The Messenger - Spring 2013

Why General Baptists?

A home-grown religious movement had its beginnings in the 1820s in Evansville, Indiana.

General Baptists came into existence because of the revival preaching of Elder Benoni Stinson. He boldly and frequently proclaimed the good news of the gospel that “Jesus Christ, by the grace of God, tasted death for everyman” with the result that “whosoever will may be saved”.This preaching from texts found in the New Testament books of Hebrews and Romans resulted in the planting of new churches, a networking with other like-minded groups, and the birthing of a national organization in 1870.

But why General Baptist? The name is actually a summary of the core theology of the movement reflecting belief in a general atonement that anyone who is willing to trust Jesus as Savior may be saved.

This theological name stood in contrast to those groups of the 19th century who advocated a particular or limited atonement for in their theology only a few, not the many, could be saved.

Why General Baptist Ministries?

General Baptist Ministries, based in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, exists to unite the efforts of various local General Baptist churches. Working primarily through the Council of Associations policies are set and initiatives approved for implementation by the Leadership Team of General Baptist Ministries.

This unified effort allows human, spiritual, and financial resources to be pooled with the result that we are able to do together what otherwise would never be done alone.

General Baptist Ministries exists to extend the ministry of local General Baptist churches and to assist them in winning people to Christ at home and abroad while helping to develop believers to their highest potential in Christian service.

General Baptist Ministries 100 Stinson Drive • Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 • 573-785-7746 The Mission & Ministry Summit: A General Baptist Gathering 3

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Saddlebrook Resort offers a unique Florida setting for this year’s Mission & Ministry Summit. A gated community, Saddlebrook encompasses private homes, a school, a golf and tennis resort and convention facilities. The annual gathering of General Baptist leaders will take full advantage of the convention facilities while also enjoying the beauty of the Florida landscape.

Drivers will find Saddlebrook just east of Interstate 75 (exit 279) on Highway 54. A right turn on Saddlebrook Way brings travelers to the entrance check point. When identified as a participant in the General Baptist Mission & Ministry Summit a parking pass will be provided.

Winding through the resort allows guests to enjoy the community during the 5- minute trip to the convention facilities. One guest suggested, “Just keep driving and when you see the fountains in the lake you’ve reached guest registration.”

To maintain the resort atmosphere of the convention and guest room areas all parking is by valet or may be reached by shuttle. A large group of friendly, efficient bell men will shuttle guests and their luggage from registration to their guest rooms.

Shuttle service from guest rooms to the convention center is also available although most of the guest rooms are in easy walking distance of the workshop, exhibit and main session areas.

Guest rooms are available as standard deluxe or a variety of 1, 2 or 3 bedroom suites. Suites come with a fully equipped kitchen along with a nicely furnished commons area. With a little planning your Saddlebrook experience could be enhanced by lunch on your own balcony or terrace or dinner with a few friends. Room service options for a

variety of deli items come at reasonable prices and a large supermarket (Publix) is nearby.

Restaurants, convenience stores and supermarkets are easily located near the Interstate exit. An even larger array of these options will also be found in the Wiregrass Shops just 5.5 miles south of Highway 54 on Highway 56.

The convention facilities at Saddlebrook include restaurant, gift shop and spa located near the guest registration area label as “Main Entrance” on the facility layout. The restaurants are more specialty in nature and thus each item is prepared as ordered so guests may need to plan for engaging conversation as meals are prepared.

Lunch options come with a greater variety and with modest cost. Dinner options are more limited and since they are more specialized the cost is a bit higher.

Just down the hall from the main entrance guests will find the Pegasus Ballroom. This area will host a variety of workshops as well as children’s and student ministries.

Prominent signage will be on hand to assist Summit participants.

The Royal Palm Ballroom (adjacent to the Pegasus) will house the Exhibit Hall and Summit Registration. Just across the courtyard the Grand Pavilion will be the site of the main sessions at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.

A Super Pool with built-in recreational facilities for young and old, palm trees at every turn, golf links that are attractive even to non-golfers and lakes and ponds with real alligators and other wildlife make Saddlebrook Resort a unique Florida setting for the Lord of the Church to speak a special word to the General Baptists assembled there July 15-17, 2013.

By Larry Osborne

s a young pastor I focused so intensely on the

people I wanted to reach; I all but ignored the

people I already had. All of my attention was focused on the front door. I didn’t like the fact that we had a steady stream of people exiting out the back door, but as long as more were coming in the front door, I was okay with it. I figured it was the price I had to pay to reach the lost and grow a church.

I didn’t realize that there were actually two ways to grow a church. We can focus on opening the front door wider so more people come in; or we can focus on closing the back door tighter so fewer people leave. Both will grow a church. But as I was soon to learn, only one grows the people as well.

Did I Miss The Punch Line?

In my zeal to see our church grow numerically and window shoppers step over the line to become Christ followers, I dialed in on sharing the gospel and getting people started. I pretty much ignored discipleship and helping people finish. Worrying about the back door or velcroing people to our church struck me as passé – the stuff of an ingrown and dying church.

But while I doted on every new person that came through the front door; more and more slipped out the back door.

Looking back, I realize that part of the problem was my paradigm of evangelism and church growth. Like most pastors today, I didn’t grow up around farming – so when it came to Jesus’ Parable of the Sower I understood it had something to do with casting seeds and four different types of soil, but I kind of missed the punch line.

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Let me explain.

The main point of the parable is well known: A great spiritual start is no guarantee of a happy ending. But if I’d grown up in agrarian society, I might have noticed a few other things a lot of us overlook. Of the four soils Jesus describes, only one produced a full harvest. To Jesus’ original audience, the other three would have represented a disaster. They knew that no farmer would be satisfied with an initial spurt of growth followed by a failure to reach harvest.

Yet look at how we typically respond to a burst of church growth or the baby steps of a new believer. We’re quick to rejoice—and rightfully so. But in most cases, while we hope the growth lasts, the sprouting of the seed is all that we count, report, and celebrate. If the seed dries up and dies at the first sign of hardship, we’re bummed. But we’re hardly devastated. At least it sprouted!

Isn’t that a lot better than never having started at all?

The same goes for our response to someone who starts out well but eventually gets choked off by the weeds of worldly concerns. We wish it hadn’t happened. But we’re satisfied that at least they got started.

My point is that most of us miss the emotional response Jesus’ listeners would’ve had to this parable. They would have viewed three of the four soils as a tragic waste of seed.

And while that shouldn’t keep us from sowing our gospel seed as often and widely as possible, perhaps it ought to change what we celebrate and congratulate ourselves over.

After all, Jesus didn’t tell us to go into all the world and sign people up. He didn’t tell us to draw big crowds. He told us to make disciples. And to do so, people have to stick around our churches long enough to get the job done.

Measuring Stickiness There is an old saying, “You get what you measure.” In my 28 years as a pastor, I’ve found that to be absolutely true. That’s why I’ve learned to pay close attention to two key measurements when it comes to determining the long term stickiness of our church.

The first is our retention rate. I like to know it for just about everything: new believers, members, regular attenders, volunteers, small group leaders and so on. A discipling church always has a high retention rate across the board.

The second is the percentage of significant relationships throughout the

church. It’s hard to measure. Much of the evidence is anecdotal. But it’s important nonetheless. If people don’t have significant relationships within the church they’ll eventually respond to the church like customers instead of family members. When a better program or deal comes along, they’ll be gone. Not so when they are velcroed by relationships that are close, significant, and long-term. People who hang on at a sick or highly dysfunctional church always give the same reason why, “All my friends are there.”

Close and lasting friendships are the stickiest thing any church has to offer. It beats hands down great programming, great preaching or the most amazing dog and pony show ever. Yet very few churches spend much time or energy developing truly sticky relationships.

We assume they’ll just happen.

I wish I’d known this as a young pastor. Though new people were coming all the time, it took us five years to go from 130 to 180. But once we made stickiness as important a priority

as attractiveness, it took just five more years to reach 750. Today, over 7,000 show up on a weekend. Closing the back door made a huge difference.

A Matter Of The Heart & Focus

I hate to admit it, but the lack of growth in the early years of our church wasn’t just the result of my failure to focus on developing sticky relationships. It was also partly a heart issue. For my first three years at North Coast, it would fair to say that I used the people I had to try and reach the people I wanted to reach. I know, that sounds crass.

But it’s true. It’s no wonder no one stayed.

Who wants to be used? Who wants to bring a friend so they can be used?

A turning point came when I literally killed my dream of pastoring a big church. I had a notebook filled with my goals for life and ministry. One page spoke of pastoring a church of 1,000-plus. Realizing it would take me about 800 years to get there at our current rate; I tore out the page and threw it away. Somehow, that freed me up to quit worrying so much about the people who weren’t coming and start focusing on the people who were. I didn’t know it at the time, but I had just taken the first small step toward closing our back door.

The second step came when we decided to make small groups the new hub of our ministry. Previously it had always been our weekend services. But once we made our small groups a primary focus, people went from having lots of casual acquaintances to having some deep and significant friendships – without losing their casual acquaintances along the way. Our stickiness factor went through the roof.

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One key was the way our groups were designed. They were designed primarily to develop deep and significant friendships. Our goal was to offer the members of our congregation a little bit of Mayberry, USA in highly mobile Southern California.

Ours groups are sermon-based; which means they take the weekend sermon and dig into it deeper. It’s a simple and organic format that has allowed us to maintain a participation rate equal to 80 percent of our weekend adult attendance for over 22 years. It’s highly scalable. It worked when we were a small church of 180 and it works just as well with the thousands we have today. It allows us to be a big church that relationally feels like a small church. More importantly, it’s makes for some incredibly sticky relationships; which makes for an incredibly sticky church. I’m not saying we never have people walk out the back door. But, historically, our back door has been so small that still today, if someone leaves for reasons other than moving, it will usually make it into one of our top level staff meetings.

Velcro Advantages

You’d think a front door would have an advantage when it comes to outreach. At least that’s what I always thought. But that’s not necessarily true.

When we meet the needs of the people we have so well that no one wants to leave, they become incurable word-ofmouth marketers. Whether it’s the fabulous food at our favorite restaurant, the excitement of a great movie or the life-changing impact of a church ministry, most of us can’t help but tell others when we’ve been well served—and no one needs to tell us to do so.

