52 Sundays - 2013 by SBC of Virginia

52 sundays

2013

Missionaries to Pray for, Points to Ponder Enrich your church â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offering times & deepen your personal devotion times

>>>

Neal Hawks and Ron Gibson, senior pastor and missions pastor at Pioneer Baptist Church in Max Meadows, VA, have sent out four mission teams throughout the nation and the world while continuing to reach out to their community.

52 sundays

2013

Missionaries to Pray for, Points to Ponder

enrich your church â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offering times & deepen your personal devotion times

Written by Brandon Pickett, Chris Schofield, and Mike Creswell Virginia Baptists support missions and ministry causes across Virginia, North America, and around the world through the Cooperative Program. We also support state, national, and international missions through our Vision Virginia State Missions Offering and the Cooperative Program.

Security notice on international missionaries: More than half of the nearly 5,000 international missionaries we support around the world serve in areas so dangerous they cannot be identified in public media. This is why many of our missionaries are either not identified or use pseudonyms. 3

Missionary

1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12) 13) 14) 15) 16) 17) 18) 19) 20) 21) 22) 23) 24) 25) 26)

Index

January 6 ..................SBC of Virginia — Manuel Chacon, Dale City, Virginia January 13 .................IMB — East Asia January 20..................NAMB — John Smith Jr., Michigan January 27..................Missionary Highlight — Moldova February 3 .................IMB — Brazil February 10.................NAMB — Terry & Dana Pickens, Colorado February 17.................SBC of Virginia — Rob Blake, Ouray, Colorado February 24................IMB — Prague March 3........................NAMB — Deane & Kim Graves, Wyoming March 10......................Annie Armstrong Easter Offering (NAMB) — Julius Aquino, Nevada March 17......................SBC of Virginia, Ministry Highlight — PLANT March 24......................IMB — Uganda March 31......................NAMB — Ron & Alpha Goombi, Nebraska April 7..........................SBC of Virginia — Daniel Floyd, Fredericksburg, Virginia April 14........................IMB — Southeast Asia April 21........................NAMB — Caryn Jette, Wisconsin April 28........................Cooperative Program Sunday May 5............................Missionary Highlight — Toronto May 12...........................IMB — Estonia (N. Europe) May 19...........................NAMB — Howard Burkhart, California May 26...........................SBC of Virginia — Ken Nienke, Salem, Virginia June 2...........................IMB — Islamic country June 9...........................Missionary Highlight — Boston June 16..........................IMB — Portugal June 23.........................NAMB — Jon & Mindy Jamison, Iowa June 30..........................IMB — Muslim country

27) 28) 29) 30) 31) 32) 33) 34) 35) 36) 37) 38) 39) 40) 41) 42) 43) 44) 45) 46) 47) 48) 49) 50) 51) 52)

July 7...........................Missionary Highlight — New York City July 14..........................SBC of Virginia — John Thomas, Luray, Virginia July 21..........................IMB — Suriname July 28.........................NAMB — Butch & Pam Strickland, Alaska august 4.......................IMB — Ukraine August 11.....................SBC of Virgnia — Pete Hypes, Chester, Virginia August 18.....................NAMB — Rose Ignacio, New Mexico August 25.....................SBC of Virgnia — J. L., Richmond, Virginia September 1.................NAMB — Jeff Hughes, Indiana September 8.................Vision Virginia State Missions Offering & Week of Prayer September 15...............SBC of Virgnia — Mike Smith, Zambia, Africa September 22...............SBC of Virginia, Ministry Highlight — Disaster Relief September 29...............SBC of Virginia, Ministry Highlight — Vacation Bible School October 6.....................SBC of Virginia, Ministry Highlight — Studentz Camps October 13...................IMB — Spain October 20...................NAMB — Eric & Kimberly Lee, Washington October 27...................SBC of Virginia, Ministry Highlight — REACH November 3..................IMB — Central Asia November 10................NAMB — Thira & Montira Siengsukon, Missouri November 17................SBC of Virginia, Ministry Highlight — Acts 1:8 Families November 24................IMB — Romania December 1...................SBC of Virginia — Stuart Hodges, Yorktown, Virginia December 8...................Lottie Moon Offering (IMB) December 15.................IMB — India December 22.................IMB — Middle East December 29.................IMB — South America

January Missions

Math Evangelism

NUMBERS! 258,000,000 lost people in

North America ± (avg. members per church)

125

= How many new churches needed?

6th

Do the math!

The SBC of Virginia churches started 17 new churches in 2012, a new church about every 21.5 days. That sounds impressive; it is one of the main ways the SBC of Virginia (SBCV) reaches people for Christ—585 people accepted Christ as Savior and were baptized by church plants alone in 2011 (number not yet in for 2012). But let’s look more closely. Virginia has about 5.5 million people who have no relationship with Jesus Christ. Let’s say the average SBCV church has about 125 members. How many new churches do we need to reach our state for Christ? Keep in mind that a high percentage of the new churches needed will be Hispanic or another ethnic group. Do the math! How many new churches should we be starting every day to reach so many lost people? The SBC of Virgnia supports this great ministry through their Cooperative Program giving. If we give through our Cooperative Program according to the need for new churches, would we give more or less?

Manuel Chacon, Church Planter/ Pastor Iglesia Bautista Roca Eterna Dale City, Virginia

>>>

Missionary Highlight

Pastor/Church Planter Manuel Chacon with several men he discipled to become church leaders.

Iglesia Bautista Roca Eterna began by meeting in homes. Under the leadership of Pastor Manuel Chacon, Roca Eterna has sent out and partnered with four church plants in Northern Virginia and one more in North Carolina in the past five years. Chacon said Roca Eternaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision is to share Jesusâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; love, share the Gospel, and make disciples. He began to put into place a biblical strategy for reaching the lost. They were fruitful and now train church members in the Bible, sharing the Gospel, teaching the Bible, and planting churches. In cases where men are identified as being potential church planters/pastors, preaching opportunities are provided during Sunday worship. Each is afforded a devoted one-on-one discipleship training time. Please join us in prayer for Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guidance and continued favor upon the church.

For more information churchplantingvillage.net/ChurchPlantingCenters

January

The East, the West and Our Sin

“As far as the east is from the west, so far as He has removed our transgressions .. .” Psalm 103:12

My wife has a running joke with one of my dear friends: He can never pick the restaurant where we eat. Why? Well, 10 years ago we met him and his wife for dinner. He picked the restaurant and, well, let us just say it looked good, had a great atmosphere (you could watch the sharks swim by), but the food was very expensive and our portions were child-sized to say the least. My friend will never live that down and it has provided many laughs for us through the years. God is different when it comes to our sin. Granted, our sin is a serious matter before God. He is holy and must punish sin. Yet, forgiveness is also a serious issue with Him – so much so that He sent His Son Jesus to pay the penalty for sin so that a sin-sick world of fallen humans might be forgiven. The good part? We can put the past behind us with God. His forgiveness is final. Even the guilt of our sin is taken away (see Psalm 32:5). The verse of the day reminds us of that very thing – our sin will never be seen again. That’s good news, and that is the message we proclaim as followers of Christ. So, be sure to live it and share it with others! CS

>>> 8

This man in Indonesia reminds us that his country is one of the world’s great mission fields of lost people, after China, India and the United States.

Missionary Highlight Sage, I M B Missionary East Asia As a new year starts, pray for our missionaries who battle against Satan’s forces to win souls and start churches. One of our missionaries in East Asia, we’ll call Sage. When she and her husband started working in a poverty-stricken city, they felt like all Hell broke loose – literally. Demons were an everyday reality. Spiritual warfare was obvious. She and her family suffered from crushing illnesses and they battled loneliness. There were no Christians in their city; her family was there so there would be Christians. But that also meant there were no Christian friends to have fellowship with. Instead of leaving, the family fought – fought as Christians. They prayed in Jesus’ name over and over. They prayed in every room of their house to claim every square inch for the Lord. Looking back, she says it was a tough experience they shared as a family. But she says her kids learned rich spiritual truths. “It is a blessing to know that they will carry those things with them for the rest of their lives,” she says. Baptists send missionaries who carry a message of peace. But waging peace is tough; there is much opposition. Our missionaries deserve our full support – in prayer and finances! Our Cooperative Program giving helps support this victorious missionary family. 9

January

A snuff box for missions

“On the first day of every week, each

one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with your income, saving it up...” 1 Corinthians 16:1-2

William Carey, the self-educated shoemaker, played a major part in rallying English Baptists to missions in the late 1700s. In 1791, Carey published a small book that presented world population figures and how many people needed to hear the Gospel. He preached on missions and challenged Baptists to respond to the Bible’s teaching on missions. At a meeting in Nottingham, England, on May 31, 1792, Northampton Baptist Association voted to set up a missions society for propagating the Gospel at the next meeting. That came at a ministers meeting Oct. 2 that year, when the 14 people present voted to set up a society for foreign missions. The ministers pledged from their own pockets the sum of 13 pounds, two shillings and six pence. They placed the money in a box that had held snuff. That modest amount grew; by the next year sufficient money was on hand to send Carey and his family to India as the society’s first missionaries. William Carey had helped start the modern missions movement. Baptists who came to America brought that missions outlook. Soon as the Southern Baptist Convention was organized, Baptists began sending missionaries overseas. These days, the SBC of Virginia does not keep their missions dollars in snuff boxes. Rather, we agree on a missions budget and churches send in money that is used for missions and ministry according to the budget. We call that system the Cooperative Program. It’s about as simple as that original snuff box, but is much bigger! MC

Missionary Highlight John Smith Jr., NA MB Missionary Pontiac, Michigan John Smith Jr. is our missionary in Pontiac, Michigan, which lies north of Detroit. It is an impoverished city, struggling because nearly a third of the 60,000 residents are unemployed. Drugs, crime and unemployment combine to make life here even harder. Smith knows what all those factors are like. In his younger days he sold drugs, stole money from his father and eventually ran away. But after Smith came to Christ, he came back to Pontiac, his hometown. That explains why Smith calls the church he started “The Prodigal’s Church,” and why he is able to reach people facing the same life problems he overcame. Let us pray for our North American missionary John Smith Jr. and his church as they minister in a hard place to share the love of Christ. He is making an impact on inner city Pontiac, and we enable him to do so through our Cooperative Program.

>>>

Baptists need many more missionaries like John Smith Jr., right, to reach the millions of lost people in Michigan and other parts of the Northeastern states.

January

27th

Missions requires stewardship

“If anyone wishes to come

after Me, he must deny himself...” Matthew 16:24

We know that Jesus founded the church, as reported in Matthew 16. And we see throughout Acts how the churches grew rapidly as the Gospel was shared. Then and now, tithes and offerings of members are what fuel the church in its mission of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with the world. The church is called to respond to this Great Commission given by Christ, as recorded in Matthew 28, Luke 24 and many other passages. Texan Bobby L. Eklund summarized it like this: “The practice of stewardship is our participation in the continuing ministry of Jesus Christ to the people of His world. It is the expression of our incorporation into the body of Christ. Stewardship means that the whole church is called to share in the continuing ministry of Jesus Christ.” Yes, Christians need to help pay the church’s light bill and other basic expenses. But the church is not just a meet and greet social club! It is called to reach the world, and that requires a much greater financial commitment from members. MC

Missionary Highlight Moldova Moldova is located in Eastern Europe between the countries of Ukraine and Romania. Ukraine borders on the north, east and south, and Romania to the west. The country is divided into 33 districts. Moldovaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s population of about 3.5 million people resides in 1,681 communities throughout the country. Its capital, Chisinau, has a population of 800,000 people. Prior to gaining independence, Moldova was a part of the former U.S.S.R. According to Southern Baptistsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; International Mission Board, Baptists and all other evangelicals make up less than one-half of one percent of the population. Translation: Moldova is mostly lost! Please pray that SBC of Virginia churches will seize the opportunity to go to Moldova and assist the Moldovan Baptists in evangelistic outreach. Pray that this would result in reaching and discipling the people in their villages. Pray also that Moldovan Baptists will continue to be strengthened and will become a great force of missionarysending churches to the Muslim people groups of the world.

>>> Will Moldovans like this man hear the Gospel? Yes, if we go tell them! 13

February All the stars

3rd

“Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars...He calls them all by name...” Isaiah 40:26

Astronomers estimate there are maybe 100 billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy, or grouping of stars. And there are perhaps 100 billion galaxies in the universe. Even these huge estimates are based on our limited point of view, of course. It’s a big creation! But it’s getting bigger, as astronomers tell us the universe is still expanding. Isaiah 40:26 challenges us to lift our eyes to the heavens. Who created all these? God did – and He knows each of those 100 billion stars by name. He is so mighty and strong that not one is missing. Throughout the Bible we are reminded that God created everything and owns everything. All the property and possessions we “own” come from Him on a temporary basis. He asks us to be stewards, or caretakers, of His possessions. When we understand that everything is His, our concept of stewardship can begin. Also, remember that according to Matthew 10:30, the same God who keeps up with thousands of stars also has the hairs on our heads numbered. MC

Missionary Highlight Mark and Diane Hills, IMB Missionaries Brazil Wherever our missionaries go in the world, they try to have a wide-reaching impact. For example, Mark Ellis serves in Brazil, where he directs an online seminary to offer biblical training to whomever wants to log on and participate. His wife, Diane, is passionate about teaching Brazilian Christian women to grow in their faith. She worked with a woman who was a Christian, but was nevertheless struggling in her marriage. Diane taught the woman Bible basics on raising children and the importance of respect in relationships. In just a few weeks, she saw a noticeable improvement in the womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home: Christ brought healing and light to darkness that had kept the Brazilian couple divided. Encouraged by the results, Diane plans to expand her ministry to the wives of seminary students. Pray for Mark and Diane, that their separate yet complementary ministries will help bring even more Brazilians to faith in Christ. We support them through our Cooperative Program.

