EQUIPPING CHURCH LEADERS EVENTS & SERVICES
MAY – AUGUST
ILLINOIS BAPTIST STATE ASSOCIATION
CHANGE IS COMING FASTER THAN EVER
5 driving questions from Jeff Iorg
STRATEGIC STUDENT MINISTRY Lessons from...Jesus?
+ INSIGHT FOR LEADERS Leveraging influence This list will ignite your church Interactive pages
The Pioneering Spirit Challenge, timed to coincide with Illinois’ bicentennial year, seeks to bring frontier fortitude to Baptist work today. Our forebears lived in trying times, meeting danger head-on, and forging a new state. Many of them brought solid Christian faith to the hard-won territory, and many of those pioneers were Baptists.
If the concepts of wilderness, lostness, and battle seem familiar, it’s because they describe our spiritual frontier today—200 years later. Against the reality of at least 8 million lost people in Illinois, Pioneering Spirit engages IBSA churches in church planting, baptisms, missions giving, and leadership development.
It will take as much courage for today’s believers to bring the gospel to the millions in our cities, suburbs, and crossroads communities as it did for the first founders to carve out those communities starting at the time of statehood. Winning over wilderness has gotten no easier in 200 years.
IBSA has a goal of 200 or more churches accepting each of the Pioneering Spirit challenges this year. To learn more about the four Pioneering Spirit challenges, and to register your own church’s commitment to one of more of them, visit PioneeringSpirit.org.
Engage new people
taking steps to increase your church’s annual baptisms
Make new sacrifices
increasing missions giving through the Cooperative Program
Develop new leaders
preparing tomorrow’s pastors, missionaries, and church leaders
2 Nate Adams
3
EDITOR
Eric Reed
DESIGNER
7 Rich Cochran
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.
King David could have had the land he sought for an altar for free. The man who owned the property offered it— plus oxen and wood for the burnt offerings—to the king at no cost. But David understood the value of sacrifice. He insisted on paying. “I will not offer to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” Leaders bear the responsibility of modeling a spirit of humility and generosity before God, so that those they lead can be inspired to consider their own attitudes toward giving.
As a leader, how does it encourage people when you model sacrificial giving? How can you infuse your church’s times of corporate prayer and worship with the idea of giving to God that which costs you something? What is he asking you and your church to sacrifice now?
When I was growing up, our church provided an annual supply of offering envelopes for every family in the church, including us kids. In addition to encouraging me to read my Bible, attend Sunday school, and invite others to church, my weekly envelopes reminded me to prepare an offering to give each Sunday morning. Looking back, that box of envelopes was one of the most practical tools I had as a young boy for teaching me both discipline in my spiritual life, and generosity in giving.
Years later, our family belonged to a church that didn’t provide offering envelopes for children. But my wife and I wanted to teach our three boys the same discipline of tithing and giving that we had learned as children. So, each Sunday morning, we would lay out on the kitchen table three blank white envelopes, along with each son’s weekly allowance, usually five or ten dollars. And we tried to always give allowances in one-dollar bills and quarters, so that at the same time they received their allowance, the boys could easily decide how much to put in the homemade offering envelope.
One Sunday morning, my wife noticed our youngest son placing all five of the one-dollar bills he received in his offering envelope. “Honey, you don’t have to give
all your allowance in the offering,” she gently reminded him. But our 6-year-old looked up at her cheerfully and said, “I know. But you and dad give me everything I need. I think I’ll just give all this back to God.”
Offering envelopes can certainly help teach a child the principle and discipline of giving. But that morning a child taught us again that true generosity comes not from duty or even discipline, but from the heart. When we remember with childlike security and faith that a Heavenly Father always provides for our needs, our natural and cheerful response is to be generous, even sacrificial, in our offerings back to him.
Nate Adams, IBSA Executive Director
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Before Thom Rainer’s book “Autopsy of a Deceased Church” became popular, Rainer posted an article on his blog bearing the same title. In the article, Rainer offered 11 factors of a dying church that can be organized in three categories: they stopped dreaming, they played small, and they lost their vision. The article was insightful and so were the comments that followed. One response to the post was offered by a local pastor who shared the story of his church closing their doors after years of decline. “Our church didn’t vote to die,” he bemoaned. “It simply voted not to live.”
Voting to live is not easy – and many are deciding to choose the alternative. Mark Clifton, a NAMB church revitalization expert, shared, “Approximately 10-15% of Southern Baptist churches are at risk of dying. Every year, about 900 churches close and lock their doors for the last time.” Clifton continued to share that sadly many of these churches are located in growing neighborhoods where the gospel is desperately needed. Churches need to vote to live.
This requires two hard decisions: first, voting to live through revitalization. At first glimpse this seems like the easier of the two decisions. On the contrary, revitalization calls for radical change in the “business as usual” of church, which can be a painful process. IBSA can help a church navigate these changes through a process which includes consulting with leaders, counseling church members, creating a plan, and casting the vision. We are discovering that one key to revitalizing the church is to
revitalize the pastor. IBSA is leading several retreats that are designed for this purpose. Participating in a revitalization process is voting to live.
Another hard decision that a church may consider is voting to live through replanting. This is a difficult step because the church agrees to turn over its resources and leadership so a new church can be planted in its building. The Baptist Foundation of Illinois works alongside several churches each year that make this decision. BFI partners with the IBSA Church Planting Team to help start new churches in these locations. Churches that choose this direction are courageous and selfless. They have recognized that they are not as effective as they once were at reaching their community but continue to have a burden for their lost neighbors.
After Paul the Apostle was stoned and left for dead outside of Derbe, he was confronted with a hard decision, to either bleed out or get back up. Acts 14:20 shares that “after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up.” It wasn’t an easy decision but he voted to live! So should your church!
Momentum changes everything. Leaders need to leverage natural change points to launch their ministry plans forward. Every year without fail your church is given two natural launching points for just about anything you want your people to engage with. Why swim upstream when you don’t have to?
The two natural change points in a year are back-to-school time and the start of a new year in January. Why? People are already thinking about change. In fact, they are embracing it. I know change is not a welcome thing most of the time, but these two times of the year rewrite our emotional connection to things.
