Resource Summer 2021

RESOURCE

EQUIPPING CHURCH LEADERS EVENTS & SERVICES

MAY – AUGUST

SUMMER 2021

ILLINOIS BAPTIST STATE ASSOCIATION

Keep your eye on the team

Celebrate comeback season Permission to reimagine your ministry 5 moves to the future Raw recruits, great potential

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Ideas for summer outreach

IBSA STUDENT CAMP

INSIDE

ILLINOIS BAPTIST STATE ASSOCIATION

EDITOR

Eric Reed

DESIGNER

Kris Kell

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Lisa Misner

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS

Meredith Flynn

Leah Honnen

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.

WHAT A PEACH:

Starting in 1942, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League showed us how to handle challenges greater than ourselves.

They are credited as the forerunner of women’s professional league sports in the U.S.

No crying in baseball? T

om Hanks will be remembered for lines his most famous characters said. There’s Forrest Gump telling a woman on a park bench, “Life is like a box of chocolates.” As astronaut Jim Lovell manning Apollo 13, he alerts the Johnson Space Center, “Houston, we have a problem.”

But for me, it’s the words of Coach Jimmy Dugan that I hear this season: “There’s no crying in baseball!”

You may remember the scene from A League of Their Own. The failed Cubs slugger is coaching in Rockford. He spots his right fielder reduced to tears.

“Are you crying? Are you crying? ARE YOU CRYING? There’s no crying. There’s no crying in baseball.”

The weeping player is named Evelyn. Dugan is quickly face to face with her, continuing his tirade. At high volume he tells how his manager, Rogers Hornsby, berated him in front of his parents on the day they drove from Michigan to see their son play in the majors.

“Did I cry?!” he demands of Evelyn. “No. No! And do you know why? Because there’s no crying in baseball. There’s no crying in baseball! No crying!”

Tom Hanks might be forgiven for yelling at Evelyn, even if Jimmy Dugan isn’t, because in that moment we understand the character’s passion for baseball even when the game has gone against him. His career tanked, he struggles with addiction as he attempts a coaching career, and World War 2 has robbed him of a team even in the minor leagues.

Dugan is stuck turning a bunch of softball players in skirts into a skilled and entertaining professional baseball team. And some-

how it works. The men are in the theaters of war, and the women fill the gaps on the production lines and the ball fields. And who knew that today we would still love the Rockford Peaches.

Seventy years later, we can learn a few lessons about coping in a down season and picking up the pieces afterward. Like the movie, our COVID season has been about a lot of waiting, and maybe a bit about crying. We hope that it soon will be about winning. Challenging the odds—and winning.

We’ve heard pastors share from their hearts about the trials of closure and the pain of isolation. We’ve heard the catch in the throat as some have recounted the deaths of beloved saints, and we’ve seen tears too. But we have heard many wonderful stories about the goodness of God in bad times: God has provided, church members have rallied, and from some places we have heard reports of salvations and baptisms and the emergence of new families as children’s ministries reopened.

All that tells us this: it’s time to reassemble the team and get on the road.

2020 felt like the year we tried majorleague tasks with softball knockoffs. Now, in the summer of 2021, a new field opens before us. In the latest polls, people say they will come back to church. And COVID isolation has created hunger for community in Christians who have missed church and in people everywhere too long deprived of in-person relationships. If nothing else, this pandemic has forced us all to confront what really matters in life, including life itself.

God bless you as you bring the team together once again, identify a few true ministry opportunities, and aim for the fences.

Eric Reed is editor of IBSA media.

DIRECTORY

Executive

Operations Team

Communications

Leadership Development Team

Mobilization Team

Revitalization Team

Carmen Halsey Leadership Development Director (217) 391-3143

Jack Lucas Leadership Development Director (217) 391-3135

Tammy Butler Ministry Assistant (217) 391-3124

Tammy Ratsch Ministry Assistant (217) 391-3128

Tim Bailey CP – Catalyst Northeast Region (814) 221-4173

Jorge Melendez CP – Catalyst (630) 710-3106

Eddie Pullen Church Planting Director (217) 391-3146

Ken Wilson CP – Catalyst Central, Southern Regions (618) 697-1036

John Yi CP – Catalyst Northeast Region (312) 608-0349

Kim Ayers Ministry Assistant (217) 391-3101

Scott Foshie Revitalization Director (217) 391-3122

Linda Darden Ministry Assistant (217) 391-3137

Brad Lovin Missions Director (217) 391-3131

Kevin Jones Church Planting Director (217) 391-3123

Butch Porter Disaster Relief (618) 499-2215

Aubrey Krol Ministry Assistant (217) 391-3138

Ben Jones Leadership Development Director (217) 391-3140

Fran Trascritti Administrative Director (217) 391-3142

Scott Harris Administrative Director (217) 391-3131

Zone Consultants

(630) 908-0853

Brian McWethy Zone 4

(815) 901-2767

Joe Gardner Zone 5 (309) 369-1403

IBSA Zones 1-10

Roger Marshall Zone 7

(217) 259-9665

Zone 6

(618) 946-5720

Larry Rhodes Zone 8

(618) 972-5683

(217) 685-9184

IBSA Camps

(618) 946-9402

Local Associations

ANTIOCH (618) 695-2762

BAY CREEK (217) 222-8867

BIG SALINE (618) 841-9064

CENTRAL (217) 330-7593

CHICAGO METRO (773) 278-4400

CLEAR CREEK (618) 833-4481

EAST CENTRAL (217) 586-5599

FOX VALLEY (573) 579-8143

FRANKLIN (618) 439-3742

GATEWAY (618) 254-3953

GOSHEN TRAIL (618) 839-2981

Brock Vandever Manager

Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp

(618) 318-9424

Jacob Kimbrough Manager

Streator Baptist Camp (815) 992-5947

GREATER WABASH (618) 847-3041

HEARTLAND NETWORK (217) 529-3429

KASKASKIA (618) 227-0001

LAKE COUNTY (847) 336-3960

LOUISVILLE (618) 283-0842

MACOUPIN (217) 854-8279

METRO EAST (618) 624-4444

METRO PEORIA (309) 369-1403

NINE MILE (618) 615-9095

NORTH CENTRAL (773) 354-4754

OLNEY (618) 392-7001

PALESTINE (618) 569-3189

QUAD CITIES (309) 221-4143

REHOBOTH (618) 283-0842

SALEM SOUTH (618) 242-7862

SALINE (618) 252-1440

SANDY CREEK (217) 882-2231

SINNISSIPPI (815) 631-4182

THREE RIVERS (815) 725-7361

UNION (618) 524-9738

WEST CENTRAL (309) 351-5499

WESTFIELD (217) 549-8690

WILLIAMSON (618) 993-6069

Steve Neill Zone 9

Cliff Woodman

Bryan Price Zone 1

Ashby Tillery Zone 10

Go ahead, call it a comeback

VBS is our opportunity for a fresh start

In 2020, churches of the Illinois Baptist State Association reported a drastic decline in Vacation Bible School enrollment. Churches saw 73% fewer people participate in VBS due to pandemic-related shutdowns. While some churches pivoted to offer VBS in small modules, in driveways, or online, many were forced to postpone the 2020 version of a beloved, dependable outreach opportunity.