Word-of-mouth referrals ignited our growth. It also increased our retention rate with those who visited, because word-of-mouth growth makes assimilation a breeze. People who come on the arm of a friend don’t need an assimilation ministry to follow up on them – that’s what friends do naturally.

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At North Coast Church, we didn’t need an organized follow-up process until we were well past 3,000 in weekend attendance. And we only needed it then because the small percentage of folks who came alone added up to a large enough number that too many were falling through the cracks.

Compare that to what happens when most visitors come as a result of a special marketing campaign or program. Since most first time guests are unwilling to give out their name and contact information, it can be pretty hard to follow up to say the least.

There’s also one other potential downside to an overemphasis on front door program-driven outreach. It flies in the face of one the most basic laws of retention: Whatever we do to reach people, we have to do to keep them.

I first saw this principle at work when I was part of a church that majored on special events. Our back door was huge. But boy, did we know how to put on a special program. Yet, no one seemed to notice that all the outreach we were supposed to be doing never resulted in any church growth. The only thing that got bigger every year was our special program.

We had quite a reputation in the community. They appreciated our willingness to provide excellent holiday entertainment. But hardly anyone ever came back the next Sunday.

They just marked their calendar for the next year; when we promised to have an even bigger and better program for them to come to.

Now I’m obviously not against marketing and special programs. But imagine what would happen if we spent a little less time trying to coax people to come in the front door and a little more time and energy trying to close the back door. What if instead of just becoming the church everybody wants to come to, we also became the church no one wants to leave?

Surely that would make it a lot easier to fulfill both sides of the great commission (making disciples AND teaching them to obey everything Jesus commanded). And isn’t that what he left us here to do in the first place?

Helpful Hints for Sermon Based Small Groups When we started our sermon-based small groups, average attendance was 180. We now have more than 7,000 on a weekend and a small group participation rate of 80% of the average adult weekend attendance. But I have to admit, before we decided to make these groups the hub of our ministry, the few small groups we had were decidedly peripheral. I wasn’t involved, and neither were any of our key leaders.

However, once we took the steps to make them a genuine priority—by hiring a staff member to wake up thinking about small groups and by clarifying the expectation that all leaders would participate—the impact on the health and spiritual DNA of our church was immediate and profound. It’s a pattern I’ve seen in church after church once small groups cease to be a sideline activity for the hyper-committed and become a place of belonging for everyone.

How do you cultivate such a high percentage of involvement?

First of all, the groups don’t have to be sermon-based. But the material does have to be accessible and applicable to the longtime and brand new Christian. In addition here are some other factors that can help drive participation rates way up.

CUT THE COMPETITION: Too many good things are the enemy of the best. Here at North Coast we are ruthless about ministry bloat. If a ministry or program undercuts our Growth Groups, we won’t launch it.

KEY LEADERS: Our lay leaders and staff are expected to be in a Growth Group. If the key leaders and power-brokers are too busy to be in your small groups, it sends a message that small groups are extra credit offering for those with time on their hands.

STAY ON TASK: Our groups are primarily designed to velcro people to one another for spiritual growth and accountability.

We stay on task. Too often, small groups are hijacked by church leaders who want them to also grow the church, reach the lost, and/or administrate the church. When that happens, people drop out.

EASY ON & OFF RAMPS: We make sure there are lots of on and off ramps. If a group is too hard to get into (or too hard to get out of) people will shy away. Since we are trying to develop significant relationships, we want people to be able to stay in a group they connect with for a long time. But if they don’t connect, we want them to know they can try another group – and another group – until they find one that feels like home.

Sticky Church, Larry Osborne, Zondervan, 2008. With years of experience in sermon-based small groups, the author not only profiles this small group strategy used at North Coast Church, but he also builds a compelling case for word-of-mouth advertising as the basis for long-term growth by closing the back door.

He writes, “We’ve discovered lots of ways to reach people. We’ve offered the high-powered programs and slick marketing of attractional churches, the cultural savvy of missional churches, and the relational intimacy of small churches. But we’ve often become so focused on reaching people that we’ve forgotten the importance of keeping people.” The small group model advocated here is a variation of the traditional friendship group. A study guide based on the weekly sermon provides the curriculum.

While this small group strategy has limitations, it could add a creative element to an existing education system. Elements of the book are worthy of study even if the basic strategy is rejected. Most church leaders would benefit from the emphasis on reaching/keeping; and the short chapters on determining your purpose, dividing groups, and leadership development are well worth the price of the book.

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Larry Osborne

n high school, I noticed a strange phenomenon. The freshmen got smaller every year. It was really weird.

When my friends and I walked onto campus for the first day of our freshman year, we were legit high

schoolers, admittedly a little intimidated by the seniors, but plenty cool in our own right.

Not so with the punks that came in the next year. Something must have happened at the middle school to stunt their growth. None of the new ninth graders were anywhere near as big, smart, or mature as we had been the year before. And by the time I was a senior, the middle school was pumping out mental, physical, and emotional midgets.

As I said, it was really strange.

Of course, that’s not what was happening. The freshmen weren’t getting smaller, stupider, and less mature; we were getting older, more mature, and arrogant.

Fortunately for each incoming crop of freshmen, the seniors keep graduating, giving last year’s freshmen, sophomores, and juniors an opportunity to spread their wings and fly. And sure enough, they always ended up flying a lot higher than the seniors would have guessed.

Unfortunately, in the church, it’s a different story. The seniors never graduate. They also tend to hog the leadership table, shutting out the next generation. It’s one of the main reasons why so many churches stop growing and lose their evangelistic touch (and cultural relevance) around the twenty-year mark.

Ironically, most churches are started by young eagles. But soon after getting their nest built—nicely appointed and fully furnished—they start to marginalize the next batch of young eagles, asking them to sit at the kids’ table and wait for their turn at middle-aged leadership.

To counteract this natural tendency, I’ve made it a personal priority to make sure that our young eagles have a place at our leadership table. I see it as my role to enhance their influence within our church, making sure that they are supported, protected, and actually listened to. But I have to admit, this priority of mine is not always appreciated, especially by middle-aged eagles who think that tenure should be the primary determiner of influence.

I understand their reluctance. Young eagles can make a mess in the cage. They’re impatient. They lack the wisdom that comes with experience. In short, they make the same dumb mistakes that the old eagles made when they first started out.

But that’s not the real reason that most churches and leadership teams push young eagles out of the nest.

The real reason is that leadership is a zero-sum game. One person’s emerging influence is always another person’s waning influence. So making room for the young eagles is a hard sell, especially to those who already have a place at the table.

I understand this resistance to granting young eagles a place at the older eagles’ table. No one likes to have their influence or status diluted. It’s painful. We all love the idea of servant leadership and putting others first—as long as no one actually cuts in front of us or starts treating us like a servant. But making room at the table (and stepping aside) has to be done. If not, a church will inevitably fall victim to the predictable death cycle when most churches stop growing, evangelizing, and making a mark. Whenever I find a church that has grown old, gray, and culturally out-of-touch—far more interested in protecting the past than creating the future—or one that starts to wonder, “What happened to all the young people and families that used to hang around here?” it’s a sure sign that the young eagles have been shut out for a long time.

Now I’d be a liar if I said that protecting and promoting young eagles can be done pain-free. It’s far easier in theory than practice. I don’t like giving up my personal power, prestige, or preferences any more than the next guy. It’s kind of a drag.

But young eagles are born to fly. It’s their nature. It’s how God made them. If they can’t fly high in our church, they’ll bolt and fly elsewhere. And sadly, when they do, they’ll take most of the life, vitality, and the future of the church with them.

So, honestly now, how do you and your church respond to young eagles? Are they written off, tolerated, or celebrated? Are they encouraged to fly, or asked to clip their wings? I guarantee that your answer will determine your church’s future.

Here are some of the key things I try to keep in mind when dealing with young eagles

These doctrines are a bulwark against man-centered teachings in many forms that gradually corrupt the church and make her weak from the inside, all the while looking strong or popular.

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Early on in my ministry, I thought only in terms of spiritual development, which is obviously important. But Ephesians 4 says that the role of a spiritual leader is to also to train people for the actual work of their ministry; this includes the practical principles of leadership. I find most of us offer little training for this. We either assume our young eagles already know how to lead, or they will pick it up as needed. But the fact is, they don’t know the ins and outs of pastoral or organizational leadership, and much of the most important stuff is counter-intuitive anyway. And assuming they can pick it up on the fly is a recipe for failure and discouragement.

Publically validate their input. I’ve found that it’s incredibly important to use the power of my position and role to validate and actively support the ideas of young leaders. As a senior pastor, I have lots of organizational clout.

I can use it to make sure that our young leaders are platformed and their new ideas are offered a fair shake, or I can use it to protect the status quo.

Staff members and the congregation often look to me first to determine if a young eagle is worth following. My vocal and public support literally becomes the wind beneath their wings. On the other hand, my conspicuous silence or even subtle criticisms can clip their wings to the point that it becomes impossible to fly in our cage.

Back their plays. This goes beyond merely supporting their new ideas to actually going out on the limb with them. It’s a subtle but powerful difference. One says, “Let’s try his idea.”

The other says, “This is our idea - let’s try it.”

It’s one thing to grant permission; it’s another to step out and take joint responsibility. Now, I’m not suggesting that we give our young eagles total freedom. But I am suggesting that even if we’re not so sure an idea will work, if the price of failure is not too great, why not give it a shot? Who knows, they could be (and often are) right.

Enjoy them! Certainly, a nest full of young eagles can be a challenge. But in the long run, you’ll find that the benefits they bring far outweigh the costs. Their energy, creativity, and inspiration are contagious.

It’s the stuff of the future.

The fact is, young eagles were born to fly. That’s what God created them for. As the pastor of a local church, my only two questions are: (1) Will I help them fly higher or clip their wings? (2) Will I make room for them to fly in my cage or force them to fly elsewhere?

