VOL 4, ISSUE 3
mis sio ns youth /you ng ad ult s
chu rch pla nti revitaliza ng tion o f exi s ti n gc hur ch es
l ea der shi p
SUMMER 2019
UPTON ADDRESSES MISSION COUNCIL
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A FOCUS ON BGAV’S PRESENT AND FUTURE Hundreds Attend Awakenings Read the highlights of this year’s Missio Alliance Gathering 15
From the V3 Blog How to reach the “nones” and “dones” in the name of faith 16
Repurposing the Parsonage Urbanna Baptist Church creates a new mission for their property 21
COSMIC COOKOFF by John Upton
It would be good for many of us to revisit the story of Elijah’s proposal for a “Cosmic Cookoff ” between the worshippers of Baal and his God. The people of God were limping between two opinions—two deities. When you are split between two for a long time it is hard to say “no” to either one, which means you cannot say “yes” with all your heart either. This had to be addressed. So, a cosmic cookoff was arranged.
JOHN UPTON is the Executive Director of the BGAV.
What was the issue? The issue was: which one delivers for real? So, Baal’s folk go first. The day drags on for them with no results. Elijah gets a little sassy, “Louder, boys. Maybe Baal has gone to Acapulco for some R & R, or out for a power lunch, or to take a snooze.” The priests, in desperation, begin cutting themselves with their swords. This is called “imitative magic.” You ask a deity for something, and you imitate that something yourself. You want Baal to pour himself out on the altar, so you pour yourself out. Do you know what is sad? We do that today. We work ourselves to death in our churches trying to produce what we wished God would produce for us, never asking if that is what God desires for us. The saddest thing is we will never find what we need or seek there. Sadder still, some of us will keep cutting ourselves trying to pour ourselves out on something that is false. By 3:00 Baal’s petitioners were spent, and they had no fire to show for it. It’s Elijah’s turn, he said, “Come closer.” He took 12 stones, remembering how God had acted so many times before with the 12 tribes. He laid on wood, killed a bull, and laid it on the wood. To make it harder, he took water and splashed it over everything several times. The wood was soaked. Then Elijah prayed and the fire came! It wasn’t a spark nor a flicker, it was a waterfall of fire coming from heaven and it ate up all the meat, ate up the wood, licked up the water, and blew up the stone. There was nothing left but smoke. When the people saw this, they fell on their faces and cried, “The Lord alone is God!” We’ve all taken our turn beseeching Baal. We beseech him to give us some success, some kind of rescue, a bigger attendance, or some attractional things we thought we needed to have. All those requests have a way of drying up on us when they don’t happen. It is at this point I hope we realize that something else is needed and has been needed all along. It is something we can’t manipulate or manufacture. It is something that is bigger than us—something like fire! It is the fire of faith, the fire of courage, the fire of confidence, the fire of honest-to-goodness love for those in our communities,
The Lord is able and none other can impart real fire, real resources, real future, real mission—the kind that will not fail. the fire of compassion, the energy that fire generates—just to name a few. We know whose hand holds this fire. We know who alone can breathe this fire into our lives, into our churches, and into our families. The Lord is able and none other can impart real fire, real resources, real future, real mission—the kind that will not fail. “The Lord alone Is God!” I wasn’t sure I wanted to include the last part of the story, but it can’t go unstated. Those prophets of Baal had to die. I actually get that—those 450 prophets of Baal that dance, call out, draw blood and life within me and you—must die. If the only real fire is in God’s hands, then we must stop serving that which can’t put real fire into our living. Let’s be done with that stuff, all those doomed efforts that produce no life. Let us turn to the one source of real fire, real life—and let that lead and shape us.
UPTON ADDRESSES MISSION COUNCIL
A FOCUS ON BGAV’S PRESENT AND FUTURE
mis sio ns youth /you ng ad ult s
chu rch pla nti revitaliza ng tion o f exi s ti n gc hur ch es
l ea der shi p
// pg 8
4 // BGAV News & Notes 6 // A Letter from the BGAV President 8 // Upton Addresses Mission Council: A Focus on BGAV’s Present and Future 12 // A Launching Pad for Missions 15 // Awakenings: Hundreds of Church Leaders Convene at Missio Alliance Gathering 16 // From the V3 Blog: Hamster Wheels and Holodecks 18 // Partnering with Croatian Baptists in Ministry with Refugees in Bosnia 21 // A New Mission for the Parsonage 22 // The Fix: Addressing Opioid Abuse in New Kent, VA 23 // Latest Ministry Jobs
BGAV Advancing the Kingdom Together
ISSN 2573-5101 (print) ISSN 2573-511X (online)
A publication of the Baptist General Association of Virginia Volume 4, Issue 3 Summer 2019 BGAV Express is published quarterly by the Baptist General Association of Virginia, 2828 Emerywood Parkway, Henrico, VA 23294.
Send subscription requests and address changes to: Jennifer Law jennifer.law@bgav.org 800.255.2428, ext. 1223 BGAV Express Baptist General Association of Virginia 2828 Emerywood Parkway Henrico, VA 23294 toll-free 800.255.2428 Or visit BGAV.org/Express.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: John V. Upton, Jr. BGAV EXPRESS EDITOR: Jennifer Law ART DIRECTOR: Meghan Wilson
BGAV Staff Changes
On May 31, Leigh Anne Baggs transitioned out of the Payroll and Benefits Specialist position and began working only with BGAV retiree benefits. Mark Dixon, Collegiate Minister at UVA-Wise, left in early March to pursue God’s call to work with the Bowery Mission in New York. Aaron Lee left the position of Disaster Response Coordinator at the end of May. He is moving on to serve organizations, companies, churches, and other groups and teams of individuals searching for leadership development tools and processes.
Pastors and Leaders Celebrate at Latino Network Gathering
Sarah Jean Russell, Properties Manager, left at the end of May to focus her efforts on the business she owns and manages.
On May 3 and 4, more than 80 Latino pastors and leaders met at Mappsville Baptist Church to celebrate their XVI Annual Latino Network Gathering.
Marilyn Hundley began a new position as Disaster Response Administrative Coordinator on April 15.
