The Messenger - Fall 2012 by General Baptist Ministries

By Clint Cook

It was a moment I never hope to forget. It left me speechless. I was sitting in my church office in Springfield, Illinois when I noticed an e-mail hit my Inbox. It was the announcement from the Executive Council of my appointment as Interim Executive Director. As a pastor and preacher, I have always been keenly aware when God’s people pray for me, but I was not prepared for what I felt that morning. It seemed like wave after wave of God’s presence washed over me and I knew my General Baptist family was now praying for me. It is an honor and privilege for me to be able to serve in this position. I have already had the opportunity to tour many of our churches that I have not previously visited. These tours in Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan have shown me what a blessing God has given us in these and other fine facilities. As General Baptists, we have so much of which we can be proud. I am very grateful for the warm reception I have received from leaders who have attended one of several get-acquainted sessions. So far nearly 100 churches have been represented. Knowing that I serve side-by-side with the leaders God has given General Baptists causes me to believe our best days are ahead of us. I absolutely agree with Dr. Murray that there is a “fresh wind blowing”, that we have “rounded the corner, have made the turn, and are not turning back!” Everyone who attended Dr. Murray’s Lifetime Achievement Celebration at The Summit heard him challenge all of us as fellow soldiers of the cross. He said, “Don’t quit.” Then with emphasis he added, “Don’t you quit!” A few minutes later he insisted, “Don’t quit! I mean it when I say, ‘Don’t quit!’” I know I left the Summit with a greater passion to represent His people with honor and integrity, to believe that my work and our ministry as General Baptists are not done yet, and that there is a world that still needs to hear of a Savior’s love and His plan of salvation. General Baptists can look to the future with confidence. Because we believe in a risen Savior, we know that God’s power and His Word remain as effective today in our world, at this hour, and for this generation, as they have ever been. Therefore, when we pray, when we envision all that God has planned for us, we can dream big! We can pray audacious prayers of faith! So dare to dream a big dream with me because our God is able! Let’s dream and work for our churches to once again be overflowing with the freshly redeemed. Let our baptistries, pools, creeks, and lakes once again be used to make disciples every Sunday – and I believe Christ meant every Sunday. May full parking lots again communicate to our communities that we are not going out of business, but that the local General Baptist church is alive and on mission! I believe God has uniquely positioned us around the world for such a time as this! He has set before us an open door. He has commissioned us to go through that door into a plentiful harvest. Let us take up the challenge from our 2012 Missions & Ministry Summit Moderator Luther Rhodes that the reporting of General Baptist churches would reflect No More Zeros! Let us press on until each church reaches its full redemptive potential and we win the world for Christ.

Clint Cook is the Interim Executive Director of the General Association of General Baptists. 3

Mission One Discipleship Discipleship: Being born of the Spirit, the disciple manifests mature love to God by becoming like Christ toward others, in union with the Body of Christ, for the redemption of the world. Within these pages we have included a few articles addressing the making of disciples. Much greater detail and more specific suggestions are available from our 2013 Mission One Plan Book: Discipleship downloadable at www.gbmissionone.org or available as Resource CD or Hard Copy from Congregational Ministries at 573-785-7746 or by e-mail at cmofc@generalbaptist.com 6

Spiritual Growth Requires Spiritual Birth or more than a generation now church leaders have benefited from a simple diagram of concentric circles. These circles represent different groups of people and their relationship to spiritual growth and maturity.

• A COMMUNITY person is committed to NOT ATTENDING church/worship services • A CROWD person is committed to ATTENDING church/worship services at least occasionally • A CONGREGATION person is committed to a SMALL GROUP • A COMMITTED person is committed to HABITS necessary for spiritual growth. • A CORE person is committed to MINISTRY

The point of the diagram is that a church must grow from the outside of the circle to the inside. Unlike a board game that allows jumping across the boundaries, the kind of spiritual growth that drives one to ministry requires a process, stages, and development over time. While this time may be longer for some than for others there is a beginning point on the journey that must always remain the focus. Spiritual growth toward spiritual maturity cannot begin apart from spiritual birth. As evangelical believers this is a core element of our theology. The Scripture teaches that people must be born again and that there is no other avenue for this new birth than a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

A few important questions highlight any church’s progress in the development of disciples.

1. Are people from our community regularly crossing the line into our crowd? Are visitors, guests and “new folks” a regular part of our fellowship? 2. Are people from our crowd stuck in isolation from small group connections that are so essential to personal development? What intentional steps are being undertaken to help people develop personal spiritual habits? 3. Is there an intentional strategy to teach and develop spiritual habits? 4. Is ministry restricted to a few faithful long-term servants or do avenues exist to include everyone in ministry? 5. Do our plans for spiritual growth focus only on the few near the center or do they reach that target audience on the border between the community and the crowd?

For more information on enhancing spiritual growth in a local congregation download 2013 Mission One Plan Book: Discipleship at www.gbmissionone.org or contact Congregational Ministries at 573-785-7746 or by e-mail at cmofc@ generalbaptist.com.

all and lanky his ready smile and modest drawl betray his Kentucky origins. His coal black hair betrays the legacy of a great grandmother from Cuba who changed the gene pool of the Norwegian Vaughts. But when you find him in his pulpit as the Lead Pastor of Jackson, Missouri’s Connection Point, Dr. Chris Vaught betrays himself as a man called by God to passionately proclaim the Gospel. Dr. Chris preaches at each of the morning worship services every week. He often uses a series approach to his sermons with life application sermons that explore a central theme or topic across several weeks. Whether it is proclaimed in the traditional service at 8:30 a.m. or in the contemporary service at 10:45 a.m. the effect is the same. In each setting he still proclaims the truth of the Word of God applied to life in the here and now. Then twice each year Dr. Chris goes deep into the content of the Scripture or the theology of the church in his Deep Bible Conference. Deep Bible Conference is not just another typical sermon as part of a general worship event. These conferences are held on Friday evenings from 7:00-10:00 p.m. Short breaks are planned throughout the evening but participants know not to wander too far away because the teaching segments resume promptly. Months of preparation are needed to master the topic, compose the lessons, prepare a participant’s notebook and develop a presentation that is engaging and interactive. The DEEP Bible Conference is an in-depth Bible study on selected topics. The threehour format allows for a study that delves more completely into passages and topics than the Sunday morning worship time allows. Each participant is given a three-ring binder with fill-in-the-blank teaching notes. The conferences are conducted on Friday evenings and are presented in a very casual atmosphere, allowing for refreshments and a fellowship break every hour. The use of tables limits the seating capacity quite a bit, so free tickets are given away on a first-come-first-served basis. Because of the popularity of these conferences, seating has been increased and still the tickets are snatched up quickly. What motivates these marathon sessions? Dr. Chris says, “Our motivation for the DEEP Bible conference is twofold. For one, Biblical illiteracy, we are finding many have a set of beliefs, but cannot define or defend their beliefs Biblically. Second, we are finding that the ideology of relativism is leaving people empty and searching for truth. People are hungry for truth. They want to know there is an answer to the hard questions of life and eternity, even if the answer isn’t popular, as long as it is presented and explained. Shortly after my arrival in Southeast Missouri, I began to pick up on this reoccurring desire among people I was having simple conversations with. This hunger was found among both the young and the elderly, the Christ-follower and the non Christ-follower. Their hunger was for a deeper knowledge of the Word of God. Our motivation for the DEEP Bible conferences is to help fill their spiritual hunger with a consistent source of Gospel truth. “

“The response has been more incredible than we could have imagined. We host the event on a Friday night and require pre-registration. We don’t make attending the event easy. This night is for those who are serious about growing deeper in the Christian faith. To our astonishment, the event is completely full every time we host it. We have seen people from all walks of society sitting with open Bibles saturating their hearts with the Word of God. After each event I have had individuals walk up to me and make comments such as, “I’ve never understood a Bible passage like this before.” “This Bible study really makes the Bible come to life for me.” The sessions are videotaped and sold for $10.00 each to cover expenses. At the end of each event, many of the participants pre-order a set of DVD’s for themselves and to share with friends and family. That’s exciting to see.” Tickets are required so participants must plan in advance to get a ticket from the church office or pick one up at church on Sunday. The tickets are free but they are required so the office staff can produce adequate notebooks and so the capacity of the room will not be exceeded. Dr. Chris will do it again on Friday, November 16 when the worship center, originally designed as an activity building will be reset. The chairs now in rows will give way to tables and chairs. The room will be filled with eager learners and the pastor will teach on the topic “The Bible: Where Did It Come From? How Do I Study It?” The hope of these studies can be summed up by Paul in Ephesians 3:17b-19: “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge —that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

bout 18 months ago Pastor Josh Carpenter implemented a new system of Growth Groups for adults offered alongside traditional Sunday School classes. The result has been an increase in participation and greater spiritual maturity. These Growth Groups are profiled on the church web site www.wearerisen.org.

Why did Risen choose a Growth Groups system for discipleship? Sunday School served our church well for many years. It continues to serve our church well with certain demographics. Adults who are currently involved in Sunday School still want to be involved in it. Our traditional Sunday School, however, no longer attracted and enlisted new attenders to the worship service. These new folks were not coming into a classroom where they could learn more about the Bible, faith, and create new relationships. We found that Sunday School classes could be intimidating to new-comers. Since the class had been together several years, members had close relationships with shared stories and life experiences that made it difficult for new people to join in and get connected. We needed a system that • continued to teach the Bible in effective ways, • offered the opportunity for new attenders to join in, and also • engaged current attenders in continued discipleship. After being introduced to a semester based small group system through Next Level Coaching, we determined this to be the best choice for our church. We continue to offer two traditional Sunday School classes for adults who prefer the traditional method.

