Messenger Fall 2017 by General Baptist Ministries

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G en e ral B ap ti st

Fall 2017

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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. Though the term “atonement” is not in the General Baptist Statements of Faith, few terms are more important to our historical identity. The “general” in General Baptist is derived from our position on atonement. Atonement can mean the compensation, the restitution paid, or expiation given by God through Jesus Christ for our sin. Atonement can describe the actions of Jesus to secure our salvation, and thus the redemptive work of Jesus can be described as the atonement. Many Protestants continue to disagree over whether atonement is general (i.e., for all) or particular (i.e., only for those who are “elect”). General Baptists argue that the atonement is for all, but the benefits of the atonement “can be received only through repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Statement of Faith IV). Because we believe in a general atonement we are naturally evangelistic and intentionally missionary. How else will our world hear the Good News? For more information visit: www.GeneralBaptist.com.

THEOLOGICAL CONNECTIONS

Take the Land by Clint Cook, Executive Director

I love studying God’s Word. It’s a favorite pastime! The more I read and study, the more amazed I am that God directs my focus to directly relevant passages, phrases and words that are easily applied to our world today. One such passage is Revelation 3 where John is commissioned by Jesus to write to the Seven Churches of Asia. These churches were real congregations, located in real communities, and pastored by real church leaders. In that regard they are just like our General Baptist churches. Revelation 3:7–8 (NKJV) — 7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, ‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”: 8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. No one truly knows why Jesus used a description of “little strength” for this church. It could have been due to the following factors: ➢ Was this church small in number? This church could have been a new church plant. ➢ Perhaps the church was small in influence. Maybe the church had no influential members making a difference in the community. ➢ Was it small because of adversity? No doubt the churches in this generation were a highly persecuted people. ➢ What if they had little strength because of finances? Offerings may have been low, and community outreach was dried up. ➢ And then there’s the chance they had little strength because they lacked spiritual power. Maybe too much ministry was being done in the flesh. Do you find yourself a member of a church that seems to have “little strength”? In a sea full of so many large denominations, General Baptists may seem like small fish with little impact and limited opportunities, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth! While this Scripture is important because of what Jesus said, it is also important because of what He did not say. Jesus did not say to this church, “Shut it down. You are out

of business.” While this can happen occasionally, it was not the message to this Philadelphia church. In fact, Jesus never said, “Shut it down” to: o The Ephesus church, who had lost their first love. o The Sardis church, that was dead. o The Laodicea church, that was lukewarm and made Jesus sick. Instead, Jesus did say, “I have set before you an open door.” His message was that we must never be satisfied to remain behind locked doors. What great hope this is for His Church, especially the local church! 1. Our inability to open doors does not in any way limit Jesus’ power to open doors. When Jesus says I have set before you an open door, it is because He sees potential in us. We may not see the potential, but He does. 2. An open door provides direction, purpose and vision. The Bible was not written just to tell us about mighty things of God that we could never experience. The Bible was written to show us the potential for mighty things in our lives through God! For General Baptists, how thankful and blessed we are to have so many open doors for the advancement of the gospel here in the U.S. and around the world. Doors previously closed due to economy and geography have been unlocked. The recent upsurge of our Spanish-speaking congregations has thrown language barrier doors wide open! Time after time we read in the Bible how God opened doors when no one else could. Just because we have limited abilities to open a door, Jesus is not limited. 3. Moving vision from just words to action requires bold steps. We pray with big faith for opportunities and plan as if God must answer our prayers. Walking through open doors with eyes wide open avoids becoming distracted. Doors for expanding our General Baptist work and advancing the gospel in our communities are swinging wide open day after day. But we must walk through them! My prayer for every local General Baptist church is that they will learn to shift their focus away from their little strength and see the BIG, open doors that lie before them!

Messenger General Baptist

Fall 2017

Table of Contents 3 Take the Land 7 Summit Keynote Speaker: Karl Vaters 8 Three Misunderstandings about Church Turnaround 10 The Four Most Overlooked Realities of Church Turnaround 12 Expanding the Sweet Spot for Church Turnaround 14 Seven Things You Can Do Today to Grow Your Church 16 Developing a Culture of Invitation 22 Reopened!

3 Misunderstandings

4 Most Overlooked Realities of Church Turnaround

7 Things You Can Do Today to Grow Your Church

8 10 14

about Church Turnaround

24 The Relevant Story 28 Summit Reprise 30 Remarks from Pastor Rene Rodriguez 32 Record 2017 Launch Offering 34 Exciting News from Honduras 35 Expanding Honduras Church Planting 36 No Worries 38 NYC FAQs 40 8 Christmas Eve Planning Tips 42 How Do I Know I’m Called 46 Trending Now

Messenger General Baptist

32 42

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Special Guest 2018 Mission & Ministry Summit

Karl Vaters Karl Vaters is the author of the book, The Grasshopper Myth: Big Churches, Small Churches and the Small Thinking That Divides Us. On his blog Pivot, he writes about Innovative Leadership from a Small Church Perspective for ChristianityToday.com several times a week. He’s also the founder of NewSmallChurch. com, a ministry that encourages, connects and equips innovative Small Church pastors. His heart is to help pastors of Small Churches (about 90% of churches) find the resources to pastor their current church well, and to capitalize on the unique advantages that come with pastoring a Small Church – something virtually every pastor will spend at least some of their ministry years doing. He also believes that big and small churches can and should work together more often – to the benefit of each. Karl has been in pastoral ministry for over 30 years and has been the lead pastor of Cornerstone Christian Fellowship in Fountain Valley, California for over 23 years. Karl will be our special guest at the 2018 Mission & Ministry Summit to be held in Springfield, Missouri July 16-18, 2018.

Surprising Misunderstandings About Church Turnarounds What one person means by church turnaround might be completely different from what another person means. By Karl Vaters

Do you want your church to experience a turnaround? If so, why? There are a lot of good reasons. Among them, you might want to see your church move from: • Unhealthy to healthy • Inward-obsessed to outward-focused • Stuck in the past to excited about the future • Unloving to loving • Uninviting to inviting • Legalistic to joyous • Shallow to deep • Passive to active • Struggling to vibrant • Hurting to life-giving But there are some misunderstandings on this subject. What one person means by a church turnaround might be completely different from what another person means. So here are three things I don’t mean when I talk about a church turnaround.

Turnaround Does NOT Mean… 1. BIGGER If you’re looking for ways to make your church bigger, the turnaround posts this week are not for you. In fact, almost nothing I write will be helpful to you. It’s not that a numerically growing church is wrong. It’s great – especially when it’s also kingdom growth. It’s just not what I do. I tried to grow my church, and failed at it. So I won’t pretend I can help you do it. Don’t be fooled into thinking that your church has turned around just because it’s growing numerically. Or that it hasn’t if it isn’t. They aren’t necessarily the same thing.

I tried to grow my church, and failed at it. 8

2. REBOOT Some churches need to be stripped down, emptied out, and started all over again. Turnaround is not about that. Very few churches need a total reboot. The need is rare enough that I wonder why anyone would bother with the dismantling process, at all. Why destroy an old church, when you can just plant a new one? If it’s because you want to use a pre-existing building, I’ve never seen a building that’s been worth that hassle. Turnaround is not about destroying one church to build another one. When I talk about a church turnaround, I mean taking an existing church, using its DNA, working with its congregation, re-discovering what drew people to it to begin with, then building on that core to see something new spring up. Sometimes it means tweaking and redirecting existing good ideas to better uses. In other situations it means years of lovingly nurturing an all-but-dead plant back to life again. This is spiritual healing, not spiritual demolition. 3. PREDETERMINED One of the biggest turnaround mistakes I see pastors make is thinking they know what the final product should look like. If you want to turn your church around so it can look like a photo in your head, you’re in for a world of disappointment. A church is not the pastor’s pet project. It is a living, breathing organism, designed by God and filled with people. And both of them – God and the people – have a greater stake in it than we do. And they’re pretty stubborn about it. A church won’t go where you want it to go. It will go where the dynamic relationship between God and the people take it. It’s not the pastor’s job to create something new. Or to duplicate something you saw at another church. The mature pastor recognizes that we are explorers, not inventors. Our role is to serve as a spiritual guide, leading people into a clearer understanding of God and a deeper relationship with him, then to stand back and see what that relationship ignites. One of the best phrases I ever heard a pastor utter was spoken by a lead minister whose church was in the middle of a turnaround. It was going well, but the changes hadn’t been what the pastor had expected. He knew the final product wasn’t going to look like the picture in his head. But he was okay with that. As he put it, “I’ve learned to worship God in a style of music that I don’t like.” Oh, for more pastors like that! You won’t like everything that happens when God and the congregation start talking to each other again. But it’s not about you. Perhaps the biggest challenge, need and obstacle to having a turnaround church is this: A turnaround church needs a turnedaround pastor.

A church won’t go where you want it to go. It will go where the dynamic relationship between God and the people take it.