What a great opportunity, then, this summer offers us! There is still time to make 2021 the year of the comeback for VBS at your church. It will look different than in previous years, almost certainly. But let’s not miss the chance we do have to share the gospel with families who desperately need to hear it.

Plus, as LifeWay’s Melita Thomas wrote recently, VBS is an opportunity to reengage people who haven’t yet returned to regular worship attendance. Reach out and ask how they would like to be involved in this year’s VBS, advised Thomas, or mobilize them to invite friends and family who don’t know Jesus.

Still in the planning stages? Consider these ideas: Weigh your options. Churches may have purchased curriculum last year that went unused when VBS was postponed. Now’s the time to dust off those decorations and ideas. IBSA’s video training on “Concretes and Cranes” is available at IBSA.org/kids, and training on this year’s “Destination Dig” materials will be posted as well.

Switch it up. Last year was different. This year will be too. Families inside and outside the church may still be hesitant to participate in person. Take VBS outdoors using a backyard Bible club-style model. LifeWay has created a kit to help churches do just that.

Or, set up a “drive through VBS” in the church

parking lot, with volunteers ready to lead participants through craft, recreation, and Bible study rotations. In 2020, Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Mt. Vernon modified this model with an indoor, family-centered VBS. The church invited families to sit at socially distanced tables in the family life center, and teachers rotated in to lead in various VBS activities.

Take a whole-family approach. Even if the family model isn’t a fit for your VBS, there are ways to provide an experience for parents that coincides with their kids’ involvement. Offer a parenting seminar or other opportunity for them to connect with parents in the community and at church. If the teenagers aren’t serving that week, provide alternative activities for them based on the general principles you’re teaching in VBS. And don’t forget senior adults. Invite everyone to be there for VBS in some form.

We likely won’t see pre-pandemic numbers at this year’s VBS. But every participant we meet this year is one more person who will hear the gospel, and one more life potentially changed. This is indeed a comeback and a step in the right direction. It’s a way to show the communities around us we’re moving forward, compelled by a powerful mission and message.

This summer, let’s celebrate the opportunity God has given us, and the victories he brings about when we are faithful to share his word and his love.

JACK LUCAS is IBSA’s leadership development director. JackLucas@IBSA.org

W Build a bigger table

Investing in young leaders benefits everyone

hen our team is working on a project or event, it often becomes apparent we need other voices in the process. We identify a gap in our collective knowledge about a particular topic or task. Then we need to expand the table to make room for a leader to bring her own skills and experiences.

These gaps are themselves cause for celebration, because they give us opportunities to find new and younger leaders. What follows is more challenging: creating an intentional process to help that leader develop personally and as part of God’s larger work around her. Here’s what we’ve learned so far:

1. Invest for the long-term. Young leaders want to be part of something bigger than themselves. They lean into opportunities to be better at what they’re trying to do. That makes our task a delicate balance between letting them run and running alongside them.

I’m learning not to pass the baton too quickly. There is legitimately a time for micromanagement. Experienced leaders have the responsibility to get to know enough about the person, their competency for the task, and their want-to in order to assess their readiness for the opportunity in front of them.

2. It’s already personal. Because we’re dealing with people. And people need to know we’re interested ultimately in their journey as followers of Jesus and participants in his work in the world. I try to establish two types of contact with a new or younger leader: one is about the specific project they’re partnering with us to complete. The other is about them personally. Sometimes, we need to meet just to talk about how they see God at work and what he’s teaching them at that moment.

When we show young leaders we care about them and not just a specific task, we put them in a better position to stay connected once the project is done. Developing young leaders can’t be just about what’s in it for our ministry.

3. Fix processes, not people. Too often, new leaders walk away from a project that didn’t work out like they’d hoped feeling like the whole experience was a failure. Or worse, that they were, resulting in a hesitation to try again. If indeed there is room for improvement, experienced leaders can often look at the processes we followed to get to a certain outcome and tweak them, instead of laying blame on the people involved.

I’ve found it helpful to let a young leader know up front that we routinely do quality checks of our processes. This helps them to see this is a proactive step.

Young leaders are often attuned to the culture in ways I am not. They are eager to be in community. They look for opportunities to help deliver something bigger than what they could do on their own. They’re willing to take the reins. And they’re teachable.

Let’s make room for them at the table and prepare ourselves to make a long-term investment.

CARMEN HALSEY is IBSA’s leadership development director. CarmenHalsey@IBSA.org

PERMISSION TO REIMAGINE

But it requires taking courage out of the box

by Heath Tibbetts

Covid has led to many areas of reimagining in our world, such as the value of pre-ordering our food.

Chick-fil-A has so mastered this new reality that I wonder why I was standing in line before and if I ever will choose to again? I’m convinced it’s time for Christians to take the reimagining we see and appreciate all around us and consider the application for our churches.

The church has an unchanging message, but God encourages us to bring that message to an everchanging world. Simply resuming pre-Covid church in a postCovid world misses incredible opportunities. So I want to call you as a ministry leader to boldness by giving permission to reimagine your ministry, to equip and release equippers, and to patiently pursue the scattered.

Reimagine your ministry

Let’s consider a crucial question for ministry leaders in this time: What have I always wanted to change about my ministry, but was afraid to try? Really think about this one for a moment. Whether I’m just now thinking of an idea, or have had one in my back pocket for a while, this can be an intimidating moment. Can I really make this change work?

We easily forget past successes, but I’ve forced myself to sit down and think through previous changes I once feared. Changing the name of Sunday School, starting a second worship service, and cutting back on business meetings were all ideas I worried would face pushback. Instead, the church embraced these changes and my great fears never materialized.

– A League of Their Own, Columbia Pictures

My experience is that people want their leaders to lead, but it requires courage on our part. Eric Geiger’s book Designed to Lead provides us a timely challenge for a post-Covid reality: “Don’t expect out-of-the-box results with in-the-box courage.”

Here’s the test: What is the change our ministry really needs right now? How can we escape the box? We should bounce the idea off others and allow them to help us refine it.

Equip and release equippers

A dead battery in my son’s truck recently illustrated a leadership weakness in my life. This seemed an excellent opportunity to teach him how to replace it and build a new area of independence in his life.

As we began the task in freezing temperatures, my disorganized toolbox wasted our time and led me to do most of the work out of frustration. I realized later this is a picture of why I don’t have as much help in my ministry. The tools and workers are available, but my disorganization, frustration, and even embarrassment often leads me to do things myself.

Dave Rhodes talked about the “excellence gap” at our Illinois Leadership Summit this year. It’s the gap I perceive between myself and those I serve with. My communication skills are better than most in our church and so I do most of the communicating. As a result, I never allow others to grow their skills and close the excellence gap that exists. The excellence gap is not our excuse to exclude, but a call to organize and invite others to develop their skills alongside me.

Regardless of church size, solo ministry isn’t the model. Even Jesus built a team around himself. So we, too, must consider how we build our own team. We may struggle to build these servants because previous attempts to invest in ministry volunteers produced poor results. When this happens, we generally blame the students instead of the teacher.

It wasn’t until a recent podcast with former Navy Seal Jocko Willink that I realized my problem. Willink says the path to productive training is to “train the solider, then train the unit.” Too often we try to train all our volunteers at once. What if we committed to connecting with one volunteer a week over a longer period of time in order to personally train and provide expectations? This has been my new approach through Covid.

