2010 October/November fellowship! by Cooperative Baptist Fellowship

fellowship!

CBF

October/November 2010

Cooperative baptist fellowship | www.thefellowship.info

Serving Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission

‘Part of God’s family’ In Slovakia, CBF field personnel Dianne and Shane McNary share Christ’s love with Roma gypsies, reminding them, ‘You are loved by God and through Jesus Christ are part of God’s family.’ CBF field personnel are ministering to gypsies, who are often discrimated against, in other parts of Europe and the Middle East as well.

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Learn more about these ministries on pages 18-25.

CBF and the Bible Many of us started a new spiritual practice this year that is changing our lives: listening to Scripture. We began with the “You’ve Got the Time” initiative and listened to the New Testament over a 40-day period. Since then we have continued this discipline. Why? Because we believe the Bible is God’s written Word that leads us to the living Word. The Bible can be read with profit as philosophy, history or literature. But for a Christian, the Bible is read or heard for a far more significant reason — transformation. We believe that the Bible is divinely inspired Scripture. It is written to communicate the incredible good news that the God who created the world has acted within it to redeem it. The Old Testament tells the story of a people, Israel, chosen from among all the peoples of the earth to be the means of divine revelation and redemption. The New Testament tells the story of Israel’s Messiah, “a prophet, mighty in word and deed.” It tells how he lived, taught and acted to inaugurate the Kingdom of God. It then tells how he suffered and sacrificed to offer himself as the world’s savior. It continues by telling how God raised Jesus from the dead and sent His Spirit to continue the mission of world redemption. The Bible was written by Spirit-inspired individuals. This means that the Spirit of God illuminated and enabled them to understand the story, record it and communicate it to us. The Old Testament writers believed that Israel was a covenant people chosen by God to make God known to all the nations of the earth. The New Testament writers believed that Jesus was sent from God and indeed was God. The biblical writers have given us divinely inspired documents that enable us to understand the story, believe it and even become participants in it. But they have done even more than that. They have given us a way to receive the central character of the story, Jesus Christ. This is because God wants us to listen to him from the pages of the Bible. We can open the Bible to hear and learn from the living Christ. The Bible is a library of books. Its various genres include law, prophecy, wisdom, gospel, history and poetry, but the central character in this library of historical documents is God as revealed in Jesus Christ. When I read or hear the Bible, my desire is to receive Christ, to learn of Christ, to know Christ through these books. I don’t read the Bible just to get information or to learn facts (although such reading has a place). Instead, I read or hear the Bible to nurture a relationship with Christ. As I read and reflect, or listen and contemplate the words from the pages of Scripture, the central character from these pages becomes real to me, through the illumination of the same Spirit. The written Word leads me to the living Word. Just as a thought is expressed in a word, Jesus Christ is the expression of God. He is the living Word. And so I read the Bible, the written Word, to receive the living Word. As I receive the living Word through the written Word, I am transformed. My understanding is enlightened. My behavior is instructed. My imagination is awakened. My will is strengthened. My character is formed. My life is changed. This practice of Spirit-guided listening to Scripture is transformative. Along with reading, study, memorization and meditation it has a profound impact on one’s Vol. 20, No. 4 worldview, attitudes, conduct and relationships. executive Coordinator • Daniel Vestal Now, more than ever, we need this transformation. Coordinator, Fellowship Advancement • Ben McDade Editor • Lance Wallace managing Editor • Patricia Heys Associate Editor • Carla Wynn Davis Phone • (770) 220-1600 Fax • (770) 220-1685

Daniel Vestal, CBF Executive Coordinator

E-Mail • fellowship@thefellowship.info Web Site • www.thefellowship.info

fellowship! is published 7 times a year in Feb./March, April/May, June/July, Aug./Sept., Oct./Nov., Dec./Jan. and Special (Aug.) by The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Inc., 2930 Flowers Rd. South Ste 133, Atlanta, GA 30341. Periodicals postage paid at Atlanta, GA. USPS #015-625.

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You’ve Got the Time Are you interested in participating in “You’ve Got the Time?” Easy-touse resources are available online, including calendars, discussion questions, instructions, videos and ideas for using audio Bibles with different age groups. Go to www.thefellowship.info/ygtt.

October/November 2010

Contents

10-16 17 18-24 25 26 27

Missional churches: Joining God’s mission around the world Affect: October Missions Education Resource ‘Part of God’s family’: Field personnel minister to gypsies Affect: November Missions Education Resource Meet CBF moderator Christy McMillin-Goodwin General Assembly 2011

FROM THE EDITOR

We are a privileged people.

It’s hard for us to understand much less relate to the kind of discrimination that Roma, Banjara and Dom people face around the world. The perception that they are somehow less than human still persists in many places, and all too often, they themselves believe it. That’s why it’s so essential your CBF field personnel carry the message of God’s love to them. Whether it’s Eddie and Macarena Aldape living among the Banjara in India or Dianne and Shane McNary working among the Roma in Slovakia, the good news of the gospel is life-giving to people pejoratively called “gypsies.” This summer during the General Assembly in Charlotte, a packed auditorium at Pritchard Memorial Baptist Church was moved to spontaneously join in clapping and singing with an ensemble of Roma teenagers from the Gandhi School in Hungary. Had those gathered for the commissioning service known the discrimination and poverty these students had faced in their lives, they would have been moved to tears. Spend some time with this issue of the fellowship! magazine, reading the stories of the Aldapes, McNarys and other field personnel. Share these stories with your friends and family members. Reflect on just how different your life is from the lives of the Roma. Learn more about the plight of Roma through the Affect missions education resource included in this issue. Pray for the Roma and the field personnel. Consider traveling to serve at the Gandhi school or at the children’s home the Aldapes have started. Give to the CBF Offering for Global Missions, which funds these ministries. Out of your abundance, you can be a part of God’s mission. The beauty of the CBF Offering for Global Missions is that you get to be a part of telling Roma that God loves them. Each time you send a check, donate online at the CBF website or put a CBF offering envelope in the plate at your church, you are making a direct connection to field personnel who are sharing God’s love with Roma people all around the world. Each time I read or hear of the Roma, I am moved. I believe you will be, too, as you read this issue of fellowship! May you be blessed and challenged as you read.

Lance Wallace, Editor lwallace@thefellowship.info fellowship!

October/November 2010

Why we give... “Giving to CBF allows us to extend our reach around the world. Through our giving to CBF we are able to ensure that those who need relief can receive it. Our church delights in giving as we see it as a key part of kingdom living, and through CBF, we are able to experience the joy of giving. We feel that our giving allows our church to participate in

Gwen Brown, pastor Cornerstone Church of Grayson, Ga.

hen Gwen Brown and her husband, Charles, started a Bible study in their home in 2005, they didn’t know it would grow into Cornerstone Church. They didn’t have a roadmap or set of steps to build their fellowship of believers, but they felt God stirring their hearts and dared to dream about what was possible. Located in Grayson, Ga., a rapidly growing area east of Atlanta, the Bible study group grew steadily. The Browns found

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Beth Fulton photo

spreading the gospel around the world.”

themselves ministering to new Christians and those who had become disengaged with the church. The growth has been so rapid that the church has moved three times and currently leases space in a former wholesale tile company building. “We believe that Grayson is God’s location for this church,” Brown said. “While the space we currently occupy is leased space, we feel that the Holy Spirit will eventually lead us to a more permanent home in the community where we are serving.” When Cornerstone Church looked for a

group to associate with, they found the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship held similar values. “We were looking for a fellowship of believers who would dare to color outside of the lines like us,” Brown said. “CBF and its affiliates have reached out to us, a church start, to provide direction in discovering a model that depicts who we are ‒ not necessarily the typical model of every other church. We are affiliated with CBF, and we support mission organizations both locally and world-wide. We are intentionally making a difference in Grayson.”

To give to the Fellowship’s missions and ministries, go to www.thefellowship.info/give or use the envelope provided in this magazine. Thank you for giving.

October/November 2010

Serve

Are you called to serve in earthquake damaged areas?

“Brenda and I both feel that this assignment is a Godgiven opportunity. It is our prayer that we will be able to commit to a longterm residency here in Haiti.”

Mike Harwood, CBF field

n March, Florida resident Mike Harwood found himself unemployed after 18 years with the same company. With a relatively free schedule, he headed to Haiti on a church mission trip to help with on-going relief efforts following the January earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people. When Harwood returned from the trip, he and his wife, Brenda, attended the CBF of Florida spring gathering and heard CBF Global Missions coordinator Rob Nash speak about being part of God’s mission. The couple felt called to explore opportunities where they might serve full-time. “God works in our lives, every minute of every day whether we recognize it or not,” Harwood said. “Looking back on the last six months, Brenda and I can see how the Lord was directing our path.”

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coordinator for mission teams, Haiti

During the January earthquake, the building of a Grand Goave Baptist church was structurally damaged. As the congregation waits for funds to rebuild, they meet for worship under tarps in the courtyard. CBF field personnel, such as Tori Wentz, far right, often worship there as well.

In September, the Harwoods began serving as CBF field coordinators for missions teams and individuals working in Haiti. Natives of England, they are members of North Stuart Baptist Church in Stuart, Fla., a CBF partner. Previously, Mike worked as a business analyst, and Brenda has been trained as a nurse. The Harwoods are based out of the CBF camp in Grand Goave, southwest of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. The Harwoods work alongside CBF field personnel Tori Wentz and Jenny Jenkins, nurses who have established monthly clinics in several nearby communities. “Every day that we have stateside volun-

teers here in Grand Goave is a work day,” said Mike. “We are very pleased to have the teams here, as their involvement in this community is a constant uplift to people. They see that brothers and sisters in Christ do care about them and that they are not forgotten.” In addition to medical ministries, mission teams are involved in several construction projects, including rebuilding local houses and schools and developing sustainable water supplies. As the Fellowship and its partners continue long-term relief efforts in Haiti and set goals for the next four years, individuals and teams are needed to serve.