Some may argue that Christmas and Easter are the biggest times in the life of the church, and I would agree. People come to church on these days when they will not come on others. We should use publicity and send intentional invitations to special services. But that is different from launching new things and creating momentum. For many churches, once Christmas and Easter are over, so is the energy.
The middle of August through September and January-February are prime times for churches to launch new things. The time is ripe to start a new class, have a fellowship or party, start a new sermon series, have an emphasis on inviting guests, or even make changes around the building to freshen up the environment.
Every August and January, I would plan a multi-week emphasis so that we could move out of our comfort zones and into action. If you have not started planning yet for this August, begin thinking what can you do for the two or three weeks after Labor Day. It’s late, but it’s not too late.
Communication, communication, communication! As leaders, we need to communicate what we are doing and why we are doing it. I have found that the times we experienced the greatest launches were when we communicated early, often, and clearly.
When we are communicating the “what” and “why,” we need to believe that what we are doing is meaningful to the mission of bringing the gospel to the community. Unfortunately, many leaders have stopped believing anything will work. We should pray and ask God to breathe fresh air into our hearts and minds. Prayer must be the foundation of the launch.
Remember, if we aren’t excited about what is coming, nobody else will be either!
Resources I recommend: One Hundred: Charting a Course Past 100 in Sunday School by David Francis and Michael Kelley
Michael Hyatt, Lead to Win podcast Episode 1: “4 practices to become a selfaware leader”
RICH COCHRAN is a pastor in South Carolina who previously served as IBSA’s director of leadership development.
f your church’s fall ministry plans include starting a new ministry to women, or if the desire is to reinvigorate an existing ministry, let me urge you to start with this question: What is the ultimate goal, discipleshipwise?
aim is for these discipleship groups to exist as a place for women within a women’s ministry to read the Bible together, and to share their questions and struggles.
At the end of an agreed-upon timeframe, the group members are ready to replicate—each engaging three to five more women to be involved in a new discipleship group.
Each group includes:
• Intentionality to replicate
• A Bible-reading plan to work through together
• Scripture memorization
• Journaling
• Prayer
• Biblical community
This is the time of year for starting new things— school is in session and families are heading back to more structured activities. Now is the time you might plan an event to attract women to your church’s ministry and slate of fall offerings. By all means, have those events. Connect them purposefully to Sunday school classes and Bible studies and missions opportunities. But add one, simple piece to your ministry: small discipleship groups of 4-6 women that meet with the express purpose of walking more deeply with Jesus.
This is the model we’re discussing with IBSA churches, based on tools developed by Replicate Ministries. The
These discipleship groups are places to, in the words of Philippians 2:12, work out our salvation. They are safe spaces to talk about how to deal with sin. They are rooms where women will develop deep, lasting, redemptive friendships, and where they’ll learn the value of discipleship so they can extend that ministry to other women.
IBSA is ready to help your church add a discipleship group strategy to your women’s ministry. Or if you’re in the beginning stages, let us come alongside you with resource suggestions and tips we’ve found helpful for engaging women in meaningful, transformative ministry.
We believe great women’s ministry is rooted in a great desire to disciple women.
CarmenHalsey@IBSA.org
Men are action-oriented, so it only stands to reason that your men’s ministry likely includes hands-on activities. Construction projects. Disaster Relief. Practical, needed ministries to improve your community.
These are important things, and they are certainly effective at drawing men to a men’s ministry. But too often, we invite men to an event like a conference or a monthly breakfast and immediately engage them in missional activity. The activity is great, but we’ve gotten things out of order if we don’t focus first on the spiritual health and strength of the men in our ministries.
In his “Sleeping Giant” book and study curriculum, Kenny Luck outlines a small-group process that prioritizes discipleship of men, so that when we do send them out, they are armed with God’s truth and a right-sized vision of their identity in him. At the same time, pastors are challenged to cast a biblical vision the men of the church can engage and serve.
health and growth and actually prepares them to serve as leaders in the church, not just participants in a ministry that operates largely outside of it.
In their g roups, men meet to discuss dealing with sin, the intricacies of marriage, the importance of friendships, and how to lead a family. They also tackle big questions about engaging in God’s mission. Luck’s book is just one resource IBSA can connect churches with for effective, discipleship-focused men’s ministry.
The danger of skipping the discipleship step is, of course, sending out men to do missions without a biblical view of themselves and of God. But when we shortchange discipleship by focusing completely on action-oriented men’s ministry, we also risk sidelining men as leaders. Discipleship puts men on the path to spiritual
Think about this: A man new to your church and your men’s ministry could likely be plugged into a hands-on activity immediately, without much thought to his overall discipleship. Or, he could enter a small-group process designed to show him God’s plan for his life, and his place in God’s vision for the church. The latter allows a spiritually healthy man to engage from a point of spiritual strength, instead of spiritual brokenness.
Immediate missions engagement is a positive thing, but only if it doesn’t detract from the better thing: investing in men and men’s ministry with a long-range view of discipleship.
by Scott Nichols
reacher, you better give a talk on money. Things are a little tight around here.”
Pastors have a version of that conversation all the time. The roof needs repaired, VBS is coming, and there are the weekly expenses to run the church. The mortgage, utilities, and payroll are all due. And finally, there’s funding for ministry needs. Building programs and staff additions only add to the pressure we feel to raise resources with no guaranteed source of income. No one I know would run their businesses this way. But, this is our calling—our life.
I believe pastors are called by God, biblically literate, and committed to ministry. I am confident pastors
understand the theology of generosity. Pastors pray. But, pastors are often frustrated about the demands raising money places on themselves and the churches they serve.
We pastors wonder: How can I generously resource our ministry? How can I preach on money without sounding like a televangelist?
After pastoring for 30 years, planting two churches, turning around three churches, and building multiple buildings, here are five practical things the Lord has taught me about preaching on generosity:
1. Pastors are the Chief Resource Raisers. We cannot delegate this task to deacons, trustees, or influential members, even if we are uncomfortable preaching
about money. God called us to lead and care for the church we serve. This is our responsibility. We must model and teach God’s people the power and reward of generosity. (If we don’t trust God’s promise to bless generosity, God help us!)