Now my weekly to-do list includes the question, “Who did I train this week?” I’ll be evaluating the results throughout the year, but I already like the increased contact I’m having with the servants of our church.

Gathering a scattered church

Let’s go back to Jesus’ team for a moment. The arrest of Jesus scattered his disciples in all directions. Everything they’d grown used to and taken for granted was suddenly gone, as were most of them. After Jesus’ resurrection, he patiently pursued them. He challenged their faith, but never condemned them or writes them off. His restoration of men like Peter and Thomas set them on fire for the work of the gospel!

We’re likely to be frustrated by attenders or servants lost during Covid. When things resume, many will remain slow to return. Pursue them patiently and lovingly. Find out why they’ve been gone. Listen to the family with kids who enjoyed their increased time on Sundays. Empathize with the seniors who were fearful of their health. We must display the attitude of Jesus as we pursue them with patience, and perhaps discover improvements for the future of the church.

As we enter this next season, the changes required for fresh, engaging ministry may be challenging, but it’s ok to reimagine. You have permission. R

Whether I’m just now thinking of an idea, or have had one in my back pocket for a while, this can be an intimidating moment. Can I really make this change work?

– Heath Tibbetts

HEATH TIBBETTS is pastor of First Baptist Church, Machesney Park.

Time for a winning season

My senior year of football, we stunk. Our preseason goal to win every week shifted to a goal to just win once. Which we did—the final game of the season.

As church leaders, it can be easy to watch all the loss from this pandemic and think we need to lower the bar for what makes for successful church ministry. We need to just win once.

But instead of lowering the bar, what if we raised the bar to allow for new opportunities this season has given us? The pandemic has taken so much from us, but one thing it has given us is all kinds of opportunities to look at church and ministry with new eyes. If we are going to find success, we have to redefine success. Here are a couple of ideas.

Make engagement, not attendance, our goal.

None of us likes to admit this, but attendance has long been the big success metric of ministry. Everyone asks, “So what are you running?” I’m not anti-attendance, but attendance doesn’t show how many people we are truly reaching. Attendance only shows how many people are showing up.

Church leader Dan Reiland recently wrote, “Attendance will always matter, but engagement will be the new rule of measure.” Our goal is not for people to show up in the building or show up online. Anyone can attend

something, but real discipleship begins when people engage.

Attending is simply participating; engaging is committing. Committing to what? Growing as a disciple. If a church has a clearly defined pathway to discipleship, then that church can clearly change the way it measures engagement—from simply counting attendance to gauging how people are growing as followers of Jesus.

Doing this will require another shift:

Make gatherings and content about equipping.

Probably the hardest part of COVID for pastors was that it attacked gathering. We couldn’t gather in person for months. A year later, the average church still had only 37% of its pre-Covid worship attendance gathering again. That should bother us, because we were made to gather. But gathering isn’t success in and of itself.

Creating content is king these days. Whether it’s streaming services, podcasts, social media, or church, the big goal seems to be creating more content. Content is needed, and I hope yours is great, but creating content in and of itself is not the goal either.

Rather, gathering and content are only successful when gathering and content equip people for ministry. If people aren’t being equipped when we gather, we are failing them. If people aren’t being equipped to serve when we put out content, we are failing our mission. Scripture says the church exists “to equip the saints for the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:11-12).

I believe God has used this pandemic to remind us of a simple message: whether going or gathering, help people follow Jesus. R

PAUL COOPER is pastor of Marshall Baptist Church.

BIG moves

Leadership expert Dave Rhodes on the future of the church

The future of the church was never dependent on it getting bigger, said Dave Rhodes of Future Church Co. And it won’t be during the church’s recovery.

Our primary problem as church leaders, he said, is that “too often we are faking disciples instead of making disciples. We become slaves to the ‘functional’ Great Commission: Go into the world and make more worship attenders, baptizing them in the name of small groups and teaching them to volunteer one or two hours a month.”

The leadership consultant and pastor spoke at the 2021 Illinois Leadership Summit, a two-day, multi-site meeting of Illinois pastors and ministry leaders. Rhodes called them to a renewed vision of discipleship for the church’s next chapter.

Making the necessary shift to a more urgent call to discipleship won’t happen through usual assimilation patterns, largely stalled amid shutdowns and interruptions. Instead, Rhodes outlined “five big moves” to create the future church.

Move the finish line

Too many churchgoers become stuck in what Rhodes calls the “lower room” of a church. It’s made up of the things that attract people to the church, and it’s a great place to start. The problem comes when people don’t move to the “upper room” that is focused on purpose. The future of the church, Rhodes said, is built on creating a staircase between the two.

To shepherd their people to the upper room, he said,

leaders must “move the finish line” from regular assimilation patterns like small group attendance and volunteer service, to participation in the ultimate purpose of the church—making more disciples. Too often, Rhodes said, we’ve created a false finish line: Is someone connected to our church and are they serving? But the future church depends on a new finish line: Does the believer know who they’re called to be? Are they living that out in their 9 to 5, and making their ultimate contribution to the world?

Become a hero maker

The second big move is for the church’s senior leadership team, and requires a leader to transition from hero to hero maker. Every great story has both. To create the future church, leaders can’t simply be the heroes everyone applauds. They have to look at everyone in the church

and recognize each has a sphere of influence—the group of 20 or 30 or 100 people Rhodes calls the “crowd cloud.”

Even if only 25 people are attending a church, Rhodes said, they may represent 2,500 people on which they have impact or potential influence. Being a hero maker means recognizing a disciple’s potential to reach those people. He told the story of a high-level executive whose church didn’t know how to fit her into its normal assimilation patterns. But she committed to be a gospel light for the hundreds of people she encountered in her workplace— her crowd cloud.

Most churches operate with an assimilation funnel, Rhodes said, that moves people from attending to connecting to serving. The future church depends on forging a multiplication funnel that sends disciples out to make more disciples. When a leader is focused on multiplying disciples, Rhodes said, “we go from simply being the hero of our church that performs goods and services that people can consume, to becoming the hero makers that look at them and see what they could be, that see the God dream on their life.” Helping disciples activate the crowd cloud makes more disciples, and expands the gospel-sharing potential of the church.

Build a training center

Rhodes described every disciple’s journey as happening in four stages. Inspired by Ken Blanchard’s “Situational Leadership,” the phases are based on their levels of confidence and competence, and each one requires a different posture from the leader who is shepherding them through the process (see chart on page 13).

Leaving people in the first stages of discipleship means that churches will create loyal listeners, but not learning leaders. That’s why moving disciples from one phase to the next, from unconscious incompetence to unconscious competence, is so crucial. Of course, it’s not always easy. He warned leaders about the “D2 dip,” where disciples experience low confidence and low competence at the same time. But it’s actually a goldmine, Rhodes said.

“Everything they need for the rest of the journey is in that mine,” he said. A leader’s responsibility is to walk with the disciple through it, lending time, vision, and grace to the process.

If the journey from unconscious incompetence to unconscious competence changes a disciple’s expectation, the next move changes their opportunity. Every person has a kingdom platform. It’s a leader’s responsibility to equip them not just as disciples, but as leaders themselves who are easy to follow and ready to make their ultimate contribution in the world.