>>>

This boy in Brazil is costumed for pre-Easter Carnival, a wild celebration Baptists there say is a type of enslavement for many people.

February

10th

“...present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead...” Romans 6:11-13

New instruments in His hand I was in a church Sunday with a somewhat shady past. Four years earlier its reputation in the community was damaged because the people could not get along with one another. Thankfully, that has changed and a sweet spirit of love and genuine cooperation permeated the atmosphere during the worship service that day. Vacation Bible School was starting that night and the church had been praying and getting ready for an influx of spiritually hungry children. They were anticipating a very large crowd. What a testimony to God’s great work of restoration. Through the new life Jesus brings, churches and people are able to move beyond the past and become “new” instruments in God’s hand (see 2 Cor. 5:17).

Only Jesus can make all things new! CS 16

>>>

His righteousness makes that possible as He forgives, restores and rekindles new life and purpose within people and churches. Even though we sometimes encounter people and churches that may not have the best past, we can be certain of one thing — their reputation can change in Christ. A young girl prepares for a church concert.

Missionary Highlight Terry and Dana Pickens, NAMB Missionaries Dinosaur, Colorado It was still winter in 2011 when Terry and Dana Pickens pulled their travel trailer to an RV park in Dinosaur, a town of a few hundred people in northwestern Colorado. It is a land of plains and low-lying hills. Winter here includes nights when it’s 20 degrees below zero, cold enough to freeze the pipes in their RV. That was a big adjustment from the warmer climate they were accustomed to back home in Blue Springs, Mississippi! As missionaries, Terry and Dana came here to work with Dinosaur Baptist Church and with pastor Mike Wheeler to help grow the church beyond its six members. One of the first projects Terry and Dana tackled was providing lunch to students at the local school. It is not a standard school. The old school closed several years ago. Now, 19 students gather before computers for online studies guided by two facilitators. Grand Valley Baptist Association and some churches back in Mississippi provided funds that Terry and Dana used to prepare lunch for the students and facilitators five days a week and breakfast three days a week. “Some of these little kids eat like they are starving,” Terry said. He also installed heaters provided by Colorado Baptists to keep the school warm. Let us pray that the Lord will keep these transplanted Southerners from freezing while they minister in His name, serve people and help grow a church. Our Cooperative Program giving supports their ministry.

saturatecolorado.com/LunchProgram

Natural Bridge in Rockbridge County, VA

>>>

For more information

February

“All of them were filled with the Holy S pirit ...” ACTS 2:4

Behind Pentecost Acts 2 records how the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples gathered in the Upper Room. This happened on the Day of Pentecost, the New Testament name for Feast of First Fruits, described in Leviticus. This celebration came 50 days after Passover and celebrated the giving of the first fruits of the harvest to God. David Owen Brand has written that this was an act of faith on Israel’s part. It was Israel saying to God, “We trust You that You will grant to us the full harvest of our crops. We are so confident in You that we are willing to take the first items we harvest and give them to You, rather than horde them up for ourselves, ‘just in case.’” From Acts 2 on we read how believers, now empowered by the indwelling Holy Sprit, moved out to spread the Gospel and start new churches – what we call missions. Just as faithful stewardship was behind the Day of Pentecost, so faithful stewardship must be behind missions in our day. Yes, the Holy Spirit empowers us for missions. But God still looks for faithful partners willing to trust Him in matters of money and possessions. MC

Missionary Highlight Rob Blake, Church Planter/Pastor The Grove Church, Ouray, Colorado The former pastor of First Baptist Church of Millstone in Nathalie, VA, Rob Blake, was called to start The Grove, a church plant in Ouray, CO this past June (2012). This Virginia-Colorado church planter moved his family almost 2,000 miles to answer God’s call to serve a transient community in a resort town with people who live there year-round from all over the United States. The Blakes are among people where many different religions are represented and Christianity is a minority. They have found it fascinating to see how God has worked through the whole process. “Nothing has worked out the way we planned, but it has all worked out. It’s like riding a wave with all the ups and downs. I enjoy the adventure of being on mission with God,” says Rob. The church’s mission is to glorify God by making disciples and planting churches.

February

24th

“...keep them from the evil one...” John 17:15

Spider webs, spiritual warfare and prayer I hate spider webs. You walk into them and, well, they get all over you. Spider webs play a very strategic role for the spider. They entangle and slow the victim so that the spider can quickly rush in and deliver the fatal bite. That is how they survive. As believers, we need to be concerned about spiritual spider webs. The writer of Hebrews says we need to “lay aside the weights and sins that so easily entangle us (see Heb. 12:1).” The term “entangle us” paints the picture of a web-like trap that inhibits movement. For the Christian, spiritual spider webs come as different kinds of temptations in everyday life. So the question arises – how do believers prepare for these spiritual attacks? Jesus teaches us in Matthew 6:13 to pray for deliverance from the evil one. Jesus also prays for His disciples to be protected from the evil one in John 17:15. The ability for churches and individual Christians to overcome temptation and avoid being entangled in Satan’s web comes only through daily dependence on Christ through prayer. Spiritual warfare is real! The devil’s desire is to tempt us, entangle us and ultimately deliver the fatal bite, destroying our witness to a lost world. That’s the truth. Will you pray? CS 20

Missionary Highlight Steve James, I M B Missionary Prague, Czech Re public Steve James serves in Prague, the capital city of Czech Republic, which in earlier times was combined with Slovakia in the communist nation of Czechoslovakia. Pragueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s streets and buildings are much improved since Czech Republic became part of the European Community; prosperity has increased for the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 10 million+ people. Prague is a beautiful city, more than 1,000 years old. But most Czechs are apathetic to the Gospel. Steve and his wife are media workers who produce videos and print materials about countries throughout Eastern Europe to inform and link up U.S. churches with our missionaries in this huge, challenging region. Informed Baptists can pray better, support missions better and respond more effectively to Eastern European spiritual needs. The Jameses also work with a church in Prague. They ask that Baptists pray for Pavel, a young man who came to the church to learn English. Pray for the Jameses, our media missionaries, as they work to keep Baptists informed about Eastern Europe and as they also work to reach the people of Prague.

>>> Czech Republic has worked hard to recover from years of communism, but many people still do not know Christ. 21

March

3rd

Robber Christians?

“Will a man rob God? Yet you are robbing me! ” Malachi 3:6-12

We drive down highways that might have been dirt roads in early days. And the dirt road might have been a path through the forest in still earlier times. Someone long ago probably had to cut a path to get from one place to another. It’s likely the passing of others over time that eventually made a more substantial path that eventually became a road. We forget that today we travel in ease because in earlier times people worked hard to blaze the way. Similarly, if our church has been around for a while, it’s likely we walk into an air-conditioned sanctuary and sit on pews others paid to build, perhaps even a century ago. If we’re not supporting our church with tithes and offerings, we are worshipping at the expense of others. We are getting without giving anything in return. Most of us realize Christians today are called to share the Gospel across the miles, as in sending missionaries. But we’re also called to share the Gospel across the years, preserving God’s truth for those who come after us. When we do not support our church proportionate to our income, we fail on both counts. What should we call it when God’s people decline to give tithes and offerings? In Malachi 3:6-12, God calls it robbery. MC 22

>>>

Missionary Highlight

Deane Graves started Circle C Cowboy Church to reach the cowboy culture of Green River, Wyoming.

Deane Graves, NAMB Missionary Green River, Wyoming Green River, Wyoming, is true cowboy country. Once a stop on the Oregon Trail for settlers headed west, today wild horses still graze on the surrounding plains. Baptists here estimate that of Wyomingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s some 570,000 people, more than 96 percent are lost. It is a ruggedly beautiful place, and a daunting mission field. Keith Collier has written that Green River is only 170 miles from Salt Lake City, Utah, the hometown for Mormonism. Collier is news and information director for Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, TX. Many of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 13,000 residents are loosely affiliated with the Latter-day Saints church, but few even attend services, Collier writes. It is in this place of distant horizons that North American missionary Deane Graves serves, working first as associate pastor and youth minister with HillTop Baptist Church. He has also started the Circle C Cowboy Church. Pray for Deane as he ministers in Wyoming, where decisions for Christ come slowly and culture can be as hard to penetrate as that of some overseas countries. Pray that God will call others to come plant their lives in Wyoming and other western states, so that churches can be started to reach the many, many lost people. 23

March

Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions

Around Easter each year, Southern Baptists across the country contribute to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions. In 2010, this offering provided more than 38 percent of the budget of the North American Mission Board (NAMB), which focuses on missions and evangelism across the United States and Canada. The Board coordinates the work of missionaries and volunteers with special attention to planting new churches. NAMB also endorses the work of more than 3,000 chaplains, among many other ministries. This offering is named for Annie Walker Armstrong (1850-1938) who made a profound influence on Southern Baptist missions. She rallied women of her day to support missions; the resulting work leading to formation of the Womanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Missionary Union, for which she served as the first corresponding secretary. She invested years of her life in writing letters, by hand or with a typewriter, to build support for missions and missionaries and to minister to needy people. In 1893, she wrote almost 18,000 letters. Today, Southern Baptists launch more than 100 new churches every month across our land; thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more than any other church group, though more churches are needed to reach the estimated 258 million people in the United States and Canada who do not have a personal relationship with Christ. As you consider supporting missions, remember the offering named for this missions pioneer.

100 percent of gifts given to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering directly supports missionaries and their ministries. MC

Missionary Highlight Julius & Gina Aquino, NAMB Missionaries Reno, Nevada Julius Aquino grew up in the Philippines, where he was a pilot with the national Air Force. But his life changed in 1981 when he became a Christian and was then called into full-time ministry. He and his wife, Gina, moved to the United States in 1996. After serving churches in Georgia, they moved to Reno, Nevada, where they started a church to reach internationals and the growing Filipino population, estimated to be 4,000 or more. Let us pray for Julius and Gina as they reach out to people from their homeland and others from around the world. Our Cooperative Program giving helps them serve in Reno.

March

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply you.â&#x20AC;? Hebrews 6:14

Multiplying Churches If you read only secular news, you may not realize that the Gospel is still powerful and still going forth with power around the world. Imagine: Our 5,000 or so international missionaries and their national partners start nearly 30,000 churches a year. That means we have a hand in starting 82 churches a day, on average, around the world. Some areas are especially responsive. Our missionaries in China work with five Christian house church movements; three of those are already larger than our entire nationwide Southern Baptist Convention. Some 4,000 new churches have been started in northern India in the past 10 years. When new churches quickly start more new churches, a church planting movement can develop in which thousands of people come to Christ in a short time. Pray that God will give us more such movements! SBC of Virginia leaders are praying a similar movement will start. They are helping churches start new churches with the idea that these will start more new churches very soon. With millions of lost people in Virginia, adding new churches gradually is not enough. We need multiplying new churches! Our Cooperative Program giving supports starting new churches in our state. Pray for a bounty of multiplying new churches. MC 26

Ministry Highlight PLANT: Equipping for Church Planting Teams Training curriculum for church planters by experienced church planters This dynamic new training curriculum, “PLANT,” was written especially for church planters by church planters. In 2010, the SBC of Virginia’s church planting leaders desired to have a curriculum that was consistent with their missiology of churches planting churches—a curriculum that provided practical insights from recent church planting practitioners and that could be taught in numerous settings. A group of more than 10 SBC of Virginia church planters, each one having grown healthy multiplying churches, came together and began to write original material for the new curriculum. Churches planning to begin a church planting journey or planing to train church planting teams to send out should consider using this curriculum. “PLANT” has all of the timely, practical insights you need.

For more information sbcv.org/planting

March

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salation to everyone who believes” Romans 1:16

A true story?

Some churches worship outside, as does this church meeting under an acacia tree in Tanzania, Africa.

>>>

A missionary in Africa told how he was teaching Bible stories to children outside under a shade tree. Suddenly a man walked out of the jungle and stood looking at them. He was fierce-looking, and carried a spear. He wore only a bit of rough cloth around his middle. The missionary hurried to look for a translator; it took a while to find someone who could speak a bit of the man’s language. Finally they were able to communicate with him. He asked what was going on; who was this unusual-looking white man talking to the African children? Through the translator, the missionary explained the story of Jesus and how he had come to share this Good News about Him. He talked for many minutes. The man listened intently, but he never softened his fierce expression. Finally the man shook his head. No, he told them. This cannot possibly be true. This is a wonderful story indeed, but it cannot be true. “I am an old man. If your story were true, you would have come a long time ago to tell me about it,” he said. And the man turned and walked back into the jungle and was never seen again. When we treat the precious Gospel as something cheap, when we do not act with urgency to share it, when we do not enthusiastically support missions through the Cooperative Program and other channels, we tell the world that our story is not true. The Bible says the Gospel is the power of salvation to everyone who believes. MC

Missionary Highlight Lynn & Jan Skuza, I M B Missionaries Kampala, Uganda

>>>

Lynn Skuza and his wife, Jan, were quietly retired until God called them to an often roughand-tumble ministry in Kampala, capital city of the African nation of Uganda. More than 15 million people live in this city. Top ministry for the Skuzas is working in Kampala’s abundant slums. They work constantly to lead fathers to become family spiritual leaders as the Bible teaches. Some days the Skuzas provide medical care; other days they conduct Vacation Bible Schools. When they offer help, the people often ask why the Americans have come there. “Because God the Father loves you and sent me not only to tell you but to show you!” Lynn answers. Let us pray for the Skuzas as they serve in this difficult place. Our Cooperative Program giving is helping them be there.

