARTLAND NETWORK (217) 529-3429

KASKASKIA (618) 432-7133

LAKE COUNTY (847) 336-3960

LOUISVILLE (618) 283-0842

MACOUPIN (217) 854-8279

METRO EAST (618) 624-4444

METRO PEORIA (309) 633-5440

NINE MILE (618) 357-5171

NORTH CENTRAL (815) 633-6323

OLNEY (618) 392-7001

PALESTINE (618) 569-3189

QUAD CITIES (309) 221-4143

REHOBOTH (618) 283-0842

SALEM SOUTH (618) 242-7862

SALINE (618) 252-1440

SANDY CREEK (217) 882-2231

SINNISSIPPI (815) 440-2894

THREE RIVERS (815) 725-7361

UNION (618) 524-9738

WEST CENTRAL (309) 351-5499

WESTFIELD (217) 895-5214

WILLIAMSON (618) 993-6069

The power of expectations

They can stifle or stimulate

ome years ago, I was asked to preach a pivotal message in a “Sunday school revival.” The church was halting their normal schedule to rethink and refocus on small groups. To bolster the attendance, the church sent out 500 invitations to families in the community inviting them to participate in the Sunday morning activities. When I was there that morning, I noted that the special plea had not attracted any new guests; worse than that, there were no visible changes in the church that communicated an expectation of visitors on that particular morning. No plans for parking. No greeters.

Don’t misunderstand, plenty of churches have prepared well for large crowds only to find that the extra measures didn’t result in larger numbers. Ordering more chicken doesn’t necessarily increase attendance at the potluck. But low expectations produce low preparations, which may well be a sign of a larger roadblock to growth.

Scripture is filled with great expectations God has for his church. Acts 1:8 shares that God expects the church to not only be witnesses in their neighborhood, but also to the very ends of the earth. John 17 lays out God’s expectation of unity. God expects the local church to grow, to reach out, and to influence its culture.

In order to lead a church toward great expectations, we must heed these two challenges: work to raise the expectations of the church, and watch out for the antagonist who seeks to keep them low.

A practical step is to make a short list of expectations that, if raised, would have a positive impact on your organization. David Francis and Michel Kelley in their book, One Hundred, Charting a Course Past 100 in Sunday School, offer three expectations: they challenge churches to “expect new people each week, expect to follow-up aggressively, and expect people to say yes.”

Imagine how the practice of expecting new people each week could encourage a church to action. Parking would be set aside for guests, greeters would be friendly and helpful, announcements from the pulpit would be clear to guests as well as insiders, and this is just the beginning. Expectation will change the environment making the church more attractive when guests come. It may begin to lead a church to think outwardly instead of inwardly, and it may encourage members to begin inviting new people.

Next, watch out for those who want to keep expectations low. Apathy paralyzes progress. Many bucket brigades have stifled the fires of revival, but when the Holy Spirit raises the expectations of leaders, those sparks can turn into wildfires!

A local pastor recently shared a story: After one of his deacons attended a church growth seminar, he said, “Pastor, we complain that our church doesn’t have any kids, but I’m not sure we actually expect any to come.”

The deacon restocked the supply cabinet in the children’s Sunday school room with his own money. That next Sunday morning, a new family arrived with seven children! The deacon couldn’t contain himself.

New crayons don’t necessarily bring new kids, but it is powerful to watch how God will use a church that has high expectations!

Everyone on the same page

Why align your church’s ministries

As a student pastor in southern Illinois, I never once met with the children’s minister to coordinate the ministries we were planning. It wasn’t that we weren’t friends; we were. We just operated in different spheres—me among high schoolers and college students, and she with kids and children’s ministry leaders.

Since that time I’ve come to understand that aligning our church’s ministries—for preschoolers, children, youth, college students, and even adults—is beneficial both for the people we serve, and for us as church leaders who are seeking to develop fully-developed disciples of Jesus.

When we align our ministries, we eliminate some of the calendar busy-ness so common to church life. If our children, teens, college students, and adults are all participating in the same emphases, programs, kick-offs, and outreaches, we’re able to involve whole families, rather than asking individuals to commit to things on different days of the week.

Aligning ministries also often involves aligning what we’re learning, even as we tweak curriculum for different ages and comprehension levels. When everyone is learning from the same Scripture passage or book of the Bible, we equip parents to become the primary disciplers of their children, rather than relying on teachers who have limited time at church each week.

Once you’ve decided to try an aligned approach, the question becomes: What are we aligning our ministries around? While churches have been event-driven in the past, leaders are now seeing the value of setting spiritual goals, or benchmarks.

For example, what if your church’s ministry leaders sat down together and drew out a timeline from preschooler to adult. What goals would you identify as markers of spiritual health within those age ranges?

Maybe by the time we hand them a Bible to mark their entry into children’s ministry, we want to make sure they understand what the Bible is, and why we trust it as God’s Word. And by the third or fourth grade, we want to make sure they’ve heard enough about the cross so that when we talk to them about following Jesus, they understand—at the level that third and fourth graders can—the commitment they’re making.

In their teen years, perhaps the goal is to help them be good defenders of their faith, while dealing with the questions that inevitably come with adolescence. Maybe your benchmarks for college students and adults deal with sharing their faith at school and in the workplace. Whatever goals you identify, aligning ministries around spiritual benchmarks gives churches a clear path to discipleship.

As people move along that path, leaders are more aware of the goals everyone is working toward. That kind of ministry alignment enhances every discipleship opportunity, gets leaders on the same page, and focuses the church’s direction in a way that is more intentional and, I would argue, more effective in the long run.

MarkEmerson@IBSA.org

A resource I recommend: Student Ministry that Matters by Ben Trueblood (B&H Publishing)

MARK EMERSON is IBSA’s associate executive director for the Church Resources Team. He leads Sunday school and discipleship development.

A new resource: Sunday School Matters, edited by Allan Taylor (LifeWay)

Who’s in the pews?

The answer will unlock your church’s potential

Have you noticed this trend? Women who are committed to the cause of Christ find new ways to build his kingdom by doing so outside the church. They’re engaging in exciting endeavors— from fair-trade businesses that create purpose for impoverished people around the world, to community ministries that help local at-risk kids and families.