Sergio Valerga, national director of e625USA and the keynote speaker, led four different breakout sessions on the important issue of how to develop a generational leadership strategy among our Latino churches.
Hannah Grace Mullins assumed the role of Interim Collegiate Minister at UVA-Wise on March 1. Noah Rogers began serving as Properties Manager in early June.
Pastor Eulogio Vasquez gave the group a warm welcome, and the ladies provided everyone with delicious Guatemalan and Mexican dishes. Attendees also enjoyed a time of praise and prayer, led by Mappsville’s Praise Band.
Tammy Williams joined the staff as Payroll/Benefits and Accounting Specialist on April 8.
Field Strategists Visit Museum of the Bible
In early May, Dee Whitten, executive director of NorthStar Church Network, took BGAV Field Strategists on a tour of the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC.
Marilyn Hundley
Hannah Grace Mullins
Tammy Williams
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NEWS + NOTES
Complete list of events at BGAV.org/Events
Event Calendar June 1 4
6 8 10 10
16–22 20 22 23–28 23–29 24–28 25 28–30 30–7/5
July
Children’s Ministry 101 (online course) The Role of Church Treasurer, Giving, Spending, and Saving (online course) Discipling Teens in a Digital World (online course) Youth Trips (online course) Family Ministry 101 (online course) Inclusive and Supportive Children’s Ministry: Serving Children and Families with Special Needs (online course) Impact Chesterfield/Kings Fest, Chesterfield, VA Models of Family Ministry (online course) Bible Study Basics (online course) Camp Piankatank: Boys Week, Hartfield, VA Impact Bluefield/Impact Kids, Bluefield, VA Camp Piankatank Day Camp Week 1, Hartfield, VA Managing Your Financial Records (online course) Camp Piankatank: Father/Son Weekend, Hartfield, VA Camp Piankatank: Girls Week, Hartfield, VA
5–7 13
Camp Piankatank Mini-camp, Hartfield, VA Virginia Church Library Association Coffee & Chat, Staunton, VA 14–19 Camp Piankatank: Co-ed Week 1, Hartfield, VA 15–19 Camp Piankatank Day Camp Week 2, Hartfield, VA 15–19 Music and Worship Arts Camp, Lynchburg, VA 19–21 Camp Piankatank: Mother/Daughter Weekend, Hartfield, VA 21–26 Camp Piankatank: Co-ed Youth Week, Hartfield, VA 21–27 Impact Eastern Shore 22–26 Camp Piankatank Day Camp Week 3, Hartfield, VA 22–26 MC2: Missions Connection Celebration, Lynchburg, VA 29–8/2 Camp Piankatank Day Camp Week 3, Hartfield, VA
August 3
Church Weekday Education Conference, Richmond, VA 3 Virginia Church Library Association Coffee & Chat, Richmond, VA 23–24 Retiro de Pastores y Líderes Latinos, Lowesville, VA 24 Revitalize: Re-energizing the Church for the Kingdom of God (Capital and Southside Regional Event), Farmville, VA
Senior Adults Gather for the Festival of Praise in May
David Schwoebel, the 2019 guest director, said of the event:“What well prepared choirs we had at this week’s Virginia Baptist Senior Adult ‘Festival of Praise!’ Thanks to Tom Ingram for the invite to lead, Betty Robertson who accompanied so musically, and all at Derbyshire Baptist who graciously hosted these fun, talented and energetic singers from around the state.”
Kairos Leadership Initiative Holds Annual Retreat
The 2019 Kairos Leadership Initiative (KLI) group kicked off their May retreat in the sand at the Outer Banks, NC. This annual gathering is a dedicated time to work on leadership training within the group.
For more BGAV news, visit BGAV.org/News
Festival of Praise attendees sing a hymn together.
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A LETTER FROM THE BGAV PRESIDENT by Richard Martin Now is an exciting time to be a Virginia Baptist. We have a rich heritage and a future loaded with new possibilities. In four short years we will be celebrating the 200th year of Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV) life. A committee is now being formed to plan for this historic event. As we approach the 200th anniversary, BGAV has adopted a mission statement that succinctly and clearly states who we have been, who we are, and who we plan to be in the future. The statement is: The BGAV (General Association) is a missionary movement unleashing the power of the resurrected Christ through the local church for the renewal of all things. You can easily break that sentence into the four principles that distinctly identify BGAV. • The BGAV is a missionary movement. From the days of the Bedford Boys to today’s V3 Church Planting, we have been an association based on missionary work. • The BGAV believes in the power of the resurrected Christ. We are gospel centric and Christ is at the center of everything that we do.
African American Fellowship of Virginia/BGAV Preaching Camps August 23–24, 2019 Preaching Camp Raleigh, NC Martin Street Baptist Church, Raleigh, NC Dr. Shawn Singleton, Host Pastor
October 25–26, 2019 Preaching Camp XVII Mt. Gilead Missionary Baptist Church, Norfolk, VA Dr. Shelton Murphy, Host Pastor
May 15–16, 2020 Preaching Camp XVIII Little Union Baptist Church, Dumfries, VA Rev. Michael L. Sessoms, Host Pastor
October 23–24, 2020 Preaching Camp XIX Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Mechanicsville, VA Dr. Paul D. Flowers, Host Pastor
More Information: Dr. Jerome O. Lee AAFVA/BGAV Preaching Camp Coordinator jerome.lee@bgav.org
RICHARD MARTIN is the 2019 BGAV President.
• The BGAV believes that the way to unleash the power of the resurrected Christ is through the local church and the work of the BGAV is local church focused. • The BGAV believes that God wants to renew all things. We will explore that fourth principle in detail when we gather in November for our annual meeting. Members of the Mission Council and the Executive Board met at Eagle Eyrie at the end of April. The morning of the meeting was devoted to a report from BGAV’s Executive Director Dr. John Upton on the present status of the association and a look at where our future may take us. During the afternoon, the Mission Council gathered by regions where Field Strategists led discussions focused regional cooperation and future needs. A second series of regional meetings focused on connecting the local churches to the larger missional vision and resources of the BGAV. Each region heard from one or more BGAV program specialists about topics such as refugees, More than Nets, Disaster Response, Fresh Expressions, V3 Church Planting, and small churches. You can learn more about these exciting times in the BGAV at this year’s annual meeting. It will be held at Bonsack Baptist Church on November 11-13. The theme will be “Renew. Dr. Scot McKnight will be our guest speaker. Dr. McKnight is an American New Testament scholar, historian of early Christianity, theologian, and author who has written widely on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and Christian living. He is currently Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary. I hope to see you there!
