September 30, 2019 Illinois Baptist

2019 IBSA Annual Meeting At Cornerstone Church in Marion

Preacher, Michael Nave

Going

IBSA joins two suits To

Springfield | The Illinois Baptist State Association will join two lawsuits involving religious liberty issues for the purpose of protecting Southern Baptist churches in the state. The IBSA Board of Directors voted to participate in the litigation in its fall meeting Sept. 10. One case involves zoning regulations that prohibit churches and church plants from being located in certain areas of a city. The other contests requirements that churches and religious institutions cover the cost of abortions for their employees. Both were approved by acclamation.

“Legislation in Illinois continues more and more to be an affront to our religious beliefs,” Executive Director Nate Adams told the Board prior to their vote. “These are just two examples. In the years that I’ve been with IBSA, I’ve never before asked you to join litigation.”

In the first, the Board authorized IBSA to engage in litigation in partnership with the Chicago-based law firm of Mauck & Baker that proactively challenges zoning restrictions in Illinois municipalities which do not currently allow religious institutions, such as churches or church plants, in certain zones of their cities. The restrictions are in violation of the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA).

“We are increasingly seeing the need to assist churches in religious freedom issues such as RLUIPA,” Adams said. Zoning boards and city governments that once viewed churches favorably, or at least neutrally, now see churches as enemies, in part because as non-profits, they

P. 6-7

October is Cooperative Program month. Your missions gifts prepare future leaders.

The Illinois Baptist staff

Editor - Eric Reed

Managing Editor - Meredith Flynn

Graphic Designer - Kris Kell

Contributing Editor - Lisa Misner

Administrative Assistant - Leah Honnen

The general telephone number for IBSA is (217) 786-2600. For questions about subscriptions, articles, or upcoming events, contact the Illinois Baptist at (217) 391-3119 or IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org

The Illinois Baptist is seeking news from IBSA churches. E-mail us at IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org to tell us about special events and new ministry staff.

POSTMASTER: The Illinois Baptist is owned and published every three weeks by the Illinois Baptist State Association, 3085 Stevenson Drive, Springfield, Illinois 62703-4440. Subscriptions are free to Illinois Baptists. Subscribe online at IBSA.org.

Understanding the world where we live and serve

Church needed here...

Location: West Rogers Park

Focus: The neighborhood known as Little India

Characteristics: According to the 2010 U.S. Census, there are more than 242,000 South Asians residing in Illinois, with the largest population groups in the Chicago metro area.

Prayer needs: Pray that God would send gifted planters to Little India so that all God’s people will hear his word.

– IBSA Church Planting Team

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM

Snapshots from the world of Illinois Baptists

“…It is rare to find a church closed on a Wednesday night.”

– Scott McConnell, LifeWay Research

Mid-week meetings

90% of Protestant pastors say their churches have some type of activity on Wednesday nights:

– LifeWay Research, Sept. 2019

the cooperative program

Giving by IBSA churches as of 9/19/19 $4,213,598

Budget Goal: $4,411,538

Received to date in 2018: $4,190,013

2019 Goal: $6.3 Million

NATE ADAMS

Revive and refocus

nce each year, the almost one thousand churches of the Illinois Baptist State Association are invited together into one place, for one large family gathering. The IBSA Annual Meeting, hosted this year at Cornerstone Church in Marion, is for many a “reunion” of long-time friends, co-laborers, and ministry partners. For others it is a time of networking, to forge new relationships and discover new resources and opportunities. For almost everyone, it’s an encouraging time of collective worship and collaborative missions partnership. We are Baptist churches, together, advancing the gospel here in Illinois.

The Tuesday-Wednesday IBSA Pastors’ Conference precedes the Wednesday-Thursday Annual Meeting, and this year the two events’ complementary themes are “Revive” and “Refocus.” These two simple words for me capture the essence of why these gatherings are so important.

The Pastors’ Conference focuses on preaching, worship, and practical ministry assistance. Each year I watch old friends and new acquaintances from across the state walk into the worship center of the Pastors’ Conference, usually with one of two postures. Some walk in tired, beleaguered, even oppressed. They manage a smile when I welcome them and usually say something like, “Well, it wasn’t easy to get here, but I made it. And I need this.”

Others walk in, Bible and notebook in hand, and simply seem eager to absorb, learn, and be refreshed. They often say something like, “I just enjoy being with other pastors, and worshiping and being fed.” Sometimes they’ll even joke that they hope to pick up a good sermon outline or two.

In both cases, these hard-working shepherds, staff members, or ministry spouses are looking to be revived—to be made “alive again”—for their often demanding and sometimes depleting ministry roles. Sometimes that happens during a sermon, or during a worship song. Sometimes it happens over coffee or dinner with a trusted friend from a different part of the state. I’m so grateful the Pastors’ Conference can help “revive” Illinois pastors.

Our annual family reunion is Nov. 5-7.

The IBSA Annual Meeting also has times of inspiring worship and preaching, though it is, of necessity, at least part “business meeting.” Just as a devoted and tithing church member should be very interested in his or her church business meeting, churches who care about and give to the cooperative missions and ministries of the IBSA and SBC should be very interested in their state business meeting!