How do Growth Groups work at Risen? The idea behind Growth Groups is to have groups that form on certain dates and dissolve on certain dates. This allows new attenders to begin a group when the group begins placing them on the same footing as everyone else in the group. By having an ending date, each group member will be clear as to the time commitment they are making to the group. We do not follow a semester calendar strictly. Instead we time our Growth Group sessions to begin around our “Big Days” on our church calendar. Our groups last between 8-12 weeks with an occasional session lasting only 6 weeks. Growth Groups meet on Sunday mornings during what is considered the “Sunday School Hour” and on Sunday and Wednesday evenings. Depending upon the topic or curriculum some groups may be age specific, gender specific, or may be designed to minister to people at a certain level of spiritual maturity. As one session begins to wind down, Growth Groups catalogs for the next session are made available to the congregation in print form and through our website. The catalogs list the Growth Groups available including the title of the course, a short description, the group’s leader, the location, time, the materials that will be needed and their cost. People may sign up for classes online or through the Connection Card on Sunday mornings. On a Sunday between sessions when no groups meet we often have a Growth Group Expo in which leaders make displays for their groups in our Activity Building and make themselves available to answer questions about the group. After groups are formed leaders are responsible for organizing and communicating with their Growth Group members. 10

What are some results of Growth Groups at Risen Church? The primary purpose behind our change to Growth Groups was to engage more people in the discipleship process and that has happened. From the very first session people who had never moved out of the worship service into a study group have join Growth Groups. The process of new groups forming on a regular basis also creates excitement and openness to new attendees. After using this system for over a year now, I believe the spiritual maturity and biblical literacy of the congregation has improved. Members are exposed to different topics, teaching methods, and leaders on a regular basis. This gives them the opportunity to stretch and expand their faith and understanding.

Are there any draw backs to this system of discipleship? What our system of Growth Groups is missing is that traditional, ongoing Sunday School classes have is the opportunity to build intimate long term relationships through weekly study and sharing. The fellowship aspect of Sunday School classes and semester based Growth Groups are different. You don’t create close relationships in a twelve week period. Our continuing challenge is to focus on creating more fellowship events and ministry opportunities that connect people in a way that allows them to grow closer in their relationships over a longer period of time.

Discipleship Essentials by Greg Ogden. Intervaristy Press, 2007. Discipleship Essentials was conceived for the purpose of recalibrating where we set the bar of discipleship. In the introduction the author writes: “What are the basics a follower of Jesus needs to practice as spiritual disciplines (part 1), comprehend as core biblical and theological truth (part 2), become in terms of character and lifestyle (part 3) and do to engage the church and the world (part 4)? This is the content, but what is the context? One of the key issues here is—how are disciples made? Disciples…are made in relationships through personal, eyeball-toeyeball invitations.” Jesus’ pattern of disciple-making was to be intimately involved with others and allow life to rub against life. By gathering in twos or threes to study the Bible and encourage one another, we most closely follow Jesus’ example with the twelve disciples. This guidebook by Greg Ogden is a tool designed to help you follow the pattern Jesus drew for us. Working through it will deepen your knowledge of essential Christian teaching and strengthen your faith. Each week contains the following elements:

• a core truth presented in a question-answer format • a memory verse and accompanying study • a field-tested inductive Bible study • a reading on the theme for the week • questions to draw out key principles in the reading.

The material is designed for groups of three. It has also been used successfully as an individual study program, a oneon-one discipling tool and small group curriculum. Jesus had a big enough vision to think small. Focusing on a few did not limit his influence. Rather, it expanded it. Discipleship Essentials is designed to help us influence others as Jesus did—by investing in a few.

Re-thinking (True) Discipleship reprinted by permission from “From the Field.” SimplyYouthMinistry.com. 30 July 2012

he term discipleship is used today without much vigor and has lost its biblical meaning, seriousness, and true sense of calling in most contexts. Typically when we use the term discipleship it’s not how Jesus used it. I’ve been studying a passage that has brought this reality out in my own life. My thought about how this applies to me is the basis for this article. Luke 9:57-62 gives insights into what it took for Jesus to disciple someone. A man comes to Jesus and says he will follow Jesus wherever he went. Jesus stops, looks at this man and says, “Foxes have holes and birds have nests but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Essentially he told him he had to leave his home, to abandon the comforts he knew, and give up his standard of living. Immediately after this, Jesus looks at another man and says, “Follow me.” Responding differently this man says, “First permit me to go bury my father.” The issue for this man was his inheritance and finances. He wanted to wait until he had a little financial security, then he would follow Christ. Jesus harshly replies saying, “Let the dead bury the dead, but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.” Still another man said to Jesus, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” In other words, it’s now or never. The reality was if this man decided to follow Jesus there was no turning back to consider the family he left behind. Let’s be honest, this is a far cry from how we typically define discipleship. 12

Intellectual Gymnastics

Each of these men had something he either didn’t want to give up or had to do first. Comfortable home, financial security and family: if these don’t exactly describe what we value in America I don’t know what does. Each man had a “but first,” something they held higher than being a true disciple (i.e. follower) of Jesus. To be discipled by Christ meant you put his values and pursuits above all else. There was no such thing as a “but first.” You were to follow him and trust he knew what he was doing, even if it didn’t make rational sense to you. If you weren’t willing to do these things you simply couldn’t be discipled by him. He wouldn’t allow anyone to reduce his standard. Our culture calls this “radical” and typically rationalizes to bring balance to this concept. But Christ didn’t balance it here or anywhere else in Scripture. In Matthew 16:24 Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Doesn’t it seem what we refer to as radical today, Jesus simply called a disciple? Parents tell kids, “get your education first, then...” Couple’s say, “let me get through the wedding first, then...” Businessmen say, “I’ve been so busy at work, let me get past this season first, then...” We could go on and on with “but first’s” in Christian culture today. How does Jesus’ thinking of discipleship compare to ours?

Discipleship or Christian Bubble?

Most often when I’ve talked about discipling someone I was referring to a formal meeting with them once a week, giving them more knowledge than they had before, helping them develop a routine of prayer and Bible reading, having them lead somehow in church events or gatherings, and making sure their behavior is appropriate for a “leader.” This thinking is very typical in our churches and youth ministries. Basically, our definition means little more than bringing kids further into Christian culture. Our hearts aren’t bad nor our motivations, but the truth is we’ve allowed an extremely high calling of true discipleship to be reduced to moving kids into the Christian bubble. The reality is my definition hasn’t matched Christ’s. Far too many of us have fallen into a comfortable American concept of discipleship and have consequently led students away from (truly) following Christ. Right now you might be thinking some of the same things that have run through my mind: does this mean I have to sell everything? Where does this process end? Is it right for me to own a home? Is it ok for me to have anything then? Asking these questions shows we’re thinking, but I would like to encourage you to be very careful. Our tendency is to ask these questions to justify our current lifestyle. We rationalize so we don’t have to change anything in our lives. We must take steps of faith, truly seeking to live up to the standard that Christ sets no matter how uncomfortable it may be – regardless of what that may mean. We then must show our students how we live as a (true) disciple and say to them, “follow me as I follow Christ.” The thought of saying that to someone has always seemed weird and extremely arrogant. The truth is I have never made that statement because I knew I wasn’t living it. I was afraid of having to live up to that statement. However, I’m beginning to change the way I live and think about what it means to (truly) follow Christ. I think other’s are as well, and saying that to people and backing it up with my life seems more like true discipleship than ever before. It is far beyond a weekly meeting, class, or developing a religious routine. Simply Youth Ministry is here to equip, connect, and recharge youth workers with the tools, relationships, and confidence they need to help teenagers develop a committed relationship with Jesus Christ.

very church has a plan for making disciples. Many times this plan could be described as accidental in that every new disciple must simply fend for himself to find avenues for spiritual growth and maturity. Often the disciple making plan in a local church will be incidental and on the occasion that a new believer is discovered then steps are taken to assist in spiritual growth. Growing churches will have an intentional plan for discipleship with identified steps and processes to enhance individual and corporate spiritual growth.

An intentional Ministry Action Plan (MAP) for discipleship might include the following 10 steps.

1. Conversion

• • • •

Big Day Evangelism Planned Effective Follow Up Engaged (see Nelson Searcy Fusion) Attractional Preaching Series Conducted New Believer Follow-up o New Believer Letter o New Believer Bible o Baptism Brochure

2. Baptism/Membership: Discipleship Class 101 An Introduction to Discipleship

• • • •

Who will teach the class? How frequently will it be offered? How will participants be recruited? Who will recruit participants?

3. Teaching Spiritual Habits: Discipleship Class 201 Discovering Spiritual Maturity

• • • •

Who will teach the class? How frequently will it be offered? How will participants be recruited? Who will recruit participants?

4. Discipleship Class 301 Discovering My Ministry

• • • •

Who will teach the class? How frequently will it be offered? How will participants be recruited? Who will recruit participants?

5. Discipleship Class 401 Discovering My Life Mission

• • • •

Who will teach the class? How frequently will it be offered? How will participants be recruited? Who will recruit participants?

6. Worship Services and Discipleship

• • •

How will regular attendance be encouraged and monitored? Which sermon series will deal with life application of Christian principles/worldview? How often will the larger congregation be called to activities that will result in personal spiritual growth? o Bible Reading Challenges o Prayer Ministries o Scripture Memory o Life Application Preaching

7. Small Group Strategies for Discipleship

• • • • •

Will new groups be formed? Who will lead the new groups? How will new attenders be recruited? When will groups meet? What topics or curriculum will be used to guide the new believers?

