JANUARY – APRIL
SMALL FIX, BIG IMPACT
Sometimes little things make the most difference
Deciding where to start in your church
Planning for better returns
ILLINOIS BAPTIST STATE ASSOCIATION
PREPARING FOR MISSION TRIPS
P.16
Interactive pages & outreach ideas
IBSA has two great summertime getaways. In fact, they great all year ‘round.
Read about Lake Sallateeska and Streator Baptist Camps on page 31 and online at IBSA.org and Facebook.
EDITOR
Eric Reed
DESIGNER
Kris Kell
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
Lisa Misner
EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS
Meredith Flynn
Leah Honnen
MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST
Andrew Woodrow
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.
“...For who despises the day of small things?”
Zechariah might have complained that the temple lay in ruins 20 years by the time this prophecy came. God would finish the work through Zerubbabel. What a promise! A small project that is taking (by our estimate) too long to complete is met with assurance that it will be done. Starting the work, even such a great project as rebuilding the temple, is small in comparison with finishing it. But day one is no less important than grand opening day.
Charles Spurgeon admonished church leaders once to ally themselves with the smallest churches for the sake of the kingdom: “Where would have been our flourishing churches of today if our forefathers had disdained to sustain them while they were yet in their infancy?”
Consider:
1. How is my church in its “small beginnings” stage?
2. What seems to be taking too long to complete, by my standards?
3. What does God have to say about my attitude toward smallness?
After a recent life-change, I found myself doing what I always do: making a to-do list. Before long I had not one, but six to-do lists. The items had naturally sorted themselves by type and size as I wrote them down. In the end, I had multiple sheets under six headings. Then, overwhelmed, I set the lists on the table by my recliner and left them there for a month. Eventually, a few items took care of themselves, a few became urgent and demanded attention, and a few seemed less important than they had at first.
It was accidental triage
What I realized, thinking about those lists, is this is what I have done in every pastorate.
Start with a to-do list. The first item on my to-do list is “make a to-do list.” A quiet place and a narrow pad keep me focused in this process, but don’t allow me to make lists that are too long (or too broad). Keep the items very specific and doable.
Prioritize your to-do list. Invite the Holy Spirit into this process. He knows your church’s needs and he knows the resources he will provide. Consider taking the first list and dividing it by type, or ministry area, or urgency. The article on triage in this issue may help with this process. Start with something smallish and manageable, then build on successes.
Don’t let your to-do list overwhelm you. Sometimes so much needs doing that it saps our impulse to get started. There is an ancient parsonage in England with the words “Doe the nexte thing” written over the bed. Get out of bed. Start with one thing. Every day.
Share your to-do list responsibilities with other people. Divide and conquer the list. Divide it by such categories as cost, length of completion, and ministry area. Enlist a few like-minded souls who are motivated by progress. Choose one to lead or assist in each category on your list. We can’t do it alone. Remember, the church is a body with many members for a reason.
Celebrate your “ta-da!” list. A to-do list is worthy of a pat on the back when you have scratched through about two-thirds of the items. Take what’s left and either put them on a new list, or forget them completely. Celebrate the accomplishments.
Rarely have I finished every item on the list. Some items were too big or too idealistic to fit on a single line in the first place, so they needed to be divided or moved to a new list. But reading over the rest of the completed items a few weeks or months after making the list brings a smile.
And we will see how God has been at work in our work.
Eric Reed, Editor
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Iam often asked for my recommendation of the most effective outreach project for the local church. I’m sure the expected answer relates somehow to a churchwide activity like a block party, service project, or giveaway. I have experienced many types of these events with some success, but none are as effective as what I deem the most powerful outreach tool of the local church—the personal invitation.
In the Bible, we discover a cadre of effective inviters. After coming into contact with Jesus, the woman at the well, despite being ostracized, told the entire city that the Messiah was hanging out at the local watering hole. “Come see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” (John 4:29). The Bible also describes Andrew, another expert inviter, bringing his brother Peter to Jesus. You can investigate the stories in Scripture where Jesus heals specific people. Wilber Chapman shares that in 40 of these instances, 34 of these folks were brought to Jesus by someone else. The personal invitation is powerful.
Let me offer you four ways to release the power of the personal invitation through your local church. First, develop an environment of invitation. This includes the hard work of assessing your facility and organization to determine if there are reasons people are not inviting others to church. I often hear this sad commentary offered from church members, “I would never invite my friends here because...” With the Lord’s help, fix the “because!”
Second, display the importance of invitation Pastors and church leaders need to point to the importance of personal invitations every Sunday through various means. Pastors need to mention their own personal invitations and share examples of how to be an effective inviter. Develop tools and offer to aide church members in this process. The most effective teaching tool is to be the prime example of this practice. When church members see their leaders actively inviting others, they will be inspired to follow suit.
Third, determine a positive response to the invitation. One hindrance to effective invitation is in our attitude; expecting a “no” will affect the way you ask. David Francis, in his book 100, challenges church leaders to expect the “yes.” Help your church catch a vision for those in your community who are in need of the love of our Savior and your church family, those who would attend if only they were asked. Ask and expect the answer to be yes!
Fourth, the depth of the relationship is the key to the invitation. In my personal circle of influence, I would expect people to try new things, go new places, or risk new experiences at my recommendation. The reason why this is so effective is because they are determining their willingness to do the “new” thing based on their relationship with me.
Your willingness to go to that new restaurant in town may be swayed based on my review of the restaurant. This is why so many businesses will give you a coupon for posting about them on your social media. They know that personal invitations are powerful, and your experiences directly affect others. Build relationships with others and invite others to church (and to Jesus) through those connections.
Take a moment today to look into your past and locate the inviters God placed in your path. Many of us are attending our particular church because someone cared enough to invite us. Many of us have also received the greatest invitation by having someone introduce us to Christ. Reach out and thank those that invited you, and go and do likewise!
MARK EMERSON is IBSA’s associate executive director for the Church Resources Team.