But through its annual theme and program, the IBSA Annual Meeting also seeks to bring a sense of common vision and challenge to its member churches and their leaders. For example, the “Pioneering Spirit” theme of 2017 hopefully contributed to the 6.8% increase in IBSA church baptisms in 2018, reversing a four-year decline. And we are eager to see the fruit being borne this year as a result of more than 200 Pioneering Spirit church commitments during the 2018 Annual Meeting, when we celebrated Illinois’ bicentennial.

“Refocus” is the theme of this year’s IBSA Annual Meeting, and it is an invitation for us to ask whether a refocused look at ourselves and our churches would lead us to a refocused view of Jesus, and then a refocused vision for the future. We at IBSA have been undergoing that very process, and among other things it has led us to a refocused vision for a more intentional church revitalization ministry that will be introduced at the Annual Meeting.

So whether your need is to “revive” or perhaps to “refocus,” I hope you will come with others from your church to the Baptist family reunion in Marion this Nov. 5-7. I think you will “rejoice” at what you experience as we worship and continue to work together.

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

From the front: Litigation to protect churches and planters

Continued from page 1

may take formerly taxable properties off the tax rolls.

Attorney John Mauck contacted Adams about participating in the suit as an association of churches, rather than having a single church planter serve as a plaintiff. “John really believes we have good reason to approach it this way…. When we prevail, it will spread from one community to the next.”

When asked by a board member if a church planter would have a better standing than IBSA, Adams said Mauck felt the association was better positioned than a single church planter on his own. “Mauck & Baker believes such zoning is in violation of federal statute; what is needed is someone to bring it to [the city’s] attention.”

Immanuel Baptist Church in Chicago, pastored by Nathan Carter, filed suit in 2017 against the City of Chicago when it was blocked from purchasing the building it had been renting. The City sought to impose parking restrictions and refused to provide reasonable accommodations. In a partial victory, the city did not require parking at the church site that it would not have required of other businesses or tenants. At present, Immanuel has purchased the building, but the case has not been completely settled.

Almost a decade prior, another IBSA church, Cross Church pastored by Tim Rhodus, purchased a former Walmart building in Carlinville. In 2008, after the church signed a purchase agreement for the property, the city rezoned the location to exclude religious use of commercial property. The city denied a request by the church to return the property to its former designation, and the church was forced to file suit. After nearly a year, the church prevailed in court.

If IBSA is victorious in its suit, the city where the suit will be filed will serve as notice to other municipalities that similar attempts to place illegal restrictions on churches will not stand up in court.

Opposing abortion coverage

In a second motion, the IBSA Board authorized the association to engage in litigation in partnership with the Thomas More Society seeking an exemption for IBSA entities and member churches from the Illinois “Reproductive Health Act.” The act, passed by the State Assembly at the end of the 2019 spring legislative session, requires employers to provide abortion coverage as part of their employee insurance plans. The purpose of the litigation is to ask for an exemption from the law based on religious beliefs.

A similar law requiring abortion coverage has been defeated in federal courts in cases brought by retailer Hobby Lobby and the Catholic religious order Little Sisters of the Poor. It is expected the Illinois law will go into effect at the renewal of churches’ insurance plans beginning at the new year.

“It’s not practical for every Baptist church to gain an exemption from this law, but if IBSA gains an exemption from this law on behalf of its member churches, any member church of IBSA can claim an exemption from it,” Adams said.

While the litigation involving RLUIPA is important, Adams said, “this one [on abortion coverage] to me is much broader in scope in that IBSA might protect the religious freedom and convictions of its member churches.”

In both cases, Adams noted he consulted with attorneys who are members of IBSA churches. Each action the Board approved stated the “unrecovered cost of the litigation shall not exceed $5,000 without further action.”

– Lisa Misner

William “Bill” Weedman is being remembered fondly by Illinois Baptists following his death Sept. 12 at a hospice facility in Springfield. Weedman, 81, retired as IBSA senior associate executive director in October 2006 after 28 years of service at IBSA. Prior to his lengthy tenure, he pastored churches in Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois.

Weedman pastored Westview Baptist Church in Belleville from 1972-1981. At IBSA, he began his service in 1981 as director of the Missions Division, eventually rising to Senior Associate Executive Director.

“Bill Weedman was my friend, and a devoted servant of Illinois churches through IBSA for many years,” Nate Adams said. “Bill was a wonderful resource to me during my first years as executive director. Bill knew and loved Illinois churches, associations, pastors, and leaders.

“He was a gifted administrator and leader, a gracious and considerate man, and he led IBSA staff well in several roles over the years. In retirement, he continued to be a trusted friend and advisor. I will miss him and look forward to our reunion in heaven.”

IBSA retiree Sandy Barnard shared Weedman “wasn’t just a co-worker or my supervisor, but also a caring friend. He was steadfast in his love for Christ and the church.

“Several months ago, Bill asked me to complete a spiritual gifts/talent/skills packet for him as he was seeking to be of service at the church where he was a member. He knew that God would expect him to serve until he was called home, and he intended to be used.”

Weedman was born May 4, 1938, in Evansville, Ind., and married his high school sweetheart, Judy Mielke, in 1957. He was preceded in death by his parents, daughter, Jennifer, and grandson, Lance. He is survived by Judy and granddaughter, Melissa.

He earned a Bachelor of Divinity and a Doctor of Philosophy from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky.

Follow the latest Illinois Baptist news

NEW SUITS – In the Sept. 10 IBSA Board meeting, Executive Director Nate Adams encouraged participation in two lawsuits to protect churches from overzealous government actions.