This young person in Burkino Fasso, West Africa, wears an amulet, in hopes of keeping spirits away. Our missionaries there are sharing Christ, who can remove fear and bring salvation.

March Perspective

“I will lift up my eyes to the mountains”

Psalm 121:1

My wife and I recently hiked up a small ridge near Sedona, Arizona, to see the red rock formations. From the parking lot, the formations (literal cliffs and mountains) were impressive and inspiring. But, as we walked the trail and came closer and closer to the formations – WOW! The colors were more magnified and the formations came alive with crevices, cracks and shapes. Our appreciation for these rock formations was greatly enhanced by the up-close perspective that hiking the trail provided. In this passage, the psalmist gains a new perspective of the great and awesome God he serves as he looks unto the mountains. He is greatly encouraged as he considers the mountains and the view or perspective they provided for him in his distress. He knew that His God was creator of the mountains and that God’s watchful eyes were always upon him – even in the darkest of times. So, when those times of doubt or despair come, may we be like the psalmist. May we look unto the mountains and seek to see things from God’s perspective. CS

>>>

Alpha Goombi

Missionary Highlight Ron & Alpha Goombi, NAMB Missionaries Omaha, Nebraska Native Americans often have hard lives, especially those who live on reservations. Poverty and alcoholism are often present. Alpha Goombi knows about it. She is a Kiowa Indian who grew up in Carnegie, Oklahoma. She said she grew up amid anti-Indian prejudice, which led to her having low self-esteem. “I hated Christians, both white and Indian,” she once told a women’s group. She became an alcoholic; often her husband and son had to go looking for her and bring her home totally drunk. A Southern Baptist missionary came to her town and came often to witness. At first she was not interested. But then after one especially bad period of drunkenness, she decided she needed Jesus as her Savior. She went to church that night and ran down the aisle when the invitation was given. Now she and her husband, Ron, serve as North American missionaries. They live on the Omaha Indian Reservation near Omaha, Nebraska, where they started the first church in 2009. They also work on two other reservations. “You can change the world by going out and telling someone about Jesus,” Alpha said. “When you give and when you pray and when you send missionaries, it gives life to somebody like me!” One of her constant prayer requests is about alcohol. “Pray God will break the alcohol bondage of our people,” she asks. Alpha’s life shows how God can convert hatred to love. Let us join her in praying that all Native Americans across our land can come to faith in Christ. Our Cooperative Program support helps keep missionaries like Alpha on many reservations. 31

April

7th

“... these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.” Matthew 23:23

Heartstrings and purse strings Some church members prefer their pastors did not preach on giving and stewardship. But let’s look at that. Consider that 2,350 Bible verses relate to stewardship. If your pastor avoids stewardship, he’s leaving out a lot of Bible truth. Jesus taught a lot about money and stewardship – in fact, one third of His teachings were on those topics. If your pastor avoids stewardship, he’s leaving out much of what Jesus Himself taught. Perhaps we do not want to be reminded that when God’s people avoid the tithe, God considers it robbery (Malachi 3:8). Perhaps we forget that Jesus affirmed tithing should not be neglected (Matthew 23:23). Bringing our tithes and offerings to church is an act of worship because it honors God. If we bring nothing, what are we truly saying to God? If we give money grudgingly, or only because we’re forced to do so, we’ve missed something, because 2 Corinthians 9:7 specifically instructs believers not to give grudgingly or under compulsion, “for God loves a cheerful giver.” Do we think we’re too poor to give? Jesus and Paul praise giving by the poor (Luke 21:1-4, 2 Corinthians 8:1-5). Paul did not order church members to give. Rather, he wrote that when Christians are considering how much to give, they should think of what Jesus did for them; how He gave up the riches of Heaven for death on a cross for us (2 Corinthians 8:8-9). If we gave proportionately in relation to that, how much would we give? Paul told the Corinthians that their giving was a test of the sincerity of their love. Bottom line? As Christians we must make sure our heartstrings stay very much entangled with our purse strings! MC 32

Missionary Highlight Daniel Floyd, Church Planter/ Pastor Lifepoint Church, Fredericksburg, Virginia Lifepoint Church launched in 2006 with a group of 50 people who had a desire to plant a church in Fredericksburg. They wanted to make a difference in their city and, with focused passion, they have been reaching people who are far from God. Led by Pastor Daniel Floyd, the church quickly experienced amazing growth, seeing hundreds of lives changed by the power of the Gospel. Today this church numbers in the thousands. Lifepoint is strategically multiplying, not through traditional church planting but through multi-site ministries. Presently, they are a mobile church meeting in two separate campuses located in high schools, Courtland and Riverbend. Between the two campuses, nearly 3,000 worshippers are in attendance every Sunday. The church envisions reaching people from Richmond to DC by launching campuses up and down the I-95 corridor.

www.visitlifepoint.org

April

14th

Honking for Jesus?

“...it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.” 1 corinthians 4:2

Years ago many cars carried bumper stickers with the words, “If you love Jesus, HONK!” But a follow-up sticker was less popular. It said, “If you love Jesus, TITHE! Anybody can honk!” The Bible has 2,350 verses on tithing, stewardship and our responsibility to give. Yet studies show many Baptists have not yet grasped this basic teaching. Our lack of attention to stewardship is a major hindrance to our missions programs. Poor stewardship weakens our churches. Poor stewardship dilutes our corporate witness. Proclaiming our missions zeal is rather empty without a stewardship foundation to support our intentions. MC

Missionary Highlight Simeon, IMB Missionary Southeast Asia One of our missionaries we’ll call Simeon serves on an island in Southeast Asia where almost everyone is Muslim. Response has been slow, but God is helping Simeon through miracles. When he went to visit Mr. Beno he found the man had been sick for a month. He was so sick he could not even move; Simeon could hardly recognize the man, who was in severe pain and wanted only to die to escape his condition. Simeon repeatedly urged Mr. Beno to pray and ask for healing in the name of Jesus. Mr. Beno said later he saw Jesus in a vision – and He was the “doctor” who healed him! Mr. Beno trusted Christ as his Savior Pray that Mr. Beno’s new Christian faith will grow and that he will join with Simeon in reaching many on this island of lost people for Jesus Christ. Our Cooperative Program giving helps many missionaries like Simeon share Christ around the world.

>>> This man lives in Papua New Guinea, a developing island nation north of Australia. It is home for many people groups who need the Gospel.

April

21st

Partnering with God

“...we are labourers together with God.” 1 corinthians 3:9

If God owns everything, why does He want us to bring our tithes and offerings to Him by way of the church? Let’s say Bill Gates, one of the world’s richest men, is coming to North Carolina to set up a new computer factory. It will cost $100 million to build. Amazingly, he invites you to be his partner in this venture! You laugh when you look at your checkbook, which contains only $1,000. Peanuts. You tell Bill Gates how much money you have. Ok, he says, I’ll count you as a partner if you will contribute $100. Amazed again, you say yes. You’ll be his business partner in the factory and you look forward to earning lots of money. The idea here is not to suggest that Gates is God, but rather to suggest that when we partner with God, we are definitely not equal partners. God owns everything, yet He invites us to partner with Him in the business of redeeming a lost world. As 1 Corinthians 3:9 says, we are laborers together with God. Does He need us as partners? No. But He looks to us for a contribution that shows we take the partnership seriously. He looks for us to give some of what we have, to honor Him, to worship Him. He looks for a tithe from us. He looks for us to give generously to His church – not just enough to pay the light bill and the staff salaries, but enough to make His church a dynamic force in the world. He is not looking for an equal partner; there is only one God. But He does look for serious partners. If we’re not tithing or more, are we really serious about Him? MC 36

Missionary Highlight Caryn Jette, NAMB Missionary Sun Prairie, Wisconsin Everyone should read the Bible, right? What if they can’t read? That’s where Caryn Jette’s ministry starts. She is helping equip Baptists to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) throughout Wisconsin, working primarily through the Southern Wisconsin Baptist Association. Earlier she directed an ESL ministry in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, for three years. Although teaching immigrants English is a great way to help people, Caryn wants more: she wants to use ESL as a way to share Christ. Let us pray today for Caryn, our missionary in Wisconsin we’re supporting through our Cooperative Program.

Caryn Jett

April

28th

The investment paid off ! Cooperative Program Sunday

>>> Adapted from “New hope dawns for Vietnam,” by Don Graham, Commission Stories, International Mission Board, Southern Baptist Convention.

Southern Baptists first sent missionaries to Vietnam in 1959. Over the next 16 years we sent some 50 missionaries to the Southeast Asian country to share the Gospel and start dozens of churches.

In 1969, Southern Baptists invested $50,000 to buy land for a church in the city of Saigon, now called Ho Chi Minh City. That was a large outlay of money in those days. Grace Baptist Church was established and went on to become the leading Baptist church in the country. Despite horrific war, persecution by an anti-Christian government and enough hardships to fill many books, the church survived. The other Baptist churches did not. In recent years the Vietnamese government has been trying to develop its economy and has somewhat relaxed its restrictions on churches. Grace Baptist Church grew to become a Bible school, a home for the Vietnamese Baptist Convention and a source of church planting across the country. The church building, updated to a modern, multi-story facility from the original one, now sits on a busy city road leading to the airport; its value has increased many times from the original purchase price. But the return on our investment was not financial, of course! Missionaries rejoice in the faith instilled in Vietnamese Baptists, who have started new churches against heavy odds. Vietnam remains a challenging mission field; only about 2 percent of the country’s 92 million people are Christian. But the future for Vietnamese Baptists looks bright. In 2010, pastor Dien Nguyen won approval to start new churches anywhere in the Mekong River Delta province of Tien Gian, home for more than 1.6 million people. Because of our earlier “investment,” using missions dollars given by faithful Southern Baptists, work here is well positioned to expand. Our investment in God’s Kingdom continues to pay eternal dividends. Our Cooperative Program giving back in 1969 helped start a key church that influenced an entire country. Our giving still supports work there and in many thousands of locations around our state, nation and world. MC

How can autonomous Baptist churches

work together in missions and ministry?

Since 1925, the Cooperative Program has helped Virginia Baptists do much more together than they ever could have done independently. Through the Cooperative Program, even small congregations can respond to the clear missions instructions in Acts 1:8. And the largest congregations can accomplish more when they join hands and pocketbooks with other like-minded Baptists. Together, we are partnering with God to impact our world!

>>> Reaching Vietnam for Christ includes reaching these Khemi people, who live on boats on a lake and make their living by fishing.

May

5th

Come on over -- or up!

“...immedately we sought to go...” Acts 16:10

The Gospel spread incredibly fast in the first century as new churches popped up across the map. In one case recorded in Acts 16:9-10, Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia appealing for help. Paul’s response? “Immediately we sought to go into Macedonia...” These days Baptists still get missions visions! For example, the SBC of Virginia has responded to appeals for help throughout our state, our nation, and the world. As you can imagine, the missions challenge in these areas is huge – and all kinds of help is needed. The SBC of Virginia has sent a large number of volunteers to help share the Gospel and start new churches. Many other workers also served in the other partnership areas. Is God calling you or your church to come help? If so, answer that call as Paul did – immediately! MC

>>>

These ruins of a Christian church at Kairouan, Tunisia, date to the 5th or 6th century AD. Now new churches are being started in many parts of North Africa.

Metropolitan Toronto area, Canada

Our Cooperative Program supports Southern Baptist missionaries serving in Greater Toronto, Canada

The Metropolitan Toronto Area(s) is referred to as the “Golden Horseshoe” of Southern Ontario. One out of every five Canadians lives in this area. The Canadian National Baptist Convention (CNBC) has 45 partnering churches in the “Golden Horseshoe” and 20 of those churches are recent church plants. This means that there is one CNBC church for every 222,222 people living in this area. The conservative estimate is that the evangelical population is between 2.5-5 percent, including some areas of the “Golden Horseshoe” that are completely unengaged and unreached with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please pray that SBC of Virginia churches would step out in faith and be willing to plant churches in the unreached areas of the “Golden Horseshoe.” Pray that this area, which is primarily virgin soil to the Gospel seed, will be cultivated by missional churches with a vision to reach nations with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

>>>

Missionary Highlight

May

“God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

The challenge of Copenhagen

These young men in Klaipeda, Lithuania, are like the ones in Copenhagen and other European cities— not much interest in the Christian faith. Europe is a huge missions challenge.