People want to exercise their strengths. When the local church doesn’t offer a place to do that, they’ll default to another avenue—even if they have to build it themselves.

We’ve recently seen how this is particularly true for women, but the principle extends to all potential leaders in your church.

If church leaders can see the places where our people’s strengths intersect with the overall vision, there’s so much more we could do in terms of missions and evangelism.

One way to start is to reverse the way we recruit leaders. What if we looked at the people in our church— the potential leaders—and identified the strengths and passions they bring to the table? Rather than starting

A resource I recommend:

Andy

with a list of roles to fill, we enlist people based on how God has shaped them. And, we can help them discover strengths they may be unaware they possess.

When we recruit that way, with a focus on the leader rather than the role, we actually run the “risk” of creating even more work for ourselves and our leaders. But by engaging people in service that requires their particular areas of expertise and interest, we harness leadership potential we never knew existed. Of course, there’s the danger of creating too many good things. That’s where vision comes in. Where does the overall direction of your church intersect with the specific strengths, abilities, and callings God has given your people? And how can you enlist them to lead in areas that might not be getting the attention they deserve, simply because someone hasn’t been asked to lead in that area?

Here’s an example from a church in southern Illinois: A bivocational pastor had a vision for his church to engage the community through their public school system. He shared the idea with his congregation, prompting conversation about specific needs of families, children, and school staff. The pastor recognized the spiritual gifts of various members of his church, but he also recognized that one church member had very specific strengths that could help bring his vision to reality.

The pastor enlisted her and redirected her service to better leverage her strengths for the overall vision. Today, the church has an after-school literacy program that reaches more than 100 students each week, in a town with a population of around 500. Many church members have been engaged with this ministry and are using their spiritual gifts in it, but this pastor recognized a strength of an individual, created a pipeline for her to serve, and kept the work connected to the overall vision of the church.

4 barriers to personal growth

Overcoming them is a choice

Church leaders frequently become caught in the whirlwind of life and neglect personal growth. We are busy! However, we can be sure that neglecting personal growth will cause us to miss our fullest potential in ministry.

Personal growth as a leader has tremendous impact on our ministry, but measuring it can be difficult. At the end, there is no way to know what might have happened had we taken small consistent steps to grow. We have to overcome these four barriers that keep us from becoming better leaders.

Because there are so many resources to choose from, we end up choosing nothing. Here’s my recommendation: choose a respected church leader or two and begin reading their books or listening to their podcasts. Ask someone ahead of you in ministry what they are doing. Whether the plan is formal or informal, take a step and get started.

Pain from the past - Ministry, unfortunately, comes with hurtful words and emotions. The scars these experiences leave can become debilitating. We might begin to believe them. Some past hurts may even be due to our mistakes and inexperience. Keep in mind that you are still becoming God’s disciple and the leader he called you to be. Finding another pastor, an IBSA zone consultant, or a friend can help you heal and begin moving forward.

CarmenHalsey@IBSA.org

Lack of time - Many leaders feel they don’t have enough time for personal growth. Truthfully, we can grow our leadership skills in a few minutes a day if we are simply consistent. Read a chapter in a book daily. Listen to a podcast weekly. Participate in a leadership cohort monthly. Attend a leadership training or two yearly. Healthy leaders take small, consistent steps in the same direction. As John Maxwell said, “Leaders don’t develop in a day, they develop daily.”

Onset of apathy - Some leaders, especially in mid-life, become apathetic about personal growth. Maybe it was a bad ministry experience or feeling there’s nothing left to learn. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut. Whatever the reason, we can easily stall in our growth as a leader. Apathy tends to set in at the time when we most need to focus on growth.

No ongoing plan - The sheer amount of resources available for personal growth can be overwhelming.

I remember hearing Pastor Johnny Hunt tell a story of a gospel conversation from the previous week. It was fresh. He challenged us to have fresh stories of our witness. I think that is true with leadership development also. We need fresh growth. If we aren’t growing and the culture continues to change at light speed, we will find ourselves without the ability to lead in the world in which we live.

An effective leader must find ways to grow, continuously and consistently. Illinois needs church leaders who are willing to fight through the barriers and become great servant leaders.

RICH COCHRAN is IBSA’s director of leadership development. RichCochran@IBSA.org

CARMEN HALSEY is IBSA’s director of women’s ministry and church missions.

Stanley’s podcast episode, “How to lead when you’re not in charge”

THE ADVENTURE BEGINS

by NATE ADAMS

If we were to drive west from Illinois, whether along Interstate 70 from St. Louis, 72 from Springfield, or 80 from Chicago, the experience would be largely the same. We would continue in a long, straight line for a very long time, rolling over a few hills and rivers in Missouri or Iowa before settling into the even longer, even straighter, seemingly eternal plains of Kansas or Nebraska and eastern Colorado. Then we would see the mountains.

Imagine what early pioneers must have thought when the amazing barrier of the Rocky Mountains first appeared on the horizon. No doubt many of them turned south or north for a while, hoping to find a way around. They knew the experience, equipment, and skills that had carried them across the slowly elevating plains would not take them over those mountains. They would need to find a pass, a way through. And even that journey would be like none they had faced before.

As we observe our state’s bicentennial year in 2018, our journey is much the same as that of the early pioneers. Illinois Baptists have been on a long, flat path for years—in number of churches, in baptisms, in church plants, in giving, and in most measures of church involvement and growth. That’s not a criticism. It’s just a description of our recent journey.

Along the way, hardly noticeable until just recently, the altitude has gradually increased and the climb has grown steeper. So many cultural dynamics have grown counter to Christian faith, and perhaps especially to Baptist faith. We too can turn to the left or to the right for a while. But to truly advance from the plains of our

status quo up into the mountains our mission now faces, I believe we must dig deep and find a new, pioneering spirit.

Go to new places

In Illinois Baptist mission life, going new places means taking the gospel to the counties and cities and communities where Baptist or even evangelical churches don’t yet exist or have a strong presence. It means church planting.