Board funds revitalization strategies in 2020

Goals for upcoming year address declines, key priorities

Springfield | Meeting Sept. 10, the Illinois Baptist State Association’s Board of Directors approved a budget that will fund a revitalization process designed to help churches be more effective.

The process will be introduced at the 2019 IBSA Annual Meeting Nov. 6-7 at Cornerstone Church in Marion. This year’s meeting theme is “ReFocus.”

IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams told the Board the organization’s 2020 strategies, goals, structure, and budget seek to address seven key priorities:

• Revitalizing churches

• Planting churches in the Illinois context

• Equipping churches to reach younger generations

• Developing transformative leadership

• Assisting churches with evolving cultural issues

• Creating effective associational partnerships

• Inspiring church engagement

IBSA’s revitalization process will be in partnership with an organization focused on ministry renewal. Corpus Vitae, led by founder Rob Peters, facilitates a six-step refocus process, beginning with an assessment of pastoral and church readiness for revitalization. Peters will speak during the Thursday morning session of the IBSA Annual Meeting.

Adams reported several bright spots in 2018, including a 6.8% increase in baptisms over the previous year, for a total of 3,676. He also noted that during the One GRAND Month emphasis in April 2019, IBSA churches baptized more than 700 people in that month alone.

Also in 2018, IBSA trained 7,517 ministry leaders representing 563 churches, and missions volunteers from IBSA churches numbered 19,681. Fourteen new churches were planted, and 19 are expected this year.

The Board voted to send the 2020 IBSA budget to messengers for a vote at November’s Annual Meeting. The 2020 budget of $8,650,237 is an increase of $61,087 over the previous year’s budget. The Cooperative Program budget is $6.3 million, up from $6.2 million in 2019. The CP ratio is unchanged

from the previous year with 56.5% remaining in Illinois and 43.5% sent to the SBC Executive Committee for the Cooperative Program.

In other business, the Board:

• Approved three advance overspends:

(1) Up to $2,000 due to commissions on tenant lease renewals that were not anticipated

(2) Up to $122,000 for added equipment and property at IBSA camps, and for repair of the IBSA Building’s roof after wind damage (Brotherhood Mutual Insurance is covering the cost)

(3) Up to $22,000 in Student Ministries due to higher-than-expected attendance at IBSA’s student camps. The additional expenses will be matched by additional income in the cost recovery income line of the budget.

• Reviewed the partnership agreement between IBSA and the Baptist Foundation of Illinois, which will in 2020 result in no needed subsidy.

• Recognized outgoing Board members Bruce Allen, Adam Lewis, Jay Lowder, Roger Marshall, and David Starr

• Elected as officers Bob Dickerson, First Baptist Church of Marion, chairman; Andy DeWitt, First Baptist Church of Salem, vice chairman; and Mike Jameson, Pontoon Baptist Church in Pontoon Beach, secretary.

• Welcomed new IBSA team members Kevin Jones, Brad Lovin, and Bryan Price (see column at right).

• Recognized Carole Doom, administrative coordinator on the Church Cooperation Team, for 20 years of service at IBSA; and Pat Pajak, associate executive director for evangelism, who will retire at the end of this year after 12 years at IBSA.

The next meeting of the full IBSA Board is March 24, 2020.

New faces, roles

Kevin Jones joined the IBSA staff in August as a director of church planting. He and his wife, Lindsay, and their three children relocated from Texas, where he served as young adult minister at Mobberly Baptist Church in Longview.

IBSA welcomed Brad Lovin Sept. 1 as administrative director of mobilization. Lovin previously served as director of international security for Samaritan’s Purse and with the U.S. Army from 2010 to 2016, completing his service as Battalion Executive Officer. He and his wife, Leslie, have four children.

Pat Pajak announced his upcoming retirement from IBSA after 12 years of service, most recently as associate executive director for evangelism. Pajak will continue to serve as a zone consultant in Zone 3, relating to Central, East Central, and Three Rivers Baptist Associations.

Bryan Price joined the staff in September as a zone consultant in Zone 1, relating to Chicago Metro Baptist Association. Price is senior pastor of Love Fellowship Baptist Church in Romeoville. He and his wife, Traci, have four children. Price recently completed a Ph.D. in ministry leadership.

JONES

LOVIN PRICE

PAJAK

WELL-DESERVED – IBSA’s Jeff Deasy (right) presents Carole Doom with a plaque in honor of her 20 years of service with the state association.

NEARING THE FINISH LINE – The IBSA Board meeting in September was a major step in the process of reorganizing staff around new goals prioritizing church revitalization, along with church planting, leadership development, and missions mobilization. The 2020 budget approved by the Board will be presented for a vote at the IBSA Annual Meeting Nov. 6-7 in Marion.

More on revitalization in the IBSA Annual Meeting Preview Special Section.

Marking milestones

Illinois Baptists celebrate big anniversaries

IBSA churches and leaders reached major milestones recently, as multiple churches celebrated anniversaries and a central Illinois couple marked 20 years with their local association.

In Marion, Third Baptist Church celebrated its centennial July 21 with worship, a fellowship meal, and displays tracing the congregation’s history (photos below). IBSA Executive Director Nate Adams was on hand to present a plaque of appreciation to the church, which is led by Pastor Andy Price.