This big move expands the reach of the church so that the congregation doesn’t just happen inside the building, but in homes and workplaces, making each a potential “micro-site” of the church. The goal is to recognize every disciple as “a pastor of a parish waiting to be declared,” Rhodes said.

Empower each one Create the future

This is the big move where a church declares its mission and develops language that invites people into that mission. By asking five clarifying questions—what, why, how, when, where—churches avoid getting stuck in the way things have always been. Instead, they articulate a future focused on discipleship, training, and empowering leaders.

Leaders create culture and words create worlds, Rhodes said. “It’s the language we use that creates the world we step into. How do we fight for that language, so that our organizations don’t get stuck in just producing what we’ve always produced, but instead through things like mission and values and strategies and mission measures and visionary plans, we articulate a future that includes the multiplication funnel and begins to normalize that in our congregations?”

Leaders can’t accomplish all five big moves at once, Rhodes said, and there’s no silver bullet. But these five big moves can help the future church emerge. Which one will you consider next? Rhodes asked Illinois leaders. “Which transition would begin to help you shape the future?”

R

– Meredith Flynn

INTERACTIVE: MEASURING PLAYERS’ CONFIDENCE

Based on Ken Blanchard’s “Situational Leadership,” Dave Rhodes’s 4 Phases of Discipleship describe how a Christian can move from incompetence to competence in ministry. Each phase defines a specific posture the individual disciple takes during the stage. And he tells how leaders can relate to them in each stage to help them move to the next.

Ask your team:

Stages 2 and 3 are divided by a dip Rhodes says is crucial for both the disciple and the leader. The disciple’s realization of his own incompetence in compounded by the loss of confidence it brings.

The leader must resist being a rescuer in that moment, but not abandon the downbeat disciple to his own failings. A positive upturn is just ahead.

What stage are you in? How do you recognize it? What are the biggest obstacles to moving on to the next stage? Have you experienced the D2 Dip? Describe what happened. What leaders have had the biggest impact on your discipleship journey? Why?

Discipleship Stage 1

Unconscious Incompetence: You don’t know what you don’t know.

Leadership posture: “I do, you watch.”

LOW COMPETENCE

Discipleship Stage 2

Conscious Incompetence: You begin to know what you don’t know.

Leadership posture: “I do, you help.”

LOW CONFIDENCE

A disciple’s low confidence meets their low competence.

Discipleship Stage 4

Unconscious Competence: You know what to do, and do it without thinking about it.

Leadership posture: “You do, I cheer.”

HIGH COMPETENCE

Discipleship Stage 3

Conscious Competence: You know what you’re doing, but you think through every step.

Leadership posture: “You do, I help.”

D2 DIP

Leadership posture: “I will not rescue you from this, but I will walk through it with you.”

COACHING NEW RECRUITS

Their success depends on effective guidance

by Fran Trascritti

Bruce had hit rock bottom. His days of drinking, carousing, and stirring up trouble with his family had caught up with him, and now here he was, walking alone, slowly navigating the seven miles to his home. He had just cruelly offended his adult daughter, and her response was simple: she pulled her car over and directed him to leave her car. Now he was walking, thinking, and feeling sorry for himself.

While on his way home, Bruce found a Bible on the side of the road. Though it was worn and dirty, he picked it up, seeing it as a gentle reminder to call out to the Lord. “Lord,” he said, “I hear you. Something needs to change. I need to change. God, lead me to a church on Sunday and I will go there.”

That following Sunday, Bruce found our church. He was clearly uncomfortable when he walked in,

but he seemed encouraged by the warmth and friendliness of our church. Later that evening, Bruce came back, and Bruce and I had a long conversation. After a few more meetings, Bruce committed his life to Jesus Christ. He was soon baptized, and he began his journey to be free of the alcohol that had taken over his life.

Bruce grew in the Word and began serving Jesus in ministry. Eventually he became a trusted and respected deacon in the church.

Today, I look back at Bruce’s radical life change with warmth, mostly because I saw how God worked in such an amazing way. Yet through Bruce’s journey, my church and I learned a lot about how to engage, disciple, and connect a believer into ministry. So how is this accomplished?

There’s a process to disciple and build a team. Here are a few principles to remember:

Relationships matter. Let me begin by stating the obvious: relationships matter for people to come to and grow in Jesus Christ. Bruce came to Christ because God used some loving, willing servants in the church who wanted to connect with him. God used our relationships that were formed with Bruce to open the door to his heart need. He came to Christ because God used the Bride of Christ. In other words, relationships matter.

This applies to our everyday lives in our local communities. For example, my wife, Teresa, and I just moved to a new neighborhood. We are trying to be intentional to get to know and serve our neighbors.

God placed this opportunity before me soon after we moved in. After a big snowfall, I saw my elderly next-door neighbor trying to shovel his driveway. He was recovering from a hip injury, so here he was, with a shovel in one hand and

a walker in the other. I couldn’t run over there fast enough! As I finished the shoveling, our conversation turned to Jesus.

Opportunities to connect and serve, even some as obvious as this one, opens the door for gospel centered conversations.

Discipleship matters. A few years ago, I had a desire to plant a tomato garden. I grew up in the suburbs, and it quickly became apparent that I had no idea what I was doing. After getting some advice from a friend, I started with a few small tomato plants. I planted, watered, and waited. Waited some more. And more. Eventually, from one vine came a small flower or two, and from the flowers, tomatoes. I was so proud, and we canned a whole lot of salsa and tomato sauce that year!

Discipleship is like growing a garden: it needs to be planned, purposeful, and continual. For many churches, a natural fit for this process is the groups ministry. Like a garden, growing a group to become a catalyst for ministry takes a steady investment of time and effort.

Invest strategically. Of course, there’s only so much time in a week, so a wise leader needs to find which areas where he needs to invest. If most people come to a church through the worship experience, it is a natural flow to bring them into the groups ministry. One strategic move, then, is to invest time and effort into Sunday School or small groups or whatever the church calls its discipleship ministry. Groups can be a catalyst that can grow believers into

ministry and help expand the Kingdom.

Bruce began to attend a Sunday School class and enjoyed studying the Word. However, it was clear that he needed to grow deeper in an even smaller group where he could interact more. What did we do? We got him involved in an additional, smaller group of men who would pray, read, and encourage one another. This micro group, called “Men on Bended Knee,” helped Bruce grow in Christ as the three in that group met each week. Following the example of Jesus with his smallest group—Peter, James, and John—this investment of believers across various maturity levels in a very small setting resulted in growth in Christ for all. The movement through the groups takes a person through three areas, often at the same time: Growth (micro groups), Gifts (ministry), and the Gospel (missions). (See the chart for further explanation.)

A two-point recruiting plan

So, where do leaders go from here? We know that discipleship is the start, but then how does a leader build a team of gospel focused leaders?

First, it’s important to recruit with the individual in mind. This may be basic, but it is helpful to look at a person’s gifts first, then suggest a ministry that would align with their gift and passion. This is only done when a leader gets to know each person,

Continued on p. 16

Pre-season training the Bible way

There are a multitude of examples in the Bible that show us that to reach the world, we need to start with a few and disciple them.