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• You’re not just imagining it. Christianity is short on men. Here are the facts:

o The typical U.S. Congregation draws an adult crowd that’s 61% female, 39% male. This gender gap shows up in all age categories. [1] o On any given Sunday there are 13 million more adult women than men in America’s churches. [2] o This Sunday almost 25 percent of married, churchgoing women will worship without their husbands. [3] o Midweek activities often draw 70 to 80 percent female participants. [4] o The majority of church employees are women (except for ordained clergy, who are overwhelmingly male). [5] o Over 70 percent of the boys who are being raised in church will abandon it during their teens and twenties. Many of these boys will never return. [6] o More than 90 percent of American men believe in God, and five out of six call themselves Christians. But only one out of six attend church on a given Sunday. The average man accepts the reality of Jesus Christ, but fails to see any value in going to church. [7] o Churches overseas report gender gaps of up to 9 women for every adult man in attendance. [8] o Christian universities are becoming convents. The typical Christian college in the U.S. enrolls almost 2 women for every 1 man. [9] o Fewer than 10% of U.S. churches are able to establish or maintain a vibrant men’s ministry. [10] Church is good for men: o Churchgoers are more likely to be married and express a higher level of satisfaction with life. Church involvement is the most important predictor of marital stability and happiness. [11] o Church involvement moves people out of poverty. Its also correlated with less depression, more self-esteem and greater family and marital happiness. [12] o Religious participation leads men to become more engaged husbands and fathers. [13] o Teens with religious fathers are more likely to say they enjoy spending time with dad and that they admire him.[14] And men are good for the church: o A study from Hartford Seminary found that the presence of involved men was statistically correlated with church growth, health, and harmony. Meanwhile, a lack of male participation is strongly associated with congregational decline. [15] [1] “U.S. Congregational Life Survey – Key Findings,” 29 October 2003, <www.uscongregations.org/key.htm>.

[2] This statistic comes from Barna’s figures on male/female worship attendance, overlayed upon the Census 2000 numbers for adult men and women in the U.S. population.

[3] I came up with this figure by taking the U.S. Census 2000 numbers for total married adults and overlaying Barna Research’s year 2000 percentages of male vs. female attendance at weekly worship services. The figures suggest at least 24.5 million married women attend church on a given weekend, but only 19 million married men attend. That’s 5.5 million more women, or 22.5%. The actual number may be even higher, because married people attend church in much greater numbers than singles.

[4] Barna Research Online, “Women are the Backbone of Christian Congregations in America,” 6 March 2000, <www.barna.org>.

[5] Ibid.

[6] “LifeWay Research Uncovers Reasons 18 to 22 Year Olds Drop Out of Church,” PowerPoint presentation accompanying study, available at the LifeWay Web site, http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0,1703,A=165949&M=200906,00.html, accessed 12 September 2007.

[7] Barna, “Women are the Backbone of Christian Congregations in America.”

[8] I get an e-mail message about once a month from a pastor overseas whose congregation is almost totally female.

[9] Camerin Courtney, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” Christianity Today, Single Minded. View at http://www.christianitytoday.com/singles/newsletter/mind40630.html.

[10] Based on a show of hands at the National Coalition of Men’s Ministries meeting in 2005. The consensus in the room among hundreds of men’s ministry experts was that less than 10% of congregations had any ongoing ministry to men. Compare this to the 110% of churches that offer women’s and children’s ministries.

[11, 12] “Why Religion Matters: The Impact of Religious Practice on Social Stability,” The Heritage Foundation Backgrounder, 1064, 25 January 1996, <www.heritage. org>.

[13] Penny Edgell (Becker) and Heather Hofmeister, “Work, Family and Religious Involvement for Men and Women,” Hartford Institute for Religion Research, <http:// hirr.hartsem.edu>.

[14] Christian Smith and Phillip Kim, “Religious Youth Are More Likely to Have Positive Relationships with Their Fathers,” University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 12 July 2002, findings based on the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1997).

[15] C. Kirk Hadaway, FACTs on Growth: A new look at the dynamics of growth and decline in American congregations based on the Faith Communities Today 2005 national survey of Congregations. Hartford Institute for Religion Research, http://hirr.hartsem.edu.

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by David Murrow

or decades churches have had difficulty engaging young men. Not only are guys under 30

underrepresented in worship services, they’re also largely absent from men’s events. The usual

men’s ministry lineup of Bible studies, pancake breakfasts and annual retreats seem to hold little

appeal.

So what does appeal to young men? Superheroes. Comic books, films and video games – young men can’t get enough superheroes.

Since the year 2000, more than 100 superhero films have been released in the United States. Young men under 30 are the key audience that drives ticket sales for these flicks. “The Avengers” is this summer’s biggest blockbuster, the third highest grossing film of all time behind only “Titanic” and “Avatar.”

After a very successful run in the 1940s and 50s, superhero films disappeared in the 1960s and 70s. The only celluloid superhero of the period was Batman, whose TV show was more of a spoof than a celebration of superheroism. It wasn’t until 1978 that Christopher Reeve revived the genre with the hit film, Superman.

But why have superheroes made such an amazing comeback in our day? Stan Guthrie offers the following suggestions:

• Technology (computers, social media, enhanced graphics software) has made comics easier to produce and share.

• The phenomenon of extended adolescence has extended the attractiveness of comics as a pastime among many American adults.

• In an increasingly complex, morally confusing world, people are drawn to media that still promote the idea of good vs. evil—a common theme in comics.

• People want an escape from the grim and sometimes depressing news and events of the day.

• With the dumbing down of the population due to an increasingly ineffective public education system, people today have less ability and desire to read and to think deeply, making the relatively simple themes and plots of comic books that much more attractive.

• Despite (and perhaps because of) widespread cynicism in the culture, we still yearn for heroes.

Every one of Guthrie’s observations is true. But there’s a deeper reason men of this generation are so strongly drawn to superheroes. Every man longs to be a hero himself – but today’s society offers men very few opportunities for heroic behavior.

In prehistoric times, every man was a warrior—literally. Men hunted dangerous beasts for survival. Rival bands frequently raided each other’s camps. Every man was expected to pick up his weapon and repel the invaders. In the age of agriculture, farmers grabbed their implements and went to war to defend their The Mission & Ministry Summit: A General Baptist Gathering 15

homelands. The Old Testament is full of stories of kings mustering common men to fight the Caananites, the Ammonites, the Amalekites, and various other ites that threatened the nation of Israel.

But in the past 150 years the role of protector has gradually been taken away from common men and given to professionals. The wealth created by industrialization funded the rise of professional, full-time armies and navies. Municipalities established the first public, salaried police forces and fire departments in the mid1800s.

As a result, modern men rarely have to defend themselves. The average American male will go his entire life without using a weapon to physically protect his family or property. In some nations it’s illegal to own a gun for self-protection. Battle is becoming rare even among professional soldiers. Fewer than half the U.S. veterans alive today saw combat during their military careers.

Since most men no longer have the opportunity to be heroic, they turn to movies and video games for catharsis. Men spend billions to see on-screen heroes perform the ancient script that’s written on their hearts.

And ever since Super Mario rescued Princess Peach, video games have given men the rare opportunity to reprise their role of rescuer.

Furthermore, men just aren’t as necessary to society as they once were. Muscle power is out – brainpower is in. Male unemployment is at its highest levels since the Great Depression. Four-fifths of the job losses during the Great Recession fell upon men. With the expansion of the social safety net, modern women can rely on the government instead of a man to provide and protect them. As divorce laws have loosened, women have become much less dependent on men, initiating 70% of all split-ups. Children of divorce often absorb the message that men are troublesome, dangerous and an impediment to happiness. Young men who grow up fatherless learn to despise the masculinity within themselves.

You would think church would be the perfect venue for men to engage in heroic acts. But unfortunately church is one of the places men feel particularly unneeded. It’s an institution dominated by women and their values. The majority of ministry opportunities involve childcare, study, cooking and music.

Two kinds of men get the stage time in church – preachers and musicians. Men who lack these skills may think they have little to offer the typical congregation.

And finally, our core message has shifted in the past fifty years. In the church I grew up in, the Gospel was a life-and-death proposition. Satan was a real adversary – more murderous and deranged than the Joker.

Jesus was a hero who came to vanquish this enemy and save the world from hell.

But today’s gospel is no longer described as a heroic mission to save the world – it’s a personal relationship with a man who loves you. Men feel like they’ve wandered into a showing of “Sleepless in Seattle.”

Today’s gospel is no longer a story of good vs. evil; it’s a formula for getting your life together and having healthy relationships. No wonder the church has become utterly boring to men.

So what’s the answer?

Recapture the life-and-death importance of the gospel. I know it’s not fashionable to preach on hell any more. But there must come a time when men receive the mission briefing. Our world is literally going to hell, and if heroes do not step forward evil will triumph.

Make sure men know they are needed. As Lady Galadriel reminded Frodo in The Lord of the Rings, “This task was appointed to you, and if you do not find a way, no one will.” Men need to know that without their participation all is lost.

Give men a chance to be heroic, and to be recognized for it. Dream big. Create dangerous ministry opportunities for men, and then praise them for taking risks.

Tell the stories of martyrs. At least once a month every church should tell the story of a contemporary martyr who died in service to Jesus Christ. Their stories are recounted in books such as Extreme Devotion and Jesus Freaks. Almost 100,000 Christians will lose their lives this year in defense of the Gospel. Their stories deserve to be told – and these would serve as a powerful reminder to men of what the Gospel is really about.

Use the superhero motif when marketing men’s ministry. Most men’s ministry stuff is built on a first century motif – swords and shields. Not exactly the kinds of images that excite today’s guys. Why not build your next men’s event around a superhero theme? I bet you’ll get more young men to participate.

Clark Kent, Peter Parker and Bruce Wayne represent the men we are. Mild-mannered. Dutiful. Safe. But Superman, Spiderman and Batman represent the hidden hero that exists within each of us.

As disciples of Jesus, we serve a righteous cause. The gospel is the story of a super-heroic man whose mission is to save the world—a man who is currently recruiting agents to assist him. He is calling you to risk everything to come under his command. And when the mission is over, a precious reward awaits. That’s the message men crave. It’s a message that’s being lost in today’s therapeutic church.

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By David Murrow

Welcome to Lakeside Church, the statistically average U.S. Congregation. This week: o Lakeside will draw an adult congregation that’s 61 percent female, 39 percent male. o Almost 25 percent of the married women who attend Lakeside will do so without their husbands. o Lakeside will attract a healthy number of single women, but few single men. o The majority of men who actually show up for Sunday worship are there in body only. Their hearts just aren’t in it. Few will do anything during the week to nurture their faith.

Lakeside is the norm in Christianity – in the U.S., and around the world. Your church profile is probably similar. Count noses this Sunday – you’ll be surprised. A 60/40 gender gap (or larger) probably affects your worship services, midweek meetings, Bible studies, ministry teams, youth group, etc. In today’s church, women are the participators, men, the spectators.

