The mission moves forward
contents
spring 2 021
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4 Showing them a God who answers prayers 8 Loving a diverse community well 12 Befriending a community in need 16 A Clean start for a church— and its neighbors 20 A Light for students growing up in darkness 24 Helping a city pick up the pieces 28 A Pastor from among them 31 Because you give 32 Who was Annie Armstrong?
On Mission highlights missionaries, chaplains and churches working to reach North America and the world for Christ. On Mission is a publication of the North American Mission Board (NAMB), Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). NAMB is an SBC entity supported by the Cooperative Program and the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering.® The Annie Armstrong Easter Offering is a registered trademark of Woman’s Missionary Union.® Postmaster: Send address changes to: On Mission, North American Mission Board, 4200 North Point Parkway, Alpharetta, GA 30022. Because of your valued support of the Cooperative Program, we are able to offer you a free copy of On Mission. To subscribe, visit namb.net/OnMission or text MAGAZINE to 888123. On Mission grants permission for any original article to be photocopied for educational or church use. Include the following credit: “Used by permission of On Mission, North American Mission Board, ©2021.” For special requests, email us at help@namb.net or call 800-634-2462.
NAMB President Kevin Ezell
Art Director Shawn Elledge
Executive Vice President Carlos Ferrer
Designer Steve Beaver
Chief Marketing Officer Adam Hollingsworth
Photo Editor Gentry Parks
Senior Creative Director Adam Bain
Section Editor Tony Hudson
Editor K. Faith Morgan Wroten
Contributors Matt Carson Hayley Catt Kara Fulks Meredith Lyons Ben Rollins Natalie Sarrett Grace Thornton
Associate Editors Gabriel Stovall Shardavia Walker
© 2021 ON MISSION
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1 President’s Letter 2 The Pulse
On Mission Magazine 4200 North Point Parkway Alpharetta, GA 30022
volume 24 | number 2
presi dent’s letter
Don’t quit. Keep on. By Kevin Ezell, NAMB president (@kevezell)
In times of great storms and chaos, we have a solid
A
rock upon which to plant our feet. Jesus is a foundafter the year we have just been through, it
tion that won’t be moved. If we put our eyes on
would be understandable if you have had
anything else besides Jesus, we are subjected to the
times when you just wanted to thrust your hands in
waves and riptides that threaten to pull us under.
the air and shout, “I’ve had it! That’s enough!” The truth is, we all want to throw in the towel sometimes. We get weary. Life can be a drain. Add to it the pressures of a pandemic, economic uncertainty, societal unrest and political upheaval, and you have the makings for what, on the surface, looks like a hopeless situation. A passage from the book of Acts reminds me that even the Apostle Paul had times when he needed encouragement. At a time when he was facing severe challenges, the Lord spoke to Paul. “And the Lord said to Paul in a night vision, ‘Do not be afraid, but keep on speaking and don’t be silent. For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to hurt you, because I have many people in
I am so proud of our missionaries who have
this city’” Acts 18:9-10 CSB.
embraced and embodied the theme we have adopted for this season: The Mission Moves
After hearing that word from the Lord, Paul stayed
Forward. They demonstrate the “Don’t Quit” spirit
on in Corinth for another 18 months, proclaiming
that Jesus encouraged Paul toward in Acts 18.
the gospel and seeing many receive Christ. Some
Please keep them in your prayers as they serve in
of his greatest work took place during that season.
tough places during challenging times.
When we are overwhelmed by so much bad news
I am also grateful for you, for our pastors and the
and negativity, Jesus says, “Do not be afraid.”
thousands of churches in our Southern Baptist fam-
When we want quit, Jesus says, “keep on…” When
ily. Together, united in Christ, we can bring a hope
we feel alone, Jesus reminds us, “I have many
and redemption that our neighbors and our world
people in this city.”
so desperately need right now.
Your church can send hope to your community and beyond using the free evangelism resources found at namb.net/evangelism.
1
the pulse The Mission field in North America 366 million people live in North America. An estimated 275 million are lost.
14+ religions are practiced in the U.S. and Canada. 350 languages are spoken in North America. Only 1 in 4 Americans is a practicing Christian. Source: NAMB Research and Barna, 2020
Families in crisis
B
etween 5% and 6% of children in the U.S. will be placed in foster care at some point
before their 18th birthday.
Source: Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, November 2016
Religious beliefs among Americans 52% of Americans say Jesus was a great teacher, but not God. 64% of people in the U.S. believe God accepts the worship of all religions— not just Christianity.
34% of U.S. adults believe science disproves the Bible. 2
54% of Americans say theological beliefs are not a matter of objective truth but are subjective and personal opinion. Source: LifewayResearch.com, September 8, 2020
What a difference a year makes Globally, more people searched happiness on google in 2020 than any other year. “How to change the world” was searched twice as much as “how to go back to normal” in 2020. Insomnia was searched more in 2020 than ever before. Source: about.google.com, December 2020
Send Cities These focus areas represent 80% of the lost population in North America.
