MAGAZINE
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Mark 16:15
Winter 2017 Volume 59 Number 8
> CONTENTS God is at work! It is often easy to miss, as we contend with daily struggles. However, we are called to trust Him even when evidence is hidden. We pray that the time you spend reading these stories that proclaim His work will affirm, encourage and even challenge your faith in our faithful God.
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FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Divine Coincidence?
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MESSENGERS TO SCBI KINGDOM UNHINDERED
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MISSIONS Please, Can I Go One Time?
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MISSIONS Go and Tell
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HIGHLAND LAKES BAPTIST CAMP Mission Minded Ministries
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MISSIONS LIFELINE: Something for Everyone
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PURE GIRL Learning to be Brave
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COMMITTED COOPERATION The Work Still Continues..
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RAISING THE EVANGELISTIC TEMPERATURE
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BAPTIST FOUNDATION OF INDIANA Serving You
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DR Showing God’s Love through Mud and Muck
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UNCEASING WORSHIP What is Unceasing Worship?
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AROUND THE STATE The Greater Fort Wayne Celebration
11 The Indiana Baptist Magazine is owned and published quarterly by the
DIGITAL EDITION www.scbi.org/ib
7805 State Road 39 Martinsville, IN 46151
SUBSCRIPTIONS www.scbi.org/ib ib@scbi.org 317-481-2400 ext. 220
STANDARD NON-PROFIT POSTAGE PAID Seymour, Indiana. Printed and mailed by Graessle-Mercer 100 N. Pine St., Seymour, IN 47274
SUBMISSIONS www.scbi.org/ib ib@scbi.org 7805 State Road 39 Martinsville, IN 46151
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INDIANA BAPTIST MAGAZINE || WINTER 2017
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Dr.Steve McNeil CONVENTION PRESIDENT Bruce Reynolds CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Greg Byman COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN Scott McDowell COMMUNICATIONS TEAM LEADER Dr. Steve McNeil COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATE Alison Blankenship GRAPHIC DESIGN SPECIALIST Greg Cooper
CALENDAR OPENINGS
MINISTRY
DECEMBER
PASTOR POSITIONS
First Baptist Church, DeMotte: bi-vocational Senior Pastor. Send resume to henryjacksonfuneral@gmail.com New Hope Baptist Church, Spencer: bi-vocational Senior Pastor. Send resume to 2031 W. Porter Ridge, Spencer, IN 47460. New Hope Community Church, Fort Wayne: bi-vocational Senior Pastor. Send resume to kenthirschelman@icloud.com New Point Baptist Church, New Point: bi-vocational Senior Pastor. Send resume to gmlanning1234@yahoo.com Oolitic Baptist Church, Oolitic: bi-vocational Pastor. Send resume to jkjgore@gmail.com or David Riggs 907 Mathis Avenue Oolitic, IN 47451.
OTHER POSITIONS Calvary Baptist Church, Madison: Full-time Children and Family Pastor. Please send resume to Mike Hamby at rmhamby1@gmail.com. East Tipp Baptist Church, Lafayette: part-time Worship Leader/Youth Leader. Send resume to East Tipp Baptist Church, 5300 E 300 N, Lafayette IN 47906. First Baptist Church, Charlestown: part-time Assistant Pastor for Children and Students. Send resume to JLWallsctown@yahoo.com or Pastor Jim Walls at First Baptist Church, PO Box 36, Charlestown, IN 47111.
Southern Baptist Convention Call to Prayer 1 12-13 15 21 26-27
New Year’s Day Holiday (SCBI office closed) Wives in Ministry Retreat, City View Church, Indianapolis Martin Luther King Jr Day (SCBI office closed) Sanctity of Human Life Sunday Student Leader Summit, Highland Lakes Baptist Camp
FEBRUARY 11 Racial Reconciliation Sunday 23-24 Unceasing Worship: Worship Team Training Retreat, Highland Lakes Baptist Camp
NEW CONGREGATIONS
BATESVILLE COMMUNITY (DONNIE YATES) CASA DE LUZ, LAFAYETTE (NOE TAPIA) EL VERBO DIVINO, SELLERSBURG (VICTOR TAPIA) FAMILIA DE FE, HICKSVILLE OH (ELIO MIGUEZ) HISPANIC MISSION OF SEYMOUR (SABASTIAN NICOLAS) JESUS CHRIST WORSHIP CENTER, INDIANAPOLIS (ELI VENDREDI) REFUGE BIBLE CHURCH, INDIANAPOLIS (JASON HAMPTON) SPEEDWAY HISPANIC MISSION (PEDRO GUZMAN)
Ezequiel Batista (Parkside Hispanic Mission) Elio Miguez (Familia de Fe) Moses Thang (Calvary Zomi Baptist Church)
2018 JANUARY
WELCOME
NEW SENIOR PASTORS
Church Security Seminar Week of Prayer for International Missions Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for IMB Christmas Holiday (SCBI Office closed)
MARCH
Find more listings and updates at www.scbi.org under Resources.