8. Mentoring and One-on-One Discipleship

• • • •

How will mentors be selected? Who will train the mentors? What outcomes are desired from the mentoring/one-on-one process? How long will the mentoring/one-on-one process last?

9. Every Member in Ministry

• What ministry positions are now available and how many people are currently serving? • Who will recruit new participants into existing ministry positions? • Who will recruit new participants into newly created ministry positions?

10. Calling Out The Called

• • • •

I do and you watch. I do and you help. You do and I help. You do and I watch.

Three Arenas of Growth

hysical and mental ability in our children can be measured in a variety of ways. Most often we measure chronologically as we celebrate birthdays and count the years by counting the candles on a cake. Physical dexterity is an important measure of ability. It is quite an accomplishment for a youngster to hold up one or two fingers to mark those birthdays. Development milestones are also important. Early in life children can anticipate birthdays, plan for gifts, and countdown to the first day of school. Growth within a local church can also be measured in a variety of ways. Most often it is measured numerically. We count people because people count. Numerical growth simply put, means that the number of people counted this time exceeds the number of people counted last time. Generally these numbers are comparisons from year to year. This allows the number to be evened out over the usual flow of high and low attendance days. Numerical growth is not only the most frequent measure of church growth, it is also the easiest and most manageable measure of growth. On the other hand the most difficult arena for growth in any established church is the arena of institutional growth. Adapting traditional structures, roles, and responsibilities to the changing needs of a growing church is the most difficult assignment most church leaders ever face. Yet change is a must as we press into the future since what got us where we are will not get us where we are going. A third measure of growth is incarnational growth. Measuring this aspect of growth is rather difficult since the desired outcomes of a changed heart, mind, and spirit cannot readily be scored on a test or recorded on a chart. Incarnational or spiritual growth is at the heart of the disciple making process. More than an emotional response, incarnational growth refers to personally and corporately becoming more like Jesus. A good description of this incarnational lifestyle may be found in Matthew 25 “you did it to one of the least of these” and Philippians 2 “let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” Incarnational growth—becoming more like Jesus—will only result when believers give themselves to those tasks and disciplines of worship, study, prayer, witness, and service typified by the Lord Jesus himself. Wise church leaders who consistently provide opportunities for these kinds of connections will see spiritual growth in the congregation that in turn produces numerical and institutional growth. For more information on enhancing spiritual growth in a local congregation download 2013 Mission One Plan Book: Discipleship at www.gbmissionone.org or contact Congregational Ministries at 573-7857746 or by e-mail at cmofc@generalbaptist.com.

Three faithful servants have recently produced books based on their own life experiences. Ordering information is included below.

Memoirs of a Missionary Mom by Lavon Linhart, purchase

from the author at her e-store address http//www.createspace. com/3828696 or from Amazon.com. Many people have wondered what missionary life is all about. Who are those people who leave families and home to follow such feelings that can only be defined as a call from God? It is hoped that through my simple story of a missionary mom, others may be inspired to listen more intently to the voice of God and be willing to step out on faith to serve Him. This story intentionally shares some of the normal things of life, but also includes some of the more intense moments filled with such trauma, danger and personal pain, that it still brings to the surface personal feelings of anxiety so closely associated with them.

Life through the Seasons by John Comer, purchase from the

publisher iUniverse by calling 800-288-4677 or you may also order from www.iuniverse.com. There was a time when life seemed simple and not so complicated. In this personal memoir, John Comer reflects on those times through the eyes of a farm boy growing up in rural Missouri during the 1940s and 1950s. In this evocative narrative, Comer has captured the flavor of the time and has brought it to life. Sometimes tried and tested, his family learned to value the troubling times as well as the good. Faith and determination formed the foundation of his being; Life through the Seasons illustrates those simple times.

Eleven~Then There Were Nine by Dr. Ray Phelps, order from

the author by e-mail at revphelps@sbcglobal.net. To keep the family story alive Ray Phelps has offered some genealogical research, interviews, and a collection of memories. The memories come from his immediate family and chronicle its survival during the Great Depression and World War II. The stories recount how a family of nine managed to overcome some adverse times with the help of great Christian parents who were determined to make sure that their children became good citizens of the United States, the church, and the local community. Read any good books lately? If so, send us your review. Be sure to include title, author and date of publication and your insights from the book in a short e-mail to franklin.dumond@ generalbaptist.com.

Summit Quotes Sharon Jaynes We all need the hope and healing of Jesus Christ.

Sharon Jaynes

One of the questions people ask when coming to those doors of your church is “Can I trust the God you are talking about?” Even if you are so insignificant to your own family yet you are the one God has chosen to do extraordinary things. David threw the rock but God killed the giant.

Ed Stetzer

I live in a world that is broken, that is fundamentally out of repair. I live where the Kingdom of God is not fully here but the Kingdom is here because he has redeemed you and me. The Kingdom has not fully come but Jesus says it is here. Jesus had a plan that we would fish for men in the meanwhile. I am burdened deeply because as Baptists there were times they would arrest us for preaching the gospel, when they would bind us and throw us into the river for baptizing converts and we would sink to the bottom because of the stones they would attach. There were times we would be known for the aggression we had for sharing the love of Christ, the good news of the gospel. It seems we have lost the great passion that birthed our movement…and we’ve lost the urgency of living between the times as Jesus walked down a beach and said to a couple of guys ‘Come follow me and I will make you fish for men.’ Most churches want to grow; they just don’t want to change. They made a decision to make some changes to the nets they were going to use to fish for me. The baptistery broke years before there was any need to fix it.

Stan Toler

In the Civil War, East Tennessee became the rebellion against the rebellion. We are East Tennessee to the world that is in rebellion to a good and gracious God. We have become the rebellion to the rebellion. One of the things I found when I became a Christian in a largely non-Christian environment was the need for intentional on-going fishing, of being fishers of men and women because we love Jesus and we want people to come to faith in him. You cannot lead what you do not live. People quote this wonderful phrase. It goes like this, it is attributed to St. Frances: share the gospel, if necessary use words. There are only two problems with that. Number one, St. Frances never said it, and number two, it is really bad theology. Other than that quote it everywhere!

Stan Toler

Alan Nelson

Christ put a love in my heart for his people…Love is the goal of all church ministry…You can build a church when people like each other. If you are part of this General Baptist movement why don’t you just fall in love with the General Baptist family again? Just embrace it. Support its missionary causes. Get on board. The Old 5th Avenue Church showed compassion and all three Toler brothers came to Christ and felt a call to ministry. I am a Christian today because they cared enough to share the gospel. We need to not only give a cup of cold water but do it in Jesus’ name and win the world to Jesus Christ.

Alan Nelson

I like that bottom line, smarter fishermen. I thought it was very intuitive, very wise, because how do we fish smarter? Most of us grew up in an era when it wasn’t that hard to grow a church, to lead someone to the Lord. But how do we do it in a smarter fashion? You can’t just go out with the same bait and catch different fish.

We must think Window of Opportunity. Moldable vs. Moldy We must think Stewardship. 4 of 10 people in church are children but we spend $7 of every $8 on adults. We must think Head Start. What if we gave the New Generation a head start? Smarter fishermen like the men of Issachar, understand the times. Jesus knew what would outlast big ministry. It was investing in 12 people and we are the residual of that today.

t a Lifetime Achievement Luncheon in his honor Dr. James Murray was welcomed with a standing ovation as he entered the room in his wheelchair. He was presented with awards and recognition from Van Buren, Missouri, the State of Missouri, The United States House of Representatives, and a grateful denomination. He asked for a few minutes to share and launched into a classic sermon, excerpts of which are included. For nearly 15 minutes he reflected on his past, offered his thanks to those assembled and then concluded with… …You shall run and not be weary. You shall walk and not be faint. Don’t quit. Don’t you quit! The Apostle Paul, there was no quit in him. He said it’s all trash to what I’ve found in Jesus Christ. No wonder when he came to the end of his life he said, “The time of my departure is at hand. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord shall give me and not to me only but to all of you that love his appearing.” He was saying, “Don’t quit!” The Bible says we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. What in the world are they looking at?...I believe they are all cheerleaders…and they’re saying “Don’t quit!” It’s not how you run but how you finish. The Bible says we press toward the mark of the high calling of Christ… John the Revelator sees a great multitude…who are these?...the voice from heaven said these are those who have come out of great tribulation and wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb. They didn’t quit! There was no quit in that group. We are not alone…I tell you folks don’t quit. Don’t quit, one quick moment in heaven’s going to be worth it all. Let’s walk hand in hand…and then one of those days we’ll hear words such as this: You know we’re closer to my house than yours. Don’t quit! I mean it when I say “Don’t quit!” Gary Baldus, I’ve got to ask a favor. Gary’s my buddy. He’s helped me a lot…Gary’s our new moderator when you meet in Tampa, Florida. Gary somewhere during that session of The Summit I want you to tell our people “DON’T QUIT!” Will you do that for me? Let’s turn around to each other and say “I ain’t quittin’!” Thank you. Thank you.