REGISTRATION OPENS SEPTEMBER 15! 196TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE BAPTIST GENERAL ASSOCIATION OF VIRGINIA
BGAV ANNUAL MEETING NOVEMBER 11–13, 2019 BONSACK BAPTIST CHURCH ROANOKE, VA
main speaker SCOT McKNIGHT Julius R. Mantey Chair of New Testament, Northern Seminary
FEATURING... Pastor’s Conference and other special interest group gatherings Missions Monday: Missions-focused breakout sessions, opportunities, and evening program Breakout sessions addressing relevant issues Fellowship dinner available on-site Monday and Tuesday evenings On-site childcare available for all main gathering times!
Schedule, breakout topics, lodging, and more:
BGAV.ORG/MEETING
BGAV Advancing the Kingdom Together
UPTON ADDRESSES MISSION COUNCIL
A FOCUS ON BGAV’S PRESENT AND FUTURE mis sio ns youth /you ng ad ult s
chu rch pla nti revitaliza ng tion o f exi s ti n gc hur ch es
l ea der shi p
“We’ve got hard work to do, but it begins with our own spirit,” said John Upton, Executive Director, as he concluded his message to the BGAV Mission Council. The group of representatives—both ministers and laypersons—convened at Eagle Eyrie on April 30 for their annual time together in which they dialogue with BGAV elected Officers, BGAV Virginia Baptist Executive Board, and BGAV staff members, preparing to serve churches across the Commonwealth. At each meeting, Upton delivers an Executive Director’s report. This year, Upton focused his report on how the BGAV has evolved over its nearly 200-year history in order to respond to the ever-changing needs of its churches and to plan strategically for a future that brings new challenges and opportunities. Having returned recently from Lebanon, where he helped celebrate the beginning of a new partnership focus on refugee ministry, Upton recalled a story he heard there that inspired him: When Lebanese Baptists needed physical space to minister to Syrian Refugees, they took up an offering. The individual members of the church gave what was most sacred to them. They donated their wedding rings to finance the building for ministry to the refugees. “Heaven is breaking through in spite of what it may look like the world is becoming,” said Upton. “When Christian faith is lived well it is a beautiful thing, heaven breaks through. The question is how does heaven breakthrough in us?” “There are two natures of the BGAV,” explained Upton. “We focus on the local church, and we focus on movement—being movemental. These two areas of focus drive everything we do. One is essential for the other to be effective.” While BGAV’s organizational structure and methods have often changed over the years, its nature and mission have remained the same. Upton recalled that when he came to the BGAV in the Partnership Missions position back in 1995, the Virginia Baptist landscape was vastly different from what it looks like
CHURCHES
The BGAV organizational wheel was revealed at the April 2019 Mission Council meeting as a tool for understanding the organization’s many facets.
SENDING
DEVELOPING
PLANTING
RESOURCING today. “There was one national convention—the SBC—and it was embroiled in controversy. There was one state ‘convention’— and that was us.”
something different with one another in order to continue to honor God’s calling for the BGAV.” “In 2010, we asked ourselves the question: What is the movement God is calling the BGAV to be a part of, or to create?” Upton remembered.
He explained that BGAV has never used the word “convention” to describe itself, since that word suggests that its members follow a certain list of requirements or rules. Rather, the word “association” has described BGAV since its inception in 1823, signifying the importance of being a group of churches who freely choose to associate with each other in a cooperative way. Autonomy of the local church is a hallmark of BGAV and critical to its nature as an association. He added, “No church should be conventional; each is unique.”
“As we discerned together the answer to that question, we realized that a movement needs five things: leadership, church planting, revitalization of existing churches, missions, and youth/young adults.” Since then, BGAV has focused on those areas as it has followed God’s call to support the local church through Planting, Developing, Sending, and Resourcing.
“We’d be a table where everyone could sit,” he explained. “Everyone was welcome at the table. We could be on mission together.”
As part of his report, Upton distributed and introduced a tangible representation of how the various ministries and ministry partners of the BGAV work together as a whole—an organizational “wheel” that illustrates how the overall organization supports the local church in these ways—and how all are important. No particular areas fall “above” or “below” others; each ministry has its own place in the whole.
“Over the last two decades, though, things continued to change. The divide between national Baptist bodies widened. It became evident that not everyone wanted to be at the same table anymore; not everyone wanted to sit together. We knew we needed to do 9
Upton then cited some specific examples of ministry initiatives which have been areas of growth for the BGAV.
number continues to grow,” Upton reported enthusiastically. “We birthed them; they’re our family.”
Through Uptick, young ministers participate in leadership cohorts for “intensive training that yields extensive dividends,” according to Upton. From smaller groups in its formative years, the ministry has grown its vision for 2020 to include as many as 25 groups per year—providing encouragement, networking, and leadership mentoring for hundreds of young ministers.
These are only a few examples of the new initiatives that have resulted in sustained and continued growth of BGAV overall.
The V3 Movement, which was formed by the BGAV in 2013, offered a new type of approach to church planting. “Our old way of church planting involved starting with a location, then finding a church planter, funding the new start, and then praying for results,” Upton explained. “It was at high cost to us but provided low yield.” With V3, we learned that we should invest first in training church planters by putting out a call to those who felt led to start churches. The response has been tremendous. These church planters are in a cohort for two years, and then we invest funds in their church plants where they feel God calling them. Most of these new churches are meeting the ‘five-year test,’ and not only surviving, but thriving. Many are already self-sufficient after only two years.” “This movement has also opened doors for us to expand our reach, leading us to places like Seattle, New York, Florida, and more. Now we have participating churches in 17 states, and that John Upton presents his Executive Board report to Mission Council (below); a group of church planters pose together as part of a recent V3 Learning Cohort (right).