>>>

Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital, is beautiful and rich in history, art, architecture and culture. Nearly 2 million people live in and around the city. There are some beautiful, historic church buildings around the city, but many are mostly tourist destinations. On paper, 85 percent of the city’s population is Lutheran, but in reality only about 2 percent of the people attend church. This last number is why Copenhagen and most of Europe is described as “post-Christian,” and why Christian outreach across the continent is hard. Europeans are generally secular-minded; many are atheists. You can understand why Southern Baptist missionaries Clint and Meg Myers (names changed for security reasons) are asking for prayer support. They moved to Copenhagen recently to start new churches. They are trying to make inroads with the arts community, “the creative scene,” to build relationships and community around the Christian faith. Clint and Meg have allies in missions-minded Danish Baptists such as Thomas Willer, pastor of Regen Baptist Church, located in the city center. About 100 people attend services. Our Cooperative Program giving helps keep this missionary couple in Copenhagen. It’s a good thing: Copenhagen is the world’s 10th most expensive city to live in. MC

Missionary Highlight Thomas Thompson, IMB Missionary Estonia, Northern Europe

This boy lives in Russia, where Southern Baptists partner with Russian Baptists to start new churches.

>>>

Estonia is a small country in northern Europe. It is one of the Baltic countries, along with Lithuania and Latvia. Like most Europeans, Estonians are very private people and reluctant to talk to strangers about something as personal as religion. Still, our missionaries Thomas and Lilly Thompson (names changed for safety) were able to start an international church in Tallinn, the nation’s capital city. Thompson has been translating the Gospels into the Southern Estonian language. He has also been teaching at a local school, where he is permitted to share his faith. Thompson also visits a local prison, where he teaches English to the inmates. One of the women inmates, we’ll call K, saw something different in Thompson’s life as he taught. She began to study the Christian faith. Now she is out of prison and is continuing to learn about Christ. Pray that K and many other Estonians will come to faith in Christ as they are introduced to Him by our missionaries in Tallinn, and that many Southern Estonian speakers will read, understand and respond to the Bible when Thompson’s translation is completed. Our Cooperative Program giving helps people see the Gospel lived out – and often it helps people become able to read the Bible in their own language.

May

19th

God-centered praying

>>>

Kairouan, Tunisia Looking through a front door of The Great Mosque. The interior is closed to non-Muslims.

“Father, the hour has come, glorify Your Son” John 17:1

The screaming got worse and worse. I was sitting in an airport, waiting on a delayed flight. You know: One of those days when flying was not working because the weather was not cooperating. At least, that’s the way we humans look at it. A young mother was having a difficult time with her infant while we were waiting in the gate area. Finally, the screaming ceased and I was relieved. Then I thought, how self-centered I had been. I was acting like the airport waiting area was just for me. We become self-centered like that so often, even as believers, even in our praying. It really does matter what we pray toward. Our praying will affect our living. In John 17:1 Jesus reminds us of the need to focus our praying on the Father. As Christians and as churches, we often pursue the things we pray toward. When our praying is all about us, we tend to focus our living on our agendas. But, that’s not the way Jesus prayed. Even in the midst of all that He was getting ready to endure through His betrayal, crucifixion, resurrection and ascension, His praying was focused on His Father’s purposes and desires. That kind of praying produces Kingdom living which ultimately results in Kingdom fruit. Are your prayers God-centered? CS

Missionary Highlight Howard Burkhart III, NAMB Missionary Benicia, California Howard Burkhart III can hear many languages where he lives in Benicia, California, north of San Francisco. About 40 percent of Californians speak a language other than English. But the people he looks most for are very quiet – the deaf people of California. They, too, have a “heart” language – sign language. Howard is one of our North American missionaries and his assignment is to start new churches; he has started many in his 27 years of ministry. He works with many language/ culture groups. But working with the deaf remains his first love. “For hearing-impaired Americans, English is their second language. Sign language is their first language. For deaf people from other countries, English is their third or fourth language,” he said. Howard leads 10 training sessions on church planting each year, equipping planters in a wide range of language/culture groups how to reach their people. He also helps equip churches to minister to deaf people. Let us pray for Howard as he and many other Baptist missionaries labor to get the Gospel into as many California hearts as possible, regardless of the language. Even sign language. Our Cooperative Program giving helps our missionaries reach people in many language groups.

>>> Missionary Howard Burkhart III, right, works with many language groups as he starts churches in California. Here, he talks with a man from Mongolia, a country between China and Russia.

May

26th

Do you really care?

>>>

Pastor YongJin Park and his family, under the sponsorship of Hatcher’s Memorial Baptist Church, planted a church to reach Koreans in Northern Virginia. 46

“... pray ...Thy kingdom come...” Matthew 6:9-10

Today, the number of churches that are declining or only maintaining the status quo regarding church growth is ever increasing. Yet, many congregations and leaders continue on with business as usual in the church. Such was not the case with Jonathan Edwards. Edwards is well known for his important role in North America’s First Great Awakening. A Congregationalist pastor/theologian, he served as the central figure associated with this awakening that swept the New England colonies in the early 1700s. As a pastor in 1734, Edwards was concerned with the spiritual decadence present in his congregation and in the overall community. His remedy? God’s Word and prayer. As Edwards preached and prayed, God visited the congregation with an awakening. Soon people from nearby towns were worshipping with his congregation on Sundays. As they experienced renewal, they carried the revival fires back to their churches. Some 27 towns experienced revival as the result of what God did in Northampton, Massachusetts. Edwards is one example of someone who cared to see God’s Kingdom come in people’s lives. Do you? CS

Missionary Highlight Ken Nienke, Church Planter/ Pastor Fellowship Community Church Salem, Virginia Fellowship Community Church (FCC) celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2012. With its humble beginnings of 69 people, the church thrived on a sense of adventure and calling that’s fully dependent on God. Not willing to maintain the status quo, two years ago Pastor Ken Nienke led FCC to start another church nine miles away. Its DNA is replicating what God is already doing at the Salem campus—one church, two locations. They’ve discovered it’s a great way for Fellowship Community Church to foster leaders and bring people to Christ. Ultimately, their goal of multi-siting is to have a presence among the people they are seeking to reach through dwelling in their context and telling them the Good News of the Kingdom.

>>> Beth and Ken Nienke

For more information www.fcclife.org

June

2nd

People Groups

“...teach all nations...” MattHew

28:18-20

A hundred years ago we sent missionaries to countries. Now, we send missionaries to “people groups.” A people group is a population of people bound together by a common identity, language or culture. They may live in one or more countries, but nationality is usually a secondary question. Some people groups may speak several languages, yet still consider themselves one people. A particular Gypsy group has its own language, culture and tradition; they may happen to live in Ukraine, but missionaries would develop a different strategy for them than for the main Ukrainian groups. Gypsies live in multiple countries. The International Mission Board has been doing important research into people groups for many years. It is now a leader among sending agencies in terms of researching and understanding lostness and its impact on people groups. At last count Southern Baptists had sent missionaries to more than 180 countries around the world. But our International Mission Board no longer reports countries where missionaries serve. Missionaries are now assigned to people groups. Missionaries we support through our Cooperative Program are now engaging 845 people groups. That means we have at least one missionary assigned to reaching that many different groups. It is estimated there are 3,800 unengaged, unreached people groups (2011 totals) to whom neither we nor any other church group has assigned missionaries. Knowing there are 3,800 unengaged, unreached people groups certainly puts greater urgency into Matthew 28:18-20, in which Jesus sent His followers to “teach all nations.” The Greek word interpreted “nations” actually means “people groups.” Bottom line: The Great Commission is a huge challenge, calling on followers of Jesus to give sacrificially in order to send those God has called to serve among unreached people. Our Cooperative Program is a great way to support that missionary sending. Your church may want to “adopt” one of those unengaged, unreached people groups as well. MC

For more information 48

imb.org/main/aroundtheworld.asp

Missionary Highlight Kris, IMB Missionary Islamic country Americans sometimes assume people in Islamic countries won’t respond to Christ. This is not true! More Muslims are coming to faith in Christ today than at any other time in history, according to our Southern Baptist International Mission Board! One of our missionaries, we’ll call Kris, serves in an Islamic country. He teams up with a local Christian man to witness in villages. Recently when they talked to a village, 60 people wanted to know more about this Jesus they talked about as being the Son of God, not just a prophet. “The most rewarding thing about my work is knowing I’m giving people the opportunity to hear the hope we have in Jesus,” Kris said. Because Baptists contribute through the Cooperative Program, Kris is able to talk to people who never would have heard about Jesus Christ any other way. It is a big responsibility and a God-given opportunity! Let us pray for Kris and his co-worker in Christ as they minister.

>>> This man in the market area of central Sana’a, Yemen, wears a jambiya, the traditional Yemeni dagger, in his belt, as do most men in this Middle Eastern country.

June

Making Jesus Known

50 50

>>>

Boston is rich in American history but today few people here know Jesus Christ personally.

“I have made Your

name known to them...” John 17:26

Charles Graddison Finney was gloriously converted to Christ on Oct. 10, 1821. Following his conversion, Finney was used by God to fan the flames of revival throughout the first half of the 1800s during the Second Great Awakening. Finney first began preaching in western New York and ultimately had great success preaching in large urban areas such as New York, Philadelphia and Boston. His most noted revival meeting was held in 1830–31 in Rochester, New York. Riding upon the wave of the Second Great Awakening, the campaign lasted six months and one tenth of the city’s population was converted. Charles Finney was faithful to make Jesus known to as many people as possible. His methodologies and commitment to prayer would have a lasting influence on the church. In John 17:26, Jesus prays toward making the Father known. He, too, was always about that task. Are we about the task of making Jesus known to the nations? CS

Missionary Highlight Boston What comes to mind when you think of Boston, Massachusetts? History like the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ride or the American Revolution? All that is connected with Boston. But now, see Boston as a Christian. See Boston as a mission field. Stand atop a tall building in downtown Boston and you can see where more than five million people live and work. And 98 percent of them have no personal relationship with Christ. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why there is a need to help start churches in and around Boston. New England Baptists want to start many new churches on the North Shore of Boston and volunteers are needed to help. Boston has long been a city of immigrants, and that continues today. Pray for churches to reach people from Nepal, Bhutan and Brazil for Christ. Pray for church plants to be started to bring many in and around Boston to faith in Jesus Christ.

June

Long-Range Praying

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I do not ask on behalf of these alone,

but for those also who believe in Me through their word...â&#x20AC;? John 17:20

In this passage, Jesus models long-range praying. He is not praying just for the immediate or for his present-day followers. He was praying for all the generations of believers down through the ages. The impact of this kind of praying is eternal. We tend to get hung up on the immediate and seldom look ahead to the long-term impact of our actions. When I was in seminary, I had the privilege to do a semester-long one-on-one study with New Testament scholar George BeasleyMurray. One day he told me about a struggle he had when he left the pastorate to become a professor. He said he knew the focus of his ministry would change and that he would have to be content, for the most part, to impact the lost world through his influence in his studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lives. Despite his reluctance, he accepted the challenge, and moved to the classroom where he invested in young students who would become pastors. Today, George Beasley-Murray continues to impact the Kingdom through students and the many books he wrote, though he died years ago. May our praying be long-range friendly, with a focus on moving the Kingdom forward through the generations. CS 52

Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain

Missionary Highlight David Acton, IMB Missionary Portugal Portugal is a country rich in history, yet evangelical Christians remain few in number. Evangelism is usually a slow, challenging process in Portugal these days. Missionaries must build relationships with people before they can talk of a personal Christian faith. But missionary David Acton has been able to gather a group of about 45 people for weekly worship services and many have accepted Christ as Savior. Recently eight college students were awaiting baptism, an especially encouraging result! Pray for David and our other missionaries in Portugal who are working hard to share Christ and get churches started amid people who often do not feel a need for God.

JUNE

Where the money is

“You cannot serve God and wealth.” Matthew 6:24

Supposedly a reporter asked a famous bank robber named Willy Sutton why he robbed banks. And Sutton supposedly replied, “Because that’s where the money is.” Later in life, Sutton denied he ever said it. Some sources say it was John Dillinger who gave such an answer. So where is the money? Crown Financial Ministries works with church members and churches to teach biblical stewardship as well as money management skills. Their 10-week small group Bible study on these two topics produces huge behavior changes in church members who come to understand Christian stewardship for the first time.

Here: the Greek island of Corfu.

>>>

Greece’s economic woes have put the country in the news in recent years. Greece remains a mission field, where the Gospel is also in short supply.

Crown has done follow-up evaluations on churches whose members have been through the studies. They show the income to those churches increased by an amazing average of 70 percent. Crown leaders say that’s partly because Christians suddenly realize the claim God has on their money and possessions. The increase also comes because participants track their spending for the first time and are shocked to learn they are spending $1,500 a year on soft drinks or the like. Jesus taught in Matthew 6 that no one can serve two masters: “You cannot serve God and wealth.” Which master are most Baptists serving these days, would you guess? In your opinion, are those serving wealth doing so willfully, or because they simply don’t understand what the Bible teaches? MC

Missionary Highlight Jon & Mindy Jamison, NAMB Missionaries Des Moines, Iowa About three million people live in Iowa. Many people in rural Iowa have moved into cities like Des Moines in recent years. Like most U.S. cities, Des Moines has center city neighborhoods marred by poverty, crime, drugs and gangs.

>>>

Missionaries Jon and Mindy Jamison are right in the middle of one such neighborhood, where they operate Friendship Baptist Center. Through the center the Jamisons distribute clothes and food, provide classes that teach English to immigrants, provide classes to teach life skills like budgeting and parenting to families in the area. They also have Bible studies and teach about the Christian faith. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The center exists to be a source of hope and light for Christ within the neighborhood,â&#x20AC;? Jon said. Let us pray for Jon and Mindy as they minister in this difficult area and make a difference in the lives of many people. Our Cooperative Program giving helps them serve in Des Moines.