Fundamentally, giving is a spiritual discipline, an exercise in faith. If God gets our hearts, he’ll get our wallets. The more spiritually healthy a church is, the more generous it will be. When we pastor the people well and call them to spiritual maturity, giving will grow. God’s word has plenty to say about giving, pastors must teach it boldly. Strengthen people with truth.
2. People give to vision more than to need. Like every family, every church has needs: salaries, mortgages, repairs, utilities, building funds. But mortgages and personnel numbers are not motivational. Pastors must deliver clear, compelling vision. What are we accomplishing with the offering?
Do the people know that their dollars free pastors to devote their full time to ministry, support missionaries around the world, and heat/cool/light the buildings where God’s word is taught and the next generation of Christian leaders are prepared? Deliver this message often. Perhaps in previous generations members gave out of duty (I would argue this isn’t true), but today people give to mission. Competition for ministry dollars is fierce. The church’s most generous givers respond to vision. And this is right.
I would ask pastors, do offering times during the worship services connect giving with mission? After all, giving is worship as surely as singing and preaching. Recently Crossroads Church sent many students and volunteers to summer camp. It’s one of our best evangelistic events of the year. It’s also the most expensive event of the year. During our offertory the week of camp, we showed video highlights of what God was doing at camp. The next day a new family contacted me and paid for 10 scholarships. During that week 20 students trusted Christ as Lord. We baptized a dozen new believers the following Sunday. The service was a raucous celebration. We connected vision to giving. This invites generosity.
3. Tell the truth. So often pastors fret about finances and complain that no one cares. We bear burdens the Lord never intended that we carry alone. The reality is that people simply may not know the need.
If they show up week after week and the lights are on and the services are held, most people will assume things are okay, unless we tell them otherwise.
Do you publish the budget? Do you show progress year-to-date? People have busy lives, so we must inform them about our church family finances.
Recently we fell behind in budget. We had a series of heavy expenses and giving was down from last year. Things were very tight. Here’s how I handled that tough situation: First, I gave a full accounting to our staff and elders. Then we prayed.
A few weeks later I took five minutes at the beginning of a Sunday message and updated the people. I asked them to take out their bulletins and look at the numbers. (We publish financial information weekly.) I was honest with them about why we were behind. Then I spoke to three kinds of people in the room: I invited those who were new to begin giving. I encouraged those who give occasionally to step up to faithful giving. I challenged our committed givers to be more generous and help us regain momentum. Specifically, I said, “We are committed to growing our generosity, not shrinking our mission.” And, I told them that my wife, Vicki, and I had increased our giving twice this year because we love the church and believe in the mission. The people were very generous the following weeks. They simply needed to hear the truth.
4. Build trust. People give to what they trust. We must develop a transparent budgeting process, put things in writing, and have financial checks and balances.
We make it a practice to keep the offering and income side of the finance team separate from the expense side. We keep reports understandable, accurate, and simple. My rule is that any financial report to the congregation must be on one page. Staff, elders, and deacons get longer reports, but not more than three pages generally. Our pledge is to communicate financial matters clearly and concisely, then move heaven and earth to keep our word. If we promise to use money for a specific purpose, we use it for that purpose only. And report back.
That builds trust.
A few years ago, an elder was presenting the proposed budget at our annual meeting. Someone from the congregation asked a clarifying question. That elder replied, “Oh yeah, that line is a little misleading . . .”
He meant that the wording was unclear, but I immediately stopped the meeting and said, “If that line is misleading, then we will change it now, because we will never mislead you.” The elder was mortified, but I had to speak in the moment to champion our value of honesty.
The Apostle Paul was adamant on this point. He wrote specific instructions to the Corinthian church about how to handle an offering for the poor saints in Jerusalem. “We take this course so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being administered by us, for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord’s sight but also in the sight of man” (2 Corinthians 8:20-21 ESV, emphasis added). That is great counsel.
5. Celebrate. In the church, we are champions at worrying about financial need, but rarely does the church celebrate its victories. People will get the idea that we are perpetually in crisis if we don’t celebrate when God comes through. Never forget that what gets celebrated gets repeated.
God’s word has much to say about money and giving. Consider preaching and teaching these verses to inspire generosity.
Deuteronomy 8:17-18
Give God the credit he deserves for your wealth.
Proverbs 3:9-10
Honor the Lord with your firstfruits.
Malachi 3:6-12
Tithe, don’t rob God, you will be blessed.
Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you.
1 Corinthians 16:1-4
On the first day of the week, put something aside.
2 Corinthians 8-9
Give generously; the Lord loves a cheerful giver.
Galatians 6:6-10
Let us do good to everyone.
1 Timothy 6:17-19
Be rich in good works and generous.
In 2015, we raised money to convert our staff offices into children’s space. The congregation was very generous and we surpassed our goal in only three weeks! However, it took four months to complete the work on the building. It would have been easy to forget the victory and move onto the next priority on our “to do” list. But, we didn’t let that happen. We kept our progress and victories before the church family.
When we tore out the old carpet, we invited the congregation to sign the raw concrete with favorite verses and thoughts. We scheduled tours of the remodeled space. After we moved in the kids, we celebrated by showing a video of the project, bringing the volunteers onto the platform and applauding them. Then we shot off confetti cannons—in the services! It was a mess, but we celebrated our victory, and the people were thrilled.
When Nehemiah finished rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, he ordered the people to celebrate: “He said to them, ‘Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing…for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength’” (Nehemiah 8:10). Church leaders will cultivate a culture of generosity in the church by celebrating the wins, not simply by pressing home the need.
Crossroads, the church we planted in 2001 and where I still serve, made an early commitment to generosity. Proverbs 11:24-25 has defined our approach to money. The congregation hears these verses from me regularly, and they see them in print too:
“One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.”
We must preach unapologetically about giving generously to share the gospel and build up God’s church. Nothing else we spend our money on will matter in a million years. Tell God’s people that!