We see this in Mark 5:37, when Jesus brought Peter, James, and John with him to heal Jairus’s daughter.

In Luke 9:28, Jesus took the same three with Him to a mountain, and they witnessed His transfiguration while He spoke with Moses and Elijah.

Jesus placed a priority on discipling the three along with the twelve, but then sent out the seventy-two in Luke 10.

This resulted in the gathering of 120 believers in Acts 1:15, and at least 3,000 were reached in Acts 2:41. The few disciples became many, and the gospel has gone into the world ever since.

Two big takeaways come from these passages. First, in order to build a team, discipleship needs to occur. In fact, it would be hard to expect that we can build a Christ-centered, gospel-focused church ministry without discipled leaders. Second, this happens by going from a few dedicated people to many.

3-G ministry connects disciples to their ultimate purpose

GROWTH in micro groups

Awoman in her late 60’s began to attend the church I pastored. She came to Christ and was baptized. She was a lovely lady with a pleasant smile and personality. Being a bank teller, it was clear that she was a people person. It was also apparent that she had a gift for encouraging others. Even more, she had a desire to reach people who needed Jesus, but she wondered, how could she be used?

With some advice from her new friends in the church, she agreed to serve on our welcoming team. Her job was simple: smile, greet every person, and set the tone for all who entered the door for Sunday morning worship. She was a hit. I can safely say that her demeanor helped to open hearts to hear the gospel being preached in the service because she served so willingly.

Continued from p. 15

spend time with them, and pray with them about where they might be able to serve that best aligns with their gifts and passions.

This was what we did with Bruce. He loved his neighborhood, and he was in his element when he walked his grandchild to the bus stop each day. After he became a Christian, Bruce would often pray with the parents and the children at the bus stop. In his rough neighborhood, Bruce’s prayers were a welcome cup

GIFTS developed in ministry

As we consider a process for developing leaders, it is important to think about the use of each member’s gifts. This can be accomplished when each group member participates in planned ministry projects in and around the church. The projects might be a church cleaning or work day, bottled water distribution at a park, or other community outreach activities that benefit the kingdom. Doing these types of projects encourages believers to discover and use their gifts.

This type of ministry connects groups of believers who exercise their gifts to the extension of the gospel. When a group intentionally engages in gospel activities—whether it’s Bible study, prayer for missionaries, or short mission trips together—exciting things happen. It also gives believers opportunity to encourage one another as they

of cold water.

Knowing what Bruce did for those families each day, one of my leaders approached him to serve with a new opportunity. Our church had a food distribution for the community once a month, and Bruce’s love for his neighborhood was a perfect fit. As the people were being served, they would go to Bruce to share their prayer requests. He became a prayer warrior, praying passionately with each person. This led to new opportunities

GOSPEL developed through missions

experience community in a different way.

Not long ago, one of my grandchildren was learning how to stand. We all got excited when the baby stood up for the first time. For about one second. After that, he plopped down on his backside. How do you think that we reacted—by expressing disappointment? Nope, not at all. We celebrated with him, laughing and clapping our hands for him. Soon, that baby boy was ready to do it again, ready to climb up the side of the couch, to stand and receive the cheers of his family fan club. All Christians need encouragement. Believers should be in the business of cheering on other believers. Utilizing the groups ministry for special projects from time to time can bring new levels of encouragement for each other.

for Bruce to serve, and eventually, he became a deacon who faithfully served the church well.

Second, recruiting is not enough. There also needs to be a plan to make room for more leaders. An effective strategy for making room is to help the current leaders see the importance of mentoring and training a new leader to expand the ministry. In fact, it makes sense that every leader has a succession plan to pass on the ministry to a new person.

A few years ago, I had a Sunday School teacher who was getting up in years. He was burdened to find and train an assistant teacher for his class. He carefully chose a leader within the class who was faithful and teachable. Each week he spent time with that new assistant to discuss the lesson and the ways that he taught. Soon, he had the assistant teacher lead the class once a month. As the assistant gained confidence, the teacher then began to alternate the teaching every other week. Months later, the teacher became ill and was unable to teach for several weeks, but the assistant was able to lead the class during his absence. Eventually, the assistant became the teacher, and the old teacher happily enjoyed being a student in the class, satisfied that the ministry was in good hands.

Was the teaching style of the new leader the same as the old teacher? Of course not. However, a new leader needs to know that it doesn’t have to be “perfect.” There is a freedom to make mistakes and grow from them. A mentoring process takes this learning opportunity into account during the transition. All in all, the process of handing off to new leaders is adaptable to many contexts, whether starting new classes, leading new ministries, or even for planting churches.

With a gradual end of COVID on the horizon, we have opportunities like never before. Bruce’s story can be repeated and radical, amazing transformations can be seen every day. As a leader patiently works with those whom God has placed in his church family, the Kingdom will be expanded and the Lord will receive his glory. R

Preparing the unprepared

After months of remote meetings and online worship services, my first in-person large group gathering of the year was a Saturday morning women’s conference. My church hosts the half-day workshop every other year as a chance for women to learn from teachers we already know.

Unlike at other conferences, these women are not professional speakers. They’re fellow church members. One of them teaches public speaking to college students. Another worked out her detailed exposition of Proverbs 31 during her daughters’ naptime.

We met with COVID precautions in place and settled in for a morning of teaching on biblical womanhood. What happened over the next few hours was refreshing because there was a reverence for God’s word permeating the room. As each speaker left the podium, the audience’s encouragement was swift and loud.

I (also not a professional speaker) had prepared a talk on being a woman in the current cultural moment. The breadth of that topic made filling the time easy, on paper. But my nerves jangled almost audibly as I walked to the front of the room. When I walked back to my seat 37 minutes later, I was relieved to be done and to have avoided any overt heresies. At least, no one mentioned any to me. Instead, they greeted me with big grins and kind words.

My teaching hadn’t been all that noteworthy. But the women in that room have been directly involved with my growth as a Christian for more than a decade. This team supports one another when they try things they haven’t before, for the glory of God.

Mine wasn’t an easy assignment, largely because of inexperience and a steep learning curve. But I also wasn’t unprepared. The organizers of our conference met with the speakers several times in the months leading up to the meeting, individually and as a group. We went over the finer points of our topics. We talked about the people who would be listening in the room and what unique needs they would bring with them. We prayed our words would convey, in ways we couldn’t muster on our own, God’s awesome powers of design and intentionality.

For Christians, the church is the best possible place to be invited into a process for which we don’t feel qualified. It’s there that people are rooting for fellow believers who step out in faith to try new things, to do things that make them uncomfortable. The church is where God’s power is made perfect in our weakness.

FranTrascritti@IBSA.org

FRAN TRASCRITTI is IBSA’s administrative director of leadership development.

They invited us to speak, then showed us how.

MEREDITH FLYNN is IBSA’s content manager. MeredithFlynn@IBSA.org

Let me ask one question

This simple inquiry energizes my team—and myself

Ileft the deacons meeting one proud pastor. It had been a tiring Sunday evening filled with meetings and preaching. However, I went home greatly encouraged by how God was at work using our leaders.

In our meeting, five deacons told stories about how they had shared the gospel with someone during the past month. Two deacons had hard conversations and shared the gospel with family members, one deacon had talked with a co-worker, another with an acquaintance, and one got the opportunity to share the gospel with someone they had been praying for.