With the Lord

Roseanna Sue Peetoom

Robison of Carlinville died Sept. 10 at the age of 66. A graduate of Northern Illinois University and National Louis University, she was known for her work with Baptist campus ministry and also worked at Calvary Baptist Church in Alton from 1994 to 2000. She is survived by her father, Victor; three siblings; and several nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held Oct. 5 at 11 a.m. at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Carlinville.

Correction

In our Aug. 19 edition, we incorrectly printed late pastor John Burnell’s church as New Life Baptist Church. Burnell pastored New Hope Baptist Church in Waverly. The Illinois Baptist regrets the error.

HARCO’S 100TH – Harco Baptist Church

Wheaton students sue

Four students at Wheaton University are suing the city of Chicago over rules they say restrict freedom of speech in Millennium Park, home to the large stainless steel sculpture known as “The Bean.”

The suit stems from a Dec. 7 incident in which Wheaton students were told to stop distributing literature and preaching in the park, the Chicago Tribune reported. In April, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Public Events released new rules for the park, including a provision that divides the park into “rooms” and restricts speeches and handing out written communication to one corner of the 25-acre park.

Chicago law firm Mauck & Baker, which specializes in religious liberty cases, is representing the Wheaton students.

Protest at Liberty

20 YEARS AT SANDY CREEK – Robert and Melissa

celebrated 20 years of service with Sandy Creek Baptist Association Aug. 24. Bob pastored churches in Illinois and Missouri before the couple moved their family to central Illinois in 1999. He has served since then as director of missions (now associational missions strategist). The Carrutherses have been in ministry 38 years, and have three children and three grandchildren.

A recent news story on Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. resulted in a protest attended by around 200 students Sept. 13. Around 60 of those were there to demand an investigation of the president, Religion News Service reported. Falwell’s leadership and management of the Virginia university founded by his father were called into question by the Politico article, which relied on information from several current and former staffers.

Duke rejects ministry

Campus ministry Young Life was denied official status as a student organization at Duke University after the student senate unanimously rejected the ministry for its policy on LGBTQ volunteers and staff.

“We do not in any way wish to exclude persons who engage in sexual misconduct or who practice a homosexual lifestyle from being recipients of ministry of God’s grace and mercy as expressed in Jesus Christ,” Young Life’s policy states. “We do, however, believe that such persons are not to serve as staff or volunteers in the mission and work of Young Life.”

– Chicago Tribune, Religion News Service, Christianity Today

Get breaking news in The Briefing online, posted every Tuesday at www.ib2news.org.

near Galatia marked 100 years during their annual Homecoming Celebration Sunday Sept. 15. IBSA’s Mark Emerson presented a plaque to deacon Brian Heath (left) and Pastor David Miller (right).

Carruthers

150 YEARS – First Baptist Church, Tamaroa, celebrated its 150th anniversary on Sept. 8. IBSA’s Larry Rhodes (center) presented a plaque to deacon Chris Kliethermes (left) and Pastor Raymond Baggot, who has led the church for 26 years.

Churches across the Southern Baptist Convention will take time this fall to focus on the Cooperative Program, the SBC’s main channel of missions and ministry support. Cooperative Program Emphasis Month is an opportunity to teach new or younger church members about Baptists’ nearly 100-year-old cooperative missions effort.

Pastors may consider preaching a sermon about CP or offering a class to share the multiple ways CP advances the gospel (see below for ideas). Now is the time to share the good news of CP with a new generation.

Here are some CP facts to share with your church:

Baptists in Illinois give about $6 million through Cooperative Program every year.

43.5% supports missions and ministry in North America and around the world.

56.5% starts and strengthens churches in Illinois.

The 43.5% that goes out of Illinois funds theological education and missions training for future leaders, like the students from New Orleans Seminary pictured above.

Your church’s giving also supports 3,714 missionaries engaging 847 people groups across the globe, and working to reach nearly 3,200 people groups that do not have access to the gospel.

More than 5,200 missionaries and students are serving in North America, where Southern Baptists planted 624 new churches last year.

In Illinois, Cooperative Program giving supports IBSA camps and student centers, church planting and strengthening, training churches for missions, evangelism, and more.

When you give to missions through the Cooperative Program, it all adds up.

Fueling the next generation

Carrie Jones (pictured right) thought she knew about the Cooperative Program. As a member of GA’s (Girls in Action), she learned about Southern Baptists’ channel for missions support every week at her church in Morton. She also saw the impact of CP up-close—her father, Charles Campbell, later helped plant churches with IBSA and now with the North American Mission Board.

But it was her time as a seminary student that drove home the value of Baptists working together to fund missions and ministry, plus theological education for the next generation of leaders. “I didn’t even realize how thankful I was for it until I was in seminary,” said Jones, who recently served as admissions counselor with her alma mater, Southern Seminary in Louisville, Ky.

“Over 16,000 students from our six Southern Baptist seminaries are being equipped to become pastors, trainers, missionaries, and leaders, so that many more may hear the gospel around the world.”

Through CP, tuition is cut in half for seminary students who are members of Southern Baptist

Cooperative Program was the #1 way I was able to go to seminary.

churches. “Being able to tell students that on the phone,” Jones said, “they were always so excited, and normally shocked.

“They didn’t know about all the great benefits of the Cooperative Program, and so it was my great joy to tell them about that. And it really has eased the burden for so many students that want to be equipped so that they can share the gospel with many more.”