MarkEmerson@IBSA.org
On a tour of a mosque in East London last year, I was reminded of a question I’ve heard asked of churches before: If your church ceased to exist, would your community miss you?
That mosque, which I visited during a mission trip, was the center of its community. It was a feeding program, daycare center, literacy program, and the list goes on.
What’s missing, we know, is the life-giving truth of Jesus Christ. Our churches, which have that message and that hope, are well-equipped to engage our communities with the gospel. But are we looking for ways to be missional everyday, to meet real needs right where they are?
To shine the light of Christ in communities that seem increasingly dark and far from him, our churches are coming head-to-head with decisions about which ministries will work. And what to try. We know we can’t do it all, but we can do some of it. Here’s a question to get us started: What grieves you?
What areas in your community need help? Where is there brokenness? When you identify those needs, think
about how your church can step in. Our small church in central Illinois was looking for a way to help families during the financially taxing back-to-school season a few years ago. Other ministries and organizations supplied backpacks and school supplies, so God led us to another way to help: free haircuts.
By identifying a root of need—families with limited resources—we hope to make a difference in their lives, and gain a foothold for the gospel. There are churches across Illinois doing the same, but in hundreds of different ways. They’re leading Bible studies in prisons, teaching English-language learners, or finding ways to join in what their community is already doing to meet needs. They’re being intentional about shining brighter.
Ministry is messy, and there are some pitfalls to watch out for as you seek to add value to your community. The first is forgetting to lead with the gospel. I think there are two ways to combat this: First, don’t be ashamed of who you are. We follow Jesus. Second, as you build relationships with people, there will be certain times they’re more open to gospel. When you encounter these times of grief and brokenness, lean in. Be willing to have the gospel conversation.
Another potential issue is biting off more than your church can chew. This is easy to do when we think about all the areas of need in our communities. Transformative, missional presence with our neighbors is dependent on our consistency. We can’t afford to take any piece of ground we can’t sustain. That’s why God’s leadership is so vital. Let’s join where he’s working, and be willing to make the sacrifices needed so that more people come to know him personally.
CarmenHalsey@IBSA.org
April 21 is Easter Sunday. It’s the natural time of the year for sharing the gospel. But even the most dedicated believer will not do so if they are not trained in presenting Christ and how to overcome their fear of witnessing.
IBSA’s initiative “One GRAND Sunday” in April 2018 resulted in 657 baptisms, but more importantly, in many churches it reignited the desire to reach people with the good news of the gospel. This year, we’re encouraging churches to set aside an entire month for baptisms, and to spend the three months ahead of that time training church members in evangelism. IBSA has resources to help you do just that.
Any witnessing plan can work. The point is that we have a plan. Whether it’s the Romans Road, 3 Circles, a marked New Testament, or a gospel tract, any simple plan for sharing can offer the basics for pursuing gospel conversations. To make your church’s evangelism plan a success, start by training your members in the season prior to Easter. At that time of year, as at Christmas, lost people are more open to hearing about Jesus Christ, and believers are more aware of the gospel opportunities around them.
IBSA is encouraging every one of our 1,000 churches to reach and baptize at least one person on any of the Sundays in April. Plan, promote, and pray for God to give Illinois a harvest of souls in “one grand month.”
Barna Research reports that 8 out of 10 people are open to having a gospel conversation. Unfortunately, the truth of the matter is not that people in Illinois are lost because they’ve rejected the gospel; people in Illinois are
lost because they’ve never heard the gospel. It’s time to claim our cities, communities, and towns for Christ. There are at least 8 million unsaved people in our state.
Pastors and church leaders, will you set a baptism goal? Here’s a simple plan for this baptism initiative that God may use in a mighty way in your church and community:
(1) Set a baptism goal, at least 10% higher than the previous year. If your church hasn’t baptized 12 people in a single year, ask God to give you one new believer every month, that yours may become a frequently baptizing church.
(2) Encourage church members to start praying for unsaved family and friends by name. Collect names and make a list.
(3) Make time in worship, small groups, and prayer meetings to pray for gospel conversation opportunities.
(4) Schedule several witness training opportunities, so you can teach people how to overcome their fear of witnessing.
(5) Set an example for the church, and go!
(6) Invite new believers to church on Palm Sunday and Easter.
(7) Schedule baptism throughout April.
Let me know how I can help you with evangelistic resources, training materials, fresh ideas for reaching your city, or other specific witnessing needs. If your church is willing to participate in “One GRAND Month,” please register at IBSA.org/evangelism. When you’ve baptized during the month of April 2019, let us know how many and how God has blessed your church’s efforts.
As a Christian leader, it is often easier to build a ministry based on one’s own talent and charisma than to train others. But ministry built on personality dissolves when the leader leaves. Here is a short test to see if you are a one-man band or one who empowers.
(1) Are you a Sherpa or a rock star?
Tenzing Norgay was the unknown Tiberian Sherpa who accompanied Sir Edmund Hillary to the pinnacle of Mt. Everest in 1953. The Sherpas are mountaineers who lived in the Himalayan Alps for generations. The Sherpas did not get much credit for their accomplishment until lately, but Hillary wouldn’t have made it without them.
Some leaders approach ministry as a rock star, rather than as a Sherpa. They are out front; they take the credit; they give little recognition to the band behind them. They depend on their own skill to drive the ministry, rather than focus on assembling a quality team and investing in their development. But a better ministry strategy acknowledges the contributions of the people who work as a team.
The leader in this situation plans from the beginning to become a Sherpa, setting out to take others on the journey, to train them, and to deploy them in mountain-conquering expeditions. Just like the man who led Hillary up the famous 29,029-foot mountain.
(2) Are you building a team or leading a pack of followers?
Remember the two-brimmed ball cap that said, “I am the leader; which way are they going?” A successful team travels in the same direction together. An excellent leader guides, trains, edifies the team, and allows members to contribute; he does not assemble a pack of assenters.