The Fellowship’s long-term response to January’s earthquake in Haiti continues. Teams and individuals are still needed to serve in a variety of ways. If you are interested in serving, go to www.thefellowship.info/serve and fill out the online form. If you have specific questions, please contact Chris Boltin at engage@thefellowship.info.

As you prepare to serve, keep these things in mind: • When you register as a volunteer, be prepared to go. The time between an assignment and deployment can be as short as three weeks. • Be sure your passport is current before you apply. • In a disaster zone, small teams are often more effective and easier to coordinate. Teams with two to 12 members are currently needed in Haiti. • Have a flexible schedule. Teams serving in Haiti for a week serve either Sunday to Sunday or Wednesday to Wednesday. fellowship!

October/November 2010

Learn

Virginia church uses It’s Time grant to help build mission partnership

Melissa Fallen. “We came to understand what it meant to establish relationships with mission partners rather than picking a different place to go each year. The study encouraged us to look at this holistic approach to missions.” In 2007, the church decided to begin building relationships with the Hyaets community in Charlotte, N.C. Hyaets, meaning ‘tree of life’ in Hebrew, is an intentional Christian community started five years ago by graduates of Baptist

Photo courtesy of Huguenot Road

our years ago, Huguenot Road Baptist Church in Richmond, Va., began an overhaul of its missions programming that included using the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s It’s Time study, which helps congregations understand what being missional means for them. “It’s Time fanned a spark that had begun in our congregation to seek ways to be more missional,” said associate pastor

Members of Huguenot Road Baptist Church used funds from a CBF It’s Time grant to convert a shed into a clubhouse at Hyaets, an intentional Christian community.

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Theological Seminary in Richmond, a CBF partner. Members of the Hyaets community seek to be the presence of Christ by living in and becoming part of Enderly Park, a low-income neighborhood. “Our partnership with Hyaets gives us an opportunity to address the needs of the entire person — from hunger to emotional connection to spiritual emptiness,” Fallen said. “At the same time, it gives us a chance to involve many people in our congregation. We have taken everyone from toddlers to 80-year-olds to work on varying kinds of projects. Our people have used their gifts to minister in a holistic way and have opened themselves to growth opportunities.” Finding its mission at Hyaets, Huguenot Road applied for and received an It’s Time grant from CBF, which is available to churches that have completed the study. With grant funds, the church converted an old shed into a new clubhouse for Hyaets and formed an intern exchange program. Molly Carr, 16, from Huguenot Road served this summer as the first intern at Hyaets and helped open the new clubhouse. “Now that the clubhouse is furnished and air conditioned, we have a place for children to play, eat lunch and dinner, and have Bible study, so we don’t have chaos inside the main house,” Carr said. “When it’s time to go home after lunch, I literally have to push people out of the clubhouse so we can clean up. It has become the hot spot to hang out in the neighborhood. It truly is a blessing.”

It’s Time: A Journey Toward Missional Faithfulness is an eight-week church-wide study that includes sermons, small group studies, personal devotional material and other resources designed to help churches and Christians be the presence of Christ where they are. This is a good starting place for churches seeking to understand what missional means for their congregation. To learn more about the Fellowship’s It’s Time study, visit The CBF Store at www.cbfstore.info. In 2006, the Fellowship received a grant from the Christ is Our Salvation Foundation. A portion of that grant established the “It’s Time Missional Ministry” grant to help CBF partner churches carry out missional ministries. Grants are available to qualifying churches whose application meets a committee’s approval. Grants are awarded on a one-time basis. To learn more about It’s Time grants, go to www.thefellowship.info/grant.

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October/November 2010

Pray The Jesus Prayer

n the prayer practice known as the Jesus Prayer, individuals focus attention and devotion on Christ. This form of prayer is rooted in various Scripture passages. For example, in Mark 10:47 Bartimaeus, a blind man, cries out for Jesus’ help. And in the parable of the Pharisee and publican in Luke 18:13, the publican humbly confesses his inadequacy before God. The key phrase in both these verses is

Prayer Calendar (CH) = Chaplain (FP) = Field Personnel (PC) = Pastoral Counselor (FPC) = Child of Field Personnel (PLT) = Church Planter (GMP) = Global Missions Partner

October

1 Tina Bailey, Asia (FP) 1 Ron Craddock, Evans, GA (CH) 1 Cokie Westfall, India (FP) 2 Maha Boulos, Middle East (FP) 2 Keith Holmes, Europe (FP) 2 Rebecca Reynolds, Bulverde, TX (CH) 3 Jonathan Bailey, Asia (FP) 3 Lucy Vick, Cincinnati, OH (CH) 3 Gene Vincent, Bowling Green, KY (CH) 4 Billy Dunn, Lufkin, TX (CH) 4 Matthew Eddleman, Taylors, SC (CH) 5 Jo Ann Hopper, Emeritus (FP) 5 Byong Yul Kim, Central Asia (GMP) 5 David White, Johnson City, TN (CH) 6 Hyo S. Ko, Asia (GMP) 6 James Layman, Kirkwood, MO (CH) 6 Jerry Richards, Apex, NC (CH) 8 Melissa Kremer, Rome, GA (CH) 8 Robb Small, Geismar, LA (CH) 9 Sarah Carbajal, North Richland Hills, TX (CH) 10 Joseph Boone, Cold Spring, KY (CH) 10 Nomie Derani, Vienna, VA (FP) 10 Amber Hipps, Gadsden, AL (CH) 10 James Martin, Oklahoma City, OK (PC) 10 Tina Woody, Spartanburg, SC (CH) 11 Laura Senter, Everett, WA (CH) 11 Sing Yue, Bakersfield, CA (CH) 12 Ben Newell, Helena, AR (FP) 12 Loren Sink, Chesapeake, VA (CH) 13 Yong Ja Kim, Asia (GMP) 13 Bob Newell, Greece (FP) 13 John Painter, Charleston, SC (CH) 13 Fran Turner, sub-Saharan Africa (FP) 13 Gretchen Watson, Versailles, KY (PC) 14 Jeffrey Payne, Tampa, FL (CH) 14 Kathy Reed, Hot Springs, AR (CH) 15 Joel Boulos, 1990, Middle East (FPC) 15 Andrew Daugherty, Rockwall, TX (PLT) 15 Bruce Guile, Mexico, MO (CH) 15 Denise Ryder, Greenwood, IN (CH) 16 Karen Black, Keller, TX (CH) 16 Betty Drayton, Sumter, SC (CH) 16 Gregg Drew, Wiesbaden, Germany (CH)

“Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.” The Jesus Prayer most likely began around the 4th century and was often prayed by the desert fathers and mothers, who lived in solitude. They would repeat this prayer until it became rhythmically connected to their breathing. It became a very popular form of prayer in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Practicing the Jesus Prayer is simple. Repeat silently again and again the phrase:

16 Donald Greason, Kansas City, MO (CH) 16 Monty Self, Little Rock, AR (CH) 17 David Fambrough, Washington, NC (CH) 18 Greg Oman, Spain (FP) 18 Will Bridges, 1998, Starkville, MS (FPC) 18 Hank Demous, Opelika, AL (CH) 18 Danny Garnnett, Irmo, SC (PC) 20 Carl Brinkley, Fayetteville, NC (PLT) 20 Annette Ellard, Louisville, KY (FP) 20 Luke Langston, Durham, NC (CH) 22 Paul Robertson, Sugar Land, TX (CH) 22 Missy Ward, Student.Go intern, Uganda (FP) 23 Carl Price, Lebanon, TN (CH) 23 Michael Weaver, Seymour, TN (CH) 24 Ben Collins, Deland, FL (PLT) 24 Wes Monfalcone, Casselberry, FL (CH) 24 Robert Powell, Lubbock, TX (CH) 24 Rick Ruano, N. Miami Beach, FL (CH) 25 Suzie, Asia (FP) 25 Doug Cobb, McGregor, TX (CH) 25 Sun Koo Hwang, Philippines (GMP) 26 Dean Dickens, Garland, TX (FP) 26 Doug Dickens, Indian Trail, NC (PC) 27 Robert Carter, Virginia Beach (CH) 27 Terrell Moye, Riviera Beach, FL (CH) 28 Erin Binkley, 1991, Uniontown, OH (FPC) 28 Marilyn Menges, Coronado, CA (CH) 28 Jim Travis, Durham, NC (CH) 29 ________, North Africa (FP) 30 ________, daughter, North Africa (FPC) 30 Richard Brown, Troutville, VA (CH) 30 Hazel Thomas, Houston, TX (CH)

November

2 Karen, Southeast Asia (FP) 2 Mark Elder, Gaffney, SC (CH) 2 Jesse W. Hunt, Shelby, NC (CH) 2 Mickie Norman, Leland, NC (CH) 2 Ryan Yaun, Wetumpka, AL (CH) 3 Sul Hwa Kang, Senegal (GMP) 3 Michael McCawley, Gettysburg, PA (CH) 3 David Reid, Boise, ID (CH) 3 Thomas Thompson, Stone Mountain, GA (CH) 4 Cyndi Abbe, Waco, TX (PLT) 4 Eric Maas, Belize (FP) 4 Mark Westebbe, Waynesboro, VA (CH) 5 ________, M. East/N. Africa (FP) 5 ________, son, New Jersey (FPC) 5 Cameron Gunnin, San Antonio, TX (CH) 5 Clyde Waters, Columbia, SC (CH) 6 Emerson Byrd, Fort Campbell, KY (CH) 6 Meghan McSwain, Winston-Salem, NC (CH) 7 Craig Butler, Sugar Land, TX (CH)

“Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.” Any variation of this phrase is acceptable. Choose whatever feels comfortable as long as the name of Jesus is included. You can begin practicing the prayer for 10 or 15 minutes and then add additional time as the practice deepens. When distractions come (and they will), simply and gently turn your mind back to Christ by repeating your prayer. The Jesus Prayer can be used when you are alone or in a group.