The Most Overlooked Realities of a Healthy Church Turnaround Many pastors say “I want this church to turn around”, when what we really mean is “I want this church to get bigger.” Those are two different goals. By Karl Vaters Leading an existing church through a turnaround from unhealthy to healthy is one of the hardest tasks a pastor will ever be called to do. And it’s even harder when we’re trying to do so without understanding some basic principles needed for a successful turnaround to take place. Here are four common, fundamental realities that are often unknown or ignored by pastors trying to turn a church around.

When a church gets turned around it will be heading in a different direction

Why do we use the word “turnaround” if we don’t want anything to change? Many pastors say “I want to help turn this church around”, when what they really mean is “I want this church to get bigger.” Those are two different goals. If you want a bigger church, there are plenty of resources that will give you those principles, but know this…Bigger is not a turnaround. It’s just more. Sometimes numbers are the least important factor in determining a church’s health. They can even be a false proxy that deceives us into thinking we have health when we don’t, and vice versa. We need to be ready for things to change. That’s what “turnaround” means, after all. If you and the church are not ready for change – for a lot of changes, actually – you’re not ready for a turnaround.

A turnaround means more than surface, stylistic changes

Yes, when a church gets turned around from unhealthy to healthy, it may mean changing your order of service, your music, your clothing style and other facets of your church’s culture. If you want a real turnaround, everything outside the core biblical principles needs to be up for grabs. But singing Chris Tomlin songs to guitar and drums, instead of Charles Wesley hymns to organ and piano is not a turnaround. No matter how spiky the worship leader’s hair is. Turnaround happens in the middle ground of attitudes, methods and systems. It’s deeper than a new church logo, but it should re-affirm, rather than challenge eternal biblical principles.

Turnaround usually starts with what we remove, not what we add

When we did a multi-year turnaround at the church I now lead, we stripped everything back to almost nothing before we started adding things. Here’s why. It’s easier to see your real needs when you have nothing. When the calendar is filled with events we’ve gotten used to, it’s harder to know if they’re really necessary. Plus, when we’re doing fewer things, we can put all our time, energy and other resources into doing them better.

But be very careful here. We didn’t just start chopping things off because “the pastor wants to change things”. That’s dangerous. Instead, we won the long-term battle of attrition. We removed events and activities one-by-one, and only when it was obvious to (almost) everyone that they were no longer working. It was like a company reducing its staff by not replacing retirees, instead of by layoffs. After we “retired” an event or an idea, we didn’t rush to replace it. We waited a while. In some cases, we came to realize we didn’t need anything at all. Less was more. But even when we decided we did need something to replace it, we still didn’t add anything new unless and until we knew for sure we had something that was both better and sustainable. For more on how to do this, check out How to De-Clutter Your Church for More Effective Ministry.

A turnaround church needs a turned-around pastor

Too many pastors don’t want a different church as much as we want a bigger church. I know because I used to want that, myself.

Bigger is not a turnaround. It’s just more.

Often, the first turnaround that has to take place is in the heart of the pastor. If it’s just about pastoring a bigger church, you might as well give up pastoring now. No one ever built a great church just by trying to build a bigger one. Yes there are some that grew healthy and big at the same time, but ask yourself this hard question… If you had to choose between pastoring a healthy small church or pastoring an unhealthy big church, what would you do? No pastor is ready to implement a true, lasting church turnaround without acknowledging this one simple fact. Bigger isn’t better, it’s just more. And there’s no sense having more of something unless it’s better. And no, this isn’t some bait-and-switch where I tell you, “get the church healthy without worrying about growth, then when it is healthy it will grow like crazy!” The truth is, the reason pastors need to be ok with pastoring a healthy small church is because that’s what 90 percent of us will end up pastoring for most of our ministry. There is no promise of growth, even for a healthy church. Health is not a means to an end. It is the means and the end. That attitude starts with us, pastors. And specifically, it starts counterintuitively with our servanthood and humility rather than our superior leadership skills. Copyright © 2016 by the author, Reprinted by permission from Pivot Blog Post, November 2, 2016

Expanding the Sweet Spot for a Healthy Church Turnaround Knowing and expanding the zone where the hearts of the pastor and congregation meet up with God’s heart is essential for a successful church turnaround. By Karl Vaters

There are three primary participants in a local church. God, the pastor and the congregation. Trying to turn a church from unhealthy to healthy without all three in full cooperation, will lead to frustration, failure and heartache. Knowing and expanding the zone where the hearts of the pastor and congregation meet up with God’s heart is essential for a successful church turnaround. This is especially important in a small church. The larger the church, the more likely the heart of the congregation will be an extension of the pastor, often expressed in a mission or vision statement that was crafted by the pastor or leadership team. But in a small church, the congregation has a personality and a will of its own based on their history and their relationships. Ignore it at your peril, pastor.

But when the hearts of all three match up just right, there’s nothing like it.

Finding God’s Heart Together As you can see in this Venn diagram, there’s a place where all three circles (or hearts) intersect. But there are also portions of God’s heart that neither the pastor nor the church have caught up to yet. There always will be. And there are portions of the church’s and the pastor’s heart that aren’t in line with God’s heart or with each other. Each of these overlapping zones (numbers 2 – 4) has unique dangers. Let’s look at all four of them, one at a time.

GOD 3

Church 12

1 4

PASTOR

The Sweet Spot: God, the Church & the Pastor’s Hearts Meet

This is the goal we all ought to be aiming for. The spot where the pastor is working within his gifting, the congregation is being strengthened and utilized, and God’s will is being done. But let’s not be naïve about it. We will seldom have more than a tenuous and shifting grasp on this. And it needs to be constantly monitored, prayed over and never taken for granted. But it can be found, expanded and utilized to bring glory to God and to reach the people he has called us to minister to. In an unhealthy church, this spot may be so small it’s hard to find. If the church is in bad enough shape, it may have disappeared altogether. This is where knowing what to do with sections 2 – 4 becomes critical.

Let’s look at each of them, then we’ll come back to Zone 1 at the end.

The Default: God & the Pastor, but not the Church

This is the overlap where the pastor sees God’s heart, knows it is God’s heart, and finds it resonating within their own heart, but the church doesn’t know it. Yet. This is the default most pastors gravitate to, but it may also be the most frustrating place for a pastor to live. After all, you know what God’s heart is! It’s not a mirage or wishful thinking. But the church Just. Can’t. See. It! So many things can go wrong here if we’re not careful. It’s possible to know the right thing and to do the right thing, but to do it in the wrong way. And there’s no spot where we’re in greater danger of that happening than here. I’m referring to this overlap first, because this is where most pastors begin. But if you’re in the beginning of a church turnaround I don’t suggest you start here. Start in the next zone.

The Listening Place: God & the Church, but not the Pastor

Pastors are not the only people who can discern God’s will for our church. A mature, healthy pastor will realize this. Too many pastors start (and end) the turnaround process by trying to bring the congregation into their default setting (#2). After all, it is God’s will – the church just needs to catch up, right? But what about the places where the church has God’s heart, but the pastor needs to catch up? This is where we need to listen more than we talk. Especially if we’re new to the church. We need to take the time to hear the mutual thumping of God’s heart with the church’s heart. It is his church, after all. If we listen to God and the congregation first, then allow our heart to be drawn into the place where God’s heart and the church’s heart have already met, we can find the quickest, simplest way to start expanding the Sweet Spot. The congregation needs to see the pastor, not just as someone trying to pull them into his zone, but as someone who understands and adapts to the place where God has already met the rest of the church.

Then, when the pastor asks the congregation to come over to Zone 2, they’re more likely to listen – because their heart has already been heard.

The Danger Zone: The Church & the Pastor, but not God

Oh, but this zone just… Feels. So. Riiiiight! The church and the pastor are getting along. They have a common vision. Everything should be working. The danger happens when it does. This is also where I believe most churches hit a spiritual plateau. Everything seems great. People are getting along. Systems are smooth. But they’re slowly dying inside. And they don’t see the iceberg coming. And why wouldn’t it work? There’s nothing the devil likes more than a church that feels great about itself, but is doing absolutely nothing spiritually. They’re in crisis, but don’t even know it, so they don’t try to fix it. Years can go by like this. They might even grow numerically and be asked to teach other churches how they did it. This is where the closed door is often God’s greatest blessing. One of my regular prayers as a pastor is “God, if we see a common goal, but it isn’t your goal for us, stop us dead in our tracks.”

The Goal: Expand the Sweet Spot Let’s end where we started. In Zone 1 – the Sweet Spot. Never try to take the ideas from Zone 4 and move them into God’s heart. God has this stubborn streak in him, where he refuses to take ideas – even good ideas – that start with us, and put his seal of approval on them. We need to start with God’s heart. It’s important to ignore Zone 4 entirely. The work takes place in Zones 2 & 3. The rewards are in an expanded Zone 1. The ultimate goal for any healthy church is to discover more of God’s heart together. To have fewer places where our desires are different than God’s desires. It is a constant challenge. With significant risks. But the rewards are more than worth it. Copyright © 2016 by the author. Reprinted by permission from Pivot Blog Post, November 4, 2016

Pastors are not the only people who can discern God’s will for our church. A mature, healthy pastor will realize this. 13

Things You Can Do

Tod ay to Grow Your Church

That won’t break the budget and don’t have to be voted on in a business meeting! By Franklin R. Dumond, Director of Congregational Ministries

Ministry does not happen automatically. Real ministry in the 21st century is hard work that requires dedication to the cause, preparation to serve and a willingness to do what needs to be done to reach people. Often the traditional or smaller church avoids new efforts at outreach because they are assumed to be too expensive. Here are seven suggestions that you can use today to grow your church. No one has to approve them in advance and most of them only cost your effort and time while some of them may require a few dollars to implement.