Summit Highlights And what an amazing Summit it was! We made new friends, worshipped our awesome God, went “fishing”, ran the wheels off some go-carts, ate a whole lot of pizza, and invested the love of Jesus into the lives of almost 500 kids in Springfield! Youth worship was punctuated with great energy, awesome live worship, and personal challenges. A huge moment in our services came on Tuesday morning when not only the youth but also the adults brought the names of people they knew needed Jesus to the cross and nailed them there! And we all believe that those people represented on those pieces of paper will one day meet Jesus in an awesome and life changing way because we were willing to “go fishing”. Another highlight of the week was our outreach event at the Springfield Boys and Girls Club. We were able to send three teams to all three SBGC locations and spend time and share Jesus with almost 500 kids! This was an incredible experience that not only impacted the kids of Springfield but also impacted our youth and youth leaders. They heard stories from these children of broken families, rough situations, abuse, and neglect. But those stories were met with our youth and leaders sharing the love of Jesus through their actions and words. One young man in our group did not want to go on the outreach. It was definitely out of his comfort zone. Shy and withdrawn he would barely say “Hi” to me. The night before the outreach he was so upset about going that he basically just stayed in his room. But his parents really felt like this was a huge moment in his life and insisted he go. I watched him Tuesday walk out of the building very nervous and upset. Later that afternoon I was waiting in the lobby for our teams to return and as they would come in I was giving high-fives to each teenager who came by me. And then from a distance I could see this young man running down the hall as fast as he could. He jumped and slapped my hand with excitement! Was this the same person who left earlier? I immediately went to his team leaders and asked what had happened. They all said while serving others he broke out of his shell and had a blast all day doing it! Life change...it speaks for itself!! This was just one of the many life-changing stories that came from Summit this year. We grew together, worshipped together, laughed together, and cried together. And most importantly we experienced Jesus together in an eternally life-changing way! I can speak for the entire Cross Point Church Team and say thanks again to all the parents who entrusted us with your kids for the week, as well as the Summit Staff for giving us the opportunity to have this incredible experience! 20

Ron Wallace, Lead Pastor - Cross Point Church

Our Summit kids enjoyed age appropriate worship along with a variety of on-site and offsite activities. Upon returning to the hotel one youngster was overheard reporting to his dad, “We saw a bat sleeping in a cave!” and “My bowling ball went ‘chug-a-chug-a, chug-a-chug-a’ and I scored a hundred.”

On a Mission How much do you really know about ninjas? I’m sure you think you know, but let me clear up one important myth. Some people think that ninjas poured slime on some turtles and raised them to be teenage mutant ninja turtles. That is completely false! The truth is ninjas poured slime on a rat named Splinter, trained him in the way of the Ninja, and then he trained the turtles to be the world’s most fearsome fighting teens. Ok, now that we have that cleared up. This year we’re changing the name of National Youth Conference to “Ninja Youth Conference: On a Mission.” The truth about ninjas is this: • Most ninjas were not from nobility, they were villagers and farmers who learned to fight for their own self-preservation. • Ninjas were valuable because they used non-traditional methods of warfare. • Ninja code valued accomplishing a mission by whatever means necessary. • Ninjas had the power and skills to turn the tide in any battle. We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NLT We are at war with evil. To be honest with you, I think we’re losing ground every day in this epic battle. The enemy attacks our students daily through TV, movies, music, internet, and friends. All of which slowly but surely wear down the moral defense of our students until finally there are no morals, there is no right or wrong, and they are left not knowing what to believe. Fellow Christ-Followers, we can’t afford to lose this battle! As our 2013 Summit theme says, it’s time to “Make War”. It’s time to get serious! It’s time to train up some Christian Ninjas that are ready to do whatever it takes, even use non-traditional methods, to accomplish the mission God has given us to make disciples. It’s time to train up some Christian Ninjas that have the power and skills to turn the tide in this battle that we are engaged in. It’s time for Ninja Youth Conference! Jeff Roth is Senior Pastor at Star General Baptist Church and Coordinator for the National Youth Conference.

Dr. Sam Ramdial, Deputy Director of General Baptist International Missions Praise the Lord that He is still calling people to missions and that General Baptist individuals and families are answering the call to go. John Piper has it right when he says there are three responses to the Great Commission, “Go, send, or disobey.” The Apostle Paul confronts us to respond to the challenge, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent?” Romans 10:14-16. Tuesday night, July 17, 2012, at the Mission & Ministry Summit in Springfield, Missouri, the following seven new missionaries were commissioned to missionary work in Saipan, The Philippines, Honduras, and a closed Moslem country.

Philippines: Keith and Carrie Bowers and their children (ckbowers510@comcast.net) are in the process of raising share support, will attend the Center for Intercultural Training, and a date will be established for their departure to the field. Keith will be teaming up with Josh Hammond to do training and leadership development at General Baptist Bible College, Matisalog Bible Institute and the 14 districts of the General Baptist Church of the Philippines. This family needs a substantial amount of share support to enable them to go to the field.

Saipan: Jason and Annie Warren and their daughter, Amelia (saipanpastor@gmail.com) have arrived in Saipan where Jason is teaching at our Saipan Community School and working with the Dickermans at the multi-congregation Saipan Church.

Honduras: A.J. Ford (fordandrew.ky@gmail.com). In addition to several others tasks, AJ will be managing the child sponsorship program, which is the chief means of financial support for Faith Home. He still has to complete mission orientation at the Center for Intercultural Training, then after a few weeks in Honduras this fall, he will go to language school in Guatemala. He needs additional share support.

Honduras: Christina Massey (cemassey@yahoo.com) arrived at Faith Home on July 31 and is serving as director of Faith Home Ministries with priorities for handling all monies and accounting along with looking after the spiritual development of each of the children.

Closed Muslim Country: Brother Danny The General Baptist Churches of the Philippines at their General Assembly commissioned Brother Danny in April of this year. The General Baptist churches in the Philippines and General Baptist International Missions jointly support him. He will be departing the Philippines for the field in September.

Philippines: Josh and Patricia Hammond (joshuaoverseas@ yahoo.com), along with their three children, have been reassigned from East Asia to the Philippines to be engaged in leadership development at General Baptist Bible College, Matisalog Bible Institute, and the 14 districts of the General Baptist Church of the Philippines. Their expected departure to the field is January 2013. They are still in need of additional share support.

East Asia: Becky Coomer (beckycoomer@yahoo.com) will be returning to East Asia later this year to do evangelism among the Moslems. She needs additional share support.

1. PRAY INTENTIONALLY FOR MISSIONARIES Intercessory prayer support is a simple but key thing that believers can do to support our missionaries. “All movements of the Spirit in China, within our experience, may be traced to prayer” said Jonathan Goforth, missionary to China. “Prayer is the mighty engine that is to move the missionary work.” -- A.B. Simpson Some specific things to pray for: • Safe travel: Our missionaries travel thousands of miles to the field and through difficult areas with rough roads. When they encounter mechanical problems with their vehicles it is not easy to get them repaired. Missionaries travelling with small children need extra patience and grace getting through airport security, customs, and immigration.

• Health and safety: Adjusting to tropical climate and getting proper medical attention in some countries can be challenging. There is always a need for protection from sickness, accidents, crime, natural disasters, and terrorists.

• Spiritual Health: Faced with competing demands the missionaries cannot afford to neglect their devotional times, regular worship, Bible study, and prayer. Because our missionaries are on the front line of the battle for lost souls, they face spiritual warfare from the enemy. Being away from their home country, friends, and loved ones, and faced with demanding ministry tasks can lead to discouragement.

• Teamwork and Unity: The number one reason most missionaries return home is because of conflict with other missionaries on the field. Pray for unity and teamwork and victory over jealousy, envy, bitterness, and conflict. Pray for success in the ministry tasks of evangelism, church planting, teaching, leadership development, discipleship, management, and vision casting. Pray for wisdom to develop effective ministry strategy and programs that will make a lasting difference in their respective fields.

2. COMMUNICATE WITH OUR MISSIONARIES THROUGH

• Facebook • Skype • Email • Signing up to receive their newsletters • Remembering their birthdays • Sending care packages especially during the holidays • Inviting them to your church when the missionaries are back in the States • Inviting them to visit over lunch or dinner if they are in your city • Going on a short-term missions trip to help the missionaries • Buying phone cards or minutes for the missionaries

3. SUPPORT MISSIONARIES FINANCIALLY THROUGH THE SHARE-SUPPORT PROGRAM Individuals, groups, and churches, commit a number of shares at $10 per share over a period of 12 to 24 months to support our missionaries. The amount of shares needed depends on the country, marital status, and other ministry needs. Share amounts range from 400 to 600 partners. This covers travel, equipment, transportation, rent, utilities, food, legal fees, missionary internship at Missionary Training Institute or Center for Intercultural Training, language school, airline tickets, health insurance, internet, computers, etc. The following individuals and families are in the process of raising shares: Hammonds, Bowers, A. J. Ford, and Becky Coomer. “God is pursuing with omnipotent passion a worldwide purpose of gathering joyful worshipers for Himself from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. He has an inexhaustible enthusiasm for the supremacy of His name among the nations. Therefore, let us bring our affections into line with His, and, for the sake of His name, let us renounce the quest for worldly comforts and join His global purpose.” -- John Piper 26