7 Patricia Coley, Camp Lejune, NC (CH) 7 Mike Graham, Asheville, NC (FP) 7 Roland G. Kuhl, Round Lake Beach, IL (PLT) 7 Zachary Morrow, 1995, Aledo, TX (FPC) 8 Mark Weiler, Greeley, CO (CH) 9 Debby Bradley, Owensboro, KY (CH) 9 Charles Seligman, Biloxi, MS (CH) 9 Audrey Wilson, Durham, NC (CH) 10 Kevin Crowder, Fredericksburg, VA (CH) 10 Angela Lowe, Lawrence, KS (CH) 10 Ralph Mikels, Jr., Seymour, TN (CH) 10 Jim Smith, Atlanta, GA (FP) 2 Karen, Southeast Asia (FP) 2 Mark Elder, Gaffney, SC (CH) 2 Jesse W. Hunt, Shelby, NC (CH) 2 Mickie Norman, Leland, NC (CH) 2 Ryan Yaun, Wetumpka, AL (CH) 3 Sul Hwa Kang, Senegal (GMP) 3 Michael McCawley, Gettysburg, PA (CH) 3 David Reid, Boise, ID (CH) 3 Thomas Thompson, Stone Mountain, GA (CH) 4 Cyndi Abbe, Waco, TX (PLT) 4 Eric Maas, Belize (FP) 4 Mark Westebbe, Waynesboro, VA (CH) 5 ________, M. East/N. Africa (FP) 5 ________, son, New Jersey (FPC) 5 Cameron Gunnin, San Antonio, TX (CH) 5 Clyde Waters, Columbia, SC (CH) 6 Emerson Byrd, Fort Campbell, KY (CH) 6 Meghan McSwain, Winston-Salem, NC (CH) 7 Craig Butler, Sugar Land, TX (CH) 7 Patricia Coley, Camp Lejune, NC (CH) 7 Mike Graham, Asheville, NC (FP) 7 Roland G. Kuhl, Round Lake Beach, IL (PLT) 7 Zachary Morrow, 1995, Aledo, TX (FPC) 8 Mark Weiler, Greeley, CO (CH) 9 Debby Bradley, Owensboro, KY (CH) 9 Charles Seligman, Biloxi, MS (CH) 9 Audrey Wilson, Durham, NC (CH) 10 Kevin Crowder, Fredericksburg, VA (CH) 10 Angela Lowe, Lawrence, KS (CH) 10 Ralph Mikels, Jr., Seymour, TN (CH) 10 Jim Smith, Atlanta, GA (FP) 11 Scott Blair, Oceanside, CA (CH) 11 Dana Durham, Sacramento, CA (CH) 11 Mike Langston, Newport, RI (CH) 11 Victor Perez, Knoxville, TN (PLT) 11 Troy Petty, Palmyra, VA (PC) 11 Steve Sweatt, Birmingham, AL (PC) 12 Michael Cox, Fayetteville, GA (CH) 12 David Cromer, Williamsburg, VA (CH) 12 John Lepper, Crestwood, KY (PC) 12 Jessy Togba-Doya, Liberia (FP)

13 Shelia Earl, Macedonia (FP) 13 Earl Martin, Emeritus (FP) 13 Jim Rennell, Cookeville, TN (CH) 13 Gail Smith, Hillsborough, NC (CH) 13 Cindy Wallace, Rome, GA (CH) 15 Marcia McQueen, Eden, NC (CH) 16 Cris Avila, Newnan, GA (PLT) 16 Edwin Hollis, Odenville, AL (CH) 17 Chuck Strong, Olive Branch, MS (PLT) 17 Elizabeth Thompson, Littleton, CO (PC) 17 Cade Whitley, 2004, Spain (FPC) 17 Dylan Whitley, 2004, Spain (FPC) 18 Elaine Greer, Frankfort, KY (CH) 19 Will Kinnaird, Keller, TX (CH) 19 Nancy Stephens, Georgetown, KY (CH) 20 Charles Christie, Loganville, GA (CH) 20 Kevin Park, Bellingham, WA (CH) 21 ________, Middle East (FP) 21 Ana Marie Houser, Southern Africa (FP) 21 Fred Madren, Indianapolis, IN (CH) 22 Becky Smith, Atlanta, GA (FP) 24 Will Barnes, Savannah, GA (CH) 24 Carol Lynn Brinkley, Fayetteville, NC (PLT) 24 Peggy Gold, Durham, NC (CH) 24 Wilford Manley, Johnson City, TN (CH) 25 Gary Batchelor, Rome, GA (CH) 25 Tony Biles, Richfield, NC (CH) 25 Robert Cooke, Selma, NC (PC) 25 Ed Farris, Topeka, KS (CH) 25 Brad Hood, Knoxville, TN (CH) 25 Sue Smith, Fredericksburg, VA (FP) 25 Lee Weems, Pineville, LA (CH) 26 Carol Fletcher, Athens, GA (CH) 26 Blake Hart, Chile (FP) 26 Michael O’Rourke, Lawton, OK (CH) 26 Charles Reynolds, Burke, VA (CH) 26 Diego Rose, 2009, Peru (FPC) 27 Macarena Aldape, India (FP) 27 Posey Branscome, Charlotte, NC (CH) 27 Anna Lee, daughter, Southeast Asia (GMP) 28 Ronald King, Midland, GA (PC) 28 Mark Tidsworth, Chapin, SC (PC) 28 Joel Whitley, Spain (FP) 29 Shannon Binkley, 1993, Uniontown, OH (FPC) 29 David Ramsey, Rolla, MO (CH) 29 Duewayne Tullos, Clinton, MS (CH) 30 John David Hopper, Emeritus (FP) 30 Lucas Pittman, 2003, Miami, FL (FPC) 30 Jeffrey Ross, Athens, GA (CH) 30 Peter Stephens, Georgetown, KY (CH)

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October/November 2010

fellowship People

Jean Taff

“J

ust do it,” is Jean Taff’s motto about missions. Since childhood Taff has maintained a passion for serving others. She has worked in medical clinics in Honduras, taught English at a medical school in China, worked with trafficked women and the Roma women in Moldova, and as a leader, brought together the faith community to combat sex trafficking in her hometown of Macon, Ga. “If there’s a need and you have the skill to meet that need, this constitutes a responsibility,” said Taff, a member of First Baptist Church of Christ. “Jesus commanded each of us to go to the uttermost parts of our world as well as to our neighbor. Going is not an option. Each per-

son must find a place to serve.” As a nurse, Taff has worked with several organizations, including Baptist Medical Dental Missions International, Global Women and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. She and her husband have been involved with CBF since its beginning. “What connected me most with CBF was their approach to missions,” Taff said. “There isn’t just a focus on evangeJean Taff lizing or starting churches, rather it’s about working side-byside with unreached people and missionaries in difficult places to serve.”

Rob Fox

alancing two jobs and family is what Jesus calls the “abundant life,” said Rob Fox, CBF field coordinator in Virginia. Since 2009 Fox has worked as field coordinator, a unique partnership between CBF in Virginia (CBFVA) and CBF national, and serves as pastor of Mt. Hermon Baptist Church in Milford, Va. “I sense either ministry would be lacking without the sense of balance of the other,” Fox said. With a theme “Everyone. On a Mission,” Fox guides CBFVA churches to develop a clear purpose and mission for their congregation. One

product of the missional focus is a traveling trailer filled with power tools, rakes, shovels, hammers and painting supplies. CBFVA congregations share the trailer and use it to conduct hands-on mission events across the state. “My hope is that our CBF churches in Virginia will come to better understand our true missional potential,” Fox said. “Each church is a vital, powerful part of the onset of God’s kingdom. No church can carry all the weight, but together we can change the world.”

Rob Fox

Ashley Gill

hile attending CBF partner Truett Theological Seminary in Waco, Texas, Ashley Gill learned about the Fellowship’s Current network for seminarians and new leaders to CBF. The network, which offers professional development and opportunities to engage in the mission of CBF, provided Gill with a way to connect with the larger Fellowship movement. Since 2008, Gill has served on Current’s leadership team and became the chair in 2010. “To be a part of a Baptist fellowship that strives to keep Christ in the center of all things — serving the least among us, church growth, leadership development, resources and curriculum, networks — is inspiring,” Gill said. “No matter where we are geographically, theologically, politically, CBF encourages and empowers us to be the presence of

Christ there. There is room for our differences because Christ is all and is in all.” Gill, who serves as associate pastor of family life at University Baptist Church in Hattiesburg, Miss., said she first felt called to ministry as a teenager. “Most of my energy is spent building communities in our congregation with children and their families, senior adults, intergenerational connections and one-on-one,” Ashley Gill Gill said. “I love seeing new relationships develop and deepen. Whether in a Bible study, from the pulpit or on the floor in the nursery, nothing gives me greater joy than to see people connect and strengthen their relationships with each other in Christ.”

Charlie and Cindy Fuller

harlie Fuller had a 30-year career as a high school and college choral director, part-time church musician and college administrator before deciding to attend Truett Theological Seminary in 2007. When he retired as dean of the School of Fine Arts at Ouachita Baptist University, Charlie and his wife, Cindy, had sensed a call to “strike out on a unique path” for several years. “We’ve always cared deeply about the people that have come into our path and believed that God calls all believers to be ministers, regardless of the vocational setting,” Charlie said. The Fullers are joining the staff at Second Baptist Church in Little Rock, Ark., with Charlie as minister for congregational life and Cindy

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October/November 2010

as organist. They were drawn to the church because of the congregation’s commitment to minister in downtown Little Rock and its willingness “think outside the box,” an attribute the Fullers embrace. As the Fullers transition onto a church staff, Charlie is appreciative for his early introduction to the Fellowship. Charlie and Cindy Fuller “I’m so very grateful for the existence of CBF and its ability to provide connectedness in relationship and in purpose to those of us who embrace historic Baptist principles,” Charlie said.