10
Upton also drew attention to the other side of the “wheel,” on which is printed the BGAV’s most recent mission statement: The BGAV (General Association) is a missionary movement unleashing the power of the resurrected Christ through the local church for the renewal of all things. Upton went on to emphasize the meanings of the different parts of the BGAV name. “Our heritage is ‘Baptist,’ and that’s reflected in our belief in the autonomy of the local church. ‘General’ reflects our attitude of openness, and we’re an ‘Association’ because we’re relational. ‘Of Virginia’ is more about temperament than location. Being ‘of Virginia’ suggests that we are genteel, gracious, civil people even when we disagree with each other.” He further explained that many churches who have joined us over the last two decades aren’t from Virginia. “So some folks see us as just the General Association,” he said, “and that’s what we are.”
Through Fresh Expressions, many churches have revitalized their ministries in the community. Dinner churches, such as the one at Lake Ridge Baptist Church in Woodbridge, VA, have experienced great successes. The 2018 Uptick Core group poses during a winter retreat.
Upton said that as BGAV is studying and refreshing its brand while retaining its longstanding mission, they have retained a Christian, non-profit marketing consulting firm to do research and make recommendations about how best to communicate the organization’s mission and purpose. “They created a survey that was distributed to more than 14,000 of you who receive our communications, and it was sent out in late April. As of today (April 30), they’d already received a larger number of responses than they expected—indicating a high level of confidence in the survey results. The BGAV leadership and Executive Board will receive a report this summer that will help us know how to serve our churches even better.”
As part of BGAV’s focus on developing leadership in young adults, the collegiate/young adult ministry of Kairos Initiative organizes its annual Kairos Leadership Initiative Retreat.
As Upton brought his report to a close, he told council members that he will be bringing this same report and message in person to many, many others across BGAV audiences in regional meetings across the Commonwealth in the coming weeks.
Upton also commented that BGAV has been part of forming the Society for Gospel Awakening, an ecumenical movement of Christians who want to partner together with BGAV but who aren’t necessarily Virginians or Baptists. This is creating an even bigger table where people who feel called by God to do Kingdom work together can explore that call in a common space.
“There’s a mission God is constantly calling us to,” Upton challenged. “We are learning how to do this. We have made good progress. Any future God is in—is a future I’m not afraid of.”
“Missions has always been the heartbeat of Virginia Baptists,” Upton said, “And it still is. Our goal is for all to be redeemed and saved for the glory of God.” Earlier in his report, Upton had offered a brief lesson on Virginia Baptist history, stating, “We sent folks to be missional 150 years ago. Virginia was much larger geographically back then than it is currently.” Reaching out beyond itself is not new to BGAV. “We’ve always had a heart for the ‘not yet,’ and our center has always been Jesus Christ.”
For more information, visit BGAV.org
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BY TAYLOR TERRILL
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VT students await their flight to Costa Rica.
While in Costa Rica, college students worked with local children.
College students are rich. No, not monetarily rich (think endless ramen and always being up for free food), but they are overflowing with one precious resource: Time.
At the BCM at Virginia Tech, this is a part of our heartbeat: to be “On Mission.” We believe we are called to share the love of Jesus with others. We want to see others on our campus and around the world awakened to the truth and grace that Christ has to offer. One launching pad for students to engage in this is on a spring break missions experience.
It’s their most significant commodity. Busy is often an abundant word in their vocabulary, but only because they have no idea what busy actually is. They have more flexibility in their schedule than they will probably ever have for the rest of their lives.
This past March we sent 36 students on mission experiences across the states and internationally. Below are some glimpses from their week:
Our BCMs and Kairos ministries can be the greatest launching pads for local and global missions in the world.
Hope Geiger, a junior, shared about her experience in San Jose, Costa Rica, with Steve Semler, a local missionary. Steve runs a ministry called “Fishers of Men” that is geared towards teaching Bible lessons to inner-city children and ministering to youth removed from their families and placed in government care.
Students are sendable and trainable. When we leverage these opportunities, our BCMs and Kairos ministries can be the greatest launching pads for local and global missions in the world. 12
A team of students traveled to Clarkston, GA, during spring break to help with a local refugee ministry center (top); As part of their visit to Thibadoux, LA, students partake in a feast of crawfish (right). “I initially struggled to get over the language barrier that stood between me and the people I had come to serve. It left me feeling useless at times, but during debriefing one night early into the trip, a member on the team made this statement and it resonated in my soul throughout the rest of my journey in Costa Rica: ‘We all laugh and smile in the same language.’ I have learned that God’s love isn’t always a spoken language, and his light can shine and make an impact even with barriers. God’s love to us is often unspoken and shown in actions and intentions when serving others.” of caring for the brokenness in the world and that God uses a diversity of people to meet a diversity of needs. What the local church here does is wade through brokenness and proclaim the gospel to every person being placed in America in search of safety.”
Emma Cook, a sophomore, traveled with a team of three students to Thibadoux, Louisiana, to work alongside the BCM at Nicholls State in learning about campus evangelism and the power of the stories that we share. “It was incredible seeing the BCMers’ hearts for their campus and to be a part of gospel conversations. Throughout the week the coolest conversations we had were ones where the student we were talking to did not know anything about Jesus. We got to share the gospel several times and how Jesus’ love, peace, and grace have personally impacted our lives. Through this experience and living in community with Nicholls State BCMers for the week I became more emboldened and encouraged in my faith. God made himself evident in our conversations and interactions we had over spring break and I praise him for that.”
In the end, a week is a short amount of time and the tangible fruits of what our students witness may be limited. We believe what we introduce students to has the ability to spark a passion for the world and their community. This is not simply a missions trip but rather an experience, a step towards something bigger. These students come back with story after story of how God transformed their lives and shifted their perspective to a heavenly kingdom, to proclaim the name of Jesus. Pray for these 36 students as they continue to unpack their experiences and a lifelong calling to be on mission wherever God places them. BCM at Virginia Tech exists to introduce college students to Jesus Christ and call them to walk with him for a lifetime. Visit BCMVT.org to learn more about the ministry on the campus of Virginia Tech. Want to start a Kairos ministry on your campus or in your church? Learn more about the Kairos Initiative at KairosInitiative.org.