Mark 10:45 summarized Jesus’s leadership style: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” It takes
intentional effort for a team leader to disciple others, or to revitalize a ministry. Success can happen for a leader alone, but it won’t last unless the team members themselves are learning how to lead.
(3) Are you supporting the whole ministry or shoring up your personal ministry area?
Church leadership involves first seeing the direction the church is going. There is a big difference between building the Kingdom and building an empire. While a leader’s primary ministry is undoubtedly important, the larger question is How does it build up the church? It is necessary to be passionate about leading one’s own area of ministry, but building silos is never healthy.
(4) Do you see your leadership position as a temporary privilege or a forever “right”?
Personal ownership in ministry can be either great or troublesome. Everyone should be passionate, but we should remember it is the Lord’s ministry, not ours. Being a leader, especially one in a platform position, is a privilege, not a right. The attitude “you will have to pry the microphone out of my cold, dead hands” is far from healthy.
(5) Do you have a teachable spirit?
Finally, everyone needs to exhibit a teachable spirit. No one has arrived at perfection. Being willing to learn new things or relearn old things differently displays strength. Proverbs 18:2 and 19:20 instruct us to listen to counsel so that we may become wise. The wise leader is both teacher and student. While steadfast to Scripture, a good leader must be flexible, adaptable, and malleable in method.
STEVE HAMRICK is director of worship and technology. SteveHamrick@IBSA.org
by Eric Reed
Ifirst heard the word triage on M*A*S*H. Hawkeye and Hot Lips assessed the incoming wounded and whether they could be saved. Some soldiers’ injuries were minor so they could wait until the Army doctors had time and resources available to treat them. Other injuries were so severe that giving resources to their treatment would deprive other wounded soldiers, and those greatly suffering patients were likely to die anyway. It was the third group that the medical team usually attended first: those with injuries that could be repaired with a reasonable amount of care and investment, before they turned their attention to the worst of the cases.
This medical triage was developed in wartime emergency rooms. Choosing among three options feels a little like Goldilocks, but the girl had a point. Pick the best fit and stick to it.
Leaving the worst cases until later, while treating the more readily cured cases first, sounded heartless to me as a kid. (And sometimes Hawkeye broke the rules and focused all his attention on one dying patient, coming into conflict with accepted medical protocol and his
superior officers, but it made for good television.) But the system began to make sense to me over 11 seasons of the TV show.
And it works in church life, too. Fix what you can first, then build up strength (and a track record) before tackling the toughest situations.
Triage will help you invest energies where they will have the most impact. I learned this while serving a struggling church in a transitional neighborhood for most of a decade. At times, it didn’t seem we had much time to make life-altering (and church-saving) decisions. Over a couple of years, our leadership team learned to focus on fewer ministries. And we made a handful of significant moves in phases each about 18-24 months long. These included scaling down an organization designed for 600 attenders, rehabbing dilapidated buildings, initiating new ministries to match the demographic make-up of the surrounding community, and starting new congregations that could effectively minister in the neighborhood.
We took these phases one-by-one as the vision for the church became clearer across the years. The need for all of them was evident from the start of my pastorate there, but tackling them all at once would have killed the church. There wasn’t enough money, people, time, or agreement to do more than one at a time.
Later, I came to understand the process better during several interim pastorates here in Illinois. Entering an interim period, the incoming pastor is greeted by people who have lots of ideas about what the church should be doing. Some will go through the accepted process to get their ministry idea implemented, many will not. Some are good ideas, many are not.
But in an interim situation, the temporary pastor knows he’s only there for a short time, so it’s mandatory to choose only one or two major issues to take on. And it’s ok to say so publicly. But I would say the same is true for the permanent pastor. Choose your steps carefully, and let people know you’re doing so.
An ongoing process of triage brings people together to work on fewer projects at one time, rather than scattering efforts across many things.
by the interstate. Even before accepting the call, Dale recognized the limitations of the little army chapel on half a block in town, but he didn’t announce a moving plan when he first stepped into the pulpit. The church had personnel and leadership needs too, big adjustments to make in worship and organization, and need for a bigger view of its potential for ministry. But he intentionally started small. With a background in aircraft manufacturing, he was as concerned about nuts and bolts as engines and propellers, because engines and propellers are made of nuts and bolts.
Triage will help bring consensus about the vision of the church, and phasing for its execution. If triage is done in leadership groups—elders or teachers or ministry leaders or church councils—it has the potential to bring the people together around the vision of the church. When the people agree on which items are truly most important and more achievable, then next steps become clear.
3 levels of care:
If Martha had done a little triage in the kitchen, she would have decided that making a dozen appetizers would eat up all her time and leave her guests hungry. Nor was there time to kill the fatted calf. She would have put on the slow cooker and settled for a one-pot stew, as Jesus pointed out. “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary…” (Luke 10:41-42). It really isn’t “settling,” it’s focusing.
1. Minor, won’t take much resource to fix – it can wait, if need be
2. Major, will require much time and care – it may have to be allowed to die
3. Median, can be repaired with a reasonable investment of time, resources, and care
Admittedly it is risky to hand the marker to someone else and ask them to rank the church’s ministries, problems, or next steps in terms of importance and achievability, but that’s what triage requires, if the outcome is to be owned by the leadership team and ultimately by the whole church. For the elder who can’t let go of his pet project, it will be a major victory for him to see that another project needs to happen first. Triage will create a ranking, which will inform development of phases for execution of the vision.
Triage will help develop momentum, as small victories lead to larger ones. When Dale was called to his first pastorate, his first move was to wallpaper the foyer. It sounds silly now, but brightening a dark space gave the little church a quick victory. He followed up with more projects inside the church and out in the community that made the congregation upbeat about their future and willing to talk about it.
Good word of mouth led to growth. Those small victories eventually led to a major relocation to 30 acres
At one church that I served as interim pastor, it became clear several vital actions were being stymied by a weekday preschool that was draining the church budget. The beloved 40-year-old institution had served the community well, and it still had a good reputation. No one had the stomach for shutting it down, until we went through a process of triage.