CHURCH WORKS! CONFER ENCE

Because Ministry Is Unscripted. In any type of setting, the ability to be creative, flexible and intuitive is critical. These abilities are key components of building and sustaining hopeful relationships, and they distinguish the best leaders from others. Yet there are few tools to develop the capacity for intuitive and creative action “in the moment.” That’s where improvisation can help. Make plans to attend this year’s ChurchWorks Conference Feb. 21-23, 2011, in Atlanta, Ga., and learn how improvisation can help you become a better leader. Join us for non-conventional training led by Allison Gilmore from DuMore Improv. Building upon 20 years of experience in improvisational comedy in performing groups, Gilmore bridges the tools of improvisation with management skills in order to help people reach their leadership potential. Using the basic skills of improvisation, Gilmore will help participants learn how to improve creative thinking, create hopeful solutions to problems, elicit positive responses from those with whom they interact daily and be better communicators in their personal, professional and pastoral relationships. This year’s ChurchWorks Conference will feature workshops, a bookstore, worship experiences and time for spiritual reflection. The schedule is flexible enough to allow plenty of time for fellowship, networking and rest. ChurchWorks is sponsored by Current, CBF’s network of young leaders, and CBF’s Congregational Formation Initiative.

Allison Gilmore

February 21-23, 2011 First Baptist Church of Decatur, Atlanta, Ga. Conference cost: $90 ($40 for students from theological partner schools) Online registration begins October 1. Hotel arrangements can be made through the Holiday Inn in Decatur, Ga. Ask for the ChurchWorks discounted rate.

www.thefellowship.info/churchworks

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October/November 2010

Photo courtesy of OSA

Joining God’s mis

For children living in Collique, Operación San Andrés provides educational programs, recreation opportunities and medical care.

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October/November 2010

To learn more about missional churches and resources that

ssion in Peru

Houston residents and churches serve through ministry center

ach evening, after a day of school and an afterschool program, 11-year-old Rosita would walk to a busy intersection in the center of town and help her mother, Magali, sell soft drinks to passing drivers. They lived off the profits from this meager business and without a real home. Rosita attends the afterschool program at Operación San Andrés in Collique, Peru, where Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel Christopher and Jessica Rose serve. The Roses wanted to help the mother and daughter, so they asked for prayer and support from partner churches in the United States. This past summer, with the help of churches and a small construction team, they built a small, clean place for Rosita and Magali to call home. “Magali took a day off of work, which meant she wouldn’t have money for food the next day, to bring us water and prepare lunch for us,” Chris said. “When people with so little on the outside showed us that they had so much to give from the inside, it made us pause. Our ideas about construction, hard Continue on page 12 Missional churches The missional church can be difficult to describe. It seems every church should be about “mission”; that is, the mission of God in our world. But the mission of God is often contextual, with each congregation given a different part of God’s mission to fulfill. CBF is concerned with helping congregations and individuals become missional — embracing God’s mission as your own personal mission. In this issue, pages 10-16, you’ll learn about churches that engage in God’s mission.

are available through CBF, go online to www.thefellowship.info/missional. fellowship!

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work, logic, sacrifice and comfort were all dusted with the fine grit of the Collique hills.”

Following a call to serve abroad Three years ago, the Roses were a young couple about to start a family. But instead of praying for a suburban home with a white picket fence, they yearned for something

else — specifically, that God would use them to teach and serve abroad. When the Roses learned about the ministry center Operación San Andrés (OSA) and met founders Luis and Ruth Campos, they felt called to be the presence of Christ to the residents of the shanty town. “Initially, we were shocked at the reality of Collique — the poverty and despair were

This summer, the youth group from South Main Baptist Church led a week of Vacation Bible School at Operación San Andrés.

almost overwhelming,” said Jessica. “It didn’t take long for the children of Collique to win our hearts. We kept praying and everything kept falling right into place. When [our son] Joshua was six months old, we packed up and moved our lives to Peru.” Collique, home to 100,000 people on the north side of Lima, Peru, is located on the desert side of the Andes Mountains. The dry, mountainous terrain creates harsh living conditions, and with homes made out of scrap material, many residents do not have access to running water or electricity. Outhouses are common, and often water is only available during certain times of the day. Despite the poverty in the community, many have traveled to Collique from other parts of Peru in search of better living conditions or as refugees from violence in their home region. Founded in 2003, OSA provides medical, educational, nutritional and spiritual ministries to residents. The Roses, who were commissioned as CBF field personnel in 2008, serve at the center.

A partnership in God’s mission Photos courtesy of OSA

OSA began as a vision of Campos, a cardiologist in Houston, Texas, and his wife. Growing up in Lima, Peru, he recognized the extreme poverty of people living on the other side of town and pledged to bring hope through Christ to that community. In 2003, he began organizing medical mission trips to Collique. And, in 2005, OSA purchased property in the town and became an official non-profit and ministry of South Main Baptist Church in Houston. OSA and South Main have been linked in God’s mission for Collique ever since. When the Roses were presented to South Main as new staff members at OSA, the church held a commissioning service. “The congregation formed a prayer line, and many members came through and prayed for us individually,” said Jessica. “They were very careful, thoughtful prayers — it was overwhelming and beautiful. Those prayers are the perfect model of what it means to be a missional church. The members are not passive in their support — they are actively serving.”

About the Roses The Roses were commissioned as CBF field personnel in 2008. Before serving in Peru, they both worked as teachers in Texas and are fluent in Spanish. They have two sons, Joshua, 3, and Diego, 1, who was born in Peru. You can learn more about the Roses at www.thefellowship. info/rose.

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You can learn more about the Roses’ ministry on the Fellowship’s YouTube

South Main, along with the Roses’ home church of Tallowood Baptist Church, also in Houston, has developed long-term relationships with the Collique community. South Main sends several mission teams to OSA every year, from medical personnel assisting with health clinics to youth leading Vacation Bible School. “We are reclaiming our responsibility to actually ‘do’ missions,” said Steve Wells, pastor of South Main Baptist Church. “We have a commitment to supporting both long-term missionaries and to sending our members for short-term missions. We believe each of these are an important part of our partnership with God, so that God’s will can be done here as it is in heaven.” “These churches are our lifeline,” Jessica said. “It’s these church members who constantly meet our needs — praying for us, sending supplies and teams to help us, and continually staying involved however possible.”

Ministering in Collique Before moving to Peru, the Roses served as bilingual teachers in Katy, Texas, where they developed a love for immigrant stu-

dents who struggled to communicate with their classmates. “For the past 10 years God has prepared both of us with teaching experience, language training, cross-cultural living, mission trips and a heart for children,” Chris said. “The easiest part of moving to Collique was stepping into the classroom and working with the kids.” In Collique, the Roses focus much of their ministry on education — classes for students at OSA, community Bible studies and birthing classes for mothers in the community. Since the school day is short in Collique, the afterschool program at OSA runs from 1 to 6 p.m., providing children with a safe place to learn and play until their parents return home from work. The 40 children who come to OSA receive a nutritious meal and participate in activities that reinforce math, reading skills, science and writing. They have an opportunity to use computers, which are not available in the public schools. Dancing, singing, sports activities and Bible study are also a part of the afterschool program. These activities make a difference in the

lives of children, such as Yuly, who was timid and fearful when the Roses first met her. During the past two years, Yuly has worked hard to become a better reader. Now, even though she still struggles, she enjoys reading and is outwardly excited about participating. The Roses also coordinate mission teams who serve in partnership with OSA each year, including medical teams that serve thousands of people each week. They help facilitate a clothes closet, home repair ministry and several events at the sports complex located behind OSA. They also partner with local community organizations, including a food kitchen, health department, churches and schools. For example, OSA partners with the local preschool to provide lunch and vitamin supplements to the approximately 120 students. “I may never see the final results of my work here in Collique, but I have discovered that seeing results is not and should not be my goal,” Jessica said. “My goal is to share what I have learned to better the lives of others and be the presence of Christ in their lives.” By contributing writer Lelia King

Chris Rose, one of CBF’s field personnel, teaches at the OSA’s afterschool program, which serves more than 40 children.

channel. Go to www.youtube.com/cbfvideo to watch a video about their work in Peru. fellowship!

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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Through her calling, we are also

calledâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Photos courtesy of Lindsay

Partnership helps increase awareness of human trafficking

Lindsay, center, lives in a traditional family compound in Southeast Asia.

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iscerning a call to ministry can often be a long, uncertain and lonely journey. But for Lindsay the call became obvious at an early age, and a church provided support along the way. As a youth, Lindsay sought out opportunities to use her gifts for missions work through her church, Snyder Memorial Baptist Church in Fayetteville, N.C. Now, the church works in partnership with Lindsay to help raise awareness of human trafficking. “Growing up at Snyder, I learned very quickly that missions is not a summer vacation but a way of life,” Lindsay said. “From a young age, I was exposed to the difficult realities of our world and was given an opportunity to make relationships with people who face that reality on a daily basis. As I grew and matured, I was challenged to explore how God was calling me to alleviate that injustice, advocate for the poor and speak on behalf of the disadvantaged.” Commissioned by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship in 2008 to a two-year term of service, Lindsay was commissioned again this year as one of CBF’s long-term

field personnel. She advocates on behalf of women and children in Southeast Asia. “We have walked with Lindsay throughout her journey, so when she officially answered the call, we made the commitment to include her in our budget for financial support,” said Susie Reeder, Snyder Memorial’s minister of missions and education and Lindsay’s former youth minister. “Through her calling, we are also called. It’s much bigger than just one person.” According to the United Nations, human trafficking is the fastest growing international crime, with as many as 27 million people enslaved around the world. Ninety-eight percent of those in forced labor, from sweat shops to sexual exploitation, are women. In the villages where Lindsay serves, people live in extreme poverty, without access to adequate medical care or education, meaning most cannot read or write. These factors increase the villagers’ chances of being a victim of human trafficking. Lindsay has heard numerous stories of women going to nearby cities for the promise of a job, which would help support their families, and never being heard from again.