What we call “the blue map” of Illinois demonstrates the gospel need in Illinois. In our 102 counties, 12 have no Southern Baptist church and virtually no gospel witness. Southern Baptist work is strongest in the southern part of the state, but even there, as little as 5% of population identifies themselves as SBC-affiliated. The spiritual need is great across the state, but especially in the open range of the central section, the northern region, and our many cities. Illinois has 30 cities with 50,000 or more residents, but two-thirds or more of the people do not know Jesus. Of the 13 million residents in Illinois, at least 8 million are lost.

To leave the flatland of our status quo and reach the lost people of Illinois, we must increase and accelerate the number of new churches being started. We must place a gospel witness near them.

Bryan and Marci Coble shared their story at the IBSA Annual Meeting. Like the pioneers two centuries earlier, the couple left their downstate home and moved to Chicago. Bryan, who grew up near St. Louis, wasn’t sure he could live in Chicago, but Marci, granddaughter

As at Illinois’ founding 200 years ago, new pioneers are needed—spiritual ones.

THE ADVENTURE BEGINS

of former IBSA Executive Director Maurice Swinford, had a heart for the city. And soon Bryan was won over. The Cobles are contemporary pioneers, planting a church in the multi-ethnic Irving Park area. Statewide goal: 200 or more new churches planted within easy reach of everyone in the state. This will require a commitment from 200 or more IBSA churches who will assist or lead church-planting efforts in Illinois.

Engage new people

Establishing healthy, new churches in the places where they are needed is one important commitment of a pioneering spirit. The first Baptists arrived in Illinois during a time when it was extremely difficult to survive and eke out a living. Yet they considered it a priority to share the gospel and to start new Baptist churches. Four of those churches that were in existence when Illinois became a state in 1818 are still serving their communities today!

Steven Stilley is one example. As an elder, he helped organize churches in Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri. His name is on a plaque outside First Baptist Church of Elizabethtown, Illinois. The church was called Big Creek Baptist when it was founded in 1806. At age 47, Stilley served in the War of 1812, then returned to invest his life in more Baptist churches in Illinois. Being blessed with a pioneering spirit also leads churches, both new and established, to intentionally and consistently engage new people with the gospel message. With a sense of urgency, they will evangelize. Sadly, it’s possible even for a well-intentioned church to lose its passion for evangelism, and become more a church of settlers than of pioneers. They worship, and study, and fellowship, and even serve one another and the community. But very little energy goes into seeking and saving the lost.

Consider this: The almost 1,000 IBSA churches baptized about 4,000 people last year, four per church on average. But over 300 churches reported no baptisms at all. The remaining churches that reported baptisms averaged seven each. If non-baptizing churches simply reached the same number of people with the gospel that baptizing churches did, 7,000 people would come to know Christ next year.

By intentionally shifting their focus toward evangelism, churches that have settled can become pioneering churches again.

Statewide goal: With renewed focus on evangelism through witnessing (sharing gospel conversations), Illinois Baptist churches can again become “frequently baptizing churches.” What’s required is commitment to engage new people, set baptism goals, and equip church members to share their faith. The goal is for 200 or more churches to begin baptizing 12 or more people every year, or to baptize more that the church’s previous three-year average.

Make new sacrifices

Going to new places and engaging new people is costly. It’s one reason so many stay where they are—and settle. Many early pioneers packed literally everything they owned into a wagon, and some sacrificed it all to get to their destination. A pioneering spirit sees the value of moving toward those new places and new people, and is willing to give sacrificially to make it happen.

At the Annual Meeting, we shared the story of Lindsey Yoder, who at age 14 saw a great need and chose to make it her mission. She walked 300 miles from Arthur, Illinois to Nashville, Tennessee, to the headquarters of a ministry that fights human trafficking, raising money along the way. She raised enough to support two “rescues” in a South Asian country. Lindsey’s story is one of sacrifice, the willingness to go the extra mile, quite literally.

Going to a new place of mission effectiveness here in Illinois will be costly too, especially if God inspires more churches and raises up more leaders, planters, and missionaries to go to new places and engage many new people. Fortunately, we as Illinois Baptists have a wonderful, reliable, tested vehicle in which to entrust our sacrifices. The Southern Baptist Cooperative Program prioritizes missions in Illinois by investing 56.5% of its gifts here, while also sending 43.5% to be combined with others’ gifts and take the gospel throughout North America and the world.

Today the average IBSA church gives about 7% of its undesignated offerings to local and worldwide missions through the Cooperative Program. As with baptisms,

that average is the result of some churches sacrificing far more, and some sacrificing far less. At one time, 10% was the accepted norm for Cooperative Program missions, and at one time IBSA churches averaged giving 11% rather than 7%. Simply stated, a return to that 10% standard could result in over $3 million more to missions next year.

Statewide goal: Sacrifice is a lot to ask for, but it’s not a request, it’s our calling. For 200 or more churches, the call is to increase CP giving to missions as an expression of their sacrifice for the salvation of lost people around the world. Generous, sacrificial stewardship can save lives and change lives.

new leaders, even as it sacrifices and gives its all now. It seems that churches used to have more systematic ways of developing new leaders with Sunday night and Wednesday night training in leadership and missions. Today, more than ever, we must ask with new seriousness, “How are we systematically and intentionally developing leaders for tomorrow’s churches?”

IBSA is investing in leadership development as never before with cohorts and conferences and on-site consultations by experienced pastors. But leadership that makes churches more effective in their communities involves systematic development of leaders from within. IBSA can help with that.

Statewide goal: 200 or more churches that will commit to leadership development of their members, especially younger leaders, can change the future. Last summer I traveled to Loveland, Colorado, in part to scout out Long’s Peak, a 14,259-foot mountain that will hopefully, next year, be the thirty-first and most difficult “fourteener” I climb. As I headed west from the Interstate and flatlands of Loveland, I could not immediately see the pass up into the mountains. But soon I noticed that the road was following a stream, and then a mighty, rushing river. There was barely room for a road in some places, but the water had cut enough of a path through the rock that we could now follow it up to previously impossible heights. We eagerly forged ahead.

To leave the flat trends of our recent journey as Illinois Baptists may seem impossible at first. Our 200-year-old mission field is more lost now than ever. And developing new leaders while making new sacrifices to engage new people in new places with the gospel— well, that’s no easy path. But I believe God’s own Spirit has already made a way for us. If we follow him forward by faith, even into difficult places, I believe God has new heights planned for us here in Illinois.