CANADA
MIDWEST
Calgary Edmonton Montreal Toronto Vancouver
Chicago Cincinnati Cleveland Columbus Detriot Indianapolis Kansas City Minneapolis/St. Paul St. Louis
NORTHEAST Baltimore Boston New York City Philadelphia Pittsburgh Washington D.C.
SOUTH Atlanta Miami New Orleans Puerto Rico
WEST Denver Las Vegas Los Angeles Phoenix Portland Salt Lake City San Diego San Francisco Seattle
A Global work force
A
pproximately 1 in 4 workers (26%) in Canada are immigrants.
Source: canada.ca, 2020
Despair in the U.S.
S
uicide rates have fallen globally, but they have risen every year in the United States since
1999—a 35% increase in the past two decades. The Centers for Disease Control report that 25.5% of young adults age 14-18 have seriously considered committing suicide in the last 30 days.
Source: Washingtonpost.com, November 23, 2020
3
SHAHID & MAROOFA
KAMAL
DELTA, BRITISH COLUMBIA
4
Showing them a God who answers prayers It was almost more than Cindy* could handle. Her husband was in the hospital, and her daughter was sick, too. BY GRACE THORNTON
S
o, she shared her burden with a couple at
planting missionary Shahid Kamal said.
her workplace — Simon and Asiya. And it just so happened that Simon and Asiya
were Christians.
And when Shahid talked and prayed with her after the service, she told him that she felt drawn to the church.
“Asiya shared Cindy’s prayer need during our Wednesday Zoom Bible study and prayer time,
“She felt peace in her heart while she was in
and we all started praying for Cindy and her fam-
church and did not feel judged,” he said. “She
ily,” said Shahid Kamal, who planted South Asian
felt accepted and loved. On that Wednesday she
Community Church in metro Vancouver in 2016.
joined in our video conference Bible study and prayer time, and she was praising God saying her
Not long after, Cindy’s daughter got better, and
husband also wanted to come to church.”
so did her husband, and Cindy decided to give church a try. She was afraid her husband would be angry since he came from a different religious
Connecting through intercession
background. It’s a story Shahid and his family see happen time “But she was amazed that he didn’t say anything,”
and again — people being brought to faith in
North American Mission Board (NAMB) church
Christ by seeing the power of prayer. It’s not easy
*names have been changed
5
to convince South Asians that God is the only
hub of all things South Asia,” Shahid said. The
Stats
deity they need. Hindus have many visible gods,
community is full of South Asian grocery stores,
and Sikhs have many gurus, Shahid said. But the
restaurants, signboards and even street names.
28.3% of British
church’s prayer ministry has been a successful
Columbia’s
connecting point.
population was
The people there speak a mix of languages, mostly Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu. South Asian Community
born outside
“Many came to our church for the very first time
Church held services in Punjabi at the beginning,
Canada. In Metro
for prayer. They have their certain prayer requests.
but as they began to draw in different people
Vancouver, 40.8%
And, praise God, God answered them and showed
groups, they began incorporating other languages
of the population is
them that He’s a living God,” said Shahid.
as well.
That fact stands out against the religious system
“We try to connect with people and help them
they’ve been living in, he said, and word is getting
with things,” Shahid said. “Some people need
around. A church member brought one woman for
help adjusting in the new culture, like navigating
prayer who told Shahid “that her guru told her to
work, housing and government services.”
immigrant Source: newtobc.ca
20.3% of all immigrants in Vancouver speak Punjabi at home. Source: newtobc.ca
go to church because he isn’t able to help her in her struggles.”
He definitely understands their struggles. He and his wife, Maroofa, moved to Canada from Pakistan
That was a touching moment for Shahid, and he
several years ago with their four children. Together,
prays that kind of experience keeps on spreading.
they are trying to make their church a place where South Asians can find love and support. Maroofa is
6
“In the midst of this complex situation (of people
actively involved in ministry, leading women’s Bible
believing in multiple deities), we are trying to help
studies and counseling sessions.
them to know, believe and receive Jesus Christ,” Shahid said.
And of course, they’re constantly offering prayer as a way to connect. In past years, they’ve set up
South Asia in North America
a place along the route of a massive Punjabi-Sikh celebration called the Vaisakhi Festival. They give out free food and set up a bouncy castle for the
More than 300,000 South Asians call the Greater
kids. Then while the parents wait, they ask if they
Vancouver area home, and Surrey, a city that’s part
could pray with and for them.
of the metro area, has “become the West Coast
PHOTOS BY JONO AND LAYNIE CO
We try to connect with people and help them with things. Some people need help adjusting in the new culture, like navigating work, housing and government services.”
“They are always ready,” Shahid said. “They will not
And South Asian Community Church is doing
Shahid and Maroofa
refuse that. If you ask them, ‘OK, do you want us to
in-person ministry in new ways, too. They’ve
Kamal moved to Canada
pray for you?’ they say, ‘Oh, yes, please pray for me.’
offered drive-through prayer in the church parking
from Pakistan several
God is showing them that He is a living God.”
lot, drawing in people like Aadesh* and Aashi*, who live in a basement near the church. Maroofa
years ago. Together, they are planting a church that serves as
The church has had to make adjustments in light of
encouraged Aashi to start reading the Bible, and
a place where South
the pandemic, but God is still at work, Shahid said.
she did. Then her husband did, too.