“It’s so important to educate ourselves about what human trafficking looks like,” Lindsay said. “Snyder is in the beginning stages — they are taking the first steps to look for signs of human trafficking in North Carolina. My church home wants to learn more about this issue, which means everything to me.” Through partnerships such as this one, Snyder Memorial recognized an opportunity to join God’s mission on the other side of the world. With their support, Lindsay has been able to develop creative ways to increase awareness of human trafficking in Southeast Asia. She has developed a child safety curriculum and coloring book to be used at local schools and community centers. Posters and flyers have also been produced and distributed in the villages. They provide information about the coercion tactics of traffickers, warn of potential traffickers and offer a phone number in case someone feels threatened. “We have to turn an entire culture on its head,” said Lindsay. “Just teaching a child that he or she has worth and that his or her body is their own is completely new for many of these children.” Recently, the Snyder Memorial church library purchased three major videos on human trafficking to help increase awareness of the issue. The church also plans to send a team of women to Southeast Asia during the next year to work with Lindsay in developing and distributing her curriculum. “We are exploring what we can do right here in Fayetteville to educate our own community about human trafficking,” Reeder said. “It’s a fairly new topic for our church to explore, let alone really understand. Now that our eyes are open, we are searching for ways to spread the word in our community. “We aren’t sure where this journey will lead us, but our congregation has redefined what being missional means. Lindsay’s path is a great model for us — this is not just one-time service; it’s a lifestyle.” By contributing writer Lelia King

The child safety coloring book, created in the local language, teaches children simple phrases that they can recall through the day.

SERVE

Editor’s note: Due to global security concerns names and specific locations of some of CBF’s field personnel will not be publicized.

To learn about how you can be a part of creating awareness of human trafficking, contact Chris Boltin at engage@thefellowship.info or (770) 220-1607. fellowship!

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Hendricks Avenue lives out mission with ministry center

partnership

n the inner-city Miami community of Overtown, children learn to live with change. It’s hard to maintain stability in a community where annual incomes average $15,000 and 65 percent of families are headed by single mothers. Frequent moves, changing family dynamics, and high turnover rates among teachers and staff at local schools are all part of life for kids in Overtown — one of Florida’s poorest communities. But more than 60 children anticipate the annual arrival of a youth group from Jacksonville, Fla. For the past 11 years, youth from Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church have spent a week volunteering at a free day camp that is run by Touching Miami with Love (TML), a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship supported ministry center in Overtown.

The youth group’s annual trek to Miami is just one part of the church’s partnership with TML, which is directed by CBF field personnel Angel and Jason Pittman. Hendricks Avenue has also sent an intergenerational missions team to Overtown to work on construction projects, and the church supports the center financially as well. The partnership with TML is a natural extension of the church’s ministries in Jacksonville, which include teaching life skills classes at a homeless center, adopting two schools where church members mentor students and assisting with a community recreation program. “Most of our members believe that gathering for worship and Bible study is not the end; it’s the means to a greater end, doing God’s mission in the world,” said Kyle Reese, pastor at Hendricks Avenue.

Carla Wynn Davis photo

Youth from Hendricks Avenue led the music during the opening session for summer camp at Touching Miami with Love.

At TML, the church’s youth write a Bible study curriculum, plan crafts and games, select music and bring decorations for the classrooms. They lead the day camp programming from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each week day. The long-term partnership has allowed students from the church to develop relationships with the Miami children. The congregation hears familiar names each year when the youth recount their experiences. “They say, ‘I couldn’t wait to see so-andso and hear how they were doing in school. There are some significant relationships there,” Reese said. For Hendricks Avenue students, serving at Touching Miami with Love “is a part of their DNA,” said Michael Page, youth minister. “We’re interested in being consistent. We don’t feel that we should go one year and be finished.” Overtown parents and students notice and appreciate the familiar faces from Hendricks Avenue year after year, said Angel Pittman, who encourages volunteer teams to find pockets of poverty in their own backyards. For example, the Hendricks Avenue youth decided to build on their experience in Miami and held a holiday mini-camp for children at a Jacksonville homeless center. Several former members of the youth group are pursuing full-time ministry. One student is attending college in Miami so that she can continue working with Touching Miami with Love, while two others are attending seminary. “It’s helped make them more aware of poverty and that living out our faith calls us to action,” Page said. By contributing writer Charlotte Tubbs

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To learn about opportunities to serve with Touching Miami with Love contact Chris Boltin at engage@thefellowship.info or (770) 220-1607. Learn more about the ministry of Touching Miami with Love online at www.touchingmiamiwithlove.org. You can also view a video about the ministry center at www.youtube.com/cbfvideo.

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Missions Education Resource

Opportunities to

How to use this page October 2010

The suggestions below will be helpful for using this issue of fellowship! in the life of your church. Small Group interaction, Study Group or Reading Group options are given, as well as suggestions for other congregational or family settings. Be sure to go online to www.thefellowship.info/affectonline for more suggestions!

In Small Groups:

The following is an outline for adult mission groups, Bible study classes or other small groups. Share copies of fellowship! with group members prior to the meeting and have some extra copies available. These suggestions are for a 45-minute time frame. 1. Before the session, prepare strips of paper with famous duos or partners, listing each on a separate strip. Examples include: Sonny and Cher; Abbott and Costello; Paul and Barnabas; Lucy and Ricky; Batman and Robin. Be sure to select pairs that are generationally known to your group members. 2. As participants arrive, attach a strip of paper to each person’s back. Instruct the group to begin communicating with one another to try and determine their own identity and to find their partner. 3. Debrief the experience and talk about what skills were required to discover their own identity and to locate their partner. Shift the conversation to discuss what makes each of these partners well-known and thus worthy of the title “famous.” 4. Say: The stories found on pages 10-16 of the fellowship! magazine, illustrate what partnership in the gospel looks like. 5. Divide into small groups of three or four and assign each group a different article. Have groups look for characteristics of true partnerships as well as skills required for building them. Report small group findings within the large group and make a comprehensive list. Note themes from all three articles.

In Worship Mission Moment Tell the story of Hendricks Avenue Baptist Church’s involvement with Touching Miami with Love, the ongoing support and commitment of South Main and Tallowood Baptist Churches to the Roses’ ministry in Peru, or Snyder Memorial Baptist Church’s nurturing of Lindsay’s work in Southeast Asia. Focus on the congregation’s efforts to be missional as a way of life for the church. Follow with the Responsive Prayer.

Responsive Prayer Leader: As we seek to be a missional church, we pray: Congregation: Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name. Leader:

God above, you have created the world.

Congregation: Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Leader: We desire to be a part of your mission, bringing your justice and your love to the earth. Congregation: Give us this day our daily bread, Leader: We seek to rely on you for each day’s provision; and we commit to provide for those who suffer the reality of having no bread.

6. If time permits, read the entire book of Philippians (or play it from www.faithcomesbyhearing.com) for the group to hear. If not, select key passages to highlight. Encourage participants to pay attention to the relationship Paul and the church at Philippi developed over time that led Paul to describe them as “partners in the gospel.”

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CBF

Cooperative baptiSt fellowShip | www.thefellowShip.info

Serving Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission

‘Part of God’s family’ Learn more about these ministries on pages 18-25.

7. Highlight some of the ways your church or your group has participated in God’s mission. Be brave and ask these hard questions: Have our ministry efforts been true partnerships? Have our ministry efforts been one-sided? Have we treated others with respect and dignity? 8. Conclude the session with prayers for the field personnel and churches highlighted in the articles. Offer prayers for those listed on the birthday calendar (p. 7). Finally, spend time in prayer asking God to guide you and your church in forming true partnerships as you participate in God’s mission. Ask God to help you be open to learning from others.

Congregation: Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors, Leader: We confess our ignorance of the needs of your children; open our eyes. Congregation: Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Leader: We rebel against the temptation to settle for charity; and we reclaim the responsibility to do justice, to teach, to serve, to advocate, to love. Congregation: For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Leader:

You have called us, O God; help us to follow.

All: Amen.

In Reading Groups Reading Groups will study Thornton Wilder’s The Bridge of San Luis Rey, the story of five victims who were killed in Lima, Peru, when the bridge of San Luis Rey collapsed on July 20, 1714. A Franciscan friar witnesses the accident as he returns from a mission to convert Peruvian Indians and seeks to make sense of the tragedy. Wilder’s book, first published in 1927, won the 1928 Pulitzer Prize.

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‘Part of God’s family’

CBF photos

CBF field personnel share Christ’s love with Roma people in Slovakia

Many Roma live far from Slovak cities, where they often face discrimination. The Roma, which are in the minority in Slovakia, are significantly poorer and have fewer opportunities than the majority Slovak population.

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The McNarys’ ministry among the Roma people is made possible through your gifts required to support the work of CBF field personnel around the world. To give to the

he Roma gypsies have been in Slovakia for more than 600 years, but even with this history, many Roma still don’t feel at home. Discrimination is widespread — in the workplace, on city streets and even in some churches. This is why Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel Dianne and Shane McNary have made Slovakia home. This is where God’s mission and their passion meet. This is where they seek to be the presence of Christ among the Roma people by speaking against the historic injustices that this community still faces today. Slovakia is a country divided between the minority and majority populations. The Roma, who are in the minority, are significantly poorer and have fewer opportunities than the majority Slovak population. In Kosiče, the McNarys work with an allRoma school to address the physical needs of the students. When the school realized the children were coming hungry each day, they asked the McNarys to start a feeding program to provide hot soup and bread during the morning break. Dianne said that it was important to them that the feeding program be for all the children — both for those who could afford it and those who could not. In this way all the children were included. And the children are grateful for the program. On a recent visit to the school, this sense of gratefulness had a profound impact on Shane. One boy came up to him in the parking lot and thanked him for the soup. “I was taken aback because, why do you have to thank someone for making sure you

have something to eat?” Shane said. “My response to him was simply, ‘there are people in the United States who give these offerings so that you would be able to have something to eat during the day, and so it is a gift from them. All I do is pass them along.’” In the Roma school in Kosiče, most of the students come from a part of the city called Lunik number nine. This area is one of the worst slums in the city where more than 5,500 people live in cramped and crumbling high-rise apartments. Here, hunger isn’t the only problem. Access to health care is also limited because of poverty. Dianne, who spent much of her life working as a nurse, responded to this problem by creating a program where basic health information is provided in the Roma school through bulletin boards and classroom curriculum. The children learn how to prevent illness and learn about basic hygiene and nutrition, all in the Roma and Slovak language.