By Kris Yeomans, International Coordinator of Short-term Teams “Let’s stop here,” Arvind, my translator, spoke up as we were driving past a remote village. We saw another vehicle parked that belonged to some of our team members. I agreed and thought it would be a good idea to find Rich and Candace so we could all have lunch together. My ministry partner for the week, Jeanette, and I got out of the vehicle and began walking through the village, looking for them. We soon came across Pastor Oliver, Rich and Candace. We sat together behind a small hut and began eating our sack lunches. I asked Rich how his first morning in the remote villages of Northeast India had gone. He began sharing some stories and we all agreed that we were blessed to be able to share the gospel with people who had never even heard the name of Jesus before. The Holy Spirit moved and many people had accepted Christ that morning. We were thankful. After a few minutes, Pastor Oliver began speaking Hindi with someone who lived in the village where we were having lunch, and then he turned to us and said, “we are going to pray for someone in this village that is demon-possessed.” Suddenly, we all felt a little nervous and anxious about the situation. Rich jokingly asked me how my demon-exorcism skills were. Through a nervous chuckle, I responded that I didn’t have any of those skills. Approximately 5 minutes a later, a woman showed up, with her face covered by a veil. Rich and I continued to chat as Pastor Oliver began speaking with the woman. The woman responded in Hindi to Pastor Oliver, and we assumed he was asking her some questions and she was answering him. The conversation seemed to get more intense and loud, and then, all of a sudden, the woman, who was sitting in a chair, began to violently convulse. Her body stiffened and she began to fall backwards out of the chair, onto the ground. A young Indian man caught her so that she wouldn’t hit the ground too hard, and he slowly laid her on the ground, where she began rolling all over the ground, and shaking all over! Candace, Rich, Jeanette and I, along with Pastor Oliver, Arvind and some of our other Indian brothers, began praying very hard, all out loud. As I was praying, I remember thinking, “is this really happening? Could she have watched some televangelist and was putting on a show for us? This can’t be real!” All of these thoughts quickly left me as I focused in on the reality before me. We were in the middle of nowhere in India, where there was no electricity or running water, and I was in awe of a Mighty God Who was cleansing this woman of a demon right before my very eyes! As I continued to pray out loud, I had to ask forgiveness at that moment for my doubt and lack of faith, and then I began thanking God for allowing me to witness everything that was happening, as frightening as it was, because I was seeing the amazing power of Almighty God at work, and it was ASTONISHING! It seemed like we must have prayed for an hour, but it was probably more like 15 minutes. We all gathered around the woman and as we continued to pray, she slowly stopped shaking and rolling all over the ground. Pastor Oliver began speaking in English, saying, “Come out, come out of her!” After he repeated this over and over for a few minutes, the woman began to weep. She sat up, drank some water and sobbed very loudly for a few minutes. She began speaking to Pastor Oliver in Hindi, telling him that she felt such amazing relief! She said she had been overwhelmingly burdened by the evil presence for many years, and now she was delivered! We were all in awe of God and what He had done! That afternoon, most of us were exhausted after such intense praying. Jeanette, Arvind and I left that village and went on to another village to present the gospel. Rich and Candace remained there, with Pastor Oliver, to provide counseling, discipleship and help to the new believers in that village, along with the woman who had been set free. That night, our entire team of 50+ people met together and we all shared about what God had done. The next day, the woman who had been delivered shared her testimony with her village, and many people believed and accepted Christ! This trip challenged and strengthened my faith in ways you can’t even imagine! This amazing experience happened on a short-term mission trip to Banda, India, in July 2011. If you are interested in joining a shortterm mission team to India in 2013, please contact Kris Yeomans, International Coordinator, General Baptist International Missions, by calling 573-785-7746 or emailing him at kris@generalbaptist.com. 27

2012 Short Term Missions Teams – Jan.-June Jan 26 – Feb 2 Jan 26 – Feb 4 Feb 2 – Feb 9 Feb 9 – Feb 16 Feb 22 – March 1 March 2 – March 9 March 16 – March 23 March 16 – March 23 April 6 – April 13 April 20 – April 29 May 18 – May 25 May 25 – June 1 June 15 – June 22 June 15 – June 22

Honduras India Honduras Honduras Honduras Honduras Jamaica Honduras Honduras Philippines Honduras Honduras Honduras Jamaica

Education/Ministry Ministry/Evangelism Ministry/Evangelism Medical/Evangelism Construction/Ministry Construction/Evangelism Ministry/Evangelism Construction/Evangelism Construction/Evangelism Ministry/Evangelism Construction/Ministry Medical/Evangelism Medical/Evangelism Ministry/Evangelism

For more information contact Kris Yeomans, International Coordinator for Short-term Teams at kris@generalbaptist.com or 573-785-7746.

UPDATES FROM THE FIELD SAIPAN Sandy and I safely returned to the lovely island of Saipan, although it has rained everyday upon our arrival. I would love to send some of this rain back to the drought areas of the States, as I saw the great need while we where home. The new teachers have arrived and are doing great and we just completed our first week of school. We had our dedication and installation of our teachers and staff on Sunday and introduced everyone to the church family. Pray for eight more students to enroll to meet our enrollment goal. Thanks to everyone for their prayers on behalf of our health needs. As you know Greg broke his fibula in the left leg in two places our first week home this summer. Two days prior to our leaving the states, Greg dislocated his left shoulder requiring a trip to the ER. Pray for healing. Praise the Lord for answered prayer for a visit from I.N.S to complete Pastor Roger Abe’s application for his visa. Pray for quick approval of his application. Jason, Annie, and Amelia are making the adjustments to life here in Saipan. Jason has started his teaching assignments at the school. Greg and Sandy Dickerman HONDURAS My first few weeks at Faith Home have been a whirlwind of settling in my house, getting to know everyone better and learning all I can about the people God has allowed me to serve. In the midst of it all, I have enjoyed many ‘priceless’ moments with the children and young adults of Faith Home in which I have seen a glimpse of how God is transforming their lives. Dios es muy bueno! (God is very good!) Christina Massey, Director Faith Home, Honduras

HONDURAS We are nearing the end of our third quarter at The Little Angelsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; School. The students recently celebrated Lempira Day with native folk dances, songs, and foods. All in attendance enjoyed the program. Please pray for our principal/fifth and sixth grade teacher, Mr. Guillermo and his family. His wife underwent surgery for a brain tumor on the optic nerve earlier this year. Unfortunately, she did not regain her sight and needs radiation treatments to keep the tumor from returning. Also, please pray for Ms. Nadia, our first and second grade teacher who is expecting her first baby in December. Thank you for your prayers and support for the Little Angelsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; School at Faith Home. Robyn Shoulders INDIA Greetings. We are working among poor widows, children, and poor pastors here in Andhra Pradesh, India. Please pray for the Dorcas Sewing Centers and conversions between the Hindu and Muslim girls and women who are getting training in DSC. Please pray for Bible women, Pastors, and the widows Grace Home. Please pray for 10 to 20 young men to be trained in church planting and missions. Dr. Prakash and Jemmima JAMAICA During the week of August 18-23 the General Baptist Churches on the island gathered for their annual Association meetings and fellowship. Praise the Lord for reports of conversions and baptisms from the churches. Rudolph Lennards

PHILIPPINES Enrollment at General Baptist Bible College has grown by 20 percent with a total of 681 students from our pre-school and elementary, high school, and college departments. This means an increased ministry opportunity to train and equip young people for Christian service. Enrollment at Matisalog Bible Institute is at capacity with 40 students. The tree-planting project on the property has finally begun. We are looking forward to having the Hammond and Bowers families join us in our priority task of developing leaders for our churches. Joyce Porcadilla

By Dustin Thompson

Joshua chapter 20 seems a just random scripture, a story of Joshua implementing the instructions God gave to Moses. On October 10, 2010, at 3 a.m., however, it gave birth to a dream in me. I was in Locust Grove, Georgia. The launch of a new work, Relevant Church, was only hours away and I was too excited to sleep. So I continued reading. As I was reading, a thought rolled over in my head that would not leave me. God had appointed Cities of Refuge for those who had messed up. Not if they messed up but when. And God knew these people would need a safe place.

Relevant Church was not my home. I was there as a missionary to pray, encourage, and serve. My home was in Tennessee, where I had been serving under my friend and mentor, Pastor Terrell Somerville. When I began at Freedom Church, I was a naive 21-year-old inspired by the possibilities of reaching the entire community of Gallatin, Tennessee through this new church plant. Pastor Terrell reminded us often that evangelism was an important purpose of the church, maybe the most important. Jesus came for those who needed to be healed, not the righteous, and church should be a safe place for people to find Jesus. This mindset allowed me to be a part of a three-year-old small church plant, that went from setting up and tearing down in an old high school, to a church running over 700 people just six years later. Under Terrell’s leadership, Freedom became a model church plant. Planters and missionaries from all over the region came to learn from the Freedom Model. I was fortunate enough to learn from the inside. Being up close to so many church plants through conferences, informal gatherings and mission trips, my heart began to drift to the idea of church planting. I first mentioned this idea to my friend and fellow pastor at Freedom, Lance Johnson. He, like any good friend, didn’t encourage or hinder but just listened, and the dream lay dormant. A year passed. God blessed our efforts at Freedom Church in Gallatin, Tennessee, but the dream wouldn’t go away. I talked to Terrell after The Mission & Ministry Summit in 2010 about something bothering me in our movement. It stemmed from a map Todd Luke attached to the General Baptist website. This map showed the location of General Baptist churches that had reported their locations at that time. Interestingly, from Murfreesboro, Tennessee south to Tampa, Florida there were no reported churches! And from Lafayette, Tennessee to the east, there were none! I had heard Acts 1:8 pushed over and over again for missions with the strategy of Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and beyond, but it seemed that there were some Samarias that we simply were missing. Terrell agreed, affirmed, and blessed the discontent of too few General Baptist churches in the South. The dream was reawakened. At 3 a.m., on the launch day of the first church plant to begin to bridge the southern gap, a revelation confirmed a calling. It was a calling to begin a safe place for people to find Jesus. It was a desire to reach a region with the gospel. It was a passion to go where our movement had just begun to go. This revelation included a strategy that we had not used at Freedom. So Terrell connected me to Jeff Smith, who was implementing the same strategy and vision in the Ozarks at Genesis Church. We came up with an idea of an internship in a younger church plant that would prepare me for the goal of planting a regional church. In August 2011, my family packed up and moved to the Ozarks to begin an internship at Genesis. Not fully knowing what we were expecting, we stepped out in faith and God has really blessed. One year into a two-year internship, I’ve been involved in leading a church through two building phases, launching a second campus, and helping build a church planting network. All this time, God has been preparing me for returning home to the Highlands of Tennessee, and for Refuge Church, a safe place for people to find Jesus. In October, 2013 we will begin the next phase of living that dream of starting a church in Cookeville. In this Tennessee town of 65,000 directly between Nashville and Knoxville on Interstate 40 we will live out the dream. So many of our General Baptist pastors have shared this dream all the way back to the 1820s and the days of our founder Benoni Stinson. Our dream is to share the gospel that Jesus died for all so that all might be saved with people who have yet to hear. A dream for a safe place, a Refuge...