How did we get here? How did a faith founded by a man and his 12 male disciples become anathema to men? Why do Christian churches around the world experience a chronic shortage of males, when temples and mosques do not? Why are churchgoing men so hesitant to really live their faith, when men of other religions willingly die for theirs?

As a church leader, the lack of male participation may not be one of your top concerns. After all, if you want a smooth running congregation, women are the key. Women keep the ministry machine going. They sing in the choir, care for children, teach classes, cook for potlucks, and serve on committees. George Barna puts it this way: women are the backbone of Christian congregations. Men are like hood ornaments on cars: nice, but not necessary

Over the long term, however, a lack of men will doom a congregation. The gender gap is associated with church decline, according to the latest studies. The denominations with the fewest men (per capita) are also those that have been losing members and shutting churches. On the other hand, churches with robust male participation are generally growing.

If you want a healthy church for the long term, attract men. This was Jesus’ strategy. It still works today.

There’s just one little problem: men hate going to church.

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Why men hate going to church

Ninety percent of American men believe in God. Five out of six call themselves Christians.

Yet just two in six can be found in church on any given Sunday. Those men who do show up often seem passive, bored or out-of-place. Like the Doobie Brothers, men think Jesus is Just All Right, but the very idea of churchgoing gives them the willies. While some men have had specific, negative church experiences, others simply feel a general unease. Men like Lance are common: “My wife Laura loves church, but it just doesn’t work for me,” he says. “The whole feel of it just doesn’t connect.”

Why do millions of Lauras feel right at home in church, while millions of Lances feel as out of place as a ham sandwich at a bar mitzvah? Look at it from a sociological perspective. What other behaviors do men avoid? What other venues make men uncomfortable?

The answer is obvious: in our society, men avoid any behavior (or venue) that might call their manhood into question. For example, men don’t go to baby showers, fabric stores or “chick flicks.” So it is with church: men believe, deep in their hearts, that church is a women’s thing. Men approach Christianity with the same apathy or discomfort they display when forced to watch a Meg Ryan film. It just doesn’t resonate with them.

You may be thinking, Church is women’s thing?

How can men think this? Haven’t we been told for decades that the church is male dominated? If you’re speaking of professional clergy, then yes, the church is male dominated. The governing boards of some congregations remain men-only. But almost every other area of church life is dominated by women. Armies of women.

Like a glove that gradually conforms to the hand of its wearer, Christianity has, over the centuries, subtly conformed to the needs and expectations of its most faithful constituency, women age 40 and older. So instead taking up the epic struggle Jesus promised his disciples, today’s congregations focus on creating a warm, nurturing environment where the top priority is making everyone feel loved and accepted. We gather. We worship. We love each other. We sing. We instruct children. We comfort the hurting. This lineup is both beneficial and biblical, but these things alone will not galvanize men.

Why not? I think John Eldredge says it best: men are wild at heart. Though men see the goodness of the Christian faith, they are not swept up in it because church life is so soft and sweet.

The cautious, sensitive culture of today’s church fails to match the adventurous spirit found in most men. However, women and older folks are more likely to crave the safety and predictability the church provides. They flock to the pews, earning our congregations the dubious reputation as a place for little old ladies of both genders.

The signals we send to men

Every Sunday, without even realizing it, we send subtle signals to guys: you are in feminine territory.

The signals start in Sunday school. Think of the pictures of Jesus you saw as a child. Didn’t they suggest a tender, sweet man in a shining white dress? As our boys grow up, whom will they choose as a role model: gentle Jesus, meek and mild, or Arnold Schwarzenegger, the action hero? The irony here is that the real Jesus is the ultimate hero, bold and courageous as any man alive, but we’ve turned him into a wimp.

There are signals in the sanctuary. Let’s say a common working stiff named Nick visits your church. What’s the first thing Nick sees? Fresh flowers on the altar. Soft, cushiony pews with boxes of Kleenex underneath.

Neutral carpet abutting lavender walls, adorned with quilted banners (or worse: Thomas Kinkade

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paintings). Honestly, how do we expect Nick to connect with God in a space that feels so feminine?

Nick looks around at the men. Some are obviously there against their will, dragged by a wife or mother. Others are softies. Research finds that men who are interested in Christianity are less masculine than average; seminarians also exhibit more feminine characteristics than the typical male. Even the vocabulary of churchgoing men is softer. Christian men use terms such as precious, share, and relationship, words you’d never hear on the lips of a typical man.

The signals keep coming during the service. Nick may be asked to hold hands with his neighbor.

He may be asked to sing a love song to Christ, such as, “Lord, You’re Beautiful,” or “Jesus, I am so in love with You.” Someone may weep. Then Nick will have his male attention span put to the test by a monologue sermon. When this torture test is finally over, Nick is invited to have a personal relationship with Jesus.

Let’s spend a moment on that last one: a personal relationship with Jesus. That phrase never appears in the Bible. Yet in the past 50 years it’s become the number one way the evangelical church describes the Christian walk. It’s turned the gospel into a puzzle for men, because most guys don’t think in terms of relationships. Let’s say Lenny approaches Nick and says, “Nick, would you like to have a personal relationship with me?” Yuck! Men don’t talk or think like this, yet we’ve wrapped the gospel in this man-repellent package.

The signals keep coming: Nick comes alive outdoors, but 99% of church life takes place indoors. Nick was never much of a student, but taking classes, reading the Bible and studying books are presented as cornerstones of a living faith. He lacks the verbal skills to pray aloud, or to sit in a circle and share his feelings.

Let’s say Nick makes it through this minefield and decides to volunteer. The typical church needs people to care for infants, to teach children and youth, to sing, to cook meals, to serve on committees and to usher. Given that list, where do you think Nick will sign up? Somewhere in church history, most of the masculine roles were discarded (or assigned to professional clergy), while roles for laywomen multiplied. Today, Christian service revolves around tasks that women have traditionally performed. Men want to serve God, but many feel ill-prepared or even emasculated by the ministry opportunities we’re offering them.

Bottom line: today’s church is no longer designed to do what Jesus did: reach men with the good news. To borrow a term from advertising: women are the target audience of the modern church. The feminine atmosphere in our churches causes women to feel loved and nurtured, but men to feel hesitant and restrained. The only men who can function in this feminine milieu are those who happen to be particularly sensitive, verbal, dutiful or studious. The more masculine the man, the more alienated he feels in the modern congregation.

How do we turn things around?

In my book, Why Men Hate Going to Church, I offer more than 60 pages of practical, proven suggestions for making your church more man-friendly. Here are just a few:

Stop sending Nick signals that church is for women. From the moment he walks into the sanctuary, Nick must sense that this is something for him, not just something for his grandma, his wife and his kids. Examine everything about your church: the décor, the vocabulary you use, the songs you sing, the behaviors you expect. Men will respond if you meet them halfway.

Become students of men. Please don’t be offended by this, but the truth is many pastors have built their ministries on their ability to interact with women. Because men are so unneeded for church work, ministers have had little incentive to go after them.

This must change. I challenge every pastor in America to become a student of men. A good place to start: read John Eldredge’s bestseller, Wild at Heart.

Men need great leadership. Men are drawn by vision and purpose, by achievement and power. Churches that attract enthusiastic men do so by taking risks, dreaming big, and bringing a measure of adventure back to the Christian life. Church leaders, I encourage you to dream big in the coming year. Ask God for a Big Hairy Audacious Goal that can only be accomplished by His power. However, expect resistance in the flock – from the rams as well as the ewes. Courageous leadership always involves

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change, and one researcher found that 85% of Christians have change-resistant personalities.

Great leadership stirs up opposition, but over the long term it stirs hope in the hearts of men.

Help men learn. Men’s brains are less verbal than women’s, so they require a different approach. Men have been trained to focus for 6 to 8 minutes (the length between TV commercials). The lengthy monologue sermon, so effective in the Victorian era, fails to reach today’s men. Rick Warren of the Purpose Driven Church may have an answer: he frequently breaks his sermons into 5 to 7 minute chunks, with a video, drama or song between each segment. And object lessons are essential: never take the pulpit without an object in hand. Jesus called these parables, and they survive to this day because men remembered them. Effective pastors and teachers draw metaphors and illustrations from the realms of sports, business, battle and survival.

Help men worship. With men, it’s all about quality. Men appreciate good music from talented musicians, played in their vocal range. When possible, choose songs with masculine lyrics.

Many of today’s praise songs feature loveydovey words set to a romantic tune. Nick may feel uncomfortable singing these words to Jesus, a man who lives today. Also, whenever possible, move men outside for worship. There’s nothing like a bonfire and a starry night to connect a man and his Maker.

Help men serve. Roger from Ohio says, “If serving in the church was more about pounding nails and less about wiping runny noses, I’d probably be interested.” Men will gladly serve if we let them do what they’re good at. Why not work on cars?

One Illinois church has an on-

site auto repair facility, staffed by volunteers, that benefits single mothers and the working poor. Even a small church can offer free oil changes in the church parking lot. Our congregation started doing this twice a year; the event attracts more than fifty guys who give up a Saturday morning to serve God. What’s more remarkable, we almost always get a few nonreligious husbands of churchgoing wives.

Meeting men’s deepest needs

However, men’s deepest spiritual hunger cannot be satisfied with any of these things.

Making our Sunday services male friendly will help, but if we want men to come truly alive, we must recover two ancient roles that the founders of our faith understood, but we have lost. Men need spiritual fathers and a band of brothers.

Church for Men is in the process of developing Men’s League, an alternative to the men’s ministry models out there today. Men’s League is based on Jesus’ ministry to the twelve, and we’re designing it with pastors in mind. We know you’re busy, so Men’s League gives you an opportunity to personally disciple up to 84 men in as little as two hours a week. To learn more about this exciting, evolving model, click here.

Go for the guys…

Church for Men is now offering a free guide to help your church conduct a man-friendly worship service. The Go for the Guys Sunday Action Plan will help you plan, prepare for and execute a successful worship service that targets men and boys. We recommend that you conduct a Go for the Guys Sunday at least once a quarter, in order to build momentum.

The action plan includes everything you need for the planning process: sample announcements, decorating ideas, music guidelines, fun elements, preaching and teaching ideas, object lesson suggestions and more.

The “Go for the Guys Sunday Action Plan” can be downloaded from ChurchForMen.com under the tools tab.