Develop new leaders

A pioneering spirit must be multi-generational. Very few destinations that require true, pioneering effort can be fully attained in one lifetime. Our parents’ generation brought us this far into our Baptist missionary journey in Illinois, and now we lead and will go a little farther before entrusting the journey to our children. That’s why a pioneering spirit must invest in the development of

The Four Pioneering Spirit Challenges for IBSA churches are outlined on the next two pages. Consider your church’s commitments, and register them at IBSA.org/Pioneering.

NATE ADAMS is executive director of the Illinois Baptist State Association. NateAdams@IBSA.org

Prayerfully consider your church’s commitments. Register them at IBSA.org/Pioneering.

Engage New People

Go New Places

200 or more places and people groups in Illinois have no evangelical church. IBSA is leading efforts to plant gospel-teaching, Baptist churches within easy reach of everyone in the state.

Will your church pray for, partner with, or plant at least one of the 200 new churches needed in Illinois, until it is established and affiliated with IBSA?

This is a church planting challenge.

PRAY Commit to regular, intercessory prayer for a church plant in Illinois, or for a place or people unreached with the gospel, or for a church planter and his family.

PARTNER Join with church planters in their missionary work, on site or from your home church. Send volunteers, equipment, supplies, or financial support.

PLANT Take responsibility for a church planting project as a sponsoring church. Educate and directly involve your church, and help enlist additional partners.

Statewide goal – 200 or more new churches planted

Make New Sacrifices

Sharing the gospel across Illinois is our calling. More than 8 million of our 13 million neighbors have yet to profess faith in Jesus Christ and follow him in baptism.

Will your church seek to become a frequently baptizing church—setting annual baptism goals, and equipping members to engage intentionally in gospel conversations and participate in evangelistic events and mission trips?

This is an evangelism challenge.

BELIEVE Set an annual baptism goal based on your church’s recent history and future desire to reach the lost.

PREPARE Train church members in evangelism. Plan new evangelistic groups, Vacation Bible School, and community outreach events. Build major portions of your church calendar around evangelism plans.

SHARE Make sharing Christ part of your weekly church culture. Celebrate those who come to Christ through regular, frequent baptisms.

Statewide goal – 200 or more churches baptizing 12 or more, or baptizing more than the church’s previous three-year average.

Develop New Leaders

Advancing the gospel demands the best we have to offer. Southern Baptists’ Cooperative Program remains the most effective channel for supporting missions and church planting throughout Illinois and around the globe.

Will your church commit a percentage of its annual budget to Cooperative Program missions, and seek to increase that percentage toward at least 10%?

This is a missions giving challenge.

PRIORITIZE Ask God to show you what it would take to place his worldwide mission as a first priority percentage in your church’s budget.

PLAN Create an annual budget that increases the church’s percentage commitment to Cooperative Program missions. Challenge members to tithe and give generously through the church, so the church can give generously to take the gospel to the world.

GIVE As your church practices biblical, proportional sacrifice in giving, watch God provide and bless. Faithfully increase your church’s missions giving percentage each year, to at least 10%.

Statewide goal – 200 or more churches committing to increase Cooperative Program missions giving (e.g. up to 1% a year), with a goal of reaching at least 10% of undesignated offerings.

Today’s students and young adults are tomorrow’s pastors, church planters, and missionaries. The future is bright if local churches invest intentionally in their spiritual growth and development. And today’s church leaders need to keep growing as well, to remain fresh in ministry amidst the challenges of our changing culture.

Will your church provide intentional leadership development processes—for its pastor and current leaders, and for potential young leaders in your church?

This is a leadership development challenge.

IDENTIFY Ask God to raise up leaders in your church. As he does, invite them into mentoring relationships to develop their skills.

TRAIN Offer intentional leadership training and development processes in your church. Partner with IBSA and others to train your leaders through conferences, camps, coaching, and other growth opportunities.

SEND Commission and ordain leaders from your church. Send them to serve as pastor, planter, missionary, or lay leader. Repeat with other leaders!

Statewide goal – 200 or more churches with intentional leadership development processes in place, for current and especially younger leaders.

INTERACTIVE TEAM EXERCISE Application

White Board Time

What are the characteristics of pioneers?

(Make a list. Cull the list to 3 for discussion.)

(You may wish to divide the group into pairs or triads for the study time. Later, ask each pair to present their findings to the whole team.)

Assign to each of the pairs one Pioneering Spirit Challenge from pages 14-15.

Ask each pair to consider how their assigned Challenge applies to your church right now. Ask:

• Under each of the Challenges, there are listed three levels of engagement. (For example, under “Go New Places,” a church can “Pray,” “Partner,” or “Plant,” or some combination of the three.) If we were to recommend a level of engagement for our church, which would it be and why?

Identify a biblical person for each characteristic on your list. Brainstorm how each person demonstrated the main characteristic you’ve attached to him or her.

How do these characteristics match the needs of ministry leaders today?

If we could identify from your short list one pioneering characteristic most needed in our ministry today, which would it be? Why?

How can that characteristic serve as a challenge for our church’s leaders in their work?

• Is the church already engaged in this activity? If so, how?

• Is there particular need in the community related to this Challenge? What is it?

When all the pairs have presented their findings, spend some time in prayer. Ask the Lord for fresh direction for your church. Then, as a whole team, identify one or more of the Challenges that seems especially important to your church or community right now. Rank the Challenges for your church. Make two lists: Importance and Achievability. (Here’s a leadership question: Which task do we begin with: Largest, Most Inspiring, or the Soonest Accomplished (low hanging fruit)?

• Is there evidence that the Holy Spirit is at work in the church or among some members in this particular Challenge?

Make a plan for taking on one or more of the Challenges.

• Name a level of participation for each.

• Draft steps toward completion.

• Assign responsibilities to team members.

• Schedule dates for completion.

(See p. 32 for a map)

Register

Calendar Highlights

Leverage the holidays

Many events can become opportunities for outreach, even secular events such as Super Bowl. As the leadership team considers the church’s calendar, pray about those dates that serve as open doors to the community. Use the Worksheet on page 26 to assist the team as they make and execute calendaring and planning.