Michael Folta, a junior, went with a team to work alongside Send Relief’s Refugee Ministry Center with the North American Mission Board in Clarkston, Georgia. Clarkston is one of the most diverse communities in America, where almost 32% of the residents were born outside the United States, and 60 languages are spoken within a 1.5-mile radius. That’s Clarkston, the “Ellis Island of the South.” There are great needs, but there are also great opportunities for churches and individuals to invest in the residents.
Taylor Terrill is an associate campus minister at the BCM at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA.
“In the afternoons, I spent my time with an Afghani family, teaching the children ESL and biology, helping them keep up in school and try to break down the language barrier. This week opened my eyes to the biblical, rather than political, perspective
For more information, visit KairosInitiative.org 13
“..so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”
together as
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1 Corinthians 12:25-27
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Clockwise from far left: Alfred Street Baptist Church Choir leads the community in worship; Natasha Sistrunk Robinson speaks during the Awakenings Gathering event; Aj Sherrill responds to the group during a forum panel alongside Lisa Yebuah and Todd Hunter.
This past March, over 600 church leaders gathered in Alexandria, VA, for Awakenings: The Life of the Church for the Sake of the World. It was the fourth North American gathering of Missio Alliance, an organization that convenes diverse partners to discuss the most pressing issues addressing the Church. The vision of the conference was to bring an array of leaders together for conversations about the connection between the Holy Spirit, the Church, and our participation in God’s mission in the world. themselves more at home at the gathering than they do in other types of ecclesial gatherings. It’s common to hear people say that when they came to Awakenings they “found their tribe.”
Energy was palpable from the beginning. High energy worship was led by Urban Doxology and powerful plenary talks were delivered by leaders such as Lisa Yebuah, Howard-John Wesley, David Fitch, Bruxy Cavey, Karen Swallow Prior, and others. Speakers were paired to give their thoughts on five key topics: the Nature, Witness, Future, Character, and Sending of the Church. After these mainstage discussions, panels were convened where other leaders could respond to the ideas heard from the stage.
Video and audio content from Awakenings is now available for download at MissioAlliance.org/Shop. Some key recordings include: • “Show & Tell: Our Most Compelling Apologetic for the Gospel” featuring Bruxy Cavey • “Sent Together: Gender Reconciliation as Gospel Proclamation” featuring Tara Beth Leach • “The Missionary Future of the Church” featuring Dennis Edwards, David Fitch, Keisha Polonio and Al Tizon • “The Multicultural Future of the Church” featuring Charles Montgomery, Karen Swallow Prior, Lucas Pulley and Mia Chang
While the programming was excellent, many came hungry for a more personal connection. The Women’s Lunch, one of the most popular events at the gathering, creates a space for women, many of whom are pastors leading local churches, to discuss their unique opportunities and complexities. Outside of the spaces programmed by Missio Alliance, Awakenings also provided an opportunity for organizations such as The Ecclesia Network and Fresh Expressions US to gather to reunite with long-term members and friends. Another example is Jesus Collective, a new initiative for neo-Anabaptist leaders, which hosted a launch event the day before the gathering began.
To get instant access to Missio Alliance’s entire digital library, including all event recordings, the growing list of webinars and more, visit MissioAlliance.org/Friends.
Missio Alliance strives for diversity in theological tradition, race, and gender. Yet despite these seeming differences, many find 15
For more information, visit MissioAlliance.org
Well, the news is out again. Gallup’s latest faith poll showed church membership is “down sharply” over the past two decades. Relevant Magazine recently reported that young people are leaving the church due to perceived judgment and hypocrisy.
our biggest fear-dragons and put us in a posture of defensiveness? Do these types of forecasts actually ask the right question? In my recent book Life Out Loud, Mike Frost and I both point out sociologist Josh Packard’s work on the “Nones” and “Dones” of our faith. The “Nones” having no faith preference, and the “Dones” being done with the church but not done with Jesus.
These types of reports are all the more common today, and it is getting harder for church leaders to navigate the methods of communicating and spreading of the gospel message in our present culture.
In my experience as a pastor for 25 years I continue to see a rise in both of these groups at an organic level. While we certainly have the call to reach the yet-to-be believers in Jesus, the one group I’m most concerned about are the “Dones,” that haven’t left the church yet but are sitting in the pews trying to figure out how faith fits into their life.
The downward trends of church relevance can be concerning, causing us to look at how we “do” church. But what if we are being directed to focus on the wrong things? Don’t these reports poke at
From the V3 Blog:
by Rowland Smith
Hamster Wheels and Holodecks While Sunday attendance, serving as a greeter, being in a small group, are not bad activities in themselves, it can leave average Bob-and-Sue church attender asking, “is this all there is to following Jesus?”
Still Searching Often these “Dones” are very close to exiting the church but not necessarily their faith. They have been taught to come each Sunday and search for meaning in life, but have yet to find an exciting and vibrant faith following Jesus.
Pondering “How” My premise, and one I would encourage us as church planters and missional thinkers to ponder, is that we often don’t think about how our ecclesiology is training (or not training) disciples, thus leaving them wanting for more in their faith.
Instead, they are often bored Christians, running on a religious hamster wheel of church rhythms. They may not even realize they are on a hamster wheel, but deep inside, they feel that the Jesus of the scriptures might not match up with the Jesus of the Sunday monologue. They know that there is a call to something greater than what they live out within the walls of the church service.
Just the rhythms and church calendar we setup can teach what we truly believe about our mission and the call to be sent people in God’s Kingdom (John 20:21). 16
I would say, as a worship pastor of 25 years, even the flow of the service can communicate our highest values. Everything we focus on, video, lights, sound, a perfect worship band with a fog machine, actually communicates what we believe in the most.