1 3-10 10 22-29
9-10 Transformed, First Southern Baptist Church, Clarksville, IN 5-6 Executive Board Meeting 4-11 Week of Prayer for North American Missions 11 Annie Armstrong Offering for North American Missions In-gathering 30 Good Friday (SCBI Office closed)
APRIL
6-7 9-11 14
Transformed, Northside Baptist Church, Indianapolis, IN Pastors Essentials, Highland Lakes Baptist Camp VBS Training, Highland Lakes Baptist Camp
MAY
6-13 Week of Prayer for Highland Lakes Baptist Camp 13 Highland Lakes Baptist Camp Offering In-gathering 18-19 Man Camp, Highland Lakes Baptist Camp 28 Memorial Day (SCBI Office closed)
View the online calender at scbi.org/calendar WINTER 2017 || INDIANA BAPTIST MAGAZINE
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From the Executive Director Dr. Steve McNeil, Executive Director
Divine Coincidence? I love it when you see God at work. You know those stories you hear or those times when you actually experience it? When your life and someone else’s life intersects and you feel that sense of affirmation from the Lord that He was in the middle of this experience? Yes, it is a small example and some may call it a “coincidence,” but I believe that our God showed up Sunday. I was preaching at Barrington Ridge Baptist Church in Hobart, IN to help them celebrate their 50th anniversary as a church. What was affirming? At the end of the service, Brian Belt, a church member got up to go over some announcements. He then shared how excited he was as I began my message that it fit perfectly with what he just taught in his Sunday School class. We had not talked or communicated about the theme of the sermon or the Bible study text. It was a moment of affirmation from the Lord. He is at work all around us. Another Coincidence? He is also working to connect Indiana Baptists with the Ecuadorian Baptist Convention. Rick Hillard, Roger Kinion, David Shultz, Tom Keb and I went to Ecuador in September to talk with the President of the convention, Milton Bustos, about how we might work together with their convention. Yes, this is the country where our own Dave and Deb Wilson are serving as missionaries. God is at work. We have teams going regularly to Ecuador to train pastors and leaders, to do evangelism and other ministry opportunities. God is also working with the church planting efforts in Indiana. In a year when we watched your CPC team 4
led by John Horn plant without new money. They still worked with your SCBI churches to plant 15 new churches. Are you aware that God continues to use your Church/ Leader Development Team and your Highland Lakes Baptist Camp team to provide great camp experiences? Young people are trusting Jesus as their Savior, new leaders are being developed and encouraged, young people are coming back to camp as summer missionaries who a few years ago were campers themselves. Sarah Bohrer shared a touching and impactful story during her report at this year’s annual convention. It is a story about an older gentleman who decided to come to camp and serve as an adult sponsor. His life was touched by the students and God “coincidentally” used him to touch the lives of students. I am so appreciative of Steve Blanchard, Allison Kinion and Sarah Bohrer for the work they do to provide quality, spiritual experiences for our young people. These “coincidences” happen all of the time if we will watch for them and see that God is at work around us. I pray that this Christmas season you will see the hand of God working around you and I pray that you will allow God to use you to be a divine “coincidence” in someone’s life.