Other ministries, more suited to the present needs of the community, emerged in a visioning process. And
Continued on p. 12
eventually, by ranking the ministries according to their requirements for resources, it became clear to everyone that none of the new ministries would happen with the current budget drain. And existing ministries were in jeopardy.
The leadership team voted to close the preschool, and the congregation agreed.
Note: Like Hawkeye, leaders will sometimes have to take things out of order, because it’s simply the right thing to do: a personnel issue or a moral failure, for example. And sometimes an unanticipated opportunity will arise that is clearly God’s provision. But the ministry medic will make sure the detour is for the right reason, and a rare occasion.
After tackling a few items in the “median” section, do a lot on the “minor” list. The impact on the congregation is amazing when they realized how much progress is being made. Then, if need be, you’re prepared to take on the major case that everyone’s dreaded.
Start with a white board, a to-do list, and prayer. One afternoon, one or two leaders, and some brainstorming will produce the list. Identifying them as minor, median, or major is the hard part.
Bring in one or two team members skilled in strategy. At IBSA, the entire staff recently took the StrengthsFinder test. Several people had “strategist” as one of their top five strengths. That’s the person who can help identify all the parts and place them in order. Find someone for whom none of the items on the to-do list is a personal pet project.
Bring the whole team into the triage process. With a tentative ministry to-do list and marks about their importance and achievability, it’s time to have the larger conversation with the larger group. What do we tackle first, and why? Which of these items is so small it can wait, or it may take care of itself? Which is so large that we’re not really prepared for it yet?
And which one is just right?
Follow-up with the visitors
If visitors don’t know they’re wanted, they will feel unwanted. Plan a simple system of e-mail follow-up, gift bags at the door, assignment of the guest card to a small group for personal contact, and a late-week invitation to the next small group and worship service.
Update the website or Facebook page
If social media isn’t your gift, find a person who can do it well, and make sure it’s getting done. A few simple things such as current info about ministries and service times on the front page of the site make a big difference. Reading about last fall’s hayride in March says more than you intend.
Recruit a mystery shopper
Cliff Woodman tells how someone well-versed in church life visited his church for another reason, but Cliff asked for the man’s observations on the facilities and worship service. He saw things Cliff couldn’t, because Cliff had gotten used to them. Ask a smart pastor not known to your congregation to visit secretly, and offer his assessment to you privately.
Clean
Out: Taupe, mauve, teal, and most shades of green. And the “Pottery Barn Palette.”
In: Many shades of gray, white, cream, some blues. If it doesn’t move, paint it. And shiplap. Pick a wall and nail up some shiplap. Also give the whole building the “sniff test.” Like the commercial says, you may have gone “nose blind.”
Small group discipleship is vital, no matter when or where it occurs. One pastor decided that the key to growth in his setting was quality teaching in Sunday school groups. He cancelled other Bible studies, and every Sunday evening he taught the teachers the next week’s lesson. Quality improved and so did attendance, because the teachers got the best preparation available to them.
Recently, I was asked by a church to help evaluate a potential investment. That investment was spurred by the need to generate revenue by the use of their building when it was not being occupied.
“We don’t want to do this just because we need the money,” the leaders said. “We want our facilities to continue to serve the Kingdom.”
The church had several options. They could rent their building out to a group that would pay more money because of the amount of space they would use, but the group was not going to do anything that encouraged Kingdom growth. After several conversations, the church chose to evaluate their ROI.
Return on Investment (ROI) is a term commonly used in business. Merriam-Webster defines ROI as the measure for gain or loss generated on an investment relative to the amount of money invested.
While we may not use that exact terminology, most of us use this thought everyday for multiple decisions in our personal life. Investments do not need to be viewed only as financial, rather we must view all resources as our investment, including time, facilities, and personal involvement. Our time, energy, material possessions, and brain power are all aspects of our resources. This is also true of the church.
What would it look like if our churches would stop and examine the ROI before making decisions? How would a clearer understanding of the expected return drive better decisions and processes for investments?
I have an ROI statement in my office that has been used by many people over the years:
Read that statement again and let it sink in. Too many times in church life, we understand what we want to do and even can define the how, but we fail to grasp the why. Here are three steps you can use to define your ROI for your next step in ministry or ministry activity.
In our example above, the church defined their why from the Great Commission. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” They determined their church existed to “make disciples and baptize them,” but a very important thing was clarified–“of all nations.” The leaders understood their church existed to bring hope to their community, but realized their community had changed. Because of that, the usual uses of the facilities might also need to change, to meet the needs of the people who now lived nearby.
The church would need to adapt its ministry to accomplish the why. In the discussions about ROI, it became clear they would need to clarify how they were going to do it.
It is very easy to skip over the how and go directly to the what, but in our example above, the how was very important to understand the ROI. The leaders determined the how was not dependent solely upon their congregation. To accomplish their why, they outlined their how statement like this. “We will disciple through partnering with gospel-minded organizations in our community for the joint effort of reaching our community.”
This allowed the church to clarify how they were going to choose the outside groups they would allow to use their facilities. The church understood they needed
Continued on p. 14
When you clearly define the why, you easily drive the how, which reveals the what.
help with accomplishing the how and partnered with others to do so.
This is the fun part: what are you desiring to accomplish? What do you want as the return on investment? What you do should be driven by the how. In this example, by partnering with other like-minded gospel centered organizations, the church expanded their idea of what methods could be used to reach their community. They were able to share the gospel and create new relationships they never dreamed possible. They were involved in the events of other organizations, not for the purpose of marketing, but for the purpose of partnership. Their eyes were opened to new methods of gospel partnerships all because they stopped to identify their ROI and take steps of action.
Again, remember: “When you clearly define the why, you easily drive the how, which reveals the what!” Next time you are faced with a decision, take into account the ROI. This will help make yes or no statements easier, and clarify for others the reasoning behind the answer.