Asians can find love and
He sees that in Cindy’s involvement in their video
support.
conference prayer time. He also sees it in another
“Now Aadesh and Aashi have started reading,
way Simon and Asiya have reached out to others.
and we are following up with them,” Shahid said.
They started a daily online prayer time with their
“Praise the Lord. God is at work.”
extended family in South Asia. Now, other church members have invited friends and family living in other parts of the world to visit the church virtually.
Learn more about how Shahid and his family are reaching immigrants just like themselves in Vancouver at AnnieArmstrong.com/Kamal.
7
RYAN & TRICIA
MCCAMMACK AVONDALE ESTATES, GEORGIA
8
Loving a diverse community well Ryan McCammack’s 17-year-old son is “a great kid,” but every day, Ryan is very aware that his son needs guidance— the loving guidance of a father. It’s hard for him to imagine just removing himself from that picture. BY GRACE THORNTON
B
ut that’s the story of many of the kids in
Hope’s executive pastor.
his community. About 60% of the homes in DeKalb County, Georgia, don’t have
And Ryan took on the challenge of learning east
dads in them. The county consistently ranks in
Atlanta like an international missionary learns a
the top two in the state for abortions. It struggles
completely new culture and language.
with racial and socioeconomic tensions. There’s a large black and white population, a rapidly growing
“If we’re going to actually have truly multicultural
Latino community and a close geographic proximity
or multiethnic churches, then we have to be com-
to a large group of refugees from all over the world.
mitted to raising our racial IQ,” he said.
When Ryan and his wife, Tricia, and their eight
As a result of that investment, what’s developed
children moved to the Atlanta area to plant Gospel
over the past few years is a church that’s about 50
Hope Church, they wanted the congregation to
percent African American, 40 percent white and 10
reflect the multicultural community around it. To
percent international. But diversity isn’t the goal,
do that, Ryan, a white pastor, partnered with Rod
Ryan said—the gospel is.
Dewberry, a black pastor who became Gospel *names have been changed
9
Stats
He says the point is to “be about making disciples
these tensions at all,” Ryan said, explaining that
and be a church that loves all kinds of people, and
because of the way the church had addressed the
let God bring all kinds of people.”
topics of unity and diversity in the past, it wasn’t
32.7% of familes
a stretch for them to address them with truth and
led by a single
When people get the gospel, it changes them, and
mother in DeKalb
it brings racial reconciliation, Ryan said.
county are in
“If you make it a habit of speaking to the issues
poverty.
That doesn’t mean the cultures all assimilate
your people are facing, when big things do come
Source: atlantaregional. com
into one kind of worship; it means they worship
up, you have that relationship capital in the bank,”
together in an array of ways that represent the
he said. “We also offered an online course called
body of Christ as a whole. They love each other
‘Better Together’ that emphasized the importance
48% of DeKalb
well, then they work together to proclaim the
of community in this divisive season. This was our
residents surveyed
gospel to and serve their communities.
philosophy even before the pandemic, and it’s only
had their hours cut,
continuing now.”
wages reduced
One way they’re doing that is by working to flip the
or had to quit
script for the fatherless in DeKalb County through
And in that unified environment, God has worked.
their job for safety
investing in foster care ministry, crisis pregnancy
A man named Abraham* who came to Gospel
reasons because
centers and ministries that fight human trafficking.
Hope had been to church but didn’t have a deep
of the pandemic. 28.7% were laid off, terminated or furloughed. 10
grace when things got more difficult.
Source: thechampionnewspaper. com
grasp of the gospel. It wasn’t long after getting
Adapting and adjusting in ministry
involved that he wanted to be baptized and follow
As COVID-19 spread and racial issues also came to
“Now, Abraham leads one of our ministry teams
the forefront in the nation, the church addressed
and feels led toward pastoral ministry,” Ryan said.
them both. They rolled out their Mercy Fund to
“He is currently pursuing a degree in biblical stud-
help people in the community who were struggling
ies and plans to do a ministry apprenticeship with
as a result of the pandemic. And Ryan and Rod
us in the near future.”
Christ fully.
prepared and preached a sermon series together of Philemon.
Loving the community beyond
“It didn’t feel weird for us to lean into some of
The church is also seeing others come to faith and
called “Reconciled” from the New Testament book
PHOTOS BY BEN ROLLINS
If you make it a habit of speaking to the issues your people are facing, when big things do come up, you have that relationship capital in the bank.”
experience a growing desire to take that hope to
reconciled to God vertically. And also, no matter
Ryan and Tricia moved
others. They’ve already sent out one missionary,
what your starting point, you can be reconciled
to Atlanta with their
and others are planning to leave soon to help plant
horizontally to people who are radically different
eight children to plant
churches in other countries.
from you,” Ryan said. “Look around. This is a
Gospel Hope Church.
church for sinners who need a Savior, not a parIt’s all part of what Ryan says is God’s mission for
ticular type of person. We may not vote the same
their church, to be a church for the nations.
or look the same, but as we pursue the mission of Christ together, we build unity.”