Steve McNeil
INDIANA BAPTIST MAGAZINE || WINTER 2017
At Home with the Lord Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 is a reminder to all of us that time is passing by us every day. Your SCBI family, the Tristate Baptist Network (Southwest IN) and many of you were touched and impacted in October when one of the SCBI family left this life to enter eternity. Dale Eakes was led by the Lord to come to Indianapolis to serve as the pastor of Warren Baptist Church. God used Dale to help the church move in a new direction. Then the Lord called him to serve as one of the State Convention’s and North American Mission Board’s Church Planting Catalysts. Dale loved his work in this new role. He loved helping churches and he loved to discover new church planters and to help a local church work to plant a church.
1 There is an appointed time
for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven 2 A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 (NASB)
We grieve the loss of Dale from our team, from the work God called him to do with us and we grieve the loss of his life. As the writer said, “there is a time to plant” and Dale was doing that. But, his life has been “uprooted” from us and we miss him. We continue to pray for Michelle, Josh and Andrew who loved him and who he loved.
VBS Training April 14, 2018
Highland Lakes Baptist Camp VBS directors, teachers, and leaders will have the opportunity to learn about the Lifeway VBS material. There will be training for directors, children teachers, preschool teachers, youth teachers, pastors, crafts, decorating, and Spanish VBS.
For more information or to register go to www.scbi.org/vbs
March 9-10, 2018 First Southern Baptist Church Clarksville, IN $55 if paid in full by February 9 $65 if paid in full by February 23
April 6-7, 2018
Northside Baptist Church Indianapolis, IN $55 if paid in full by March 6 $65 if paid in full by March 23
This rewarding weekend challenges women to grow in their relationship with Christ as they learn what it means to walk worthy of the calling of following Christ, reaching others with the Gospel of Christ.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: LARA WILLIAMS Lara Williams is a speaker and author. The beat of Lara’s heart is to encourage women to find their satisfaction in Jesus. Regardless of circumstance, He remains steadfast and sufficient.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: MARIAN JORDAN ELLIS Marian Jordan Ellis is a Bible teacher, evangelist and the founder of Redeemed Girl Ministries. She has a passion for women to discover the abundant life in Jesus.
For more information or to register go to www.scbi.org/transformed
Messengers to the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana celebrated the new worship center at Highland Lakes Baptist Camp, as they held their 2017 Annual Meeting there October 9-10. There were 170 messengers and 54 guests representing 84 churches and church plants across the state. The theme, “Kingdom Unhindered,” was drawn from Acts 28:31, “He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!” Attendees heard messages from four speakers: Convention President Bruce Reynolds, pastor of Old Town Hill Baptist Church, Muncie; the annual sermon from Rev. Lonnie Anderson, pastor of Mount Pisgah Missionary Baptist Church, Kokomo; SCBI Executive Director Dr. Steve McNeil; and Dr. Timothy Beougher, Associate Dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism and Ministry.
The approved 2018 budget of $4,005,174 represents a 6.65% decrease over the 2017 budget amount. The 2018 budget anticipates $2,392,657 in CP receipts from churches, $857,000 from NAMB and $64,000 from LifeWay Christian Resources. The convention will forward 40% of receipts to the SBC. Resolutions Committee Chairman, Roger Kinion, presented a resolution in appreciation of Highland Lakes Baptist Camp for their hospitality and service during the 59th meeting of the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana. Messengers re-elected all of the convention officers to a second term: convention president, Bruce Reynolds; first vice president, Roger Kinion, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Greenfield, second vice president, Randy Forsythe, pastor of Grace Baptist Church, Portage; and recording secretary, Sandy Irick, a member of Vann Avenue Baptist Church, Evansville. The 2018 Annual Meeting will be held October 8-9 at Highland Lakes Baptist Camp.