JANUARY

1 New Year’s Day

1-31 Call to Prayer Month

7-14 January Bible Study

15 Martin Luther King’s Birthday

21 Sanctity of Life Sunday

23-25 Midwest Leadership Summit

Crowne Plaza, Springfield

25 Illinois Leader Lunch

IBSA Building, Springfield

27 Disaster Relief Mini-Training

Lincoln Avenue, Jacksonville

There’s still time

Help your flock dig deep with a January Bible Study. The LifeWay study for 2018 is on 1 Peter: Living as strangers in a secular world. Schedule a week-long event, or a series of sermons and studies on Sunday or Wednesday.

FEBRUARY

2-3 Johnny Hunt Simulcast (See p. 29)

6 Disaster Relief Mini-Training

First Baptist, Christopher

8 iConnect - IBSA Building, Springfield

10 Super Summer Staff Retreat

IBSA Building, Springfield

11 Racial Reconciliation Sunday

12-18 Focus on WMU

16-17 Disaster Relief Training (See p. 30)

17 Church Technology Conference

IBSA Building, Springfield

19 Rekindling the Call

IBSA Building, Springfield

PLAN AHEAD FOR

Annie Armstrong

Include Illinois church planting locations in your Week of Prayer for North American Missions, March 4-11. The 2018 NAMB Missions Stories include Kempton and Caryn Turner and their church planting work in East St. Louis.

NOTES: PLAN AHEAD FOR Summer Camps & Mission Trips

Registration has already begun for IBSA’s summer camps, leadership development and missions events for students. See the inside back cover for several offerings. Register your group soon, camps fill up fast. IBSA.org/students

If you haven’t started planning a mission trip for summer or fall, now is the time. IBSA’s Church Resources Team can get you started. IBSA has opportunities for students and adults, in state and out of the country. IBSA.org/missions

19 President’s Day

24 VBS Clinic (Central)

Chatham Baptist Church, Chatham

27 Missions Roundtable - TBA

NOTES:

MARCH

2-3 Disaster Relief Training (See p. 30)

3 VBS Clinic (South) - First Baptist, Carterville

4-10 Youth Week

4-11 Annie Armstrong Easter Offering & Week of prayer for North American Missions

6 Missions Roundtable (Central) - TBA

10 Children’s Missions Day - 16 locations

16-17 Iron Sharpens Iron - Springfield

17 VBS Clinic (Mid-South)

Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, Mt. Vernon

18 Church Planting Emphasis Sunday

18 Substance Abuse Prevention Sunday

20 Missions Roundtable (South) - TBA

23-24 Ministers’ Wives Retreat

IBSA Building, Springfield

25 Palm Sunday

30 Good Friday

PLAN AHEAD FOR

One GRAND Sunday

APRIL

1 Easter

7 VBS Clinic (North)

Broadview Missionary, Chicago

8 Cooperative Program Sunday

8 One GRAND Sunday (Baptism Emphasis)

14 Illinois Student Ministry Conference

PLAN AHEAD FOR

Vacation Bible School

Now is the time to commission church members to share their faith. Talk about Jesus. Bring people to church, especially on Easter Sunday. And plan now for a big baptism service the following week, on One GRAND Sunday, April 8. See page 23-25 for more. IBSA.org/evangelism

NOTES:

IBSA Building, Springfield

15 Baptist Doctrine Sunday

20-21 Disaster Relief Training (See p. 30)

21 VBS Clinic (North)

Northside Baptist Church, Dixon

21-22 All State Choir Retreat

First Baptist Church, Waterloo

27-28 Priority Women’s Conference

Decatur Conference Center and Hotel

By now, the dates should be on the calendar, the directors named, workers recruited, and training scheduled. In March and April, you can catch up with a VBS Clinic on the 2018 LifeWay theme, “Game On!” Check the calendar lists on this page for three dates and locations. And use the space below to make your VBS to-do list. Be sure to include follow-up with new families and children who make decisions during Gospel Presentation day.

NOTES:

INTERACTIVE OUTREACH STARTERS

ELECTRONIC FOLLOW-UP

How is your follow-up with guests, especially first-timers? Many churches today struggle to connect with visitors in person, so focus on electronic follow-up instead. Send a series of e-mail or text messages in the two weeks following their visit.

Thanks for coming. (Sent on the day of their visit)

Let us tell you about small groups—or other suitable ministries. (Sent midweek)

Join us for lunch after worship this Sunday. (Sent on Saturday. Arrange with a local restaurant to give guests an e-coupon for use on Sunday. Meet them at the restaurant.)

INSIDE OUTREACH

In the iffy-weather months, plan indoor activities for adults. Recruit the seniors’ group to bring their friends and neighbors. Give them a warm welcome. Make “indoor evangelism” the new cool phrase among the older set. What kinds of activities could we offer?

EVALUATING OUTREACH EVENTS

Robert Turner of the Baptist Convention of Pennsylvania and South Jersey developed a list of 20 questions for scoring the effectiveness of campus outreach events. His list could work for any activity. Here are a few of the questions.

1. How was the gospel proclaimed at this event?

2. How did this event demonstrate creativity and boldness?

3. What did I expect to happen as a result of this event? Did it?

4. How was the purpose and value of this event communicated?

5. Is there a more cost-effective way to do the ministry or event?

6. How did this event serve to identify, call out, and equip new leaders?

7. What needs to happen now as a result of this event?

JESUS ROCKS!

While the fad is still popular, paint some rocks with messages of God’s love. Share them intentionally with people in the neighborhood, along with an invitation to a church event or worship service.

Focus on baptism

New strategies for becoming a ‘frequently baptizing church’

by PAT PAJAK

One GRAND Sunday aims to baptize 1,000 people in IBSA churches on a single day, April 8, 2018. This event is part of a larger strategy to assist congregations to become “frequently baptizing churches.” One goal of the Pioneering Spirit Challenge is for 200 or more IBSA churches to baptize 12 or more people each year, or to baptize more than the church’s previous three-year average.

In order to prepare for a special baptism service on April 8, IBSA’s Associate Director for Evangelism Pat Pajak advises planning a series of activities to train church members to share their faith through “gospel conversations.”

For more on this evangelism challenge, visit IBSA.org/pioneering.