R JohnCarruthers@IBSA.org JOHN CARRUTHERS is IBSA's church relationships manager.A more welcome ‘welcome’
One simple change we made was to involve more people in welcoming our guests on Sunday morning. Now, instead of just one person standing at the door, we also have people out in the parking lot, and people to walk with guests and to help them find their classes. This is a great way to get new people more involved in serving God in a simple way.
Scott Foshie | Steeleville
A couple of years ago we began reciting our purpose statement and a 30-second summary of the Good News at the start of every service. Almost every member can tell you “why we exist” anytime you ask. And everyone who attends our church hears the gospel explained every Sunday morning!
Lanny Faulkner | AtwoodWe prayer walk on Sunday mornings. We travel through each classroom and space that we use on Sunday with class rolls, praying over those areas and activities. God keeps answering our prayers. Recently we encouraged people to pray for a church that they had no connection to; they were assigned and given information on random churches from sbc.net.
Cliff Woodman | CarlinvilleFor me, the first important “small” change was to really pray. I know, I know—I’m a pastor, I gotta pray. But I’m speaking about a deep faith prayer, one that you pray in faith and expectation. I began to stop doing it all. Instead I gave it to God and waited in faith for him to move. This took away stress and frustration, allowing me to make a greater impact in my church families’ lives.
Brian McWethy | AmboyWe’ve taught our small group that we need to serve. The adults in my class have children from newborns to high school graduates. They have very busy lives and it is easier for them to “chill” at church than to serve. But, over several years, I am delighted to say I see real fruit in their lives. We recently sent out 14 from our small group to teach during the Sunday school hour this year. Somehow, as only God does it, we have still continued to run 20-25 in our class. Also, our class ladies initiated two women’s Bible studies during the evening, for those who are busy teaching on Sunday morning. It is a blessing to me that they wanted to share our Sunday school lessons with others at alternate times.
Judy Taylor | HarrisburgWe have changed our approach to social media by investing in excellence and original content. Studies show that the web is now the leading first contact with a church for many people.
Jacob Gray | DahlgrenA few dates and events that may affect our ministry plans
JANUARY
12 Worship Leaders Skill Development Workshop
22-23 Illinois Leadership Summit
Now is the time to plan mission trips. Whether it’s across town, on the other end of Illinois, or around the world, there are many missions opportunities for Illinois Baptists. In this section, IBSA team members offer help for making plans. Plus there’s a long list of trips and projects for Illinois churches to join.
Here is a checklist: Recruit and meet with the church’s missions team or committee.
Pray about the participants: Is the trip for a particular age group, small groups, or families?
Pray about the target group or location for the trip.
Consider options for long-term missions with a particular people group or location.
Recruit travelling team members. Recruit pray-ers at home. Make arrangements.
Pray some more.
FEBRUARY
2 Johnny Hunt Men’s Conference
16 Church Technology Conference
22 Leading on Empty
23 IL Baptist Women’s University
9 Children’s Mission Day
11 Preaching Clinic for Pastors
22-23 Ministers’ Wives Retreat “Refresh”
APRIL
7-28 One Grand Month
26-27 Priority Women’s Conference
It’s the time of year when you might be asking yourself, Is it too late to plan a summer mission trip? If you haven’t started planning yet, it’s not too late, especially if your church chooses to engage one or more of the trips and projects IBSA is planning in 2019 (see list on page 19). Early spring is the perfect time to consider how you’re building pathways to missions involvement in your church, for people of all ages. How can you use the first quarter of this year to begin planning for trips and projects even beyond this year?
The first step is to decide who you’re trying to mobilize. Are you targeting adult volunteers, students, or families? Identifying your audience will help you determine the modes of missions involvement best suited to them. And each of your audiences will be well served by multiple pathways.
The goal is to create pathways that lead to life-long engagement in missions. It’s more than a one-time trip or project. Think about how to intentionally move your church members down the road toward a missional lifestyle that looks for opportunities everywhere to serve and share the gospel.
IBSA has created multiple pathways for student missions involvement. Looking at that process might help your church begin to build your own pathways, or identify how you want to be involved in one or more of these:
These hands-on mission projects are designed for groups to cover travel, meals, and supplies, while IBSA handles planning and logistics. The church is also responsible for spiritual preparation of the mission team.
Your church may want to engage in missions, but sense that you need experience before planning a trip on your own. To fill in that gap, IBSA builds mission teams of people from multiple churches, and handles all preparation and logistics. All your church needs to participate in this pathway is a team of two or more. An adult leader will be sent with teams that have participants under 18.
This pathway is for churches that don’t yet have a group ready for a mission trip or project, but an individual from that church is ready to engage. This option allows a church to commission the participant, pray for them during the preparation and project phases, and celebrate with them once they’re back home.
These are just four examples of the multiple pathways your church can utilize to engage in missions, this summer and in the months and years to come. Start now to engage your church in the lifestyle of missions engagement.
See Missions list p. 19
Churches that are ready to adopt their own project use this path, working with IBSA to identify a project and a missions partner needing assistance. IBSA’s Church Resources team will also coach your church through planning, training, and implementation.
DWAYNE DOYLE is IBSA’s director of men’s ministry and mission mobilization.
DwayneDoyle@IBSA.org
Family ministry and missions don’t often intersect in our churches. They’re two key areas of ministry, certainly, but they’re easy to keep separate from one another. But it doesn’t have to be that way, and you may find that letting the two inform each other is beneficial to your church.
As you consider your church’s missions strategy for 2019 and beyond, think about how the trips and projects you’re planning can help parents disciple their children toward missional living. Consider a family mission trip.
A word of warning before we get into the details: A family mission trip isn’t the easiest kind of mission trip to plan. Preparation is key. Before your team leaves home for the mission field, make sure there will be enough work for each age group represented on your team. You want to avoid parents simply babysitting their children away from home.
The easiest solution is to plan a trip that involves a variety of activities, or at least two segments that can utilize older and younger volunteers—construction and Vacation Bible School, for example. Once you decide on a location (IBSA or your local association can assist you with this), a pre-trip site visit will help confirm details like lodging, meals, and team assignments.