Building self-esteem through art At another Roma school in Jarovnice, the focus of the McNarys’ work is supporting the art program which helps the Roma children see life in new ways. The Jarovnice school is filled with colorful paintings. Some paintings celebrate Roma culture and family connections while others focus on faith or friendship. Martin, the Roma assistant at the school, tells the students how his own life was transformed by his art. The piece of art he is most proud of is a painting of Jesus, arms outstretched, on the side of a crumbling house in the Roma settlement. In many Continue on page 20

Gypsies Originally from northwest India, the people group known as gypsies now live in the Middle East, Europe, Russia and southcentral states in India. Traditionally a nomadic people without a written language, they are often distinguishable by their dark complexion. Approximately 40 million gypsies live around the world, with different sub-groups, such as Romany, Dom and Banjara. In most countries in which they live, gypsies are discriminated against socially, denied rights by governments and trapped in cycles of poverty. Even the word gypsy has come to have negative connotations. In this issue of fellowship!, pages 18-24, you will learn about ministries among the gypsy people.

to the CBF Offering for Global Missions. This year’s goal of $5.5 million is the amount Offering use the envelope provided in this issue or go to www.thefellowship.info/give. fellowship!

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ways the painting is a testimony to the presence of Christ among the poor. Through his art, Martin has learned to see himself in a new way, and he hopes that the children he teaches will do the same. But

even though he’s proud of his identity as a Roma, he still experiences discrimination. “My skin color gives me something extra, but it also makes things more difficult,” Martin said. “I’m Roma, and it doesn’t happen too often that someone will just smile at me or not notice me. It’s more like the opposite — someone will look at me funny as if I had done something — as if I had hurt someone. And that’s quite strange and hard to get rid of.”

Telling the story of the outsider

At a Roma school in Jarovnice, the focus of the McNarys’ work is supporting the art program, which helps children celebrate Roma culture, family, friendship and faith.

About the McNarys Dianne and Shane McNary were commissioned as field personnel with CBF in 2004. Natives of Benton, Ark., the McNarys and their two children, Allie and Taylor, have lived in Slovakia for the past six years. Dianne has a bachelor’s degree in nursing, and Shane has a master of divinity degree from Truett Theological Seminary, a CBF partner.

The role of the outsider is part of the experience of being Roma in Slovakia. But the story is not foreign to Christian faith. Scripture is full of outsiders who were invited in, who were included in Christ’s kingdom. That’s why the McNarys are using the story of Ruth to say something new in Slovakia. In a partnership with CBF field personnel, the McNarys are dubbing an animated Ruth video in the Slovak, Roma and Czech languages. Shane believes the story is important because Ruth, who was an outsider, becomes central to what God does in the world. “To have an outsider become central to what God does in blessing even the majority, to me was a powerful story,” Shane said. This year, Shane is working on the script and

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finding individuals to read the parts of the Bible characters. Within the year, they plan to have the Ruth video in circulation, teaching an old story with a brand new message.

A new work in Cinobaňa Not all of the McNarys’ ministry has been so scripted. There’s also the story of the church in Cinobaňa, which started by meeting in the forest. The McNarys had not been in Slovakia long when they received a phone call. “We hear you’re in Slovakia to work with the Roma, is that right?” the voice on the other end of the line asked. Shane replied by saying “Yes.” The call was from a pastor near Cinobaňa who said the Roma were coming to his church for help, and he needed some assistance. A group of Roma young people had decided to start a band and in their quest for popularity, they decided to sing Christian music. The only problem was that they were not believers. So they found a Bible and began to read, pulling words from scriptures to put in their songs. The words they were reading came to life and changed their hearts. Soon, Jozef Demjan and Katarina Demeova became the founding members of the church at Cinobaňa. “We wanted a church and this was a testimony to God’s care for our needs,” Jozef said. “We wanted a church, and we didn’t know where to join in because there are many churches. Then God, through this problem, found a solution — we (started) a church.” “We were among the first who believed, whom God called,” Katarina said. And the sense of calling was strong. The church began by meeting in the forest, and several years later with the help of CBF, the church is now in a small house. It’s no longer a Roma-only congregation. The testimony of the young people was so strong, that Slovaks were also drawn to the church. Dianne sees Cinobaňa as a model for ministry. “They’re a mixed group, which we think is very important,” she said. “You see acceptance not based on race or gender, but you

Learn more about the CBF Offering for Global Missions and videos, ideas for worship, bulletin inserts, photos and more.

CBF photos

see people. They’re just people and they accept each other and they love each other.”

identified with their lives. He also knew the pain of discrimination and rejection. He was born to parents who didn’t want him, and Finding family he lived much of his life without love. beyond borders “Because of Ricky’s personal background, The acceptance and love in the church at he identified with this group of ostracized Cinobaňa is literally spreading around the people, unwanted, unloved,” Shane said. world. In October 2007, the McNarys reAnd the group identified with him. Ricky’s ceived an odd donation — a check from an connection didn’t stop with that first check. He inmate in a Missouri prison for $1.30. has been sending donations to Cinobaňa ever Not knowing their new donor, the Mcsince. In the summer of 2009, Ricky wrote a Narys began to make a few phone calls and very personal letter to the congregation, asking soon heard the story of Ricky, a prisoner who if they would consider him family. wanted to tithe and the CBF chaplain who “All my life, I always wanted a family, and gave him a copy of the fellowship! magazine. isn’t it amazing God gave me a family,” Ricky Ricky read the story about the Roma wrote. “You may be 5,000 miles away, but believers in Cinobaňa and immediately God gave me a family through you. And that has been the greatest gift.” The church in Cinobaňa asked Dianne and Shane to let Ricky know that they considered him a brother. Then they asked for his address so they could tell him themselves. The McNarys are passionate about God’s mission in Slovakia. Bringing people together through the love of Christ is key to this mission. “What I can do is I can bring Dianne and Shane McNary help support Roma churches in many people together and say, ‘You ways, including assisting congregations in finding Bibles and Roma are loved by God and Christian resources.

through Jesus Christ are part of God’s family, and you non-Roma are loved by God and through Jesus Christ brought together into God’s family,” Shane said. “The scandal of it all is that you’re brought together into God’s family.” This work, this space in which people are brought together, would not be possible without the CBF Offering for Global Missions. “Because of the money that is given to the CBF Offering for Global Missions, we are able to live here in Slovakia, and able to live and be the presence of Christ among our community, building relationships,” Dianne said. “We’ve been able to work with the Cinobaňa mission and help them purchase a meeting space. We’ve been able to buy Bibles and provide them to people who don’t have them. Through offerings that are given, we are able to provide hot lunches or hot snacks for children at school so that they can be able to learn and not be hungry.” In this way, the passion of CBF people has enabled God’s mission in Slovakia to progress. More is always needed because there is always more to do. But Dianne and Shane will tell you that a little can go a long way. After all, a church in Cinobaňa gained a new family member when a prisoner from Missouri sent a check for $1.30. By contributing writer Melissa Browning

When Dianne McNary, who spent much of her life working as a nurse, learned that many Roma children didn’t have access to healthcare, she created a program where basic health information is provided in a local Roma school.

the McNarys’ work through a variety of resources — Go to www.thefellowship.info/ogm to view these resources. fellowship!

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Providing

acceptance for society’s outcasts

Dom gypsies face discrimination in North Africa, Middle East

lifetime of living at the edges of society pushed Yaser* over the edge. Years of rejection and discrimination as a Dom gypsy left painful emotional wounds in this husband and father. As he turned to drugs for an escape from reality, anger grew. Yaser was so angry that his children would awake early each morning and leave

home in order to escape their father’s rage. They would wander the streets away from their troubled home and get into trouble of their own. The family was falling apart, and Yaser’s wife knew it. As a Christian and a member of the Dom church, she began to pray. Church members joined her, and they began to share with Yaser about how Jesus had changed

their lives. Then one day Yaser came home and told his wife Jesus had changed him. Yaser’s story of discrimination isn’t uncommon among the Dom people, often known as gypsies. They slowly migrated to the Middle East and North Africa, and, like many other gypsy people, they face rampant discrimination as a minority people group.

CBF photos

Facing extreme poverty, many Dom families will beg for food on the city streets.

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Support the ministries of CBF field personnel working with the Dom gypsies

Dom gypsies are traditionally a nomadic people who live in tents and move to where they can find work.