The big question seems to be how can any size church in their particular location be more evangelistically fruitful?

SPRING BREAK

Plan a series of events for kids and teens during the spring holiday.

For many kids, the need will be breakfast and lunch to replace their school meals.

A church in Pearland, Texas held a flag-football camp for K-5th grade at the neighborhood recreation center.

Go fly a kite. If the weather is good, have a contest.

Combined with a half-day of activities, this could be the Break to remember.

SPRING TRAINING

In the spring, many communities turn their attention to Little League and softball. How can your church get involved? We know of one church that has built a top-notch, lighted practice field on their grounds and offers it free of charge to local teams. If you can’t do that, consider turning that run-down neighborhood park into a public-friendly facility to serve the Little League families. Pick up trash after the games on Saturday. Offer to fill in for “no-show” snackbar volunteers. And why not recruit retirees to be assistant coaches?

– Outreach magazine

I’d like to suggest that anything that a church does evangelistically will fall into one of six “strategies.” While the implementation, timing, and activities are rarely the same in terms of specific methodology, they always—100% of the time—reinforce these six strategies.

With a pen and next year’s calendar in hand, schedule how your church can plan and implement these six strategies:

Prayer evangelism

This strategy is foundational in evangelism. Teaching your church how to pray for lost people by name is not only a biblical model, it greatly enhances their passion for and confidence in sharing the gospel.

This powerful strategy component can be woven into most every ministry of your church, from the worship service to Sunday school classes to prayer services. Churches that equip their members to pray for the lost by name and weave that into the fabric of various ministries are seeing their members become confident and excited to share the gospel.

Team evangelism

This strategy is about having a planned, organized, scheduled outreach. Team evangelism is best built upon your existing Sunday school and small group ministry. Why? These existing groups are already organized. Be smart in choosing the frequency and the weekday, then take away all the excuses your church family would give for not being able to attend.

For any group or team doing evangelism or Sunday visitor follow-up, feed them, provide childcare, have visits organized according to age or affinity, be time sensitive, give it quality promotion, and celebrate every result.

Personal evangelism

LifeWay Research reports that 92% of evangelical believers will not intentionally share the gospel with a lost person in a 12-month period. There are several reasons they give for their reluctance for personal evangelism, but most all boil down to the fact that they are fearful of the response they will receive or that they don’t know what to say.

Teaching members how to share the gospel will not only help your church members gain boldness, but they will look for opportunities to begin “gospel conversations” that lead to the presentation of their testimony as well as an invitation to salvation.

Providing a variety of personal evangelism tools will help them find the approach that works best for them. Consider teaching the LIFE: 3 Circles method developed by pastor Jimmy Scroggins. It’s available at NAMB. org. Or help them learn the tried and true Romans’ Road. Or write and practice sharing a brief personal testimony.

Most any way of sharing can work, so long as it shares the gospel.

Ministry evangelism

Ministry (or servant) evangelism is that part of your church that touches and meets the needs of people in your community. From benevolence, such as a food pantry or clothes closet, to Disaster Relief type ministries, this impacts people where they live.

Making this kind of ministry evangelistic is the real key. If you have ministries like these in place, revisit them to make sure they are being intentionally evangelistic. Train your volunteers to be gospel-minded as much as service-minded. Evangelism can only happen when these three things are true:

• unsaved people must be present

• the gospel must clearly be presented

• an opportunity to respond must be given.

Event evangelism

Churches that host evangelistic revivals or other evangelistic events baptize 27% more new believers than the churches that do not. There is currently a strong resurgence of the implementation of revival events by churches and they are seeing tremendous results.

Sunday morning evangelism

The Sunday morning experience is the primary front door through which most guests enter. This element of the strategy encompasses everything from facilities to preschool and children’s ministry to signage to greeters to every other element of the worship service itself as well as follow-up.

Research reveals that first-time guests decide within six to eight minutes of driving on the property whether or not they will ever return. Evangelistically successful churches have implemented the strategy of “being ready for company.” The goal of creating a Sunday morning experience begins by making guests feel welcome, comfortable, and valued.

INTERACTIVE BRAINSTORMING

Bring the leadership team together. Provide copies of this article, plus calendars and pens. You may wish to use large Post-It notes and a big blank wall for your brainstorming session. Start with prayer. For each of the six evangelism strategies in this article, ask:

How is this evangelism strategy already at work in our church? How effective is it?

After you’ve brainstormed each of the six evangelism strategies, pray again.

Identify one activity for several evangelism strategies (up to all six).

Place them on the calendar, focusing on January through March, but also in broad strokes for the rest of the year.

What new evangelism activity of this type might we try?

Evangelistic events such as car shows, golf outings, wild game dinners, VBS, block parties, concerts, and men’s and women’s conferences provide numerous opportunities for sharing the gospel. Again, make sure a gospel presentation is part of the event.

Top-baptizing churches, regardless of the size of the church or community, have implemented many of these strategies into their ministry. They set baptismal goals and make these strategies their top priorities when it comes to calendar planning and budgeting. Simply stated, they want to reach as many people in their communities with the gospel as possible.

Decide now how your church can implement these six strategies and make 2018 the greatest outreach year in your church’s history.

What kinds of equipping are needed?

If your church will participate in One GRAND Sunday on April 8:

In January, collect your church’s baptism numbers for the past three years. Prayerfully set a new goal for this year. Register your goal at IBSA.org/Evangelism.

Which church group or ministry team is best suited for carrying out this evangelism strategy?

In February, announce the baptism event and launch gospel conversations. Conduct the training for church members. Consider teaching the “3 Circles” method.

PatPajak@IBSA.org

(217) 391-3129

Who in our congregation would be good leaders for this evangelism strategy?

In March, promote One GRAND Sunday. Personally follow-up with prospects and new believers as reported by church members. Teach about baptism, either personally or in a group setting.

April 8, baptize!

April 9, start over again.

PAT PAJAK is IBSA’s associate executive director of evangelism.

INTERACTIVE CALENDARING WORKSHEET

1. Looking back over the calendar pages, has a theme emerged that seems especially important to our church right now? How would we name it?

ing

his own

mirror.