CP benefits both the giver and the recipient, Jones said: the average churchgoer, who often doesn’t realize how their gifts can make a difference, and the seminary student, working and training to fulfill the call of God on their lives. For both, CP opens doors to the gospel.

Learn more about CP and download resources at IBSA.org/CP

– Carrie Jones Southern Seminary, Master of Arts in Leadership, ‘18

Your church’s missions giving helped Carrie Jones prepare for ministry.

See her story and get the bulletin insert at IBSA.org/CP

On my last Sunday at my southern California church ten years ago, my pastor surprised me by calling me up to pray for my upcoming move. Friends surrounded me as his voice echoed across the school gym. “Lord, be with Meredith as she moves to Indiana.”

My head still bowed, I cracked open one eye to see if anyone else had noticed his mistake, but everyone was still praying. In California, “I” states are one and the same, it seems.

A week later, I moved to Illinois without much more Midwestern familiarity than my kind pastor. I was excited about my new job at IBSA— telling the stories of churches working hard to make a difference in their communities. But that’s all I knew. My new home was a dot on a map in the middle of a state I had visited only twice.

Next month marks my first decade in Illinois, and I feel compelled to celebrate it in some way. This is where I’ve spent the largest portion of my adult life—certainly the most meaningful part (I came to Illinois as a party of one and now travel in a family of four). This anniversary is coinciding with my church starting a new Bible study of the book of Genesis, and while my journey to Illinois obviously doesn’t compare to Abram’s, I wonder if he felt about God’s words in Genesis 12 the way I once felt about our state.

“Go…to the land that I will show you.”

On the surface, the words are so vague. It seems God is sending Abram to a nameless place, just another “I” state indistinguishable from the rest. If I were Abram, I might have wondered whether God even really knew where he was sending me.

Of course, we have the benefit of the rest of the story as told in Scripture. And, on a less epic scale, I have the benefit of 10 years in a place I now can’t imagine leaving. God kept his promise to Abram, eventually giving him a new name and leading his descendants to the land he’d promised. For me, God gave me work to do and new names to learn and stories to tell that has led to a rootedness I never would have expected. My native Illinoisan husband and two precious daughters who call our “I” state home bear witness.

The weekend I moved to Illinois, I stood at the edge of a cornfield, grinning for a photo to send to my friends that would prove I wasn’t in Kansas anymore—or San Diego, or New York City, or Atlanta, or my hometown, Memphis. (Illinois. I’m in Illinois.) The novelty of corn growing over my head has since worn off, but in its place is the gift of 10 years over which God has proven his control and his goodness again and again. And that feels worthy of celebration.

– Meredith Day Flynn

RESOURCE

Is your church a scrappy church?

Sometimes we need to put up our dukes

It was the summer of 1940. Hitler was leading the Nazi onslaught of Europe. Nation after nation was falling as the western march continued. Winston Churchill had just become Prime Minister of Britain. The sentiment among the leaders of Britain to attempt to negotiate peace with Hitler was gaining favor. The tide of civilization was about to turn.

Churchill indeed thought about negotiating a peace with Hitler. But as he mulled it over through sleepless nights, he saw the futility of negotiating with an evil tyrant. Such a move was tantamount to surrender. If Britain were to lose the war, it would be on their terms, fighting to the last.

The nation followed his leadership. And though it would be five years before Hitler and his forces were defeated, the tide turned on the day one man convinced others not to give up.

Comparisons, of course, are not perfect. The challenges of War World II and the plight of many churches are vastly different. I get that.

But there are many church leaders and church members today wondering if their churches will survive. For countless numbers, the best days seem to be in the past. Those attitudes of pessimism and even defeat are not unwarranted. At least two-thirds of churches are declining, maybe more. We estimate that about 100 to 150 churches are closing every week.

Even among those churches that are hanging on, a number of their leaders feel a sense of futility. Though smaller churches vastly outnumber larger churches, more people are attending the larger churches every week. The migration from smaller to larger is clear and evident.

Is there hope? Do these smaller churches have any path forward? Can the smaller and mid-sized church survive in the world seemingly dominated by larger churches and megachurches?

The answer to the question is an absolute “yes.” I make that declaration not by sentiment nor false hopes, but by clear evidence of God’s work. I am convinced that scrappy churches are a growing trend of the reality we will soon see.

The Learning curve

Your Beautiful Purpose

Susie Larson

Helps us hone in on that feeling of wanting to do something significant for God, but not knowing where to start or what to do.

So what are some of the characteristics we can already see in these scrappy churches?

They still believe God has a plan for them. While scrappy church leaders are not blind to the difficulties around them and in their congregations, they remain certain God is still working in their churches. They see their mission as God’s mission and, because it is truly his, they will not be deterred.

They turn to prayer for the turnaround. This passage from Acts 2:42 is cited frequently in the scrappy churches: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.”

Prayer is not an afterthought in scrappy churches. It is pervasive and powerful. They celebrate the presence of other churches. “I used to get angry every time a new church or new campus of a church located near us,” admitted Harold, the pastor of a turnaround church. We asked Harold what changed his attitude on this issue. He smiled. “My son. James is a pastor in Arizona. He showed me the demographics near our church.”

What did the report show?

Harold sighed, “More than 80% of our community is not in church. Probably almost as many aren’t believers.”

What happened next?

“I now see other churches as our allies in the mission of the kingdom. They are not our competition. I really think my change of heart was key to our church turning around eventually.”