No one had led someone to saving faith that month; but I am overly grateful to serve with leaders who are faithful to share their faith.

Pastors and leaders I admire have encouraged me to keep focused on having gospel conversations and encouraging the church to share their faith. They will say things like, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” If I am honest, however, it’s sometimes hard to keep a focus on sharing the gospel with so many other things filling up my schedule.

If I am not careful, I can spend all my time caring for those who are hurting, counseling, preparing sermons, planning the next ministry event, and going to meetings. If I am not intentional, months could go by before I realized I haven’t shared the gospel with anyone.

One way that I have found to keep our focus on gospel conversations—for myself and our leaders—is to ask this question during meetings: “Who have you gotten to share the gospel with this past week?” I ask that question to our staff almost every week and to our deacons almost every month.

I usually ask that question early in the meeting so that I don’t skip over it if the meeting runs long. Asking this one question helps me keep “pressure on the hose” for evangelism. My staff and deacons know that I’m likely to ask during every meeting. I never give demerits or shame anyone if they haven’t had a chance to share the gospel. I ask the question to keep us all focused on looking for opportunities to have gospel conversations.

I am always greatly encouraged when I hear how God is using others around me. When I hear their stories, it fuels my heart to not miss looking for opportunities to share the gospel with people I come in contact with. Simply asking this question, and knowing that it will be asked, keeps sharing the greatest news in the world on the front of my mind. It keeps me focused on praying for opportunities and praying by name for people to come to Christ.

After asking the question in a recent staff meeting, I later passed by our student pastor in a deep conversation with a young man. He was sharing the story of the prodigal son, and it brought tears to the man’s eyes. His name was Kevin. He had been released from jail that morning and walked to our church. Within minutes, Kevin was praying for God to save him.

God works powerfully through the obedience of his people to share the gospel. It is vital that we keep the main thing the main thing. So, may I ask you a simple question: “Who have you shared the gospel with this past week?”

SAMMY SIMMONS is pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Benton. He is serving as president of IBSA.

for warm weather ministry

We’re all itchin’ to be outside and together again. Choose a handful of ideas from this list and enlist church leaders to make 2021 a summer to remember!

Three’s company

IBSA’s Missions Director Brad Lovin and his wife, Leslie, share a meal with a church family and an unchurched family almost every week. That’s one meal with three families represented. And it’s a way to make connections that would not come easily otherwise.

4 Regional Student Training

Mt. Vernon

6 Regional Student Training

14-15 DiscipleLab

Lake Sallateeska

22 Missions Leader Boot Camp

Lake Sallateeska

PLAN AHEAD FOR The best VBS ever!

Depending on the vaccination schedule, VBS may be a little later this year. But this is the time to give kids a place to celebrate! Dig into the Lifeway VBS kit. And draft a list of ideas and workers.

Spot for a local archeological dig:

Family walks

The Lovins also meet people on family walks in their neighborhood. Start a “family walk challenge” to get church members out into their communities with the purpose of building relationships.

Jump in

Leader(s) for onsite organization:

If your town hosts a summer concert, festival, 5K race, or parade, make sure your church is there. Red Hill Church in Edwardsville hosts a car show. And Riverton FBC is a key partner in their town’s “Back the Blue” event supporting local law enforcement. Coordinate with the people in charge, and volunteer to provide water for the event. Or popsicles. Engage people as you pass out the freebies. Find simple ways to give people more information about your church.

Leader(s) for VBS evangelistic outreach:

Spread out for VBS

Date for workers’ training session:

Dates for VBS:

Relaunching VBS after a summer away, or on Zoom? Take note from local schools and utilize your church building to maintain social distance. Instead of classes leaving their rooms for crafts, music, and missions, ask individual teachers to rotate among the classrooms. Or use this summer as an opportunity to take VBS on the road with backyard Bible clubs.

–Red Hill Church car show, 2018

JUNE

7 Edge Online Courses (Summer Semester)

7-11 Week 1 Summer Camp (Heartland)

Streator Baptist Camp

13-14 SEND Conference

Nashville, TN

14-18 Week 2 Summer Camp (Northwest)

Streator Baptist Camp

15-16 SBC Annual Meeting

Nashville, TN

20-24 Week 3 Summer Camp (Nine Mile)

Lake Sallateeska

28-7/2 Week 4 Summer Camp

Lake Sallateeska

29-7/3 Super Summer

Eastern Illinois University, Charleston

NOTES:

Takeout church

Help people stay connected even when they plan to be away. One church in North Carolina prepares “Takeout Church” boxes with Sunday school materials, outreach ideas, and other resources for a family to have church at home. The whole kit comes in a pizza box.

Laundry day

Volunteers from Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Ill., spent a day at a local laundromat, handing out enough quarters to pay for a full day of laundry. In the process, they made connections with people in their community they wouldn’t have met otherwise.

Picnic party

Pick a day to host lunch gatherings in different neighborhoods around town. Share a meal, play yard games, and help people connect with their neighbors.

Light brigade

Get a truck, a ladder, and a bunch of light bulbs and ask your neighbors if they need any light bulbs changed. (They do.) Take some 9-volt batteries along to help those who can’t reach their chirping smoke dectectors.

Start a blog Chalk it

Writer and self-described introvert Cassidy Poe says her blog lets her move beyond her shyness and proclaim Jesus. Try it at your church. Recruit a small group of willing writers and a simple concept: weekly devotional posts, or updates on summer mission projects and trips.

Missions night

Missions stories are inspiring. Preview upcoming projects or celebrate a recent trip. Invite people who participated to share briefly about their experience sharing Jesus. Encourage them to invite family members who don’t know Christ.

Use colorful chalk to draw out the story of salvation—we were separated from God, in need of a bridge (Jesus), and redeemed by his sacrifice on the cross. Model it for kids at your church in a Sunday school class or at VBS, and you’ll see similar drawings around town all summer.

Support teachers

Back-to-school outreach is back in full swing in most communities. Reinvigorate past ministries by adding a new element. Adopt the teachers’ lounge at a local school. Provide snacks and notes of encouragement.

Neighborhood parade

Gather families in groups of two or three and send them out to plan a simple neighborhood parade. Pick an evening and a reason. Consider the Fourth of July, or maybe July 22, National Hot Dog Day! Connect with neighbors and pick up more walkers along the way.

JULY

12-16 Week 5 Summer Camp (Metro Peoria) Streator Baptist Camp

15 IBSA Online Tech Conference

19-23 Student Camp

Lake Sallateeska

24-8/1 Illinois Changers

Peoria

PLAN AHEAD FOR School year kick-off

They say kids really want to go back to school this year. And parents want them to! Plan a kick-off event with a pep rally or tailgate theme. Make it an outreach event for neighborhood kids.

Leader(s):

Seats at the table

Inspired by a pay-what-you-can community restaurant, a New Jersey church opened their own. The café serves a variety of customers, bridging the gaps between people from all walks of life. The His Table ministry of First Baptist Church in Harrisburg, Ill., has a similar goal, with a monthly meal designed to bring people together.