The same might be said of the leader who looks at all the ministry options available in the Spring, but doesn’t act on them. Here to assist you is the Worksheet, a few questions to prompt your planning process. You may wish to discuss them with the leadership team.

Baptists may not call it that, but the week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday is an excellent time to schedule special worship and outreach events. People who have a more traditional church background may be open to pre-Easter presentations of the gospel. Some churches plan revival meetings for that week. Others step up outreach events, such as Scripture distribution, using the week to draw people to church on Resurrection Sunday. Brainstorm a few ideas.

2. Which events deserve extra attention or promotion?

3. Which activities will stretch us as leaders? Who can lead them?

IBSA Highlights FOR LEADERS

1/23-25 Crowne Plaza Hotel, Springfield

Southern Baptists from 13 states and 10 Baptist state conventions will gather in Springfield to expand their leadership skills and share how to make their churches more effective. This event is held by invitation every three years.

IDEAS

Illinois Leadership Summit: Chicagoland

Lunch & Learn Webinars

Revitalize Ministry Leaders Conference

FOR WOMEN

Focus on WMU Ministers’ Wives’ Retreat Priority Annual Women’s Conference

FOR MEN

iConnect IBSA/Pastors Meet Up Johnny Hunt Men’s Ministry Conference Rekindling the Call Retreat

FOR STUDENTS and LEADERS

Children’s Missions Day

Illinois Student Ministry Conference

VBS Clinics

“…if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like someone look-

at

face in a

For he looks at himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of person he was.

– James 1:23-24

Making more of “Holy Week”

2/8 IBSA Building, Springfield

Pastors new to Illinois and pastors who want to reconnect: Take advantage of this opportunity to gain a better understanding of how resources of the state convention can help your church be more effective at reaching your community and participating in God’s mission to the world.

(217) 391-3134 | TammyButler@IBSA.org

Church Technology Conference

2/17 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

IBSA Building, Springfield

Get church technology training you won’t find anywhere else. The impact will be seen immediately as you learn how to use technology for outreach to the lost and to unite believers in corporate worship. Help your staff create an attitude of worship from the bulletin to the preaching. Cost: $15 (includes lunch)

Rekindling the Call Retreat

2/19 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

IBSA Building, Springfield

Do you remember your call to ministry? Does it need refreshing? This free retreat for pastors and their wives is designed to encourage, restore, and renew.

(217) 391-3131 | RichCochran@IBSA.org

IBSA.org/Church_Health

2018 Johnny Hunt Men’s Ministry Conference “Unspoken”

VBS Clinics

2/24 Chatham Baptist Church, Chatham

3/3 First Baptist, Carterville

3/17 Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, Mt. Vernon

4/7 Broadview Missionary Baptist Church, Broadview

4/21 Northside Baptist Church, Dixon

3/23-24 Broadview Missionary Baptist Church, Broadview

Illinois Leadership Summit: Chicagoland Chicagoland

Featured speaker is Daniel Im, director of church multiplication at LifeWay Christian Resources and author of “No Silver Bullets: 5 small shifts that will transform your ministry.” Breakout sessions will feature top leadership practitioners from IBSA and Chicagoland Baptist churches.

Illinois Leadership Summit

(217) 391-3131 | RichCochran@IBSA.org

2/2-3 At 9 locations

Live Broadcast: Proviso MBC, Chicago; Redeemer Church, Urbana; Liberty Baptist Church, Pekin; Western Oaks, Springfield; Oblong First Baptist, Oblong; Bethel Baptist Church, Vandalia; Calvary Baptist Church, Alton; Steeleville First Baptist, Steeleville; Carrier Mills First, Carrier Mills

2/9-10 Rebroadcast: FBC Machesney Park

Grab your megaphone, lace up your cleats, and tune up your horn. It’s time to gear up for the big game! It’s “Game On!” Participate in our VBS Clinics to learn more about the theme, get great ideas, and be inspired. Training will be offered for several age groups including preschool, children (grades 1-4), VBX (grades 5-6), pastors and directors, music, crafts, missions, and informational displays. Registration 8 a.m.; event 8:30 a.m. – noon

(217) 391-3132 | SteveHamrick@IBSA.org

IBSA.org/Worship

Lunch and Learn Leadership Series

1/17 What is Leadership Competency?

2/21 EQ: Self-Awareness…How it impacts/influences leading self

3/21 EQ: Self-Management…How it impacts/influences conflict

4/18 EQ: Social Awareness…How it impacts leadership

Join us from 11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. every third Wednesday for our leadership webinar series with Jane Bishop, founder and owner of Take the Next Step. Bishop is a certified trainer for Basic Coaching Skills, Net Level Leadership and DISC trainer/assessor. These webinars are FREE and can be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home or office.

(217) 391-3128 | TammyRatsch@IBSA.org | IBSA.org/Women

Ministers’ Wives’ Retreat

3/23-24 IBSA Building, Springfield

An opportunity for ministers’ wives to step away for a weekend to enjoy fellowship, learn new leadership skills and receive encouragement from their peers. Featured speaker: Kandi Gallata, author, speaker, and pastor’s wife.

(217) 391-3138

BarbTroeger@IBSA.org

IBSA.org/Women

Pastor Johnny Hunt will challenge men to explore areas of their life and embrace the role to which God has called them. Cost includes Friday night meal, Saturday breakfast, conference workbook, snacks and door prizes. General registration: $15 per person for IBSA churches, $20 per person non-IBSA churches. Ends 2/1/18. Day of event: $25 per person for IBSA churches. $30 per person non-IBSA churches.

(217) 391-3135 | JackLucas@IBSA.org

www.IBSA.org/Kids

Illinois Student Ministry Conference

4/14 IBSA Building, Springfield

Join us for student ministry leadership training from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for everyone from volunteers to senior pastors. Cost: $25 per person (includes lunch and resources)

(217) 391-3135 | JackLucas@IBSA.org

IBSA.org

Ministry leaders conference

4/10-12 Bethel Baptist Church, St. Louis, Missouri

This conference is designed for pastors, staff, and lay leaders who hope for an effective ministry where they serve. REVITALIZE involves acknowledgement of the church’s current condition, evaluation of its processes and systems, an openness to risk, a receptivity to adjustments and scriptural foundation.