Dustin Thompson is the Executive Pastor at Genesis Church in West Plains, MO. He currently oversees all the day-to-day operations of the organization and serves in some advisory/overseer roles for several church plants. He served at Freedom Church, in Gallatin, TN, for 6 years in the Children’s, Students, and Media ministries. Plans are currently underway for his family to plant Refuge Church, in Cookeville, TN in the near future. Dustin is married to Melissa, his wife of 7 years, and they have one child, Ava. They reside in West Plains, MO where they enjoy park visits, Springfield trips, and the occasional Cardinal game.

Believing that Christ tasted death for everyman we boldly proclaim the gospel to those who have not yet heard through Church Planting… Bringing new churches to life to reach the unreached in the United States. We are changing lives by planting churches Church Renewal… Helping established churches recapture their vision, accomplish their mission and reach entire communities International Outreach… Partnering with people of other cultures to help people reach people. Leadership Development… Investing in tomorrow’s leaders today

Mission One Unified Giving 100 Stinson Drive Poplar Bluff, Missouri 63901 573-785-7746 www.GeneralBaptist.com

In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn. ― Phil Collins The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires. ― William Arthur Ward

I am not a teacher, but an awakener. ― Robert Frost The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled. ― Plutarch

No pressure is greater than God’s power. —Charles Swindoll

Spoon feeding in the long run teaches us nothing but the shape of the spoon. ― E.M. Forster

Give me 100 men that hate nothing but sin, and love Jesus Christ, and we’ll shake England for God. — John Wesley

No one learns as much about a subject as one who is forced to teach it. ― Peter F. Drucker

Could there be any more exciting turn in the road than the will of God? — Martha Moore, missionary

Remember that mentor leadership is all about serving. Jesus said, For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). ― Tony Dungy

By perseverance the snail reached the ark. —C.H. Spurgeon

What I’ve found about it is that there are some folks you can talk to until you’re blue in the face--they’re never going to get it and they’re never going to change. But every once in a while, you’ll run into someone who is eager to listen, eager to learn, and willing to try new things. Those are the people we need to reach. We have a responsibility as parents, older people, teachers, people in the neighborhood to recognize that. ― Tyler Perry Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn. ― Benjamin Franklin

God never said doing His will would be easy, He only said it would be worth it. — Joanne Shetler, missionary

Leaders..should influence others..in such a way that it builds people up, encourages and edifies them so they can duplicate this attitude in others. ― Bob Goshen Wherever you are, be all there. — Jim Elliott, missionary martyr

If you want your own way, God will let you have it. Hell is the enjoyment of one’s own way forever. —Dorothy Sayers The human spirit fails, except when the Holy Spirit fills. —Corrie ten Boom God works through men. I see nowhere in the Word where God picks an organization. —Dawson Trotman The sum of all wisdom is the knowledge of God and of ourselves. —John Calvin There is nothing worth living for, unless it is worth dying for. —Elizabeth Elliott Management Magazine says in any church or organization: 10% are innovators 80% are conservative, but will change when the facts are shown and proven 10% are inhibitors and refuse to change

Donald Key, National Missions Director Trends are important. Studying them will help us determine the direction of our ministry and give us insight into where churches need to focus their efforts. Just a few years ago the United States, although populated by immigrants from many countries, could have been described as white Anglo-Saxon and European living mainly in the North and East with nonwhites living in the South, Southwest and West. Today there is a whole new reality to the demographics of America. For instance, as a nation we are on a path to ethnic plurality. This means there will be no dominant ethnic group. One of the fastest growing groups in America is the Hispanic population. There are more than 52 million Hispanics in the United States. If our Spanish speaking population was a standalone country it would be the second largest Spanish speaking country in the world. Hispanics accounted for 1 out of 6 births in the United States last year. And they are growing by one million people per year. If the Hispanics in America were a nation its buying power would make it one of the top twenty economic systems in the world. It is needless to say that this is a group of people who will influence our nation and culture for a long time. The conventional wisdom and expectation – still prevalent in many companies’ marketing strategies – is that Hispanics will gradually become part of the melting pot. This paradigm in which immigrants shed their culture and blend in has become increasingly less likely to happen. Several unique circumstances combine to make Hispanics the largest population group to exhibit cultural sustainability. Borderless social networking, unprecedented exchange of goods, technology as a facilitator for cultural exchange, retro acculturation, and multigenerational bilingual patterns all combine to enable Hispanic culture in the U.S. to be sustainable. In other words, Hispanic culture may evolve and change but it will remain Hispanic culture. To illustrate the dynamics of culture sustainability, a 2011 national survey of Hispanic adults found the following trends. • 37% of Hispanic adults who spoke English mostly when they were young children indicated that they learned enough Spanish to become bilingual at present age. These bilingual Hispanics have high rates of wanting to read, watch, and explore more Spanish language media channels in the next five years. 34

• 90% of Hispanic parents and parents-to-be want their children to be able to speak Spanish, even though they also want them to become fluent in English. So what are churches doing to reach this segment of the population? The nation’s largest Protestant group, the Southern Baptist Convention, now oversees 3,182 Hispanic churches in the United States. More than half of them are missions started by Anglo churches. The Assemblies of God has reported that nearly 34 percent of its 2.8 million adherents are Hispanics.“In 1971 we had only two Hispanic districts; now we have eight with over 1,800 churches,” says Efraim Espinoza, the Assemblies of God director of Hispanic relations. “It’s just phenomenal growth.”

How do churches reach out to this ethnic group? Here are some suggestions.

1. If there is a need meet it.

2. Select a pastor carefully. You need a leader who understands the culture and has a burden for reaching Hispanics.

3. Define your vision. It is very important that the sponsoring church and the new Hispanic congregation have mutually acceptable goals and concerns. One acceptable model is two congregations meeting at one location.

4. Mentor like you mean it.

5. Keep family first. Hispanic communities are built around the family.

6. Above all offer genuine friendships.

The world has come to our door. The new American reality is that we are fast becoming global communities. There are more Spanish speaking people living in America than in Argentina. Could it be that God is saying to us that we are no longer just traditional American churches but are now global churches with a worldwide mission? It could be that just outside the doors of your church is a group of people who, though they do not speak English, are in need of hearing about the Savior. Will you reach out to them?

An MVP-Stateside Story By Donna Treadway At the beginning of the year in a General Baptist information piece, National Missions Director Donald Key had an article about churches doing service work at other churches. Interested churches were asked to contact National Missions to explore the possibilities of extending help through Mission Volunteer Program Stateside. The youth group at White House General Baptist Church had devoted the year to service and contacted National Missions immediately. Our idea was to go to a smaller church than ours and paint, clean up and or help with VBS. But our church was put in contact with Genesis Church in West Plains, Missouri. They have four services per weekend! How would our smaller church serve this larger church? Thanks to the efforts of Dustin Thompson, the administrative pastor at Genesis, a great plan was formed. White House, Tennessee youth would help with cleaning around the “Warehouse” and volunteer at Genesis’ annual baptism service. The Warehouse houses the Highway 160 Campus of Genesis Church. There is a large auditorium and a children’s ministry building that were first built and used as commercial warehouses before being purchased by the church. White House Youth developed qualifications for those who would go on this trip. Each youth was required to attend 10 out of 18 services, do one church service project and do five small Bible studies. Attendance was not a problem but only seven completed the Bible study so on June 8th, seven students, two college student advisors, and three youth leaders left on the journey of their lives. Two verses guided us during the week. “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8 NKJV) “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. (John 12:26 NKJV) After an eight hour drive from White House, TN the group arrived in West Plains, MO. That evening we met Genesis Youth Pastor, Denver Wade and he showed us a movie, How to Save a Life. It was a great movie for youth. On Saturday morning we all met at the “Warehouse” for our work assignments. Some of the youth cleaned the parking lot of mud and gravel. This enabled the men to stripe the parking lot. Some helped remove a chain link fence and others removed weeds from the property. It was a long hot day, but we accomplished a lot. On Sunday we arrived at the city park and swimming pool for the baptism service. Our first task was to clean up the park. Then we moved the picnic tables and set up the inflatables for the children. Soon several men showed up with huge barbecue grills. At 10 a.m. the baptism began. We saw 65 people baptized in one day! We will never forget the testimonies and watching entire families linking arms and being baptized together. Each person had on a shirt made especially for that day. On the front of the shirt was “FOLLOW” in baptism 2012 and on the back was “NO TURNING BACK”.