“Essentially, we want to say to people, no matter what your starting point, through Jesus, you can be
Find out more about the McCammack’s diverse ministry at AnnieArmstrong.com/mccammack.
11
VICTOR & LUDMILA
MOURA
SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS
12
Befriending a community in need When Victor and Ludmila Moura began to feel the call to plant a church in Boston, it was for a very specific reason. The Brazilian population there tugged on their hearts. BY GRACE THORNTON
W
hen Victor and Ludmila Moura
each other and their neighbors.
began to feel the call to plant a church in Boston, it was for a
“We’re not a large church, but we tried to say to
very specific reason. The Brazilian population there
our people, ‘let’s take ownership of this situation,’”
tugged on their hearts.
he said. “We started raising money to buy food, diapers, medicine and other stuff, and we helped
Even before COVID-19, the city’s Brazilian com-
people in our church pay their bills. We’ve also
munity faced a lot of struggles. Many worked long
tried to connect people with job openings when
hours and struggled with family relationships and
we can.”
depression. Then when the virus hit, things only got worse.
And as people in the church called each other to find out about needs, one person who came to the
“Some people lost their jobs,” Victor said.
forefront was a man named Antonio*, a friend of one of the members.
It brought to the surface even greater needs, and his congregation was barely a year old when the
“He’s a driver, and he had cancer and has diabetes,
pandemic began. But they saw it as a chance to
too,” Victor said. “When COVID-19 hit, all of his
show the community how followers of Jesus love
employers were kind of afraid to give him work
*names have been changed
13
because he was high risk.”
But over time through a connection with a friend,
Stats
That was when Antonio found out what the love
planting a church in New England where more than
In recent years,
of Jesus can look like. The congregation paid his
450,000 Brazilians live. Less than 3 percent have an
greater Boston
rent for two months and helped him get food and
active faith in Christ.
has attracted
medicine.
Victor began to feel God pulling him toward
more Brazilian
At first, the Mouras’ reaction was anguish. They
immigrants
“He started attending one of our small groups
didn’t want to leave everything they loved in Brazil.
than any major
because of that,” Victor said. “Through this whole
They knew they’d find challenges on the other
metropolitan area in
situation, it’s been our joy to get to help people.”
side—a new language to learn and new careers to
the country. Source: globalboston. bc.edu
forge. On top of that, Ludmila was also expecting
Challenges along the way
a baby. Those challenges all felt monumental, and that was before COVID-19 was a known problem.
It hasn’t all been easy. Along the way, Victor has Brazilians in Boston
battled frustration. Some people who seemed
have a higher labor
very close to following Jesus before the pandemic
force participation
have become disconnected, Victor said. “That was
“I started realizing maybe there was a plan for us in
rate than other
discouraging for me as a pastor.”
New England,” Victor said.
68% of all foreign-
But he also sees people like Antonio and a number
born residents
of other Brazilians who have found hope in Jesus
participate in the
A new generation of opportunity
and are reaching out to their friends. When that
labor force, and 69%
happens, Victor is reminded of why he and Ludmila
Over time, Victor found he was even more bur-
of the native-born
felt they had to leave Brazil in the first place to
dened for second- and third-generation Brazilians
population does.
start a church in Boston. They were comfortable in
in the area. With English as their heart language,
Source: bostonplans.org
Brazil—more than comfortable, in fact. He was a
they struggle to find their place, even in their
pastor of a growing church, and she was a govern-
own families.
But as they prayed, the call got stronger.
groups: 86%. Only
14
ment lawyer doing well in her career. “According to therapists in our area, those teenagers “We were in our church, a great salary, great pres-
are in a crisis about their identity,” he said, adding
tige,” he said. “We had our own house, cars and
that they don’t connect in a church that only
family, friends. Our hometown.”
speaks Portuguese. “We are really trying to target
PHOTOS BY BEN ROLLINS
We are really trying to target the second and third gen because they are not going anywhere. They are not going to American churches. They are not going to Brazilian churches.”
the second and third gen because they are not
It’s a complex problem, he said, but the church’s
Victor and Ludmila’s
going anywhere. They are not going to American
most effective strategy is a simple one: Christ-
church was barely a year
churches or Brazilian churches.”
centered community. Missional home groups are
old when the pandemic
their greatest strategy, he said. So, with that in mind, Grace Church offers services
began, but they saw the trial as a chance to show their community the love
in English and Portuguese. Victor said he wants it
“Millennials hate superficial stuff,” Victor said. “I
to be a church where those struggling to find their
think the most effective strategy to reach them is
identity can find a place in Christ, people like Ana*,
being a friend.”
of Jesus.
a third-generation Brazilian. English is her heart language, and her mom and grandmother were
That’s worked with young adults like Ana, and it’s
involved in church, but when she met the Mouras,
worked with older adults like Antonio who have
she hadn’t been to church since she was 13.
been drawn in by the love of a Christ-centered community. Even during the pandemic, the pull of
“She was out of the church because she couldn’t
caring neighbors has remained just as strong.
connect in an American church, but she also couldn’t connect in a Brazilian church because of
“We are glad to help people, and we see this as a
the culture,” Victor said. “It’s so different. She’s
great opportunity,” Victor said.
back to Christ now, but she’s still struggling with her background.”