Unintentional Ecclesiology Might we be unintentionally creating Holodecks of faith in a lot of our ecclesiology today? These are places where the scriptures are talked about, the presence of God is materialized in our songs, prayers and focus, the Kingdom becomes reality, but when we leave the room, reality goes away.
The “experience” of church is actually training each of the Jesus followers that come to weekly services, what they should focus on as the most important thing about being a Christian.
What we have unintentionally taught people is that God lives at the building. Ministry happens there…that is where faith is encountered. Our “experience” of God is found in the holodeck sanctuary, or school where our new church plant meets.
Equal Energies Now, don’t hear me say that we shouldn’t gather and worship as a community. We absolutely should! However, what if we equalized the weight of our week on the ecclesial activities that we put effort and budget into?
As missional Jesus people, we know the error in this thinking, yet when we plant churches or plan our gatherings, are we really taking the discipleship of mission to heart?
For example, what if 5–6 days of energy and budget weight went into helping people live as sent people (missionaries) in their neighborhood, workplace, and schools? Then what if one day of effort and budget was spent on the gathering of the people.
Are we asking hard questions about what we create in order to inspire and teach other Jesus people what is really important about their faith life? Are we willing to make a list of things we won’t do in order to teach and champion the other six days of the week as the primary place we encounter and participate in the Kingdom of God?
What might we teach people then? What greater journey might we call them to if their everyday life was given priority by the church as a whole? My guess is that we’d have far fewer bored Christians, fewer “Dones.” In turn, eventually, I believe we’d start reaching the “Nones” as well.
In Life Out Loud, my hope is to inspire the average person in the pew, seeking an exciting path following Jesus into the life he wants them to live. I believe that people are meant for this adventure, they are called to be sent and scattered, as well as gathered for worship services.
Great Expectations I would propose that we start expecting more from our disciples, something greater, something I’ve termed a life out loud. We need to start communicating something different than the quiet life of coming to church and being inspired, only to return to “normal” life (after we hit Qdoba on the way home).
When they discover that living as a Jesus person is as simple as loving your neighbor, seeing people as fellow Imago Dei (images of God), and seeking to carry peace and shalom into their world, they discover a whole new Christianity. It’s a Christianity that excites them, and they begin to act like missionaries and live like Jesus did. I’ve seen this happen, time and time again.
Our primary metrics need to change from attendance and giving, to stories of Kingdom expressions in the everyday places our people live, work and play. We need to become great storytellers and great inviters of people to participate in the story of God where he is already working. So in order to launch people into mission, we must ask hard questions not only about what we should do, but also what we shouldn’t do. The point is this…our ecclesiology teaches our theology!
Perhaps, as church leaders, planters, and pastors, we can begin to be intentional. Not intentional about deconstructing or criticizing institutional church, but intentional about what we include, what we stop doing, and what we call people to. Yes, let’s be gathered as God’s people, but let’s also be scattered. Shape your ecclesial practices to teach people that they are sent by Jesus. Teach them to live a life that is Kingdom focused, a life outside the Holodeck, a life that steps off the hamster wheel, a bigger life…a life out loud!
Growing up (and also in adulthood), I’ve always loved Star Trek. I’m not a “Trekky” per se, but I have big opinions on the best series and cast. One of the things that draws me to Star Trek is the envisioned technology of the future that the writers of the show would dream up in each series. Perhaps my favorite technological achievement of the Enterprise was the Holodeck. It’s a room that can make any reality materialize by computer programming. It’s kind of like a 3D hologram, but it’s real…you can feel it, touch it, smell it, and most importantly, experience it. Want to raft down a river? You can in the Holodeck! Want to go back in time to the wild west? No problem for the Holodeck. Whatever you want to imagine can be made reality in that room!
For more information, visit TheV3Movement.org
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BY WILL CUMBIA
PARTNERING WITH Croatian Baptists IN MINISTRY WITH Refugees in Bosnia “The game”
After taking a wrong turn on the highway, we changed course and decided to go to Bosnia. That’s what happens in this part of the world: you can take a wrong turn and casually decide to go to a different country.
Will Cumbia (left) poses with Toma Magda, director of Croatian Baptist Aid.
I was driving with Elvis, the Program Development Advisor for Croatian Baptist Aid. We had intended to visit a refugee center outside of Zagreb, Croatia, but we were now headed towards a refugee camp in a small town just across the border in Bosnia.
Refugee children enjoy some play time in the camp.
We left the nice Croatian toll road and started to wind our way through the hilly countryside towards Bosnia. Croatia is shaped like a big crooked “C” and we were driving toward the bit of Bosnia that was tucked into the inner part of the “C.” We weaved through small villages where there were few signs of life.
The flow of brown-skinned men with backpacks walking along the street started to increase as we drove. Elvis, pointed at a gas station. “Here is the camp. It’s a private owned camp. The owner rents out half of it for work and the other as the camp. I will fill up, but you can go see and talk to the refugees if you want.”
Suddenly we came to the border. We passed out of the European Union(EU) without any issues. Croatia is currently a part of the EU but not yet a part of the “Schengen Area” of the EU where there is free movement across member country borders. For refugees, getting to a Schengen country is often the goal. Once inside the Schengen Area they have more freedom to travel to Western European countries.
We pulled in and a young attendant with a harsh face began to fill the tank. I walked over to the side of the parking lot where there were a few clusters of young men ranging from their late teens to early thirties. The small lot extended down and at the back of the gas station was a group of security guards. They stood outside a gate that separated the parking lot from some shipping crates and a motel looking building. A bit off in the distance stood a large mosque, a clear indication that we had indeed entered into Bosnia.
Across the border sat a rather lively Bosnian town, a stark contrast to the quiet Croatian countryside just before. We wound our way through the town, passing small grocery stores, hair salons, dingy cafés, and high school students bustling in packs on the sidewalks.
I took in my surroundings, but I stood alone. I couldn’t help but stare at the men in front of me as they chatted with each other. They didn’t seem to have any real purpose other than standing and talking. They all had jet black hair, in various modern hairstyles.
In the heart of town we passed a park. Huddled around some of its benches were young men with rich brown skin and dark hair.