1. The Sermon and Worship Flow — The average worship

service in the United States will last from 60-75 minutes. Within that time frame the larger block of time will be given to the sermon and the second largest block of time will be allocated for music. Thus by improving the preaching and the worship flow wise church leaders give people a framework to talk to others and extend an invitation to “Come and See”. So, why not? Be user friendly — let people know what is coming by using a printed order of service or by overviewing the worship service during the welcome. No body, especially a guest wants to be surprised. Eliminate Dead Time — Worship leaders who talk, ushers who have to get organized, stage/platform participants who have to make an entrance from the rear, the Baptist etiquette that no one can start the next part until the last person who was in front has reached their seat in the audience all contribute to dead time. Each of them can be easily addressed with simple, common sense solutions. Avoid Code Language — Can someone who visits for the first time understand what is being said? Announcements — Do the announcements impact at least 75% of the people attending? If not then use small group and word of mouth strategies to communicate. Learn to recruit rather than to announce and you will eliminate the need for most of the current announcement and reminders.

2. Use an Invite Card — Include key information like

Location, Service Times, Website or Facebook if these are helpful. Be sure you are really saying what you think you are saying. How to distribute? Two weeks prior to your big day give two cards to each person. Have them hold up the one in the right hand, pray “Lord put someone in my path this week that I may share this invitation.” Then hold one in left hand, pray “Lord put someone in my path this week that I may share this invitation.”

3. Learn WHERE to Fish – We could invite the whole city

to attend worship but we are more likely to connect with those people we know or those people who live and work in proximity to us. Here’s an important question: “Who do you know who should be part of our church?” We are all surrounded by people who need an invitation to come on the journey with us. But in that throng of people there are a few we are more likely to encounter. So rather than “Who do you know who should be part of our church?” as an open ended question, why not focus attention a few times each year on Family Members, Neighbors and acquaintances? (For more information see www.Turnaround2020.org to download Developing A Culture of Invitation)

4. Buy a blue pen—and use it! – Personal notes have

power. Our digital age leaves a void in personalized communication. Set a quota of how many to send each week. Personal notes from pastors are essential to visitor follow-up. Personal notes to absentees may provide helpful intervention for those who are careless in their spiritual habits.

5. Organize a Hospitality Team – To engage in full blown

turnaround we need teams of people engaged in ministry not just solo efforts by committed saints. This is especially so when we consider hospitality and greeting ministries. There are two approaches to developing teams. Some teams are developed by rotating responsibilities. In these teams several people take turns doing the general task. Other teams are developed by expanding the team and breaking larger tasks into smaller units. Anytime we expand the work force we also need to organize the activity by writing down a position description. This helps insure consistent performance even though different people are undertaking the task.

6. One hour out and about — What about one hour

per month out and about meeting people and making connections with those we know should be part of our church? One hour equals 60 minutes. One month equals 30 days (generally) Do the math: 2 minutes a day! What can you do or say in 2 minutes? www.quora.com suggests that auctioneers speak at the rate of 250-400 words per minute while public speakers often race on at 145-160 words per minute. A normal conversation generally clocks in at 110-150 words per minute unless a proud grandparent chimes in then if the word speed remains the same the length of conversation extends to include all the recent tales of those precocious, delightful grandchildren. www.turnaround2020.net includes telling my story resources to assist this effort. Brad Aycock leads church planters and re-starters in Ohio to commit to 25 connections per week while gathering the launch team and 10 per week forever!

7. Make a list and check it twice! — The Crowd is

composed of all those folks who attend at least once in a while. Remember the last time you had an unusually low attendance? Remember the last time you had a higher than average attendance? How many folks did you mentally calculate who could have been present on one of those high or low days? Even more important than the mental lists we make on high and low days is the routine list we compile and maintain on a weekly basis. HINTS FOR MAKING A LIST: 1. Include those folks who attend at least once in the next 6-8 weeks. First time guests go on the list! 2. Do a church census or update your directory. Use a formal, direct appeal for folks to carefully print their contact information on a card you will provide. Have everyone do it together at the beginning or the end of a worship service. Collect them on the spot. Be sure to ask for name, address, cell phone, permission to send text messages, e-mail and Facebook. 3. Use a weekly communication card or attendance register to collect attendance records. CHECK IT TWICE! WHAT DO I DO WITH THE LIST? Check your list: for absentees. Find an appropriate, nonthreatening way to encourage absentees to return. Cross reference with membership, small group enrollment and note those who are not yet members or who are not enrolled in a small group. Now you have a prospect list! Use the list as the basis for your communication plan that should involve mailing, a Phone Tree, Text Messaging, and eventually Social Media.

An expanded version of this article may be found at www. Turnaround2020.org.

“Who do you know who should be part of your church?” 15

DEVELOPING A CULTURE OF

INVITATION By Dr. Franklin R. Dumond, Director of Congregational Ministries

Turnaround in a local church does not happen automatically. In generations long past everyone in the community knew where the church was, what time worship services were scheduled and the benefits of regular attendance. Those days of cultural Christianity no longer exist, yet in many regards the established church continues to function as if everyone will eventually find a “church home”. Because we now live and function in a country that places the church on the periphery rather than at the center of society we must rethink our efforts to win people and to gain their participation in the life and service of the church. People continue to be the primary influencers in a nonchurched person’s decision to come to Christ and his church. In comparisons made by Dr. Gary McIntosh from 1980 to 2016 he demonstrated the continued high degree of influence that people have on other people (see Growing God’s Church: How People Are Actually Coming to Faith Today, Baker Books, 2016). In a comparison of the research done by Win Arn in 1980 to his own research released in 2016, Dr. McIntosh points out that the primary influencer in coming to faith is a personal connection as illustrated in the summary chart that follows. 16

1980---------------- 2016 » Friend/Relative 80% » Family Member 43% » Pastor

5% » Staff Member

17%

» Sunday School

5% » Friend 16%

» Church Program 3% » Other 11% » Walk-In 3% » Lay Teacher » Special Need

2% » Neighbor 3%

» Visitation 2% » Work Colleague 2% » Crusade 0.5%

While the 1980 research showed 80% of people were primarily influenced by a friend/relative in making their commitment to Christ. The 2016 report shows a combined 64% influenced by family member, friend, neighbor and work colleague. People continue to be the primary influencers of other people in the arena of coming to faith in Christ. Propinquity, a word from Sociology, references those who are closest to us. For example, when you chose a spouse you could have chosen any of the thousands of potential partners in your city or in your school but the law of propinquity predicts that you will choose someone who shares your interests, who lives or works nearby in proximity to you.

The same is true for our connections to people. We could invite the whole city to attend worship but we are more likely to connect with those people we know or those people who live and work in proximity to us. Because studies routinely show the high degree of influence provided by family and friends in the matter of coming to Christ and the church, here is an important question we need to ask of our congregants: “Who do you know who should be part of our church?” There are two aspects to that question that we need to grasp. First is “Who do you know…” We are all surrounded by people who need an invitation to come on the journey with us. In that throng of people there are a few we are more likely to encounter. The second aspect of that question is “…who should be part of OUR church.” The Lord has not placed us in one church so we can increase the attendance in the church down the street. First, “Who do you know…” needs to be addressed. We could invite everyone every week, couldn’t we? People, however, will almost always shy away from an impossible, unrealistic task. Believers may not even be aware that they are avoiding responsibility but if you frame your expectations something like “Everybody witness to everyone you speak to this week”, to put it in the vernacular “It just ain’t gonna’ happen!” Church leaders can help their congregation identify those folks they are most likely to influence by providing focused attention on personal connections. So rather than “Who do you know who should be part of our church?” as an open ended question, why not focus attention a few times each year? Here are three suggested groups:

MY LIST OF PEOPLE I KNOW WHO SHOULD BE PART OF OUR CHURCH 1. Family Members 2. People I Come Into Contact With During the Week 3. People in My Neighborhood

Here’s a strategy: look at your attendance chart. What are the likely higher attended days in your church culture? Generally there will be 3-4 spikes in attendance over the course of the year. Most likely they will be Easter and Mother’s Day in the spring and some time before the holidays in the fall. Look at these patterns and focus your invitations 2-3 weeks out. Use one kind of contact suggestion each time that seems to fit your attendance culture best. For example—family invitations on Mother’s Day. Push it hard, work with your folks for a couple of weeks. Then leave them alone for 2-3 months before you do it again. Repeat this process three or at most four times a year. Put it on your calendar. Do it again next year. By the way, who has to give you permission to invite people to church?

words of advice

Be patient with your people. Many of them have never spoken to anyone else about their church or their personal faith.

Be a pace setter. Lead by example. Do your part to invite people and be relentless in your efforts.

Avoid manipulation by guilt. Present the challenge. Provide the tools.

Invest in the long haul. Culture change where people really think and act differently is a process not an event.