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Too often women around the world take the brunt of all that is negative and demoralizing. Poverty, a lack of education, and cultural barriers too often keep women from becoming all they can be. General Baptist Missions has a deep desire to minister to these women by providing opportunities to sell crafts, make clothing, and learn life skills. We help women change their world by embracing a loving God and providing for themselves.

Two main programs where these ministries take place in India are the Dorcas Sewing Centers and the Grace Home for Widows. The Dorcas Sewing Centers help poor women earn a livelihood by teaching them the trade of tailoring. Grace Home for Widows helps poor widows each month to meet basic needs by providing food and clothing.

Your gifts to the Missions Offering at the 2013 Mission & Ministry Summit will help fund these ministries in India.

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Meet David Murrow…Special Summit Guest Monday, July 15 David Murrow founded Church for Men in 2005. Murrow is not a pastor, professor or theologian.

He’s just a guy in the pews who noticed a disturbing trend: churches are losing their men and boys. So he wrote a book titled Why Men Hate Going to Church, which became an instant Christian bestseller, with more than 100,000 copies in print. His efforts have spawned articles in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Chicago Tribune, to name a few. You may have seen him on PBS, the NBC Nightly News, or the Fox News Channel talking about the gender gap.

David Murrow has walked four distinct career paths: television producer, book author, professional speaker and government spokesperson. He has produced some 800 television commercials, and more than 100 TV specials and programs, mostly in Alaska. He’s contributed material to most of the major networks.

David is the author of three books: Why Men Hate Going to Church (2005); How Women Help Men Find God (2008) and The Map: The Way of All Great Men (2010).

After producing Sarah Palin’s first television commercials during her run for Lt. Governor of Alaska in 2002, Murrow was tapped as her Director of Communications after her election as governor.

Murrow has a degree in Anthropology from Baylor University. He’s married with three children and two grandsons, all of whom live in Alaska.

Meet Larry Osborne…Special Summit Guest Wednesday, July 17 Dr. Larry Osborne has served as a Senior Pastor and Teaching Pastor at North Coast Church since 1980. He has helped oversee the growth of the church from a fledgling group of 128 meeting in a rented school, to a multi-site ministry that reaches over 9,000 in weekend attendance.

Larry is also an author and a nationally recognized trainer of pastors. His books include Accidental Pharisees, Sticky Church, Sticky Teams, 10 Dumb Things Smart Christians Believe, Spirituality for the Rest of Us and The Unity Factor. He travels extensively speaking at conferences and mentoring pastors and church planters across the country.

Larry holds both a Master of Divinity degree and a Doctorate from Talbot Theological Seminary. He and his wife Nancy live in Oceanside, CA. They have three grown children.

Meet Bob Stromberg, bringing laughter to the world since 1952…Special Summit Guest Monday, July 15 Bob Stromberg grew up in the Allegheny Mountains of rural northern Pennsylvania. Throughout his early school years, his deepest desire was to be recognized as class clown. Receiving a B.A. from North Park College in Chicago, he continued his studies for two years with legendary teacher Tony Montanaro at Celebration Mime Theatre in Maine. It was there he met mask maker extraordinaire Michael Cooper and together they clowned in schools across New England, for over ten years, through 4000 shows, cutting their performing teeth as the comedy duo “Stromberg and Cooper”. In 1989 Bob “went solo” performing his unique blend of story, standup and shtick in venues from church basements, to corporate settings to stadium events

Bob has written three books, Finding the Magnificent in Lower Mundane, the award winning, beautifully illustrated family story The Miracle at Stinky Bay and the best selling, Why Geese Fly Farther Than Eagles. He is known by many for his appearances on the awarding winning TV comedy Bananas.

Bob lives in Minnesota with his wife Judy, occasionally still performs with Triple Espresso and Mr. Wonder Boy and tours extensively as a featured comedian and speaker. His comedy and speaking has a wide range of expression from group whistling to stories with heart, standup and amazing shadow puppets.

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Meet Tammie Head…Special Summit Guest Monday, July 15 Sitting on her bed in a tiny worn-out trailer, Tammie wondered what to do with her messed-up life. Dropping out of school at the age of 15 and subsequently leaving home, Tammie knew all too well a life of dysfunction. Experiencing divorce from an early age, she immediately felt the brokenness of relationships gone sour.

Growing up with every conceivable dysfunction, Tammie would tell you that her heart started fraying from as early as she can remember. Eventually, sin-filled exposure led to sin-filled living, and the only road that she knew was fear, insecurity, and rebellious living. Nevertheless, in the darkest of hours, while desperately wanting someone to save her, Tammie began to hear God calling her to Himself.

It has been over a decade now since Tammie first met the Lord but one reality has remained: She is still so in love with her Savior all these years later. Being rescued from a trashcan of life, Tammie lives to tell of her wonderful Jesus. He can redeem any life. And the beauty is that He wants to! Sharing the Word with anyone who will listen, Tammie’s utmost passion is for others to find the One who has captivated her own soul.

Tammie joyfully teaches a Women’s Sunday school class at Houston’s First Baptist Church. Women are drawn to her openness, honesty, passion, grace and tenderness, but most of all, her love for the Lord.

Through practical Biblical insight, she teaches the Word of God in an understandable and relevant way.

She will inspire you, challenge you, and even dare you to seek after God with everything you have.

Tammie resides in Cypress, Texas, with her husband Erin and their two teenaged daughters, Peyton and Savannah. When they are not busy with the affairs of life, all four Heads love to travel, enjoy loved ones, visit with friends, and serve together on the mission field.

Meet Pastor Judah Smith…Special Summit Guest Monday evening and Tuesday morning.

Judah Smith is the lead pastor of the City Church in Seattle, Washington. Judah is a well-known speaker at conferences and churches around the world. His humorous yet poignant messages demystify the Bible and show people who Jesus is in their everyday life.

Prior to assuming the lead pastorate in 2009, Judah led the youth ministry of The City Church for ten years. He has authored several books and is a popular voice on Twitter (@judahsmith).

Judah and his wife Chelsea have three children: Zion, Eliott, and Grace. Judah is an avid golfer and all-around sports fan. He believes the Seahawks are God’s favorite team and is praying for the Sonics to come back to Seattle.

The City Church is a 7,000 member, multi-site congregation with multiple campuses located throughout the greater Seattle area. Weekly messages are broadcast live via satellite to all sites with ministry teams at each location. Judah has authored several books including Dating Delilah, a book on purity from a new perspective. He also travels the nation and the world ministering at churches and conferences, imparting into the lives of Christian leaders and young people. His ministry is noted for a fresh preaching style mixed with humor, authority, passion and strong faith.

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24 The Mission & Ministry Summit: A General Baptist Gathering

Schedule of Events 9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

8:45 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Monday General Session I – Keynote Speaker: David Murrow Workshop Session 1 Lunch Roundtable/Workshop Session 2 Workshop Session 3 General Session II – Keynote Speaker: Judah Smith Late Night with Bob Stromberg

9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

8:45 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Tuesday General Session III – Keynote Speaker: Judah Smith Workshop Session 4 Lunch General Association Business Session General Session IV – Keynote Speaker: Clint Cook Late Night Event – “Dive In” Movie, poolside family fun!

9:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday General Session V – Keynote Speaker: Larry Osborne Workshop Session 5 Lunch Next Level Intensives/Workshop Session 6 Workshop Session 7 General Session VI – Keynote Speaker: Larry Osborne

Special Events Late Night with Bob Stromberg – Monday 8:45 p.m. in the Main Ballroom For over thirty years Bob Stromberg has been delighting audiences of all ages with his perfect blend of standup, story and shtick. Always clean, his presentation is a disarming healthy blend of knee-slapping comedy and wholesome encouragement. Bob facilitates surprising laughter with an arsenal of gifts including physical comedy, a non-threatening touch of audience participation and yes...even hand shadows, which the London Metro described as “stunning”. Add to this hilarious and tender stories from his own experience and audiences leave amazed, refreshed and different than when they came. He has been a featured and favorite emcee for many large stadium and arena gatherings.

Late Night “Dive-in” Movie – Tuesday 8:45 p.m. Poolside A family fun activity for all ages! The Summit is hosting a family movie shown outside at the pool following services Tuesday night. Dive-in and relax as you watch or sit poolside and enjoy the company of friends and conversation. Kids and families can swim around and enjoy a fun Florida experience while the kids-at-heart can enjoy some downtime by the pool. Bring your flip-flops, grab a lounge chair, and breath in some Florida relaxation.

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Summit Registration Registration for all Participants is located in the Royal Palm Foyer Sunday evening 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

Monday 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Tuesday 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

The information desk will be manned 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. & 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. each day.

Not registered for the Summit yet?

Stop by the Summit website GBSummit.org and click on “Registration.” You can register online or download the form and send it in.

You can also call Congregational Ministries at 573-785-7746 for more details.

Summit Children

All children and students will be checked in through KidCheck secure child check-in system. All Summit volunteers involved in children’s ministries have had background checks. .

Nursery and Toddlers | Birth – 2 years No Registration fee The nursery is located in the Pegasus Boardroom B&C. Children will be with their parents for all meals.

Preschool | 3-5 years No registration fee The preschool room is located in the Pegasus West 1&2.

Children will be with their parents for all meals.

Elementary | K – 5th Grade Registration fee - $55 The Elementary room is located in the Pegasus Boardroom A. Children will be with their parents for all evening meals and Tuesday lunch.

Be sure to pack swimwear, backup plans are in place for swimming in case of any changes Monday, July 15th 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo Lunch provided!

7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. New Walk Kids Worship Experience Tuesday, July 16th 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 p.m. Movie Theater Popcorn & snacks provided!

11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch with parents 1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Bowling Includes pizza & soda 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. New Walk Kids Worship Experience Wednesday, July 17th 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Tampa Aquarium Lunch provided!

1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Xtreme Adventure Fun Center 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. New Walk Kids Worship Experience

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Summit Youth

Registration Fee - $55 The Student room is located in the Pegasus South Room Lunch will be provided Tuesday and Wednesday, as the students will be away from the resort.

Normal summer clothing is appropriate for all events except Wednesday, be sure to pack swimwear!

Monday, July 15th 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Student Worship and Welcome 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch with parents 1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Xtreme Adventure Fun Center 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Worship with Judah Smith in Main Tuesday, July 16th 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Local Outreach Mission 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Student Worship Wednesday, July 17th 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Water Park Pack swimwear!

7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Student Worship

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2013 Summit Workshop Schedule Monday, July 15, 10:30 a.m.