SCOTT NICHOLS is senior pastor of Crossroads Church, an IBSA congregation in Carol Stream, Illinois. He has served as a member of the IBSA Board. snichols@ crossroadschurch.us
The Wall Street Journal states that 70% of all Americans live paycheck to paycheck, have insufficient savings, and are vulnerable to most any economic disruption. Christians instinctively wish to give and bless others—it’s part of who we are at heart. But before God’s people can give generously, they must first have the capacity. Teaching God’s people to handle money wisely is the first step. Then, they can support the work of the local church.
Very intentionally broadcast your church’s vision. When the membership of the church can clearly articulate the “why” of the church and “how” you are going about accomplishing the “why,” church giving increases. Put simply, people are partnering with the expansion of the Kingdom of God through their church and that’s exciting. That partnership is key. The more mission-minded (and generous) the church is, the more inspiring the church is to individual members.
Key 1: How much communication do you do linking the vision and mission of the church to the spending plan?
Promote your budget as ministries of the church. It’s not just personnel; it’s ministry to youth. It’s not just a utility expense; it’s providing space for worship and connections to occur among God’s people. There are some great resources on budgeting out there and the best ones encourage you to break down the budget into the ways you impact lives for the Kingdom.
Key 2: Can you make a list of expenses by the ministry they support?
Stewardship is emphasized as spiritual joy. Too often the church speaks of support of the church as a duty or obligation—and certainly, that’s true. But even more important is the absolute joy and honor to partner with God to change the world. “God loves a cheerful giver” is
probably more to the point than “God loves a dutiful giver.” When people are motivated by obligation, they usually find the minimum they can give. When people are motivated by joy, they usually find the maximum.
Key 3: How can you tell the stories of the joy resulting from the church’s ministries, thereby inspiring joy in the givers who support them? stand the location of the resources of God’s people. If only 9% of people’s financial resources are in cash, why is the church only accustomed to receiving a check or currency? Why not stock? Real estate? Critically, the largest act of financial stewardship we will ever contemplate is in our estate.
Key 4: How can we let people know the church is able to receive gifts other than cash?
omote giving that lasts beyond our lifetimes. Are you actively promoting estate planning? Do your people know that with just a bit of intentional planning they can give more to family and more to God’s Kingdom than they ever thought possible. Unless the Lord returns during our lifetimes, we will physically die. What an amazing thing for church members to know they can endow their regular church giving, enabling them to reach out and impact multiple generations through their church.
Key 5: When shall we schedule a teaching conference for lifetime stewardship and estate planning?
DOUG MORROW is executive director of the Baptist Foundation of Illinois, a ministry of the Illinois Baptist State Association. Doug.Morrow@baptistfoundationil.org
Hijack Scenario #1: After being swayed by a new church member who wanted his missionary friend to receive more of the church’s mission budget, the finance chairman decided to put all the church’s missions line items into a pot and divide them evenly. The result? Cooperative Program (CP) giving went down from 8% to 3%.
Hijack Scenario #2: The church treasurer thought the way to balance the budget was to cut missions giving. He wanted to make CP giving a flat sum, rather than a percentage, and cut the local association out almost entirely. Thankfully, a long-time church member spoke up about the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) legacy of CP giving and the percentage approach was retained. Sadly, the association giving still got cut.
If you don’t think a situation like this can happen at your church, think again. These are true stories. The missions budget can get hijacked. The SBC legacy of CP giving can be forgotten. The most powerful thing Southern Baptists do as a united body of believers can somehow end up on the chopping block.
“I think if a church decided they didn’t want to give to the Cooperative Program anymore, I couldn’t stay on as their pastor,” said Jeremy Hamson, lead pastor at Belle Rive Missionary Baptist Church. “That’s how strongly I feel about it. That’s how strongly I feel God leading us to keep giving faithfully to the Cooperative Program.”
Hamson said thankfully there is no chance of either of these scenarios (or something similar) happening at Belle Rive in the near future. The church currently gives 13% of its budget to CP, and another 7% to Salem South Baptist Association.
“It’s in the DNA of our church; it’s so intrinsic to who we are that we can’t separate the two,” Hamson said.
But while the members of Belle Rive are in agreement about the importance of CP giving right now, Hamson knows as pastor he must lead the way in educating new believers and new members in order to keep missions giving secure in the future.
“There is going to be a young guy in your congregation who asks, ‘What do I get out of that? How does that help our church? What do people in my community get
Keep your church’s missions giving from being waylaid.
out of that?” Hamson said. “And we need to be putting the why’s of the Cooperative Program out there so much that everyone can answer those questions, not just the pastor.”
So how can pastors help make sure their church’s CP giving doesn’t get hijacked? Illinois pastors weighed in on their personal strategies to keep CP giving strong now and for years to come:
Educate in love. Teaching a congregation about how CP works and why it has been proven to be the best way to fulfill the Great Commission is a must. Hamson knows giving faithfully to CP is the right thing to do, but getting defensive about protecting those dollars isn’t the answer. Listening to the questions and presenting the truth about the local church’s impact through CP is how others will be convinced.
“It’s the heart of approaching the issue that makes the difference,” Hamson said. He advised walking through how CP works once or twice a year. “‘Your faithful giving makes a God-sized impact to support the spreading of the gospel,’ I say to our people in worship. Break it down and show them in love.”
Reveal the numbers. The pastor at First Baptist Church of Brookport, David Siere, recently led his congregation in a sermon series on giving. He started by presenting the numbers.
“One of the things I like to point out is that only 2.99% goes to the SBC operating budget,” Siere said. “We know our dollars go to furthering the gospel. It’s wonderful, and I think the numbers speak for themselves.”
Show missionary faces. While some in his congregation call them “commercials,” Hamson said he shows SBC missionary videos during worship services because the video clips show where tithes and CP offerings are going.
“Our people need to know that the 13% we give supports the missionaries who are already on the field,” Hamson said. “We are their base of support and they don’t have to go around and ask for money, but instead can focus on spreading the gospel.”
Showing missionary faces and stories not only connects church members to the real people who are called by God, but it also encourages members that God is at work.