The most important person to win is the next one. When a new person comes to faith in Christ and participation in his church teach them to use their personal influence.

Use an awareness building tool like the neighborhood refrigerator magnet available through www.artofneighboring.com

If you’ll use this process over time in 3-4 years some of your folks will finally begin to understand the power of personal invitation and may be ready to take the baby steps of an invitational witness. Like the Samaritan Woman they will simply say “Come and see!” Now a word about your attendance charts and a high attendance day some churches will see but that everyone should avoid relying on to build the “crowd”. That’s Homecoming or Gospel Concerts with the well-known quartets and their groupies. There’s nothing wrong with these types of services but just recognize that they are targeted toward those already part of the church and we’re looking for folks who need to find our church. That’s the second part of the question that we need to honestly explore. Who do you know who should be part of our church? We need to move beyond this idea that we are called to build the Kingdom by winning people to the general cause of the faith. The Lord has not placed you in your church so that you can increase the attendance in the church down the street! You have a responsibility to win people to Christ and to the local church you attend. Ecumenical efforts and social justice ministries—as important as they are—will never build a local church! I remember the first time I was invited to take advantage of a sale on garden hoses. There were several of us who were avid gardeners always in need of a bargain for good equipment. One of the older ladies in the church found a bargain on a good quality garden hose. I remember on the church lawn that warm spring evening when she invited me and a friend to take advantage of the bargain.

“ WE HAVE BEE N CALLED TO W I N P EO P LE TO FAITH I N CH R I ST A N D TO M EM BE RS H I P I N TH E CH U RCH WE F I N D O U RSELVES CO M M ITTED TO AT TE N D I N G”

She didn’t say “Just find a hardware store—any good hardware store will do.” Instead she said “You must go to the hardware store on the corner of Blue Ridge and 87th Street. You know the one that sits back in the strip mall across the street from McDonalds.” She didn’t say “Just choose any of the garden hoses— they’re all about the same.” Instead she said “Go toward the back of the store where they have a separate display and look for the ones with the white stripe.” Sure enough by going to the right hardware store, to the display in the back and by selecting the high quality hose that was discounted several of us got a bargain. We need the same confidence and specificity when it comes to fishing for people. We have been called to win people to faith in Christ and to membership in the church we find ourselves committed to attending. Why? When someone makes a profession of faith in our church we can be sure they understand the gospel and the faith commitment they are making. We know we will be there to help disciple them and encourage them. But if they show up in a church down the street, how do we know they will hear the gospel or understand their commitment? How do we know someone will teach, train, encourage and disciple them? Percentages are helpful in understanding the challenges and the opportunities of winning people. Yet unless we share our witness with the people we know, then 64% of them who could have been won will remain lost.

MAY 29 – 31 GENERAL BAPTIST MINISTER’S CONFERENCE

» R R N

T U N A O U D «

KENTUCKY DAM VILLAGE RESORT STATE PARK On Beautiful Kentucky Lake outside Paducah, KY Special Guest Speaker Don Ross Early Registration Jan 2 — May 1 *Same Low Rates* www.generalbaptist.com/events

“General Baptist Ministries exists to maximize Kingdom impact by starting, equipping and inspiring local churches to accomplish the Great Commission.” Three reasons for belonging: 1. Doing together what we cannot do alone. No one church can accomplish individually what we accomplish collectively. Can one church singlehandedly… • Supervise the gathering of 42 churches in India? • Undertake the management of an orphanage in Honduras? • Plant a series of fast-growing, high-impact churches to reach thousands with the gospel? • Guide the revitalization of hundreds of existing churches? While no one church can undertake all these ministries singlehandedly, we do together what we cannot do alone! 2. We are not alone in the struggle. As part of a network of churches we are exposed to the help and encouragement needed to be more effective in our local ministries. Broad connections among and between General Baptists from different parts of the nation and different parts of the world provide a synergy of effort and a keen reassurance that we are not alone in the struggle. 3. A denomination offers services and programs. • Conferences and events offered at very modest costs and in convenient locations. • Consultation services customized to our denominational settings. • Missionary presence to assist local ministries to more effectively reach the world. • Church Planter connections to impact the course of our nation. • Construction and expansion loans. For more information visit: www.GeneralBaptist.com.

THOSE OLD DENOMINATIONS

Unified GIVING ... . doing together what we cannot do alone The early Church knew while not all were called to travel the known world preaching the Gospel, all were expected to financially and spiritually support the work of those who were, as well as give toward emergency relief. Paul mentions on numerous occasions the help he receives from the established churches and the offerings he delivers to the poor. (Romans 15:23-24, Galatians 2:10, Philippians 4:16) People from all over would come together in support of a few, so that the Gospel could branch out to even more places. Unified Giving allows us to follow the example of the first believers and gather our resources to send and support more missionaries than ever before to all corners of the world, and to provide relief to the poor, the widowed, the orphaned, and the disaster-stricken. It enables us to do greater things together than what we can do alone.

General Baptist Ministries 100 Stinson Dr. | Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 573.785.7746 | www.GeneralBaptist.com

Reopened! General Baptist churches multiplied rapidly in the last years of the 19th century. From 1885 to 1900 the westward expansion of the General Baptist movement saw new churches organized across southern Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Indian Territory. In 1893 one of those new churches came into existence in a rural community near Fredericktown, Missouri. The Silvermines Community already boasted a oneroom school when seven charter members organized a General Baptist Church that met in the school house. Travel was difficult in those early years. People walked everywhere but horse and wagon transportation was common. Roads in that rural community were often muddy and impassable during the winter. Pastor Edgar Lashley walked the six miles from his home near Shut-In Mountain to conduct services at Silvermines. Over time the congregation developed to become a central feature of life in the Silvermines community. In 1949 a one-room church was built on a lot adjacent to the one-room school. Over time, however, the community continued to change. In the early 1960s the one-room school was closed and pupils were consolidated into a larger school system. As the community continued to change families moved away to pursue jobs. In 1990 church services were discontinued at the Silvermines Church. The church was closed. The worn concrete steps used by worshippers for so many years continued unused for nearly 10 years. During that time the last recorded clerk of the church, Velma Walker, maintained the church bank account and kept the church technically alive. She often paid the small utility bill for the empty building from her own pocket. Then on August 1, 1999 Pastor Brad Crocker spearheaded an effort to reopen and reorganize the Silvermines Church. Looking back on that effort Pastor Brad observed… 22

1. Why did you reopen?

There is some interesting background that I must tell before getting to the actual meat of the question. Several years prior to the reopening Velma Walker, the church clerk, called me to ask if I would consider taking the pastor’s position. The 4 or 5 members that were going had been praying about it and had been led to ask me. The day of the phone call I had honestly just accepted another church a few hours earlier. I apologized and told Velma that I felt at the time the Lord was leading me another direction. Little did I know, as she often told me later, that she prayed every day for God to send someone but she just knew that is was going to be me. After ten years in another church I resigned that pastorship and was visiting other General Baptist Church’s in the local area. Out of the clear blue Velma called me and said that she had been thinking about me. I knew the church had closed its doors but she was continuing to pay the electric bill. I told her that I had just resigned a few weeks earlier and that I was soaking up some good preaching and recharging my battery. “You know the church is closed but it sure would be good to open the doors again!”. I told her that she sure was persistent and ask her to let me pray on it for a few days. In the meantime, I was contacted by another church that wanted me to come and fill in and they would like for me to consider their church if I felt led to. So I had a church in the middle of a bunch of farms that had been closed for 10 years or a church in a much larger community with a wellestablished congregation. One prayer and God created a desire in my heart to take the closed church. I had always said that it was not about numbers because God would add as he saw fit. I guess it was God’s way of leading me to just not preach about it, but to really live it. So why reopen? Because I felt God tugging at my heart to do it!

2. How did you go about reopening? I meet with Velma and we decided that we would spread the word and have an old fashion dinner on the grounds to see who would attend. Nearly twenty came that first night. We opened the church the next week for services and set about working to spread the word about the church’s ministry. At that time the church was a single room building with an old damp basement and no inside plumbing. That’s right the church still had outhouses for restrooms! 3. How did that new ministry setting compare to what you had previously enjoyed? It was a very stark

difference. I went from a church setting on a main street of town within walking distance for dozens of people with a modern sanctuary and wonderful amenities to a church that was still, building wise, turn of the century and folks had to drive distances to the rural building. But ministry is ministry. No matter where God sends you it still is about reaching out to others with the love of Christ.

4. What was it like to be a bi-vocational church planter/reopener? This is the hardest part of it all. I

answered my call to preach just as I was finishing college to become a teacher and coach. My first church was an awesome learning experience in how to try and cope with the balancing act that we must do. Easy? No, a lot of long days and tired nights!

5. What early victory lead you to believe the church would come back to life? We held a homecoming our

first year being open and the outpouring of support was overwhelming. Community members that attended other churches came to support as well as folks who had once been in the church or had family in the church. The local saddle club also came and used the day as part of a trail ride, prior to the morning service. It was amazing to see over 125 people for that morning’s service and everything from cars to horse and buggies in the parking lot!