Let’s Shake Off Defeat! (Women Only!) • Tammie Head Pegasus Ballroom West The Jesus in us is S-T-R-O-N-G-E-R than our problems, pressures, and struggles. Come join Tammie Head in a discussion on how we can suffer well and stand strong in the midst of challenges from 2 Corinthians 4:1-18.

Men and the Church • David Murrow Pegasus Ballroom East Explore with the author of “Why Men Hate Church” both the realities of and solutions for the current man-shortage in the American Church.

Preventing Breakdown • Nancy Egbert Royal Palm East 1 Tips from a licensed, professional, Christian counselor for maintaining good mental health while leading in Ministry at a level that is “doable hard” not “destructible hard”.

Building a Volunteer Base • Barry Lucas Royal Palm East 2 As everyone already knows, the Pastor along with the church staff, cannot, and simply should not, do it all! There is great reward in raising up and equipping the church body to be active and passionate volunteers. Discover what it takes to build a strong community of vision-led volunteers, as well as how to create an environment of appreciation for all that they do!

Executive Pastor: What…When…Why…How? • Eric Abercrombie, Kevin Dobbs Royal Palm East 3 This breakout will explore key questions concerning the Executive Pastor role: what it typically involves, when and why the position might be warranted on a church leadership team, and how one might effectively perform and produce kingdom results while in that role. There is great benefit and value potential in adding an Executive Pastor…in the right context How to Empower Yourself for Amazing Bible Study Royal Palm West 1 Imagine increasing the power of your sermon and lesson prep with the latest and greatest tools available while cutting back on the time required. Logos Bible Software turns these ideas into reality! This workshop will show you how to study the Bible and prepare sermons and lessons with ease and efficiency.

Report on Typhoon Pablo: Ministry After the Storm • Joyce Porcadilla, Sean Warren Royal Palm West 2 Come and hear a first hand account of living through Super Typhoon Pablo and the ministry Filipino and American General Baptists have had on the island. Listen to Joyce Porcadilla and Sean Warren as they share of relief and development efforts.

Monday, July 15, 1:30 p.m.

Let’s Fight, Are You In? • Tammie Head Pegasus Ballroom West We are putting up with more than we have to. Let’s win this war instead of hating this war! Satan is a defeated foe. Come join Tammie Head in a discussion on what it means to be strong (in) the Lord from Ephesians 6: 10-20.

The Larger Church • Panel Pegasus East 1 & 2 An interactive discussion of the facts of life in a church of 500+. Especially designed for those who will reach this level soon and those who desire networking opportunities with other larger congregations.

Children’s Ministry: Competing with Disney World • Stephanie Gladura, Bekah Smith Pegasus West 3 & 4 Make the Children’s Ministry the best hour of your kid’s week through high-energy and biblical teaching! Get ready to take part in the FUN as we give a live demonstration of how to teach kids about Jesus on their level! This breakout will be followed by a Q&A session.

The Worship Experience • Jacob Hill, Brandon Con Royal Palm West 1 Creating Worship “Experiences” not just Worship “Services”. We want our audiences to EXPERIENCE God in our Churches through the arts, It’s not about singing together its about experiencing God together. It’s not the church’s job to serve people, it’s the church’s job to help connect people to God. Learn how to design experiences instead of services.

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Saipan Church & School: Not Just Paradise Island • Phil Warren, Robbie Myers Royal Palm West 2 Many think of Saipan as an Island Paradise…but it is as lost and needy as any place in the world. From sex trafficking to alcoholism, the island has many problems. But the island also has many great stories too, such as our school there! Please listen to new missionaries Phil and Robbie as they share!

Sustainable Youth Ministry • Brent Wernsing, Steven Newhouser Pegasus South--Youth Many youth groups boast hype and gimmicks are the key to having the best youth group, but the reality is if you get them with a gimmick you have to keep them with a gimmick. Join us as we discuss the key areas of getting kids to come to your ministry, how to keep them coming back and all the fun that comes with it.

Monday 3:15 p.m.

Men and the Church • David Murrow Pegasus Ballroom East Explore with the author of “Why Men Hate Church” both the realities of and solutions for the current man-shortage in the American Church.

Passion to Action • Paula Styles Pegasus East 1 & 2 God is speaking to you about using your gifts and abilities to fill a ministry niche. How do you make that happen? Hear from how Paula how to move your passion to action. Our nation is crying for healing; let’s start moving from passion to action so that we will receive the promises of God concerning this land (I Chronicles 7:14). We can make the change using spiritual gifts and abilities as we are directed by the Holy Spirit.

Campus Safety: Protecting the Church • Scott Drinkwater, Josh Gladura Pegasus East 3 & 4 Have you ever considered the value in a safe and secure church? Take your church to the next level by better protecting the Message, the Sanctuary, the Pastor and the Children of your Church. See how this team can transform your church to a place where people can worship without distraction and feel confident about leaving their children in your children’s ministry!

Children’s Ministry: Competing with Disney World • Stephanie Gladura, Bekah Smith Pegasus West 1 & 2 Make the Children’s Ministry the best hour of your kids week through high-energy and biblical teaching! Get ready to take part in the FUN as we give a live demonstration of how to teach kids about Jesus on their level! This breakout will be followed by a Q&A session.

Retirement Planning and General Baptist Pension Program • Sharon Kissinger Pegasus West 3 & 4 First-hand information from a self-directed pension program serves pastors and church employees with reliable retirement options. Pastors, treasurers and personnel committee chairmen will find this information especially helpful and useful.

Creating a Culture-of-Passion Within Your Church • Brandon Petty Royal Palm East 1 Gain a better understanding of how to gain buy-in and passionate involvement in any local church. Learn how one new church produces excited leaders, fully engaged servants and generous givers. Why settle for a-pathy when you can have e-nergy?

Getting to the Heart of the Matter: Brief Counseling Techniques for the Busy Pastor • Brian Burris Royal Palm East 2 Learn from a trained counselor, who also serves on a local church staff, some of the basic counseling tools useful in dealing with real life situations.

Make the FIRST Impression the BEST Impression • Nicki Carter, Jen D’Angiolillo Royal Palm East 3 Statistics prove that it is within the first 6 minutes of being on your campus that a First Time Guest will decide whether or not they’ll return. Curious if your First Impression keep them coming back? Learn how to make simple actions EXTRAORDINARY in order to create an atmosphere that caters to First Timers in a way that keeps them wanting MORE of YOUR CHURCH! Remember, You only get ONE chance to make a FIRST IMPRESSION!

Discipleship Essentials • Brad Swain Royal Palm West 1 Make disciples. We are commanded to do so, but how? Join National Missions workshop presenter Brad Swain as he shares his experience using Greg Ogden’s book “Discipleship Essentials” in making disciples. Brad will share not only the The Mission & Ministry Summit: A General Baptist Gathering 29

“how to” but how using this step-by-step, one-on-one experience has impacted his life and the life of his church. Joining Brad will be one of his graduates who now is on the way to leading others in discipleship Ministry with NO Money, Just a Passion for Jesus • Joyce Porcadilla Royal Palm West 2 Student Testimonies from GBBC Inspiring and deeply moving…this is how you will describe the workshop led by Joyce on the ministry of students to the peoples of the Philippines. If you need a challenge and encouragement, please attend

Tuesday 10:30 a.m.

Stories from Faith Home: Transforming Honduras One Child at a Time! • Christina Massey Pegasus Ballroom West Do not miss this opportunity to hear the Director of Faith Home share from her unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities of the life transformations in our children at Faith Home!

The Woman Connection • Patti Thornton Pegasus Ballroom East Come, build with Women’s Ministries! From foundation to pinnacle, this national organization of women connecting as leaders, mentors, missionaries, and learners is growing. You could be a crucial building block that helps this ministry grow Abbreviated business necessary to move us forward will be conducted during this session.

Discipleship Essentials • Brad Swain Pegasus East 1 & 2 Make disciples. We are commanded to do so, but how? Join National Missions workshop presenter Brad Swain as he shares his experience using Greg Ogden’s book “Discipleship Essentials” in making disciples. Brad will share not only the “how to” but how using this step-by-step, one-on-one experience has impacted his life and the life of his church. Joining Brad will be one of his graduates who now is on the way to leading others in discipleship Effective Evangelism • Carl Nichols Pegasus West 3 & 4 So many churches really do desire to be effective in their evangelism, but the problem is that evangelism is more than holding an event. Come and hear evangelism strategies that have taken a brand new church into accelerated growth! Ways to build relationships and to brand your church in the community, as well as a packet of resources and tools, will be shared.

Youth Discipleship • Shawn Baldus, Renee Drinkwater Royal Palm East 1 How to develop a 4 session Discipleship Program to equip your students to change the landscape of their school with a bold knowledge and understanding of their faith.

Grow S.M.A.L.L. • Michael Carter Royal Palm East 2 Did you know that the people who are involved in small groups at your church are much more likely to serve, tithe, lead and stick with your church? Small groups do MUCH MORE than help build relationships. Find out how to launch successful groups, multiply and raise up leaders, and multiply those actively participating!

Meet General Baptists • Danny Dunivan Royal Palm East 3 Explore General Baptist history, origins, and early development with a researcher who has uncovered some remarkable aspects of our history.

MVP Recap and Preview 2014: From Honduras to the Holy Land • Kris Yeomans Royal Palm West 1 Listen to our short term team coordinator Kris as he lays out the ministry opportunities for the American Church! Warning, do NOT attend if you are afraid to have your heart opened to ministry overseas!

Stories from the Harvest: The Gospel Advancing in Asia • David Raisor Royal Palm West 2 With 2 out of every 3 people in the world living in Asia, is encouraging to know the Gospel is advancing in significant ways.

Come listen to David as he shares incredible stories of God’s work in difficult countries. You will be challenged!

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Wednesday 10:30 a.m.

Stories from Faith Home: Transforming Honduras One Child at a Time! • Christina Massey Pegasus Ballroom West Do not miss this opportunity to hear the Director of Faith Home share from her unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities of the life transformations in our children at Faith Home!

Sticky Church • Larry Osborne Pegasus Ballroom East Engage with pastor and author Larry Osborne as he demonstrates the why and how of small groups as disciple-making essentials in a growing church. Not just theory this session offers practical solutions.