“I’m a fir m believer in letting people see what’s going on,” said Pastor Randy Hayes of East Salem Baptist Church in Mt. Vernon. “That’s how they will understand
the vision of what you’re doing—the impact it is making—and they will get on board whole-heartedly.”
Utilize cooperation. The Illinois Baptist State Association is determined to offer as many leadership-training opportunities as possible for its member churches. Resources are available through the SBC legacy of cooperation, but it’s up to pastors and church leaders to take advantage of what’s there.
“IBSA makes it a point to help strengthen our churches,” Siere said. “We’ve had so many IBSA people down here encouraging our church and blessing our efforts. As far as I’m concerned our state convention wants to be the best support they can be. It would be foolish not to take part.”
Pastors agree that one of the best reasons to continue giving faithfully to CP is that it is a sure way for everyone to come out winning. Siere said one of the best examples of cooperative giving is in 2 Corinthians when Paul writes about the Macedonians. They gave beyond their means, but not recklessly. Paul’s letter gives the sense that they determined the amount they could contribute, then went beyond that figure.
“We can likewise be part of something so much bigger than we normally would, every time we give to CP,” Siere said. “When a person is a good steward of what God has given them, the people who are lost win, the convention and all its ministries win, and, most of all, the giver wins. I think we should keep that truth in the forefront of any teaching we do on giving.”
Hayes agrees. “God loves a giving church and God blesses a giving church, and CP allows us to give farther than we ever could and impact the world around us, fulfilling the Commission God gave us.” R
73% of U.S. churches carry debt, according to StewardshipCentral.com. The average debt is above $4 million. While the Bible doesn’t forbid debt, excessive debt can be limiting on a church’s ministry. Debt must be used carefully.
LifeWay’s Thom Rainer advises the maximum debt payment churches should budget is 33% of annual income for most churches, up to 40% for fast-growing churches. And the maximum debt a church should owe is 2.5 times the annual income for the previous year.
For the team to discuss: How does our church’s use of debt compare to the percentages above? Can debt be used responsibly to advance ministry?
The Bible’s teaching on tithing is clear, but in the United States, even Christians who espouse the 10% rule average giving about 3% of their gross income to their church. Thom Rainer says in most situations, effective giving can be defined as $26 per week for every person in average attendance, including children and preschool.
For example, a church with an average worship attendance of 100 should average at least $2,600 in weekly budget giving. This ratio is obviously greatly impacted by demographics.
Do the math: Our average attendance ( )
$26
Vonne Laue of Church Law & Tax advises that personnel costs (salaries and benefits) should fall between 40% and 55% of expenses. Mandatory debt service payments, including interest, should be no more than 15% of total expenses.
Our personnel expense ( ) + debt service ( ) ( )
1 2
Compared to total expenses ( )
Add together the total cash expenses (including personnel) and divide that total by the average number of adult attenders or giving units. Attenders should understand the cost to operate the church, before missions and ministry monies are allocated—and whether they are covering their own cost.
Expenses, not including missions ($ ) adult attenders ( ) cost per person ($ )
When a church experiences economic difficulties, the ministry and mission expenses are usually the first to be decreased as debt service payments are not discretionary and personnel costs are difficult to reduce. Monitoring the missions-toexpense ratios over time will allow the church to identify significant changes.
Cooperative Program and other budgeted missions ($ )
Compared to total expenses ($ )
3 4
How much does it cost to operate the church buildings? Add up building and grounds maintenance, personnel salaries and benefits, outside contract labor, utilities, security, liability insurance, and rent or mortgage payments. This number is helpful in comparing costs with other similar size facilities, and for tracking increases as the facility ages.
Facilities expenses ($ )
total square feet ( ) cost per square foot ($ )
A few dates and events that may affect our ministry plans
SEPTEMBER
9-16 Mission Illinois Offering Week
14-15 Illinois Changers
21-23
OCTOBER
7 Youth Encounter
11-12 CISM Chaplaincy Training
19-20 Disaster Relief Training
27 Kids Ministr y Resource Conference
NOVEMBER
2-3 AWSOM Weekend for Teen Girls
6-7 IBSA Pastors’ Conference
7-8 IBSA Annual Meeting
DECEMBER
2-9 Week of Prayer - IMB & Lottie Moon
Sunday, September 16 is National Back to Church Sunday Now is the time to follow up on all summertime events and guest with a special invitation to a special Sunday. Make the worship services especially engaging for visitors. Give them reasons to return the following week. And follow up with everyone who visits with a contact, thank-you message, and a gift to show your church cares.
Key questions:
What age group or demographic needs a new Bible study group?
infants/toddlers
preschool
elementary middle school
high school college
young adults/Millennials
single adults
nearly/newlyweds
single again
men
women
not-yet-retired Boomers
senior adults
neighborhood people
When the kids go to back to school, everyone gets serious about life and work again. The relaxing days of summer give way to a season for study. And Fall becomes the best time to encourage everyone to dig deep in the Scriptures.
But what can your church offer to excite people in discipleship? Take a quick inventory using this worksheet.
shift workers
other:
What topic(s) would help people grow spiritually?
overview of the Bible
specific Bible book
basic Christian beliefs
Baptist Faith & Message men’s study
women’s study
teen discipleship
Team KID
children’s discipleship missions
marriage
parenting stewardship
money management
other:
Who would “the pastor’s class” serve who is not currently attending Bible study?
List adults who attend worship, but not a small group or class:
Who can teach?
List candidates to serve as teachers, leaders, facilitators, or apprentices:
Where can we hold a Bible study or discipleship group in the community? What demographic group would it likely serve?
Which church members would serve as good small group hosts in their neighborhood?
“Mary…sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.”