“For a people who have been forcibly alienated from all other societies that they have lived in, the sense of belonging that they find in God’s family is a blessing beyond imagination,” said John*, one of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s field personnel. The Fellowship has ministered among the Dom since 1997, when CBF field personnel encouraged Arab Christians to start ministries among the Dom. After several centuries of being overlooked, the Dom people began to learn about Jesus. Now, there are Dom churches, pastors and several thousand new Christians. In general, the Dom are very poor and their churches function with limited resources, but they are unwilling to let poverty squelch their calling to minister in their community. “I’ve seen the Dom sell their meager possessions to buy food for hungry families. I’ve watched as a Dom pastor prayed at the bedside of a dying Dom child who was denied adequate medical care simply because he was a gypsy,” John said. “The

Dom give sacrificially and lift one another up as a family of faith in the midst of a life that flows from one tragedy to another.” Over the years the Fellowship has provided support, including hunger relief in war-torn areas and health care classes. The Dom ministry has grown, and now Dom Christians are leading their own churches and ministries. “We are very much in a support role,” John said. After nearly 10 years of steady growth, the Dom churches show no signs of slowing. They continue to find new ways to serve their communities, including providing premarital counseling and financial advice. “The Dom pastors have envisioned their future and the future of the Dom church,” John said. “They are also developing their own mission program that would include Dom missionary couples going out to Dom communities in other cities and/or in other countries.” This vibrant Christian community has been life-changing for many Dom like Yaser,

who shares his testimony with other Dom men who struggle with addiction and depression. The discrimination Yaser faces isn’t any better — he still struggles to find a job just The Fellowship has because he is a ministered among the gypsy — but his Dom since 1997. wife knows he has found joy in Christ. “Now, he smiles,” she said. “He stays at home and plays with the children. He has become strong for the family. He is now a strong witness.” By CBF Communications * Editor’s note: Due to global security concerns names and specific locations of CBF personnel will not be publicized.

by giving to the CBF Offering for Global Missions. To give, go to www.thefellowship.info/give. fellowship!

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Aldapes start

children’s home Banjara for

serve 24

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Brothers Krishna and Ravi are two of the boys at the children’s home, started by Eddie Aldape, center.

CBF photo

hicken skins and livers are sometimes all that a Banjara family can afford to eat. Earning approximately a dollar a day, the 20 to 23 million Banjara, also known as gypsies, are a minority group who fall low on the caste system in India. Commissioned in 2001, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel Eddie and Macarena Aldape have been working in India among the Banjara, providing medical clinics, facilitating mobile schools and training local pastors. “When we visit their homes they will sacrifice and buy chicken to serve to us,” Macarena said. “They will not allow us to give them money for their expenses because they want to show their appreciation to us for telling them about Christ. We’ve had to get creative to help the families with their expenses when we visit the community.” Through their ministry, the Aldapes have met parents without resources to provide food for their families and children orphaned by diseases such as HIV/AIDS. In 2006, the Aldapes decided to start a children’s home in Pune, India, that would provide a place where these children would have nutritious meals, educational opportunities and a safe place to live. Ravi, 7, was one of the first boys to be accepted to the Banjara Gypsy Children’s Home for boys. At the time, Ravi’s father was sick with tuberculosis, and his mother, without a healthy diet, was too ill to adequately care for her four children. Now, Ravi is one of 40 boys living at the home, and he has recently been joined by his younger brother Krishna. “We help them develop good life skills — from decision making to examining pos-

sible results of their actions,” Aldape said. “We want the boys that leave here to be productive, responsible and ready to integrate in the community, and most important, men of God. Without this home, many of these boys would still be out on the streets without any opportunities for change.” Many of the boys are the first members of their family to attend school. As part of their education, they learn English, a language skill that will help them eventually earn 50 percent more in income. Three pastors from the Gypsy Mission, a local partner, work alongside the Aldapes at the children’s home. Through worship and Bible study, the home is often the first place the boys learn about Jesus. “Many of the children’s families have come to Christ because of the children’s testimonies,” Aldape said. More than 100 boys wanted to live in the

home when it was started, but resources limited acceptance to 40 boys. The Aldapes hope that one day the home can accept all the boys whose parents want them to live there and provide a girls’ home to the more than 200 Banjara girls in the area who need a place to live. It costs approximately $45 each month to support one child at the home, and the Aldapes are actively praying for partners and funds that will enable them to expand their ministry. “Fellowship Baptists have a vision to reach out to marginalized people — those who have been ignored and neglected,” said Macarena. “For me, it is an answered prayer to have people that care that much for [Banjara children] and send us to India to serve. Through CBF we are doing the work of many others in India.” By contributing writer Sue H. Poss

If you are interested in serving alongside the Aldapes in India, contact Chris Boltin at engage@thefellowship.info or go to www.thefellowship.info/serve to learn more.

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Opportunities to

Missions Education Resource How to use this page

November 2010

In Small Groups:

The following is an outline for adult mission groups, Bible study classes or other small groups. Share copies of fellowship! with group members prior to the meeting and have some extra copies available. These suggestions are for a 45-minute time-frame. 1. Before the session gather the following supplies: chart paper, markers, Bibles, tape, copies of the fellowship! magazine, pens, a notecard for each participant. 2. As a way to begin the lesson, select two people to play a version of the popular 80s TV game show, The Pyramid Game. Player 1 begins by conveying to Player 2 clues to a series of items belonging to a category. Play several rounds. The following are sample categories: Things That Need Changing; Things That Are Hidden; Things That Beep; Restaurant Slogans. 3. Announce that all members will play in the final round. The category is “God’s Mission,” based on the following clues: wholeness, good news, love, to re-create, to redeem, to give new life, to seek and save, to restore, etc. 4. Say: “Missions” has traditionally been understood as the human endeavor of sharing the good news of the gospel; “Mission,” however, must be reinterpreted as the work of God. Scripture is quite clear that God is on a mission to make all things new, including you and me and all that is broken by sin. Scripture is also quite clear that God invites broken, sinful people to participate in God’s mission. Problems often occur when God’s mission is usurped by our mission. Take a few moments and consider how this might happen. 5. Using scenarios from Scripture, instruct group members to ask “How

is God’s mission of wholeness, love and recreation illustrated?” and “How did God use broken, sinful people to accomplish God’s mission?” Record answers on chart paper. Divide class into small groups and assign the following passages: Exodus 2:23-3:6; Ruth 1:1-2:13; 2 Kings 4 (several scenarios in this chapter); Mark 5:1-20; John 21:9-19.

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CBF

Cooperative baptiSt fellowShip | www.thefellowShip.info

Serving Christians and churches as they discover and fulfill their God-given mission

‘Part of God’s family’ Learn more about these ministries on pages 18-25.

6. Using the fellowship! articles on pages 1824, ask the same questions listed in Step 5. Before groups provide answers, they may need to spend a few minutes scanning the articles. 7. Pass out notecards and pens to group members and ask each participant to jot down items that would describe the category “My Passion.” For example, if my passion is “baking,” then I would write down “flour, eggs, bread, cookies, pies, salt, etc.” After everyone has finished, play The Pyramid Game once more with group members trying to guess one another’s passions. The one who correctly guesses must then share a way that the person’s passion can intersect with God’s mission and bring about wholeness and redemption in the world. 8. Conclude the session with prayer, allowing for moments of silence for group members to consider what God may be calling them to do next.

In Worship 1. As children gather say: Think of a place where you go almost every day. Pass out markers to children and have them draw a picture or symbol of their place on a piece of butcher paper.

6. Say: I’m going to hang our picture in the hallway as a reminder that Jesus is always with us. It will also help us remember to pray for the Romany people and to treat others in a way that shows God’s love for them.

2. Say: Right in the middle of all of these places we go, I’m going to draw a picture of Jesus. Draw a picture of Jesus with arms spread wide. Ask: Have you ever thought that Jesus is present in all of these places?

7. Close with prayer.

3. Say: We can forget that Jesus is with us wherever we are. Sad things may happen, we can be scared or lonely, and sometimes we’re just really busy. In these times, we might forget Jesus is with us. 4. Tell about the marginalization of the Romany children. Say: It could be hard for the Romany children to remember that Jesus is always with them when people around them are so unkind. 5. Tell about the McNarys’ work with the gypsies in the Roma school, helping children see their lives in new ways by using art.

In Reading Groups Fires in the Dark: A Novel by Louise Doughty is about a Romany family in the Holocaust — their incarceration in a labor camp and young Emil’s escape to Prague. Emil returns to rescue his mother, only to find that the gypsies have been sent to Auschwitz. The novel describes the persecution of the Romany, but also the vibrancy of their culture and their hope of relief at the end of the war.

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Meet CBF Moderator

Christy McMillinGoodwin McMillin-Goodwin serves as associate minister for education and missions at Oakland Baptist Church in Rock Hill, S.C. A 1995 graduate of Baptist Theological Seminary in Richmond, she is the first moderator to graduate from a CBF partner seminary. As the Fellowship recognizes this significant milestone in its 20th year, McMillin-Goodwin reflects on some firsts in her ministry.

First memory of church I remember playing blocks in the church nursery at Greenlawn Baptist Church in Columbia, S.C. Our nursery was in an old house next to the church. However, what I remember most about that nursery was the love that was shown to me. I learned early that God’s love is best demonstrated through the actions of people

First encounter with CBF Recently, I was digging through an old file in my filing cabinet titled “Baptist Stuff” and found the program guide from the first CBF meeting in May 1991. I attended this meeting as a Furman University student with my college Sunday School class from FBC Greenville. I remember the great hope and joy that God was doing a “new thing” among us.

First sermon preached I was elected moderator for the student government association at Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond during my second year of seminary. The moderator was asked to preach at one of the first chapel meetings during the first week of school.

First piece of advice you give related to missions service Our church has heavily invested itself in providing ministry to our community. I encourage our volunteers to always remember what their motive is for serving. For many times, we do not see the end result of our work, or it may appear people are taking advantage, but we are called to serve. Jesus’ love for all people is our reason for mission.

First reaction when asked to serve as moderator Humility! I asked Harriet Harrell if they couldn’t find someone smarter, wiser, older and more experienced than me! I was humbled at the opportunity to be able to help lead an organization that is truly about helping churches and individuals be the presence of Jesus in their communities.

First goal as moderator I feel that CBF is at a major crossroad in our brief existence. We are 20 years old and have accomplished much for God’s household since our birth. But, much work is still to be done. I am looking forward to our continuing work with our strategic priorities. I am also looking forward to the work of the 2012 Task Force that will explore the missional and organizational future of CBF. Both of these tasks will help us continue to be responsive to churches and individuals that call CBF home.

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God’s mission, your passion 2011 CBF General Assembly June 22-25 in Tampa, Fla.