Special Ops: Women in the Trenches of Spiritual Warfare • Pamela Martinez Pegasus East 1 & 2 Have you noticed that spiritual battles have become more intense than ever? As a former Marine, I have noticed similarities in tactical war training and the war for souls. This session will help you hear and answer the call for female soldiers to pick up their M16’s and jump in that trench where God has called you to fight. Whether you are a new recruit or have been fighting long enough to feel the shrapnel under your skin, this workshop will help you understand the real blood and guts of the warfare Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 10.

Church Planting Internship • Dustin Thompson Pegasus East 3 & 4 Delayed gratification is a term seldom heard anymore. In a culture where most everything can be acquired instantaneously, the art of patience has drifted to the background. Ministry and leadership is no exception to this cultural shift. Join Dustin, a future National Missions Church Planter, as he shares his experience and insight gained from interning as the Executive Pastor of Genesis Church, West Plains MO. Discussion points will be the process, advantages, and payoffs to developing leaders and church planters through internships.

Risky Business! • Kurt Hetherington Pegasus West 3 & 4 10 Risk Factors Every Pastor & Church Leader Must Know The number of churches being sued has risen dramatically in recent years. Don’t let your church be next! To be a vibrant and growing church you must engage your community for Christ. That means your ministry options must meet the needs of our 21st century world. Unfortunately, many churches have a 1950’s mindset when it comes to added risks churches face today. That would never happen here or we have always done it this way! These are common refrains. This mindset can be disastrous. This workshop will provide you the essential information needed to make informed decisions as well as practical safety tools that you can implement as soon as you get home.

Discipleship • Shawn Baldus, Renee Drinkwater Royal Palm East 1 Learn how to develop a year-round Discipleship Program to equip your congregation to grow in their personal relationship with Christ and to help them reach their full God potential.

Customizing Curriculum • Buffy Burnette Royal Palm East 2 Learn from a local church leader how her church took the initiative to create a meaningful curriculum for an effective VBS program in their community.

How to Empower Yourself for Amazing Bible Study Royal Palm East 3 Imagine increasing the power of your sermon and lesson prep with the latest and greatest tools available while cutting back on the time required. Logos Bible Software turns these ideas into reality! This workshop will show you how to study the Bible and prepare sermons and lessons with ease and efficiency.

Ministry with NO Money, Just a Passion for Jesus • Joyce Porcadilla Royal Palm West 2 Student Testimonies from GBBC Inspiring and deeply moving…this is how you will describe the workshop led by Joyce on the ministry of students to the peoples of the Philippines. If you need a challenge and encouragement, please attend Media Defined: The Dynamics of Media in Your Church • Darren Jones Pegasus South--Youth No matter if you’re a small, medium, or large church media plays a very important role in defining the future of your church.

This session will focus on using media to frame and enhance your church’s worship experience as well as the equipment and techniques needed to engage your congregation.

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Wednesday 1:30 p.m.

Stories of Hope in India • Jessie Vemula, Sean Warren Pegasus Ballroom West Reaching Hindus, Prostitutes, and Orphans through church planting and evangelism. - Come listen to Pastor Jessie as he is interviewed on the challenges and the rewards of church planting and evangelism in India. You will hear real life stories of perseverance, God’s grace, and God’s blessing in one of the most unreached countries of the world. Don’t miss out on this unique workshop!

Next Level Intensive: Growth Barriers and the Rural Church Pegasus East 1 & 2 Each session includes training on worship, assimilation strategies, the pastor’s role, staffing, missions and best practices based on “If I had only known…” from several men who have worked through the unique challenges of ministry in a rural setting.

Next Level Intensive: Growth Barriers and the Small Church Pegasus East 3 & 4 Each session includes training on worship, assimilation strategies, the pastor’s role, staffing, missions and best practices based on “If I had only known…” from several men who have worked through these barriers growing from less than 50 to 100.

Next Level Intensive: Growth Barriers and the 200 Barrier Royal Palm East 1 Each session includes training on worship, assimilation strategies, the pastor’s role, staffing, missions and best practices based on “If I had only known…” from several men who have worked through the 200 barrier.

Next Level Intensive: Growth Barriers and the 1,000 Barrier Royal Palm East 2 Each session includes training on worship, assimilation strategies, the pastor’s role, staffing, missions and best practices based on “If I had only known…” from several men who have worked through these barriers.

What Is My Calling, Anyway? • Jennifer Daniel, Vicki Smith Royal Palm East 3 Join Jennifer and Vicki as they share what missions and outreach looks like at Real Life Church. Examples of outreach and missions activities that have been used at RLC will be shared. See how the church is impacting the community as well as broadening their involvement internationally. Learn how to start a Women’s Ministries group from the ground up.

Becoming a Logos Power User Royal Palm West 1 Logos Bible Software is an incredibly powerful tool for study and lesson prep. But are you using Logos to its fullest potential? In this workshop you’ll be trained on how to take your use of Logos beyond the next level. You’ll learn easy tricks to customize and organize Logos so you can study practically and efficiently. Whether you are new to Logos or a veteran, this workshop will help you become a confident and equipped power user.

English Language Institute China: Your chance to learn more! • David Raisor Royal Palm West 2 Have you ever wanted to know how you could serve the world with your English speaking ability? Come and listen to David Raisor as he describes different opportunities for you to invest your life in the lives of Asian Students overseas! A grand opportunity awaits you in this workshop!

Wednesday 3:15 p.m.

Passion to Action • Paula Styles Pegasus East 1 & 2 God is speaking to you about using your gifts and abilities to fill a ministry niche. How do you make that happen? Hear from how Paula how to move your passion to action. Our nation is crying for healing; let’s start moving from passion to action so that we will receive the promises of God concerning this land (I Chronicles 7:14). We can make the change using spiritual gifts and abilities as we are directed by the Holy Spirit.

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Grow S.M.A.L.L. • Michael Carter Pegasus East 3 & 4 Did you know that the people who are involved in small groups at your church are much more likely to serve, tithe, lead and stick with your church? Small groups do MUCH MORE than help build relationships. Find out how to launch successful groups, multiply and raise up leaders, and multiply those actively participating!

Second Chair Leadership: Challenges and Opportunities • Eric Abercrombie, Kevin Dobbs Pegasus West 3 & 4 They say it’s lonely at the top. And it can be even lonelier when you’re almost at the top. “Second chair” church leaders are under tremendous pressure to do their jobs and provide leadership while also deferring to the first chair visionary leader. As church staffing and lay leadership trends involve the installation of increasing numbers of second chair leaders, understanding the unique challenges and opportunities inherent in these roles is crucial for success.

Teaching on Tithing • Jeff Smith Royal Palm East 1 Can a pastor actually teach on giving and tithing and retain his credibility in the church and in the community. In this session you will learn why, how and when to teach on that often taboo subject of money?

This Present Darkness: Empowering Women in India • Patti Thornton Royal Palm East 2 The 2013 Women’s Ministries Mission One Team is going to India! General Baptist ministry to women in India offers an escape from the perils of human trafficking. Even if you can’t be a go-er to India, learn what you need to know to participate in ministry that offers hope in a dark world.

Couples Retreats: What…When…Why…How? • Jim & Kris Pratt Royal Palm East 3 Discipleship is not just an individual experience and in marriage couples often benefit from those special retreat settings devoted to improving their life-partnership. These veteran leaders of couple’s retreats will provide specific resources that can be readily customized to most any local church ministry.

Drive Faith Back Home • Terrell Somerville Royal Palm West 1 While many churches are proactive at reaching the lost, the spiritual temperature of discipleship can also be raised in both churches and families. Discover a revolutionary way of resourcing and partnering with families to be intentional with growing their faith in Christ not only in the church, but also primarily in the HOME! The Timothy Initiative: GBIM & Church Planting • Sam Ramdial, Greg Kappas Royal Palm West 2 Do you want to know how to train a church planter and start a church for $200? It can happen, and it is the best money you will ever spend! Come and listen to Greg Kappas & Sam Ramdial as they share this country transforming partnership GBIM has to plant churches around the world!

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very year The Summit

profiles worship leaders

and worship teams from a variety of General Baptist churches.

The leaders and teams inspire and motivate Summit participants in each of the six main sessions. At the 2013 Mission & Ministry Summit, worship teams from New Walk and Relevant churches will continue the tradition.

New Walk worship leader Jacob Hill hails from Fairdealing, Missouri where he grew up playing guitar and singing at Pilgrims Rest Church.

On staff at New Walk since October 1, 2006, he summarizes his philosophy of worship as “Worship is the act of acknowledging something or someone as greater than oneself. It is my desire as a Worship Leader to direct people’s worship toward Jesus Christ.”

Anticipating Summit worship Jacob describes his expectations as, “An incredible opportunity to gather as believers with the united purpose of directing our worship toward Christ through songs that proclaim His love and power.”

New Walk church launched in 2006 with 1 service, 60 families and 3 staff members under the leadership of Pastor Gary Baldus. Start-up funds for New Walk came by way of a grant from the Kingdom Expansion Campaign and National Missions. New Walk has grown to include more than 1,100 people per weekend in its worship services.

orship at Relevant Church is

directed by Brandon Conn who

hails from Dallas, Georgia where he grew up playing a variety of instruments.

He first began leading worship in high school and has been part of the Relevant Team since the church launched in 2010.

He reports “Our goal in worship is to engage every person who walks through the door. Through both music and media our desire is create an atmosphere where everyone can connect with God.

“My philosophy of worship centers around a personal relationship with God. What happens Sundays in worship should be an overflow of what is already happening throughout the week.

“I want Summit worshippers to experience God in a fresh way and take that experience with them to their communities.”

Relevant Church of Locust Grove, Georgia launched in 2010 under the leadership of Pastor Carl Nichols.

Currently the church offers two worship services per weekend with a weekly attendance of 450.

Start-up costs for Relevant Church were met by a Snyergy Matching Grant from General Baptist National Missions.

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Meet Clint Cook

A third generation General Baptist minister, Clint Cook has been serving as Interim Executive Director for General Baptist Ministries since Dr. Murray’s announced retirement in 2012. A veteran pastor Rev. Cook has served the Real Life Church of Springfield, Illinois for 28 years. Across those years he has consistently lead the church to invest in global missions by contributing through General Baptist Ministries’ program of Unified Giving.