– Luke 10:39
3 Labor Day-IBSA Holiday
8 Sunday School Director Training
IBSA Building, Springfield
9-10 Disaster Relief Roundtable (Blue Hats)
Chatham Baptist Church, Chatham
9-16 Missions Illinois Offering Week
11 IBSA Board Meeting
IBSA Building, Springfield
11 Training Night
First Southern, Colona
14 Pastors and Spouses Date Night
Broadview Missionary, Broadview
14-15 Illinois Changers
Streator Baptist Camp, Streator
15 Beth Moore Simulcast
IBSA Building, Springfield
18 iConnect - IBSA Pastors Meet • Up
IBSA Building, Springfield
20-21 Essentials in Women’s Discipleship
IBSA Building, Springfield
21-23 Illinois Changers
Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp, Pinckneyville
24-25 Leadership & Revitalization Conference
Streator Baptist Camp, Streator
28-29 Missions Expo
IBSA Building, Springfield
Cooperative Program Month in October
Many people don’t know why their church gives to missions through the Cooperative Program. New Baptists and new members especially need teaching in the value of this excellent means of funding missions, missionaries, and theological education.
Choose one Sunday or more in October to teach about CP, so everyone will be on the same page when your church’s budget season comes. Plan now to share CP missions stories, show CP videos in worship, and distribute CP materials to explain how it works. The Cooperative Program is quickly approaching 100 years old.
Materials for download at IBSA.org/CP
Our connection to CP: (pastor, student, missionary, or mission trip attenders)
Someone who can share about IBSA:
Date for CP Sunday:
1-31 Cooperative Program
5-6 Women’s Associational Ministry/Missions Leaders’ Training
IBSA Building, Springfield
Youth Encounter
5 Chicago South – Connection Community
6 Chicago North – Starting Point Community
7 Marion Civic Center, Marion
Tabernacle Baptist, Decatur
8-9 Pastor Prayer Retreat
Lake Sallateeska and Streator Baptist Camp
11-12 Critical Incident Stress Management
Chaplaincy Training Conference (CISM)
IBSA Building, Springfield
16 Training Night FBC, Marion
19-20 Disaster Relief Training Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp, Pinckneyville
23-24 Leading on Empty Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp, Pinckneyville
27 Kids Ministr y Resource Conference
IBSA Building, Springfield
Lottie Moon Christmas Offering & Week of Prayer for International Missions | December 2-9
This annual tradition raises more than $150 million for international missions each year. This is in addition to the offering given through the Cooperative Program. Yet, many people today don’t know who Lottie Moon was or why the offering is important. There’s one week marked on the calendar, but many churches observe the season throughout December. With the leadership team, discuss: how to teach about international missions, planning a visit from “Miss Moon,” inviting a missionary to speak, scheduling a missions study. Look for the LMCO kit in the church office. It’s coming by USPS.
WMU or Missions Leader:
Date for special event in worship service: Event:
Host a Fantasy Football League. Meet up each week to watch the game, compare your rosters, and have a devotion or Bible study. Bring guys (and gals) from all over.
Nominees for League Commissioner:
Related Bible passages to study:
Create a town-wide scavenger hunt. Kind of like the Pokemon hunt from a couple of summers ago, invite local businesses to serve as stops. End at the church with refreshments, prizes, and a time to share the gospel. Consider the “pearl of great price” as your Bible text. “What are you spending your time searching for? Is it worth it?”
Good spots to visit on the hunt:
Town event cleaning team. Many communities have a fall festival of some kind. Instead of planning a competing event, volunteer to serve as the cleaning team at the local carnival, sausage and corn festival, or playoff games. Develop a reputation as servants, just like Jesus!
Event:
Date: Crew Chief:
Winter coat swap. Especially for kids who’ve outgrown their gently used coats, swap! Use the church lawn if the weather cooperates! If you’re outside, people will stop to see what’s going on. Collect coats to give to kids who can’t afford them.
Date:
Coat Captain:
Safety class for hunters. Host a demonstration at the shooting club or host safety courses for young hunters. Pair experts with novices. An excellent “Dads and Lads” type event. Share the story of Esau (a hunter) and Jacob.
Organizer:
Teachers’ breakfast. Tell teachers you appreciate all they do for your community. Ask every family in church to deliver invitations to their children’s teachers. Have it on Saturday morning or before school. Or deliver baked goods to the teachers’ lounge.
Cooks:
Menu:
Teachers:
Tailgate party. Meet on the church parking lot before the nearby high school game. Make it free to the public.
Host class or group:
Date(s):
Home-hosted community dinners. This idea comes from a Chicago ministry consultant who partners with a non-profit organization to host community dinners. It will work just as well for church members in their neighborhoods. Host a dinner with a mix of people of economic statuses and spiritual conditions. With Thanksgiving or Christmas as a backdrop, encourage discussion about the dinner guests’ perception of blessings, or their thoughts about who Jesus is. Encourage one or two small groups to open their homes at the holidays. It’s a excellent way to meet people who need Jesus.
Which small groups or classes would be good hosts?
Socks. When your children’s ministry visits the nursing home, deliver socks. Warm, cozy, bright, white, fluffy, colorful, happy socks. Add a card of blessing or attach an appropriate Bible verse. (Do a verse search on “feet.”)
Date to collect socks:
Nursing home or group home to visit:
Pure religion, winter edition. It’s time for weatherization, but there are plenty of widows (and some widowers) who can’t wrap the pipes or seal the windows. Give the men’s group some names of people they can help. Include some people who are neighbors, but not church members. Intentionally include people who need Jesus.
Host an art market. Tabernacle Baptist Church in Decatur hosted a gallery for members to display their artistic talents a few years back. Expand on this concept by connecting with the local arts community. Invite artists to present their views of Christmas and the Nativity. Allow artists to sell their works, if they wish. Serve hot chocolate on opening night.
Organizer:
Holidays at the ICU. There are families spending their holidays at the hospital. They need to know someone cares. Provide gift cards to nearby restaurants, along with Bibles or Scripture portions, and greeting cards from the church. Deliver the cards in person and offer to pray.
Hospital:
Date(s):
Who needs help?:
Wrapping station at church. Set up a gift wrap center at church to replace the ones we used to have at the mall. Pick a date (such as the first Saturday in December) and advertise it to the community. Supply boxes, bows, and a few big rolls of paper. Instead of elves and snowmen, use Star of Bethlehem or Wisemen as a theme. For those who need or want help, supply good gift wrappers. Have a tech-savvy person print name tags for the packages with a Christmas Bible verse to label each gift.