6. Should others pursue reopening closed rural churches? For me this is an easy answer. Yes! Often

times these rural churches are in communities with no organized ministry. In my early days I thought that the only way that I would be successful as a minister was to have huge congregations. I was wrong, and forgot that God said that he would be there where two or three are gathered in his name. Every Sunday it feels like a family get together and we share in each other’s victories and struggles. But, isn’t that what church should be anyway?

The

RELEVANT

Story

CHURCH PLANT TO BE INCLUDED IN 100 FASTEST GROWING CHURCHES IN AMERICA It was just eight years ago in September 2009 that Carl and Julie Nichols took the first step in the adventure of church planting. After years of student ministry God had begun to tug on their hearts to move back to the Atlanta area where they were raised to begin a brand new church for people far from God. The rest, as they say, is history for since that day Relevant Church has witnessed more than 2,000 conversions, hundreds of baptisms and has built a permanent home in South Atlanta. But it all started with that first step of a trip to Tampa, Florida to participate in a Church Planter Assessment sponsored by General Baptist National Missions. This multi-day event involved a thorough assessment by other church planters, general assessors and professional counselors to determine if the prospective church planter seemed to have the graces and gifts to successfully plant a brand new church. Not knowing what to expect, Carl and Julie worked through the exercise hoping for a green light to plant. With that green light they became part of the General Baptist family and started the journey to plant Relevant Church in Henry County, Georgia. The 24

partnership with National Missions resulted in generous start-up funding, networking, coaching, and training that would be incredibly beneficial in the years to come. Despite the initial green light for church planting Relevant Church almost became the church plant that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen. In those days verbal agreements were used in advance of the development of a contract. This was necessary because funding was generated out of the current cash flow of National Missions which meant that if the current year budget ran short then church planting efforts were reduced. When multiple verbal agreements for 2010 exceeded the budget available it looked like the contract for Relevant Church would be delayed until Executive Director Dr. James Murray insisted that verbal agreements be honored in the sequence they were made. One lasting legacy of his short tenure as Executive Director became the funding for Relevant Church. On the ground in South Atlanta in 2010 hundreds of conversations, dozens of dinners, and a sequence of outreach events built a launch team of 72 adults. Relevant Church went public on October 10, 2010 (10/10/10) with

their first public worship service. The road to this day was tedious, tiring, and emotional. Some people who were predicted to join the cause didn’t, while others surprisingly stepped up with generosity and a servant’s heart. After 10 months of hard work, team building, and vision casting Relevant launched. Pastor Carl remembers launch day vividly. As he described, “I sat back stage, feeling sick to my stomach, wondering if anyone would show up.” But show up they did, as 318 people piled into the Locust Grove Conference center. “It was overwhelming, as we had people giving up their seats, standing along the back wall, and doing everything they could to make Relevant a place that unchurched people would love to attend” said Carl. That day 25 people moved from death to life by placing their trust in Jesus Christ. And Relevant Church took off! Pastor Carl reflects on those days often. He shared with us that “just three months in we ran out of space. Our options were limited due to time and facility constraints, so in April of 2011 we did what we were advised not to do, we moved. Six months into a new church plant we moved about three miles away. That day we grew by 70 people, and over the next six months by another 100. Less than a year into Relevant we were self-sustaining and we knew God’s hand was at work.” Relevant continued to grow year over year about 26% per year, and over the next several years, would launch two services, then three services, and finally four services every Sunday. It wasn’t long until they needed their own facility, so they began the search for a building site. This adventure of moving from a portable setting where everything was set up and torn down every week is always a stressful time for a new church. A good location was discovered and steps were taken to secure an option on the acreage when questionable activity by the executor of the property snatched the deal out of their hands. Afterwards church officials learned that the neighborhood they almost located in was the site of a new Hindu Temple and was attracting large numbers of Hindu families to the area. In 2012 another parcel was purchased and building plans were developed. It took three years to finally break ground on the 24,000 square foot facility on a main highway in Locust Grove. It was no small undertaking for a church in its infancy but thanks to a partnership (i.e. mortgage) with the General Baptist Investment Fund this

$4 million project became a reality. From its opening in 2010, until the groundbreaking in April of 2015, over 1000 people made a decision to follow Jesus and over 300 took the next step of baptism. “We wanted to make sure we kept the same intensity towards lost people coming to know Jesus even after we moved into the new building, so at our groundbreaking ceremony, we made baptism the focus of the night and 29 more people took their next step” says Pastor Carl. The next year would be the hardest year of Relevant Church. The stress of building a new building, managing the finances, and dealing with deadlines of Easter move-in were pretty intense. Health problems found their way into several staff families. Personal attacks and criticisms rose from inside and outside. People would come and people would go. It was a new set of problems. Churches of all size face struggles and Relevant Church was no different. But the mission remained the same, “to help people far from God reach their full potential in Jesus Christ.” And more and more people came to know Christ. Completion of the new building happened just one week before Easter in 2016. “One week we were at one location, and the next week were in our new building. It was strange. It was exciting.” says Pastor Carl. That day, with no marketing and no big announcement, 400 new people showed up on the brand new Relevant Campus. The next week was Easter and nearly 3000 people attended one of the five worship experiences. “It was a new day for our church” says Julie Nichols. The first Sunday in the new facility Pastor Carl shared a message about mountaintop experiences entitled We Can’t Stay Here. It was truly a mountaintop experience for the hundreds of volunteers who had spent their weekends setting up and tearing down for the previous 5+ years, but life was not meant to be lived on the mountain. Men of God throughout the Old Testament met God on the mountain. Pastor Carl observed, “Mountaintops can become monuments if you let them. Instead, we want to be a movement of believers that never turns inward.” Since moving to the new building in March of 2016, Relevant Church has grown by nearly 800 people. Over 1000 more have committed their lives to Christ and nearly 300 more have been baptized in just 18 months. Every year Outreach Magazine surveys American churches to determine which 100 churches are the largest

MOUNTAINTOPS CAN BECOME MONUMENTS IF YOU LET THEM. INSTEAD, WE WANT TO BE A MOVEMENT OF BELIEVERS THAT NEVER TURNS INWARD. 25

in average weekly attendance and which 100 churches have grown most rapidly. When the current listing of rapidly growing churches is released in October, Relevant Church will be listed as the 13th fastest growing church in America! This is the first time a General Baptist church has been included in that grouping of fast growing churches.What an exciting time for Relevant Church and General Baptists. Our church plants are exploding from Florida all the way to Arkansas and the future is bright. “The greatest part of this journey has been seeing lives changed. We’ve seen divorced couples remarried. Drug and sex addictions broken. Moms who had abortions find healing. And even as recently as this month we had yet another proclaimed atheist, who has been with us for a year, finally say yes to Jesus and then proceed to be baptized immediately. That’s what it is all about” says Pastor Carl. “At the core of the church is a strong children’s and student ministry but the real life line is in small groups. Small groups are full of broken people helping one another reach their full potential. They are messy. They are hard. But it is where real ministry takes place. We start small group environments as early as two years old at Relevant” says Julie Nichols. Today about 1500 people attend Relevant weekly and over 2500 call Relevant their home. When asked, what were some of the most challenging parts of this journey Carl stated without hesitancy, “no doubt about it, seeing people come and seeing people go. It is never easy, always painful, and the temptation is to take it personally. The reality is you have to surround yourself with the right people and stay 100% focused on the mission.” So what is next for Relevant Church? That is the same question Pastor Carl, his staff, and the elders are asking. The team is now holding four identical services on Sundays and are quickly running out of space in the facility. “Knowing the growth patterns and the vision of the church, we are 12-18 months from being gridlocked in our facility, so we just made the decision in to launch a brand new vision and generosity initiative called “For The Love” that includes building a state of the art 1150 seat auditorium on our current property. Additionally we will plan to launch satellite campuses in the next few years all across the south Atlanta area. We are also looking at ways to partner in other areas of the world” says Carl. “The need in our community is great. People are hurting. Marriages are broken. Children are orphans. Poverty and abuse are skyrocketing. And we will never be satisfied until every person gives Jesus a chance.” 26

MISSION & MINISTRY SUMMIT 2017

“Young people aren’t following the Lord anymore.” One of my friends keeps saying,

I say, “That’s not true;

come to the Summit and see for yourself.” – Brenda Poinsett

Attending the Summit was the most effective investment of my time. I was able to take things that I learned

from the workshops and immediately apply them to my ministry.

– Dan Risinger pastor, Mt. Pleasant Church

What an excellent opportunity to be a General Baptist....

I was able to see the fruition of a vision of “Doing together what cannot be done alone”. We had several volunteers give up nearly their entire week to attend workshops, worship corporately, and serve as volunteers to help General Baptist leaders from around the world enjoy their experience.

– Mat Murphy pastor, Garvinwood Church

Seeing all the great things God is doing around the globe through General Baptists willl bless you. – Stephen Watkins pastor, Lynn Oak Church

There is nothing like being around

hundreds and hundreds of

Christians who have a passion for Jesus and a heart for the lost.