Jon & Mindy Jamison, Des Moines, Iowa 55

JUNE

Eternal life - experienced and shared

â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is eternal life, that

they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.â&#x20AC;? John 17:3

Churches are being started rapidly in some parts of North Africa. Our missionaries serve in many dangerous places, such as Sudan, shown here.

>>>

My daughter recently returned from serving in Dakar, Senegal, for six weeks. She was there, along with 16 other college students from the southeastern United States, to share Christ with others. They served on a university campus in Dakar that had 45,000 to 55,000 students. Their mission: engage students, build relationships and share the eternal life that Christ offers with those who will hear. The challenges were great, with many cultural, language, religious and even socio-economic barriers to overcome. Yet, by the time the six weeks were over, nine students had received Jesus as their personal Savior. Jesus was praying toward the giving of eternal life in John 17:3. Because of His prayer and His obedience to the Father, eternal life can now be experienced through faith in Jesus. The students in Senegal who became Christians are now walking with Jesus. They have eternal life. They have eternal life because others who had experienced it decided to share it. My daughter and her fellow students were obedient to Jesus. They prayed and they shared â&#x20AC;&#x201C; like Jesus. Can the same be said of us? CS

Missionary Highlight Rick and Meghan, IMB Missionaries Muslim country Two of our missionaries, who we will call Rick and Meghan, are serving in a Muslim country. It is a difficult place to enter, a dangerous place to stay and a challenging place to share the Gospel. Meghan has been able to talk to women in a prison. As they talk the women tell about their lives and how they ended up as inmates in prison. When they ask Meghan about her life, she is able to tell them how salvation through Christ changed her life forever. Some women have accepted Christ as Savior through this sharing of life stories. During a recent prison visit one of these women patted Meghan’s hand and said, “This is my sister!”

>>>

Pray that millions of lost people in this land would similarly come seeking salvation in Christ and find spiritual freedom, even if in prison! Pray for safety, health, wisdom and patience for Meghan and Rick as they minister for Him. Our Cooperative Program giving enables them to do so.

Across the Middle East, women face many hardships because of culture and Islam. Many must stay covered, as this woman in Yemen.

July

What a gift!

“I have given them Your word ... ” John 17:14

The 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry was one of the first African-American units to fight against the Confederacy during the American Civil war. A white colonel named Robert Gould Shaw led the regiment. On July 18, 1863, Colonel Shaw led his men in an almost impossible assault against Ft. Wagner, a highly fortified point that guarded the southern entrance to the harbor in Charleston, S.C. Colonel Shaw was killed as he led his men in the assault, and the Union soldiers were eventually turned away after hours of hand-to-hand fighting. However, they had no regrets. These volunteers considered it a gift to fight for their country and their freedom. For over half of the regiment, the cost would be great (over half were killed), yet they still treasured the honor to fight. In this text Jesus prays toward the giving of the Father’s Word to His followers. They would not fully realize the value or the cost of that gift until Jesus’ teachings would bear fruit in their lives following His ascension. His followers were hated and persecuted because they had been given His Word. That was a price they were willing to pay because they treasured the Father’s Word. How about us? CS 58

Graffitti Church in New York City’s Lower East Side. Graffitti has worked with Great Commission Partnerships volunteers to start other churches in New York.

>>>

Missionary Highlight New York City “The world has come to New York City.” This is more than a slogan – it is reality for the world’s most influential city. Consider that one of every 16 Americans lives within 75 miles of Time Square. More than 500 languages are spoken in that 150-mile radius. The sad news about New York is that only a relative handful of these millions of people know Jesus personally. It is a staggering missions challenge. That’s why volunteers have reached out to help this city for Christ. Consider going to help! Pray that many more volunteers will go. Pray that volunteers will be sensitive as God directs them toward people He has already been preparing to hear the Gospel. Pray especially for: • Two couples seeking to reach Muslims for Christ • A family seeking to reach West African Muslims in Harlem • A family seeking to reach Southeast Asian Muslims in Brooklyn Pray that God will open windows of opportunity to share the Gospel across this huge city. Pray that our partnership will lead to disciples of Jesus Christ being born among these many people groups who have never heard the Gospel. 59

>>>

An Army soldier places a small American flag in front of a grave at Arlington National Cemetery, Va

July

14th

“That they all may be one” John

17:21

United we stand, divided we become stale I will never forget the sick feeling I had as I saw the hands go up in opposition to the motion being considered in the church business meeting. The church was considering being involved in a cooperative evangelism effort that could impact the lives of many lost people. However, the congregation was divided. As pastor, I knew the financial support and the involvement from church members would not be adequate to accomplish the effort if the entire body was not behind it. My heart was broken as I went home that night because I knew the consequences were going to be serious. And they were – no evangelistic emphasis that year and only a few new converts to baptize. Jesus prayed for oneness in John 17:21. He prayed for His followers to be one in Him and in each other. He knew that when they were united in intimacy with Him and His missional desires, the lost world would believe that the Father sent Jesus. Oneness is not about external or peripheral issues – the carpet color or building size. Oneness in John 17:21 refers to a Christ-centered relationship in which all that matters is obedience and intimacy with Jesus in His mission. Hence, all the more reason we must pray, because we often want things to go our way, even in the church. When that happens, the lost world loses. CS

Missionary Highlight John Thomas, Layman Rileyvile Baptist Church Luray, Virginia God gave Rileyville Baptist Church member John Thomas a burden and vision to visit with the 70 inmates of the Page County Jail in Luray and share the Gospel. Several more men (J.R. Anderson, George Cummings, David Johnson, and Paul Strassner) have since been called out by God to leave their comfort zones and go behind those prison bars. Though the prison doors are securely fastened, God is opening the hearts of the inmates. Although a few inmates have displayed opposition, for the most part, the Good News of the Gospel has fallen on receptive hearts. This jail ministry team is being used by God to transform the lives of convicts and their families for now and for eternity!

July

“ ... they believed that You sent Me.” John

17:8

Sent When I arrived at the home unannounced that afternoon, the woman asked me a simple question: “Who sent you?” I told her that one of her co-workers, who was a member of the church where I was pastor, had asked me to visit her husband. The lady’s husband was dying of cancer. As we sat there and talked, her husband walked into the room. He was very frail and very weak. I told him who I was and why I had come. It was a divine encounter. The man told me he knew he was dying and had questions about eternity. He said he knew the Lord had sent me and he wanted to know how to accept Christ as his Savior. I thought to myself, I was just doing what pastors do. The afternoon had been full, but I felt obligated to go because a church member asked me to go. I then shared the Good News of Jesus Christ and he became a Christian. When he got up off his knees he exclaimed, “Jesus is Who I have been looking for!” Later that evening, he began to hemorrhage and died. When I received the call that he died one hour after my visit, my heart was broken over my attitude toward this visit. I was not just doing the work of a pastor – I was sent! Sometimes I think we forget that. CS 62

Missionary Highlight Charles Shirley, IMB Missionary Suriname, South America Suriname is a developing nation on northern South America’s Atlantic coast. Our missionary Charles Shirley often finds himself paddling a canoe down rivers through thick jungles as he travels to villages to preach and share the Gospel. Such travel is dangerous, of course, and that’s why Charles needs the prayer support of faithful Baptists. On one recent trip, Charles and a team of volunteers headed toward a village to preach. As they walked through the jungle, Charles heard a husky voice calling his name. It was a Surinamese friend of his, Baa Umlonga. He asked Charles for medicine because his neck was swollen, his throat was sore and he had been unable to eat for two days. Charles and the volunteers gathered around Umlonga and prayed for God to heal him. They also shared the Gospel with him and told him Bible stories. Moved by their sincere caring, Umlonga prayed to receive Christ as his Savior. The team then went on their way to the village. Later they saw Umlonga in the village; an empty bowl was in front of him. “Look! I just ate! God healed my throat!” he cried out. Baptists, be thankful we serve a God who is able to heal a man deep in the jungles of Suriname as a way to assure people that what our missionary says about Him is true! We support missionary Charles Shirley and other missionaries across South America through our Cooperative Program. 63

July

28th

Character Matters

“... keep them in Your name...” John 17:11

The year was 1949. As seven young men prayed in a barn outside the city one man stood and read from Psalm 24:3-5, “Who can ascend the hill of the Lord...?” When he finished reading the verses he asked the six other men praying with him if it was not senseless to be waiting and praying for revival if they themselves were not right with God! Almost immediately God’s presence overcame the group and they found themselves laying face down on the floor weeping, confessing their sins and seeking the Lord for forgiveness. God answered their prayers and the Hebrides Islands, a group of small islands just off the coast of Scotland, soon came alive with revival. Jesus’ prayer in John 17:11 is a plea to the Father on behalf of the character of His followers. He asked that they would be protected, even guarded in His name or character. He was praying for intimacy and nearness, that their walk would match their talk, that their witness would be clean and pure as His was. He was praying for their lives to be a witness to His name and character. What can be learned from this prayer? One simple truth: We can’t separate our prayers from who we are in Christ. Our character in Christ will have a direct impact on the prayers we pray. How are you doing? CS 64

Missionary Highlight Butch & Pam Strickland, NAMB Missionaries Anchorage, Alaska Alaska may be cold and far away, but people are being reached for Christ. In fact, through missionaries and volunteer outreach teams, many people have come to faith in Christ in recent months. In 2010, baptisms increased by 25 percent over 2009. Now, one of the greatest needs Alaska Baptists have is discipling all the new believers so they can grow into mature Christians. Butch and Pam Strickland are our missionaries in Anchorage, Alaska, and are doing just that â&#x20AC;&#x201C; discipling new believers. They also work with GraceWorks, which provides support for mission teams coming to Alaska from the lower 48 states. The Stricklands have also been busy with two new community groups in Anchorage, which might become new churches over time. Let us pray for the Stricklands, whose place of service is very different from Virginia, but where the need people have for knowing Jesus Christ is exactly the same. Our Cooperative Program giving supports the Stricklands in their ministry. Butch & Pam Strickland Anchorage, Alaska

August Fix your face!

“...we are ambassadors for

Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us...” 2 Corinthians 5:20

Over the years I have reported on many Baptist volunteer groups from America when they went on missions trips to Africa, Europe, Eastern Europe and South America. At the airport, Americans/Baptists were easy to spot by their clothing and general look. But it was always interesting to note the faces of volunteers confronted abruptly with a new place, new culture, different climate and people – all quite different from the ones back home. These new impressions usually hit the volunteers soon as they stepped off the plane, or a bus where they were to serve. Faces of those Baptists often displayed expressions far from friendly. In fact, their expressions were usually unsmiling, solemn, and tinged with a look of disgust as if they had just gotten a whiff of a terrible odor (odors were indeed present in many locations!) Going on a volunteer trip? Focus on your purpose, namely, to impact people with the Gospel. That kind of focus will make us want to keep a pleasant expression on our faces, regardless of how strange that new city, state, nation or place may seem to us. In all of life, and especially on missions trips, Christians go as ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us, as Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:20. If you’re going on a missions trip, hopefully your heart is already right. Just remember to fix your face accordingly! MC 66

Missionary Highlight Shannon & Katie Ford, I MB Missionaries Kiev, Ukraine Shannon Ford and his wife, Katie, serve in Kiev, the capital city of Ukraine. Shannon coordinates the work of missionary teams across Ukraine, plus the neighboring countries of Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Romania. Most recently he has been helping Baptists in Moldova, a small country tucked between Romania and Ukraine. Moldovan Baptists have been holding a series of evangelistic rallies to help plant new churches. Pray for our international missionaries as they partner together with national believers to accomplish more for Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kingdom.

>>> 67

August

“... the same Lord is Lord of all...” romans 10:12-13

Changing faces Dr. Brian Autry was unamiously voted in as the executive director for the SBC of Virginia on May 16, 2012 by its executive board. This former pastor of Parkway Baptist Church in Moseley, VA, embraced his leadership role with a vision of forming strong churches with a bold commitment to the Great Commission! Almost 600 churches form the partnership known as SBC of Virginia. Together they celebrate what the Lord Jesus has done through His people and press on to fulfill their God-given mission.

>>>

Dr. Brian Autry accepts the leadership role as executive director of the SBC of Virginia from Wendell Horton, chairman of its Executive Board.

SBC of Virginia churches are being encouraged to plant strong churches that stay strong. It is Dr. Autry’s goal that the SBC of Virginia mentor and encourage courageous leaders; lead the Southern Baptist Convention in planting ethnically diverse congregations; advance Christ’s mission—the Great Commission—by mobilizing followers of Jesus; and “see our members become our missionaries.”

Missionary Highlight Pete Hypes, Pastor Bermuda Baptist Church, Chester, Virginia Three years ago, this small congregation of 60 began to pray that God would lead them to a unengaged, unreached people group (UUPG). On a vision trip that same year, the church became aware of the Pedi people of South Africa. After returning home and praying, God led them to embrace the Pedi people. Bermuda Baptist Church, led by Pastor Pete Hypes, has learned that reaching an unengaged, unreached people group can change a church and open its members to the great things that can be done only with the help of God. Last year, Bermuda twice visited the Pedi people and is now in the final stages of developing a strategy to reach them with the story of Jesus.