Find out how the Mouras are serving the Brazilian community in Boston at AnnieArmstrong.com/Moura.
15
ANDERS & JESSICA
SNYDER
NAMPA, IDAHO
16
A Clean start for a church— and its neighbors When Anders Snyder met Josh*, the man was leaning on the side of the church, head in his hands. BY GRACE THORNTON
“H
e was released from jail that day,”
drugs when he was way too young to even think
Anders said. “He didn’t know where
about that kind of stuff.”
to go, what to do, and he didn’t come
to the church to see anybody. He was just sitting in
Loving Nampa
our shade. He was just kind of hopeless, lost, no plans.”
It’s not an uncommon story in the Nampa, Idaho, neighborhood where Anders and his wife, Jessica,
So, Anders went and sat beside him and asked
moved to help replant Calvary Church Nampa.
him what his story was. The two went to lunch, and
For a long time, a lot of people there have needed
when Anders shared the gospel with him, Josh said
a new story, and the church did, too. That’s what
he didn’t know anyone cared, let alone God. He
brought the Snyders there. The call to lead a
thought he was one of society’s throwaways.
replant—to help a dying church turn things around— had burned in their hearts for a few years before
The idea of being loved was a brand-new thing,
God brought them to the city of nearly 100,000.
and the idea of a different life even newer. When they arrived, they found a diverse community “We’ve been walking with Josh for a while now,
waiting for them, one with both Mormon and
and he’s responded to Jesus,” Anders said. “He
Christian influences but few healthy churches.
comes from a broken family and started using
Neighborhoods around the church with a mix of
*names have been changed
17
Stats
Anglo and Hispanic residents were aging and
“Two weeks later, she was back in jail because of
declining, Anders said. Drugs are a big problem
lingering things from her choices, and so we lost
there, as is poverty and hunger.
track of her for more than a month,” Anders said.
Nearly 30% of
“My first time ever talking on a phone through
women in Idaho
But they’re all about offering new stories at Calvary
the glass at a jail was with her when we finally dug
will experience
Church Nampa, and they’re showing the neighbor-
up where she was. And she was in tears, like, ‘You
physical violence,
hood the kind of care that drew in Josh. They’ve
came? You came to see me?’”
sexual assault and or
gone door-to-door passing out Christmas cookies
stalking by a partner
and light bulbs with the goal of loving their neigh-
Absolutely, he told her. She was a sister in Christ,
in their lifetime.
bors and creating a chance to share how Jesus
and as her family, they were going to walk with her.
Source: idahopress.com
loves them, too.
And even then, he could already see the Holy Spirit at work in her life. She shared with him that she
COVID-19 was the
“We wanted to be in a context where people from
didn’t understand it, but she had felt drawn to pray
third-leading cause
the periphery can hear that message that we care,
and be thankful instead of despairing.
of death in Idaho in
and God does, and so we’re going to put effort
2020.
into being right in the mix with you,” Anders said.
Seeing fruit
And one day while they were at the laundromat
“We believe the gospel affects lives and changes
giving out free soap and change for laundry, they
people,” Anders said.
Source: idahopress.com
met a woman named Trina* who had a story like Josh’s. God worked right there amid the washing
And he and Jessica believe a church that comes
machines, Anders said. A church member named
back to life can be a strong witness to that.
Shawna was able to share her faith with Trina and 18
tell her about the love she had found in Jesus.
“It tells a compelling testimony of the resurrected Christ, that something can come back from the
“It was the same thing as Josh. She had no idea
dead,” he said.
that anybody cared like that, let alone God,” Anders said. “She accepted Christ that day.”
So far, they’ve seen God grow their little church from a core team of around 35 members to more
But even with a clean start spiritually, Trina still had
than 100 people. The Snyders didn’t go in trying to
some things in her life to deal with.
make the church the next cool place to be. They simply preached the gospel and urged members
PHOTOS BY BEN ROLLINS
We wanted to be in a context where people from the periphery can hear that message that we care, and God does, and so we’re going to put effort into being right in the mix with you.”
to develop deeper relationships with one another
“We hope to be a multiplying, a sending, prepar-
Anders and Jessica
and go into the neighborhoods sharing the hope
ing kind of a place, as well as just keeping the
Snyder moved to Nampa,
of the gospel.
doors open,” Anders said. “And I pray that it
Idaho, to replant a dying
reverberates out to the nations.” Shifting cultures in the church is a slow process,
church that needed help to turn things around.
Anders said, but over time, God has given them momentum and opened hearts to the message of hope in Jesus.
Find out how the Snyders are helping revive a dying church at AnnieArmstrong.com/Snyder.