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“PLEASE, Can I Go One Time?” By Eileen Murphy
That is what I begged my husband in the spring of 1998, after Bro. Joe Mobley preached revival services at our church, Calvary Baptist, in Seymour. I prayed about it and went to Haiti that following July; and I have since been called back many times. That first trip was a culture shock to me. I remember clearly standing a few moments on the landing to come down the steps out of the plane. In those few moments, I saw the beauty of the mountains across from the airport. My ears were pleasantly surprised with the sounds of drums and Jamaican sounding music. I was excited at first, but by the end of the week, I was so overwhelmed with the effects of severe poverty…so many children with big sad eyes, parents asking me to take their baby, or help buy milk for their baby, so many residential structures made with cardboard, tarp, tin, etc.; I was ready to come home. But, something drew me back. What was it? I could not forget the shredded cloth diapers hanging on clotheslines at Ms. Ruth’s orphanage. I could not forget the kids with the bloated bellies, runny eyes; kids sleeping on foam pads with no sheets in 95 degree heat. God directed me to the story of Isaiah chapter 6. In verse 8, the Lord says, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” I said, “Lord, I’m a hairdresser. What good could I be? I will go if you want me to go, but I will not go just for the experience of it; only for the good of Your kingdom and Your people.” So, I went again and again. This past June, I helped minister to kids that live in Canaan, a tent city where thousands of people live with dirty water, no public schools and no medical help. We rented a facility that was a gift from the Olympic International Committee, used a school bus and bussed excited kids to come play soccer and basketball. They were so excited and had so much fun! We fed them hot dogs, chips, and juice, and the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What a joy to see kids run down the bleachers in response, to go and be saved by the blood of Jesus! That is what it is all about! My goal is to help Haitians come to know Christ in a personal way, and to help others know, love and serve Him as well, to equip them with opportunities. I do not want to do for them what they should be doing for themselves. I want them to have the joy of serving Christ. I now help with four schools regularly, a widow and orphan feeding program at Croix-des-Bouquet with the help of good people who want to help out. I will be making my 25th trip in January of 2018. To learn more about Eileen’s trips and ways you can help, email her at Eileen_mur@yahoo.com.
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Go and Tell By Lana Shields
To describe our week in Ecuador, you need to solve this equation: 14 people + 7days + 100’s of Ecuadorians=? Ok… Easy answer… Infinitely Changed Lives. How you ask? I challenge anyone who chooses to leave their comfort zone to not be amazed at what the Lord can do. Our Gasburg Baptisit Church team, along with members of First Baptist Church of Mooresville and Hope Community Church, came together for a variety of experiences. New mattresses, box springs and sheets were given to every child that was sleeping on floor mats at an orphanage. We had the chance to share Christ with an indigenous community at the base of the Chimborazo Volcano and see the bonds of Satan broken when 37 stepped forward to receive Christ, including a young woman who teaches catechism in her church. Blind eyes were made to see the truth when over 100 pairs of reading glasses were distributed along with Bibles. Some were enraptured by the Word they received at that very moment. There was an opportunity to encourage our Ecuadorian Christian brother, William, in El Triumfo, as his wife is a Jehovah Witness. Our team members had an opportunity to share Truth with her and others in the community. We witnessed the baptism of our bus driver’s wife after much prayer. Some stepped up to preach while others silently prayed during gospel conversations. All this done to the glory of God. Some of our team used gifts and talents not previously developed. Some had a changed perspective on children’s ministry and some became more bold in sharing Christ with others. If you want to step into a realm beyond your imagination, go serve in Ecuador alongside the Wilsons for a week. Make no mistake, you will be changed. Go and Tell and see what God will do in your life with a surrendered heart! For more information, contact Rick Hillard at rhillard@scbi.org.
Prayer Points Father God, thank You for being sovereign. Thank You for Your power and outstretched arms. Help us to know that nothing is too hard for You. Remind us everyday to rely on You and point to You. Give us peace as we trust in You. Amen Jeremiah 32:17 10 INDIANA BAPTIST MAGAZINE || WINTER 2017
Highland Lakes Baptist Camp
By Jim Shields
experience as they go about telling others the story of Christ. And this year’s Student Fusion camps are even titled “The Mission,” and they will challenge campers to leave the camp encouraged and be on mission for Christ.