PIE (Pray, Invite, Evangelize)

First Baptist Church in Salem, Ill., purchased small apple pies, prayed over them in the Sunday service, and sent members out with a pie and an outreach card to deliver to a neighbor.

Pop-up concert

Date for event:

Name:

School supply swag collection begins on:

Recruit a small group from the worship team or youth group to put on a concert in a local park, retirement community, or parking lot. You’re sure to attract attention while also connecting with harder-to-reach neighbors.

Pump up outreach

Publicity plan:

Recruit a team to spend a Saturday morning at a local gas station. Wash windows. Hand out air fresheners and pre-paid gas cards.

AUGUST

2-3 Associational Roundtable

IBSA Building, Springfield

17 Regional Worship Training

Marion

19 Regional Worship Training

Springfield

27-28 Small Church Leadership Retreat

Grafton

PLAN AHEAD FOR New Bible study classes

Plan for increased in-person learning this fall. Or, continue Zoom class for those still homebound. Launch a new class for adults based on life stage or need.

Leader(s): Topic:

Location:

Start date:

Publicity plan:

Church in the park

Get the necessary permits and permissions to hold a Sunday worship service in a local park, with a picnic lunch to follow. Outdoor worship could work on a monthly basis all summer long.

Summer small groups

Find a Bible study focused on people who don’t yet know Christ, and a leader eager to reach people with the gospel. Host an “Intro to the Gospel” study over four or six weeks. Encourage church members to invite their non-Christian friends.

Outdoor baptisms

Who has a pool? Start asking now so you’re ready to host an outdoor baptism celebration this summer.

Create your own outreach:

EQUIPPING

SBC Annual Meeting

6/15-16 Nashville, Tenn.

After a year without a convention, the 2021 gathering of Southern Baptists promises to be lively and engaging. There’s plenty to do and much to discuss. This year’s theme is “We Are Great Commission Baptists.” Already there are four candidates vying to succeed J.D. Greear as SBC President.

The event will be held at the Gaylord Opryland Resort. Registration is required. Churches should elect members to serve as messengers, in order to have representatives who can vote and participate in the convention events.

To register, go to SBCannualmeeting.net

Camps are back!

Bounce Kids Camps

6/7-11 Week 1 Summer Camp (Heartland)

3rd - 12th grades • Streator Baptist Camp

6/14-18 Week 2 Summer Camp (Northwest Assn.)

3rd - 12th grades • Streator Baptist Camp

6/20-24 Week 3 Summer Camp (Nine Mile)

3rd - 6th grades • Lake Sallateeska

6/28-7/2 Week 4 Summer Camp

3rd - 6th grades • Lake Sallateeska

7/12-16 Week 5 Summer Camp (Metro Peoria)

3rd - 12th grades • Streator Baptist Camp

There are numerous opportunities for children and students to participate in a week-long camp experience. We’ve partnered with local association leaders to make camps even better this summer. If ever there was a summer to celebrate, this is it!

To register and for more information,

Rebound Student Camp

7/19-23 7th - 12th grades

Lake Sallateeska

Students will spend a week of fun and excitement in a scenic location while learning what the Bible has to say about living and thriving in these crazy times. Young people will learn what it means to follow and love Jesus. Cost: $165. Registration deadline is July 16.

IBSA Camp Facilities

In addition to multiple weeks of camp sessions for kids and teens each summer, IBSA’s two camp facilities are available for churches and groups to rent for recreation, retreats, training events, and discipleship gatherings of all kinds. Each is situated on beautiful wooded acreage. The camps offer extensive meeting and worship space, dining facilities, lodging, and more. With a whole year to prepare for Summer 2021, the camps have never been better. Contact the camp managers for booking information.

Super Summer

6/29-7/3 Eastern Illinois University, Charleston 6th - 12th grades (completed)

“Comeback” is a training and learning experience for students who’ve already committed their lives to Christ but are seeking fresh ways to develop their fullest potential as a Christian. During the week, students will engage in large-group worship, small-group Bible study, relationship building, purposeful recreation, and more. The goal of bringing a student to Super Summer is to encourage and equip them to live an active life as a Christ-follower at home, at school, and in their community. Cost: $235 per student

STREATOR BAPTIST CAMP

Jacob Kimbrough, Manager (815) 992-5947

www.StreatorBaptistCamp.org

LAKE SALLATEESKA BAPTIST CAMP

Brock Vandever, Manager (618) 336-5272

www.LakeSallateeskBaptistCamp.org

We look forward to seeing you this summer!

IBSA STUDENT CAMP

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Youth Ministry Training Day

5/4 Mt. Vernon 5/6 Springfield

Leaders and volunteers can experience personal and ministry development in an interactive, encouraging, and collaborative environment.

www.IBSA.org/students

(217) 391-3124 | JackLucas@IBSA.org

6/7 Edge Online Training begins

Become a sharper leader right where you live and serve. Multi-week training courses are instructor led, fully online, and highly interactive. Each class is designed to deliver challenging, relevant teaching with a focus on practical application for ministry. Topics available this summer are Introduction to Mobilization led by Scott Harris, IBSA associate executive director, Mobilization Team, and Preaching at the Next Level led by Jeremey Byrd, pastor, Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church, Jacksonville.

www.IBSA.org/ibsa-online-courses

(217) 391-3123 | BenJones@IBSA.org

IBSA Online Tech Conference

5/14-15 Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp

The lab is designed for the church pastor plus one discipleship-oriented church leader (Sunday school director, minister of education, etc.) to partner to learn, discuss, and develop a workable, practical plan for disciple-making in their church. The cost to attend is $50 per church. Event attendance is capped at 20 churches.

(217) 391-3142 | FranTriscitti@IBSA.org

Training Night

8/24 Collinsville

Training night is an opportunity for every church leader to receive quality training including a main session and two breakouts. Leadership in many areas in included. Check the list online. There is no cost to attend.

www.IBSA.org/trainingnight

(217) 391-3124 | FranTriscritti@IBSA.org

7/15

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. Help your staff create an attitude of worship from the bulletin to the preaching.

(217) 391-3123 | BenJones@IBSA.org

Regional Worship Training

8/17 Marion, Illinois

8/19 IBSA Building, Springfield

Worship leaders, vocalists, musicians, and worship technology volunteers will be encouraged in how they lead congregations to glorify God and equipped through practical breakout sessions.

(217) 391-3123 | BenJones@IBSA.org

Get leadership resources at the IBSA Lending Library

The lending library is a resource available to all IBSA churches at no cost with over 400 titles available on DVD. It offers a broad range of Bible studies and topics for women, men, youth, and kids. Study lengths vary. A list of study titles is available at IBSA.org/lendinglibrary.

Disaster Relief

7/16-17 Carlinville, IL

Disaster Relief Training Weekend consists of an executive leadership team meeting Friday at 5 p.m. and training Saturday from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Training includes chainsaw, mud out, shower and laundry, childcare, food prep and distribution, assessment, incident command, and chaplaincy. Additional courses may be added. The Disaster Relief 101 training course and badge renewal are online. The training weekend registration deadline is July 2.

www.IBSA.org/dr

(618) 499-2215 | ButchPorter@IBSA.org

Missions Leader Boot Camp

5/22 Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp 8:30 a.m.-Noon

Boot Camp provides missional leaders with tools in team building, administration, and vision to enable them to be more effective in their church’s mission strategy. Breakout classes offer training for local, regional, and international contexts. Networking opportunities will provide churches with the chance to connect with other churches reaching similar peoples in similar places. Classes will cover how to discover, design, and deploy your missions strategy. A Lake Sallateeska Open House will follow.