19
JOSHUA
VALDEZ
FARMINGTON, NEW MEXICO
20
A Light for students growing up in darkness For a while now, Joshua Valdez has felt that his call to Farmington, New Mexico, was a call to go out and look for the lost. BY GRACE THORNTON
B
ut during the recent COVID-19 pandemic,
“My job basically is to be a mentor to students
that call shifted to include physical as well
who are at risk of dropping out,” Joshua said of
as spiritual lostness.
his role at the high school. “I see the hopelessness
“Right now, I’m doing home visits to find missing
of the youth. Most of them are coming from really rough situations.”
students,” Joshua said.
A city in crisis Up until the pandemic, his “day job” as an intervention specialist at a local high school had
In general, the city is a tough place to live, he said.
allowed him the opportunity to build relationships
There’s a lot of emotional and spiritual darkness.
with students within the walls of the school.
Farmington’s residents are mostly Hispanic and Navajo, and the Navajo are very much “a forgotten
When everything came to a halt during the pan-
people,” said Joshua, who himself is half Hispanic,
demic, however, Joshua’s school moved to virtual
half Navajo. “People just don’t think about them.”
classes, and he hit the pavement knocking on doors to find students who hadn’t showed up to
Drugs are rampant there, as is alcohol abuse.
their online classes.
Poverty and child-hunger numbers are high. Joshua understands that kind of heritage. His mom was
21
raised by his great-grandmother on the reservation
A ray of hope
Stats
because his grandmother was an alcoholic. But one day Joshua’s grandmother met Jesus and was
They’re from the “very lowest stratum” socially
Native teens
radically changed. Then, his mom started going to
and economically, Joshua said, and many of them
experience the
church and became a Christ follower, too.
come from broken homes.
suicide of any
That’s the kind of hope he wants to share with
But they’ve grown to trust Joshua, and the walls
population group in
the whole Farmington area. More than half of the
have come down. He’s seeing some of them visit
the United States.
county is religiously unaffiliated, and those who do
his church plant, Higher Ground Church. The teens
Source: Center for Native American Youth at the Aspen Institute
say they believe in something are caught between
are not anti-Christian, he said. They’re kind of neutral
competing faiths—Native American mysticism,
and sometimes even intrigued, so they’re open to
Catholicism, Mormonism and nominal Christianity.
asking questions. During youth group gatherings
highest rate of
High school dropout rates for native youth are double the national average. Source: Center for Native American Youth at the Aspen Institute
at the church, he teaches the Bible verse-by-verse, “We’re ministering here in an area that is reli-
and he’s seeing it change lives.
giously diverse, but it’s also sizably post-Christian,” Joshua said.
“I asked one of the teens why she came, and she told me that it gives her hope, that she didn’t have
When it comes to sharing the gospel, the biggest
purpose before that,” Joshua said.
challenge “really depends on who you’re talking to,” he said.
Another young man who came to Higher Ground Church had a reputation in the school district for
But one thing is common to almost all of his con-
being suicidal and depressed.
versations. It’s likely the person he’s talking with will 22
be struggling with despair or feelings of worthless-
“No one could get through to him,” Joshua said,
ness. Joshua sees that all across the city where he
“but he’s a different person now. And I think in
serves as a church planter.
large part that has to do with his coming to youth group and being loved on by Christians.”
He also sees it with the students he builds relationships with at the high school.
Seeing that kind of change excites Joshua, as does the outreach the church gets to do in the community. Before the pandemic hit, they were able to begin building relationships in a nearby mobile
PHOTOS BY BEN ROLLINS
I asked one of the teens why she came, and she told me that it gives her hope, that she didn’t have purpose before that.”
home park and even held Vacation Bible School
“When we met together as a church for the first
During youth group
and other activities for the children there.
time since the pandemic began, it was a sweet
gatherings at Higher
moment,” he said, noting that it showed all of
Ground Church, Joshua
“The kids remember us,” he said, “and they’re
them how much they missed and needed the
constantly asking about us, ‘When are you coming
community they had found in Christ at Higher
back, and when are you getting a van so that way
Ground Church.
Valdez teaches the Bible verse-by-verse. He has seen the lives of kids and teenagers change.
we can go to church?’” “Emotionally I had never felt anything like that,” Joshua said he hopes the answer to that, and to
Joshua said of the reunion. “That was a positive
getting outreach activities really rolling again, is
thing for us.”
soon. The pandemic slowed their momentum in many ways, he said, which has been difficult and discouraging at times. But in other ways he’s seen ministry strengthened.
Find out more about how Joshua Valdez is reaching youth at AnnieArmstrong.com/Valdez.
23
BOBBY & LAKEISHA
WILLIAMS SLIDELL, LOUISIANA
24
Helping a city pick up the pieces When Bobby Williams looks around at his hometown, he sees a city that’s exhausted but has the grit to keep going. BY GRACE THORNTON
I
n New Orleans, “you grow up with the
desert for a while. It didn’t get a grocery store back
survival mentality,” he said. “And Hurricane
until several years after Katrina. There’s a lot of
Katrina definitely taught you to really survive
drug use and prostitution happening in the neigh-
and keep pushing forward.”
borhood, even up to within feet of the Williamses’ church plant. There’s a motel with a bad reputation
So, though he sees buildings that are still boarded
right behind it.
up and abandoned more than 15 years after the storm, he also sees a community of people who
But the couple sees that as an opportunity.
have taken their situation and learned to roll with it. That’s where Bobby and his wife, LaKeisha, come
Striving for more
in. They want to offer their neighbors something better than just survival. They want to offer hope.