Churches that take on the challenge of a family mission trip benefit from aligning ministry calendars so that members of the same family can take a week away to serve together. It minimizes the potential for distractions from home. The trip also positions parents as the primary disciplers of their children. They’re able to live out the things they’re teaching at home, and model for their children what it looks like to live life on mission.
A family mission trip also capitalizes on a specialty of the Millennial and Gen Z generations: relationships. Our children and students want to be part of a church that’s making a difference, more through relationships than programs. Mission trips present a huge opportunity for learning together and from one another—both
within the team and from our partners on the field. One more benefit: Mission trips cultivate community within a church. When families go on mission together, they begin to build the kind of community that equips them to disciple their children and develop a missional lifestyle.
If your church would like help planning a family mission trip, contact IBSA’s Church Resources team at (217) 391-3135.
Las Vegas – February 25-28
What: Work with local ministries engaging refugees
Registration deadline: January 15
Phoenix – March 15-20
What: Work alongside a local church to minister to international college students
Registration deadline: February 10
South Asia – May 2-13
What: Team will help missionaries with healthcare initiatives and evangelistic outreach
Registration deadline: February 28
Chicago – July 5-10, October 4-9
What: Partner with Uptown Baptist Church in engaging their community
Registration deadline: June 30 for July trip; September 25 for October trip
London – July 26-August 3
What: Team will work alongside a local pastor to minister to people in East London
Registration deadline: March 15
Hawaii – October 14-20
Who: Women’s ministry leaders
What: Illinois Baptist Women will support the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention by serving at their women’s retreat
Registration deadline: June
Children’s Missions Day
When: March 9
Where: Multiple locations
What: Mission projects for girls and boys in grades 1-6
Info: IBSA.org/Missions
Missions Spectacular
When: Summer 2019
Where: Across Illinois; find mission project dates and locations at IBSA.org/Spectacular beginning Jan. 15
What: The 2019 Summer Missions Challenge will include mission projects for all ages
Illinois Changers
When: July 13-20 in Peoria, September 27-29 at Lake Sallateeska and Streator Baptist Camps
What: Week-long projects and weekend retreats for students who have completed grades 6-12
Info: IBSA.org/ILChangers
Puerto Rico – March 9-16, 16-23
Who: College-age students and adults
What: Team will work alongside church planters to engage the communities they serve
London – July 5-13
Who: Students who have completed grades 9-12
What: Learn about and engage London’s people groups
Puerto Rico (Comerio) – July 20-27
Who: Students who have completed 9th grade
What: Team will assist church planter Jorge Santiago as he meets practical needs in his community
Jamaica – July 20-27
Who: Students who have completed 9th grade
What: Work with local churches on evangelistic outreach projects
Puerto Rico (Vega Baja) – July 27-August 3
Who: Students who have completed 9th grade
What: Team will assist Xavier Torado in his community
Go to IBSA.org/Missions to find out how to be on mission in these areas:
Trafficking prevention
Corrections ministry
Literacy
Baptist Nursing Fellowship
Christian Women’s and Men’s Job Corps
For more information about mission trips for adults, contact Carmen Halsey at (217) 391-3143 or CarmenHalsey@IBSA.org.
For information about student trips, contact Dwayne Doyle at (217) 391-3134 or DwayneDoyle@IBSA.org.
1 New Year’s Day - IBSA Holiday
1-31 Call to Prayer Month
6-13 January Bible Study
12 Worship Leaders
Skill Development Workshop Temple, Centralia
17 Tax Seminar
IBSA Building, Springfield
20 Sanctity of Human Life Sunday
21 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - IBSA Holiday
22-23 Illinois Leadership Summit
IBSA Building, Springfield
24 Tax Seminar – Marion
March 3-10
This annual offering supports SBC missionaries serving in North America. 100% of the monies collected assist field personnel in sharing the gospel across our nation. This week of prayer features select missionaries and the prayer guides provide more information about their ministries.
Planning team:
Special missions event:
1-28 True Love Waits Emphasis
2 Johnny Hunt Men’s Conference
10 Racial Reconciliation Sunday
11-17 Focus on WMU
16 Church Technology Conference
IBSA Building, Springfield
18 President’s Day - IBSA Holiday
22 Leading on Empty
IBSA Building, Springfield
23 VBS Clinic South
FBC, Carterville
23 IL Baptist Women’s University
IBSA Building, Springfield
28 iConnect
IBSA Building, Springfield
2/23 First Baptist, Carterville
3/2 Chatham Baptist, Chatham
3/16 First Baptist, Woodlawn
3/30 Northside Baptist, Dixon
4/6 Broadview Missionary Baptist
Get great ideas for VBS 2019. 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 is 8:30 a.m. – noon
IBSA.org/kids | (217) 391-3135 | JackLucas@IBSA.org
Our training date:
VBS director:
Lead teachers:
Snack leaders: Missions/activity:
Winterize
52 card pick-up
Members commit to personally invite one person—friend or stranger—to church every week this year, and write the names on their personal calendar or on a stack of note cards.
Plan a baby shower for a local pregnancy center on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, January 19
– Facts & Trends
Host a free laundry night
No one likes to spend money on laundry. If your church has washers and dryers, host a night for students to come and do their laundry for free. Or make an arrangement with a local laundromat to provide quarters and detergent. Have church members on hand to visit with students, pray for them, and offer encouragement.
Free paper proofing
Your church has several people who spot every typo in the bulletin. Put that “gift” to good use by offering it as an outreach to students. Offer a single night for proofreading or set up an address where students can e-mail their papers and get a response in a couple of days.
Serve midnight breakfast during finals
Bacon, bacon, bacon. And pancakes. ‘Nuff said.
Snow daze
Rescue cars stuck in the snow. Send out teams with four-wheel drive vehicles to help stranded drivers. Shovel out cars and sidewalks. And offer hot drinks for cold souls.