His denominational involvement has included membership on the General Board and the Council of Associations. He has also served as both local arrangements host and moderator of the General Association of General Baptists. In 2007, as moderator, he was instrumental in working with the denominational Leadership Team to initiate the Mission & Ministry Summit. This new format replaced a three day business session with dynamic worship, missionary connection and practical training. As a result, every year hundreds of General Baptist leaders enjoy the Mission & Ministry Summit: A General Baptist Gathering.

Clint and his wife Judy are proud parents of Amanda Mort of Mt. Vernon, Indiana and Christopher of Springfield and they are even prouder grandparents to Samuel and Evelyn also of Mt. Vernon, Indiana.

Rev. Cook has undertaken the role as Interim Executive Director in a flex-time capacity. This has allowed him to remain as Lead Pastor in Springfield and has allowed him to use technology and a carefully planned travel schedule to provide visionary leadership for the denomination. One of the special features of his broader ministry is Next Level Coaching that has enrolled pastors and leaders from more than 100 General Baptist churches in the four years of its operation.

Meet Gary Baldus

Gary Baldus is the Founding and Lead Pastor of New Walk Church, Zephyrhills, Florida. He and his wife Shawn saw the planting of New Walk in October, 2006 as a means of reaching everyone in their community for Christ.

That vision emphasized reaching young people and families. Out of this passion for reaching people who were far from God in life and bringing them the hope of Jesus Christ, New Walk was founded.

Today, New Walk is reaching people in the East Pasco community in a huge way. Over 350 people have begun a relationship with Jesus since 2006 and New Walk is currently reaching almost 1,100 people a week. Included in those who are being reached are over 230 children a week from ages birth to 5th Grade and over 150 teens a week.

Pastor Gary is also a national church planting coach and has been part of helping to see many new churches start all over the country. Gary is ordained through the General Baptist Denomination and is a graduate of the University of South Florida.

Gary and Shawn are the proud parents of two daughters, Sydney and Brooke. They also serve as guardians of Mary Jo Boyette, a long time family friend.

As part of the General Baptist Denomination, Pastor Gary has served on the Council of Associations and the Executive Council where he also served as a member of the denomination’s personnel committee. In 2011 Pastor Gary was elected to serve as Moderator of the General Association and Host of the Mission & Ministry Summit in 2013.

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By Sean Warren, General Baptist International Missions Director

Romans 12:15 “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.”

Proverbs 19:17 “He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed.”

On December 4, with winds reaching 160 mph, the Category 5 Super Typhoon Pablo slammed into the island of Mindanao, in the Philippines. There was no escaping its impact. The most severe typhoon to ever hit the island ripped roofs off homes and generated torrential rain that resulted in mudslides rushing down mountains obliterating everything in their paths. Bridges and roads were washed out. All crops in the path of the storm were decimated.

As the storm subsided, family members started reporting missing loved ones, while others were found dead. The death toll reached 1,067 people confirmed with another 844 still missing and presumed dead. More than 300,000 now homeless people lost virtually everything they had owned.

Our Filipino General Baptist brothers and sisters were not spared from the wrath of the storm. At last count, there were 57 General Baptist churches destroyed or damaged by the typhoon. Over 1400 General Baptist families were left homeless.

Joyce Porcadilla illustrated the spirit and character of our Filipino brothers and sisters when she wrote on day the typhoon made landfall, “Just came out from the Chapel…

Had a wonderful worship service in the middle of the wind blowing and the rains pouring and trees swaying!”

This attitude is the hallmark of our Filipino brothers and sisters. They find a way to praise God in the midst of the storm! They truly are a “waterproof” people!

Working in concert with our Filipino leadership to determine needs, the General Baptist here in the United States stepped up and provided tangible support to our Asian brothers and sisters in excess of $200,000! We even received $15,000 from Free Will Baptists, $10,000 of that being from their International Missions Department. The response has been AMAZING!

Because of this generosity, we have been such an incredible encouragement to the Philippines.

• We have purchased needed supplies to rebuild our churches and reestablish ministry.

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• We shipped a 40-foot cargo container full of tools and supplies purchased from Home Depot to assist in the reconstruction efforts. (Note: The cargo container will remain on-site as permanent storage unit.)

• Thinking of the future, we purchased the tools and supplies and packaged them in such a way that they can be used now and then stored to be mobilized and used as emergency response kits when the next typhoon hits.

• We purchased a vehicle to transport tools and pastors to locations needing assistance with construction.

• We named a Filipino coordinator of the reconstruction efforts in the Philippines. His name is Leo Guitguit. He is a young Filipino leader with a heart to serve!

In a response to a request by the Filipino church, we sent a construction/medical team to the Philippines in January. We were able to treat over 2,000 people, perform 10 surgeries, assist in the reconstruction of 2 churches, and see over 40 people come to know Christ. It was such a joy and honor.

On the last day I was there, Joyce Porcadilla took me to an area where a massive mudslide and rock avalanche had taken place. Hundreds of people died where we were standing. In no time at all, 10 orphans were standing around

us. It was overwhelming as they spoke of the morning when so many in their community died.

As we were leaving, we drove by a small stadium used to house the homeless. As the rain was pounding down, we saw that they had found another body, and this was 45 days after the typhoon. We watched as they opened the body bag, poured chemicals on the corpse, and put her in a coffin. A small child, maybe 7 years old stood 10 feet from the body the entire time.

I can tell you I will never forget that image. For just a moment, the stench of death passed over us, and we were deeply moved by the tragedy again. For the next several minutes we rode in silence, trying to take in the events. I personally, am still trying to wrap my head around everything.

What I know is this….there was a tragedy. There was a need. We as General Baptists gave to those who were hurting, and we made a loan to the LORD.

We know that brave Filipino General Baptists have sacrificed much to serve their people. We know the church in the Philippines is strong, because their reliance is on their Creator and God is advancing His cause in the midst of their tragedy.

Blessed be the name of the LORD. We will share more in the days and months to come. Please keep praying.

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At the last Mission & Ministry Summit a strategic partnership with Lone Wolf Buildings was highlighted and launched. We offered people and churches the opportunity to purchase a church building for $5,000. We had several people take us up on the offer and they purchased churches! Here is how these churches work. They provide a seriously sturdy structure fabricated out of steel, ingeniously constructed so they can be assembled in a day, using cordless drills. They provide shelter from the elements. Most are 40 x 60 feet, which is a lot of space!

While these church buildings do not work in every location around the world, they do work in several areas in which we minister. So, the first place to receive these buildings was Honduras. The first week of February we were able to construct three new buildings!

You might notice that these buildings do not have walls. That is by design. For something to be valued appropriately, and for there not to be an atmosphere of dependency created, both parties need to invest in the project. We build the church structure and our Honduran brothers and sisters have agreed to build the walls and floor. So this way we all have investment into the building. This also keeps cost at a minimum. Remember, we are not trying to build a church building like we have here at home, rather, one that meets their basic needs and expands their ministry capabilities.

Another thing that has been incredibly enjoyable to watch in this project has been the joyful involvement of the older Faith Home students who have helped in the construction efforts. It is their hands literally building the Kingdom of God on earth!

It is their hands that are giving back to their community! It is their minds that are being developed about how they can do significant and great things for God! It is their hearts that are being opened up to ministry, and their place in it!

AMEN! If you want to purchase a church building, well, you have the opportunity! All you have to do is raise $5,000.

Again, a special thanks to Joey and Renee Smith of Lone Wolf Buildings, our Honduran pastors, and the students of Faith Home as they have extended the ministry of God in Honduras!

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After spending two weeks in the Philippines in January 2013, I can honestly say that it was one of the best mission trips I’ve experienced. In the midst of such devastating loss, the Filipino people were such an encouragement to me. It was a blessing to see how their faith in Christ is carrying them through all of the heartache caused by Typhoon Pablo.

Our clinics were an encouragement to the people of Mindanao and to all of the Americans who participated. We were able to treat 2,065 people, perform 10 surgeries, pray with and counsel over 2,200 people and we saw at least 45 people accept Christ!

I was extremely impressed with General Baptist Church of the Philippines, Inc. (GBCPI). Out of all the countries I’ve visited, I can honestly say that I don’t know of another Baptist organization so well organized and so well established in an international setting as the GBCPI is. Stateside General Baptists should be proud of the work established in The Philippines.

Praise God for how He is still working amongst the Filipino people.

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MYSTERY WORSHIPPER CHECKLIST The Mystery Worshipper process simply asks someone who is a stranger to the church to report on their experiences when they visit a church. Detailed instructions for the process are included in The Five Star Church by Alan Nelson and Stan Toler. Here’s a short checklist any church could use to begin the process. Remember your selected mystery worshipper should be unknown to the congregation and should remain incognito while visiting.

Exterior and Entrance 1. Was the church easy to find?

2. Was parking adequate?

3. Were the grounds well kept?

4. Was the main entrance obvious?

5. Overall, describe your experience of walking into the church for the first time.

Welcome 6. Did greeters meet you in the parking lot? At the main entrance?

In the auditorium?

7. Did anyone explain the service to you?

8. Was signage adequate to indicate nursery, restrooms, children’s areas?

9. Did anyone other than assigned greeters interact with you?

Worship Space 10. Was lighting adequate for your needs?

11. Was a projection system used?

12. Were printed pieces and/or projected images free of spelling errors?

13. Was the sound system adequate for your needs?

14. Was there a user-friendly, non-threatening means for you to provide contact information?

After the Service 15. Were you left alone or did people speak to you?

16. Did too many people approach you at once?

17. Did anyone find out your name or anything about you?

18. Did anyone introduce you to others in the congregation?

19. Did anyone speak to you as you left?

20. What other observations did you make…

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WORSHIP SERVICE SURVEY This survey is being sent to several members of the congregation in an effort to gain helpful, positive feedback from today’s worship service. Please be gentle but honest and specific and return your completed survey before you leave church today. Thanks in advance for your help and for your positive service in the life and ministry of our church.

I.

What do you appreciate most about today’s worship service?

A. What were its strengths? Please list three or four items.

1. _______________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________

4. _______________________________________________________

B. What are one or two aspects of today’s worship service that need

improvement? Where are we weak? Please list one or two items.

1. ___________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________

II. Where would you suggest we focus as we seek to improve the worship

experience? Please list one or two items.

III. On a scale of 1---2---3---4---5---6---7---8---9---10 (Help!----Weak----Average---Strong-----Super!)

A. How would you rate the worship services…?

1. Now ___________________ 2. One year ago ________

For additional comments or feedback, use the back of this form.

(Adapted from Burke, 7/07)

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