25
“A lot of what we strive to do is provide resources,” Bobby said. “We try to educate people spiritually,
And for their community, especially in light of the
financially, educationally, you name it.”
COVID-19 pandemic, that involves meeting practical needs while sharing the gospel.
That’s how their church, Next Level Church, got its name. The Williamses wanted to see people take
The area around the church plant is predominantly
their life to the next level starting right where they
low-income and was even classified as a food
are. To help get that started, the church provides
its neighbors with all kinds of assistance, all with
experience personal love from Christ’s followers,
Stats
the goal of leading them to Jesus.
they will begin to equate that with the love Christ
Louisiana is third in
LaKeisha’s public health background goes hand-
the nation in risk of
in-hand with that. The church holds fitness camps
Bobby says for many of them, it’s the first time
food insecurity. 1.6
for kids, along with offering services for adults like
they’ve felt that kind of care.
million Louisiana
health fairs, haircuts, cooking classes and events
residents live in
where they can pick up food, clothing, school sup-
“The unique thing about our church, we’ve always
food-insecure
plies and hygiene items. They’ve even brought in a
for some reason attracted those who were either
communities—an
mobile HIV testing unit on the church grounds and
unchurched or previously hurt by a church,” he said.
increase of more
offered that service free of charge to their neighbors.
has for them.
than 500,000 since
The events have helped the church relate to its
the beginning of the
“I’m passionate about the community’s health,
neighbors and “build a relationship and open up
pandemic.
both the physical and the spiritual,” LaKeisha said.
the door to share Christ with them,” Bobby said.
Offering exercise classes at the church gives her
Love in a pandemic
Source: axios.com
Louisiana’s average
a chance to help people be more active but also
reading score was
hear about how God is the One who really gives
The bridges they’ve built have also helped Next
only higher than the
them strength.
Level Church keep on serving as COVID-19 deepened the area’s physical needs. Most of their
District of Columbia. Source: slidellmemorial.org
26
“That’s more of the approach that we wanted
members opted for online services as the virus
to take with our church. We wanted more of a
spread, but the Williamses found ways to continue
holistic approach,” LaKeisha said. “There are so
ministering.
many things we want to pour into the community. There are a lot of people who are hurting, who are
During the height of the pandemic, LaKeisha
in need, who are lost, and we want to be able to
held video chats with people in the community to
meet them where they are to bring them closer
offer health advice, and Bobby continued to offer
to Christ.”
opportunities for discipleship. The church continued to serve hundreds of meals on a regular basis,
She and Bobby pray that as their felt needs are
and they offered online Vacation Bible School for
met, the community will feel something else too—
the kids in the community.
authentic love. They hope that as their neighbors
PHOTOS BY BEN ROLLINS
There are a lot of people who are hurting, who are in need, who are lost, and we want to be able to meet them where they are to bring them closer to Christ.”
And as people have felt more comfortable returning
they’ve had to survive. The grit has held steady,
When the Williamses
to services and ministries in person, the Williamses
they say, but so have the needs. And that means
launched Next Level
have begun to see God work in new ways.
new opportunities to serve.
Church, they wanted
“Kids are back in school, and life has kind of picked
“We’re praying for God to provide the resources
back up,” Bobby said, noting that their compassion
we need for this new phase of ministry,” Bobby
their lives to the next
ministries are picking back up, too.
said. “We want to be a beacon of hope and light
level.
the congregation to be a place where people learned how to take
for those in the community.” The church is praying for clarity on the best ways to reach the community in the midst of this new crisis
Learn more about how the Williamses are reaching their community at AnnieArmstrong.com/Williams.
27
JACOB & FRANCINE
ZAILIAN
SANGER, CALIFORNIA
28
A Pastor from among them Before the people at Set Free Church in Sanger, California, got involved in Louise’s* life, she didn’t have a bed. She also didn’t have chairs or much food at all. All she really had was a drug-addicted fiancé who wouldn’t let her visit the church, which was just across the street. BY GRACE THORNTON
B
ut then Jacob Zailian and his family and others at the church started coming to her instead. First, they took Louise and
A life changed Jacob knows the exact spot where his own life
her fiancé some food, then chairs. Then they gave
changed dramatically, in a cell on the fourth floor
them some air mattresses.
of D pod in Fresno County Jail. 29
And it wasn’t long before Louise’s fiancé had
He’d grown up Catholic, but after the trauma of
changed his mind about the church, and she
finding his father dead, he didn’t want anything to
started attending. Then, she gave her life to Jesus
do with God. That took him down a path of drug
and was radically changed.
dealing and abuse that lasted a long, long time. Until the day came when his girlfriend visited him
That’s something Jacob can relate to.
in jail and said she was leaving him and taking the kids with her.
*names have been changed
Broken, Jacob went back to his cell and prayed.