R Pete Hypes & Isaac Thompson, Bermuda Baptist Church, visit with the Pedi people of South Africa.

For more information bermudabaptist.org/

August Joy in Jesus

“...that they may have My joy made full in themselves.” John 17:13

When I think of joy I always think of one lady in particular. Her face was always shining with the joy of the Lord. She was 76 years old, lived alone, taught high school students how to read, kept her home and grounds pristine, and played the organ at her church. She did all of this while being partially crippled with arthritis. Her attitude was always upbeat and her mind was sharp. She even met with me once a week to help me with my Greek. As a young married couple in college my wife and I were truly blessed to know and be friends with Mrs. Mary. In this verse, Jesus is praying toward His followers being made complete in His joyful presence. They were going to be on mission with Him and for Him in a pagan world. Jesus knew the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual struggles they would face. He knew that their great need was to experience the fullness of His joy in their lives.

>>>

The Father did answer His prayer! He gave them joy and we are alive in Christ today because His joy flooded their lives, allowing them to fulfill their mission – which allowed others to fulfill their mission and so on. Are you full of His joy? CS

Missionary Highlight Rose Ignacio, NAMB Missionary Tinian, New Mexico

>>>

Rose Ignacio lives and ministers in a land greatly different from North Carolina. Tinian, New Mexico, is a two and a half hour drive west of Santa Fe, a desert where Navajo families live sprinkled among the dry riverbanks, canyons and hills. She is full-blooded Navajo herself, but that does not mean she is easily heard when she shares the Gospel. Time moves slower here; communication is based on relationships. From Tinian Baptist Church, she distributes clothing and food to Navajo families across a large area, driving her pickup truck on roads that are often unpaved. She also teaches the Navajo language and traditional ways to families, all so she can share the Gospel with them. Navajos in her area suffer from unemployment, alcoholism, isolation and many other problems. Rose finds it easier to talk about Jesus when she has met some of those needs. Let us pray for Rose Ignacio as she ministers to share the love of Christ with her people. Our Cooperative Program giving supports Rose even as she serves in the middle of New Mexico.

Rose Ignacio teaches as part of her ministry around Tinian, New Mexico.

August

25th

“I ask on their behalf...” John

17:9

Advocates My youngest daughter has always had an advocate. You see, she is a curious George; that is, she is always asking questions and searching out answers to those questions even when she has not asked permission to do so – you get the picture. Growing up her advocate was her older sisters, especially the one closest to her in age. They were, and still are, the best of pals. So, when she was doing something that was not, well, healthy or within our parental boundaries, her sister would always grab her, tell her not to do it, or after the fact she would plead her case and “take up for her” when she was in trouble. My youngest is fortunate to have such a loyal advocate! In this passage Jesus is praying for His followers. He is asking of the Father on their behalf. They were going to be on mission and sent to a pagan world. But, they were not to fear – they had an advocate. Jesus was praying then, and He ever lives to pray for His followers (see Heb. 7:25). At that moment in His life Jesus could have been concerned about many additional things. Yet, His desire was to please the Father by asking on behalf of His sent ones. Prayer for fellow believers and their mission is essential if the mission is to move forward. Are you asking on behalf of others – for their mission? CS

With help from the SBC of Virginia through their Cooperative Program giving, JL was able to reach out to South Africans.

Missionary Highlight J L, Missionary, Media Ministry Richmond, Virginia It was the last day of a week-long mission trip to Diphagane in South Africa, and JL was about to address the entire student body of the local primary school. He was there to tell them the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. God had led him to that story although he had no reason why. As he looked out at all the kids, he caught sight of a familiar face, a teenager named Anna. Abruptly, this story took on a sharp new significance. Earlier that week, JL had asked Anna if she believed in life after death. “No,” she said. He told her that Jesus could give life so that even when we died physically, we would have life in Him. She was noncommittal.

>>>

The rest of the week, JL and the team hadn’t had any chances to follow up with Anna. But there she was, standing at a school assembly! God had chosen the story of Lazarus—a story of Jesus’ power to give life—to share that morning.

For more information sbcv.org/mobilizing

>>>

September He wants all of us

“On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income...” 1 Corinthians 16:1-4

A pastor was standing in the river, about to baptize a new believer. The man stepped into the water, but then quickly turned back.“Hey, where are you going,” the preacher called out.“I forgot to take out my wallet,” the man replied.“Leave it in!” the pastor exclaimed. “We have too many unbaptized pocketbooks in this church now!” Many new believers never come to understand stewardship because they are simply not taught it. Yet, stewardship is a major Christian principle, both in the lives of believers and in the ministry of the church. Yielding one’s life to Christ cannot be complete until one’s money and possessions are under His control as well. Saying you trust God without tithing is rather like saying you want to learn to swim, but you are not going to get into the swimming pool! In 1 Corinthians 16, Paul’s instructions to the Galatian churches and the Corinthians call for disciplined missions giving. Believers should set aside a sum of money the first day of every week, in keeping with their incomes, saving it up. Then no collections would be needed when Paul came to visit. Compare this regular, planned, income responsive approach to giving with that of many Baptists today, who drop into the offering plate whatever spare change they happen to have in their pockets or purses. There’s no comparison, right? God wants all of us, including our billfolds and checkbooks. MC 74

Manuel Chacon baptizes a new believer at Roca Eterna, a Hispanic church in Greater Washington, DC. The fields are ripe for harvest, and more Virginia Baptist churches are needed like Roca Eterna to reach Hispanics with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Missionary Highlight Jeff Hughes, NAMB Missionary University of Evansville, Indiana Jeff Hughes oversees a student ministry program called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Encounter,â&#x20AC;? which seeks to reach students in Evansville, Indiana, at the University of Southern Indiana, the University of Evansville and a branch of Ivy Tech Community College. Through Bible studies, retreats, training events, outreach and other activities, Jeff seeks to introduce students to a life-changing relationship with Jesus Christ. He has to stay on his toes, because publicity about Encounter urges students to bring any question and the leaders will try to answer it. Let us pray for our missionary Jeff Hughes as he works with students in Indiana. Surely if there is one place we want to see people know Jesus, it is on the university campuses. Our Cooperative Program giving helps support Jeff in his campus ministry, just as in Virginia we support Baptist ministry on college and university campuses. 75

September

8th

>>>

Vision Virginia Week of Prayer for State Missions and Offering Many churches are re-launching fall ministries after summer’s more relaxed pace. It’s a good time to remember missions and to think about why churches labor to educate and train members. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible repeatedly tells how God has sought to have a loving relationship with all people. The church was instituted by Jesus to accomplish that, through what we call missions. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:14 that we are compelled by the love of Christ to live for Him, because He died on the cross for us. To be His people and to live for Him? His purposes, His plans for the world, must become ours. As we think about the Vision Virginia State Missions Offering this September, it is clear, then, that missions support is not just an “option.” Missions is basic to the purpose of why we have the church at all. When we learn that there are millions of people in Virginia who do not have a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, we are also compelled by their lostness—and we want them to know the same Savior we do. The SBC of Virginia will fund the people and ministries who will share the Gospel with many of these. The challenge calls for more than pocket change! The challenge calls for serious, sacrificial giving that is reflective of how Jesus gave on the cross. MC

English as a Second Language (ESL) is a rapidly growing ministry. Brenda Glover is a Virginia Baptist with an incredible story of how God led her to be involved in this ministry. This vital ministry is made possible through the Vision Virginia Offering.

www.sbcv.org/articles/category/vision_virginia

September Ruffled Feathers

15th

“Do not be anxious...” Philippians 4:6

As I sat on the porch, a bird flew near and landed on a light. I noticed that its feathers were really ruffled. The expression, which my grandpa used frequently, immediately came to mind: “Don’t get your feathers all ruffled.” That is, do not worry or be anxious about the matter at hand. I guess Jeremiah Lanphier probably needed to hear those words on Sept. 23, 1857, as he knelt alone in prayer. He was the only participant in a newly established prayer meeting that he had started. Lanphier had handed out hundreds of handbills entitled “How Often Shall We Pray?” to recruit people for the prayer meetings. He was addressing a major problem in the church of his day – prayerlessness. History records that God eventually did bring people to pray that day – six the first week, 20 the second week and in six months, 50,000 people were praying in New York City. Because of Lanphier’s courage and determination to call God’s people to prayer, the Layman’s Prayer Revival of 1857-58 was used mightily of God to revive the church, convert millions, and foster world missions during the middle of the 19th century. So – whenever something seems hopeless or you are discouraged, don’t let your feathers get ruffled. Pray! CS

Missionary Highlight Mike Smith, Church Planter/ Pastor Zambia, Africa It’s amazing how the call of God on a life can be so powerful— powerful enough to take a family out of their comfort zone and away from a church that loves and supports them to a mission field half a world away. Mike Smith and his family did just that when they answered the call of God and moved more than 7,000 miles away to reach the NKoya people in Zambia, Africa with the Good News of Jesus Christ. It’s also amazing how a coalition of churches such as the SBC of Virginia with its powerful partnership can introduce a young, relatively new pastor to his new calling. You are a part of this partnership. You are a part of this missionary’s ministry even though you may have never met him. Through your prayers, Cooperative Program gifts, and the Lottie Moon Offering, you provide the resources for Mike and his family to live and serve among the peoples for whom God has now called them to give their lives. The Smith story is really one of a powerful partnership working through a powerful God!

For more information www.sbcv.org/articles/detail/mike_smith_chapter_1_video

September Gospel is for all

22nd

“...God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.” Acts 10 : 34-35

Throughout the Old Testament, we read how God wanted a relationship with all the nations of the world – in other words, everyone, regardless of who they were, what kind of people they were or where they were from. But in the time of Jesus, even His disciples clung to the idea that the Good News they preached was only for the Jews. In Acts 10 we read how God gave Peter a vision of clean and unclean animals. Then Peter met Cornelius, a Gentile, or someone who was not Jewish. At first Peter told him it was against their (Jewish) law for a Jew like himself to associate with Cornelius, a Gentile, or visit to him. But after hearing how God had sent an angel to tell Cornelius to expect Peter’s visit, Peter’s heart changed. Peter’s words are recorded in Acts 10:34: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who hear him and do what is right.” After hearing the Gospel, Cornelius and those he had gathered in his house were baptized. People from more than 230 language/culture groups – people from all over the world – now live in Virginia. Peter’s words take on fresh meaning today, reminding us that Jesus founded His church to reach everyone. It is not ours to keep, but rather to share with everyone, no matter where they’re from. MC

Ministry Highlight Disaster Relief In 2002, SBC of Virginia (SBCV) churches started developing plans for a state Disaster Relief (DR) organization. They knew they needed to recruit and train volunteers, purchase equipment, and prepare for future disasters. Immediately, they put into place an infrastructure that was directed by local churches. By the time Hurricane Isabel hit Virginia in 2003, SBCVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s DR teams were ready to respond. Currently, there are 3 shower units; 2 kitchens capable of feeding 24,000 meals a day; 3 flood recovery units; 15 chain saw units; and an Incident Command trailer available for deployment around the country, and even the world. The more than 3,200 SBCV volunteers are some of the most well-trained available. Our state DR leaders are highly respected and even sought after by FEMA to instruct other trainers. Through your prayers and giving through the Cooperative Program and the Vision Virginia State Missions Offering, SBC of Virginia DR is ready when the unexpected becomes reality, wherever that is. 81

SeptembeR The source

“Keep your behavior excellent...” 1 Peter 2 :12

The man sat weeping in the living room of the older couple. He had just told them about their son’s heroic actions on a battlefield 20 years prior to that day. He shared that their son saved his life and the lives of the whole platoon of soldiers during an enemy ambush. Their son was killed, but was a hero. He then looked at them both and said, “but that is not the main reason I have come to your home.” The man began to weep and told them that for 20 years he had been searching for the source of their son’s joy and love for Jesus and people. He explained to them that their son was always helping others and had a peace and trust in Jesus, even when the battle was raging. This man said that he wanted to know the source of their son’s peace and joy. The couple told him about Jesus Christ and the salvation He could give. Immediately, the man wanted to know their son’s God and accepted Jesus as his Savior.

“Now they have come to know

He found the source peace, forgiveness and true thatofeveryathing You have givenjoy. He found the Father through the Son – have you? CS me is from You...” John 17:7 82

Ministry Highlight Vacation Bible School

Pastor Steve knows the importance of VBS and its influence on young lives. Here, he teaches children God’s Word.

If it hadn’t been for the ministry of Vacation Bible School (VBS), Steve Robinson would not be who he is and where he is today. His parents didn’t go to church, so as a child Steve relied upon the church bus to get him to VBS. It’s there that his life was forever changed. In 1985, during VBS, he heard and responded to the lessons Ms. Eva Murphy taught. Years later, God would again use VBS to work in Steve’s life. He agreed to play the role of a centurion at VBS. Two boys were so enamored with his costume that they started talking to him. Steve was able to lead both boys to Christ that very evening. After surrendering to God’s call on his life, Steve was ordained in October of 2008. “God has taken me a long way,” shares Steve, who never thought he would be in ministry. Steve went from a VBS kid to a pastor!

>>>

For more information www.highlandsfellowship.com/locations/bristol-va

October This is war!