Mission Minded
Ministries
Mission Minded Ministries. That is what Highland Lakes sets as it’s mindset. Everything we do is built upon the premise that our end goal is to emphasize the mission, the Great Commission, of telling others the Good News of the Gospel; to help others Discover, Develop, and Deploy a Transformed Life in Christ. Obviously, your campground hosts various venues such as camps, retreats and conferences that are focused on missions and mission training. One of our summer camps for our younger students is Mission Adventure Camp where our students learn from missionaries from across the globe about what it means to be completely reliant on Christ, and how rewarding and exciting it is to do so. They get to hear first-hand of the struggles, the opportunities and the relationships the missionaries
Yet another way we have served others with a Mission Mindset is by partnering alongside some of our SBC churches as they send mission teams to the field. Many of our churches have been able to sponsor a mission team to conduct their training meeting here at the camp; others have sponsored an overnight stay here at the camp so that the team can more easily get to Indianapolis International Airport for their flight out. We have also partnered with churches as they have sponsored a place for visiting IMB or NAMB missionaries to stay overnight or for a weekend as they visit our SBC churches in the area. What about you? Do you have a team preparing to go to the field? Do you need a place away from everything else to discuss and train for your mission? Does your church need a place for your team to stay overnight before they head to the field? Contact us, and let us see how we can help. Once again, if you have not been to Highland Lakes in the past few years, please take the opportunity to come visit us as we serve Indiana. Let us give you a tour of the facilities; talk to us about scheduling a retreat, conference or camp; join us in continuing to help others Discover, Develop, and Deploy a Transformed Life in Christ! On behalf of Rick, Sarah and the rest of our team here at Highland Lakes – thank you for allowing us to focus on Just One Thing…Phil 1:27 (HCSB).
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Missions Lifeline:
Something for Everyone
This past August, pastors, missions-minded church members and kids came together to learn more about how they can be more involved in reaching the world for Christ. The Missions Lifeline training event was held at Calvary Baptist Church in Greenfield. Several leaders from the SCBI, North American Mission Board, International Mission Board, SBC Disaster Relief and Woman’s Missionary Union partnered together to offer a variety of missions related training through breakout conferences. Children in Pre-k through 6th grade journeyed to Russia to learn about the work of IMB missionaries there as they engage lostness and share Christ. Indiana’s SBC Disaster Relief teams brought the shower, mud out and command center units to teach people about disaster relief and how they can be involved.
The keynote speaker for the event was Dr. Steve Davis. He challenged everyone to be a part of the efforts to reach North America through Church Planting and Send Relief initiatives. Emily Swader, WorldCrafts team leader at National WMU, brought the World Crafts fair trade store to the event. Participants were able to purchase items that will help 28 different artisan groups around the world. She also made it possible for those in attendance Friday evening to see a prerelease of the movie, “Mully.” Join us for the next Missions Lifeline on August 11th at Calvary Baptist Church in Greenfield to hear how you can become radically involved in the mission of God to reach the nations!
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January 26-27, 2018
Highland Lakes Baptist Camp
Cost: $75.00 for materials, room and 3 meals.
Collaborative Student Ministry
Many aspects of student ministry will be discussed during the weekend, but one of the primary emphasis will be how we can work together as leaders to reach students and minister to them during these challenging days. Come to learn, come to share ideas and come to meet other student leaders.
For more information or to register go to www.scbi.org/studentleadersummit
Learning to be Brave
“We have attended Pure Girl for six years! I have two daughters and have attended with both of them. This is our last year, which makes us sad. I would say hands down Pure Girl is the best opportunity to spend quality time with your daughter. I consider it sacred time every year, and we are going to miss it. I would definitely recommend Pure Girl to moms and girls, especially during those tricky ages when they are beginning to change and grow up and become young ladies.” – Kathy Taylor (Mom and Pastor’s wife) There are many moms and girls across Indiana just like Kathy and her girls who look forward to the time they get to spend together each year at Pure Girl. Moms and girls, grandmas and mentors spend time praying together, worshipping together and
playing together. This year they played archery tag, shot bows and arrows, had a campfire and of course painted nails at the annual pajama party. Chris Conrades from Crosspoint Baptist Church in Richmond spoke about how, because of Christ, we can be brave in the face of our sometimes scary world. The girls went to age group breakouts where they talked about the importance of modesty in our world today and were given some modesty guidelines to help girls and moms navigate through these often-difficult waters. They also heard about world hunger and gave to the World Hunger Fund. Maybe you or some moms you know have been looking for a way to spend some quality time with your daughter; consider making Pure Girl your special time to spend together and join us next September 14-15 at Highland Lakes Baptist Camp!
Pure Girl 2018
September 14-15, 2018 Highland Lakes Baptist Camp
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Committed Cooperation BY DR. RICK HILLARD
THE WORK STILL CONTINUES... I am grateful that God uses Southern Baptists the way He does.