“It’s pretty much the people that everybody looks
Stats
“I was tired of living my life addicted to drugs
Sanger has a
and gave up and surrendered everything to Christ,”
He, his wife and their children along with other
higher rate of
he said.
church members give out food and serve hot meals
at as a lost cause,” he said.
violent crime
several times a week, including after every church
than the state of
And God worked a miracle. Jacob started reading
service. During the pandemic, they set up tables in
California and the
his Bible and grew in his faith. Once he was out
their driveway and put fruit, vegetables and bread
Unites States as a
of prison, he reunited with his girlfriend, Francine,
out like a farmers’ market for people to pick up.
whole.
and married her. God also gave Jacob a heart to
Source: digitalcommons. calpoly.edu
minister to the people he understood, those on
Jacob says those kinds of things are central to what
the margins of society.
they do. The community created through that act of compassion builds a bridge to talk to, pray and
According to
Now the Zailians spend their days reaching the
the U.S. Census
homeless, the drug addicts and the gang members
standards, nearly
of Sanger, people who “would scare people who
When they do share, it’s not always a dramatic con-
one in three
go to most churches,” Jacob said.
version experience like the apostle Paul, or church
Sanger residents is
share Christ with them.
neighbor Louise or even Jacob himself. Sometimes,
in poverty.
In this impoverished community, much of his
Source: hopesanger.org
audience knows him already. He used to live on
they aren’t able to get through to people.
the streets too. When he started inviting them to
The police recently called Jacob and asked him to
church, some would say, “I’ll come if you start one.”
come and pray with a family who had lost someone to a drug overdose. Jacob knew the man. He had been
30
A church planted
talking with him for quite some time about Jesus.
So, in April 2019, Jacob did. With the support of
“We were trying to get him off the street, but he
a local church and the North American Mission
ended up dying,” Jacob said. Watching people
Board (NAMB), he became a church planter and
struggle and sometimes not make it “hurts your
started Set Free Church, which takes the gospel
heart,” he said.
to the streets and tries to help addicts and the homeless find hope in Jesus.
But the truth does change people; he sees it happen all the time. And in the midst of COVID-19, they
PHOTOS BY BEN ROLLINS
I was tired of living my life addicted to drugs and gave up and surrendered everything to Christ.”
started having church in the park, which brought in
“We look at it as a chance to equip them and train
Together, the Zailians
more new people.
them to send them out,” he said.
reach out to the homeless and drug addicted
“We want to give them the truth of the gospel,”
Jacob’s prayer is that one day the church will have
he said.
its own recovery center, too, called Set Free Ranch,
A dream for more
in their community along with some of the gang members. They believe
a place where men can go to recover from addictions
the gospel can radi-
and get back on their feet.
cally transform lives and engage people who are
They want to give them a path to recovery too.
All along Jacob’s journey, as the gospel goes
For those who meet Jesus and want a different life,
forward, as lives are changed and as the ministry
Jacob helps connect them to a Christian recovery
grows, all of it “is God,” Jacob said. God gave him
ministry. He often drives them there himself.
a heart to help those struggling through the entire process of recovery “because I was there once
And after they’re out, Jacob is ready to help them
myself.”
keep growing. Set Free Church recently opened a residential program at a renovated house where men can spend a year being intensely discipled as they continue their addiction recovery.
Learn more about the Zailians’ ministry at AnnieArmstrong.com/Zailian.
overlooked by many.
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the pulse
Because you gıve…
Because you give, the mission is moving forward in North America! 100% of gifts to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering goes to support evangelistic church planting and compassion ministry in North America.
$1 billion+ have been planted since 2011 in the 2,800+ churches 32 North American cities that represent 80% of has been given through the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering since 1895.
the lost population in the U.S. and Canada.
7,300+ of the SBC as a whole is made up of churches 12.6% planted since 2010. in the non-South states in 2018 came 18% offrombaptisms church plants. churches have been planted across all of North America as a whole since 2010.
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Thank you! Give to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering at AnnieArmstrong.com/Give.
Who was Annie Armstrong?
I
n 1850, Annie Armstrong was born in Baltimore. It was a time when women were not expected to lead. She served, challenged churches to action and rallied support for missionaries. Ultimately, Annie was recognized as a national Southern Baptist trailblazer renowned for visionary missions leadership.
Contributions • Started Bay View Mission for Baltimore’s poor and addicted • Served as the first executive of Woman’s Missionary Union • Raised support for missionaries to Italian and Jewish immigrants • Initiated fund-raising “brick cards” to build churches in Cuba • Gained support for the first black, female missionaries • Secured funds to relieve China missionary, Lottie Moon, who had served for 11 years without a furlough • Advocated for Native Americans and
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impoverished mountain people • Traveled across America in the late 1800s encouraging missionaries and inspiring churches to pray, give and act • Honored in 1934 when The Home Missions Offering was re-named for her to encourage more to follow her sacrificial example
Today, more than $1 billion has been given through the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering®. All gifts—100%— support thousands of missionaries in church planting and compassion ministries across the U.S. and Canada.
AN ESTIMATED 275 MILLION PEOPLE IN NORTH AMERICA HAVE NO RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS.
volume 24 | number 2