6th

“Keep them from the evil one” John 17:15

The college football player was having a very difficult day. His body was breaking down under the tremendous strain of three daily practices. Eventually, he made the call to his parents to come get him. The coach was not happy, and when the player’s parents arrived he began to question their son’s decision. The player’s dad was a military veteran and had lost an arm in combat. As the conversation drew to a close the coach asked the young man to reconsider and said, “Son, don’t do this. We are at war and the team needs you.” The father of the player turned and very sternly said, “No, you are wrong. Football is not war, but I can tell you what war is all about.” In John 17:15, Jesus prays for His followers to be kept or protected from the evil one. He knew the spiritual battles that lay ahead of them as they would take the Gospel to the world. He knew the temptations Satan would hurl their way. He knew that their need was His presence and protection because they would be in a real war. Sometimes, like the football coach, we forget what war is really all about. We forget that we are in a war for the souls of people. We forget that our battle is not against other humans but against Satan. The stakes in this war are eternal and the enemy is on the loose. Shall we pray? CS 84

Ministry Highlight Camps ‑ Studentz Camp & Fusion Mission Camp Studentz Camp — We work hard to make sure the decisions students make at camp are heartfelt and solid—that lives are challenged, changed, and surrendered to the Lord. In 2012, some 900 campers attended Studentz Camp. In just the first three days, 39 students surrendered their lives to Christ as Lord and Savior, and 39 made other decisions. By the week’s end, 78 students had surrendered to the call of missions and ministry. Many said that this was not just another camp. Fusion Mission Camp — In 2013, the SBC of Virginia will launch another camp called Fusion Mission Camp. This camp will be limited to 300 students who will focus on doing ministry with church plants and helping the community. At the camp’s conclusion, attendees will have the option of attending Kingsfest at Kings Dominion theme park, where they can enjoy top Christian concert artists and speakers, as well as rides and a water park.

>>> www.sbcv.org/studentz

October

13th

Our giving potential

“...for God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7

Ever wonder why churches don’t have a bigger impact on society? That could be answered many ways, but let’s consider the financial aspect. In a 2008 book called “Passing the Plate,” the authors concluded that some 100 million church-going Christians in the United States earn collectively more than $2 trillion a year! If all these people tithed, many billions of more dollars would be available for Christian causes. The authors took five pages to list examples of what could be done with this additional money, such as sending more missionaries. Sadly, most Christians in the United States contribute only about 2 percent of their incomes to their churches. How about Baptists? Equally sad, the Southern Baptist average on church contributions is only about 2.5 percent of income. What if all of us tithed and gave 10 percent or more of our incomes? The average church’s income would increase roughly by a factor of five. What could your church do with five times its present income? Overall, combined income for all Southern Baptist churches would rise from some $9 billion to more than $40 billion! How many more missionaries could be sent? Stewardship is an important aspect of Christian discipleship. Is our inadequate discipleship weakening our missions effort? Is our weak discipleship crippling the impact our churches have on society? MC

>>>

Missionary Highlight

Many Latinos from Central America, like this man in Guatemala, have moved to Spain, seeking better lives. Our missionaries are seeking to reach them for Christ.

Gary & Julie Clifton, IMB Missionaries Reaching Latinos in S pain Virginia’s Hispanic population has soared in recent years as people from Mexico, Central America and South America have come here to live. But an estimated three million people from this same area have settled in Spain. They go there seeking better lives, but usually find poor living conditions, inadequate jobs, prejudice, isolation and loneliness – often to overwhelming levels. Our missionaries, Gary and Julie Clifton, have gone to Spain to reach these newcomers for Christ. Because the Latino immigrants are poor, they spend a lot of time in parks on weekends, because admission is free. The Cliftons seek out newcomer Latinos in parks so they can get to know them and share Christ. It is hard work and results have been limited. But recently they have found a Latino believer who is helping them expand their outreach. Pray that these Latinos in Spain will turn to Christ, who can help them now and in eternity. Our Cooperative Program helps keep the Cliftons ministering in Spain, along with other missionaries who are reaching the majority of Spain’s more than 47 million people. 87

October Listen for God

20th

“...after the fire a still small voice.” 1 Kings 19:11-12

>>>

Our times are noisy: Traffic, television, leaf blowers, iPods, radios, video games, etc. All of them – and more – are noisy. Amid such a cacophony of sounds, how do we hear God? Many years ago, before refrigerators, companies would buy up rights to the ice on frozen ponds. Workers would cart the ice chunks to warehouses for storage until they could be sawn into blocks and delivered to homes.

Seattle’s Pike Place Market is situated on the waterfront. Seattle is a mission field for Southern Baptists.

88 88

One day a company foreman dropped his gold pocket watch in the straw of such an ice warehouse. The floor was covered with straw; it was dark and he could not find it. The foreman sent a dozen men crawling on their hands and knees, looking for his prized pocket watch. But after a long time, they came out empty-handed. A 10-yearold boy stood at the door, watching the search. He asked the foreman if he could look. “Listen, kid, a dozen men couldn’t find it so I don’t think you will. But go ahead if you like,” the foreman grumpily told the boy. The boy entered the warehouse and five minutes later, came out carrying the pocket watch by its chain.“How’d you do that?” the foreman asked him.“I just listened, and I heard it ticking,” the boy replied. If we get to a quiet place and listen with our hearts, we can hear the living God and sense His presence. When we praise Him, and express our adoration and love for Him, share our joys, thanks and sorrows and needs, way beyond the power of words to express listening to Him – we call this prayer. It can be life-changing, church-changing, and society-changing. The prophet Elijah looked for God in wind and earthquakes and fire. But after all that, we’re told in 1 Kings 19:11-12 that God spoke to him in a still small voice. If you want to hear God, listen. MC

Missionary Highlight Eric & Kimberly Lee, NAMB Missionaries Seattle, Washington Washington is one of the least evangelized states in our nation, and Seattle is one of Washingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s least evangelized cities. A Baptist missionary couple has begun reaching people in the Seattle area through a house church with groups meeting around the city. Missionaries Eric and Kimberly Lee live in Lynnwood Center, Washington, across the harbor from central Seattle. Through house groups, the Lees try to keep church membership simple and place more emphasis on Christian discipleship. They have been successful in starting new house groups, perhaps the best way to reach this sprawling, waterside city of more than half a million people for Christ. Let us pray for our missionaries Eric and Kimberly Lee as they share Christ across this city that so desperately needs the Gospel. Our Cooperative Program giving is helping support the Lees and their ministry.

>>> Seattle skyline, as seen from ferry crossing Puget Sound.

October Where is Jesus?

“ Father, I desire that they... be with Me where I am...” John 17:24

>>>

The pastor came up after the service with tears in his eyes. He shared that he was convicted by the Scripture, specifically by John 17:24. He said, “I just realized that as a church we do not know where Jesus is working in our community. We have been busy doing lots of events and getting together as a church – but little effective ministry has taken place. I’m afraid we have simply been going through the motions of ministry. We have certainly not been with Jesus in His work. Lives have not been changed and the lost are not being reached. But, that is going to change!”

In John 17:24 Jesus is praying that His followers will be with Him where He is. It really does matter where Jesus is, because Scripture teaches that He is at work seeking to save the lost (see Luke 19:10). If a church is going to impact lostness, it would do well to pray toward being with Jesus in His mission. What does your prayer list look like? CS

Ministry Highlight REACHâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Like-minded Churches Richmond, Virginia REACH began in 2009 as a servant-evangelism mission project, but in just two years, it grew to over one hundred students and adults from five churches. This unique partnership of neighboring SBC of Virginia churches expanded the REACH experience to that of a full week of reaching out to the community. Four REACH ministry teams were sent out into the community for the purpose of sharing the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The RePLAY team worked with children, teaching them about Christ through His creation. The ReLATE team worked with nursing homes, spreading love and mercy to people who are often lonely. The ReSTORE team worked to clean up the streets and parks as a service to the city and shop owners. The ReNEW and RePAIR teams served local families by doing home repairs and yard work, as well as doing trash pickup in local parks and on the streets. 91

November

3rd

The cost of no missions

“ Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” Hebrews 13:16

Perhaps you have heard of William Carey, the English shoemaker who stirred Christians in his country during the late 1700s by pleading with them to support missions. He helped launch the modern missions movement of which Baptists are still a part today. On May 31, 1792, he preached one of the most famous missions sermons in history in which he pressed those listening toward missions. The message included the challenge, “Expect great thing from God. Attempt great things for God.” This memorable message was delivered at an associational meeting, by the way, and led to formation of the Baptist Missionary Society. The next year Carey and his wife traveled to Bangalore, India, to serve as missionaries. He started churches, a school and lived an amazing life of service and accomplishments. However, in Carey’s time, as today, not everyone in the church supported missions. Once he presented a paper in his church saying Christians should help transform societies living in spiritual darkness. One of the church elders was provoked by the very suggestion of missions. He told Carey, “Young man, if God had wanted to save the poor heathen, He would do it Himself and He would not need your help.” Sadly, the elder’s viewpoint must have been the one that church followed. The church’s building is now reportedly used as a Hindu temple. MC

Missionary Highlight Pippi, IMB Missionary Uighur village, Central Asia One of our missionaries in Central Asia finds that being a missionary and a mom to her three children are quite compatible “assignments.” Living in a Uighur (WEE-gur) village is quite different from living in America, of course. But our missionary, who we’ll call Pippi, finds some things are much the same: “Our children play outside, which means the moms get to chat. This time is so critical to being able to share the message of truth with them,” Pippi said. One young mother has become open to hearing more about Pippi’s faith that centers on Jesus. Recently, Pippi gave her a copy of the Jesus film as a way to continue teaching/witnessing. Pray with Pippi that this young woman will come to faith in Christ and become the first of many in this village to do so. Pray that the Lord will start a church-planting movement among the Uighur people in which many, many thousands will be saved. We make a difference in lives across Central Asia because we support sending missionaries there through our Cooperative Program.

>>> Many Russians, like this woman, who live outside cities are hard to reach. Yet Baptists want them to hear the Gospel also!

November

10th

A special young man

“ Sanctify them in the truth...” John 17:17

>>>

The lady wept as she told me about her son. He was a special young man with a special love for God’s Word and for the lost. He eventually went into the military and served his country in Vietnam.

Pray that all the people of Cambodia, including these Vietnamese fishermen, can hear the Gospel of Christ!

He was always writing home about the Bible studies he was leading and the young men who were close to accepting Christ. He spent time reading his Bible and seeking to live the truth daily. He eventually gave his life in combat, firing on an enemy position so that his fellow soldiers could get to safety. He was awarded the Silver Star for his heroism in battle. He was a special young man whose life was permeated with God’s truth. His love for people and the truth of God drove him to live and die sacrificially for others. In John 17:17 Jesus is praying that the truth of God, His Word, would permeate the lives of His followers. He knew that they would have to be people who were different from the world and its culture if they were to influence others for Christ. Living sacrificially and with a desire to impact the culture for Christ only happens as our lives are changed by the living, active truth of God. The special young man in the story had a heart for God and others because he was immersed in the truth. Are you set apart in the truth? CS

Missionary Highlight

Thira & Montira Siengsukon Kansas City, Missouri

Thira & Montira Siengsukon, NAMB Missionaires Kansas City, Missouri About 250,000 people from Laos have settled in the United States and so far Southern Baptists have only organized 80 churches to reach them for Christ. Laos is a country of nearly six million people, located next door to Vietnam. Missionaries Thira and Montira Siengsukon (say see-eng-SU-kone) are working hard to get more churches started. Thira is ethnic Chinese; he grew up in Thailand as a Buddhist. Three years after he learned about the Gospel through a Christian youth program near his home, he became a follower of Christ. He later graduated from a college and seminary in Bangkok, Thailandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capital city, and married Montira. They moved to Kansas City, Missouri, so Thira could get more seminary education. They started New Life Baptist Church, a Lao congregation in Olathe, Kansas, and also developed a passion to start more churches for the Lao people. Now he directs the Lao School of Ministry, which meets on the campus of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City. The school is training Lao pastors to lead and start new churches. Twelve satellite training centers for his school have been started in other locations, including Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Minnesota, Tennessee and Alabama. Many of the Laotian Christians return home to Laos to visit family, where they have opportunities to share the Gospel. This is important, because public preaching and outreach are not allowed in this communist country. Let us pray for this missionary couple as they minister to reach Laotians for Christ and equip them to start more new churches. Our Cooperative Program giving helps support their ministry of outreach and education. We also support Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, one of the six Southern Baptist seminaries across the country. 95

November

17th

Faithful to the Word

“ ...and they have kept Your word.” John 17:6

Margaree Valley Baptist Church needed a pastor. Rev. Foster was tired. According to his wife, he was in no shape to preach or pastor. However, Rev. Foster sensed the call to invite himself to preach for the deacons at Margaree Valley Baptist Church, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. The uninvited preacher took the next train to Cape Breton and arrived at noon on a Monday. The deacons agreed to have the church open that evening for services. After arriving, Rev. Foster ascended to a nearby hillside for prayer. As he wept and prayed over the valley, God granted him a confident peace concerning His desire to do a work in the valley. Later that evening he stepped into the pulpit with great confidence in the word the Lord had given him. After the service, people left knowing that God’s man, and His Word, had arrived. What ensued has been called the “Foster Revival.” It went on for weeks, resulting in many new converts. The Margaree Valley Baptist Church called Rev. Foster as pastor and one writer called that season of ministry the “most prosperous period” in the life of the church. Despite great emotional challenges, Rev. Foster kept the Lord’s word to go to the valley and preach the Word faithfully. Because he was faithful to the Word, God’s Kingdom moved forward in a great way. Are we keeping Christ’s Word? CS 96

Ministry Highlight Acts 1:8 Families What used to be Families on Mission is now Acts 1:8 Families. The name has changed, but the mission is the same. Acts 1:8 Families gives parents and grandparents a wonderful opportunity to be living examples to their children and grandchildren as they serve others together. When their little ones see Mommy, Daddy, Grandma, and Grandpa serving the Lord and practicing what they preach, there is a greater likelihood they will do likewise. That is what Acts 1:8 Families is all aboutâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;influencing the lives of children and grandchildren by serving others and sharing the love of Christ. For Acts 1:8 Families participants, the highlight of their mission week is when people accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior!