David Livingston once said, “Sympathy is no substitute for action.” We recognize Livingstone as a great pioneer medical missionary to Africa. His dream, as a Christian missionary, was that the African slave trade might be destroyed through the influence of and the spread of Christianity. Thirty years of his life was spent in an unwearied effort to evangelize the native races, and his work helped open the heart of Africans to the gospel. The work still continues. Recently, I traveled to an area where one of our Indiana Baptist families have invested their lives. Their work, through the IMB, is to equip Kenyan believers with the truth necessary to further advance the gospel among the unreached. We had the opportunity to vision the
area and meet some of the people God is using for his glory. It was an eye opening experience. One such experience may have been the greatest prayer time I have ever had. We traveled into the bush and made contact with several villages. In one particular village, appropriately named in Swahili “mud,” my host wanted me to meet some important people in his life. We spent some time together and when it was time to leave we had a time of prayer. I felt such a genuine anointing of God that I think about it until this day. It was clear; God was at work in a village of mud! I am grateful that God uses Southern Baptists the way He does. Your giving through the Cooperative Program continues to touch everything we do. Your dollars are hard at work in Indiana and also in the Nations. Thanks for giving! The work still continues…
Prayer Point Dear Lord, thank You for the opportunity of salvation to each of us. We are begging for the lost to turn their eyes, hearts and minds to You. Help us to point them to You every chance we get. Make us feel urgent about spreading Your Word. You are the Cure! Amen
Acts 26:18
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Raising the
Evangelistic Temperature BY DR. RICK HILLARD I’m a numbers person. Numbers give you the best indication of how you are trending. Southern Baptists have an important tool at their disposal- the Annual Church Profile (ACP). It is a tool that gives you a look at the ministries of your church. The ACP provides a good snapshot of the effectiveness of what you are trying to accomplish. For Southern Baptists, this data is important for strategy, planning and budgeting.
Traveling our state and talking evangelism, you learn that too many of our congregations have no specific strategy they follow. I can relate to the 10,000 things most of our pastors have to do, but maybe this is why we have grown cool on sharing the gospel. Wouldn’t it be great if every church in the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana had a contextualized evangelism strategy? If you think so, we can help you do that! We are not talking about a cookie cutter approach to evangelism but a plan specific to your context. The idea developed is called ESP 2020! The dream is for every church in Indiana to have a clearly defined Evangelism Strategy Plan by the year 2020.
For several years, our ACP data has painted a picture of decline among our Southern Baptists churches. The thing I am most concerned with is the decline in the number of baptisms. We have more churches than ever before, but through those churches, far few people enter the waters of baptism. This data suggests its time to get serious again about that evangelical distinctive of sharing the gospel. One of our dirty little secrets is “most engage in virtually no personal evangelism.” LifeWay’s research arm indicates that perhaps only a quarter make any effort to share the gospel. Could this be the reason why we see fewer people baptized? Looking at the broader picture, not all churches are seeing a decline in baptism numbers.
There are some churches that are doing quite well reaching people for Christ. They consistently hit healthy markers for baptisms. When you study these effective evangelistic churches you begin to notice that there are some “evergreen principles” that tend to rise. Perhaps, the most significant of these principles is that there always seems to be a “specific evangelism strategy plan,” and this strategy produces results.
I would love to help your church, association or network discover these evergreen principles and work to see what God might lead your church to do in developing an evangelism strategy plan. Give me a call and we will talk about it, or better yet, gather some leaders who might be interested in seeing a new day in evangelism, and let’s get together! Let’s all work together to raise the evangelistic temperature among Indiana Baptists!