(217) 391-3131 | RichCochran@IBSA.org

REVITALIZEheartland.com

Focus on WMU

2/12-18

Annual Women’s Conference

4/27-28 Decatur Conference Center and Hotel

Don’t miss the women’s event of the year! Enjoy a time of spiritual renewal and fellowship. Increase your awareness of other ministry and mission opportunities and training resources. Return to your church with new leadership development ideas for local ministries and a deeper awareness of ministry partners. Cost: $30, watch our website for additional details!

(217) 391-3138 | BarbTroeger@IBSA.org | IBSA.org/Priority

Disaster Relief Training

2/16-17 Northern, Woodland, Peoria

3/2-3 Central, Tabernacle, Decatur

4/20-21 Northern, Crosswinds Church, Plainfield

Join the yellow shirts! Disaster Relief Training Weekends involve a Friday evening and Saturday daytime schedule. The Chaplaincy class begins earlier on Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. New volunteers should attend the Friday evening

Introduction to Disaster Relief 101 Class and then take specialty classes on Saturday.

(217) 391-3137 | IBSA.org/DR

Children’s Missions Day

3/10 locations across Illinois

Children’s Missions Day is an amazing missions experience for girls and boys in grades 1-6. Children and their leaders will have the opportunity of choosing a hands-on ministry project to make community missions to come alive to each child. Cost: $15 per person (includes T-shirt and lunch).

(217) 391-3128 | TammyRatsch@IBSA.org

IBSA.org/Missions

Mary Jo Sharp

Dr. Juli Slattery Clinical Psychologist

4/8 Churches around Illinois

IBSA churches are challenged to set a baptism goal. Encourage members to have gospel conversations and share the gospel with those they come into contact with throughout the year. Our prayer is that commitments will be made to become a “frequently baptizing church.” As a way of launching that, we have targeted April 8 (the Sunday following Easter) to report 1,000 baptisms on one Sunday in Illinois.

(217) 391-3129 | PatPajak@IBSA.org

IBSA.org/Evangelism

Nearly 6,000 women strong, the Illinois Baptist Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) touches lives for Christ throughout Illinois, across the United States and into the world. From WMU activities in their local churches, to marketplace ministry projects in Chicago, to missions work with Muslim women in France, Illinois WMU is sharing the gospel.

(217) 391-3143 | CarmenHalsey@IBSA.org

IBSA.org/Women

Annie Armstrong Easter Offering & Week of Prayer

3/4-11

A special missions offering which supports SBC missionaries and church planters serving in North America. All 100% of the monies collected go directly to the field to assist personnel in sharing the gospel. This week of prayer features select missionaries and the prayer guides provide more information about their ministries.

(217) 391-3128 | TammyRatsch@IBSA.org

AnnieArmstrong.com

Cooperative Program Sunday

4/8 Throughout the SBC

The world’s most effective system for missions giving is the Cooperative Program (CP) of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through offerings from all our churches, the Cooperative Program produces about $190 million for missions work every year. Each time you give to your church, a small portion (whatever percentage your church chooses) goes through the Cooperative Program to the mission field, starting in Illinois and then to the whole world. Tell the CP story in your church on this Sunday, or any Sunday in April.

(217) 391-3119 | LisaSergent@IBSA.org | IBSA.org/CP

IBSA Camps Lake Sallateeska celebrates 75 years

In 1928, Illinois Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) began holding youth camps at a lake outside of Pinckneyville in southern Illinois. In 1942, WMU bought the 40-acre property for $4,800.

Over the past 75 years, the camp now known as Lake Sallateeska has expanded to 163 acres. Cabins on the campground can sleep 200 people, and the Sallateeska Inn, added in 2000, offers 16 rooms of hotel-style lodging. More recent renovations nearly doubled the size of the dining hall, among other improvements.

For many, the camp is where they first met Christ. “I remember being a little girl, and for the first time going to camp being really, really nervous,” recalled Lyndee Joe.

“That was the year when I was 10 years old that I was saved.” Joe, who later served there as a counselor, program manager, and camp missionary.

Philip Hall has managed Lake Sallateeska since 2008, but his experience with the camp started years ago attending RA camp.

As the Lake Sallateeska team embarks on their next season of ministry, Hall said their goal is to continue the commitment and legacy that started 75 years ago.

“My hope for the future is that we just continue to hear from the Lord [and] be faithful with what we have. It’s a stewardship, a talent,” he said, referencing Jesus’s parable in Matthew 25.

“I truly hope, when my time is over, to pass on a facility and a ministry that’s better than it was when I got it, to the next runner, to carry out this race.”

Located in the northern part of the state, Streator Baptist Camp was founded in 1967 and its undergone extensive renovations in the last few years. Make plans to visit the camp soon.

LifeWay Author

Linda Cooper President National WMU

Jonathan and Emily Martin Worship Team

LEADER LIFE Courage

Read Joshua 1:1-9

As God commissions Joshua to finish the work of Moses and lead the Hebrews to their promised home, he tells the new leader to be courageous. Not once, but three times in these nine verses, God says “be courageous” and “be very courageous.”

Joshua’s prescribed courage is tied to three things:

• completion of the task (v. 6),

• steadfast obedience (v. 7), and

• the presence of God (v. 9). Likewise, the courage we need for pioneering ministries is not our own. It comes from God, and it is to accomplish his purpose.

Think and pray

Lord, is there an aspect of ministry for which I need fresh courage?

INTERACTIVE MAPPING

As we consider our church’s commitment to one or more of the Pioneering Spirit Challenges, let’s plan the journey. Use words or pictures to map the trip. This simple chart will help to clarify any new ministry, rejuvenate an existing one, or plan personal development. Start with #1 at the bottom of the map, and enjoy the journey!

Are there any potholes? 3

Brainstorm possible obstacles and ways to address them.

4

When will we arrive?

Plan the schedule. Identify signs that the journey is complete.

What is our destination? 1

Identify the vision with prayer, Scripture, and counsel.

How will we get there? 2

Name goals and steps toward their completion.

Mary Jo Sharp LifeWay Author

Dr. Juli Slattery Clinical Psychologist

Linda Cooper President National WMU

Jonathan and Emily Martin Worship Team