Ministry can be rough and tiring at times and it’s nice to have an opportunity to get together with other laborers and get encouraged and refreshed. The workshops provided a good selection of topics that are relevant to today’s churches. From apologetics, outreach, serving people better, and personal spiritual wellness there was something for everyone. – Tim Cocanower Mishawaka, IN

Remarks from

Pastor Rene Rodriguez

About 30 people from Sheffield Association in California, as well as several church leaders from Mexico, attended the 2017 Summit, in July, in Evansville, Indiana. Even though the trip from the west coast was long, Hispanic leaders were thrilled to attend. The speakers at the Summit always have something good to teach us. In the past couple years speakers have shared practical helps, such as church logos and methods of evangelism. California pastors talk about applying what they learn at workshops and plan to improve their ministries. We come home with resources in our hands and practical knowledge. Pastors talk about updating the music of their churches because of what they experience at the Summit. Pastors and leaders from California and Mexico have learned so much from the workshops and special speakers at the Summit. They are ready to put what they learned in to practice. Pastors have said that this experience is the start of a new process of growth in their ministries in different ways. The Hispanics delegates comment that it made them feel special to be part of the bigger denomination and honored to be among other General Baptists. Sheffield Association is very proud of Executive Director Clint Cook and the General Baptist staff for doing such a great job putting together this amazing event. We want to thank General Baptists for the opportunity they gave the Sheffield Association worship team to have the privilege of leading worship on Monday night with hundreds of people from different cultures. The worship team worked hard to prepare to lead worship at the Summit. It was an amazing experience for these young worship leaders. International Missions Director Mark Powell hosted a gathering of Latin American leaders at Howell General Baptist Church in Evansville, the mother church of the denomination. It was noted that General Baptists can now identify 77 Spanish-language churches. The first Spanish speaking church was started by General Baptists twenty-six years ago. It was encouraging for Latin leaders from Mexico, California and Honduras to have the opportunity to report on the progress of their work in various locations. It is good to know the work is bigger than just in California. Alberto Padilla, the first Hispanic pastor ordained by General Baptist attended this meeting. It was an honor for the Hispanic delegation to visit the mother church of the denominationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to see where it all started. We thank the Howell General Baptist Church for their wonderful hospitality. Several took pictures behind Benoni Stinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pulpit. Some took a trip to the cemetery to see where Stinson is buried. Rene Rodriquez, Mission Director for Sheffield Association, as well as other Hispanic seminar leaders, provided seminars targeted to the Hispanic delegates of the Summit. Special thanks to the churches that hosted us by providing housing and meals, and to Clint Cook for helping pastors and leaders from California to attend the summit.

RECORD 2017 (VBS)

OFFERING General Baptist International Ministries would like to express appreciation for the great response to the 2017 LAUNCH Offering. The “Raise the Roof” offering currently stands at over $43,000 which means it has exceeded the goal by over $23,000! Thank you! GBIM Director Mark Powell stated, “We are overwhelmed by the generosity of General Baptist youth and children! We are extremely thankful for this clear expression of support for Faith Home.” This is the first year for the re-branding of the VBS Offering to the LAUNCH Offering. The LAUNCH program desires to launch General Baptist children and youth in missions awareness and involvement. The

LAUNCH offering incorporates the traditional VBS offering with a new program for General Baptist youth called “Day of Poverty.” This portion of the LAUNCH Program is entitled “LAUNCH Give.” The second part of LAUNCH is LAUNCH Go which engages older General Baptist youth and young adults in internships and short term teams. The new “Day of Poverty” for youth groups is conducted in the spring and celebrated at NYC. “Youth groups involved in the ‘Day of Poverty’ offering gave the 2017 LAUNCH offering a great head start,” according to Director Powell.

TEJAS

The 2017 offering will go a long way to redo the old tejas tile roofs at Faith Home and rebuild house three which was destroyed a few years ago by an earthquake. This is an important milestone for Faith Home, especially since the home hasreceived over 20 new children in the last year.

METAL

The 2016 VBS offering project has been completed! The 2016 offering was for a new playground for the Saipan Community School. The playground had been devastated over the years by the ravages of typhoons on the tropical island. The children from Saipan send a big thank you for their new playground which is now complete. This playground also involved the first Mission One team to go to Saipan. The team greatly assisted in getting the playground construction up and going. Saipan Community Church, established in 1947, is the oldest Protestant Church on Saipan, and Saipan Community School is the oldest school on Saipan.

The 2018 LAUNCH Offering will be for General Baptist Bible College. The college is facing great changes required by the Philippines Department of Education (DepEd). These changes have created the need for several capital improvement projects. General Baptist Bible College offers a course of studies from primary to college level. Located in Davao City, Philippines, the college, has a beautiful campus, but some buildings are aging and some new buildings will be necessary due to growth and Department of Education requirements. The college is under the leadership of Dr. Joyce Porcadilla and has been serving the General Baptist Church of the Philippines for over 50 years. 33

Through a contact at Faith Home and Christina Massey, the medical clinic at Faith Home is now open for the children of Faith Home! Medical missionary Teresa Walls will be working with Dr. Sharon Castro to provide health care to the children. Dr. Sharon will also be helping Teresa get the clinic registered so that, in the future, care can be provided to those in the community as well. The clinic will also be used as a physical therapy site several times each week. Church Development missionary Rodney Walls exclaimed, “When God opens doors, it is fun to be a part.” Of course, additional needs come as the ministry expands (the doctor’s expenses, the physical therapist needs, basic medicines, etc). If you want to be a part of what God is doing at the clinic, just mark all donations “Honduras Clinic.” The clinic continues to be the site for the Food Pantry as well (over 150 families helped so far). Dr. Rodney Walls, Church Development missionary, also announced that Pastor Miguel Ramierez will be moving from Faith Home to work with him in Church Development.

Expanding Honduras Church Planting By Dr. Rodney Walls

I have some exciting news for those that love the church and love the ministry in Honduras. If you have been to Honduras, you probably have met Pastor Miguel. Miguel is a long-term employee of the mission. He and his wife have served as house parents for years. Miguel has always had a heart for our churches and has served as president of the pastors’ association. He is a powerful preacher and a gifted teacher. A key component to making disciples for Christ will be training men and women to be pastors and leaders in our existing churches and in new church starts. Without development of potential pastors within our existing works, the potential for growth is extremely curbed, and the mission becomes dependent on people outside General Baptist ranks. Though there are many good people who can, and hopefully will, join our ranks, growing leaders from within is paramount to the mission. We need more pastors. Without more pastors, we cannot start new works. Yes, we are blessed to have a good group of pastors, but to see new works and to reach more of Honduras, we need more God-called and equipped pastors. I am getting to the exciting news. Beginning in August, Miguel will be splitting time between Faith Home and Church Planting. He will be training and working with prospective leaders in our churches, preparing them to better serve alongside their pastor and/or preparing them to be pastors in the future.

This is exciting news! For several years Miguel has, on his own time, been working with some churches and leadership groups. In fact, Ezequiel, the new pastor at Emanuel church, came out of Miguel’s classes. We believe Ezequiel is the first of many. We are putting together an effort to intentionally train young men and women to be servants in the church. On top of that, Miguel will also be teaching classes to our pastors, better equipping them to be instruments in God’s hands. I told you this was exciting news. The training will be localized not centralized. That will mean a lot of traveling for Miguel and myself. Miguel graduated with a bible degree in Theology in 2013. We also hope to plug into the great work that is going on in southern California and northern Mexico to provide a unified effort among all our General Baptist Hispanic ministries! Pray for Miguel! Pray for us as we move into new areas not yet traveled here. Support the effort by giving to Church Planting ministries Honduras. Only God knows what is in store for us, but we believe God has placed General Baptists in Honduras for a mighty purpose. We believe that in the coming years our current leadership vacuum will disappear and that there will be many new General Baptist churches here reaching people with the Good News that Christ tasted death for us all! Exciting news … exciting times!

nO woRrieS

Faith Home: From Jamaica to Honduras By Dr. Jim Pratt

If you were to ask Shawn Wright what his life motto is he would say, “No worries.” You are probably asking, “Who is Shawn Wright?” Shawn was a resident of Faith Home in Jamaica from 1984 to 1994 when Faith Home Jamaica closed. I met Shawn in February of this year when, along with Executive Director Clint Cook, I participated in a mission trip to Jamaica organized by the Henderson General Baptist Church and led by Heather Hensley. When Shawn was born, his mother handed him to a lady on a bus in Jamaica never to return for him. The lady took him to the police station and then he was taken to a hospital to be examined. He was transferred to another hospital for 8 months and then to the Glen Hope Children’s Home. At the age of 3 he was transferred to Faith Home in Jamaica. He was a resident of Faith Home in Jamaica until he was age 13. Shawn went to Basis School (Grade School) at the Sheldon School on the Faith Home Campus and then to the Stoney Hill School until he left Faith Home. While at Faith Home, Shawn was greatly influenced by General Baptist missionaries Charles and Lavon Linhart, Clint and Pat Braman, and Ron and Shirley Marsh. Mrs. Reid was Shawn’s Dorm Mother while he was at Faith Home. She became his mother figure and he stays in contact with her to this day. While at Faith Home Jamaica Shawn became a Christian at age 8 and was baptized. He also attended the General Baptist Mt. Forest Youth Camp in Mandeville, Jamaica for three years. At age 13 Shawn was transferred out of Faith Home Jamaica due to it closing. Shawn was placed in a foster home but was removed after a few days due to his foster mother using him for free labor but not allowing him to go to school. He was placed in a Boy’s home for three months for troubled children but was removed from there and placed in another Boy’s home. After living there for one day, Shawn ran away and went back to Stoney Hill to be around the people he went to school with and grew up with while living at Faith Home Jamaica. 36