After the baptism, people were dismissed and we began to serve food to all the guests and church members. One of our youth said she was part of a team that wrapped 600 hamburgers and 200 hot dogs, without stopping! She will never forget that! After cleaning up WHGBC youth were rewarded by Genesis Church with a two and one half hour canoe trip. On Monday youth from both White House and Genesis Churches went into the neighborhoods and put door hangers on each house. Dustin Thompson told us, â&#x20AC;&#x153;If someone stops you and asks about Genesis, just tell them what you believe at White General Baptist Church. We are both serving God and have the same beliefs.â&#x20AC;? Our outreach was cut short by a storm that destroyed trees and knocked down power lines. After lunch, WHGB youth headed back to Tennessee, full of memories of a new experience and a greater desire to serve our Lord by serving others while growing in His grace. Special thanks to Donald Key for connecting our two churches. We sometimes think that the traditional church and the new contemporary churches cannot work together. But we are all followers of Jesus and all the other things fall into place. Thanks to the leadership of Genesis for allowing us to come and for sharing their time and resources with the White House youth. We do not know at this time who was served the most, White House youth or Genesis. All that matters is that God received the glory! Donna Treadway serves as youth director at the White House General Baptist Church, White House, Tennessee where her husband, Larry, serves as pastor.

By Carol Scott

When teaching children about being missional, we should understand the difference between missions and being missional. Many churches today focus on missions. Mission is more of a sending process. An example of this could include sending a team of people to a foreign field to provide medical services, construct church buildings and to spread the good news of Jesus. Being missional involves a lifestyle that includes behaviors and practices to reach others with the message of the Gospel. Matthew 28:19-20 not only instructs us what to do, but tells us how to do it. It is important that parents and churches partner together to teach our children by modeling our behaviors, teaching the importance of being missional and providing opportunities for our children to become involved in missional activity. It has been said that children will learn more in the first five years of their lives than all of the rest of the years put together. Whether telling others about Jesus is done from a foreign field or from our back yard, becoming missional should be ingrained into our children at an early age. One way to teach our children about being missional is to model the behaviors we want them to mirror. Have you ever heard the phrase, “Actions speak louder than words?” Children learn from what is lived out before them, so when children are taught by example, it often becomes a natural part of their lives. Children should see us consistently display missional behaviors throughout our everyday lives. Do they see us giving money to help send individuals from our church to a foreign field? Do they see us participating in raising proceeds to help a family in need? Giving aid to a neighbor or co-worker? As children see parents modeling these behaviors, they are seeing that helping and giving to others is important. We are simply teaching them by doing. 38

Another way we can lead our children to be missional is by making sure they hear about its importance. Churches must surely teach children about the missional lifestyle, but do they hear their parents talking about it at home? In order for our children to have a heart for others, it must be reinforced at home. As a family, do you talk about ways to help others? Do your children hear you mention helping others as you pray around the dinner table? Keeping needs and opportunities before your children will teach them to become aware of what is going on in and through the lives of others. Finally, it is very important that children have opportunities to participate and become actively involved in the work of Christ. Parents and churches must create opportunities for children to put the ‘do’ in what is being taught. Little things like helping bake cookies for someone who is sick and shut-in, making cards for someone in the hospital or praying for specific people at prayer time are things that any child can do. Also, children can become part of larger events, such as helping to raise money in Sunday School to send to missionaries, or collecting toys for a family who could not afford Christmas presents. And don’t forget that our children must see how they are connected to the greater work of building the kingdom of God. When they have opportunity to participate in nationwide or worldwide outreach events, they can begin to see the big picture He has in mind for their lives. When parents and churches begin to reach outside their own four walls, the ministry of Jesus is carried out as He has commanded. When do you teach children what you want them to know? Deuteronomy 6:7 says, “You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up.” This verse not only instructs us when to teach them, but how often… continually! Repetition is vital in teaching children, and they should be taught missional principles until they are naturally carried out in their own personal lives.

What are we trying to accomplish in teaching our children to be missional? We are sending them out to be Jesus to a lost and dying world. They may be the only Bible that some may ever read.

“We need to be lambs that roar. We need to be eagles that soar.

We need to be salt. We need to be light. We need to be Jesus to the world.

We need to take love into the streets. Be willing to turn the other cheek.

We need to be strong, we need to be weak. We need to be Jesus…Jesus to the world. “

“Jesus to the World” Recorded by Contemporary Christian Artists, Newsong Carol Scott leads conferences in the areas of Sunday school, Marriage & Family and Women’s Ministries. She also plays the piano and leads worship teams. She is co-author of A Blueprint for Christian Education with Rev. Don Key and has authored a training manual for Sunday school called, Teaching to Change Lives. She is married to Mark, who is pastor at Union Chapel General Baptist Church in Portland, Tennessee. They have one son Andrew and a beautiful daughter-in-law, Ashley. They have recently welcomed their first grandchild, “Tucker Ray” who was adopted from Seoul, Korea. Tucker is 19 months old.

2012 Cancel Christmas, But Celebrate Advent By Dr. Franklin R. Dumond, Congregational Ministries Director Long before Christmas became a commercial event that began appearing in retail outlets alongside Halloween, the church developed an approach to Christmas that made it a season of anticipation and preparation in the weeks before the holiday. As a young pastor I remember struggling with how to fit all the favored carols and all the special programs of Christmas into the one Sunday before December 25 traditionally given to Christmas celebrations in my rural home church. Then I stumbled onto Advent and learned not only the joy of anticipation and celebration, but also the beauty of preparing a congregation for that special time of the year. Advent is the season marked by the four Sundays prior to December 25, climaxing with Christmas Day and the wonderful good news, “unto you is born a Savior which is Christ the Lord.” Many churches mark Advent by using an Advent Wreath composed of greenery and five candles. Artificial greenery is much to be preferred over live greenery, which may present a fire hazard in the later weeks of Advent. Pillar-type candles provide the safest use of candles, as only rarely do they drip or spill. Lighting the candles one each Sunday allows children to excitedly count the Sundays before Christmas as one candle burns on the First Sunday of Advent, two on the Second Sunday of Advent, three on the Third Sunday of Advent, and four on the Fourth Sunday of Advent to remind everyone that Christmas is almost here! Many churches will use traditional themes of Advent, but I always enjoyed using Advent to tell the Christmas story in small parts. As a Baptist pastor I always found telling the story of Christmas leading up to the birth of Jesus was well-received by the congregation and a special treat for the children who hurried to the Advent Wreath for the Children’s Message. Because I used a nativity set with a variety of figurines, the children could help place one or two figures in the scene each week as we explored the Christmas story.

Advent could be organized around some of these elements of the Christmas Story:

December 2

First Sunday of Advent

Prophets and Bethlehem

December 9

Second Sunday of Advent

Angels

December 16

Third Sunday of Advent

Shepherds

December 23

Fourth Sunday of Advent

Mary and Joseph

Two special features easily added to the season could be a Hanging of the Greens service on Sunday evening, December 2. While we never used this event to actually decorate the church, we often used it as a songfest we called “Songs of the Season” with both religious and traditional Christmas music and readings. One of the later Advent evenings also lends itself to “Carols, Candles, and Communion” Even if you are not using Advent in your church it is worth using the Sundays of Advent to mention some aspect of the Christmas story. The more often Christmas is connected with the church the more often we are able to develop and reinforce a Christian world view. Even worship plans and sermon themes that are unrelated to Advent can be given an Advent flavor by adjusting an illustration or changing a song title. While some church leaders do not believe Christmas deserves 1/12 of the annual emphasis in a church, others who recognize the overwhelming significance of the Incarnation believe that the message of Advent cannot be restricted to just one month of the year.

Go ahead and cancel Christmas this year but don’t forget to celebrate Advent.

10 Steps to a Great Trunk-or-Treat By Dr. Franklin R. Dumond, Congregational Ministries Director Churches all across the country have learned how to “redeem the time” on October 31 by providing a safe, wholesome environment for children through Trunk-or-Treat. In its simplest form Trunk-or-Treat involves moving the more traditional door-to-door Trick-or-Treat to the church parking lot with baskets of candy available from each car. Often the cars are even decorated with appropriate harvest themes. If you are planning for Trunk-or-Treat as an outreach event here are a few suggestions to make your event more successful. 1. Gather lots of individually wrapped candies in the weeks before Halloween while you also recruit enough cheerful adults to form a large line or circle of cars on the church parking lot. 2. Organize a prayer team to pray for the event before it happens, while it is happening and after it happens. 3. Do what you can to promote the event. Use the church sign, put up posters around town, and print some flyers. Be sure to identify the church’s location and starting/ ending times along with ages of children who may participate. 4. Clearly label entrance and exits and establish a traffic flow if you expect a large crowd. Check your exterior lighting, it gets dark early on October 31. 5. Divert the flow of people from the parking lot into the fellowship hall or to an outdoor refreshment station. Cookies and punch or hot dogs and chips are very effective tools to cause people to linger and get acquainted. 6. Position friendly people throughout the areas where guests will linger. Give them the assignment to visit with and get acquainted with children and their parents. 7. Be sure restrooms are clearly marked and routinely cleaned throughout the evening. 8. A few simple games with prizes (How many jellybeans in the jar?) or attractive door prizes can provide an avenue to collect contact information. The object of the evening is to provide a safe wholesome environment and to gain important information from unchurched families. They’ll fill out an information card to gain a reward! 9. Set your start and stop times in keeping with community practices. Too early and you miss the crowd. Too late and you get too many teenagers at your children’s event. 10. Follow-up as appropriate with unchurched families. Now that they have come to an entry event, we need to work and pray (see No. 2 above) with the goal in mind that they will attend worship and benefit from your children’s ministries. Fusion by Nelson Searcy provides an excellent plan that is easily adaptable to any local church for following up with first time guests. A simple Google search for Trunk-or-Treat will yield lots of results. A few websites that seemed most promising in my search were