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

Popular titles:

Better: A Study of Hebrews by Jen Wilkin

Elijah by Priscilla Shirer

U-Turns by Tony Evans

Take Courage by Jennifer Rothschild

Settle for Nothing Less: Engaging Kids in a Lifetime of Faith by Jana Magruder

For more information, call (217) 391-3128 or e-mail CarmenHalsey@IBSA.org.

Illinois Baptists On Mission

See inside back cover for details

SEND Conference

6/13-14 Nashville, TN

Send Conference is a two-day gathering held prior to the SBC Annual Meeting as pastors, families, and churches across North America learn and celebrate what it means to be on mission together. Special guests include Crowder, Tony Evans, David Jeremiah, Gregge Matte, Vance Pitman, Mark Richt, Michael W. Smith, and Benjamin Watson. Registration is required.

www.SENDconference.com

7/5-10 Ten Mile Baptist Church, McLeansboro

7/24-8/1 Woodland Baptist Church, Peoria

Challenging, hands-on mission projects allow students to see how God can work in and through their lives in practical ways. Illinois Changers is for students who’ve completed grades 6-12. Cost: $150 by May 15 with early registration, $175 after.

www.IBSA.org/il-changers

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

Baptist Children’s Home & Family Services

Angels’ Cove Maternity Care provides women facing unplanned pregnancies with healthy alternatives. Call (618) 382-4164, ext. 2 or e-mail bchfs@bchfs.com.

BCHFS is a multi-faceted family crisis center providing residential care and treatment for teens, plus additional ministries that protect, heal, and restore struggling children and families.

Denny Hydrick, Executive Director 949 County Rd. 1300 N.

Carmi, IL 62821

(618) 382-4164

BCHFS.com

Your IBSA Ministry Partner

GraceHaven, the newest ministry of BCHFS, provides confidential care, free of charge, to men and women seeking answers and options to help them make the best choice for their unique situations. For more information about GraceHaven, call (618) 816-PLAN (7526) or visit gracehavenprc.com

Faith Adoption Ministry through BCHFS is fully licensed in adoptive services for Illinois and has the experience to handle complicated adoptions with personal care and attention to detail. For more information, call (618) 382-4164.

Pathways provides counseling services to individuals, couples, children and families since 1999 in 12 Illinois communities. For more information, call (618) 382-4164, ext. 5.

To learn more about the preceding ministries, visit www.BCHFS.com or e-mail bchfs@bchfs.com.

OUR CULTURE IS CHANGING

Churches often face legal issues, so they need to be prepared. When an issue arises, churches need trusted counsel.

IBSA covers half of your church’s first year cost of membership

We can help your church prepare for these changes.

ADFChurchAlliance.org/culture

Join the thousands of churches that trust Brotherhood Mutual by requesting your free quote.

Because we’re family, IBSA churches receive benefits from our ministry providers.

BrotherhoodMutual.net/mpp.htm

Baptist Foundation of Illinois

Coming off the pandemic and the economic strain that came along with it, many are seeking a plan to return to firmer financial footing.

BFI’s 8-part video series, Biblical Financial Management, is designed to empower Christians to honor God with their finances while easing the financial stress in their lives.

For individuals or small groups

Includes free downloadable resource guide

Available at baptistfoundationil.org/ biblical-financial-management-video-series

For more information about church loans, Christian estate planning, educational scholarships, and investing and saving, visit BaptistFoundationil.org

Doug Morrow Executive Director (217) 391-3102

Doug.Morrow@BaptistFoundationIL.org

Your will is your life’s greatest financial gift. Visit the online section especially for Illinois Baptists. Create your own will there. Or our experts at BFI can help in person, online, or by phone, (217) 391-3102.

Sheila Jessen Office Coordinator (217) 391-3116

Sheila.Jessen@BaptistFoundationIL.org

Leave

a lasting legacy

You can bless your family, bless your church, and bless future generations with simple planning now. Whether you have a little or a lot, a few thoughtful actions today will increase your lasting impact.

LEADER LIFE

Pep rally

Read Acts 11:19-26

Maybe it’s a little unfair to Paul when we stand him up next to Barnabas and make comparisons. But it was Barnabas they named “Son of Encouragement.”

Barnabas took Paul under his wing when others fled in fear of the recent persecutor of Christians. Barnabas defended John Mark when Paul was ready to pink-slip him. Still, we can say Paul learned from his optimistic mentor, eventually writing to the churches both necessary critique and uplifting words.

Think about these questions. Discuss them with the leadership team.

1. Who was your Barnabas in your early years as a leader?

2. How did that person encourage you during difficulty?

3. Name an encouragement technique you learned by observation.

4. Pray and identify someone who needs you to be their Barnabas.

What excellent leaders do well

Iwas a freshman in college sitting on the back pew of Second Baptist Church in Springfield, Missouri. The preacher was Jerry Johnson. He offered a phrase that changed my life: “Want to do great things for God? Get usable and God will wear you out.”

I said, “Yes, God make me usable.” And the next day I surrendered to the call to ministry. Pastor Johnson confronted me, challenged me, but most importantly, he inspired me.

To inspire is to fill someone with the ability to do or feel something, especially something creative. Its opposite is to expire. That happens with credit cards and cartons of milk. They have expiration dates.

When God breathed into Adam, the dust of the ground was made alive with the breath of God himself. There we have a picture of inspiration, to do the opposition of expiration. God puts breath into a person so he becomes alive.

Paul wrote about inspiration to one the churches he founded. He made it clear that this is a spiritual work. “We recall, in the presence of our God and Father, your work produced by faith, your labor motivated by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 1:3).

As with Paul who encouraged his churches, inspiration flows from those who have been inspired. That’s why it’s so important that we remain spiritually healthy in our work, so inspiration can flow from us into others.

Inspiration is temporary at best, unless it is Spirit-driven. There was a point a

couple years into in my work as missions mobilizer for IBSA when I realized this. After leading mission-sending events, I found when I preached, people would cry over the 1.8 billion in the world who have never heard the name of Jesus. But I had to admit I was not as good getting them on the airplane to go share Christ as I was at bringing tears. There is a great difference between creating a moment and inspiring a movement. The difference is the Spirit’s involvement in the process.

Inspiration not just a few well-placed words; it’s often hard work. Many times I have told churches, when perspiration flows from inspiration, you often experience a demonstration of the power of God.

I think of the four guys who carried their paralyzed friend to Jesus. Blocked by a large crowd from entering the place where Jesus was, they climbed onto the house, hoisting up their friend on a pallet, and dug through the roof. They lowered their friend down to Jesus to receive a demonstration of the power of God. Digging through the roof? That was inspired!

But let’s be clear: inspiration is not only about sharing challenging words or stirring up people to work. Inspiration is rooted in our opportunity to point others to Jesus. As Chick-fil-A executive Mark Miller said, if you just hire a man’s hands, you miss the opportunity to win his heart.

Mark Emerson is associate executive director of IBSA.