By the age of sixteen, Shawn had quit school and learned how to install floor and wall tile. Shawn, today, continues to work in this field. In addition, from the age of twelve until the age of twenty- three Shawn was a part of the Boy Scout organization rising to the rank of Assistant Scout leader. Shawn stated that he developed a strong work ethic while at Faith Home Jamaica, where each resident had chores to do and then further developed a strong work ethic through his involvement in the Boy Scouts. He stated that this is a value he instills in his 6 year-old daughter, Sashane. Shawn has stayed in contact with former General Baptist missionaries Charles and Lavon Linhart and Jeff and Sharon Hutto who served as his sponsors while he was a resident at Faith Home Jamaica. Shawn has served as a host for the Henderson General Baptist Church Mission teams since 2007. It was while I was with the mission team from Henderson General Baptist Church in February that Shawn and I began to discuss the possibility of Shawn visiting Faith Home Honduras. The possibility became a reality when Shawn was able to visit Faith Home Honduras August 9-15 of this year. While at Faith Home Honduras, Shawn repaired a significant amount of tile at the Medical Clinic at Faith Home. He was glad to use the abilities that he had developed to meet a need. He also had the opportunity to share his story with the children of Faith Home. He wanted the children to know that it is important that they realize the blessing they have to be residents at Faith Home. He encouraged them to be followers of Christ. He also challenged them to develop a good work ethic so they can learn a trade when they leave Faith Home Honduras. Shawn stated that it was a blessing to visit Faith Home Honduras and meet other brothers and sisters from a different culture. Shawn also stated that visiting Honduras and seeing all the needs made him appreciate all the ways that God has blessed him. Shawn states that he has no worries. God has blessed him to be a blessing to others.

Unified GIVING ... . doing together what we cannot do alone

U N I T E D S TAT E S • H O N D U R A S • J A M A I C A • I N D I A • P H I L I P P I N E S • S A I PA N • M E X I C O

Since 1823, General Baptists have been growing our ministry here in the United States, continually trying to reach new people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Since 1911, we have been sending missionaries overseas, to go where many of us will never go, to reach people groups many of us will never meet. This global ministry is only made possible through generous financial support from General Baptist churches and individuals. The Unified Giving Fund was created to organize this support and give where it was most needed. We can plant new churches because of Unified Giving. We can send missionaries to new countries because of Unified Giving. We can aid in relief efforts because of Unified Giving. And people are being won to Christ because of YOUR gifts to Unified Giving.

General Baptist Ministries 100 Stinson Dr. | Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 573.785.7746 | www.GeneralBaptist.com

N YC

FAQ WHAT IS NYC? NYC is the annual General Baptist National Youth Conference and is the largest gathering of GB students. Realizing students cannot take all the steps from A to Z at one time in their relationship with Jesus Christ, NYC’s purpose is to encourage students to take “The Next Step” in their walk towards Him. WHO CAN ATTEND? As long as the sponsoring church is General Baptist, any student who graduated from the 6th through the 12th grade this year can attend. An adequate number of youth leaders (we call them sponsors) should accompany the students for the duration of the conference. We recommend at least one sponsor of each sex but more is usually needed with larger groups of students. WHERE AND WHEN IS NYC? NYC is held at the facilities of Lake Williamson Christian Center in Carlinville, IL. Their address is 17280 Lakeside Drive, Carlinville, IL 62626. NYC is in June, usually the third full weekend. This year’s dates are June 15-17, 2018. HOW DO I REGISTER OUR GROUP FOR NYC? Registration and promotion packets are mailed to every General Baptist church and include all the tools necessary to register your group. Additionally, you can access the registration tools on the “Registration” page of the event website, www.gbnyc.org. You can also register your group online on the Registration page. If you have any questions or need additional information call General Baptist Ministries at 573-785-7746 and speak to someone in Congregational Ministries. WHEN IS THE DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION? Early registration starts January 2 and goes through May 1. Regular registration goes from May 2 through June 1. Late registration goes from June 2 until the week before the conference. Deadline dates mean we must receive your registration by that date. Be sure to register your group by the May 1 deadline because you can add more students to your group at the same rate. (If you register your group at the early registration fee, any students you add will be charged the same fee!) FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT THE NYC WEBSITE: WWW.GBNYC.ORG OR CALL CONGREGATIONAL MINISTRIES: 573.785.7746 39

Christmas Eve Planning Tips

By Dr. Franklin R. Dumond

With Christmas Eve on Sunday this year more churches than usual will offer a Christmas Eve Service in an evening worship setting. Despite this periodic increase, Christmas Eve services have become one of the most popular means of reaching unchurched and dechurched families in our communities. Here are a few general suggestions for these special Christmas Eve Worship Services. By answering a few simple questions a Christmas Eve service that is customized to the local church can be developed.

Will the church offer both Christmas Eve morning and evening services?

Many churches will choose one or the other based on the preferences and traditions of the congregation. If a Christmas service is designed to reach the unchurched or dechurched it probably will do so best on a pre-Christmas date. Many churches will also feature a Christmas EveEve service on December 23 to avoid conflict with family Christmas traditions. In those years when Christmas comes on Sunday and Christmas Eve on Saturday it may be realistic for many churches to offer similar services on both days with the hope that members will attend at least one of the services.

the church print a special bulletin 2. Will or program?

A brightly colored bulletin or program cover lends a festive air to the service. Some will prefer a more utilitarian approach of a simple handout that guides the worshipper. Others will opt for verbal instructions or the use of a projection system to guide the worshippers. A good case can be made for a brightly colored program that has some take home value especially if special elements like Scripture portions are included. Be sure church contact information is included.

3. How will Invite Cards be distributed?

The special rules that guide the production of any Invite Cards apply here: proof—proof—proof, include contact information, include service times and add a map. Invite Cards should be distributed to the congregation on the two Sundays prior to Christmas Eve. If these cards can coordinate with the bulletin cover and other themes the worshipper is more likely to enter into the spirit of the worship theme. Be sure to plan adequate time for your printer of choice or your church copier to produce and deliver adequate numbers of your Invite Cards. A saturation mailing might be used here. See www.USPS. com to learn more about the Every Door Direct Mail service provided by the post office.

4. How will information from guests be gathered?

A Communication Card that is completed by all in attendance is one of the most non-threatening means of gathering guest information. Once again standard rules of operation apply: keep the card simple but be sure there is adequate space to fill in the blanks, do not leave the date line blank, explain the card with some version of “complete as much information as you are comfortable sharing…”, consider a coordinated theme for your Invite Card and Bulletin/ Program.

5. Will an offering be received?

If the strategy of two similar services is used then the offering instructions for Christmas Eve p.m. will probably be very similar to the offering instructions for Christmas Eve a.m. If, however, Christmas Eve p.m. is treated as a special or an “extra” service then consider the offering to be designated for some benevolent or charitable purpose. Many churches identify this Christmas Eve offering as a means of providing emergency services to needy families in the winter months. If large numbers of guests are expected please remember that these Christmas guests may be very generous if they know the specific needs being addressed by the special Christmas offering. Giving, after all, is a required part of a secular Christmas celebration too!

Will Communion or the Lord’s Supper be served?

Many Christmas Eve services feature a Candlelight Communion as the climax of the service. If Communion is served be sure to be clear with instructions since guests may come from a variety of church and non-churched backgrounds. Will worshippers come forward to receive the elements? Will everyone hold their elements and partake together? In General Baptist churches the Lord’s Supper is always prefaced with a general invitation for all believers to participate since the Lord’s people are one at His table. If servers are limited, then invite the worshippers to come forward where a more ‘self-service’ approach can be taken if needed.

7. Will candle lighting be part of the service?

The lighting of candles at the conclusion of a Christmas Eve service is a moving experience especially as one person lights another person’s candle with the declaration “Jesus Christ is the Light of my life!” Then to sing Silent Night as the benediction becomes a powerful statement of faith and worship. Remember that candles must be prepared early. To protect furniture and carpet and fingers from hot wax the little candle-shield drip protectors must be in place. Candle lighting supplies are readily available from Christian bookstores and suppliers but be sure to order yours in advance so they will be on hand for your special event.

8. Will creative elements be used?

Drama, readings, special music and other creative elements may be provided by members of the congregation or by friends from the community. Other creative elements are available for purchase on-line or from many bookstores. For example, www.SkitGuys.com offers several Christmas themed video productions of their generally well thought out scripts. They could be your special guests! A quick visit to www.hymncharts.com will acquaint the shopper with the possibility of purchasing music scores for an entire service including special background music for Scripture readers. And of course www.YouTube.com remains an ever popular site for video elements. Just type in “Christmas Worship Songs” and view 735,000 possibilities! For more assistance including sample Carols & Candles Worship and a Christmas Eve message outline download the Christmas Eve Planning Packet from www. Turnaround2020.org.