Also, the church can provide snow-day childcare for families in a bind when snowy weather cancels school. Connect with and serve working parents by hosting preregistered students for a free day of VBS-style activities.
– Outreach magazine
Community involvement
No need to reinvent the wheel. Pull up your community’s summer calendar or library calendar. See what’s already planned, and ask how the church can help.
Serve teachers on in-service day. Start building a relationship with the nearby school on that day when kids are out but teachers are in. (It happens on Wednesdays around here.) Provide lunch and start making friends. Find out what kind of help teachers want. Some need supplies. Others need classroom aides or volunteer tutors.
2 Worship Leaders Skill Development Workshop Bethel, Bourbonnais
2 VBS Clinic Central Chatham Baptist Church, Chatham
3-9 Youth Week
3-10 Week of Prayer for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions
9 Children’s Mission Day Various locations
11 Preaching Clinic for Pastors Collinsville
14-15 Crisis Intervention & Stress Management Training
IBSA Building, Springfield
15-16 IL Leadership Summit - Chicagoland
16 VBS Clinic Mid-South
FBC, Woodlawn
17 Church Planting Emphasis Sunday
17 Substance Abuse Prevention Sunday
22-23 Ministers’ Wives Retreat “Refresh”
IBSA Building, Springfield
30 VBS Clinic North Northside Baptist Church, Dixon
People want to hear about Jesus at Easter time. Start now for a month-long evangelism emphasis. Go to IBSA.org/Evangelism for more information.
(217)
Train for gospel conversations
Dates:
Leaders: Share Christ in the community
Dates:
Leaders:
Follow-up decisions and plan baptisms
Dates:
Leaders:
1-30 Baptist Doctrine Study
6 VBS Clinic Chicagoland Broadview Missionary, Broadview
7 Cooperative Program Sunday
7-28 One Grand Month (Baptizing Emphasis)
11-12 Disaster Relief Blue Hat University
Emmanuel, Carlinville
12-13 Central Region Disaster Relief Training Emmanuel, Carlinville
13 Illinois Student Ministry Conference IBSA Building, Springfield
14 Palm Sunday
19 Good Friday - IBSA Holiday
21 Easter Sunday
21 SBC Seminaries Sunday
26-27 Priority Women’s Conference Crowne Plaza, Springfield
27 BCHFS Board Meeting Mt. Vernon
Kids Camp (see some options on p. 30)
Dates:
Locations: Leaders: Student Camp (see more options on p. 30)
Dates:
Locations:
Leaders:
Vacation Bible School (see trainings and make a checklist on p. 21)
Mission Trip:
Target people group:
Location:
Our class or team:
Dates: Leaders:
Initial planning meeting date:
Training dates:
Special adult Bible study
Topic/book:
Dates: Leader:
Community outreach (some ideas on p. 22)
Event:
Location:
Dates: Leaders:
Illinois Leadership Summit
Leading on Empty Church Technology Conference
Children’s Missions Day
Disaster Relief training
‘SPLASH’ IBSA Kids Camps Super Summer 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.
Locations:
• Northside Baptist Church, Dixon
• Woodland Baptist Church, Peoria
• Calvary Baptist Church, Monticello
• Living Faith, Sherman
• Bethel Baptist Church, Vandalia
• Collinsville Community Church
• West Side Missionary Baptist, Mt. Vernon
• Second Baptist Church, Marion
$15 Early registration ends December 31, 2018
$25 General registration ends January 25, 2019
$30 Late registration ends February 2, 2019
IBSA.org/Men | (217) 391-3134 | DwayneDoyle@IBSA.org
1/22-23 IBSA Building, Springfield
Illinois Baptists, learn how to expand your leadership skills and how to make your church more effective. Reimagine what God wants to do in you and through you.
Keynote speaker: Mark Clifton
Senior
Director,Replanting
North American Mission Board Kansas City, MO
Register at IBSA.org/ILS2019
(217) 391-3138 | AubreyKrol@IBSA.org
3/15-16 TBA
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.
IBSA.org | (217) 391-3136 | MarkEmerson@IBSA.org
2/22 IBSA Building, Springfield
A time for pastors to come together to reflect, remember, refuel, rethink, and return. Cost: Free (pre-registration is required).
IBSA.org | (217) 391-3137 | LindaDarden@IBSA.org
4/13 IBSA Building, Springfield
Join us for student ministry leadership training for everyone from volunteers to senior pastors. Event is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cost: $25 per person (includes lunch and resources).
IBSA.org/Students
(217) 391-3135 | JackLucas@IBSA.org
3/11 Meadow Heights Baptist, Collinsville
Preach 2019 will strengthening pastors, church staff, and lay leaders so they can gain renewed resolve to practice what they preach. Speakers include: Pastor Fred Luter, Franklin Avenue Baptist, New Orleans; Pastor Eddie Bumpers, Crossway Baptist, Springfield, Mo.; Pastor Chadd Pendergraft, Crescent Valley Baptist, Tahlequah, Okla; and others. In addition to teaching, the conference includes worship and interaction with speakers and attendees. preachconference.com
PreachConference.com
(217) 391-3136 | MarkEmerson@IBSA.org
1/17 IBSA Building, Springfield
1/24 Second Baptist Church, Marion
GuideStone Financial Services representatives and CPAs present a free tax webinar for pastors. The seminar will provide valuable tax information for both active and retired ministers. Church treasurers and other church leaders will find this seminar be a valuable resource for important federal requirements for churches.
IBSA.org
(217) 391-3136 | MarkEmerson@IBSA.org
2/28 IBSA Building, Springfield
Attention pastors new to Illinois and pastors who want to reconnect! See how resources of the state convention can make your church be more effective at reaching your community and participating in God’s mission to the world. This half-day event includes lunch, and networking opportunities with IBSA staff.
(217) 391-3138 | AubreyKrol@IBSA.org
Continue your Leadership 101 Cohort Training with IBW University missiology studies. If you haven’t completed Leadership 101 Training, you can take the training online February 5.