Lead group or class:
– sources include ThomRainer.com and Vanderblomen.com
2-3 AWSOM Conference
IBSA Building, Springfield
4 Disaster Relief Appreciation Sunday
6-7 IBSA Pastors’ Conference
First Baptist Church, Maryville
7 Pastors’ Wives’ Luncheon
First Baptist Church, Maryville
7-8 IBSA Annual Meeting
First Baptist Church, Maryville
8 New Board Member Orientation
First Baptist Church, Maryville
11 Youth Encounter
First Baptist, O’Fallon
11 Veteran’s Day
22-23 Thanksgiving Day - IBSA Holiday
NOTES:
January Bible Study
Set aside a week soon after New Year’s to get your congregation focused on deepening their life in the Scriptures. The annual five-session Bible study can be scheduled over one week or a series of Sundays and/or Wednesdays. Jimmy Draper is the author of the 2019 exploration of Revelation 1-3, a timely look at John’s instructions to the seven churches of Asia Minor.
Order materials for leaders and attenders now from LifeWay.
Teacher or preacher:
One weekend
One week, or
Month long
Dates:
2-9 Week of Prayer - IMB & Lottie Moon
24-25 Christmas - IBSA Holiday
IBSA Building, Springfield
January 22-23
This event brings together key church leaders from across the state for two days of training on vital leadership issues. Much like the Midwest Leadership Summit, this Illinois-focused event brings expert practitioners in contact with local leaders, to make churches stronger and their vision sharper. Pastors may contact their local director of missions or associational leader to ask about availability. Seating is limited.
Leaders who would benefit from special training:
Sunday School Director Training
IBSA Annual Meeting
iConnect - IBSA / Pastors Meet Up
Illinois Changers Weekend
Disaster Relief Training
Missions Expo
AWSOM Weekend for Teen Girls
Youth Encounter
Four IBSA churches still active today were in existence at the time Illinois became a state in 1818: First Baptist Church, Elizabethtown (1806); Shiloh Baptist Church, Villa Ridge (1817); Bankston Fork Baptist Church, Harrisburg (1818); and Jonesboro First Baptist Church (1818). Illinois’ bicentennial and the work of Baptists across two centuries will be celebrated at the IBSA Annual Meeting. See page 26 for more information. And visit IBSAAnnualMeeting.org.
This event takes place right before the IBSA Annual Meeting and offers spiritual rejuvenation for Illinois pastors, their spouses, and other church leaders under the banner of this year’s theme, “Blazing New Trails.”
This year’s theme is based on Hebrews 10:24. The event begins at 8:30 a.m. and includes a program before the luncheon which ends at 12:30 p.m.
(217) 391-3138 |
9/18 IBSA
A perfect event for pastors and church staff who are new to Illinois, serving in a new ministry, or want to get better connected with fellow Baptists in Illinois. Come away with a better understanding of who we are, what we do, and how we are committed to working together.
10/23-24 Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp
Pastors come together in Pinckneyville to reflect, remember, refuel, rethink, and return. Cost: Free, but preregistration is required.
9/24-25 Streator Baptist Camp
Discover the special connection between leadership revitalization and church revitalization. Pastors and church staff members attend free. Cost for other leaders, $30 per person. Preregister by 9/17.
(217) 391-3137 | LindaDarden@IBSA.org |
9/11 First Southern Baptist Colona
10/16 First Baptist Marion
Receive quality large-group training and an opportunity to attend two breakout sessions. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dinner is provided. Come be equipped for effective ministries, church security, outreach, and small groups.
IBSA.org/TrainingNight
(217) 391-3124 | TammyButler@IBSA.org
9/8 IBSA Building, Springfield
Featured guest is Wayne Poling, former Lifeway Sunday School Specialist. Wayne served as the main trainer in the National Sunday School Director Training Conferences. Starts with registration at 8:30 a.m. followed by large group sessions and breakouts. Conference concludes at 2:30 p.m. Cost is $10 per person, includes lunch and materials.
October 1-31
Share with your church where their CP missions giving goes. There are new resources available online. This is especially important for new members and new Baptists. CP is how Southern Baptists get things done!
IBSA.org/CP
9/14 Broadview Missionary Baptist Church, Broadview
A free night out for Chicagoland pastors and spouses. Enjoy dinner and the comedy of special guest Ken Schultz. Starts at 7 p.m., pre-registration is required.
IBSA.org/LeadershipEvents
(217) 391-3124 | TammyButler@IBSA.org
10/8-9 Lake Sallateeska and Streator
Free for pastors and church staff, others $30 per person. This retreat will enable each participant to spend several hours in prayer. Arrive anytime Monday, dinner at 5 p.m. will be the first meal provided. The retreat includes optional activities such as corporate worship, campfire, and prayer training, and dismisses at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
IBSA.org/LeadershipEvents
10/27 IBSA Building, Springfield
Pastors and children’s ministry leaders can become more familiar with ministry resources and learn how to start a children’s ministry. Churches with existing programs will be challenged to make their ministries even more effective. Plus, get a sneak peek at VBS 2019.
IBSA.org/Kids
For events listed on this page contact TammyButler@IBSA.org, or call (217) 391-3124.
9/8 Green Hills Golf Club, Mt. Vernon
Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services needs fundraising golfers to participate in their annual tourney. Continental breakfast and lunch are provided for this day of fun and fellowship.
9/15 Residential Care Campus, Carmi
The BCHFS Fall Festival is open to the public and all ages are invited to attend. Admission, parking, and all food and activities are provided free of charge (with the exception of the quilt auction and silent auction).
BCHFS.com
(618) 382-4164
KenSteward@BCHFS.com
9/15 IBSA Building, Springfield
Join Beth and thousands of women worldwide as she shares truth to guide your own journey of faith. In this one-day simulcast, you will be encouraged to dive deeper into the Word of God. Beth follows the leading of the Holy Spirit to prepare a specific message for each of her events.
Registration – 7:30 a.m.; Start – 8:30 a.m.; End – 3:15 p.m. Cost $10 per person, includes lunch.