www.trunkortreat.homestead.com

www.ministry-to-children.com/trunk-or-treat/

www.lds.about.com/od/activitiescommittee/a/act_truckotreat.htm

Summer Internship 2012 By Brittany Reuter

Boxes packed. Car loaded. Tank filled. It had only been a week since I graduated college and I was preparing to take on my first “big girl” job. I had my dreams in my back pack, not knowing what to expect when I arrived in Poplar Bluff. I was so uncertain of where God was taking me. The week preceding had been such a spiritual battle. I was scared, excited, and one big nervous wreck. But I knew I had to go. I knew that regardless of whatever Satan tried to throw in my path, God wanted me in the Women’s Ministries office this summer. Saying my final goodbyes, I hopped in my car and headed to Missouri. This summer has been a basket full of trials, tests, and blessings. A page will not cover all that God has done and shown me. I had a very rough start to my internship. There were days when I questioned my purpose for being here. By Memorial Day weekend I was heading home to visit, not knowing where I was going to live when I came back. That weekend was my first major test. God wanted to see if my circumstances were going to cause me to give up or if I was going to put on my suit of armor and do as I was told. Believe me when I say everything within me wanted to stay at home where I was comfortable. Through prayers and emotional break downs, I repacked my suitcase and headed back to Missouri. I had to trust that God would provide shelter for me when I returned. Let me tell ya, it was a scary place to be! Graciously, He had a house for me by 6:00 p.m. that Tuesday evening. I finally began to make connections with the people I worked with and relationships began to sprout. Through the Uth N Missions Rally God reminded me that I’m a determined warrior who will not give up, even when the “climb” seems impossible. Through Summit preparation God reminded me that He has planted a seed of creativity in me that just needs a little watering. I could feel Him working up something awesome, though I wasn’t sure what it was. Then, when we finally reached the Summit, I could feel God surrounding me, running through my veins like the blood that gives me life. Finally, everything made sense. All the trials, house changes, stressful nights, event planning, etc. had created in me a brand new woman. He showed me that I have a voice that He is going to use if only I allow Him to do so. He showed me that I doubt entirely too much. He has it covered. He stirred in me the passion for the right ministry that I have been desperately trying to find for so many years. And what I absolutely love the most…He showed me who I truly am in Him. I no longer have to search for the Brittany that the world wants. I am a woman of God! I am a woman who has a purpose that God is so desperate to fulfill. I’ve been searching for what I’m called to do but God has been trying to lead me the whole time. I’m still anxiously seeking; don’t get me wrong. However, I can lay down my own plans with the hope that God has something much greater for me. My plans were leading me down the path of destruction and I see that now. God’s plans are leading me into this adventurous, exciting life that I want so desperately! Can you believe it? God knows best! Who knew! Where He’s leading me next, I’m not completely sure. My spirit is so unsettled in excitement! I want to jump out and just charge full force into the next big adventure! I know, however, that I have a little more waiting to do, but won’t it be worth it? Learning and growing daily in Christ, Brittany 42

ifts for this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ABC Offering will be used to support Brother Danny of Davao City, Philippines, who has been commissioned by the General Baptist Church of the Philippines to be a missionary in a Muslim country. Offering goal: $10,000 In 1911 Miss Asenath Brewster organized the first General Baptist Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Missionary Societies as a means of supporting missions. The Asenath Brewster Christmas Offering is collected annually in support of missions and in honor of her pioneer work.

Submitted by Patti Thornton, Women’s Ministries director Three pastor’s wives, one nurse, one electrician, one office assistant, two students, one musician, one business owner, two teachers, and one women’s ministry director; 13 General Baptist women whose lives intersected with 40 or so Honduran women and three incredible missionary hosts. But before these women connected in this third world country, each had connected a team of senders.

n Vinessa, at the tender age of 13, was overwhelmed by her own passion when she shared her ministry dreams with her church family (Real Life) where her dad is pastor. The resulting offering was enough to feed the families of a rural church, and to pay for a rare pizza party for Faith Home kids and staff. n Robin was speechless when her church body not only generously defrayed her travel costs, but sent enough money to provide food staples - enough to feed an entire village for several days. n Dolly rallied Connection Point church who donated personal care supplies and a large enough cash gift to pay for marketable craft materials for the women’s coop. n Patti solicited sponsors for a 64 mile bicycle ride who gave enough to fuel the Faith Home school bus to transport women for a much anticipated and rarely enjoyed time of separating themselves for worship in a weekend conference this November. Numberless are the “sender” connection points. Joining the Hermanas y Hermanas team required more than the ability to pay the MVP fee. It took a willingness to travel internationally without spouses, to live for a week in close quarters with strangers, an attitude of service and submitting to God’s plan even if it meant throwing ours out 44

with the bleach water, overlooking the unusual and prolific critters; most of all, it took an unmistakable Holy Spirit nudging. Paula felt that nudge. As a pastor’s wife, she was comfortable in her support role. She wore the usual varied wardrobe of hats in their church in Piggott, Arkansas. But when Christina Massey (new Faith Home director) suggested that she join the team and consider going to Faith Home even earlier to help Christina get moved in, she laughed and underestimated the power of what the Holy Spirit would begin to speak to her heart. Now Paula shares, “Our God is an awesome God! If you would have told me in 2003 that I would be taking a trip to Honduras without my husband and two boys I would have said, “ There is no way!”. That year, I took my first mission trip to Honduras with my family. Nine years later I was unbelievably heading for Honduras with Christina. When we finally boarded a much delayed flight, I realized the spiritual growth that had taken place in my life. I am so thankful that Christina asked me to go because it has made me truly realize that I can do all things through Christ, even if that means taking a step out of my comfort zone.” Numberless are the Holy Spirit to hearts connections that formed this team. Before we arrived in San Pedro Sula, hours of planning, fundraising, cultural studies, prayer, and fasting had been invested in what we hoped would be a week of service to women in the vicinity of Faith Home. Serve we did, but somewhere in the act of giving ourselves over to be used by the Master, we were served with humility, laughter, and joy unspeakable. Hoping to inspire, we were inspired. We planned for three mini-conferences that were each targeted for unique sets of women. One of the sweetest

times we experienced came during an evening dedicated to the women who care for the children at Faith Home. Each of eight “casas” is home to 10-12 children, a tio (house dad) and a tia (house mom). One of this team’s intentions was to represent an expression of appreciation to these house parents, and especially the tias. We delighted in opening the Word with them, then pampering them with hand and foot massages, manicures, and pedicures. But we were the ones pampered as our heartfelt service, meant to lavish the love of God on our sisters, turned on us. We were washed in the lavishness of humility and grace. Melissa modeled trust by sharing some of her own story; and the door was opened for others to follow suit. She later journaled, “It was so sweet to worship together. We talked together about our worth in Christ, and one of the tias trusted us enough to share her personal, poignant story. It rocked my world! God used her negatives for His glory. Abandoned as a small child, she lived on the streets. She tried to take her own life three times but God saved her. Now she sees her past as a special connection with the children at Faith Home, and the heart of her ministry to the children of her casa. She serves in her ministry every single day; she inspires me to use MY past for God’s glory!” Numberless are the ways God turns what little we give Him into spectacular stories. Robin found delight in seeing the culmination of nudged hearts over the years. She said,“Our mission to Honduras Faith Home and surrounding villages was such a blessing

to me. Just to see with my own eyes what God has allowed His Church to do as a unified body made up of many teams over many years was huge. Thanks to all those who paved the path for our team to enjoy a very comfortable team house, a beautiful chapel with stained glass windows, a strong gate of physical protection around the campus, the beautiful classrooms, computer lab and library for the children and each and every building so lovingly built and maintained by the General Baptist Family!” Numberless are the past connections that continue connecting! None of us will ever be the same. Lana said it well: “My trip began as a trip about me; a time for me to overcome my anxieties over my one and only son going to Honduras as a full time missionary. By the time my feet hit the ground at Faith Home, my trip had taken on a totally different meaning.” Numberless are the ways He loved us through this experience. Hermanas Y Hermanas Team: Patti Thornton, Poplar Bluff, MO; Jennifer & Vinessa Daniel, Mountain Home, AR; Melissa Thompson, West Plains, MO; Pam Hodge & Sheila Prosise, Rockford, IL; Mindy Pinckney, Ava, Mo; Robin Smith, Heather Lee & Brittany Hodge, Evansville, IN; Dolly Jewel, Cape Girardeau, MO; Paula Richardson, Piggott, AR; and Lana Ford, Graham, KY.

A bistro table, a good looking discussion panel, and a throw pillow: all things never before seen on the Women’s Ministries workshop platform. The casual atmosphere of this Summit business session helped attendees feel more like participants and less like an audience, and the facilitator’s invitation to join a discussion quickly progressed to open dialogue. There was an abundance of insightful discussion, but not nearly enough time. If all the fervor could be summarized in a few words, it would read something like this: By Patti Thornton

1. Women’s Ministries as a vital organization cannot expect to function in exactly the same manner as it always has. Current cultural issues, unmet needs, and changing demands call for a fresh look at KEEPING this ministry vital. 2. God is already laying harvest-ready fields before us. 3. Pray-storming heaven’s gates and brain-storming our collective wisdom is crucial.

Therefore: • We declare a year of prayer for Women’s Ministries as we discover the plan, provision, and pathway GOD has in mind for us. • We declare a meeting of a consortium of women representing varied associations, states, and demographics. We will connect at Florissant General Baptist Church (420 Graham Road, Florissant, Missouri) on November 10, to pray, cast vision, share ingenuity, and imagine US as God sees US! All General Baptist women are invited. See yourself as part of this gathering? Contact Women’s Ministries at wmofc@generalbaptist.com or call 573785-7746.