Even though I’ve worked with refugees for a year and a half now, this was my first time seeing a refugee camp. All my work up until this point has been integration work. My people are relatively stable and are just about at their end journeys. These men weren’t. They were camp dwellers. They were still in transit.
“Here are some of the refugees,” Elvis said. “They’re waiting for ‘the game’. You can tell because they have their backpacks. We would like to give out more backpacks, but they’re expensive.” We made our way out of the center of town. We passed over a small river and on it’s banks in a marshy looking field Elvis points. “There used to be a camp there. It was filled with tents, but the government cleared it out.” Only trash remained tucked under clumps of brown and gray grass.
My first feeling was honestly fear. I clearly stuck out as a foreigner in this context. I felt very exposed. But, as I looked more at the men, I began to recognize loved ones I knew in their faces. I saw 18
Aid workers deliver necessities to the refugee camps in Bosnia.
statement. We had nothing to back that statement up. Nothing to give any credibility that it was true. In reality it could only get worse. We got into our little red car and made our way through the town to the border. I pulled out my passport. That tiny navy blue book filled with its patriotic pages and my own innocent, smiling face. A few pieces of paper with a stamped golden eagle that allowed me to go practically anywhere in the world. A thing I did absolutely nothing to earn other than simply exist. We passed through to Croatia in a matter of minutes without hardly any question. Leaving behind hundreds who were trapped and dozens who loomed in the shadows waiting for darker night to fall so they can try their luck at the game once again.
Ali and Ehsan and Mohammad– all friends of mine in Vienna who had once been exactly where these men were standing. I relaxed a little. After a few moments, I made my way back to the entrance of the gas station where Elvis was chatting with a man and the gas station attendant. They were speaking English.
The teeth of Christ
My second day in Croatia was spent with Toma, the CEO of Croatian Baptist Aid. He took me to see the refugee housing center in Zagreb that everyone calls Porin, though it is officially called the Reception Center for Asylum Seekers Zagreb. It was a former hotel owned by the national railway company and after being closed is now owned by the state police. It’s currently under renovations so things were a bit messy.
The man was average height with sharp, black eyebrows. I learned that he was Kurdish and his hometown was Mosul, Iraq, a city that has effectively been leveled to the ground from ISIS occupation. He came from Iraq to Turkey by plane, then spent 15 days on the water to get to Thessaloniki, Greece. Then he walked to Kosovo, from Kosovo to Serbia and from Serbia to Bosnia. He, like many, had been stuck in Bosnia since. He’s attempted the crossing to Croatia a dozen times, one time even making it all the way north to Slovenia. Every time he’d been caught by the police and taken back to Bosnia. He would sleep during the day and travel on foot by night. The refugees in the camp call this “the game”– trying again and again to successfully cross the border hoping to make it to Slovenia or Italy and into the Schengen Area. Many lost the game repeatedly.
While the center itself is run by the government and the police, a handful of international aid organizations are doing much of the on-the-ground work in the center. It was encouraging to see the logo for Croatian Baptist Aid mingle with those of Doctors without Borders, The Red Cross, International Organization for Migration and other internationally renowned aid organizations. It’s truly a collaborative project. The Mormons bought the laundry machines. The Croatian Baptists are in charge of teeth.
Elvis asked the man what they needed in the camp. “Hope. We need hope that this horrible situation can get better.”
Toma introduced me to a man named Zjelko, the Integration Coordinator for Croatian Baptist Aid. He has a gleam in his eye and crinkles around them to show he’s smiled a lot in his lifetime. He works on behalf of Croatian Baptist Aid in Porin. We sat in the command center for the Croatian Baptist Aid on the first
We finally said goodbye after a long chat with him. I don’t remember his name, but we encouraged him not to give up. Somehow it would get better. My stomach stirred at that 19
floor of the big U-shaped building. It’s directly under the wing of the building under construction so the sounds of drills, saws, and other machinery hummed as we above as talked. Here we discussed exactly how Croatian Baptists are involved in the center. While they don’t offer dental help themselves, they are in charge of all the administrative aspects of dental work in the center. They keep track of refugees files, help them setup appointments, transport them to appointments, hand out hygiene kits, and encourage preventive measures. When I asked Toma for a quote for a recent BGAV article he said that the Croatians didn’t want to be the mouth of Christ– that there were too many people talking and not enough people being the hands and feet. And yet ironically here I saw the Croatians being the teeth of Christ. Serving refugees in a rather unglamorous, but incredibly practical way. All the while earning the respect of those around them through the excellence of their work. Other religious organizations had been kicked out of the center for proselytizing, but the Croatian Baptists have kept it professional, instead seeing a different way to impact both the lives of refugees and of the other people working in the center. By providing excellent work and stepping up where others haven’t the Croatians Baptists have a special rapport with the other international aid organizations they work alongside, the police force working at the center, and even the police chief in charge of the center.
This theme of excellence was one I saw run through all of the work of Croatian Baptist Aid, not only in the Porin refugee center. Elvis spoke about wanting to have a real impact on society for the gospel. And for him, that starts with excellent work in their communities. Work that involves much more than just work with refugees. Even just a few days spent with the Croatian Baptists left a huge impression on me. The situation with refugees in the Balkans is extremely volatile but Croatian Baptist Aid is responding with care, excellence, and love. They are tending to not only the physical needs of refugees, but also providing hope. Hope that somehow, even in the darkest of situations there is light. They are acting as the hands, feet, and yes, even the teeth of Christ, showing God’s hope and love to those who desperately need it. It is a privilege to work alongside our Croatian brothers and sisters and support them in their amazing work. For more information about how your church can support refugee work in Croatia and Bosnia visit BGAV.org/Partnership/FocusRefugees/FocusRefugeesCroatia/. Will Cumbia is currently serving in his second year as a BGAV Venturer in Vienna, Austria. His role includes facilitation in this new focus area of Partnership Missions.