For women's events listed on this page, contact
Third Wednesday of every month, 11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. The leader is Jane Bishop, founder and owner of Take the Next Step. Bishop is a certified trainer for Basic Coaching Skills, Net Level Leadership, and a DISC trainer/assessor. These webinars are FREE and can be enjoyed in the comfort of your own home or office. Topics:
9/19 Leaders Eat Last Research proves that when we feel safe among our “group,” we thrive. Principles from the book “Leaders Eat Last” by Simon Sinek will show how loyalty impacts teams, and why some teams pull together while others do not.
10/17 “Leadership Gap”
What gets between you and your greatness? There is no shortage of conversations about leadership. But there is a shortage of leaders who have identified the gap between who they are and who they want to be.
11/21 “FIVE”
Where will you be in 5 days…5 weeks…5 months… etc.? The trend of long-range planning has decreased in our culture. The rapid changes in technology alone often dictate the range individuals and organizations plan. However, thinking ahead is still viable for good decision-making.
10/19-21 Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp
Join the third-largest disaster relief organization in the U.S. New volunteers are required to take Introduction to Disaster Relief 101, offered on Friday evening and Saturday. Chaplaincy class begins at 1 p.m. Friday. Registration should be completed two weeks prior to the event.
Training fees: New trainees $40, Renewal $10, plus lodging.
9/21-23 Lake Sallateeska and Streator Baptist Camps
Hands-on mission projects at our IBSA camps for students in grades 6-12. Arrival begins 6 p.m. Friday. Project concludes at 10 a.m. Sunday.
Cost: $40 per person (if registered by 8/20), includes lodging for two nights, meals, project T-shirt, and project materials. Late registration is $50 per person, beginning 8/21.
(217) 391-3126 | DebbieMuller@IBSA.org
12/2-9
Encourage your church in prayer, study, and giving to share the gospel worldwide. It’s what Southern Baptists are all about.
IMB.org
9/10-11 Chatham Baptist Church, Chatham
Cost: $25 per person and includes most training, housing at CBC, and meals on location. Does not include CISM or ServeSafe training. Offsite housing is your own responsibility.
10/10-11 Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM)
Chaplaincy Training
IBSA Building, Springfield
IBSA.org/DR
(217) 391-3126 | DebbieMuller@IBSA.org
9/1-8 Costa Rica
Partner with an IMB missionary team and work with church planters from Costa Rica to help start a new congregation. Be involved in activities such as prayer walking, evangelism, creative outreach, working in schools, and gospel distribution.
Cost: $925 plus airfare (includes travel within the country, visas, and meals).
10/5-9
Work alongside leaders from Uptown Baptist Church on ministry projects including street ministry, a community meal, nursing home visits, a women’s day event, and more. Cost: $350 (includes lodging and some meals).
10/11-22 South Asia
Work alongside missionaries assisting with discipleship/ leadership development of their national partners. Travel with the national partners into their areas of ministry (villages, inner city, and day centers), engaging their people group. Assist with special projects to build the missionaries’ credibility for new ministry in those areas.
Cost: Approximately $2,000 (all-inclusive with the exception of custom-ordered clothing for female team members).
To register for the mission trips listed above: (217) 391-3143 | CarmenHalsey@IBSA.org
September 28-29, 2018
Bring your missions teams and church leadership to Missions Expo. This event will provide opportunities for missions strategy development and short-term trips. $10 registration fee includes lunch and resources.
(217) 391-3134 • DwayneDoyle@IBSA.org or (217) 391-3143 • CarmenHalsey@IBSA.org
IBSA.org/Expo
You can make in a complex world
AWSOM (Amazing Women Serving Our Maker) is a conference for girls in grades 7-12 including hands-on missions, worship, and missionary speakers. Girls will focus on current social issues and learn to see opportunities to engage their communities with the gospel.
Cost: $20 per participant, includes lunch and T-shirt.
For more information and to register, visit
IBSA.org/Awsom
(217) 391-3128 | TammyRatsch@IBSA.org
Choose from 5 locations:
OCTOBER 5 – Chicago South
Connection Community Church
OCTOBER 6 – Chicago North
Starting Point Community Church
OCTOBER 7 – Decatur
Tabernacle Baptist Church
OCTOBER 7 – Marion
Cultural and Civic Center
NOVEMBER 11– Metro East
First Baptist Church, O’Fallon
A one-day youth evangelism event offering great music with Christian artists and top speakers for teens.
For more information, go to IBSA.org/YE2018
(217) 391-3138 | BarbTroeger@IBSA.org
Cost is $25 per student if the church is IBSA affiliated, $30 if not; includes dinner. Chicago events are free.
T-shirts will be available as a pre-order until September 23 for $10, limited availability at the door for $15.
A 2014 study of Protestant churches found a large percentage of their income goes toward personnel, followed by building maintenance and missions giving. Look at the chart and compare the national averages with your church’s spending. Grab some colored pencils and use the blank pie chart to sketch in the current pieces of your budget.
As Southern Baptists, a key consideration in budgeting is how we’re giving through the Cooperative Program, to the local association, and to special offerings for state, North American, and international missions. Compare your church’s missions giving to the national average, and discuss with your leadership team. What pieces of the pie would you as a church like to increase? What steps should you take next to make it happen?
Christianity Today surveyed 1,605 Protestant churches about how they spend their money:
personnel ministries building cost and insurance
utilities, maintenance, cleaning
global and domestic missions, denominational support
administration, travel, other cash reserves debt (other than mortgage)
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.
(815) 672-0084 | MikeYoung@IBSA.org
IBSA.org/Streator and on Facebook
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, and 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 | IBSA.org/Sallateeska and on Facebook
September 9-15
Lostness is growing in Illinois. We need more churches and stronger ministries to share the gospel. This offering helps to make that possible.
Make plans now to encourage prayer for state missions and to collect the offering that supports ministry that’s especially important here in Illinois:
Discuss the need for state missions with the leadership and missions teams.
Name a prayer leader.
Name a promotion leader.
Set a church goal. $
Look for the MIO kit in the mail by August 1.
If it’s been a while since your church participated in the Mission Illinois Offering, please know that your partnership is more important than ever before.
Take it to heart. Illinois needs you now.