They greatly increase their efforts toward outward focus. Here is a huge discovery we saw in the scrappy churches: they began to devote enormous resources to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. Incremental change didn’t get it. It had to be radical change. And that radical change led to a renewed congregation multiplying its resources to reach its community.

This article is adapted from “Scrappy Church: God’s Not Done Yet” by Thom Rainer, founder and CEO of Church Answers, an online community and resource for church leaders. He is former president of LifeWay Christian Resources.

Biographies

Various authors

I read several biographies each year because I feel I can learn from the successes and failures of others. Often they are focused on famous or effective people—not just Christians. “Grant” by Ron Chernow is excellent.

Pat’s Playbook

Be glad they’re there

QSome of my friends are becoming those every-other-week church attenders I’ve been reading about. Should I be concerned about this?

AChurch attendance is important, but we live in a society that often schedules other activities, work, play, hobbies, etc., on Sunday. Divorced parents often share children (by court order) every other weekend. And, because of situations like taking care of aging parents, health issues, or other factors, some people cannot be faithful every week. Your responsibility is to be as faithful as possible and not judge others (you may not know their particular circumstance). Instead, encourage them when they are present.

Patience and prayer

QHow can I help my young pastor understand that his many sermon stories about his children don’t really connect with someone my age?

AThis is going to sound like a very simple answer, but I suggest you have a conversation with your pastor. Many younger pastors use real-life illustrations, and because of their age and experience, their sermon stories are limited. A pastor who wants to be relevant and mature in his ministry will appreciate hearing how others hear his preaching. The longer he is in ministry, the more illustrations and stories he’ll be able to share. Be patient and pray for him daily!

Pat Pajak is IBSA’s associate executive director for evangelism. Send questions for Pat to IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org.

Replenish Lance Witt

Focuses on the importance of “soul care” for church leaders.

PAT PAJAK

– Paige Hume, Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church, Jacksonville

– Jeff Gonzalez, church consultant and former executive pastor at an Illinois Baptist church

Scooby Doo’s nephew, Scrappy

– Doug Munton, pastor, First Baptist Church, O’Fallon

Love for the lost

Read: Luke 15:1-7

Jesus tells three parables in Luke 15 that reveal to us God’s heart for the lost. While each parable has its distinctive parts, they all focus on the central themes that God loves sinners, pursues them at great length, and celebrates every time one is saved. And brothers and sisters, every Christian is called to do the same.

But how will sinners hear the gospel if the saints don’t spend time with them and share the lifesaving message of the gospel?

The opening parable about the missing sheep in the “lost and found chapter” of Luke teaches us that God’s love for the lost is personal. The shepherd leaves the 99 sheep who are safe in order to seek the one who is lost.

God’s love is also persistent: the shepherd searches until he finds his lost sheep. Too often we give up our evangelism efforts too easily. But God is persistent in his passionate pursuit of the lost. God loves lost people and the church ought to love lost people too. Be persistent. Don’t give up, there are no hopeless cases in heaven. Go after that child, go after that loved one, go after that co-worker, because every soul matters to God!

The story is told about a father and son who were walking on the beach after a storm. They noticed hundreds of starfish washed up on the seashore, dying from the lack of water.

So, they began throwing the starfish back into the water. Soon the boy realized that there were just too many. He said, “Dad, there are too many starfish on the beach. It doesn’t matter how many we throw back, there are just too many.”

The father looked at the boy. “Son,” he said, “it matters to every one we save.” We may not be able to save everyone, but it matters to every one God saves.

Prayer Prompt: Father, you love lost people. You seek them persistently, compassionately, and purposefully. Cultivate our hearts that we may see lost people as you do, and love them as you do, in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Adron Robinson pastors Hillcrest Baptist Church in Country Club Hills and is president of IBSA.

Pastors need safe spaces

My mother, a fine Christian woman, committed suicide just before the Fourth of July in 1991. When that anniversary came around this year, less than a year after my wife died from cancer, it hit me pretty hard. It was almost like going through the events of those days and weeks for the first time—where I was when I got the phone call, what I found when I got home, planning her funeral, consoling her friends, trying to go back to work and back to life afterward. I’m thinking about that now because of the recent suicide death of a popular young Southern Baptist pastor in California.

Everyone who knew him will be asking why. How could a Christian and especially a pastor kill himself? They will be wondering for years why they didn’t see the signs, if there were any, and why they didn’t know how to intervene. For years.

I wrote about this topic four years ago when an acquaintance who was a well-liked seminary professor found his life unravelling and chose to end it. His struggle with depression was known but not very public. I could have addressed it when Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren’s son took his life in 2013, causing his parents to ask the same questions all survivors do. Why? Why didn’t I see it? How could it get this bad?

The former CEO of the Southern Baptist Executive Committee, Frank Page, was brave enough to go public with his daughter’s suicide as part of an effort to encourage the church to address mental health. He formed a task force

to study how the church handles mental health issues, especially for people such as his daughter, the Warren’s son, and my mother who suffered long with mental illness.

Generally speaking, it was apparent going into the study that the local church isn’t really a safe place for people with mental or emotional instability to be public with their troubles. People don’t know how to handle it, and pastors aren’t trained in it unless they take extra effort to expand their counseling courses. LifeWay found only 27% of churches have a plan to assist families affected by mental illness and only 13% have someone trained in the field.