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THANK GOD FOR
THE BAPTIST FOUNDATION
Geist Chapel
As a startup church in our third year, Geist Chapel received word that our lease at the building we occupied was to be tripled. Thankfully, God led us to a vacant clubhouse on 10 beautiful acres in Admiral’s Bay at Geist Reservoir. In order to purchase the whole property for a super low price, we needed to raise an estimated $27,000 for a down payment and an additional $100,000 to make the property habitable, as it had been sitting vacant for several years. Amazingly, the congregation of Geist Chapel responded generously, the owners of the property offered a further reduction in price with a lease/purchase agreement, and the Baptist Foundation stepped to the plate and financed the $100,000 renovations. Later, they provided a mortgage for our purchase agreement at an attractive rate, and most recently, even set up a line of credit so we could open a preschool, which we paid off in record time. Rather than banking rules promulgated by commercial lending institutions, the Foundation uses common sense guidelines like church attendance, giving patterns and fair market property values to make loan decisions. I consider the whole process a miracle, and one reason I serve on the Board of Directors of the Baptist Foundation of Indiana. I would like to see more people and churches benefit from this lending source God has established for the church. Ken Booster Finance Chairman, Geist Chapel Director, Baptist Foundation of Indiana
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3021 E. 71st Street Indianapolis, IN 46220 317.481.2400 ext.300 www.inbaptisitfoundation.org
THE BAPTIST FOUNDATION FUNDS Term and Corresponding Interest Rate Demand Account 1.00-1.50% One Year CD 1.75% Two Year CD 2.00% Three Year CD 2.50% Five Year CD 3.00% Minimum Investment $1,000 for Demand and $5000 for Time Deposits
Why not give your RMD directly to your church this year? We can show you how! If you’re 70½ or older, you can transfer your 2017 required minimum distribution (RMD) to a charity at any time. The donation counts as your RMD but is excluded from your adjusted gross income.
The Baptist Foundation Welcomes Bev Olonoh, Administrative Associate Bev comes to the Baptist Foundation of Indiana after serving with the State Convention of Baptists in Indiana for 19 years. Her experience is primarily in administration and communication. Her Bachelor’s degree from I.U.P.U.I. is in English Literature. She also has done post-graduate work at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Bev is an active member of Northside Baptist Church in Indianapolis, where she serves in prayer ministry, youth ministry, missions and a women’s life group. Bev has three grown children and three grandsons. bev@inbaptistfoundation.org 317.481.2400 ext 301
Gary Yochum, New Board Member Welcome to the newest member of our Board of Directors, Gary Yochum! After retiring from the USAF in 1995, Gary has spent 21 years in vocational ministry, currently serving as the Ministry Coordinator of the Southeastern Indiana Baptist Association. Gary and his wife Debbie have one son and four grandchildren. He is a member of Oak Park Baptist Church in Jeffersonville.
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Showing God’s Love through Mud and Muck By Denny Smith Indiana White Hat for Southern Baptist Disaster Relief
2017 has been a busy year for Indiana Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers who were blessed by being able to help 99 families throughout the state of Indiana. Two things Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers are known for are muck outs and mold remediation, which volunteers had the chance to do in Rome City, Huntingburg, Salem and Bowell. More importantly, volunteers had the opportunity to share the love of Christ with victims; they passed out 86 Bibles, made seven gospel presentations, 31 Chaplaincy contacts and 62 ministry contacts. New leaders were trained this year: three Incident Command Center (ICC) trainings, three introductions to Disaster Relief,
three Chainsaw trainings, five Assessor trainings, one shower unit training and new this year was a mock disaster training for ICC. The mock disaster training was led by Region 2 Coordinator, George Fox, and Yellow Hat, Bobby Miller, in Frankfort at the Emergency Management Center. This training took many hours of preparation but will be well worth the effort in the event of a large disaster. Each victim has a story, and each flooded room is a disaster to that victim. Once in a while a victim will touch your heart, as an 87-year-old lady in Rome City touched mine. She was sitting outside on a very hot day as my wife and I approached her home. She was near tears because her crawlspace had been flooded and
the insulation was wet. She was aware that we require that wet insulation be removed before we come in to spray. She had asked friends and family to help, but no one would help her. After hearing her story, my heart broke for her and the decision was made that DR would do the total job for her. The smile on her face and tears in her eyes made that messy job worth it. Those are the kind of blessings we get when we show God’s love. Disaster Relief has made many changes this year. For more information about how you can help and/or get involved, visit www.scbi.org/ministries/disasterrelief or email Rick Hillard at rhillard@scbi.org.