>>>

For more information sbcv.org/articles/category/acts18families

November All that she had

>>>

Many people in Ethiopia, like this woman, are very poor; in recent years drought has made farming difficult.

24th “...this poor widow put in more than all of them...” John 17:6

Jesus was watching when the Jews brought their tithes and offerings to the temple treasury, as recorded in Luke 21:1-4. He saw rich people bring what were probably big offerings, and said nothing. Then he saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins, a modest amount in the first century. “And He said, ‘Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them; for they all out of their surplus put into the offering; but she out of her poverty put in all that she had to live on.’” The woman probably did not realize her action that day would make her one of the most famous little old ladies in history, that 2,000+ years later people would still be reading about her sacrificial giving commended by Jesus that day. When the offering plate passes before you, have you prepared in advance to make a significant contribution proportionate to your income? When the offering plate passes before you, are you mindful that Jesus is still watching? MC

Missionary Highlight Daniel Byrd, IMB Missionary Gypsy village, Romania Daniel Byrd used to live pretty well. As a vice president for Nike, he earned a good living. Now heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a Gypsy village in a mountainous area of Romania with no air conditioning and no Internet access. Outside his window he can hear chickens cluck and pigs grunt. Daniel left a life of prosperity because he has a heart for these Gypsy, or Roma people, as they call themselves. More than 80 Gypsy young people come to his Bible studies. Once the Roma people here were outcasts who were forbidden to attend the Romanian church in town. But hearts have changed and now the Gypsies and Romanians worship together. Across Europe, Gypsies are most often second-class citizens trapped in lives of poverty and prevented from getting an education or good jobs. Thank the Lord that in this one village, at least, life is getting better for the Roma people. Thank God that He called Daniel Byrd from selling shoes in America to helping Gypsy souls be saved in Romania. Our Cooperative Program giving helps him answer Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s call.

>>> Gypsies, or the Roma people, live in many parts of Europe, often suffering from poverty and severe discrimination. Videographer K Brown made this photo of Gypsies in Beregszasz, Ukraine.

december Plastic idolatry

1st

“ They rejected His statutes and His covenant...” 2 Kings 17:15

The Israelites were God’s chosen people, yet they repeatedly turned their backs on Him and worshipped idols. In 2 Kings 17, we see how they rejected God’s covenant, despite warnings He sent over the years through the prophets. Instead, they imitated the nations around them; the passage says they followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. The Israelites diverted the love, reverence and worship – that should have been God’s – to idols. Their wealth went to idols instead of God’s temple. Even before the recession, most Americans spent $1.26 for every $1 they earned and owed an average $8,000 in credit card debt. Most Baptists give only about 2 percent or so of their incomes to their churches, not the 10 percent or more as the Bible teaches. It appears that many Baptists also join with the non-believing society around them and worship things instead of the one true God we say we serve. Statistically, we apparently worship things with most of our income and leave only pocket change for the Lord. It matters little to God whether we worship an idol of stone or an idol of flat plastic with the wealth that comes our way. If we are not worshipping Him with our hearts and pocketbooks, we have strayed from the Bible’s truth. MC 100

Missionary Highlight Stuart Hodges, Church Planter/Pastor Waters Edge, Yorktown, Virginia “At Waters Edge, we are going to change the way you think about church.” That mind-set has fueled their growth. Lead Pastor Stuart Hodges started Waters Edge Church (WEC) in 2002 with 50 people and, 10 years later, the average worship attendance is 3,300 between two locations. When Pastor Stuart started out, he envisioned a new kind of church that was different from the traditional church. The difference is seen through high-energy, creative services with contemporary music, drama, video, and practical teaching. Their goal has been to reach the unchurched people on the peninsula. At WEC, it’s all about the numbers—not about how many are coming but how many are not coming. From the beginning, Waters Edge’s target has been people, not buildings.

For more information watersedgechurch.net

101

December

Lottie Moon Offering

for International Missions

We must keep in mind the reason He came. He came to show us God’s love for us, that He wants a relationship with all people. Jesus established the church so His people could join with Him in sharing that precious message of God’s love – the ultimate Good News. When we read Matthew 28, we see we are to take God’s message to all peoples, every ethnic group, throughout the world. In Romans 10, we read that sending missionaries is a part of that process. Southern Baptists send missionaries around the world through our International Mission Board, which is run by trustees from cooperating churches. These some 5,000 missionaries are working with nearly 800 of those ethnic groups to whom Matthew 28:18-20 calls us to go and tell about Jesus. The SBC of Virginia support these missionaries through our Cooperative Program. Yet, in December each year we also contribute to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions. The offering is named for one of the early pioneer missionaries to China, who also worked tirelessly to rally more Baptist support for missions.

102

Lottie Moon was right in believing that supporting missionaries is not optional! It’s an essential part of why we have churches in the first place. The more we give, the more missionaries we can send and the more obedient we are to the Lord’s clear instructions. Let us prayerfully think on that as we consider the amount to put in our Lottie Moon Offering checks this year. MC

Missionary Highlight Heather and Cara, IMB Missionaries Madagascar Madagascar is an island of mountains and rain forests that sits on the east side of Africa. It is home to more than 19 million people. Some of the people have become Christians, but more than half still follow traditional beliefs. Two of our missionaries who serve here, who weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll call Heather Walker and Cara Simpson, are focused on reaching the Tanala people. The two women often have to trek through heavy rain forests to get to villages to witness. But they say the hardest part of their ministry is the blank stares they see when they start to talk about Jesus. They face opposition from witch doctors who do not want to lose the control they have over the people. Pray that the Lord will give Heather and Cara His leadership as they hike long hours in order to witness. Pray the Tanala people will turn from their spirit worship to the one true God, revealed to us by Jesus Christ, His Son. 103

December

15th

Moth, rust, and termites...

“... store up for yourselves treasures in heaven...” Matthew 6:20

The following happened in India during 2011. A bank in Barabanki, southeast of New Delhi, had stored millions of rupees in a currency chest. When bank workers opened the box in April, they were horrified to find that most of the paper rupees had been reduced to dust by termites! The bank manager acknowledged the bank had been struggling with an enormous termite problem. It was feared the lost cash could be worth the equivalent of more than U.S. $9 million, based on how much cash is typically stored in such currency chests. While this is a sad story for whoever owned the cash, it illustrates perfectly what Jesus warned about in Matthew 6:19-21. In this passage, He warned His followers not to store up treasures on Earth, “where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.” “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” When we Christians give to our churches, and when we and our churches support missions, whether across the street or state, across the country or around the world, we truly invest in efforts with eternal results. For Southern Baptists, our Cooperative Program remains one of the best methods ever devised for storing up treasures in Heaven. It’s termite-proof! MC

104

Missionary Highlight Zeek & Rohan, I MB Missionaries India India is the world’s second largest country in population. Hinduism is the predominant faith, but many Baptists do not realize India also has the world’s largest Muslim population. Driving on India’s roads is mostly busy, dangerous and difficult. Here’s what happened to one of our missionaries, who we’ll call Zeek. As he was driving with Rohan, a new believer, a car bumped theirs and kept going. When Zeek and Rohan arrived at their destination, five angry college students surrounded them. They were in the car that bumped Zeek’s; they demanded $125 (in Indian rupees, of course) for car repairs, though the accident was their fault. Zeek eventually handed over that amount of money to the students, which made Rohan furious. It was NOT Zeek’s fault, he insisted. But Zeek used the incident to explain Christian values to the new Christian. Jesus taught His followers to turn the other cheek when wronged. Zeek prayed with Rohan right then and there, asking God to show the students the error of their ways. When Zeek got back home, he found five new friend requests waiting for him on Facebook. The five students wrote that they felt badly about what they had done. But they were impressed at how respectfully Zeek had treated them. The next weekend, Zeek and Rohan met the students at the same parking lot where they had taken Zeek’s money. Zeek explained to them how Jesus enabled him to treat people differently. They did not accept Christ, but they moved much closer to doing so. Pray that the students will indeed come to faith in Christ and that Rohan will continue to learn about following his Savior. Zeek is able to serve – and drive – in India because of our support through the Cooperative Program.

105

December

22nd

The stewardship of remembering

“... I have brought the first of the produce of the ground which You, O Lord have given me. ” Deuteronomy 26:10

Deuteronomy 26 sets forth one of the early teachings on stewardship. Upon arriving near the Promised Land, the Israelites were told to set aside some of the first fruits of their crops for God. As to why they should do this, the chapter recounts how the Israelites were suffering in Egypt and called out to God for deliverance. God responded by bringing them out of Egypt “with signs, and with wonders” and brought them to a land flowing with milk and honey. The Israelites were to keep God’s statutes and judgments and be His “peculiar people.” They were to give the first of their crops to God because it was their part of the relationship to do so. God had performed miracles to bring them out of captivity; it was a small thing He asked, considering all He had done for them! It is the same with Christians. As we remember the priceless deliverance we received in salvation through Christ, giving a tenth or more of our income to the church seems a small response on our part. Yet, the Bible repeatedly affirms our giving is important in God’s sight. MC

106

Missionary Highlight Justin & Amy, IMB Missionaries Middle East Many people in the Middle East are coming to faith in Christ, but life can be hard for believers there. Two of our missionaries serving in a Middle Eastern country, we’ll call them Justin and Amy, tell of Amal, a Christian single mother. She was beaten by her own brothers, held at gunpoint by a neighbor and forced to leave her home twice because of war raging in her city. She has struggled to make ends meet while out of a job. Our missionaries have encouraged and helped Amal, sometimes helping her pay the rent. In return, she has helped them sharpen their Arabic language skills so they can witness more effectively to people living here. Pray that Amal’s faith will grow and sustain her through life’s difficult times. Pray that Justin and Amy will see great results as they share their faith. Our missionaries are making a difference throughout the Middle East because we support them through our Cooperative Program.

>>> This Middle Eastern woman has lived through many changes in her country. Will her children and grandchildren live to see a time when the Gospel can be shared freely? Pray for that day!

107

December

Presence makes a difference

“I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work...” john 17:4

The other day I tried, without success, to help one of my daughters find her way around some traffic over the phone. The only problem was that I was not sure where she was located or the exact direction she was traveling — and neither was she. She was lost and no matter how much we talked and how loud we got, I could not help her because I was not in the car with her. In that situation my presence could have made a big difference. God’s presence with us also makes a difference. The glory of God represents His manifest holy presence. He became flesh and lived amid a sinful world (see John 1:14). He now manifests His presence through His Spirit, Who lives in His followers. The Comforter, the Holy Spirit, displays the glory of God to and through His people. The presence of God’s glory cannot be substituted. No matter how hard we try, the spiritual work of God cannot take place apart from His presence through His Spirit. As He is present, the body becomes united and the world begins to believe in the Father’s love and that Jesus is the Christ. Because of His presence, the lost can find their way. Give thanks today for God’s presence! CS 108

Missionary Highlight Dick Price, IMB Missionary Disaster Relief in South America Whether it’s a tsunami in Sri Lanka or earthquake in South America, the SBC of Virginia often respond through the amazing Disaster Relief ministry, or through our international missionaries we support through our Cooperative Program. After a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Chile in 2010, our missionary Dick Price, who serves in that South American country, responded mightily. Price’s background makes him uniquely qualified to respond to such a disaster. He is a psychologist who served in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years and has served 10 years as missionary in Chile. Price traveled to the earthquake zone 14 times over six months following the earthquake. He helped survivors deal with post-traumatic stress during two-hour presentations that emphasized sharing the emotional load. He ministered to some 4,000 people, including 37 medical professionals and nearly 500 civil defense personnel.“In every talk, a clear statement was made about God’s promise in Romans 8:38-39 that nothing, not even death, can separate us from His love in Christ Jesus,” Price said. Sharing the hope of Jesus Christ during disasters like this is often part of the ministry our missionaries overseas and across our nation perform. Our churches enable such responses as we give through our Cooperative Program. 109

2013 Offering Dates

March 3-10 Annie Armstrong Easter Offering for North American Missions www.anniearmstrong.com

April 14 Cooperative Program Sunday www.sbcv.org/articles/category/cooperative_program

September 22-29 Vision Virginia State Missions Offering & Week of Prayer www.sbcv.org/articles/category/vision_virginia

December 1-8 Lottie Moon Offering for International Missions www.imb.org 110

SBC of Virginia Dr. Brian Autry, Executive Director 4956 Dominion Blvd â&#x20AC;˘ Glen Allen, VA 23060 (888) 234-7716 â&#x20AC;˘ (804) 270-1848 www.sbcv.org The missions and ministries of the SBC of Virginia are made possible through your gifts through the Cooperative Program and the Vision Virginia State Missions Offering.