Media Buzz The Question: “I’M CALLED TO LEAD, AND I’M A WOMAN. IS THIS A CONFLICT?’

HOW

DO I KNOW I’M CALLED?

By Wendy Blight

Have you ever found yourself comfortable and content serving God, and then an invitation comes? One that surprises you and promises to take you far outside your comfort zone. I remember one such invitation. A few years into serving as a small group leader in a Bible study, our leadership team invited me to lunch. Halfway through lunch, they offered me a teaching position. I’d like to say I was honored. But, the invitation terrified me. Although I had been teaching a small neighborhood Bible study, this was a much larger platform. I expressed my deep gratitude and asked for time to pray. God led me to examine where I was serving the years preceding this invitation. Places where I had taken small steps of obedience to start our small neighborhood Bible study and then faithfully lead it, write curriculum and eventually teach. God showed me that He had been preparing me for this divine appointment. Friend, our Heavenly Father created us with gifts and talents. He lovingly shaped us to do His Kingdom work (Ephesians 2:10). Before we took our first breath, He set us apart for our calling (Jeremiah 1:5). Our calling might be teaching, serving, praying, administrating, writing, leading or a combination of these. God will faithfully direct our steps and go before us to lead us to the place of our calling. Our job is to listen and pay attention. The best place to begin is to identify our gifts. But, how do we do that? 42

“When someone says they are led by God to do anything, we should consider their fruits. Then we should pray and ask God to show us where He is working; He is certainly able to show us where, how and through whom. When we see, we should get behind the work and the leader; male or female.” Sara Moore, Muhlenberg County, KY “For me it’s about finding called people - whatever they look like. I look around my own little corner of the world and see that at 37 I am one of the youngest pastors we have. That depresses me greatly. I never want to stand in ANYONE’S way of ministering. If God is calling them, then my job is to equip them as best I can.” Marcus Hutto, pastor Project Restoration Church, Greenbrier, AR “Who was the first mentioned evangelist in the bible?? The WOMAN at the well. A leader!” Sean Usury, pastor Poplar Bluff, MO

Answering these questions will give you the strongest indication of what your calling is because God will match your calling with your capabilities. Remember, His Word promises that He equips those He calls (Hebrews 13:21). Once you’ve heard from the Lord, ask for a word of confirmation regarding the call. When I heard a “yes” from God for that teaching position, I asked Him for a word of affirmation. He placed this verse before me: “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as an overseer – not because you must but because you are willing, as God wants you to be.” (1 Peter 5:2) And then, my friend, step out in faith and confidently run the race set before you! This article provided by womensministry.net and reprinted with permission.

WENDY BLIGHT Wendy Blight is a member of the Proverbs 31 Ministries’ First 5 Writing Team and serves as the Proverbs 31 Online Bible Study Small Group Ministry Training and Development Coordinator. She is a national speaker, Bible teacher, attorney, and author of Living So That: Making Faith-Filled Choices in the Midst of a Messy Life, Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner: The Transforming Power of God’s Story and her newest book, I Know His Name: Discovering Power in the Names of God. She has been a featured guest on Oprah Radio, the 700 Club, Family Life Today with Dennis Rainey, Revive our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss and Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman. Wendy most enjoys helping women gain confidence so they can tackle life’s problems through God’s Word. Her favorite place to be is at home in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband, Monty, and their children, Lauren and Bo. Connect with Wendy at wendyblight.com and through Proverbs 31 Ministries.

JOYCE, WHAT IS AN OBSTACLE THAT YOU STRUGGLE WITH AS A GENERAL BAPTIST WOMAN CALLED TO LEAD? "My greatest struggle is when people doubt my abilities and capabilities especially in decision making, thinking that because I am a woman, my decisions may be based on emotions, thus making a conclusion that my decisions are subjective and not objective. I believe that my gender should not be an issue or concern if what I say and do are in accordance with what God wants me to say or do. I desire to give glory and honor to Him and Him alone. Things may not always be favorable to other people but I always ask God to help me reflect His grace and truth." Joyce Porcadilla, is president of General Baptist Bible College in The Philippines Upstaging the wall of past missionaries at GB Ministries building Patti Thornton, Women’s Ministries Director, and Joyce Porcadilla, General Baptist Bible College President (Philippines)

Thank you to the crowds of Summit attenders who visited our exhibit, and who purchased items while they were there. Vicki Smith, WM Event Coordinator, is a master at creating a space to both gather and shop with purpose!

Baptist Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day of Prayer November 6 (or any time of year!) Why plan for it?

GATHER. PRAY. GIVE.

The gifts fund grants for worthy ministries such as this 2017 recipient: HELPING EXPLOITED YOUTH This Volunteer Support Workers Program will support sexually exploited girls and women by helping them access community resources, including safe housing, addictions services, and counselling, and will walk alongside them in the long journey toward exiting and fully healing from sexual exploitation. http://opendoorcentre.com/ CONTACT WOMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MINISTRIES wmofc@generalbaptist.com or Facebook @gbwomens, or www.nabwu.org for info and ideas. 44

General Baptist investment fund

C hurch — N ew o r R en ovati o n Y ou r Church

Your Parsonage • Church Transportation

Funds are

GENERAL BAPTIST INVESTMENT FUND, Inc.

100 Stinson Drive • Poplar Bluff, MO 63901

573-785-7746

Barbara Williams, Treasurer Steve Naff, President/CEO

Ava ilable D ep o sit s accepted f or demand certi f i cate of de pos it Pay i ng 2.5 0 % • No P enalty f or w i t hdrawal

Trending Now

Small Churches Make a Big Difference by Sticking to the Basics Lifeway Research recently conducted a nation-wide survey of small church pastors (congregations of fewer than 250). The survey found that churches who retained the most new converts had several common factors. Here are some of their findings. Source: Lifeway Reasearch

Among pastors of churches with the most retained converts:

93% 92% 68% 66% 57% 51% 26% 46

say their church engages in ministry outside the church at least every six months to share the gospel with the unchurched. consistently hear reports of church members engaging in evangelistic conversations and sharing their faith with non-Christians. offer classes for new attenders at least every six months.

ask people weekly to commit to Christ following a personal presentation of the gospel. block out time on their calendar at least once a week for the purpose of sharing their faith with non-Christians outside the church office. attend training on personal evangelism at least every six months.

have a higher percentage of the churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s budget (30 percent or more) given to evangelism and missions.

5 Facts about Millennial Households Millennials are the largest living generation by population size (79.8 million in 2016), but they trail Baby Boomers and Generation Xers when it comes to the number of households they head. Many Millennials still live under their parents’ roof or are in a college dorm or some other shared living situation. Looking at households is important because many economic and spending decisions, such as whether to own or rent a home, tend to revolve around the household rather than the individual adult.

Here are five facts about Millennial households: 1. More Millennial households are in poverty that

households headed by any other generation. In 2016, an estimated 5.3 million of the nearly 17 million U.S. households living in poverty were headed by a Millennial, compared with 4.2 million headed by a Gen Xer and 5.0 million headed by a Baby Boomer. Millennial Gen X Baby Boomer Silent/Greatest

2. Millennial households dominate the ranks of the

nation’s renters. Millennials’ prominence among renters reflects more than their youth. They are also significantly less likely to own their home than prior generations of young adults when they were the same age

5.3 M I LLI ON 4.2 5.0 2.0

Millennial Gen X Baby Boomer Silent/Greatest

(out of 45.9 million households that rent)

(out of 16.6 million households in poverty)

About half of cohabiting-couple households are headed by a Millennial. Since 2011, Millennials have headed more households made up of unmarried partners than any other adult generation. Millennial Gen X Baby Boomer Silent/Greatest

4.2 M I LLI ON 2.3 1.6 .2 (out of 8.3 million household heads living with an unmarried partner)

18.4 MIL L IO N 12.9 10.4 4.1

In 2016, Millennials for the first time surpassed all other generations in number of household heads who were single mothers. Last year, 8.6 million households were headed by a single mother who lived with a child younger than 18. The incidence of single parenthood has increased markedly since 1980. Millennial Gen X Baby Boomer Silent/Greatest

4.0 MIL L ION 3.9 .6 .1 (out of 8.6 million female households with a child younger than 18 years of age)

5. Among heads of household, Millennials in 2016 became the generation with the largest number

identifying as multiracial. Multiracial Americans are among the nation’s youngest racial and ethnic populations, with a median age of only 19 as of 2015. Many of them have yet to form households, but among those who have, Millennials are now the most prevalent. Around 630,000 multiracial Millennials headed a household in 2016, compared with about 540,000 multiracial Gen Xers and a similar number of multiracial Boomers. Source: Pew Research Center - “5 facts about Millennial households.” Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C. (September 6, 2017).

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2017 ABC Offering Asenath Brewster Christmas Offering

MATIGSALUG BIBLE INSTITUTE

With your help we will be able to help educate General Baptist Leaders to reach tribal people for Christ throughout the Philippines. To Do your part in fulfilling the Great Commission, mail your donation to:

100 Stinson Drive � Poplar Bluﬀ, MO 63901