But the death of the young pastor puts a finer point on the issue. How could a pastor take his own life? And would a pastor ever tell his own church he was wrestling with such a dark temptation?

Would they ever respect him again? Or might his admission of brokenness mean disqualification?

This young man in California had officiated at the funeral of someone who committed suicide on the same day he took his life. That was his trigger. He had spoken about mental health issues during his ministry. He sought to create an environment that welcomed admissions of need from the depressed and the struggling. Even so, no one saw the depth of their pastor’s pain. So, a young man with a lovely family and a promising future chose to leave earth early. His wife characterized it as choosing instead to go to Jesus. But he couldn’t have known the agony in his wake.

How could a pastor do such a thing? That really isn’t the question. The pastorate is often a lonely and isolated vocation. The pastor has few, if any, peers in his church, and rarely a safe relationship in which to unload his burden. Pastors have a higher rate of job-related depression than other professions, except dentists.

A 2013 LifeWay survey shows 35% of pastors admit they have been depressed, and 58% say they have no close friends—so there’s no one to tell. On top of that, 48% of evangelical Christians say prayer and Bible study alone should fix mental illness, with the implication that pastors, of all people, should be able to fix themselves. But overall in American society, the suicide rate continues to rise, especially among teenage girls and men ages 45-64.

The pastor is in a pickle.

A friend of mine admitted that he had considered an early death, as he put it. Sitting by a hotel pool one night, he wondered what it would be like to slip under the water and wake up in heaven, free from all things in ministry weighing so heavily on him. He was glad to confess it. And he promised to call me if the thought crossed his mind again.

I was glad he told me. I just wish that we all—and pastors especially—had more and better relationships where such confessions were allowed. Even welcomed.

Eric Reed is editor of Illinois Baptist media.

ADRON ROBINSON

The Pastor Search Committee’s new approach was debatable.

Depression often goes unshared in this isolating vocation.

Finding common ground the counselor

Our parenting decisions have caused some tension with family members who have different views on what’s best for kids, specifically ours. How can we communicate that we value our own childhoods, but feel compelled to go in a different direction sometimes?

Most likely, your parents were parented differently than they parented you. Your children will parent differently than you parented them. These changes can be a good thing, if each generation strives to model Jesus to their children. Unfortunately, the number of perfect parents in any generation is roughly zero. In an effort not to repeat the mistakes of our parents, our reactionary pendulum may swing too far in the opposite direction. For example, the child of overly controlling parents may become too permissive with their own children.

In your case, it sounds like you are seeking a healthy, balanced approach to change. You recognize that even with the most nurturing parents, there is still room for improvement. So, what about the conversation? Here are some practical tips to consider before entering the room with your parents for the big talk:

In preparation for your meeting, pray to be both present and wise. It is helpful to visualize your children having a similar

neTworking

conversation with you someday. Ask yourself how you would feel on the receiving end of such a conversation, and what it would take for you to feel respected in the situation.

Try to find common ground, spending 75% of the time affirming them and actively listening. The remaining 25% of the time together should be spent addressing the issues you need to discuss. Approach your family humbly, be gracious, and make your needs clearly known. Be aware this is not the time to vent your frustrations; this is the time to set boundaries based on biblical family priorities.

Try to enter the conversation with a wide berth of expectations, being aware this may be one of more conversations to come. Yes, this will require a fair amount of preparation; your goal is to enter the conversation in peace, and to leave it in peace.

Your parenting choices may be challenged for some time following these conversations; however, in time, things will become easier as you, your family, and your children enjoy the rewards of more cohesive God-honoring family relationships.

Mark McCormick is director of clinic operations for Illinois Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services. Send questions for Mark to IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org.

Find more information on ministry positions at IBSA.org/connect Send NetworkiNg items to IllinoisBaptist@IBSA.org

Argenta Baptist Church is seeking a bivocational pastor to lead this enthusiastic congregation in central Illinois. We prefer a blended style of worship; a parsonage near the church would be immediately available. Please send resumes to Argenta Baptist Search Committee, Attn: Mark A. Roberts, P.O. Box 90, Argenta, IL 62501.

Ridgway First Baptist Church is seeking an ordained full-time or bivocational pastor with a seminary or college background. Qualified applicants should send a resume to ridgwayfirstbaptistchurch@gmail.com or RFBC, Attn: Pastor Search Committee, P.O. Box 436, Ridgway, IL 62979.

Mission of Faith Baptist Church on the south side of Chicago is prayerfully seeking a Spirit-filled bivocational pastor. Applicants must hold true to the beliefs of The Baptist Faith and Message (2000) and demonstrate strong leadership and outreach skills. E-mail letters of interest, resumes, etc., to info@mofbc.org.

First Baptist Church, Woodlawn is seeking a full-time senior pastor. We will accept resumes through December 1, 2019. Please send resume and cover letter along with salary requirements to fbcwsearchcommittee@gmail.com, or mail to First Baptist Church of Woodlawn, 301 N. Central, Woodlawn, IL 62898, Attn: Search Committee.

dave says

QMy two brothers-in-law and I have been thinking about going into business together as a side project in the real estate world. One of them is an architect and licensed general contractor, one has a successful painting business, and I’m a chief financial officer with a CPA background. Plus, I had a lot of construction experience as a young man. I know you’re not a big fan of business partnerships, but how do you feel about a family business like this?