Prayer Points Heavenly Father, help us to recognize the weapons you have provided for us in this battle. Keep us focused on using them to bring You glory. Keep our hearts and minds sharpened for battle to fight the good fight on a daily basis. Thank You for Your power in us! Amen
2 Corinthians 10:4
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Q: What is Unceasing Worship? A: Every church has at least one worship service every week. A major part of worship includes the singing of hymns or worship songs, but it also includes preaching, scripture reading, prayers and the two ordinances of the church- baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Unceasing Worship is a newly designed event that will focus on the planning of worship, the resources for worship and the leaders who make worship happen. Q: Who is the Unceasing Worship retreat for? A: The retreat is for pastors, worship leaders, instrumentalists, vocalists and those who run the soundboard and projection media. The focus will be on the leaders from smaller to mediumsize churches, but there will be sessions that will interest larger church worship leaders as well. Those from youth through adults will find the retreat helpful. It is not designed for children.
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It was a great time of nurturing our passion for worship.
Q: What will happen during the retreat? A: The weekend will include group worship for all, breakout sessions according to your interest and some informal time to get to know other leaders from churches across the state. Four tracks will be offered—Worship Leaders, Instrumentalists, Vocalists, and Sound/Tech. Q: Who will be leading the retreat? A: We have recruited more than a dozen experienced worship leaders from SCBI churches across Indiana to lead the retreat, including the worship team from Calvary Baptist Church in West Lafayette. Q: What is the cost to attend? A: The early registration cost (register by January 23) is only $55. Regular registration is $65, but must be completed by February 9. This will pay for your retreat fees, housing and meals (Saturday breakfast and lunch.)
For more information or to register go to www.scbi.org/unceasingworship WINTER 2017 || INDIANA BAPTIST MAGAZINE
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Around The State... NEIBA – MAKING THE MISSION HAPPEN by Matthew Gullion
Several years ago, a great movement (The Greater Fort Wayne Celebration with Will Graham) began as we called out a remnant of our region who take the Bible as true and evangelism as necessary in the life of the church today! Well over 1000 believers have taken to heart the undeniable fact that The Lord has called us to more than “church as usual” by taking the Good News to the streets! On October 6-8, 2017, we saw this region “Make the Mission Happen,” come to life and bring forth fruit! We were able to witness well over 400 decisions for Christ in the services and over 800 decisions for Christ through outreach, trainings and webcasting! Truly we saw a small city come to know Christ at the Celebration! We stand amazed in the reward of The Lord as he has blessed the faithful remnant in sharing the Hope of Jesus. Several have asked how all of this came about so here are some simple steps. Build a team – It has been amazing to see this team come together and the cream of the crop rise to the top. The Lord has sent an amazing team to lead in this effort, and it is necessary in doing great things for The Lord! Unify the body – It has been a great joy to watch the body of Christ join together to fulfill the great commission. We have a network of churches who might not all agree on the depths of doctrine but agree on the fact that our only hope is in Jesus Christ! Earnestly pray – We have seen a mighty movement of prayer begin in this region that has been the driving force behind this great harvest of souls! We have seen The Lord hear and answer our prayers for our family, friends and neighbor’s souls! Do Something – So many times, we dream of doing great things for The Lord and possibly even put it on paper, but the reward is in Doing Something! We were blessed to be a part of a great regional team who had a heart to put faith into action! Focus on Follow Up – If we have heard it once then we have heard it a thousand times, “I’m not interested in another event.” If you feel this is just another event then you’ve missed it or just do not understand. What a joy to hear about the “Follow Up” already going on! We have heard in the last week story after story about new believers, new families at church and baptismal waters being stirred due to the Celebration! The key has been and always will be plugging new believers into and strengthening the local church. This is written today as a way to make much of Jesus! This has not been about us but that The Lord would be high and lifted up! Too many times great visions and impacting movements are hindered by words of discouragement or feeling of inadequacy, but we want you to know that The Lord is bigger than your dreams! We encourage you to ask The Lord to birth in you a vision so grand that if He does not step in you are bound to fail, watch Him show up in a great way! Trust Him, He desires to do something great in and through YOU! 22 INDIANA BAPTIST MAGAZINE || WINTER 2017
ON MISSION
HERE NOW 100% of your gifts support North American Missionaries Week of Prayer March 4-11, 2018
Please give through your local church or online at AnnieArmstrong.com/Give WINTER 2017 || INDIANA BAPTIST MAGAZINE Annie Armstrong Easter Offering ® is a registered trademark of WMU ®
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