IBSA.org/Women
(217) 391-3143 | CarmenHalsey@IBSA.org
2/16 IBSA Building, Springfield
Metro Peoria area
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. Conference starts at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 1:30 p.m. Cost: $15 (includes lunch)
IBSA.org/Worship
(217) 391-3132 | SteveHamrick@IBSA.org
3/26 TBA
An opportunity for every church leader to receive quality training including two breakout sessions.
IBSA.org | (217) 391-3124 | TammyButler@IBSA.org
2/11-17
Teach your church about WMU. 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.
IBSA.org/Women
(217) 391-3143 | CarmenHalsey@IBSA.org
3/22-23 IBSA Building, Springfield
Step away for a weekend to enjoy fellowship, learn new leadership skills, and receive encouragement from your peers. Cost: $20 local – no hotel; $67 if shared room, $114 for private room. The conference hotel is the Drury Inn located at 3180 S Dirksen Pkwy, Springfield, IL. Rooms in the IBSA block are $94.
IBSA.org/Women | (217) 391-3138 | AubreyKrol@IBSA.org
3/9 Various locations
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 come alive to each child. Cost: $10 per person (includes T-shirt).
IBSA.org/Missions
(217) 391-3128 | TammyRatsch@IBSA.org
4/11-13 Blue Hat University, Zones 6-8
4/12-13 Central Region, Zones 6-8 (Emmanuel Baptist, Carlinville)
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. New volunteers are also required to take Introduction to Disaster Relief 101 Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.
4/7 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, CP 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 CP to the mission field, starting in Illinois and then to the whole world.
IBSA.org/CP
(217) 391-3119 | LisaMisner@IBSA.org
3/14-15 IBSA Building, Springfield
Chaplains, please join us for this Spiritual & Psychological First Aid Course. This Critical Incident Stress Management Course (CISM) is intended to increase awareness and enhance an individual’s ability to provide effective spiritual and psychological care to survivors in times of loss, disaster, emergency, trauma, and crisis settings. Cost: $50 does not include meals or lodging.
BSA.org/CISM | (217) 391-3137
DwayneDoyle@IBSA.org
“You can take a kid out of camp, but you can’t take camp out of a kid,” said the leader from First Baptist Church in Atwood. “I have kids who live for this week.” Learn how IBSA Camps impact lives at IllinoisBaptist.org.
2019 Kids Camp dates:
Week 1 – June 3-7 Streator
Week 2 – June 10-14 Streator
Week 3 – June 16-20 Sallateeska
Week 4 – June 24-28 Sallateeska
Week 5 – July 8-12 Streator IBSA.org/Kids
To register go to (217) 391-3124
TammyButler@IBSA.org
“There is something special about writing out our tithe check to the church every payday,” said a smiling Stephanie Grove, a member of First Baptist Church, Fairview Heights. She and her husband, David, are clients of the Baptist Foundation of Illinois.
“Estate planning that provides for Kingdom causes is rare for most Christians,” Stephanie shared. She urges people to think ahead of how they can keep giving after they have gone. “By delaying we are squandering the greatest giving opportunity we may ever have.”
BaptistFoundationIL.org
(217) 391-3116
One hundred years ago three men in Carmi, Ill. where pioneers when they came together to found what became Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services.
“Our responsibility is no different than what these men and other Baptists did 100 years ago,” said Executive Direct Denny Hydrick. “Though it is not a world war or a severe flu epidemic that creates a dire need in Illinois to care for children and families, today we are fighting a different war, one where the causalities are our families.”
Administration Office
949 County Rd. 1300 N.
Our camp in southern Illinois just celebrated 75 years as Baptists’ favorite woodland getaway. The facilities set on beautiful Lake Sallateeska near Pinckneyville are home to summer camps for kids and teens, along with a variety of retreats and events for churches and their leaders all year long. Cabins can sleep up to 200, and the Sallateeska Inn, built in 2000, offers 16 rooms of hotel-style lodging. The camp is special to generations of Illinois Baptists as so many found Christ and their calling there.
Philip Hall, Manager
(618) 336-5272
LakeSallateeska@IBSA.org
IBSA.org/LakeSallateeska
Our camp in northern Illinois, Streator Baptist Camp and Retreat Center, is lively and bustling with activity. Two years of renovation led by camp manager Mike Young have produced a bright and cheerful place that’s perfect for kids’ camps and adults’ retreats. Its half-dozen buildings situated lakeside can accommodate meeting space for up to 200, and dining and lodging for 136. The 1.3-acre lake is a state-licensed swimming area with a 100-foot sand beach and a permanent dock. There are two pavilions for outdoor meetings and cookouts, and wonderful trails for hiking.
Mike Young, Manager (815) 672-0084
Streator@IBSA.org
IBSA.org/Streator
Denny HydrickCarmi, IL 62821 | (618) 382-4164
BCHFS.com
Facilities
Outreach
Discipling (Sunday school, small groups, men/women)
Kids and teens
Leadership
Community Outreach
Witness training/ evangelism
Missions
Worship
Welcoming guest and follow-up
Here’s an exercise for the leadership team. With the team, review the three categories of need in the “triage” article on page 10: Minor, median, and major. Then, keeping in mind “small fixes that have big impact,” ask team members to choose three ministry areas from the column on the left. Under each area, list three smallish projects that need attention now. Under each ministry area, rank the projects as minor, median, and major. Collect and collate the responses, looking for areas of agreement. Now you have a to-do list.
Ministry area:
Project:
Project:
Project:
Ministry area:
Project:
Project:
Project:
Ministry area:
Project:
Project:
Project:
Become
From
Sharpen your leadership edge with the many training and equipping events provided by IBSA ministry teams. Plus, there are camps for kids, student events, women’s ministry, Disaster Relief training, and so much more. See the calendar and register online.
200+ locations need a church. Read about the people and places across Illinois who need a Bible-teaching church. And consider how your church can be a vital gospel witness to them, whether across town or across the state. IBSA.org/churchplanting