AGoing into business with family isn’t my big concern here. I’ve said many times that partnerships are the only ships that won’t sail, and I’m a firm believer in that philosophy. I would encourage you guys to set up a situation where one of you is the owner, then figure out a plan where the other guys get paid off the bottom line—as if they were owners. Trust me, anything with three heads is going to end up being a monster at some point.

Here’s the thing about family businesses. When everyone understands their role and has the best interest of the company in mind, family businesses can be a lot more fun and more successful than non-family businesses. Statistics show the average family business lasts 60 years, while the average publicly-traded company lasts about 15 years.

So, there’s nothing inherently wrong with the family part of the equation. It’s the partnership aspect I’d stay away from.

Renter’s insurance?

QWe just helped move our son into a cheap, off-campus apartment a few blocks from where he is attending college. We signed the agreement, and are paying the rent, because he makes very good grades. Do you think renter’s insurance is a smart buy? It’s less than $12 a month, but the minimum coverage I can get is $15,000, and he probably has less than $1,000 worth of belongings there.

AI’d get renter’s insurance. My guess is it also comes with five or six figures in personal liability coverage as well. That’s in case he’s out on the patio with his buddies, someone slips and falls, and they decide to sue because Dad’s on the lease.

In a case like this, because there’s so little to start with, it’s not theft or fire taking the contents of the apartment that you’re worried about. It’s the liability portion of the coverage that makes it worth every penny of what you’d be paying. That alone makes it worth $10 to $12 a month just to make sure a slip-and-fall doesn’t mess with your life!

Financial advisor Dave Ramsey is a prolific author and radio host.

CLASSIFIED AD IBSA’s Church Needs Survey is now online!

Baptist Children’s Home and Family Services is seeking a director of development & communications to administer the financial development, communications, and marketing programs of BCHFS, encouraging support for the agency’s services to children, youth, and families. This role on BCHFS’s senior management team includes planning, budgeting, achievement, monitoring, and evaluation of all fundraising, marketing, and communication activities.

To apply, go to BCHFS.com/ employment.

Offered every other year, this is an opportunity to share what IBSA resources and emphases are most helpful to your church, and which areas of ministry could benefit from additional focus. Go to IBSA.org/Survey to complete your survey today!

DAVE RAMSEY

The partnership, not the family, is the problem

McCORMICK

EVENTS

October 4-5

Missions Expo

What: Learn about upcoming mission trips and opportunities

Where: IBSA Building, Springfield Register: IBSA.org/Expo

October 13, November 10

Youth Encounter

What: IBSA’s annual youth evangelism conference, now in three locations

Where: Oct. 13: Tabernacle, Decatur, and Marion Civic Center; Nov. 10: FBC O’Fallon Register: IBSA.org/YE2019

October 15

Training Night

What: Choose from 10 breakout sessions on leadership development, music ministry, church security, child protection, and more

Where: Second Baptist, Marion Register: IBSA.org/TrainingNight

October 18-19

Disaster Relief Training

What: Training weekend for new and experienced volunteers and chaplains

Where: Lake Sallateeska Baptist Camp Cost: $40 for new volunteers and $10 for renewals, plus lodging Register: IBSA.org/DR

October 26

Illinois Kids’ Ministry Resource Conference

What: Equip your church’s ministry to children with resources and helpful how-to’s Where: IBSA Building, Springfield Register: IBSA.org/Kids

November 1-2

AWSOM

What: Discipleship-focused weekend for girls in grades 7-12

Where: IBSA Building, Springfield Cost: $20, includes lunch and T-shirt Register: IBSA.org/AWSOM

THE NEW REALITY

Generational shift

What younger Americans value is different

National values are shifting as younger Americans place less importance on faith, patriotism, and having children. A new poll from Wall Street Journal and NBC News asked people what values matter most to them, and compared their answers to responses from 21 years ago.

Hard work is still the top answer, but the next three values have dropped due to changing priorities of younger Americans, WSJ reported:

61% say patriotism is

very important, down from 70% in 1998

Religion: 50%, down from 62%

Having children: 43%, down from 59%

– Derek Thompson, The Atlantic

What that is, Thompson concludes, is that Americans are increasingly less trusting of long-trusted institutions, including the church. The up-and-coming generations— Millennials and Gen Z—are less likely to identify themselves with political designations, causes, or brands.

Still, they’re interested in community involvement and tolerance, and building a coalition of people who feel disenfranchised by current social structures. They’re not so much abandoning traditional values, Thompson says, but more so their trust in institutions to provide for them.

As American values continue to shift, churches may be increasingly challenged to minister to people with no predisposition to trust them.

“They seem most comfortable with unaffiliation, even anti-affiliation.”

“The nuclear family, religious fealty, and national pride— family, God, and country— are a holy trinity of American traditionalism. The fact that allegiance to all three is in precipitous decline tells us something important about the evolution of the American identity.”

November 5-6 See page B-6 in the special section for details and the full schedule.

Christian students will be led in worship by dynamic musicians and speakers. Students who don’t yet know Christ will learn how they can follow him.

This conference for pastors and children’s ministry leaders will also include a preview of LifeWay’s 2020 Vacation Bible School—Concrete & Cranes.

This year’s AWSOM (Amazing Women Serving Our Maker) will feature Betsy Bolick, a women’s ministry leader and founder of Small Enough Ministries.