Come celebrate 20 years of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Make plans early to be part of this historic Baptist celebration. You can pre-register online for the Assembly for free at www.thefellowship.info/assembly. After you pre-register, you’ll be able to reserve a hotel room at a downtown Tampa hotel with a CBF group discount.

Build your own Assembly There’s so much planned for this year’s 20th anniversary celebration that you can build your own Assembly around events that interest you. Event highlights include: • Inspiring Worship • CBF partner organization celebrations • Practical Ministry Workshops • Resource Fair • Tampa Sessions for college students • and much more!

After the Assembly, take advantage of the great Florida location by staying a few extra days. You can “Stay and Play” by visiting popular Tampa destinations with other Fellowship Baptists and “Stay and Pray” by worshipping at a local CBF partner church on Sunday. Start making your travel plans now at www.thefellowship.info/assembly.

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Student.Go

Around the world, students serve alongside CBF field personnel, ministries The Fellowship’s Student.Go program provides undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to spend a summer or semester involved in hands-on missions. Students serve around the world — from U.S. locations such as Arkansas, Miami and New York to international

Mark Sauls Student.Go Mark Sauls of Baxley, Ga., spent a summer in Chile working with the Fellowship’s Student.Go summer and semester missions program. Mark, a student at Mercer University’s McAfee School of Theology, and his wife, Sarah, an elementary school teacher and master’s student at Mercer, primarily worked with the youth at First Baptist Church, Santiago. They also participated in earthquake relief efforts in the southern part of the country, supplying

locations such as Africa, India and Slovakia. This

victims with food and clothing, assisting a local Baptist pastor with a new church start and setting

summer, more than 40 students served alongside

up temporary housing for displaced residents. The Sauls experienced four tremors during their

CBF field personnel and ministries. Application deadlines: Spring 2011 semester — Nov. 1 Summer 2011 — March 1

time in Chile, giving them firsthand experience with what the Chilean people had been dealing with since the 8.8 magnitude earthquake rocked the country in February. Mark said their experience with Student.Go expanded his horizon and changed his perspective on ministry. “Student.Go is a great opportunity for people our age to get out into the world and see where God is at work,” Mark said. “It’s a way to get out and experience something beyond ourselves.”

www.studentdotgo.org Left: In Miami, Fla., Grace Hazelgrove worked alongside CBF field personnel and partner churches at Touching Miami with Love, a CBF supported ministry center. Below: In Hungary, Kolby Knight helped to facilitate day camps for gypsy children, working alongside CBF field personnel Ralph and Tammy Stocks and partner churches.

Right: In Alabama, Anna Martin served through Sowing Seeds of Hope, a ministry of Together for Hope, the Fellowship’s rural poverty initiative.

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Congregational

Internships

In the United States, students serve at CBF partner churches This summer, 95 college students served in 85 churches as part of the initial year of the Fellowship’s collegiate congregational internship program. The 10-week full-time internships provide students opportunities to learn about a variety

Natalia Silva Collegiate Congregational Intern A native of Austin, Texas, Natalia Silva did everything this summer from clean toilets to work with children and youth to preaching at Alliance Baptist Church, a Hispanic church start in Lubbock, Texas. The most valuable experience from the summer for the Baptist University of the Americas student was being able to participate in the profession of faith of 23-year-old man who had been coming to church throughout the summer. “The last Sunday I was there, I was standing behind the altar because I had

of church ministries and be mentored by

led in worship, and after the service the pastor asked this young man to come and share his

pastors, ministers and coaches.

testimony,” Silva said. “He turned around and looked at me and said ‘Christ used you to open my

The application process for 2011 will begin in January. www.thefellowship.info/collegeinternship

eyes. Here I am today able to say I have Christ in me because of you.’ I was very thankful to be used by God to touch that young man’s life.” Silva encouraged other college students considering ministry to apply for a collegiate internship next summer through CBF. “It’s tough. It’s hard work, but it’s worth it. God truly became my best friend this summer,” she said.

Left: Debora Cruz served with the congregation of Baptist Temple in San Antonio, Texas. Below: Andrew Waight, far right, served as a collegiate intern at New Community Church in Raleigh, N.C.

Parker Artz served at Second Baptist Church in Liberty, Mo.

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for joining God’s mission through CBF’s mission communities By Matt Norman CBF Global Missions

A mission community is a group of people, churches and organizations who are intentionally participating in the ongoing work of God. These communities come together around a specific passion — whether it’s medical missions, disaster response or ending poverty in the world. Why is a mission community important? Because we can do more together than we can do alone. When we come together, we can network and share resources. We can pray for each other and share ministry stories with one another. Essentially, we can journey together as we seek to be the presence of Christ in the world. The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has eight mission communities through which churches, individuals, partner organizations and field personnel come together to minister. Here are a few ways you can connect your God-given passion and calling with a CBF mission community:

God wants you to channel your interest by going to a disaster response area and serving. If you’ve always had a heart for orphans, then maybe God wants you to do something to help them. There are endless possibilities. Reflect, pray and ask God to show you how you can serve.

Connect online

Once you’ve done some self-reflection on how God has equipped you, it’s time to learn what ministry opportunities are available. Start by learning more about the CBF mission communities that already exist. Visit www.thefellowship.info/Missions/Map and use the interactive map to discover where and how Fellowship Baptists are already joining God’s mission. You can join one or more of these mission efforts. Each mission effort has its own website, where you can share ideas with others, ask questions and be part of a ministry conversation. The more you and other participants dialogue and interact, the more sharing, learning and possibility there is for tangible ministry to occur.

Discern your passion

Take time to reflect. What skills, passions, interests and abilities has God given you? You might want to write these down and look for a pattern. If you’re a nurse and have always had compassion for the poor, then maybe God has been equipping you for a medical mission trip. If you can’t take your eyes of the television when a natural disaster strikes, then maybe

Serve on a short-term mission

What better way to engage in God’s mission than to begin serving. Roll up your sleeves and become the hands and feet of Christ by serving at one of CBF’s ministry sites. Even if it’s for a short period of time, you can make a vital difference in the lives of others

while challenging your worldview and physically being the presence of Christ. The Fellowship has short-term mission opportunities available around the world. Find your opportunity at www.thefellowship.info/serve.

Connect at an event

There’s strength in numbers. At one of the Fellowship’s events, you can find others interested in the same ministry as you are. When you connect, you are able to encourage one another, share resources, and possibly expand the ministry. Remember, we can always do more together than we can do alone. One of the best events is the Fellowship’s annual General Assembly, which will be held June 22-25, 2011, in Tampa, Fla. Learn more and pre-register for free at www.thefellowship.info/assembly.

Develop a new engagement network

Are you already involved in a ministry and want others to join? If so, you can create a new ministry network connected to the Fellowship. We can help you develop the network, promote the network among Fellowship Baptists, and provide leadership training as you seek to do the work God has led you to. Contact Harry Rowland, CBF’s director of missional church, at hrowland@thefellowship.info or (770) 220-1600 to learn how you can start a ministry network.

The Fellowship’s Eight Mission Communities Poverty/Transformation Ministries Disaster Response Ministry Internationals Ministries Church Starting/Faith Sharing Justice and Peacemaking Ministries Medical Ministries Economic Development Ministries Education Ministries

To learn more about CBF mission communities, contact Matt Norman at mnorman@thefellowship.info or Chris Boltin at cboltin@thefellowship.info. You can also learn more online at www.thefellowship.info/Missions/Communities. 30

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Mission Community:

Above: Serving in Kenya, CBF field personnel Melody and Sam Harrell created Change for Children, an education project for children ages 3 to 6. With support from CBF partner churches, the Harrells have started eight integrated child development centers, serving more than 600 children. Because of Change for Children, the young children enter public primary school better prepared for learning and future success. To learn more about Change for Children, watch a video on CBF’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/cbfvideo. Below: In a three-year partnership, CBF is working with the Japan Baptist Convention to facilitate short-term mission opportunities for Fellowship Baptists to teach English in Japanese churches.

Janée Angel, one of CBF’s selffunded affiliate field personnel, has served in Brussels, Belgium, since 2004. She teaches English at a ministry center that serves immigrants and refugees from North Africa and the Middle East.

Education Connect with other Fellowship individuals, congregations and organizations that share your passion for education ministries. People passionate about teaching serve in creative ways all over the world, including providing training in specific skills, leading classes for pastors, investing in the future through schools for children and supplying books and learning materials. This page shows just a few examples.

Above: CBF partner Literacy ConneXus provides small home libraries to families in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. The literacy project helps to increase language skills of parents and to prepare children for first grade. The Rio Grande Valley is a focal location for Together for Hope, CBF’s rural poverty initiative. Learn more by watching a video on CBF’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/cbfvideo.

Learn how you can connect with CBF’s eight mission communities: www.thefellowship.info/Missions/Communities

Second-Ponce de Leon Baptist Church in Atlanta has been partnering with Chengdu Thanksgiving Church in China, providing congregational resources and training for church leaders. CBF field personnel Bill and Michelle Cayard are part of the rapidly growing Chengdu congregation.

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October/November 2010

Cooperative Baptist Fellowship 2930 Flowers Road South, Suite 133 Atlanta, GA 30341 www.thefellowship.info • (800) 352-8741

Coming in October

CBF Gift Catalog

This isn’t just five dollars. It’s a 30-minute phone call home for a lonely refugee in Africa. It’s a meal for an orphan in Lebanon. It’s two bus tickets to church for a poor Romany Christian couple in Slovakia. It’s a way you can change lives through the CBF Gift Catalog. This holiday season you could spend hours looking for the perfect gift, or you could show your loved ones you care by making a life-changing gift in their honor. The new CBF Gift Catalog, released this October, has dozens of gifts that make a difference to some of the poorest and most neglected people in the world. There are gifts for every price range and every interest. Order your catalog today or begin shopping online at www.thefellowship.info/giftcatalog.