John Leland Center Developing Pastors and Lay Leaders for Global Ministry * Master of Divinity * Master of Christian Leadership *Master of Theological Studies *Graduate Certificate in Leadership Studies *Graduate Certificate in Theological Studies *Graduate Certification in Theology and the Arts *Graduate Certificate in Theology and Public Life *Graduate Certificate in Spiritual Formation *Graduate Certificate in Justice Formation The Leland Seminary is fully accredited to award its Master degrees by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). Leland is also a member of the prestigious Washington Theological Consortium. The John Leland Center for Theological Studies, Office of Admissions 1306 N. Highland St., Arlington, VA 22201 703-812-4757 ext. 204 * info@leland.edu * www.leland.edu
a new
mission
for the
parsonage
by Bruce Powers Urbanna Baptist Church has had a parsonage for several years. Sometimes it was lived in, other times not; but people did not like it sitting empty. So we did a study of options and voted to make it our Mission House. Our Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) group is moving all of its projects–which they used to have to unpack and then stash away every week–into the first floor area, and we hope to use the bedrooms as guest rooms for family members, or visiting speakers, or other guests who want to spend the weekend by the river! The house itself is located on a high-traffic corner, so on Mission Saturdays, the group plans to “spill over” into the yard and do things on the porch so that they can invite passersby to join in or take a tour. We have already had members of other WMU groups come to take a look, and we’ve even hosted a youth group from a nearby Episcopal church who came to join in the projects.
A painting class at the mission house is an effective outreach activity. Another exciting part of this story is how our WMU members have consistently embraced their role as our missions engine and have worked toward inclusive projects that are not just for women. They have been very intentional about including women and men of all ages. Our projects connect our craft skills with the needs of our local partners as well as national and international partners through Woman’s Missionary Union of Virginia (WMUV) and the BGAV. The amount of goods our small group produces and how far around the world they reach is really quite amazing. They have also done a great job empowering individuals to pursue their own God-given passions for ministry within the group while remaining organized and effective. But when the church voted to officially give them this new dedicated space outside the church walls, the group’s passions were ignited in a new way. Initially I was simply excited that they could set things up and have storage space, but the mental shift from “in the church” to outside—even though it is next door—has caused a burst of excitement and creativity and shifted our missions efforts even more toward the community. It’s been fun to watch! Our WMU group intends to dedicate the mission house to one of our members who passed away a few years ago and left a bequest to continue supporting missions programs, so we are inviting Valerie Carter, WMUV’s executive director, to come out and help us dedicate the Juliet Means Mission House. We hope our story inspires other churches who might be looking to use their parsonage (or another part of their property or facilities) in a fresh, new way!
Men work in the kitchen on some “mission days” to bake cookies for passersby and homebound church members.
Bruce Powers is Pastor of Urbanna Baptist Church in Urbanna, VA. 21
THE FIX
ADDRESSING OPIOID ABUSE IN NEW KENT, VA BY BEN CALDWELL
In 2018, Sheriff Joe McLaughlin of New Kent County, VA, invited leaders from local churches to attend a meeting at his office to address the county’s opioid abuse epidemic. Different county agencies were represented: Fire and Rescue, EMS, Education, the Sheriff’s Office, and the Henrico Jail East -Henrico Sheriff’s Office staff. Each leader described specific ways substance abuse was affecting their departments. After hearing from county leaders, the Sheriff concluded, “I believe these people who are abusing substances need Jesus. So I have invited the Church to the table to help us.”
their work with addicts and facing the reality that most treatment facilities were at maximum capacity already, we decided that we needed to begin a local facility of our own. We formed a leadership team with the Weymouths and decided to open The Fix Ministry. Fred best explains the meaning of the name, “Nothing worked for me until I found Jesus. He’s The Fix!” Since we felt God leading us to open this facility, the Lord has blessed us with a 3,000-square-foot house on 25 acres in King William County. We formed a board of directors, which I now chair. We have incorporated and are waiting for our 501(c)(3). The government shutdown unfortunately delayed this process. Currently, eight men are living in the house, under the supervision of the Weymouths, who live onsite, and Jason Swezey, who is a recovering addict and veteran worker in faith-based treatment facilities. Our program is based on other faith-based programs that boast an 80% success rate for those who complete the nine-month program. We are hopeful that this ministry will make a difference in the lives of recovering addicts and believe that God will continue the work he has started in the county. Ben Caldwell is Pastor of Corinth Baptist Church in New Kent, VA.
The degree to which the county was being impacted by substance abuse was a surprise to many, including myself. I was also surprised that an elected official would speak so openly about Christ and acknowledge the potential impact of the church to help. As I began to pray, I felt that God had just given me a summons. To quote Esther, I believed I was there for “such a time as this.” The people who were gathered in that room at the Sheriff’s department divided into two groups. Some volunteered to help work with teens and children to help prevent substance abuse problems. Others of us volunteered to work with those who already have addictions. My church, Corinth Baptist, agreed to work with two other churches, New Covenant Community Church and Journey Christian Fellowship, to help those who have drug addictions. Fred and Casey Weymouth were instrumental in leading our group. Both Fred and Casey are recovering addicts who acknowledge that God saved them spiritually and helped them recover from addiction. Already working with those fighting addiction, they were constantly getting calls from families with teenagers, asking them for support. They felt that starting a substance abuse recovery facility was an important step. Leaders at Corinth had been looking toward involvement in a ministry called New Life For Youth, a faithbased substance abuse recovery facility in Richmond. Inspired by
EST. 1958
Upcoming Events Church Librarians Coffee & Chat Memorial Baptist Church Staunton, VA July 13, 2019
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LATEST MINISTRY JOBS • PT Music Director @ Oak Forest Baptist Church, Chesterfield, VA • Youth and Children’s Minister @ Rosemary Baptist Church, Roanoke Rapids, NC • Pastor @ Fellowship Baptist Church, Chester, VA • Senior Pastor @ Harrisonburg Baptist Church, Harrisonburg, VA • PT Associate Pastor of Outreach & Discipleship @ Vinton Baptist Church, Vinton, VA • PT Facilities Coordinator @ May Memorial Baptist Church, Powhatan, VA • Senior Pastor @ First Baptist Church of Erwin, Erwin, TN
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23
BGAV Advancing the Kingdom Together
Baptist General Association of Virginia 2828 Emerywood Parkway Henrico, VA 23294
BGAV OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT
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